A New Year, A New Look!

It is the beginning of a new year! We meet our new year with great optimism and hope for the coming year. We have gone ahead and written our new years resolution and vow to stick to the resolution. All of the guests from far and close have returned to their home and you are left alone at home (finally). Where do you start? How do you get yourself reorganized so that you can get back into the routine that you initially had? Brad Roemer has just the right tips for you to avoid feeling overwhelmed and ineffective. There is nothing worse than “tidying” your home for hours to only realized that you did not actually progress as you should. You must have a plan in place in order to avoid going around in circles aimlessly putting things into certain parts of your home.

It marks a very important time of the year, as you would have had some time off and are now falling back into the routine whiles also setting long-term and short-term goals. This is a great opportunity for you to revamp your home and even add subtle details to enhance the appearance if it fits within your budget. It is a great opportunity to sort and organize all of the materials and items in the home in order to ensure a strong commencement of the year.

Where To Start

Let us be studious this year. Begin your cleaning session by reviewing the work areas of each family member. This can simply not be overemphasized; a messy office cannot contribute to true concentration. The individual will get distracted with all of the items that are on the desk and will end up not studying or reading as they should. Though it is your office space you must remove all of the items that are not necessary. Invest in new shelving space in order to keep your paperwork and books neatly organized. You may want to consider bringing your items to a storage area if it cannot fit on your desk. Do not attempt to cram everything in one space when you see that everything is not fitting.

Storage space will only be effective when it is emptied and cleaned before usage. The main purpose of cleaning your home is to put everything in place and to give a feeling of serenity and peace in the home. Lighten your mind by emptying all the closets of the house to sort the clothes (too small, too damaged, to give …).
Take the opportunity to store any summer clothes that may have been lingering around and put on winter clothes.
Tip: Also sort out children’s toys that often take up a lot of space. “Declutter for better enjoyment”, here is your new adage!

Make it a point to globally organize the home with the rest of the family so that nobody feels left out.  It is important to set a cleaning schedule for the family as well as it also teaches them how to be structured in this world.

In less than a week, it will be Christmas! Last year you were a bit last minute when it came to your Christmas prep so let us try to do things differently, shall we? With less than a week to go, you are bordering on the “last minute” line so let us make an action plan with Brad Roemer that will cause us less embarrassment and will put both yourself and your guests at ease.

What Will You Need For Christmas Preparations?

The most organized Christmas planners carry a “Christmas notebook” wherever they go. They take note of all of the good ideas found in magazines or on television (they spend countless of hours on Pinterest and Instagram), recipes, to-do shopping lists, and have a lot of tasks to remember. Why not use this approach? How about making specific lists for all your tasks, your parties, the purchases that you need to make and more? You can make lists on paper or directly on your phone (you can even share them with your entourage!). Store them all in one place so you do not lose them!

In fact, the first step in this holiday planning is to find the tool that will help you get organized! Thus, you will not forget anything and will not feel overwhelmed at any point and time.

 

Purchase Your Christmas Gifts In Advance!

It is said everywhere: we must start our shopping early. But as the tale of the hare and the turtle reminds us, “There is no point in running, you have to start at the right time”. You must, therefore, know what the ultimate goal actually is before know how to attain that goal. Once you have created a menu for yourself and guests then you can go into the details as to what will be required for the meals. Take note of who you want to give a gift to whiles budgeting for each person. Find suggestions from friends or family or even through online reviews whiles targeting the shops that you will be visiting. It will definitely give you a better idea as to what to look for when shopping. In the event that you do not like Christmas shopping due to the hassle, then you can do it online. Note however that if you do place an order at this time online you will not receive a response until way after new years. Shopping online is a very easy process as the supplier will bring the product right to your doorstep. No need to go through the hassle of searching for that gift and waiting in long lineups; everything gets delivered to you directly.

 

Double Check The Decorations Within Your Home

When you are ready to hosts your guests to make sure that all of your decors inside and outside of your home is on point. It can be a bit frustrating to notice that the lights in your Christmas tree or the lights around your windows are not working very well when you know that it could have easily been avoided by simply checking beforehand. Perform some basic tests on all of the lights around the house and the connections to make sure that they will last during your evening.

Choosing Your Holiday Menu

Finally; about the menu. This is probably one of the biggest sources of stress caused to those in the kitchen during the holiday period. You want everything to be perfect, you want to please everyone, you try to satisfy all expectations (yours and those of others) and all this could even lead you to sleepless nights! Look at the situation with realism; do not supersede your general expectations. What is absolutely necessary? What can be delegated? How can you reach a compromise?

