The flickering of two dozen candles cast a warm glow in the kitchen. Fresh orchids sat in the middle of the room’s island along with an unopened and inviting bottle of Wolf Blass shiraz. A candlelit dinner in your home on Valentine’s Day is not exactly a rarity; unless, of course, it’s a home that is still being built.

Thanks to our good friends at Cedarglen Homes, I was able to surprise my beautiful girlfriend with a candlelit (not real flames, of course) meal on the most romantic day of the year… and Amanda isn’t an easy one to surprise. My co-conspirators — the unfailingly helpful team at the New Brighton District showhomes, Ward and Sarah, bent over backwards to help conjure up the perfect evening. The setting couldn’t have been more romantic.

Anyone who’s ever built a home or who is going through the process of building a home — especially their first — knows how special the experience is. Constant drive-bys, lingering visits during the various stages of construction — watching your house grow is just like watching a child do the same … with less teenage angst.

And while having that first romantic dinner in your new home is exciting, doing so while the paint and tile are still going on is particularly magical. But nothing ever is 100 percent perfect. After a wonderful evening, in our wonderful house, it finally sinks in.

The bar may have been raised a bit too high for future Valentine’s Days.

The rumours are true: Cedarglen Homes has expanded, and we are proud to introduce our Urban Renovations division. We are using our knowledge and experience to offer all customers an opportunity to update, modify, and beautify their homes! Let’s start by discussing one of the most common types of renovation requested by our past homebuyers.

The kids are growing up, you are planning on entertaining friends and hosting out-of-town guests more often; it may be time to consider developing the basement. What are some key items you should be looking at when developing your basement? Here is a list of what we believe to be essential upgrades for your renovation:

1. Delta FL. This heavy-duty plastic membrane will help keep you warm and comfortable in your basement. It is a perfect starting point for creating an inviting space for your loved ones.
2. Entertainment Upgrades. You know you’ve always wanted that HD projector; it might not have matched the decor in your great room, but your new recreational room is the perfect place for it!
3. Quiet Rock. With your new projector and surround sound system you want to make sure you don’t keep the rest of your household awake. This soundproofing drywall will help keep all members of your family happy.
4. Wet bar. What is more perfect than being able to serve your guests a cold drink while you are all watching the game on your big screen? A practical and stylish addition to your basement.
   

   A wet bar can make your basement the PERFECT entertaining space!

5. Tiled shower. You couldn’t afford to add it to your ensuite when you first purchased your home, now is the time to add the steam shower you’ve always dreamed about. Think of your new bathroom as your own personal spa!
   

   A tiled steam shower adds a feeling of luxury and glamour to your home!

6. Cork Flooring. It is durable, soft, stylish and cozy, the perfect finishing touch.

The options are endless.  EMAIL US your request today to get started on the basement of your dreams.

"Rustic Elegance": Aspen Showhome - 32 Auburn Springs Boulevard S.E.

We have seen a huge shift over the last year in terms of what customers are looking for in their hardwood flooring. For example, wider planks have become increasingly popular and desirable for customers. Our available option for a wider plank, at Divine Hardwood, is engineered flooring.

Two years ago, if you were to discuss engineered flooring with a customer, they would have assumed you were selling laminate and would have wanted nothing to do with it. But now we’re seeing customers move towards engineered flooring in order to get the wider planks that are only available with this option.

Customers are more concerned with a specific look and less concerned with name brands. Very rarely do we have someone come into our showroom asking for a specific manufacturer of hardwood. In the past, if somebody were to ask for, we would just deal with it on a case-by-case basis. Today though, this is very rare and almost non-existent. When customers come in looking for a specific look, these are usually the requests we hear:

• Wire-brushed – hardwood floors with planks that have been brushed with hand wire brushes. These hard-wired brushes scrape all of the soft wood off of the top of the floor planks, leaving only the hardest wood and exposing more of the wood’s natural grain.
• Thermo-treated – wood flooring treated with heat and steam. This process changes the wood’s colour all the way through the board, and also changes some of the physical characteristics of the boards. The result is a very exotic look.
• Wide-plank – Here, the boards have  been engineered for a thicker, chunky look and are wider than 3 1/4″. At Divine Hardwood, we carry widths from 4 3/4″ up to 10″. Wide-plank hardwood is also 10 times more stable than 3/4″ solid wood flooring!
• UV Oil Finish – This is an oil finish that is penetrating. Much different from the aluminum oxide finish that we are used to seeing which only sits on the surface of the wood. The advantage to UV oil is the ease of repair and its more natural look.
• Hand-scraped – Hand-scraped hardwood is literally what you would think it is. Someone has taken a hand tool at the factory and has worked over the surface of each board to create a series of broad, shallow grooves on the board’s surface. This is a very popular hardwood flooring option.

