Home Bar Essentials

If you love to entertain when you have guests over, you may be working on building your home bar. While enjoying time inside doesn’t require a bar, sometimes a happy medium between a full-on wet bar and just a few beverages in the fridge can help elevate the hosting experience. Here are the essentials you need for a great home bar:

1. Bar Fridge

Having a separate bar fridge is a great addition for several reasons. First, you can keep your beverages at the temperature they are meant to be kept at. Beverage refrigerators are best kept 10 degrees warmer than the normal fridge temperature. Another great reason is that you will no longer waste fridge space for beverages. Now, you don’t have to worry about taking food out to put drinks in!

2. Bar Decor

Decide what style you want for your bar space. Whether you want an elegant or pub theme, choose pieces that will tell a story. 

3. Plenty of Glassware

When hosting guests at your home bar, it is helpful to have a variety of glassware to suit the types of drinks you may be making. Keep rocks glasses, highball tumblers, and stem glasses - with a few red and white wine glasses on hand. Pint and shot glasses are also great to keep in your bar.

4. Cocktail Shaker & Strainer

If you have a cobbler shaker, there is no need for a strainer, as they are usually built in. If you have a Boston shaker, which can be a little trickier to use, you will need to get a strainer for pouring your drinks.

5. Ice Trays

Unless you have an ice machine, you will need to have ice cube trays. Silicone trays are much easier to get cubes out of and tend to be much sleeker in appearance. Try to find trays with larger compartments so your ice will last longer. 

6. Bar Accessories & Tools

Some items you may want to have in your bar for some cocktails include:

• Mixing Spoon

• Muddler

• Jigger

• Measuring Shot Glass

5 Home Projects To Outsource

We live in a DIY world. If there is a video online for how to do something, there’s a good chance you can figure out how to do it. While saving money by doing certain projects yourself can be rewarding in many different ways, there are some projects that should be left to the professionals. Unless you have training in specific fields, these 5 things usually require a professional contractor:

Electrical Wiring

Without any electrical experience, you run the risk of causing damage to both yourself and your entire electrical system. Even if you do shut off the power before messing with any wiring, there can still be many issues that arise afterwards - including electrical fire. Avoid the danger and call an electrician!

Wall Removal

Knocking down a wall can sound like a fun idea. Even if you were getting excited to release any anger on that wall in your home, this is a time when it is best to call a professional. Walls are a key component in maintaining the integrity of your home and it’s structure. If you accidentally knock down a load-bearing wall, you could cause catastrophic damage.  

Foundation Alteration

The name of the structure itself should already make you proceed with caution. Your foundation is the most integral part of your home, and messing with it without experience could land you in a very tough spot.

Flooring

While some flooring can easily be done alone, some of the bigger projects should be left to the professionals. If leveling the floor is part of the project, it may be time to call someone in. Having a floor that isn’t level can cause you headaches for years to come.

Plumbing

Just like electrical projects, plumbing projects can be extremely complicated. When not done correctly, you can end up with burst pipes, flooding, and interior water damage. Save the stress and call a plumber!

Finding The Right Home For You

If you’re a first time home buyer, the stress of choosing the perfect house for your family can feel overwhelming at first. While that stress may seem very real, it is often unnecessary. Instead of entering the market trying to find a house that is perfect in every way, keep an open mind. Approach the situation with a willingness to hear ideas and you are much more likely to find a home that you and your family will love. The process can be long and require work, but it will be worth it in the end - and it doesn’t have to drive you crazy. Here are some tips to guide you when you are trying to find potential new homes and how to know if it is the right one for you.

DECIDE ON DEAL BREAKERS

The easiest way to narrow down the right house for you is to start by deciding what you either can’t live without or cannot tolerate. If two bedrooms will never work for you, or you must have a large backyard for your pets, create a list of those things so that you can rule out properties that just aren’t worth your time. 

TRUST YOUR GUT

There may be times when you walk into a home and it seems like it may fit what you need, but there is just something off that you can’t shake. On that same note, if you tour a home and you instantly fall in love, don’t doubt your feelings. Sleeping on a house you love for too long can end up in you losing that home to someone else. Trust your instincts and you will end up in the home that is perfect for you.

TRY TO VISUALIZE

Can you see yourself in this home? Can you imagine your children playing in the backyard and doing homework in the kitchen? If you are touring a home and can already picture what it would be like for your family to live there, you are heading in the right direction.

KEEP LOCATION IN MIND

While a house may check most of your boxes, don’t forget to consider the neighborhood. Are things that are important to your family close by? Are you close enough to good schools or your place of employment? Make sure that you consider location factors so that you don’t end up in a home that becomes an inconvenience.

TRUST YOUR AGENT

While it is important to know what you want and trust your gut in the process, don’t forget that your agent has your best interest in mind. We want to find you the perfect home, and we have worked hard to do that for many others before you. We know the ins and outs of the real estate world, and are here to help you if you are willing to trust us! 

Best Pizza Spots

Who doesn’t love pizza?? Today we’re going to check out the BEST pizza places in Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge. Let’s start with a personal favorite from Port Coquitlam, if you’re a local you’ve probably heard of San Remo before!

SAN REMO - PORT COQUITLAM - #108 3008 Flint St

This place makes an amazing deep dish pizza. Their prices may seem higher than average but don’t let that fool you, I’ve been known to eat a pizza all by myself but the massive size of each slice makes it hard not to be full after two slices.

---

HEARTHSTONE PIZZA - PORT COQUITLAM - 24 - 2755 Lougheed Hwy

This hidden gem is located near the Michaels on Lougheed Highway and I’m so glad I discovered it. Similar to a Subway restaurant you order your own personal sized pizza (regular or large) and choose as many toppings as you’d like, from meats to veggies to different sauces and cheeses. Then it’s baked to perfection in a stone oven. If you like to customize your toppings and enjoy a delicious thin crust then you need to give this place a try.

---

SHOW ME THE PIZZA - MAPLE RIDGE - 4 - 22935 Lougheed Hwy

This is one I’ve been meaning to try but the reviews speak for themselves. Some say its the best dough around, do you agree?

---

THE OTHER GUYS PIZZA - PITT MEADOWS - 19237 122a Ave

The Other Guys Pizza uses local farm-fresh products and SMOKE THEIR OWN MEAT. Sound good yet?? Along with pizza they also serve BBQ Beef ribs, and mini cheesecakes mmmm…. I don’t know about you, but they had me at smoked meat.

There are a ton of good pizza places out there, these are just some of the favorites we know! Let us know in the comments what your favorite places are so we can check them out and add them to the list!

PIZZERIA SPACCA NAPOLI - PORT MOODY - 2801 St. johns street

This one is an honorable mention since it’s not actually located between Poco to Maple Ridge but its just too good not to mention!! The make authentic pizza Napoletana, serve local craft beers and have shots of creamy espresso. This is one local place you won’t want to miss but be prepared to wait a bit as this place is always busy!