Stock Up On Your Christmas Supplies

There are plenty of items that you can buy in advance. You can also organize a day of cooking and freeze everything that is freezable. Try to purchase everything in advance to avoid the last minute corner store shopping that will increase your bill instantaneously. Do not forget to pack napkins, paper towels, toilet papers, foil, etc. The sooner you start these purchases, the more you will save (you will have time to enjoy good sales!)! In addition, you will not end up with a salty bill in mid-December!

 

These steps would be the nitty-gritty of the tasks to accomplish for a successful  Christmas dinner. Do not forget that you also have to fill out your Christmas cards and wrap your Christmas gifts as well. when following these steps by Brad you will get the successful evening that you desire!

During the holiday period, we absolutely love when it feels like Christmas! The sweet smell of spices, pine, vanilla, cinnamon, oranges or gingerbread cookies set the right tone for the festivities. All of the different aromas will bring us back to our fondest memories. In the case of some like Brad Roemer; peeling a tangerine in December makes me want to decorate my house and listen to the most beautiful Christmas songs.

Why not bring a touch of magic to your home with homemade smells? Avoid commercially available aerosol chemicals and make these simple, natural recipes yourself. In addition, these small creations make excellent gifts for your friends and loved ones.

Apple Fragrance

This is a very simple recipe that smells amazing as it cleans the air and makes a visually appealing decoration as well.

On a large orange, lemon or grapefruit, prick cloves to make a nice pattern. Use fifty or more clothes.

Then wrap a beautiful Christmas ribbon on it. All you have to do is hang your tangy balls in your tree, your entrance, the wardrobe or on a doorknob. This orange will leave a beautiful natural aroma for a whole month.

 

Club Of Christmas Aromas

In a pot or a saucepan, simmer your favorite Christmas ingredients. I would recommend that you make a mixture of cranberries, mint,  fresh rosemary, orange peels, lemon peels, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Add water to cover the ingredients. Return water when the level is too low. Let it simmer for some few hours on low heat. The idea is to curl up in her favorite blanket as the snow falls and have your favorite Christmas movie on TV. The fresh and unique scent will spread throughout your kitchen and will give your evening a magical smell. You may repeat this process as many times as you wish. Note: you can incorporate the ingredients that stimulate your sense of smell such as vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, etc. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oils like citrus, vanilla, pine cinnamon or more.

 

Pine & Cinnamon

Find some beautiful pine cones.  You may do so by walking in the forest or at the park near your home. Another alternative could be at your local dollar or even at a decor boutique. On a baking sheet, place the casseroles and put in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for one hour. Once cooked and cooled, pour a few drops of cinnamon essential oil over the casseroles and place them in a plastic bag. Keep in the bag a few days so that the smell soaks the bark of the casseroles. You can perfume your casseroles with your favorite essential oils as well. Put the casseroles in a nice container, a jar, a burlap bag with a beautiful ribbon or as an ornament in your tree or even in your Christmas wreath. The smell will just come gushing through!

The Mixture

The goal for this fragrance is to mix spices, pines and dried fruits in a nice container in order to create your favorite aromas. You are essentially the creator as well as the master and chef. You decide what works and what does not work for you, you decide what fragrance you prefer over the other. For dried fruits put your dry apple slices and oranges in the oven. Slice your fruit as finely as possible so that they can dry faster. Cook an hour and a half in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius. In a vase, jar or bag, place your fruit, sprig of fir or cedar, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cranberries and even a cinnamon casserole. Decorate your jar or bag with a nice ribbon or other and place your potpourri in your entry or bathroom.

These are just some few tips that Brad has in store for you in terms of setting the right atmosphere for your home this holiday season through different frgrances.

How It All Started 

Where does the tradition of Thanksgiving come from? In fact, all over the world, we celebrate this harvest season. Dates and customs, however, differ from country to country.

She is on everyone’s lips and it is with enthusiasm that everyone prepares to celebrate it with dignity during the last long weekend of the year.  In the event that Thanksgiving evokes for many family feasts, it marks a very beautiful ancestral tradition that has evolved tremendously.

Thanksgiving was established as a holiday, the last of the year before the Christmas and New Years holidays, to thank God for the abundance of harvest and, by extension, the happiness received during the past year. Thanksgiving, in North America, is on everyone’s mind every fourth week of November. Individuals within large families such as families of Brad Roemer will sit around a huge table to give thanks for all that was accomplished during the year.

A Religious Tradition From Europe

The origins of Thanksgiving in North America are usually traced back to a dinner held in 1578 by English explorer Martin Frobisher, who wanted to thank God for a successful journey and for a great health. This supper was thus strongly inspired by the harvest festivals celebrated by the European peasants.

