Courtesy of Pat Lanuke

Pat's Mini-Mag

Sather Real Estate Pro Brokers Ltd.

Pat Lanuke c: 403.510.7041 b: 403.265.8887

pat@athomeincalgary.ca www.athomeincalgary.ca

11 - 4412 Manilla Road SE Calgary, AB T2G 4B7

Volume 16 | Number 8

LINEN CLOSET MAKEOVER

A linen closet can be luxury, a necessity or the bane of your existence. If you find yourself in the latter category, don’t fret because a linen closet can be turned into a space that you enjoy having and utilizing. The first thing you need to do is to clean it out by taking all the things you have stored in the closet and putting them in another place temporarily. This leaves you with the bare bones of the closet – probably some wire shelves, maybe a few wooden shelves and hopefully lots of inspiration. Next, look at the shelves and determine if they’re functional for you. Can you remove one or two and put in a new shelving unit that will better suit your needs? Do you have those unfortunate brackets that support the shelves but only allow certain sized items to fit underneath? If you need to remove the shelving, you’re allowed to. No one (unless you’re renting) says your linen closet has to stay how the builder or previous owner set it up. Look at what you had stored in there, add in what you want to store in there and make a plan for shelves that will help you fit everything in. The great thing about a linen closet is it typically has a door on it so it doesn’t need to look magazine worthy (although it absolutely can) to be a space you enjoy. A rule of thumb is to keep the seasonal and less used items up high while storing the frequently used items at eye level and within easy reach especially if children or loved ones with mobility issues will be accessing the closet. Baskets and bins can help organize smaller items and can often be stacked to incorporate more storage space. Finally, be sure to allow space around items and linens so the fabric can breathe and air can flow so they don’t get a stale and musty odor to them.

BALSAMIC-GLAZED STEAK ROLLS

Courtesy of https://www.lifemadedelicious.ca

STEAK ROLL

DIRECTIONS: 1. Rub each side of the steak slices with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. 2. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the vegetables until crisp-tender, seasoning with salt and pepper. 3. Place a few of the vegetable strips on one end of each steak cutlet. Roll it up, and secure it with a toothpick. Repeat for each steak roll. 4. Make the glaze: Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for one minute, until fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar, red wine, brown sugar and rosemary sprigs and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the broth, return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 15 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprigs. 5. Grill or fry steak rolls over medium-high heat on each side for about 2 minutes or according to desired doneness. 6. Serve immediately drizzled with the rosemary balsamic glaze.

8 thin slices sirloin or flank steak Extra-virgin olive oil Salt and ground black pepper Fresh rosemary, chopped 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 med. zucchini, thinly sliced 1 med. yellow onion, thinly sliced Mushrooms, thinly sliced BALSAMIC GLAZE 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup dark balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons dry red wine 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 1/4 cup beef-flavoured broth 2 cloves garlic, crushed

DO NOT LET MAKING A LIVING PREVENT YOU FROM MAKING A LIFE. -John Wooden

An American basketball coach and player. Fondly referred to as "coach" by his athletes, the industry heralds him as the greatest NCAA basketball head coach of all time. (October 1910 – June 2010)

BATHROOM PLANTS – A TRENDY NEW PLANT LOCALE Plants are a staple in most homes. Some people choose to have rooms or entire walls dedicated to plant life. Others enjoy plants throughout their homes even where there is limited space. From plant stands to hanging baskets or pots above kitchen cupboards there are numerous places to locate a plant to keep your home's air fresh and liven up your decor. If you want to incorporate some vegetation into your home but aren't sure where you can fit a plant, consider the bathroom. Yes, trendy horticulturists are taking to the bathroom and even shower space to house plants. Now, some varieties of plants are more suited for the nature of a bathroom - namely high humidity and low natural light - than others, so do your research before purchasing your bathroom garden plants. As for where and how to showcase your plants, look to invest in hanging planters which can be attached to a hook in the ceiling, the shower curtain rod or a hook on the wall. Some showers have shelves or niches where a plant could safely live or a shower stand, typically used for shampoos, etc., can be repurposed to

hold a plant or two among the bathing necessities. If you have a window in your bathroom, adding a shelf where a plant can sit is another option. Finally, a good old plant stand or shelf is another option if you’re not quite ready to shower in a garden, so to speak.

