The sun has been making more regular appearances and our thoughts are turning to getting outside and growing some beautiful flowers or fresh food for our tables. Whatever the size of the area you have available to you there are plenty of options for getting your hands dirty and enjoying the satisfaction of watching a plant you nurture grow.  Whether it is simply a pot on a windowsill, a community garden box or a large backyard, gardening is good for you, science says so!!  We are not the experts on gardening so we turn to locals and new owners of the Whistler Garden Centre in Function Junction, Charles Verreault and Magali Paquet for help. Charles and Magali want to share their passion for plants and the endless ways of making people happy. At their store the growing capability is endless as they have everything you will need to grow the perfect garden all summer long, or if you don’t have that green thumb they have lots of different types of houseplants that are easy to take care of! They have a great team with lots of knowledge that will give you all the right tips to make that new friend survive!!

In our team we can always track down someone to answer any questions our client’s may have and when it comes to gardening we welcome these great tips from Charles and Magali.  Did you know you should always water houseplants when soil is starting to dry rather than on a regular schedule? 70% of house plants like being wet to the touch of soil. Give your plants a weekly dance, rotate them so all sides of your plant gets the sun and not only one side, this will help with keeping your plants green and fresh.  For outdoor gardening it’s important to figure out the average frost dates for the area you live in, usually in Whistler the May long weekend is the best time to start planting outside, it’s coming up soon so head to the Garden Centre to prepare. Starting a garden before the last frost of the season is a mistake many new gardeners make. Choose the right plants for your space.Many plants, including fruits and vegetables, need six hours of sun a day to thrive, while others are better suited to areas with limited light.  Our team manager Lucy who recently bought a new home in Pemberton is making the most of her garden box and started with Garlic which was planted on the October Full Moon – yes, that’s a thing! If you need any help head to the Whistler Garden Centre, maybe we’ll see you there!

Mother’s Day is fast approaching so we want to celebrate the wonderful influence our 
Mothers have had on our lives.  We asked some members of the team to share some love….

The Best Thing My Mother Taught Me Was…….

“One of the most favourite things my Mother taught me was how to make a feast!! Massive weekend breakfasts, over the top holiday feasts, and mouth watering desserts! Calling Mom for recipes and ideas will always be at the top of my list. Love you Mama :)”. – Meg

“As a young child, through adolescence and into early adulthood there was one phrase that my mother repeated time and time again :“Make every post a winner kid”And now, I hear it in almost every decision I make. If I’m ever at a crossroads or unsure of whether “I should or I shouldn’t “ I hear it “make every post a winner” and it pushes me forward, gives me resolve and makes me feel strangely assured that I am heading in the right direction.I guess it’s my mums  version of getting lemons and making lemonade =)” – Kirsten

“The best thing my mother taught me, in addition to exceptional manners 😉 was the value of experiencing life by travelling, adventure, working and culture. She has always encouraged this, however I am mostly grateful for this advice in my teen years, upon graduating high school and having no idea what I wanted “to go to school for”, or “do with my life”. My parents also taught me the value of money and responsibility which I am very grateful for.” – Kristi

“With my children becoming teenagers I am reminded of my Mum making everyone so welcome at our home when I was younger and always having enough food for whomever I bought home.  My friends often referred to our house as their second home.  When I left England for Canada my friends would regularly stop by for a cup of tea and chat with my parents!  I am beginning to understand how important it was for my Mum to be close to my friends and am valuing that with my own children. “Keep your kids close and their friends closer” was a wise lesson!!” – Lucy

“The older I get the more lessons I realize I’ve learned from my mom. From how to to host guests, and make a mean turkey dinner, to leading with kindness and positivity! My mom always has something positive to say in any situation, and is truly my biggest support. So lucky to have her to look up to, and continue to learn from” – Kristen 

Remember to make any Mother’s in your life feel appreciated and special on Sunday May 9th!  We have  wonderful gift ideas from local jeweller Helen Chan of Lazy Maisie.  Originally from London, UK, she has called the Sea to Sky her home since 2012. Each beautiful piece is handcrafted and one-of-a-kind. Featuring a simple and feminine design that is uniquely hand-stamped with texture and meaningful messages to inspire thoughtfulness and positivity. Available in sterling silver and 14k gold fill and offering custom words for a more personal touch!  Mom’s would love the names of their children on these cute necklaces, we’ve already put in requests to our kids!