But the tradition of Thanksgiving then takes very different paths in Canada and the United States, where the symbolism of Thanksgiving, imported by the Mayflower Pilgrim Fathers, had significant and influential values that of the first harvest, in 1621, and therefore that of the survival of the young colony. Another difference: Thanksgiving is celebrated later in the United States in comparison to its Canadian friends across the border.

Canadian Thanksgiving does not claim such historical roots and is more borrowed, in its present form, than that of its American neighbor. Thus, even though it is widely celebrated today, especially among Anglophones, it remains less rooted in popular Canadian and Quebec traditions.

Thanksgiving and Sharing

Thanksgiving is now a pretext for great meetings with family and friends, around iconic dishes – and this time well and truly pan-North American. Traditionally, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce are served. Unlike Christmas, we also find autumn vegetables such as carrots and squash, as well as the famous pumpkin pie. The American Pilgrim Fathers had even invited a hundred representatives of the Wampanoag indigenous tribe to thank them for their help in sowing and harvesting corn.

A Cultural Phenomenon
These customs and their original meaning sometimes tend to fade, over the years, to give way to new traditions, again very different in Canada and the United States.

The long 3 day weekend that is during the last days of the year, marks the occasion, for some to go and enjoy a breath of fresh air. Hiking in the mountains, visiting the chalet and key fields are all opportunities to take off and nurture the secret hope of observing the colors of autumn appear on the trees.

In the United States, the issues have moved on a very different terrain. One month before Christmas, the highly anticipated Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which frame Thanksgiving, keep the country in suspense.

 

Frost, wind, and cold are the main enemies of plants during the winter period and carry as many dangers that threaten their growth and good development. How would one protect them effectively and succeed in their wintering? Here’s all you need to know from Brad Roemer to take care of plants during the winter season, from houseplants to vegetable gardens.

Which plants are concerned?

As the cold season comes along, the development of deciduous plants stops; they enter a kind of hibernation. This, however, is not the case for persistent. The latter are therefore exposed to bad weather in the winter months, such as frosts and can be fatal to the plant. It is therefore important to protect evergreen shrubs, but also young plantations, that is to say, up to a year or so. Potted plants are also very much fragile as their roots are less protected than when in the ground.

Why protect your plants in winter?
Cold first, snow and frost too. In fact, the drop in temperatures will hinder the good development of plants, which, since their sap came down in late fall, are dormant, a state of life slowed down. In addition, with diseases reaching a peak at the end of the summer, if the plants fall asleep, they will not be able to fight the infection during this very harsh period and will usually fall apart during the winter season. It is therefore essential to take care of the plants and protect them so that they can blossom again in the springtime.

When should I protect my plants?

When winter is approaching, you are afraid that the plants in the garden will be damaged by the cold. However, it is necessary to wait for the first frosts so that the plants are prepared for sometimes negative temperatures and go dormant. Thus, trees, shrubs, and roses need to be exposed to temperatures between 0 ° C and -10 ° C a few days: cold and frost are indeed important for lignification (plant cells are transformed into wood ) and limit the appearance of harmful insects.

Ideally, you would want to put in place the different protections as late as possible in the season (mid-November) and remove them as soon as the temperatures rise just a little.

 

When will you find them? Similarly, we should not wait until it is too hot to remove the protections. At the first thaws of the ground (March or April according to the climates), you can discover them, except if the temperatures are too unstable between the day and the night. Indeed, a protection maintained too long may favor a rotting of the plant.

Note that you can give a little boost to the plants at the end of the summer, with a dose of fertilizer and dress them in a wintering veil for example, which will hold until the end of February.

Last tip: never leave the plants unattended or cared for during the winter period. It is not because they are sheltered under their wintering veil that they must be abandoned.

It Is Halloween

Today is Halloween and we must admit that the sweets have already drained our wallets sufficiently and that we may not be able to afford extravagant exterior home decor for the little ones passing by to “trick-or-treat”. Every year, it’s a pleasure to receive little children in disguise to offer them some treats on Halloween. The outdoor setting is a nice invitation to the little in order to encourage them to knock on the door and make their request known. The decorations for the house does not have to be expensive either. Depending on the age of your children and their understanding of Halloween, the decor can range from fun to quite disgusting and scary. Here are some decoration ideas that Brad Roemer recommends for Halloween when on a tight budget. What is most exciting is that everything can be created with items found at home or purchased at a dollar store.

 

Some Ideas For Halloween

With these simple and lively steps that can be followed, your children and neighbors would be more than happy to knock on your door.

