About a month ago I had clients treat me to lunch at a very good Indian restaurant in Delta located in a little strip mall on 120th St and 82 avenue - Tasty Indian Bistro. 

Until I approached the restaurant, I wasn't sure what to expect. As I mentioned Tasty Indian Bistro is located in a strip mall, there are many strip malls along the 120th Street corridor, I am sure with many great restaurants. Had I not been invited for lunch I would never have spotted this one. Once inside I was completely impressed with the ambiance and decor. We sat near the window at a table similar to the one in the photo above on a very comfortable bench. Throughout the restaurant there are plenty of booths for more intimate meals and tables available for larger groups. The perfect setting for any occasion.

Most importantly the food was amazing. I have always been one to try just about anything at least once. I let my clients order and they ordered a variety of food I have never tried before....all of which was delicious.

Ever since I have been craving Indian food and wanting to go back. My husband and I both enjoy Indian Food but have never known what to order. Over Christmas we were invited to a colleagues home where they introduced us to Paneer and a delicious Lentil dish. So this past weekend after a long day of showings with clients I did not feel like cooking and thought this was a perfect opportunity to pick up Tasty Indian Bistro take out food. I wanted to see if my family would like all the same dishes my clients ordered. As well, my husband and I eally enjoyed the Paneer so we had to get that too. I ended up with a lot of food not realizing just how much food it would be....for 3 of us. Needless to say we had enough leftovers for days. :) Not a single dish went to waste.

What did we order.....Chili chicken which was full of vegetables, Butter chicken (just in case my family didn't like anything else), Vegetable Samosas with a delicious chick pea side dish (we couldn't have Indian Food without samosas), Dal Makhni (Lentil dish), Kadahi Paneer (which everyone describes as Indian cottage cheese- but really is nothing like it. Looks more like a type of tofu, but much more delicious), Aloo Gobi (a vegetable dish), Raita (yogurt dip) and of course roti to dip into every dish! 

I know that's a lot of food...but we wanted to try a few dishes in order to know what to get next time. 

I highly recommend if you like Indian Food to check out Tasty Indian Bistro, for more information on their restaurant visit their website at the following link:

Tasty Indian Bistro

Getting the most from an Open House

Have you ever attended an "Open House" advertised in your area or in a community you like? Most people have. Even if you're not serious about moving, viewing a few properties in a neighbourhood you like is a great way to get a sense of the market.

Who knows? You might stumble upon your next dream home! To get the most out of an open house, follow these guidelines:

• Most open houses will have a handout available containing the list price and other property information. Be sure to keep a copy.

• Don't just view the rooms. Explore the entire property, including the backyard.

• Don't be shy about asking the listing agent (or whoever is hosting the open house) questions about the property.

• Ask about the area. Are there schools nearby? Where is the nearest park or playground located?

• Ask about potential required repairs and renovations. For example, if the furnace is more than 15 years old, it may need to be replaced soon.

• Walk around the neighbourhood. Try to get a sense of what it's like to live there. If possible, chat with a neighbour.

  Finally, if you become interested in the home, be sure to advise the listing agent that your own REALTOR® will be following up. Otherwise, the listing agent might assume that he or she will be representing you.

  Looking for a good REALTOR® to have by your side? Give us a Call today. 

Canada Post once again raised the cost of our stamps...but not just by a few cents this time...This time they not only went from $0.63 to $0.85...but only if you buy them by the book or coil. If you want just one stamp it will cost you a $1.00. I guess it's supposed to be an incentive to purchase more than one stamp at a time. Although I wonder how many people will instead stop mailing cards and letters altogether.

That was the 1st thing my husband said this morning was that he didn't think it was worth sending out Christmas cards this year with how much more it was going to cost.

Canada Post has increased the cost because revenue from using postal services has decreased with the increase in the use of technology. Gone are the days of sending family and friends letters when you can keep in touch with skype, email and social media. But I would guess this increase will decrease the use of postal services even more. For those of us that need to use their services for business, this unfortunately will not change. Although I am sure it will be used more wisely.

For more details on all the rate increase please visit their website:

Canada Post 

What will you be doing during Earth Hour this year? 

My daughter and I will turn off everyhting and play a game by candle light. It is the first time in a number of years that we have actually been home during Earth Hour so I thought it would be fun to support the cause. 

Earth Hour started off as a ligths off event in Sydney Australia in 2007. Since then over 7000 cities and towns worldwide take part in this event from 8:30 - 9:30pm in their respective time zones. The idea behind it is to turn as many of your lights off for 1 hour as a symbol of your commitment to the planet. Since it's beginning Earth Hour has become so much more thna just turning off your lights to learn more about the cause and how you can participate, vist their website at the following link:

Earth Hour

Will you turn off your lights for an hour?

Foods that boost your energy

Many people order an espresso or reach for an energy drink when they need a boost. However, there are other foods that can give you a similar increase in energy and are, arguably, a lot healthier. Here are a few examples:

• Coconut oil. It contains high quantities of medium chain fats, which are a quick source of energy. Click on the following link for some great uses for Coconut Oil:
  101 Uses for Coconut Oil 

• Honey. It tastes sweet because it's a natural form of sugar. As we all know, sugar gives you a quick boost.

• Iron containing foods. Lack of iron in your diet can leave you feeling sluggish. Adding more beans, spinach, and lentils to your diet – perhaps in salads – can help boost your iron levels.

• Nuts. Almonds, cashews and other nutrient-rich nuts are the ideal quick snack for an energy boost.

• Dark chocolate. It’s great news for chocolate lovers, but keep the portions small.

  Finally, not drinking enough water can also rob you of energy. In fact, water may be the best energy-boosting "food" of them all.

