Wondering what to give to your beloved granddaughter, Emma, this Christmas? 

This Christmas, why not give the gift of love to someone you love? Consider giving the gift of a furry feline friend.

Cats Anonymous is a longstanding no-kill adoption facility in southern Ontario. They are a volunteer-run, non-profit organization (no government or township assistance) that is home to approximately 60 cats who are permitted to roam free within the shelter. "Our cats need never fear euthanasia, and can stay with us as long as it takes to find the right adoptive home."

If you would like to adopt a new family friend or make a financial contribution to this deserving charity, get in touch:

Email: admin@catsanonymous.ca

Phone: (519) 855-6850

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatsAnonymousRescueandAdoption

Photo and image credit: Cats Anonymous

If cats aren't up your alley, then consider making a charitable donation this Christmas in the name of a loved one. Make a difference ~ think about what matters to you. Here are some suggestions: 

• K-W Seniors Day Program: "K-W Seniors Day program is a non-profit community day service dedicated to promoting health, wellness, and dignity for older adults in the community who live alone or with a care partner and who would benefit from a supportive day program service".
• Feed Ontario: "More than half a million people visit a food bank in Ontario every year. But hunger doesn’t have to be on their menu. Help families get back on their feet."
• HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre: "Helping People Meet the Challenge of Cancer ~ HopeSpring was a bright point at a dark time in my life".
• The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 530 Waterloo: "It is a vital space for veterans to meet and socialize. It is really important to have a place to go when you've been in a war zone because no one else can understand that.”
• Special Olympics Ontario - Kitchener: "Special Olympics Ontario is part of a worldwide charitable organization providing sports opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities".
• The Coping Centre, Cambridge: "The Coping Centre offers a peaceful place for support, understanding, compassion and encouragement in the uniqueness of one's grief journey".
• MADD Waterloo Region: "One wrong decision affects so many. Our mission is to stop impaired driving and to support victims of this violent crime."
• Kids Country Club: "To provide extended relief for families of children described as Medically Fragile and/or Technologically Dependent by offering quality care in a home-like setting."
• Hobo Haven Dog Rescue, St. Jacobs: "Hobo Haven is a not-for-profit dog rescue dedicated to assisting homeless dogs in our community."

Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Blog Post: December 1, 2023 

#christmasgiving #christmascharity #charity #donate #fundraising #nonprofit #adoptdontshop #catrescue #rescuecat #catsanonymous #savealife #adoptacat #sheltercats #dogrescue #rescuedog #seniorcare #seniorliving #homecare #eldercare #elderlycare #caregiver #foodbanks #endhunger #cancersupport #cancer #cancerawareness #cancersurvivor #cancersucks #cancerfighter #royalcanadianlegion #canadianforces #canada #canadianveterans #specialolympics #griefcounselling #grief #griefsupport #griefjourney #disabledkids #disabled #disabilityawareness #helpakid #mothersagainstdrunkdriving #dontdrinkanddrive #designateddriver 

Born in 1960, I have been a lifelong resident of Kitchener-Waterloo.

I began my career trajectory with Insurance in 1984, but always wanted to sell Real Estate in Kitchener-Waterloo so I joined RE/MAX Twin City Realty Inc. full-time in June 1989. 

Shortly after I became a Kitchener-Waterloo Realtor, I started doing deals with Michael Saunders and Looey Tremblay in the residential and multi-family real estate sectors.

I moved into my current home in Kitchener’s Rockway neighbourhood in 1995 where I raised my 3 children. I currently have 3 grandkids aged 14, 10, and 8 years old.

I enjoy gardening, woodworking, home renovations, and playing the piano.

I've travelled to Colombia, the Caribbean, and the Philippines where I met my wife Rhea and her daughter, Grace.

I believe I'm successful in my real estate career by ensuring my clients make educated and informed decisions, not emotional ones. With me, I am an open book. What you see is what you get. I will be honest and upfront every step of the way.

When people ask me what I enjoy about selling real estate in the Waterloo Region, I tell them "meeting new people and helping guide them through the process of buying or selling".

My goal for these next few years for myself, my past and present clients is Health, Happiness, and Prosperity! I’m delighted that I have the support of Looey and Michael and our successful, award-winning Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge real estate team.