The change in customers’ attitudes has been great for Divine Hardwood. It has forced us to think outside the box and search for products worldwide, not just locally sourced, in order to maintain our position as an industry leader in innovation and product development.

"Look way up!": Aspen Showhome - 32 Auburn Springs Boulevard S.E.

Today, we are well set-up and partnered with great manufacturers from around the globe in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. The future of hardwood flooring looks very exciting. There is so much more pressure on today’s manufacturers to be more innovative and trend-setting than ever before. At Divine Hardwood, we feel very well-positioned to stay an industry frontrunner and bring new unique products to Cedarglen customers!

Check out these links to some of our suppliers for further product information:
Haro – www.haro.com
Eterna – www.eternafloors.com
PG Model – www.pgflooring.com

One month of 2012 is already coming to a close and I don’t know where the time is going to! A new month is nearly upon us: February. It’s the month of love, the month of Valentine’s Day. All the single ladies put yo’ hands up! I tend to think of Valentine’s Day as a “Hallmark Holiday”, but others view it as a historical day… or as a day of unrestricted, sappy no-holding-back romance. Like some of you, I’m usually my own Valentine… sitting at home alone eating an entire box of heart-shaped chocolates in the dark while watching “The Way We Were”. I think I like it that way though.

The month of February is also the month of Family Day, because you don’t see them enough! I’m kidding, mostly. If you need an escape from your family, come visit one of our showhomes to find out how we have the [BEST] homes in Calgary. As we’ve posted over the past few weeks, now is a great time to move into a new Cedarglen home. So whether you spend the day with your actual family or treat it as an extra day to catch up on rest and soaps, make sure to take advantage of the extra day off.

February is a fairly slow month in Calgary and events are few and far between compared to other months… but we’ve rounded up a few for you  that are worth your time in checking out. Did we miss an event? Post it in the comments below and share it with our readers!

Calgary Boat & Sportsmen’s Show
The Calgary Boat & Sportsmen’s Show is Southern Alberta’s largest outdoor extravaganza! The best of the industry will be out in force as they get ready to launch summer! This year’s newest makes and models of boats and quads, along with the newest great outdoor enthusiasts will be looking for!

Wicked Divas – Broadway’s Best
Stars of the hit Broadway musical Wicked join the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for a concert of diva showstoppers! Favourites from “Wicked”, “My Fair Lady”, “Chicago” and the music of Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand light up the stage! Purchase tickets by clicking the posted link. Show runs from Friday, February 10 to Saturday, February 11, 2012 at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Don’t miss out on all the “Razzle-Dazzle”.

The Social History of Tea – an Exhibit
Learn about the social history of tea at the Lougheed House, focusing on the Victorian and Edwardian eras, highlighted with artifacts from the Lougheed House collection. Enjoy tea in the restaurant and visit the gift shop to take home some of the tea experience. Sip up! Exhibit runs from February 18, 2012 to April 4, 2012.

TD Winterfest on Family Day
Join TD at Olympic Plaza on February 20, 2012 where they will have live music, live ice sculpting, an ice cafe and snowman and ice castle building. Meet, skate with and have your photo taken with Calgary hockey greats Jamie Macoun and Colin Patterson. Bring your skates and bundle up – it promises to be a great day for the whole family!

Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance”
Fall in love with Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance”, coming to the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on February 24, 2012 for one performance. “Lord of the Dance” is a mesmerizing blend of traditional and modern Celtic music and dance, a classic Irish folk tale of good versus evil, as well as a passionate love story that is expressed through exhilarating dance numbers. Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” is an experience for the whole family.

Before you get the keys to your new home, there are few important things to know.

Are you a first-time home buyer?  Arranging your RBC Royal Bank mortgage is easier than you think!