Hope everyone felt a little luck of the Irish today!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of us at the Bettina Reid Group.

Children aren't supposed to die....they aren't supposed to get sick and not recover. What is even harder to bear is when a child gets sick and then has to watch her mother get sick and die herself in just a short few months after diagnosis....

This story is one very close to home for our family, over the last few months we've followed the diffiicult journey of a girl our daughter played soccer with a few years ago. Yesterday she passed away at Canucks Place Childrens Hospice after battling cancer for the past year. 

The soccer community is a small community when your daughter plays soccer in it for 8 years....you tend to get to know a lot of the players from different teams throughout the lower mainland. That is how we knew Ashley even though she was a Richmond player. Our daughter's best season of soccer was the season she played with Ashley for Coastal in the summer Y- league. Ashley had been on this particular Coastal team with Coach Gregor Young the previous summer along with many of the other girls. This was Shantelle's 1st time playing for Coastal and she was one of only a few, not only younger girls, but girls from outside of the Vancouver/Richmond area. As parents, why Ashley stood out for us...was her acceptance of our daughter as a team mate but also as a fellow defender. On any team players have to earn respect from their team mates, prove they can carry their weight. Even more so when you haven't played against them before and had no idea how they play. Players need to know they can trust you to play the game with them as a team. Ashley and Shantelle played well together on the back line that summer because Ashley gave our daughter a chance. That summer Shantelle played the best soccer of her life and more importantly had the best time of her life playing. She truly enjoyed playing soccer on that team with Ashley and all the girls and learned so much from a great coach. We didn't know Ashley other than what we saw of her on that team, accepting our daughter as a part of the team. She was a nice girl and a strong player, a pleasure to watch.

When we heard of her battle last year and started following her plight, we couldn't help but feel for her. As parents, it hit close to home, its one thing to hear about a complete stranger and feel sympathy for what they are going through. It is another when you can put a face to it and realize it has happened to someone we know.

Because we knew who she was, natural curiosity had us following her ordeal, hoping for the best. Ashley was diagnosed with cancer in her last year of highschool. She went through chemotherapy the first time round with her mother at her side. Then with a cruel twist of fate her mother was diagnosed with cancer last summer and she lost her battle in only a short few months. Ashley relapsed again after her mother passed and just recently was brought to Canuck Place Childrens Hospice to try and help her and her family through her last days by giving her a better place to pass instead of being in the hospital. 

The world seemed to get even smaller last week...my husband's work had participated in a paying it forward type event where one of the staff had given Ashley a small gift to cheer her up. My husband asked around to see who it was, to see if they knew how she was doing. Only to find out it was one of his favourite colleagues and this colleague wsa Ashley's Aunt. He sought out her aunt and asked how she was doing sharing how we knew her.....Ashley's Aunt shared with him just how tough it had been for the whole family and how Ashley was doing at Canuck Place. It took everything for him not to cry as tears ran down her face while she talked. As soon as he was back in his office he broke down and called me to share what had just happened and how close Ashley was to the end. Now her story was that much more real and you couldn't help but feel for her and all of her family. 

Canuck Place was the first free standing Children's Hospice in North America, it opened in 1995 and since then has helped many children with life threatening illnesses and their families.

"Through all stages of a child’s illness, an individual program is designed to meet the needs of each family.  Services include 24/7 physician and nursing support and consultative services, end-of-life care, pain and symptom management, respite care, school, music and play therapy, recreation opportunities and counseling.  The counseling services are available to parents, siblings, loved ones and the child, to assist them in finding the courage and resources to cope with their challenges both during the child’s illness and after the child dies."

Our hearts go out to the Chen family and friends. We cannot even imagine what they are all going through. 

I am proud that once again Homelife Benchmark Realty offices are participating in our 13th annual Charity Golf Tournament with proceeds benefitting Canuck Place Childrens Hospice. This year I will be volunteering my time on the committee in honour of Ashley and her family. Knowing first hand how Canuck Place helps children and their families is why we support Canuck Place Childrens Hospice.

Why (and How) Should I Clear the Clutter?

There are many considerations when you are planning to sell your home and move. The longer you have lived in a house, the more difficult your job will be. Staging will not only help you sell your home faster and for more money, it will also help you to claim your own personal freedom.

Eliminating clutter is the hardest part of the moving and staging process. But it’s better to do it before than after you move. Many people are held captive by their belongings. They stay in too-big houses, carry too much insurance, clean, tend and store these items, heat and cool all these “things” they feel compelled to keep. They are prisoners of their stuff.

 You can break free! Every single item in your house will need to be evaluated, especially if you are planning to move to a smaller dwelling. Start in a single room. Trying to do all the rooms at once will be overwhelming and may leave you feeling defeated. Start with a little-used room, a closet, even a junk drawer and begin!

The trick is to never handle an item more than once during this process. Once you pick it up, evaluate it for one of the following categories, and act accordingly:

Trash – It needs to be thrown away. No question. Put it in the garbage.

Donate/Sell – Designate a spot for these items. 

Rehome – These items would be important to someone else in the family. Relocate them.

Essential – These are the items that are essential to you on a daily basis. Pack them for the move.

Don’t skip anything merely because it doesn’t take up much room. Evaluate it all. If you decide to deal with it later you will have to pack it, haul it, store it, and have it hanging over your head until you unpack it and evaluate it. Chances are, you won’t want to keep most of that stuff anyway.

Handling it once and now means you’re free of an obligation to do so later, or to live in a smaller house with walls of boxes awaiting your attention, or pay for storage space to keep these items. Why go through all that when there’s a better way?