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Neighbourhood Spotlight | Downtown Squamish
When the weather is warm, one of my favorite areas in Squamish for a Saturday walk is Downtown Squamish! I park near the Macdonald Realty office on Cleveland, it's always the perfect spot to start my walk.  
 
There is a new hidden gem in Squamish called Noshy that is a quick 5 minute walk, this is usually my first stop for a bite to eat. They have a small, casual and fun sit down area with a simple but yummy menu including my favorite, soup with a savoury tart! Then I make my way back down to Cleveland for dessert, which usually ends up being a Fox & Oak Doughnut. I'll of course have to also get two dog doughnuts to go, for my labs Georgia and Maya...as they will never forgive me if I don't!
 
My final stop is always the Squamish Farmers Market, I love supporting local makers, picking up fresh ingredients for dinner and listening to music when they have a musician playing. Here is a recipe that I made with my husband last Saturday evening, after stopping at the market: 
 
Grilled Peach and Blueberry Pasta Salad:
  • 4 Cups Penne
  • 4 Firm/Ripe Peaches
  • 2 Cups Bluberries
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 5oz Arugula
  • 3 Lemons
  • 4 Tsp Maple Syrup
  • 4 Tsp Dijon Mustard
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste 
  1. Cook Pasta according to Package. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and then chill until needed.
  2. Place four peach halves cut side down on a bbq. Grill, covered over medium-high for 8 minutes or until grill marks appear, then cool. Cut remaining four peach halves into 1/2" pieces. 
  3. For the dressing, you will need 1 Tsp lemon zest and 1/2 Cup lemon juice. In a large bowl whisk together the lemon zest, juice, mustard and diced garlic. Add the pasta, chopped peaches, arugula and blueberries to the bowl and mix with dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  4. To serve, top with grilled peach halves and drizzle with maple syrup.
  5. Enjoy! 
I would love to hear your favorite spots to walk to in Downtown Squamish or if you try the pasta salad above, leave a comment below!
 
~ Julie
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Community Spotlight | Home Steps Organizing
Home Steps provides Organization and Relocation services in Whistler, Squamish and Vancouver. I have worked closely with Ashley as she has supported multiple clients to declutter and stage their homes to get ready for listing. Home Steps provides light staging, meaning Ashley will use your own belongings while packing away any visual clutter and creating a more open and inviting space for a potential buyer. Learn more below!
 
Why do you love what you do? | I love that every client session is different, since Home Steps has started I have worked in so many homes. My clients have included a young college student needing a hand to pack and move home, to helping a busy family stage their townhouse and continuing bi-yearly decluttering sessions in their new home, to supporting a senior downsizing client find a home for her most loved possessions including a medium grand Steinway piano. 
 
What does a day in the life look like? | As mentioned above, everyday is different and I love that! I'm either working alongside my clients or on my own in their homes. Going to consultations, taking donations or working on the backend of my business to make it the best it can be! I am a one woman show, the only service that I hire is my accountant, everything else is 100% me.  

What would your ideal weekend look like? | When I'm not working, I love to keep it simple. A weekend in Squamish usually involves a hike or two, a walk downtown for lunch with my husband or a couple drinks with friends. Currently things are a bit hectic as our kitchen is being renovated, but I can't wait for that to be done, so that we can get back to our simple routines. 

3 small things that make your day better? | When a client has a pet, who is then my assistant for the day :) When I get to see a client's reaction to a finished space! Warm weather, with evening hikes or walks with my husband. 

3 pieces of advice based on your industry? | As soon as you know you want to sell your home start the decluttering process to get ready for listing, this will also make your packing and unpacking experience go much smoother. Start small in the least used areas of your home, until you know when pictures will be taken and showings will start, then you can ramp up as needed. Have some packing supplies on hand as you start to declutter, maybe you have some craft supplies for example that won't be used until after your move but they can be decluttered and packed properly now instead of scrambling near your possession date. 

If you had unlimited funds to build a dream home, what would the look and feel be like? | My husband and I have always discussed together that it doesn't matter how much money we have, our house will always be small since we don't need much space. As mentioned above we are currently renovating our kitchen, this is so that it feels more like our personal style. However, we will always keep things simple, I personally like the idea that if we get overwhelmed with life in a busy season and can't keep up with dishes and laundry, etc the piles will never really get that big, since we keep our belongings minimal to start with.   

Where can people find you? 
 
Instagram | @home.steps
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