It’s February and Love is in the air!  It has been the perfect time to explore what we love to do locally while keeping our community safe and healthy.  The freezing temperatures have given the ideal conditions for exploring the mountain lakes for ice-skating and pond hockey.  Our team suggests packing hot chocolate and wrapping up warm.  Smooth, clear ice for skating means it’s certainly going to be chilly!  After a trip to the lake for a skate, head to one of our favourite places to sit by the fire and enjoy delicious food, it’s one of Whistler’s best kept secret spots but we are sharing the love with you! The Courtside Cafe and Bar at the Whistler Racket Club holds special themed dinner nights including Gastro Pub Tuesdays, Tapas nights and the best fresh made chips you will ever taste, try the maple bacon flavour, it’s incredible. Check out their facebook page for the latest events.

If you are looking for an evening activity to get you out under the stars, it’s time to head to Whistler Olympic Park on a Wednesday night when they offer discounted cross country skiing and snowshoeing trail tickets and rentals for $7 each from 3pm-9pm.  Refreshments are available and it truly is a magical place to be after dark with your bubble.  Click Here to Reserve rentals and for more information.

We are certainly feeling the love for all those in our Community who work hard to keep us healthy and safe. They do such a fantastic job!  To thank our community and essential workers for their strength, support and kindness to one another the RMOW “Whistler Has Heart Project”  asked local artists and residents to paint 100 wooden hearts. The hearts are being displayed at various locations throughout Whistler for the whole month of February.  Go take a look, click here for the schedule of display locations.  We hope that you embrace those you love and are thankful for in whichever ways you can this month!  We sure do love new clients so if you know anyone who needs help selling or purchasing Real Estate please give us a call, anytime!

After taking some time with family and enjoying our deliveries to all our wonderful clients over the holidays our team has hit the ground running for the exciting New Year ahead.  During December we created our Mission Statement to keep us on track with the values which are key to how we serve our clients and our Community. We are so happy to share that with you:  

“Our passion is to Empower and Connect with our clients to help them achieve their desired outcome while making it an enjoyable process.  We take great pride in our work and care deeply about every client.”

On a more personal note each member of our team created a Vision Board including our personal and professional goals and dreams for 2021.  Vision Boards are a fun way to discover your “why?”  A vision board focuses on the things you want and also displays the feelings you want to have in your life which fall in line with your values. When you are working on small tasks, day to day business, and generally a busy life – it is helpful to keep your BIG dreams and goals front and centre so they stay top of mind.  This a fun task, a study following Harvard students conducted in 1979 proved that setting clear goals and writing them down in words or with images makes people more successful than just thinking about your goals. Many of us had similar images/meanings on our boards with other team members!!  It is a fact that we’d all love to drink more water, connect with the people, and visit a warm sandy beach in 2021! Dream Big, Visualize & GO!

Mortgage rates are at all time historic lows. With a conventional purchase, more than 20% down payment, 30 year amortization at 1.94% 5 year fixed rate and variable rate of 1.70%* (*Rate will fluctuate with prime rate). Insured, high ratio mortgages, with less than 20% down payment and a maximum 25 year amortization are as low as 1.74%. It is best to speak with a licensed Mortgage Broker about your specific situation as there are many factors that affect the mortgage rate: purchase price, down payment, credit score, amortization, etc. It is important to understand the mortgage product being offered in detail, including any restrictions on the mortgage, prepayment privileges, and most importantly understanding the lenders penalty calculation. I am always happy to help even if you just need a second opinion on your mortgage for a new home purchase or advice about best rate offers when you are renewing your current mortgage.

– Laura MacCormack — Licensed Mortgage Broker with Verico Compass Mortgage- www.cleverlending.com or 778-388-4240 

We were so lucky to have enjoyed a fun-filled snowy morning with our friends at Canadian Wilderness Adventures.  As we wrapped up in our snow-gear, our guide Sean lined up the Snowmobiles for our tour. Safety is always a priority at Canadian Wilderness Adventures and we received a full safety briefing and lessons in braking and taking turns on the Snowmobiles – very important information!!  After “snowmobile class” was over we set off on our journey through the pristine Callaghan Valley with the sounds of our laughter audible through our helmets and the roaring sound of engines!  Sean was a fantastic guide and made sure we were all comfortable and feeling confident on our snowmobiles.  We felt like we were flying along on the fresh snow through the wide tree-lined trail and enjoyed a stop at the lake next to the historic NorthAir Goldmine site for a snowball fight and the obligatory creation of fresh snow angels!  It was a comfortable ride for beginners, relaxed enough to enjoy the scenery and really got  the adrenaline flowing!

