Sonia's Real Estate Blog

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

As you may have seen on Facebook, I’m incredibly excited to be hosting my Love Contest which will have one lucky fan win a $200 gift certificate to their favourite place in Sherwood Park!

The entries have been overwhelming and filled with so many great spots within the Park. There’s even a few that I haven’t been to that I’ll be sure to check out in the near future.

Thank you for all your entries and stay tuned for the winner, which will be announced later tonight!

Warmest regards,
Sonia

I love awesome quotes and what better way to nurture our minds! So here are some of my favourite quotes that I want to share with you. I hope you’ll write some of them down, pin them to your wall or put them on your fridge to give you inspiration over the next year! I know these quotes inspire me every day!

“A tiger doesn’t lose sleep over the opinion of sheep” – Shahir Zag

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind” – Dr. Suess

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination” – Jimmy Dean

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud” – Maya Angelou

“My best creation is my children” – Diane Von Furstenberg

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence” – Vince Lombardi

“Falling down is how we grow. Staying down is how we die” – Brian Vaszily

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door” – Milton Berle

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted” – Aesop

“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars” Les Brown

“It is never too late to be what you might have been” – George Eliot

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it” – Jules Renard

“The best way out is always through” – Robert Frost

“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world” – Robin Williams

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out!” -Dr. Seuss

“Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm in” – Lucy Larcom

“I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today” – William Allen White

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world” – Desmond Tutu

I hope these words bring you as much inspiration as they bring me! I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2017. Have fun my friends!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

With Christmas now just behind us, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the holiday season. For me, Christmas has always been about giving and this year was no different. Just before Santa and his reindeer left the North Pole and started delivering gifts, I headed over to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton to do some giving of my own, and it sure felt good!

I credit the Stollery for playing a huge role in saving the life of my son Lennox. They are an amazing institution and I know so many other parents whose children have benefitted greatly from the incredible work they do every single day. I’m so grateful for what they have done for my family, and I try to give back in any way I can. This year, I started with a delivery of little stuffed tiger bears for dozens of the children currently receiving care at the hospital. I also presented the Stollery with a cheque for $8,000.

While this donation is incredibly important to me, I couldn’t have done it without the support of my amazing clients across Sherwood Park, Strathcona County and Edmonton. Everyday I feel honoured that you have chosen me to be your REALTOR® and I’m so thankful for what you’ve allowed me to do.

Enjoy the rest of your holidays and have a safe and prosperous New Year!

Warmest regards,
Sonia

I was very excited to get involved in one of the great Christmas traditions in Sherwood Park – the annual Festival of Trees hosted by Festival Place. It’s a celebration that raises money to support The Cultural Arts Foundation. It helps children and youth which is a wonderful cause. We have so many talented people in Sherwood Park and area and they need our support!

For the first time, I donated a tree and of course I put my own brand on it. With the help of my daughter Alexa, who purchased the tree and all of the ornaments, we designed the “Leopard Love Tree” and it turned out great as it was pretty east to spot! It truly was an incredible way to kick off the Christmas Season.

Sherwood Park is our home and it has also been an amazing community to do business in. I’m very fortunate for all the supportive I’ve received from people in Strathcona County, so I love giving back whenever I can. Thanks to all of the others who donated trees and wreaths and to everyone who attended this event and bid on the beautiful creations!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

It’s almost easy to take the freedom we have for granted in Canada today. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the freedom of free thought. Everyone over the age of 18 has the right to vote and elect people who represent us. Thankfully, many Canadians have never lived in a world where it has been any other way.

It’s important to recognize those freedoms and it’s just as important to recognize the brave men and women who fought to help protect them. Since 1914, nearly 115,000 people died while representing Canada in the two World Wars, in various peacekeeping operations and in Korea and Afghanistan. Many of these people were very young, with much of their lives still ahead of them. On November 11, Remembrance Day, we have the opportunity to pay our respects to all of those who have served for the greater good.

In Sherwood Park, schools throughout the community will host ceremonies and observe a moment of silence to remember the fallen. There will also be the annual Remembrance Day service at Millennium Place on Nov. 11 starting at 10:30 a.m.

It warms my heart to see so many people in Sherwood Park who are proudly displaying their poppies in front of their heart. If we all remember the sacrifices that have been made, we can stop these tragic wars from happening again in the future.

Warmest regards,

Sonia

Whether you are a goblin or a ghoul, a princess or a pirate, I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween this year. Sherwood Park has been transformed into a spooky village so I hope you get just a little bit scared too!

I love Halloween because it allows everyone to show their creative talent. There are so many unique costumes and decorations! I admire the hard work, dedication and creativity that go into them. I love all of the cute kids excited to both dress up and to devour all of their hard earned candy! All of my kids love Halloween, especially my daughter Eva, who is going as a little devil this year!