READING NOOK IDEAS

A great home improvement idea for this time of year (as we get ready to welcome autumn and ultimately winter) is to create a cozy reading nook where you can spend hours when the weather turns cooler enjoying the works of your favourite authors. From a cozy chair in your favourite spot to a built-in book nook, many bibliophiles are heading to the home improvement store to make their dream reading space a reality. Here are a few options if this sounds like something you want to do. 1. Turn a closet into a private reading getaway by replacing the doors with a curtain, installing a cozy bench with lots of pillows and installing a lamp or battery-powered light. 2. Create a reading space on a landing that otherwise may go unused by placing your favourite chair on a soft rug and adding a side table and footstool.

3. Utilize a bay window or window seat to create a perfectly lit reading spot. Take advantage of the natural light and install a seat cushion made from high-density foam with plenty of throw pillows and a blanket to keep warm. 4. Curtain off a corner of your bedroom, living room or den by installing hooks in the ceiling and hanging curtains from a rope tied between the hooks. You'll welcome the privacy and seclusion while you get lost in the words on the page (or screen.) These are only a few options on how to create the ideal reading space. Review home décor websites or magazines for further inspiration.

FUN ANIMAL FACTS

You can hear a blue whale's heartbeat from about 2 miles away (3.2 km). The lyrebird (native to Australia) can mimic any sound it hears - from other animals to humans to construction sounds! Only female mosquitoes bite. Roosters have built in ear-plugs to prevent themselves from

going deaf due to their loud crowing. When they open their beaks fully to crow, their external auditory canals are completely closed off. Under their white fur coats, the polar bear's skin is black. It helps to absorb heat and keep them warm while the white fur provides camouflage.

5

1

ROSETTA A Rosetta is made up of a centre coloured hexagon encircles by six white hexagons. 2

3

4

7 6

Example

To complete the puzzle, fill in all seven Rosettas with each number between one and seven in no particular order while also ensuring that: 1. No number is repeated in a horizontal row. 2. Each number from one to seven are represented in the seven grey coloured hexagon cells.

Courtesy of Engaged Learning

Solution:

Aruba With Me

WHERE: Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, it is one of four countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about 29 kilometres north of the Venezuela peninsula of Paraguaná and 80 kilometres northwest of Curaçao. It is catalogued among the Leeward Antilles , namely, those islands that have an arid climate in comparison with the rest of the Caribbean, as evidenced by the vegetation consisting mainly of shrubs and cacti. The three islands that once belonged to the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire) are sometimes called ABC Islands. HOW TO GET THERE: There aren’t any direct flights to Aruba, but with a stopover in Toronto or the US there are lots of options with Air Canada, Westjet and United. Or travel as I did on a cruise line. INFORMATION: Aruba is known for soft white coral sands, alluring turquoise waters, and a positive, magnetic energy. Just 70 square miles in size, this pocket-sized island shines year-round, due to its protected location just off the coast of South America. Lots of things to see & do – wind fuelled watersports, colorful architecture, amazing sunsets, aloe vera plantation and Arikok National Park to name a few. A few of my colleagues were brave enough to try the scorpion shot! CLIMATE: In Aruba, the climate is tropical semi-arid, hot all year round: daytime temperatures hover around 30/33 degrees Celsius (86/91°F) throughout the year; the air is muggy, but the wind tempers the heat. The trade winds blow constantly, and the east coast is affected by strong sea currents, while the western and southern coasts are more sheltered, and made of sandy beaches. The wind is more intense from February to August, in the driest period, and less intense in October and November. Precipitation is scarce, in fact, it amounts to around 450 millimeters (18 inches) per year. Located on the southern edge of the belt, hurricanes are rare. INTERESTING FACTS: Aruba is a flat island, and owing to the scarcity of rain water and streams, the water is desalinated from the sea. REAL ESTATE: We have a lovely REALTOR ® on the island who gave us a tour of two wonderful complexes. The first a new luxury apartment building being built at Eagle beach with prices starting at $US 641,900 and the second at the Gold coast located next to Aruba’s golf course, comprising of villas, townhomes and apartments with prices starting at a more affordable US$245,000.

Pat Lanuke c: 403.510.7041 b: 403.265.8887 e: pat@athomeincalgary.ca www.athomeincalgary.ca “The greatest compliment my clients can give me is the referral of family and friends!” Sather Real Estate Pro Brokers Ltd.

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