Hi there! - Happy New Year! This comes a little later than normal, so as not to get lumped in with the hundreds of “Happy New Year” emails from every company or brand you've ever connected with! (I did a lot of unsubscribing last week! Don't do that here, please!) As we all recalibrate from the holidays, it's always a terrific time to declutter- our homes, cars, goals, refrigerators, etc, and make sure we're pointed in the direction that we want to go- literally or figuratively. I'm definitely doing that this month, too! I hope your 2025 is off to a great start, and I hope to see you soon! Today we're talking about: ✔️ 🛠️ January Home Maintenance ✔️ 🗓️ What's Happening Around RVA This Month? ✔️🥕 My Seriously Good, Incredibly Flexible, Vegetable Soup ✔️ 🏆 Bingo! Bonus Download for that goal-setting or 2025 Bucket List! 🛠️ January Home Maintenance It's finally feeling like winter around here, and that means taking care of all of those winter things that you may have put off (adding weatherstripping, insulating pipes, etc.) but another great “New Year, New Home” routine is decluttering. While it feels a bit like we're all stuck inside, I'm working on “one a day” tasks, like cleaning out my junk drawer, editing my shoe closet (those sandals I haven't worn in four years can probably go away), and things like that. January is National Organization Month, so it's a great time to get organized. Bonus- if you're thinking of selling this year, you'll be ready that much sooner! Click HERE for your monthly maintenance list.  🗓️ What's Happening Around RVA This Month? Okay, it's January, and we're all cold, maybe tired from the holidays, and most of us are trying to reboot in some way. Whether that's financial, healthful, or otherwise- there's definitely a lull in events, but there is still plenty to do around town and beyond! Click HERE for a list of events this month. 🥕Seriously Good, Incredibly Flexible, Vegetable Soup If you're anything at all like me, you're ready to move on from all of the heavy, rich, celebratory foods of the holiday season, but you still want something that tastes good! Add that “new year, new me” vibe with the cold weather, and there is only one answer- a really good, hearty but “clean” vegetable soup! THIS is my go to, and it's always delicious. You can get creative with it, and add whatever you have on hand- even throw some pasta or grains like farro or rice towards the end (just know how long they cook and adjust accordingly!) So good, and a great winter meal prep option. I know I've had it once a day for a week! 🏆 Bingo! Bonus Download for that goal-setting or 2025 Bucket List! Making resolutions and setting goals often seem like really polarizing notions, and they're just not for everyone, for whatever reason. I'm a firm believer in setting some “must do's," though. Whether for the season, or the year, it's a great way to not let the time slip by without doing things you want to do, and often these lists can be filled with more fun things than huge, heavy goals like “fit into my high school pants size.” This year, I'm having some friends over to do some bingo cards with things we want to do or accomplish. Anything from “Read War and Peace”, visit NYC, or reorganize your closet. Tick them off as you go, and call it bingo when you fill the card. Just a fun, different way to tackle 2025. I'm sharing a downloadable card with you HERE!                           Do you have home questions, need contractor referrals, or are you (or someone you know)                                   thinking of buying or selling a home in the Richmond area? Reach out! I'd love to help. In the meantime, follow me on social! Instagram | Facebook | TikTok ............. Did you miss last month's newsletter? Click HERE to see what you missed!