As a first-time home buyer, you probably have many questions.  That’s why RBC, Royal Bank, offers step-by-step personal assistance.  We’ll be by your side each step of the way, from helping you understand your options and what to expect, to mortgage pre-approval, and all the way through finalizing your mortgage and the purchase of your home.

So why is getting pre-approved is so important? Well, one of the first steps in buying your home is obtaining a pre-approved mortgage.  With a pre-approved mortgage you will:

- Know how much you can afford and what your payments will be;

- Lock in your interest rate; and

- Demonstrate to vendors and their agents that you are a serious buyer.

With that noted, you’ll also need to know your mortgage down payment options: the minimum down payment is 5%, which can come from gifted monies from family members, from money you have saved or from your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP).  RBC has a borrowed down payment program where you can borrow the 5% down payment if you do not have all of it available to you.

What your Lender will be looking for to get you pre-approved are the following:

- Obtaining a mortgage application which will provide the lender of your personal and financial information such as birthdates, SIN numbers, address, employer information and income.

- Your permission to pull your credit bureau which tells the lender what your liabilities are and minimum payments.  This allows the banks to determine how much you qualify for, for a mortgage.

- Two forms of income verification, which can either be a letter of employment or a most recent T4 along with a current paystub.

- We will also require your down payment verification.  We will need to verify all down payments, so if gifted money we will have you and your donor complete a gift letter.  If from your accounts, we require a 90-day history and if from an RRSP account, we require a quarterly statement.

Once we have received all of the above information we can proceed to have you pre-approved in less than 24 hours.  Then you can start shopping for your new home!

Please feel free to give me a call at any time to answer any questions or to set up an appointment.  I am a mobile mortgage specialist and therefore can meet you on your time, at your home or at any RBC branch.

When I think of Christmas, I think of awkward family gatherings. And as awkward as some of my own family gatherings are, nothing makes me feel better than being able to laugh at the tragic holiday photographic memories of others. That’s why I love websites like awkwardfamilyphotos.com, because I’m able to look at my extended family and  feel absolutely normal. I’ve taken the liberty of posting some of the best holiday photos from the site, so that when you’re sitting at Christmas dinner listening to stories that don’t interest you in the least, you can be thankful that this isn’t you.

Lady Gaga celebrates the holidays with style

Bad Santa

The rebellious outcasts of the Duggar family

These were a few of her favourite things: In the original production of "The Sound of Music", Maria made outfits out of picnic tablecloths for the children and a tie for Caption Von Trapp

Can you see your family in any of these photos? Or maybe you have an even better awkward Christmas family photo? Send in your pictures and keep the festive laughs coming!

1/2 package miniature marshmallows

17 chipped and drained maraschino cherries

1 large banana

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 tablespoons icing sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt marshmallows in greased double boiler. Make shortbread base by mixing flour, butter and icing sugar together to make a stiff dough. Pat shortbread into bottom of 8×8 cake pan and bake 15-20 minutes (until lightly browned). Meanwhile, drain cherries and dice them but do not slice banana until base is cooked and marshmallows are melted. Stir in cherries and diced banana. Spread quickly onto base and let stand in fridge at least 30 minutes before icing.

Icing
1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup icing sugar

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix above together in a bowl and beat at high-speed until mixture is light and fluffy. It may curdle at one stage but keep on beating. It will emulsify in 5 minutes time.

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CHRISTMAS MORNING “WIFE-SAVER”
Shirley Landry, Sales Administrator 

16 slices white bread

Sliced ham

Sharp cheddar cheese

6 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 cup minced onion

1/4 cup green peppers, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 cups milk

Dash of Tabasco sauce

1/4 pound butter

Crushed corn flakes

Method
Grease 9×13 dish, place in 8 slices of bread, then ham slices and cheese. Cover with the remaining bread slices. Beat eggs, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire and Tabasco with milk. Add onions and green peppers, pour over top of bread and cover with cling-wrap. Let sit in fridge overnight. In morning, melt butter and pour over top. Cover with crushed corn flakes and bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

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TERRIBLY TERRIFIC TOFFEE
Sandra Koberstein, Senior Design Consultant

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

40 saltine crackers

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let sit for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer. Let cool and if desired (for expediting purposes), refrigerate until hardened. Break into pieces the size of your choice.

