We had Dine Out Vancouver and the Bite of White Rock earlier on in the year and now we have the 1st annual Surrey Restaurant Week.

Surrey Restaurant Week began last Friday May 24th and runs until June 2 with over 35 restaurants offering set menu prices of $20, $30 and $40.

For more details on participating restaurants visit the Surrey Restaurant Week website in the following link:

Surrey Restaurant Week

Starting tomorrow until Saturday check out the Surrey Children's Festival for some great performances, arts and crafts for kids of all ages.

Check out the Surrey Children's Festival website in the following link for event times and admission prices:

Surrey Children's Festival

The Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair would not be complete without the Cloverdale Rodeo Parade. 

HomeLife wouldn't miss being a part of the parade and once again we will be handing out candy to the crowd as we march in tomorrow's parade.

The parade starts at 10:00am tomorrow Saturday May 18th. Be sure to get there early to get a good seat for the kids as the streets fill up fast. 

For details on the route visit the following link:

Cloverdale Rodeo Parade  

Cloverdale is the place to be starting Friday May 17-20 for the annual Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair ...guaranteed fun for the whole family! The Country Fair is the largest in the Fraser Valley with lots of games and rides for everyone.

From a lumberjack show, to the world freestyle skateboarding round up and even the 2nd annual Cowboy Cookoff Rib Fest and BBQ competition. There is lots to see and do this year.

For more details on all the events and times visit the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair website in the following:

 Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair

Easy Ways to "Go Green" These days, most people want to do their bit to help the environment. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing, or able, to install solar panels on their roof or implement an in-ground heat recovery system. Luckily, there are many smaller things you can do that can make a big difference. Here are some ideas that can help you "go green" easily and inexpensively. Get a recycling bin and learn how to use it. Most jurisdictions have a recycling program. You may be able to get a rebate on your recycling bin or even get it for free. Keep a list of items that can be recycled on your fridge door, so that everyone in the family can participate. Get a kitchen compost bin. Find out if your jurisdiction has a compost pick-up program. If they do, get a kitchen compost bin. Composting can reduce landfill waste by as much as 32%. Use energy-saving light bulbs. Low energy light bulbs have come a long way in recent years. Their consistent glow and brightness now rival their incandescent counterparts. By replacing regular 40-watt bulbs with energy saving 8-watt bulbs, you could save nearly 50% of the electricity you used for lighting. Results may vary by brand. Shop for local produce. Many grocery stores and supermarkets offer produce – fruits, vegetables, – that are grown within a 100 mile radius. The short transportation distance, means significantly less fossil fuel is required to get the produce delivered to your local store. Keep in mind that some non-local produce, such as apples in the off-season, often need to be transported thousands of miles. Let nature do the work. As an alternative to air conditioning, open windows and block out the passive heat gain from the sun with curtains. Do the opposite in winter. Strategically using curtains and windows can lower your energy bill by as much as 20%. As you can see, you don't have to do much to have a "greener" home. Just a few little changes can make a big difference. Easy Ways to "Go Green"

These days, most people want to do their bit to help the environment. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing, or able, to install solar panels on their roof or implement an in-ground heat recovery system.

Luckily, there are many smaller things you can do that can make a big difference. Here are some ideas that can help you "go green" easily and inexpensively.

Get a recycling bin and learn how to use it. Most jurisdictions have a recycling program. You may be able to get a rebate on your recycling bin or even get it for free. Keep a list of items that can be recycled on your fridge door, so that everyone in the family can participate.

Get a kitchen compost bin. Find out if your jurisdiction has a compost pick-up program. If they do, get a kitchen compost bin. Composting can reduce landfill waste by as much as 32%.

For Surrey residents their new program is a good program offering both recycling and composting solutions.

Use energy-saving light bulbs. Low energy light bulbs have come a long way in recent years. Their consistent glow and brightness now rival their incandescent counterparts. By replacing regular 40-watt bulbs with energy saving 8-watt bulbs, you could save nearly 50% of the electricity you used for lighting. Results may vary by brand.

Shop for local produce. Many grocery stores and supermarkets offer produce – fruits, vegetables, – that are grown within a 100 mile radius. The short transportation distance, means significantly less fossil fuel is required to get the produce delivered to your local store. Keep in mind that some non-local produce, such as apples in the off-season, often need to be transported thousands of miles.

Let nature do the work. As an alternative to air conditioning, open windows and block out the passive heat gain from the sun with curtains. Do the opposite in winter. Strategically using curtains and windows can lower your energy bill by as much as 20%.

As you can see, you don't have to do much to have a "greener" home. Just a few little changes can make a big difference.

Really hope the weather holds out for Clayton Community Festival tomorrow. If it is anything like last year it is bound to be a lot of fun for everyone! 

Clayton Community Festival is very much Cloverdale's rodeo week kick off. With entertainment on both sides of Fraser Highway and all the merchants from Hillcrest Village and Clayton Crossing . A free family event with lots of music, face painting, games, free samples and so much more.

If you're looking for something to do with the family tomorrow stop by Clayton Community Festival from 11am-3pm at 188th & Fraser Hwy. 

Today is McHappy Day a $1 from the sale of every Egg McMuffin, Happy Meal and Big Mac will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House B.C. 

I don't normally advocate eating McDonalds...but today it's to support a very worthy cause! Ronald McDonald house offers families during a very difficult time a place to stay while their children are receiving medical treatment. Giving them a home away from home! As a parent we hope we will never need the Ronald McDonald house...which is why it is even more important to support McHappy Day because Nobody plans to need their services.

To learn more about Ronald McDonald house visit their website today!

http://www.rmhbc.ca/

Make sure to stop by McDonalds for McHappy Day and support Ronald McDonald house today!

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!!! Without our assistant and office assistants we wouldn't be as successful in our business and we wouldn't be able to give our clients the best possible service ever! 

A very big THANK YOU to our assistants, hope all administrative professionals have a wonderful day!

Happy Vaisakhi to the Sikh community  on behalf  of all of us at The Bettina Reid Group.

Sounds like it is going to be an exciting day tomorrow in Surrey for one of the largest Vaisakhi parades in the world. Surrey is expecting anywhere from 80,000 to upwards of 200,000 people to attend the annual Vaisakhi Parade and celebration.

For more details on the days events visit their website at the following link:

Surrey Vaisakhi Parade

Just a reminder of tomorrow's half price admission for Vancity members!!!

Visit my earlier blog for more details:

 http://www.bettinareidgroup.ca/Blog.php/vancity-members-enjoy-half-off-admission-at-science-world-april-20th

I'm hoping the weather changes this weekend...if it does and you are looking for something to do with the family check out the Tulips of the Valley festival in Agassiz.

In Ontario we always had to wait until around the middle of May to see the blooms, I love living in BC and seeing all the flowers in full bloom at the beginning of April...especially this year when parts of Ontario had freezing rain yesterday and snow today! Yuck! Haha! to all my family and friends back east.

The Tulips of the Valley festival starts tomorrow and runs until the blooms are gone (approximately 2 weeks). The are open 10am - 5pm on the weekends.

Visit their website for the exact location and full details: 

Tulips of the Valley

Wishing everyone the very best and hope everyone is having a Happy Easter weekend with their friends and family this weekend!

From all of us with the Bettina Reid Group!