Hi there! - Happy Happy Holidays! This one is short and sweet, as we all careen into the end of year, Christmas, Hanukkah, weird bubble week until New Year's when no one can be found (to be working, at least!). I've got a quick year end recap of the market, my fav recipes from the year for you, and a quick and dirty last minute shopping guide! Have a wonderful season, and thank you for tuning in this year! Today we're talking about: ✔️ 🛍️ What I've Been Loving Lately - Last Minute Local Gifts! ✔️📈  Market Update- End of Year Market Stats ✔️ 🎁📖 A Gift from Me to You- Get Cooking! 🛍️ What I've Been Loving - Last Minute Local Gifts Stumped on the last minute shopping? I've got you covered! HERE's my quick little “knock out that gift list locally” guide! (And if you're not done, don't feel bad- I'm not finished either!) 📈 What's the Market Doing? "The market dies in December, and is reborn in January." That's at least how things have been most years. This year? For the official “market update" we can look at November stats. The median sales price was $468,856, only $9856 less than the high in June. Much of this can largely attributed to the continued lack of inventory. We are still at (across the whole Richmond area) only 2.10 months of inventory (6 months is what we call a “balanced” inventory.) While it may take homes a bit longer to sell in the middle of winter and holidays, they are still moving here in the Richmond area. If you're thinking of buying, you still might not score a lot of deals in December this year, but you'll definitely have a better chance at finding a home with a bit less competition. And if you're thinking of selling, the opposite of that. It's one of the best Decembers we've had since I've been in real estate. It's not the best time of the year for a number of reasons- it's cold(ish), the light is not as nice, and your yard is not as pretty, and ultimately, there are just not as many buyers out there. But if you have to sell or are just otherwise ready? You'll be just fine. 🎁📖 A Gift From Me to You You may or may not know that many, many years ago, long before I was in real estate, I owned a little cafe/catering business and shop in Carytown. I was 22, and I did all of the cooking and baking, for our regular days, and for events large and small. I've always loved to cook, and share my love of food with people I care about. As you know, I always include a recipe in my first email of the month, and we've compiled them all into a digital cookbook for you to use in the future. I'd love to hear if you make anything! Happy cooking! Click HERE to view the cookbook.                           Do you have home questions, need contractor referrals, or are you (or someone you know)                                   thinking of buying or selling a home in the Richmond area? Reach out! I'd love to help. In the meantime, follow me on social! Instagram | Facebook | TikTok ............. Did you miss last month's newsletter? Click HERE to see what you missed!

Click each event below for more information, for a full calendar of events click HERE. Dancing with the Stars: LIVE! Sensory Friendly Night Downtown Candlelight: A Tribute to Adele Edgar’s Sweet 216 Birthday Bash Celebrate MLK with the Richmond Symphony 999: The Forgotten Girls (Holocaust Remembrance Day) Special Bourbon Dinner Event Soul Aerial and the Performing Arts Center Present: Alice in Wonderland Hanover Tavern ParaCon

If you're anything like me, you've hit the point of the end of the holidays where your body is just saying, "no more" to cheese, chocolate, sugar, and other "celebration foods." I've wanted nothing so much as salads and vegetables for the past week, and this is a great go to. It's totally adjustable to your taste, the season, or just what you have on hand. Give it a try and let me know what you think! Seriously Good, Incredibly Flexible Vegetable Soup Ingredients 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped 3 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, green beans, butternut squash, potatoes, bell pepper, zucchini or yellow squash- use your imagination (or your farm share or what you have!) 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1 large can small diced tomatoes (I like the Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes) 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth 1 1/2 - 2 cups water (depending on how thin or thick you want it) 2 cups chopped kale, chard, collard greens, or spinach 1 cup green peas 1 cup sweet corn Red pepper flakes to taste Fresh ground black pepper to taste Directions Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, seasonal vegetables and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, thyme, and oregano. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often. Pour in the broth and water. Add ½ teaspoon more salt and red pepper flakes (if using). Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and add the chopped greens (this is also where I add the peas, corn, or other vegetables that don't take as long to cook). Continue simmering for 5 minutes or more, until the vegetables have softened to your liking. Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes. (You might need up to one more teaspoon of salt, depending on your broth and your personal tastes.) Divide into bowls and enjoy! Keeps well in the refrigerator for 5-6 days, and freezes well for later as well.

For a printable checklist, click HERE.