In order to get there, you will first need some pumpkins to empty and decorate with your family so that you can enjoy this nice party together.
Here are some examples of decorations that you can reproduce at home:

• With a carving knife, you can cut your pumpkin and decorate it with simple accessories that are available near you. You may embellish your pumpkin with red radishes and sit them on four logs.
• It’s easy to set the tone for your decor; you need to be creative and let yourself go with as much fantasy as possible. Feel free to use beautiful ribbons or different fabrics: they add a lot of punch and are always very welcoming on the doorstep to receive parents and children.
• There are also some flower pots from past seasons that can be used. When modified they can very well be used without incurring too many expenses.
  You can add some lanterns and some decorations to give them a new look.
• To give life and character to your decor, it is essential to group everything together. Do not disperse the decorations here and there but have an actual plan as to where you want to place the items.

These are some basic tips that Brad has in order to accessorize your home and set the right atmosphere for the children that will be coming to ask you for sweets. Make sure to greet your kind guests with a smile and do not forget to dress up as well!

 

Everyone seems mesmerized by the hot Californian sun and the dazed vibe that parades the Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland streets. Socializing is more than just a hobby in California, it is a way of life. Perhaps a few come to mind when you think of this beautiful state. Lunch dates by the beach, rooftop cocktail hour and strolling down endless shops may spark up in your mind. There are many other memories that Brad Roemer wants to leave you with, since there is a whole tech infused San Francisco and Oakland mirage that is missing in that picture.

The Competition is Real

Between the northern and southern parts of California, Roemer has noticed the massive competition between sports teams, colleges and lifestyles. People will judge you automatically, placing you into a box as per which part of the state you come from. Sometimes the stereotypes are unfair, but you’ve simply got to move along and shrug others’ judgments aside.

Our Mexican Restaurants are the Best

California gets Mexican cuisine right to the crisp. There’s even no shame in perusing the countless taco stands that may be lining the heavily populated streets as even these recipes are assured to leave you more than satisfied. A few of Brad Roemer’s favorite restaurants in Oakland are Tamarindo, Molcajete and Cosecha.

It’s Festival Heaven

There’s a festival for literally everything you might be interested in. We’re not only talking about the hippie-dippie Indie film festivals you may have your eye on, but also absurd festivals such as one just for cats or to remember the Renaissance period.

Bread Done Right

A classic bread option in California is sourdough. You can’t go wrong with it, it’s something that various local bakeries will even compete in. When el dia de los muertos comes along, you’ve got to try the Pan Dolce treat. It’s sourdough with a fun twist!

It’s Not LA or San Francisco

There is so much more to this beautiful, vast state on the West Coast than Los Angeles or San Francisco. No wonder people dream about taking a road trip across the coast–the nature is breathtaking! You can hike and trek through Californian valleys or mountains. A few notable spots are the forests in Yosemite and the scenic lake in Tahoe.  What about Death Valley? It’s just like it sounds. You’ll view a puzzle of wondrous natural habitats and curves in the sand. The desolate scenery is mystical and rejuvenating all in one.

Fitness Done Best

Whether or not you want to muscle up or tone down, you’ll find that working out was never so easy in the Californian terrain. Health food stores, wellness studios and high intensive gyms are en masse. It’s also easy to simply take a jog outside or venture by your nearest hiking trail as the weather is almost always superb. Restaurants offer a plethora of dietary options, from vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. You can practically call it the health-conscious state of the nation. Also, with avocados everywhere all season long, you’ll have the perfect addition for your fresh lunchtime salads.

As a realtor, Brad Roemer matches individuals from all walks of life with their dream home. However, it’s no secret that California has a massive homelessness issue. San Francisco is Oakland’s neighbour, and the cost of living makes it one of the most expensive cities to live in the U.S. In fact, in order to live comfortably in San Francisco the living expenses are at $123,268 per year, versus  $99,667 to live comfortably in New York. Oakland is right up there as the fourth most expensive place to live in the United States at $95,611 per year.

When all is said and done, living expenses are crazy expensive in these bustling cities, and homelessness is unfortunately a massive social issue that requires help from everyone. Brad Roemer’s charity of choice is always to help the homeless people lined on the streets of Los Angeles and Oakland by helping out at food kitchens and gathering necessities and Christmas gifts during the holidays. Volunteering consistently can make a massive difference in alleviating this problem, here’s how you can help!

Educate Yourself First

Prior to making any criticisms or judgments, educate yourself about homelessness first. Understand that these are often people who had a line of unfortunate events occur in their life, whether it be having lost their job or experiencing a traumatic incident, resulting in them losing their homes. There’s a certain loneliness and solitude that comes with living on the road. As a passerby, you can help by simply acknowledging their presence and providing a smile and a simple “hello” every now and again. Perhaps you can speak to them, ask them how they are doing, and learn a little bit more about their story. Every person’s story is worth listening to.