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SPICED GINGER COOKIES
Sarah Ethier, Sales Associate 

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup canola margarine

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

Method
Cream together margarine and sugar and then beat in egg and molasses until light and fluffy. Stir in dry ingredients. Shape into small balls and roll each in sugar (dough is easier to work with if left in the fridge until cooked before shaping). Bake for 10-12 minutes at 325 degrees.

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EGG NOODLE KUGEL
Teigan Reamsbottom, Marketing Coordinator 

16 ounces of egg noodles

1 cup sugar

1 stick of butter

1 large package of cream cheese

2 eggs

1 small package vanilla pudding powder

1.5 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups of crumbled corn flakes

Method
Boil the egg noodles until just tender. While the noodles are boiling, blend the sugar and the butter. Then add the cream cheese. Add one egg at a time. After both eggs are added to the mixture, add the vanilla pudding powder and the cinnamon.
Drain the noodles well.
Mix the well-drained noodles with the sugar/egg/pudding mixture. Pour the mixture into a glass pan and sprinkle crushed corn flakes on the top. Bake the kugel until golden brown at 350 degrees (takes approximately 30-45 minutes). 

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BEST TURKEY STUFFING
Barb Boyce, Customer Liaison

**adjust ingredients accordingly, depending on the size of your turkey**
One or two-day-old bread. Cut up into +/- 3/4″ squares. One loaf will fill approximately a 13-15 pound turkey

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 green pepper

1 stalk celery

2-3 cloves garlic

Salt, pepper and sage to taste

Method
Crush garlic in press. Dice up pepper and celery into fairly small (approx 1/8″) pieces. Add above to bread. Add spices. Beat eggs and add them to mixture. Add milk and mix with your hands, trying not to over-mix bread with liquid. When stuffing the turkey, try not to pack too tightly. Fill the breast cavity-side of the turkey first and skewer close. Fill the main, larger cavity next. Tuck ends of legs inside turkey skin to keep cavity closed. Prepare turkey as you wish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes per pound. Always remove all of the stuffing from turkey once it has been cooked. 

Howard Tse, President of Cedarglen Homes

When I was asked to blog in December, I was excited because I believed it would give us a chance to share what the Spirit of Christmas is like at Cedarglen Homes. Unfortunately, no matter how I started, it sounded like a cliché. Instead, I want to share with you a few of our experiences over the past few years.

As a corporation, we are solicited regularly to donate to various charities, community events, groups, and sports teams. All are deserving. The hardest part is deciding who and how much do we support. One of the biggest questions we ask in this process is how will the funds be used and how much of it will actually change the lives of individuals who need a hand?  So a few years ago, we decided we needed a grassroots approach. That is, we wanted to make sure that every dollar we donated made it to the people who needed it most. We approached our employees, trades and suppliers and put forward this Christmas challenge:

We have faith that people want to help others in need. At Cedarglen, we need your help in assisting those less fortunate. The challenge is to find someone in need during the Christmas season, spend up to $500 to purchase and deliver a gift for them or their families, so that their Christmas will have a special meaning. A short note describing what this moment did for you and those you assisted would be greatly appreciated. Please send in your total receipts for reimbursement.

Our mission is simple. Our hope is that this will kick-start the spirit of giving and  goodwill in our community. Here are some of the results from last year’s project:

“The money has been donated to a family where the single and trying to raise four children. Her oldest son is attending the University of Calgary and also holds down a part-time job to help support the whole family. Student loans are the only way he is paying for tuition and books. We’ve decided to help our the oldest son directly and have provided him with a gift certificate to the University of Calgary bookstore.”

“I grew up in a low-income household, so I know that the holidays can be extremely hard on families in this position. With the money, I purchased several gift cards that I placed in mailboxes along with a Christmas card in the neighbourhood I grew up in.”

“With our $500.00, we were able to buy enough food for two families and gifts for the parents and children for Christmas. Now we are proud to be part of the Cedarglen family, as that is what it is… a family. Cedarglen not only supports houses, but homes… and while a business, Cedarglen puts forth the effort to take care of the community in which it builds.”

“With a portion of the money, we gathered family and friends, and spent a weekend baking goodies, which our local church gave our to needy families in surrounding communities.”