I invite all my past and present clients to reach out to me at my direct line at 519-589-0951 or by email bobhootonkw@gmail.com for any service I can provide.

Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Blog Post: November 8, 2023 

#RealEstateKitchenerWaterloo  #KitchenerWaterlooRealEstate #WaterlooRegionRealEstate # KitchenerWaterlooCambridgerealestate #remaxtwincityrealty #remaxrealtor

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Time for Lunch (TFL)!

If you like garlic, you’ll love these tender Portobello mushrooms baked to a golden hue and loaded with delicious nutty, chewy, and savoury sensations! 

Ingredients:

• 4 Portobello Mushrooms (Serves 2 people)
• 100 g Radishes
• 120 g Baby Kale or Spinach
• 15 ml Minced Garlic
• 60 ml Mayonnaise
• 15 ml Apple Cider Vinegar
• 40 g Panko (Suggestion: Kikkoman Whole Wheat Japanese-style Bread Crumbs or PC Black Label Japanese-style Bread Crumbs) 
• 80 g Bulgur
• 60 g Feta Cheese
• 10 g Spice Mix (Make Your Own or Quick & Easy – see below)

Set aside:

• Medium pot
• Large stove-top pan
• Baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Make-Your-Own-Spice-Mix Recipe

In a small bowl or jar, stir together the following:

4 tablespoons garlic powder 

3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons sea salt 

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon red bell pepper

1 tablespoon dried chives

Or

Quick-and-Easy-Spice Mix Recipe

Mix ? teaspoon sea salt and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon each dried basil and thyme).

Step 1: Cook the bulgur

Start by cooking the bulgur per the instructions on the package. Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Bulgur is a good brand. Once the bulgur is cooked, fluff and keep warm. Preheat the oven to 450F.

Step 2: Sauté the spinach & make the stuffing

Drizzle some oil in a large pan and heat on medium-high. Add the spinach and 2/3 of the garlic and sauté until the spinach is wilted. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Divvy up the spinach between 2 medium-sized bowls. Wash the mushrooms. (Helpful tip: Norwex makes a great veggie and fruit scrub cloth – perfect for cleaning those blasted mushrooms that no one likes to clean!). Remove and roughly chop the mushroom stems. Pat the mushrooms dry. Add the mushroom stems, panko, cheese, 2/3 of the spices and a dash of salt and pepper to one bowl of spinach. Give the mixture a good stir.

Step 3: Stuff & bake the mushrooms

Place the mushrooms on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Fill the mushroom hollows with stuffing. Bake until golden brown and tender – about 14 to 16 minutes. The smell of these beauties baking will make your taste buds tingle!

Step 4: Make the garlic sauce

Microwave 2 TBSP butter in a small bowl – in short blasts – until melted. Add the mayonnaise, ½ the vinegar, remaining garlic     and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the remaining vinegar, to taste. Stir well.

Step 5: Wrap it up and serve

Thinly slice the radishes. Add the radishes, remaining spinach, 1/3 of the garlic sauce, remaining spices, and a dash of salt and pepper to the pot of bulgur. Dish out the bulgur, top with the mushrooms and drizzle lightly with the remaining garlic sauce. Time for lunch! Bon appétit!

“All Fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once.” 

~ Terry Pratchett

#recipe #food #foodie #cooking #recipes #homemade #healthyfood #lunch

Here's a question to ponder on this November morning...do you think we are all connected by 6 degrees of separation?

If you are unfamiliar with the term, 6 degrees of separation doesn't refer to the stages of marital union through to divorce!

Six degrees of separation is the notion that all of us are six (or less) social connections away from each other. It's more or less the premise on which the business social media platform LinkedIn is built.

Six degrees of separation networking is vital in the real estate business. The "power of referrals" in your network of family, friends, and business associates could have a profound impact on our business model and success in continuing to build a dynamic client base. Not only would someone you know gain a great realtor in Kitchener-Waterloo, but we would also gain a great client. Win-Win.

There are likely many people in your network who are looking for real estate help. Perhaps:

- A cousin who’s searching for a new home.
- Next-door neighbours who want to establish how much their home is worth in today’s competitive market.
- A work colleague who is ready to list and looking for a good real estate agent.

