Happy Thanksgiving!

Some fun facts about Thanksgiving:

• Though many competing claims exist, the most familiar story of the first Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth Colony, in present-day Massachusetts, in 1621. More than 200 years later, President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941.
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 2,020 pounds and measured just over 12 feet long. It was baked on October 8, 2005 by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio, and included 900 pounds of pumpkin, 62 gallons of evaporated milk, 155 dozen eggs, 300 pounds of sugar, 3.5 pounds of salt, 7 pounds of cinnamon, 2 pounds of pumpkin spice and 250 pounds of crust.
• Three towns in the U.S. take their name from the traditional Thanksgiving bird, including Turkey, Texas (pop. 465); Turkey Creek, Louisiana (pop. 363); and Turkey, North Carolina (pop. 270).
• The cranberry is one of only three fruits—the others are the blueberry and the Concord grape—that are entirely native to North American soil, according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association.
• In a survey conducted by the National Turkey Federation, nearly 88 percent of Americans said they eat turkey at Thanksgiving. The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 15 pounds, which means some 690 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the U.S. during Thanksgiving in 2007.
• Snoopy has appeared as a giant balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade more times than any other character in history. As the Flying Ace, Snoopy made his sixth appearance in the 2006 parade.

“The Sister Team” wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving… may your ‘thankful’ holiday be overflowing with smiles, love, family and friends!

Festival of Lights

Each year thousands of people gather in the beautiful City of Riverside on Mission Inn Avenue the day after Thanksgiving to welcome the Christmas season by watching the amazing lighting of The Mission Inn Hotel and Spa.  This 16th annual Festival of Lights “switch on” ceremony begins after nightfall and features welcoming remarks from Mayor Ron Loveridge, as well as Keeper of the Inn, Duane Roberts, and even Santa Clause. 

With a collective countdown, the festivities begin and the sky becomes alight with fireworks as powerful holiday music plays in sync.  At the culmination of the fireworks display, all three million lights and hundreds of figurines on the Mission Inn come to life and illuminate the streets of Downtown Riverside.  To make sure all of Riverside can enjoy this amazing site, The Mission Inn Hotel and Spa remains lit nightly into the first week of January.

The festivities extend to the adjacent Main Street Pedestrian Mall where horse-drawn carriages and carolers stroll amongst one-of-a-kind shops, and even an ice skating rink.  This event, which began as a modest hotel-only event in 1993, has since grown into one of the premier holiday lights displays in the country, and has even been featured in People Magazine.

7175 Golden Vale Dr

[ SOLD for $1,355,000 ] Featuring dramatic interior living spaces, this palatial 5,500 sq-ft single level spectacular contemporary Mediterranean estate is exceptionally suited to a social lifestyle, yet also retains a casual elegance that makes the whole family feel “at home”. 

Uncompromising quality is evident at every turn!! Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on this resort-like home, including over $300,000 on backyard alone, which is rivaled only by Las Vegas’ Bellagio! All four spacious bedrooms, along with the den and library, boast lighted coffered ceilings. Remodeled gourmet kitchen and grand formal dining room with domed ceiling. Enormous master bedroom suite with sitting area and see-thru fireplace which shares the remodeled bathroom.

In addition to the elegance of the interior living space, the outdoor space imparts a resort-like feel complete with outdoor kitchen, rock pool/spa with waterfalls, gazebo, landscaped yard with mature trees/plants, 100+ fruit and citrus tree orchard, and a balcony which offers panoramic canyon and sunset views from this 1.20 acre lot. And finally, a little boasting: this absolutely stunning home was featured in The Inland Empire Magazine in August 2007!

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Slide your mouse over each photo for a detailed description, or click on any photo for fabulous full-screen up-close view!

Interior Decorating with Pets in Mind

Pets have become more than just guard dogs or mouse-chasers to most of society; they have become friends and companions. It’s no wonder that you can find more and more ways to accommodate, accessorize, and modify your home to be pet-friendly.

