We all know the old saying, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ And as some of us get older, we know it takes a lot more than an apple to keep us functioning at our peak.

That proverbial apple, it’s just a good way to illustrate preventative medicine. Preventive medicine is the absence of disease, either by preventing the occurrence or by halting a disease and averting resulting complications after its onset.

Last month, I wrote about a few of my favourite Calgary neighbourhoods for families looking to build or renovate the home of their dreams.

Today I’m adding to the list with three more south-central family-friendly communities.

One of the few born and raised Calgarians of my generation, I know and love this City wholeheartedly. I truly believe our town is one of the best places in the world to live, play and enjoy all life has to offer. And frankly, with over 180 communities to choose from there’s definitely something for everyone.

For me, I tend to live, work and serve clients in the south central inner city. From a very young age, I explored these communities – building tree forts and creating subterranean hideaways in the areas around the Glenmore reservoir and the Elbow River.

As witnessed this weekend, we never know how long the good weather will stick around here in Calgary, but the warmer, sunnier days that came before had many of our clients jumping into spring cleaning mode.

While spring tends to bring out the desire to nest and make all things pretty, it’s good to be sure your home improvements are equal parts form and function. The projects I’ve outlined here will help improve your home’s look and value, while providing cost savings and more usable space.

I have a feeling we’ll be talking about February 2019 for years to come - not just for how it impacted us but for the impact on our homes.

Did you know, it was coldest February since 1979? The average temperature was -18.5C with too many days reaching into the -30’s, and ZERO days above zero. On top of that we had snow 25 days out of 28, the most ever recorded. Whew.

Every new year brings new products, design ideas and updates. It’s fun to keep up with what’s new and hot. However, in Calgary, specific trends stick and others flop due to our climate and lifestyle, so it’s important to know what works and what doesn’t.

Here’s what I see coming on strong in our market for 2019 – new styles and updates that make sense for where and how we live here in Calgary.