“I bought decorations, lights and a Christmas tree for an elderly woman that lost her husband a few months earlier. The husband used to be the one to decorate every year at their home, but with him not being around this year, she hadn’t decorated the house. One day I went over to her house and strung up lights outside. When she arrived, she was overjoyed and so thankful that I had come to help her out. I then showed her the Christmas tree I bought for her and she couldn’t stop crying. I assembled the tree in her home and we spent the evening decorating it.”

We have a binder full of these letters. And to get some inspiration for this blog, I sat down and read them all. Word to the wise, don’t do this unless you are prepared for a humbling experience. It made a difference. It is making a difference. It’s initiatives like these that make me proud to be part of the Cedarglen team. As I proof read this blog, I wonder how often corporations have used the words:

These are the words we want to leave you with this Holiday Season.

Have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

Howard Tse,

President

You’ve only got a couple of weeks before the holidays arrive, so now’s the time to get inspired! Discover ideas for dressing up your Christmas tree, setting out decorations, hanging ornaments and creating centrepieces to make your rooms more festive. You’ll find unique ideas for displaying your Christmas cards and decorating to complement your existing decor.

Create a clean Christmas look with a neutral palette for tree and presents…

All-white decorations give this pre-lit tree a dreamy quality, bringing a snowy winter wonderland indoors. White-wrapped presents are trimmed with metallic gold and silver ribbon for sparkle. A gilt-framed mirror, candelabra and the glossy dark floor exude luxury and refinement.

A tree that embodies a true "winter wonderland"

 Decorate to complement existing decor…

A fluffy white Christmas tree sparkles with golden lights, while candles of different heights add interest as a simple centrepiece. Tree ornaments play off two panels of blue and gold wallpaper, used to create a feature wall. These decorations, the modern colour scheme, harvest table and refined chairs set the scene for a sparkly, candlelit dinner.

"I'm dreaming of a mod Christmas"

Fitting a Christmas tree into a smaller space…

Use an existing console table. This wide walnut console in the front window, normally loaded with books, is the perfect place for a four-foot-tall live tree. Elevating the tree enhances its scale in the room. Metallic silver, blue and green ornaments were used with white lights.

A miniature marvel!

Creative with Christmas cards…

Strike a festive note with a vintage-style, do-it-yourself display board in your front hall. An elegant white side table and mercury glass candlesticks underneath create a sparkling tableau.

To make a similar board, paint a vintage frame white, fit it with bulletin board and then use spray adhesive to affix pretty wrapping on top of the cork. After the holidays, the board can be used for mail and shopping lists!

An organized Christmas is a happy Christmas...

It’s as simple as adding a centrepiece…

This glamorous Christmas table setting includes giant “diamond ring” napkin holders, elegant tableware and frosty-looking flowers. A crystal chandelier and silvery wallpaper are sophisticated counterpoints to a glass dining table and icy blue chairs. A medium-grey commercial-grade carpet was used to unify the living and dining room design, and to draw attention from the parquet flooring.

"It's the most glamorous time of the year!"

Again, the simple addition of a centrepiece can be festive…

A restrained holiday palette is both festive and chic. A stunning centrepiece of large silver balls and sprigs of evergreen add holiday cheer to this winter-white formal dining room. Dark glossy floors, warm wood furniture and natural light streaming through the windows offer warmth and sparkle!

Fabulously festive!

Be creative with a holiday buffet table…

Create a festive and functional party buffet. A chandelier overflowing with fresh greenery is lit with faux candles to give off a soft and warm glow during meals. For a party, dining chairs are pulled away from the table to create an instant buffet. All-white square serving platters offer an orderly presentation and let the food take centre stage.

Be the toast of your social circle with an elegant buffet table.

Bejeweled holiday candelabra…

A twig candle holder does double-duty, offering a spot to hang pretty necklaces and a few small Christmas ornaments. The refined silver, off-white and blue palette works beautifully during the holidays and year-round.

A very "Twiggy" candelabra.

Simple touches look so elegant…

Add a dash of whimsy with an artful arrangement of ornaments featuring classic Christmas characters. Here, a silver-robed Saint Nick and glittering reindeer were used, then mini glass balls on branches were added and a dusting of faux snow to suggest a picturesque snowfall. The all-white scheme lends modern elegance to the traditional decorations.