For years...okay, maybe decades, I've entered the holiday season with all of the business of a full time working mom, with multiple other obligations, as well as a love of making the holiday magic that we (moms) are famous for. I love baking, cooking, crafts, creating, decorating...all those sort of "Martha Stewart" style things that are generally not that easy every day, but are made more difficult and also more high stakes, at the holidays. A few of the things that I've done in the past as the holiday season hits me like a tidal wave and I try to "do it all," Created a full block of homes in Church Hill in gingerbread. Complete with black royal icing ironwork everywhere. (This one landed me on the news in the '90's) Another year, I did my mother's childhood home and church in gingerbread. Gold jewelry for everyone on my list when I was a jeweler. (Started this project somewhere around the first week in December.) Taught myself how to quilt and made quilts for both parents and in laws.(Again, started after Thanksgiving) Compiled all of the family recipes and a few of my own into a cookbook, also begun after Thanksgiving. Anyway, the list goes on. You might be getting the picture, though- I get very inspired, very late in the game, and push through with late nights, lots of coffee, and a good amount of stress, and often could have done these things well in advance, but they didn't occur to me until later! Finally a couple of years ago, I began doing something of a post mortem on the holiday season, just after it is over, but while it's all still fresh in my mind. Calendar in hand, I review anything that could have gone better, usually as a result of lack of time, planning, or both, and I schedule it out better for next year. Want to make homemade liquor? Vanilla extract? Fruitcake, etc? It can take months, but once the holidays are over, the idea flies right out of my head. I wanted to make homemade Vanilla extract last year, but waited too long. This year, when August rolled around, buying the beans, bottles, etc, was already on my calendar. So I actually did it! With no stress, because there is not nearly as much going on in August as in December, it was easy to put this simple gift together and make a bit of a wow come December. So today (it's 12/26 as I type) I'm going over the gifts, the wrap, the notes, and the recollections, while they're fresh, and putting them on the calendar for December of 2025. Things like: Buy butcher's twine for the tenderloin (so I'm not scrambling). Also Christmas lunch/dinner related- take my own salt and pepper, and BIG pans (why are all of her pans so small??), to my Mom's on Christmas Day. Seems ridiculous, but it's so much easier to cook with things I know work, rather than improvising everything. Buy giftwrap early, and have a plan for that too, so there's not just one roll left at the store when I'm ready. There are a few more things I know will come up as I do this, and I know now that 2025 Cindy will thank current me for thinking ahead and making a plan. If there's something I want to make, I can do it early, and I'll overall have a more relaxed, lovely, delicious, and most importantly, a lower stress holiday season as a result. Do you do this? If not, will you try it? I can pretty much guarantee it will help you tremendously! Merry Day after Christmas! Wishing you a very Happy Hanukkah and a joyous New Year!

Are you running out of time? Shipping deadlines have passed, but you still need something amazing? If you're in the Richmond area, these are a few gifts and places I'd recommend! Food gifts Looking for something for the host/hostess, or just a little something for that hard to buy for recipient? Food is always a great answer! Here are some of my local favorites: Copper Fox Distillery- With locations in both Sperryville and Williamsburg, Copper Fox makes some great, American Single Malt whiskies (and so many other spirits). I'm not a big drinker, but it is delicious, and if you take a trip, you can get a behind the scenes tour, which is pretty fantastic on its own. Stock up for gift giving all season, or for your own bar. Are you on the list? Every year, a lot of my clients get a gift of croissant cinnamon rolls from me, from one of my favorites, Up All Night Bakery. They're always a huge hit, and it's a great alternative to the flood of cookies that often come with the holidays. A little treat for breakfast is always a welcome gift. (And everything they make is fantastic!) Looking to put together an amazing basket or box of RVA goodies? My favorite spot to run in and grab some goodies is Yellow Umbrella. Either location- Patterson Avenue or Libbie Mill- has all sorts of great grab and go party foods, chips, salsa, crackers, local snacks, and of course, everything you need for dinner or charcuterie. A great host gift? A loaf of fresh sourdough and a block of my favorite Isigny Ste Mere Butter with sea salt crystals. For just about anyone on your list, pop into Shop Made in Virginia in Scott's Addition and pick up anything from fabulous art, handmade jewelry, textiles, locally made craft kits and gifts for kids, and all sorts of Virginia made foods. Seriously, you could totally check off everyone on your list here. Another spot where it's easy to find something for just about anyone on your list is The Shops at 5807. With a multitude of shops under one roof, you can't go wrong. Maybe some fun readers for Mom from Frillseekers, a great shirt for Dad from Cronies, something useful and fun for the wine lover at All About the Beverage, and of course, a stop through RVYAY Toys for the kiddos. (There are plenty of things for the hard to buy for teens, etc, with great jewelry, fun stationery, and so much more!) It really is possible to avoid the mall (and Amazon!) and get everyone on your list something local! Happy Happy Holidays to you and yours! See you in 2025!  