If you encounter anyone seeking real estate assistance, we hope you’ll feel comfortable referring our successful and hard-working Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge real estate team. We build our business on referrals and really appreciate valued clients recommending our services.

As always, we'd lay out the red-carpet treatment for anyone whom you send our way.

"The opposite of networking is not working".
~ Someone Smart 

Here's how to create the WOW factor when home-staging your home.

• The foyer. Ding-Dong! Prospective buyers at the door. Ensure your foyer is tidy and feels spacious. Freshen up your front door and foyer with a new doormat. Ruggable sells washable doormats - both functional and decorative. Add a seasonal theme for additional impact.

• Lighting. Shine a light on the best features of your home. How do you choose the right bulb for home staging? Typically, LEDs are superior to all other types of light bulbs. Choose the shape of your bulb (take photos of your bulbs before you head out to Swanson's Home Hardware or Peavey Mart in Kitchener so that you purchase the "same-shape" bulbs as your existing ones). Cheat Sheet 101 on Watts, Kelvins, and Lumens? Watts is the amount of energy a bulb uses. Kelvin is colour temperature. Lumens is brightness. We recommend 2700K to 3000K light bulbs throughout. Light the way to a home sale by showing your home in the most flattering light.

• Interior doors. Implement an open-door policy. Leave interior doors open throughout your house. Encourage buyers to view your home room-by-room.

• Personal items. Purge your home of personal items and family photos. Yes, even that favourite picture of yourself at the Sadie Hawkins Dance at KCI High School back in the day! Create a clean slate for buyers so that they can imagine buying your home and living there with their personal furnishings.

Photo Credit: Welcoming foyer at 4 Chancellor Drive, Heidelberg

#realestate #realtor #realestateagent #home #property #househunting # #interiordesign #luxuryrealestate #newhome #architecture #house #homesweethome #design #homesforsale #justlisted

#staging #realestate #homestaging #interiordesign #homedecor #design #decor #realtor #stagingsells #home #interior #staginghomes #homestager #stagingworks #homedesign #interiors #realestateagent #interiorstyling #interiordesigner #interiordecor #homestagingworks #luxuryhomes #propertystaging #lighting #homesweethome #photography #interiordecorating #realestatestaging #forsale

I'm the Party Hearty of the insect world. Parties, festivals, and jamborees are held in my honour all over North America. Forget Onkel Hans - I'm the leading act in Ohio's largest one-day festival. Those Americans sure know how to throw a party! Even Torontonians think I'm cool - the Toronto Zoo showcased me in their Woolly Bear Festival. Read 'em and weep, polar bears.

I don’t bite, lack stingers, and am not considered a pest in the garden or the farm. Read more to discover why I am known as “The Weather Worm”.

I'm kind of the Ground Hog of Autumn. Rumour has it that I can predict winter weather patterns better than Pangu Weather. According to folklore, the wider my rust-coloured bands the milder the winter. 

As an exotic insect, I may look warm and fuzzy, but that's not entirely true. I am fuzzy, but my hair helps me to freeze, not keep warm! I'm actually getting ready to freeze my butt off shortly. But first, I'm heading for shelter under a log or leaf pile.

When Ol' Man Winter arrives, I will literally freeze solid. First, my heart will stop beating. Then my gut will freeze, followed by my blood, and then the rest of my body. I won't die because I produce a cryoprotectant, a kind of natural antifreeze. I'll wake up in the spring, have a snack and then, I will spin a cocoon and emerge as a gorgeous (if I do say so myself) Isabella Tiger Moth. My life, as a moth, will be short and sweet - about a week.

So, now that you have heard my life story, I'm going to give you October's Homeowner's Tip. When you're putting your garden beds to sleep this month, please don't rake your leaves to the curb for the city to pick up. Leaves are not litter. I need all the help I can get. Rake your leaves into your gardens where they will insulate plant roots, build living soil, sustain birds, and protect overwintering pollinators like me. Leave the leaves!

"We kill all the caterpillars, then complain there are no butterflies" ~ John Marsden

#leavetheleaves #caterpillar #nature #butterfly #moths #butterflies #woollybear #insect #weatherworm #lepidoptera #IsabellaTigerMoth #torontozoo #woollybearfestival #pollinators