Sleek Santa and refined reindeer.

**photography courtesy of www.countryliving.com, www.freshome.com, www.aboutdecorations.com and www.allthingschristmas.com

Start decking your halls and trimming your tree, because the holiday season is upon us!

If you haven’t started on last year’s New Year’s resolutions yet, spend five minutes at the gym, eat one head of broccoli and read the first page of Cliff’s Notes on “War and Peace.” You only have a few weeks left until you’ll have to start all over again.

Truth be told, some of the fondest memories of my life come from the holiday season. A tradition in my household was always a snowy afternoon at the start of December when my mother and I would plant roots in the living room to watch Oprah’s Favourite Things. But since “O” has abdicated from the daytime throne, I may have to search for a repeat of last year’s Favourite Things for a little nostalgia. Nothing could ever beat watching Oprah waddle out on stage only to surprise a select group of super fans and see them spontaneously combust when they found out that they were in THE audience of the year. Wigs would go flying, blood sugar would drop and I think that a few of the women in the audience actually went into seizure from all the excitement (Gayle included)!

…But Oprah or no Oprah, the holiday season is now upon us and your metabolism couldn’t be more terrified. This is the season of love, the season of hope and the season of carbohydrates. Enjoy it while it lasts, because this is the one month where you can justify woofing down as many treats as you can possibly fit in your mouth at once without fear of judgement. Not from me, anyways. This really IS the most wonderful time of the year.

Not only is this the season of delicious baking, it is also the season of formal parties. It’s an excuse to pull out your best suit and cocktail dresses (that one in the back of your closet that sparkles in the light and you wouldn’t dare wear during any other season!) to impress your neighbours, co-workers, friends and family. In all of the hustle that surrounds the season though it is important to make some time to take in a few new experiences and enjoy some different leisure activities  to keep yourself out of the Sanatorium, come January 2nd. Here are a few great events in and around Calgary that are worth your very valuable time in checking out this holiday season:

• 4th Annual SAIT Christmas Craft Sale
  - Crazy4Crafts Shows is hosting a handcraft / artisan craft sale at SAIT’s Heritage Hall on Thursday, December 1st from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Check out a wide range of handmade crafts, one-of-a-kind gifts and accessories and meet local artisans. If you’re looking for unique handcrafted holiday gifts for someone special… or just to treat yourself, this is one craft fair not to be missed! Admission is free and more information can be found by searching for the event on Facebook or by clicking the link posted above.
• Cranston Christmas Bazaar
  - The Cranston Resident’s Association will be hosting its first ever Cranston Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, December 3rd from 10:00am to 4:00pm in the Century Hall gymnasium. Get an early start on your holiday shopping while supporting local home-based businesses. Find that special gift for that special someone by browsing the variety of handmade gifts on display!
• Auburn Bay Family Christmas Party
  - Spend the afternoon with family and friends on Saturday, December 10th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm celebrating the season in Auburn Bay. Bring your ice skates and toboggans and enjoy classic cottage country activities with Santa! Please note that due to construction in the banquet room, this will be an outdoor event and activities might change depending on the weather. Call (403) 547-2605 to RSVP.
• Tom Jackson’s “‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime”
  - Join Tom Jackson for an evening of song and celebration on Monday, December 12th from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at The Ranchmen’s Club. All funds raised will benefit Calgary Meals on Wheels. Tickets are $250.00 each or $2000.00 for a table of eight.
• Christmas with George Canyon
  - Canada’s own country superstar heats up the holidays as he joins the orchestra for some down-home hits and seasonal tunes. Tickets are still available for the  Tuesday, December 20th show at Epcor’s Jack Singer Concert Hall.
• Bolly Christmas Party
  - Presented by Studio Bollywood, iDance and the Magnolia Banquet Hall. This event includes a “Bolly-licious” dinner, DJ and dance, Bollywood entertainment, henna, prizes and more! Join the fun on Saturday, December 17th at 7:00pm at the Magnolia Banquet Hall for one of the biggest parties of the season!  Call Vish or Tania at (403) 246-5739 or email studiobollywood@hotmail.com to RSVP.

Did we miss an event that you think we should know about? Leave us a comment! We’d love to hear what events YOU will be attending over the next month!