Blog posts in Home & Family.

Schools often play a large role in a family’s home buying decision making process. Quality of education and proximity of the school are usually major factors. All of the communities that Excel builds in have highly-rated existing schools nearby, or are building brand new schools within the community. Sunset Ridge in Cochrane, for example, is opening its new K-7 school this fall and Mahogany in southeast Calgary has recently completed a sod-turning ceremony for the new K-6 Catholic school that will open in the fall of 2018.

Are you looking for healthy meals that won’t break the bank? Fresh produce, naturally raised meats, organic dairy and local products are the ideal, but often come at a higher price point. To help you stock your kitchen with healthier choices, we’ve put together a few ideas that will make shopping a little easier and less expensive.

Make the most wonderful time of the year even more memorable with a few Christmas DIY décor projects. There are plenty of crafts suitable for all age groups, so gather your elves, deck those halls and bring a little more joy to the world.

Count it Down: A DIY paper cup advent calendar is fun for every age group – and a great way to help younger kids with learning numbers and counting. We like this adorable reindeer calendar. Pop a chocolate for each kiddo inside every cup and let the countdown begin!

Ghosts, ghouls and goblins (and lets face it - Anna, Elsa and Olaf characters) will soon roam Alberta’s streets in the quest for candy. So the question we have is - is your house Halloween ready for the BIG BOO?

Many of us quiver at the thought of blow-up spiders and fluorescent window vinyl witches upstaging our perfectly landscaped lawns and beautiful new homes. Not to mention trying to stay ‘green’ on this hallowed day of orange and black. Well no need to fear dear homeowners, for we’ve found a few spooky DIY décor ideas that won’t frighten Martha Stewart or David Suzuki.

Summer is a perfect time for reorganizing your garage! Garages are often the place where everyone in the family dumps anything they can’t find a home for. So wouldn’t it make sense to create a garage space where you’re able to find what you’re looking for quickly and easily, without all the frustration?

We know that buying a new home can be a stressful process, but when you add children into the mix it can get even more complicated! One of the first things a parent thinks about is “Where will my children go to school?”. Did you know, 7% of the schools in Calgary are over 4 years old and are simply too crowded, so here are some helpful things to consider when deciding where you want to buy your next home:

Now that the snow is starting to melt and the sun is shining, let us fling right into Spring! Here are three of the most fun and original DIY home ideas to get right into the season.