Temporary Help Goes a Long Way

If you notice that it is an excruciatingly chilly day, then think about providing immediate help not in the form of cash. Purchase a few gift cards from thrift shops for warm clothing, restaurants and coffee shops so that they can get away from the streets for a few hours and rest in the indoors. For quick energy and nutrition, you can even buy them a meal or make sandwiches. Energy granola bars are a convenient snack to give away. Go to your local grocery store and purchase a stack of water bottles, then pass them around your city’s downtown area. Dehydration is a massive concern amongst the homeless.

Be Weather-Conscious

Brad Roemer loves to teach his children from early on to give back to others, especially those that are in need. It’s a lovely legacy to leave behind. During the summer, he’ll buy a bulk order of t-shirts from Amazon and have his family distribute them throughout the streets of Oakland. The reason being so that these people in the wretched heat can have a fresh change of clothes after sweating day in and day out. When winter comes about, they’ll stock up on winter gloves, hats and scarves. Even blankets and a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card would be a blessing. Raid your own closets for items you no longer wear or use. If you have winter boots lying around that are from four years ago, then give them away. Whenever you travel to hotels, keep the small complimentary body lotions you find in the bathrooms. Keep them in your purse or pocket and provide it to the people on the streets both during the winter and summer months.

Gather Your Troops

Invite and spread the word about the work you’re doing to alleviate immediate homelessness in your community. Get as many people involved, the more individuals who understand the reasons behind homelessness, such as struggles with addiction and educated individuals down on luck, the more aware people will be when passing by a homeless person on the street. It all starts with awareness for support to take place.

We’ll let you in on a little secret… Want to know what greatly differentiates Brad Roemer’s realtor and design services? We excel by always going the extra mile with small yet intimate touches that others don’t think to do. Our clients don’t only remember us for our stellar services, but for our attention to detail and our honest care for every single potential, current and past client of ours. We use personalized care packages, something that may sound eerily simple to you but truly does go a long way.

The Brad Roemer Secret Sauce

Thoughtful care packages are great for your best friend who is moving away for college, or for your sick grandfather in the hospital. But they’re also a way to push the envelope on the thank you note. It’s like receiving a FabFitFun box every season.. You don’t know what’s in it, yet you feel like it’s the perfect present you’ve always wanted and needed.

A Little Slice of Home

Why do we do this, apart from satisfying our clientele’s needs? Needs that they didn’t even know they had! We do this because receiving a gifted care package reminisces the idea of home. Our services are all related to the home, either renovating your exterior landscape, making your home more modern or glamorous via cute vintage finds, or simply matching you with the home of your dreams as per your circumstances. And our purpose? It’s to make you feel like you’re at home every step of the way. Think about it is seriously, how do you feel when your child is leaving home to study abroad for a year,  or you’ve been on the road for work for way too long… You start to feel a little queasy and home-sick. As a welcome for all of our clients, and a thank you for choosing Brad Roemer’s services, we bring you a little piece of home.

What’s in Our Care Packages?

Here’s an example of what we’ve stuffed our authentic and carefully designed care packages with… Keep in mind that the items will change based on the client, always tailoring it to their needs and desires.

Scented Candles or Essential Oils Diffuser

When your home smells fresh, woodsy, florally… Whatever it is that you wish your space to smell, you start to feel like everything is under control. Depending on the client we’re working with and the design of their home, we will pick out a frivolous Voluspa candle in a nifty scent. DoTerra is our favorite essential oils’ diffuser, and if we go this route we’ll often gift you with a starter pack (lavender, lime and lemon scents) to purify your oasis.

Gift Cards to Needed Services

Especially when our client has just moved in to their home, a nice Starbucks or nutritiously-sound restaurant as a gift card is what they need. We also like to chip in on transportation services, such as a gift card to Uber, and cleaning services through handy apps.

Beauty and Body Products

Nothing feels better than slipping into cozy socks and cuddling under a throw blanket after a long, soothing shower. We’ll often throw in items like a robe with our clients’ initials, a weighted blanket, nail polish and skin care items for the ladies, and perhaps even a lovely rose face mask to lather on. Body lotion is also a heavily utilized item… You can’t go wrong with this one!

A Local Snack

A sweet or savoury snack can go a long way, especially when it has been delicately crafted by a local. We know of a few hidden gems that have lucrative products and are incredibly difficult to get ahold of. We go through great lengths to deliver only the best to our clients, in all methods possible.