Here are a few basic rules if you want the essentials for interior decorating:

1. Nothing touching the floor should be white; even white leather can become stained or scratched.
2. Use black sparingly. Getting light colored fur off of black furnishings and pillows is never fun.
3. Bold or bright colors will show more hair than softer neutrals.
4. Absolutely no velvet anywhere! If your animal sheds, this might as well be a hair magnet.

As for tables, try to find some that are sturdy or weighted, you never know when something may get bumped or run into. Put any accessories up where they are safe (mantles or high shelves will work).

For flooring, it’s preferable to use a hard surface like sealed stone (no slate!), hard wood, or engineered flooring. If you must have carpet, be sure to purchase cut pile, not loop pile. If loop pile gets snagged, the carpet will unravel, and this will surely entertain your cat or dog for hours and cost you hundreds to replace.

In a space not often seen, remove the doors to a larger cabinet and put your animal’s cage in it to free up valuable floor space (something many of us “Wood Street” homeowners are familiar with). This is a great idea for utility rooms that double as pet care centers. For a nicer look, you can have someone build the cage into the cabinet, but this could be a bit pricey. If you are re-doing cabinets, consider a multi-drawer cabinet in which the bottom drawer pulls out and houses the food and water bowls. If company comes over, simply slide the drawer into the cabinet and hide the mess. Think also of food storage, and get one cabinet with a built-in trash can or two, and store pet food in the cabinet next to the bowls.

You can modify your house plans to accommodate one of your pet’s most basic needs — needing to be let outside or into a room where they have food or a litter box. Usually there’s a trusty doggy door (which is also used for cats), but what was once a standard model with a soft plastic flap has now become more advanced with transmitters and automation. A transmitter can be applied to the pet’s collar which opens when the pet nears the door.  There are pros and cons to the transmitter: pro is that only your pet will gain access, thereby leaving those pesky raccoons outside; con is that some transmitters are too large for smaller pets and if the transmitter fails, your pet may be barricaded on one side or the other of the pet door.

So if you’re renovating or building a home from scratch, consult a design professional for some ideas on how to make your home really pet accessible and get the most out of your budget. Good luck!

2653 Mangrove Way

[ SOLD for $200,000 ]  Single story end-unit low-maintenance condo in a complex named “The Trees” sits comfortably in the heart of the prestigious Victoria/Hawarden neighborhood just off the Victoria greenbelt near multi-million dollar homes and orange groves (smell the season’s orange blossoms)!  Enjoy the spacious and beautiful grounds with lush landscaping, gardens, and meandering paths. Huge year-round pool area with cabana and recreation area are just a short walk from this condo. Master bedroom suite with cathedral ceiling, patio access and private bathroom. Spacious kitchen with pantry, dishwasher, refrigerator and gas stove/range. Central A/C unit and roof are less than 7 years old. Formal dining area and large living room with cathedral ceiling and gas/wood-burning fireplace. Book enthusiasts will delight in the many built-in bookshelves in this 1200 square foot condo! Two sets of sliders open up to spacious private patio. Attached 2-car garage with auto roll-up door, workbench, cabinetry and laundry facilities. This quiet complex will offer you peace and the feeling of retirement. Ahhhh…..

   

   

Veterans Day

Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11.  However, if it occurs on a Sunday, then the following Monday is designated for holiday leave, and if it occurs Saturday then either Saturday or Friday may be so designated.

Veterans Day was first incorporated by President Wilson as Armistice Day in 1919.  Other countries today also still recognize November 11th as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in honor of the Armistice treaty which ended WWI.               

It was in 1938 that Armistice Day was enacted as an official American holiday.  But eventually after WWII, citizens felt that the veterans of all wars should be recognized, not just those of WWI.  So in 1954, Congress changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.  In America, the holiday now celebrates the approximate 24.9 million veterans in the United States with parades and ceremonies among other events.

Honoring all who served…. and who are currently serving!  THANK YOU!