After, we strapped on snow-shoes and wandered into the trails to admire the peace and tranquility of the beautiful old-growth forest.  Tree’s very much worth hugging!  Sean told us about the plant life and stories of our local bears.  Thankfully we didn’t disturb any Bears taking their long winter naps!  Sean took us to a trapper’s cabin on a frozen lake which was very Instagram worthy, we had brilliant local photographer Emily Serrell with us to take care of that!  We whole-heartedly recommend joining Canadian Wilderness Adventures for your next trip to the backcountry whether it be on a Snowmobile, Snowshoe or Dogsled tour.  The Yukon Breakfast and Steak Night at their cabin on Sproatt Mountain are delicious so those are on our list for next time, we are excited to go back!

 SPECIAL OFFER for our Newsletter subscribers 10% off any Canadian Wilderness Adventures tour when you book online:  Promo code is MEG2020

We hope you’ve been tuning into our Instagram and Facebook stories this month – we’ve been featuring some of our favorite Sea to Sky businesses! Wonderful places to shop for Christmas gifts, order your takeout, buy gift cards or just support with your follows, likes & reviews!

This is just a small taste of what we’ve been sharing, check out our Holiday Faves highlight reel on Instagram for the full listing – we will be adding businesses right up until December 23rd!

This month is a great time to begin preparing your home for Winter and make sure that you are ready to embrace the fast approaching holiday season. While she was putting the finishing touches on our office redesign we asked Kerri Nicol from KLN Interiors for her Top 5 Design Tips for the Holidays:

1. Make it Cozy – Add soft throws and pillows to create an inviting space.

2. Bring in Nature – Venture outdoors and collect fallen cedar branches and pine cones. These can be easily displayed on your mantle or in a bowl as a table centre piece.

3. Stick to a Colour Scheme – Limit yourself to 3 – 4 colours for a consistent and clean look, don’t get carried away with all the colourful, bright lights.

4. Keep it Simple – The holidays are busy enough, don’t let your designs overwhelm you. Simplify your spaces, and allow room for presents, egg nog, and family.

5. Have Fun! – Feeling inspired by a magazine or TV show but think it’s too outside of the box? Now is the time to go for it, the Holidays are meant for fun and laughter!

If you need more help with your design needs get in touch with Kerri, she really works magic in every space!  We LOVE our fresh office, with functionality, fun and of course great style, it truly is a joyful place to work hard serving our clients. 

What better way to escape the rainy weather than heading to one of our favourite indoor activities – Escape Whistler.  At our recent visit, The Pinball Machine Room certainly sent us back to the 80s with this impressive fully immersive experience. There were some tense moments where we thought we would never make it out but also laughter as we worked together with our usual spirit of fun while getting the job done!!  And YES, we escaped and with minutes to spare, reminded us of those nail-biting moments in some Real Estate deals we have put together!

Starting Friday, July 10, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre is extending hours of operation on Friday and Saturday evenings for Summer 2020. Guests are invited to explore the museum and gift shop until 9pm, and either dine in or take-out dinner options from the Thunderbird Café until 8pm. 

In the museum, the immersive guest experience during the day will be extended until 9pm: hand drumming at the top of every hour, a fifteen minute film screening, and self-guided tour with knowledgeable Cultural Ambassadors on hand to answer questions.

At Thunderbird Café, the menu will transition from sandwiches and soups to a more dinner focused offering with beer and wine available for purchase (dine in only).

The SLCC offers Guided Forest Walks, where you learn from Cultural Ambassadors about local flora and fauna found along the Salish Stroll, has a gift shop where purchases support local Squamish & Lil’Wat artists, as well as hosts private events!

The SLCC is open Thursday through Sunday 10am – 5pm with an additional 2 for 1 evening openings on Friday and Saturday from 5pm – 8pm.

To learn more visit https://slcc.ca/