As much fun as it is, it’s also very important to be safe on All Hallow’s Eve. Thankfully we live in a great community and there are many ways to Trick or Treat in a safe environment. Traditional Trick or Treating is hard to beat and going door-to-door is made possible from excellent support from our local RCMP, as well as the Sherwood Park Crusaders, who will be seen all around Sherwood Park wearing their jerseys and acting as citizens on patrol. Don’t hesitate to ask a Crusader for help if you are in need of any assistance!

The Sherwood Park Mall is also once again hosting Trick or Treating on Halloween from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. The stores in the mall have been offering this family friendly opportunity for many years and it’s an excellent way to enjoy the evening, especially if it’s chilly outside.

If you’re wanting to get properly spooked, Strathcona County will be offering a free transit shuttle from the mall to Gallery@501 on Festival Way, where there is a haunted house set up. The haunted house is $2 per person.

Savour the candy and enjoy the one night a year that you can be anyone your heart desires!

Have a frightful night everyone!

Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays for many reasons. For one thing, it reminds us to live a life of gratitude and appreciation for everyone. We are all interconnected in life even if we do not know one another. Smiling at a child or showing kindness to a stranger is an expression of gratitude and appreciation for others. It’s that simple.

Sharing our abundance is also very important. Inviting a friend into our home, supporting a charitable cause, and just giving our time to really listen to others is a wonderful gift to our souls.

Thanksgiving is also a time to celebrate your zest for life! My life is very simple at times where I am truly enjoying “simple pleasures.”  A really good cup of coffee, a relaxing hour at hot yoga or even just a good night’s sleep are very simple yet extremely wonderful pleasures for me. But my ultimate happiness in life are my three children. I’m always grateful to hug them every day and tell them that I love them.

I would love to hear what you are most grateful for this Thanksgiving! Please feel free to contact me anytime. I wish you a wonderful holiday with your loved ones. May the spirit of Thanksgiving continue throughout your entire year!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

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I was extremely honoured to be a part of Sherwood Park’s annual Canada Day Parade. The community is always so wonderful in supporting the parade with many great floats and a great crowd gathered all across the route. I always look forward to seeing all the smiling faces as we pass through the streets of our great community. This year I especially enjoyed driving through in my “Sonia mobile” and waiving to everyone!

It was also a great opportunity for all of the families to get outside and spend some quality time together with all of the fun activities and fireworks happening at Strathcona’s largest annual festival at Broadmoor Lake Park.

Canada Day is one of my favourite holidays as it serves as an unofficial start to the summer. But it’s also the best time to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful and welcoming country

To me being a Canadian means freedom. We have the ability to live our lives the way we want to, speak when we want, express our values and to stand up for what we believe in. The pleasure to be able to interact with cultures and races of all kinds in our multicultural country and to sleep peacefully at night not worrying that your home will be gone in the morning. For all those reasons, I am proudly Canadian!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

Happy Father’s Day to All Dads!

In honour of my father…

When it comes to fathers, mine was truly special. His handshake was as solid as his character and his compassion to others was incredible. Everyone who knew my dad, loved him. He was just that type of guy who made you feel like YOU were the most important person around. His big heart and big personality shined everywhere he went.

Dad was a real estate developer and entrepreneur for most of his life. He and my mother loved to travel the world, but mostly dad enjoyed simple pleasures in life. Spending time with his children and grand children at home was his favourite thing to do. Dad always gave generously to various charities. He never talked about it. He just did it. He did it because of the compassionate and generous man he was.

Unfortunately, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and passed away in 2008 just one day after I gave birth to my third child, Eva. Luckily, dad didn’t suffer considering this terrible disease. I would have loved for my dad to meet Eva but I was thrilled that at least he got to name his grand daughter. This was a tribute to him.

My dad is the one who encouraged me to get into real estate. He said “Go get your real estate license young lady and don’t you ever look back.” That moment changed my life forever.

Well I learned many things from my dad, but the most important thing I learned is to respect others and help out anyone you can in life. I’m grateful for everything my dad taught me and I will always honour his memory.

Happy Father’s Day dad.

Love forever…
Sonia

It’s hard to put into words how much mothers mean to us. Everyone has their own reasons why their mom is so important to them. When I think of my own mom I think of everything she has taught me about – unconditional love, confidence, courage and street smarts too. All of these things have helped me immensely in my career and personal life and have made me the person I am today. My mom is truly my best friend and the smartest woman I know. I am very excited to be spending this weekend with her in Kelowna.

Not only am I a daughter of an amazing mom, I’m also a proud mom of three kids myself. While I am truly passionate about my career, there is nothing more important to me than seeing the smiles on the faces of my beautiful kids!

We appreciate our mothers all year round, but Mother’s Day is an opportunity to express that appreciation. Remember that while flowers and presents are nice, this is a day about what comes from your heart. Give her a big hug. Tell her that you love her and are grateful for everything she has done for you.

I also want to send my thoughts to anyone who has lost their mother. I hope you can enjoy the day thinking of all of the memorable moments you had with your mom.

Enjoy the day!

Warmest regards,

Sonia