Realtors Care Blanket Drive

Every year around this time as the days get shorter and a lot colder, the Realtors Care Blanket Drive gets under way here in the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver area to help give some warmth to those in need. This year is the 20th annual Realtors Care Blanket Drive

You can help by donating the following items for men, women and children:

new or gently used
  •  blankets, sleeping bags
  •  warm clothing - coats, jeans, pants, sweaters
  •  scarves, gloves, mitts, hats
  •  socks (new)
  •  underwear (new)

All donations collected in a community stay in that community. 

For a drop -off location in your community please visit the following link:

Realtors Care Blanket Drive 

Or, feel free to give us a call today and we would be happy to pick up any of your donations!

I can't believe its been 4 years since I worked on the Government Relations committee at our Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. It was one of the best experiences as it gave me an opportunity to learn more about our politics. 

The above video is one I put out back in April 2011 and I thought it would be good to post again. 

Everyone has an opinion about the traffic they go through in their commute each day or the construction they must endure in their neighbourhoods. Maybe its the development in their community or lack of schools. If you have ever commented or complained about anything in your community then you should get out and vote and make your voice heard. As I said in the video "Be the change you wish to make in the world" by Mahatma Ghandi. Get out, vote this Saturday November 15th and support the candidates that will help you make your voice heard.

As I said in my video blog I'm not looking to sway anyone's vote, but do believe it is our duty as Canadians to get out there and not only vote, but to make an educated vote. Do your research and get out and vote for the candidates that you feel represent your views. The candidate that you think will work hard for your community.

Vote Saturday November 15th, 2014.

For a Voters Guide to see if you are elegible to vote, visit the following link:

Voters Guide

For voting locations visit the following link:

Poling stations 

When some people think about selling their home, they imagine all the things they will have to do: paint the kitchen, clean closets, prepare for viewings, find another home, arrange financing, start packing, etc. It can all seem very overwhelming very quickly.

In fact, the long to-do list you imagine you’ll have to deal with may dissuade you from making a move!

It doesn't have to be that way.

There are many ways to make selling your home and buying another relatively simple and easy.

Sure, there will be some work to do. You may need to prepare your property so that it looks appealing to potential buyers – cleaning, decluttering, doing some repairs, etc. Of course, you will also need to view some properties for sale in order to find your next dream home.

But those activities may not be as time-consuming or difficult as you had imagined. In fact, you and your family might actually enjoy the experience – and see it as an adventure.

The trick is to work with the right REALTOR®, someone who can guide you through the process, show you the shortcuts, and generally make things easier for you.

It's a little like baking your first cake from scratch. The task seems daunting, unless you have a master baker by your side to guide you step-by-step through the process. Then it's a lot easier, and even fun!

That's what a good REALTOR® can do for you. Looking for one? Give us a call today. 

I was reading an article on Zite yesterday on How to make Hard Boiled Eggs without boiling them. I love a good egg salad sandwich, but my eldest hates the smell. Well here is a way to make them. I tried cooking them right on the rack but I happened to have a smaller one and probably should have taken it out sooner as it cracked apart just before the time was up. After looking into it more, there seems to be a lot of posts on Pinterest and many show them resting in a muffin tin. I will try them that way next time to avoid the mess. I still haven't actually eaten them yet, but they are supposed to make the perfect hard egg and should be creamier than if you boiled them. 

I am looking forward to tasting my little experiment to see if the rumours are true. :) The reason I like this idea is that I always forget to watch for when the water boils to make sure I don't over cook them and inevitably get busy doing something else and sure enough have no idea how long it was boiling before I notice. Nothing like a grey egg....YUCK!

Heat oven to 325 degrees and then place eggs on the rack directly or in a muffin tin for 30 minutes. Then remove and place in cold water to halt the cooking process. 

Let us know if your eggs turned out and whether you like them this way or not.

If you like chicken wings, then you will love "Wild Wing" located here in Langley. Ever since we moved here 9 years ago we have been looking for a good wing place and tried a few over the years. Only to be disappointed every time. 

Back in September my husband and I were spending a couple days in Whistler and just happened upon the Wild Wing location in the Upper Village at the bottom of Blackcomb while we were strolling through the village. We were so excited when we realized it was the same restaurant we missed from back in Ontario. Even though we were trying to decide on where to eat a nice formal meal and had planned on Hy's or somewhere similar....we couldn't pass up Wild Wing and we weren't disappointed this time at all.

Then just by fluke a week later as we were running errands in Langley we noticed a sign for Wild Wing coming soon in behind the Earls on the corner of 200th Street and 64th avenue where the old De Dutch restaurant used to be. Even though wings are a once in a while treat, not something to make as part of a healthy diet.....but you have to treat yourself once in a while and might as well be Wild Wing. 

I wasn't feeling like cooking this past Saturday night and we figured we would see if there was any chance they were open....sure enough they opened up the week before. We were so excited. :)

Wild Wing offers over a 100 flavours from breaded (what they call Traditional) to naked and even boneless. Something for everyone. Then if you like them dry dusted with seasoning or coated in a delicious sauce you have so many to choose from. Our favourite is the Spicy Gar Par under Wet "N" Wild but done with Medium spice. But anything done with Gar Par is pretty much a good choice in my books. 

Here's a list of the many different flavours...sorry not the best photo. Visit their website for a better look: Wild Wing

Congratulations to Mikayla above and Alexis below - this year's Halloween Colouring Contest Winners. 

Alexis may have won, but we couldn't leave out her brother Cameron and sister Natalie's entries below. We wish we could showcase all of our entries as each and every one was a masterpiece. 

All of us at The Bettina Reid Group want to thank all of the children that entered our Colouring Contest. Be sure to watch the mail for a special thank you card from all of us! Look for our next colouring contest for Easter 2015.

I came across an article after Halloween this weekend on a Mommy blogger site that I am a part of the "Yummy Mummy Club". They had some great tips for all of that candy that most kids never end up eating. Or, that we don't want the kids to eat. :)

If your house is anything like my household, if it didn't get eaten by the kids...it was eaten by my husband and myself. After eating way too much, in order to no longer have to worry about temptation I would just throw it all out.

What I have done with the chocolate...because I know how hard it is to throw chocolate away. I would toss it in a ziploc bag and throw it in the freezer. Then either take it out when I remembered it was there for a little treat or the treats like smarties and M&M's were baked into cookies instead of chocolate chips.

For more great ideas on what to do with all those treats visit the following link:

Yummy Mummy Club

It is that time of year again where our days are slowly getting shorter....Make sure to turn your clocks back before you go to bed tonight as Daylight Savings Time Ends.

On the bright side we hope you get to enjoy an extra hour of sleep.

In the Spirit of Halloween I wanted to share a house you have to visit this week before Halloween is over and they start to tear down their decorations. I was out with clients and came across this house that is done up complete with Pirate Ship, skeletons, tavern, even the owner all dressed up as a Pirate and so much more. I was so fascinated I dragged my husband out to see it too. Sounds like they did something similar last year on a much smaller scale, but had so much fun and such a great reponse they decided to do it again. They started work on this back in May and are really happy with the finished product. The couple seem to really enjoy sharing this with everyone.

But even better in sharing their fun with the community they are looking to raise funds for a cause close to our hearts - Canuck Place Children's Hospice. Thus calling this project Pirates for Canuck Place If you are interested in supporting them but not able to make it. To donate you can visit their facebook page in the following link:

Pirates for Canuck Place

But if you can make it out be sure to go and see their display Located at the corner of 84th avenue and 209a Street in Langley.