Hi there - With Thanksgiving so late this year, it seems like we are on a speeding train toward Christmas and the end of the year. If you want to make sure to not miss a thing, download my Holiday Guide and catch all of the “must do's” that Richmond and surroundings has to offer! I'm doing my best to shop small and local for any gifts I buy, and there are so many terrific places to find unique gifts in the Richmond area, who needs a big box store? The guide also has a list of some of my favorite shops around town if you're inspired to shop small this season as well! Today we're talking about: ✔️ 📅 What is Happening around RVA in December (in my Holiday Guide) ✔️ 🛠️ December Home Maintenance ✔️ 🧀 Pimiento Cheese Shortbread Crackers 📅 Check out my 2024 Holiday Guide Holiday Season is suddenly in full swing, and there is so much to do in and around RVA! Click HERE to download a copy of my 2024 Holiday Guide, with a calendar of things to do, my Tacky Lights map, local shopping guide, and a bonus recipe you won't want to miss! 🛠️ December Home Maintenance Yes, I know. Owning a home means there is always something to do, but winter means it's often the smaller things (and generally, indoors!)  One of the most important things to do at home this time of year is check those batteries and the functionality of your smoke alarms, and especially carbon monoxide detectors. With heat, heaters and blankets, etc. running, along with gas fireplaces, Christmas trees twinkling and more cooking going on, there is just more risk all around. Check those little guardians to make sure you and your family stay cozy, warm, and above all, safe, in your home. For the full list of December Maintenance Tips, click HERE. 🧀 Pimiento Cheese Shortbread Crackers With so many sweet treats everywhere this month, it's nice to have a little savory something here and there, and if it is something that keeps well all season, so you can always have them on hand,…ell even better! HERE.                           Do you have home questions, need contractor referrals, or are you (or someone you know)                                   thinking of buying or selling a home in the Richmond area? Reach out! I'd love to help. In the meantime, follow me on social! Instagram | Facebook | TikTok ............. Did you miss last month's newsletter? Click HERE to see what you missed!

Hi there! - It's about that time where we all start the downhill slide to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and suddenly, the end of the year. When everything starts to feel chaotic and busy, and time flies by for most of us. Hopefully, you can take some time this season to make some space, take some time for yourself, and just enjoy being with friends, with family, or maybe just a little solo time to take a break and reflect on what you're grateful for this year. That's what I'll be doing. Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for YOU. Today we're talking about: ✔️ 🛍️ What I've Been Loving Lately - Shop Made in Virginia ✔️📈 Market Update As We Head Into Winter ✔️ 📖 Did you know this about RVA? 🛍️ Shop Made in Virginia If you're starting your holiday shopping and stumped for ideas, go check out the new Shop Virginia Made in Scott's Addition. This is not your stuffy old “peanuts and ham” store with a few Virginia mugs. They have an amazing selection of unique art, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and so much more! It's a great way to get everyone a truly unique gift, and support local businesses and makers. (That's a win-win WIN) HERE'S a little video of my trip there a couple of weeks ago. 📈 What's the Market Doing? As we head into the holiday season, one of the questions I get asked at every party and event is “how's the market?” So, if you're curious about the overall market in the Richmond area, HERE is the breakdown for the whole area. Curious about buying or selling? Send me a message (or see me at an event!) and let me know where you live or where you want to buy, and I can give you a specific breakdown specific to your area or home! 📖 Did you know… RVA Is A Tattoo Lover’s Paradise Thinking about getting new ink? You might want to book a trip to Richmond! RVA boasts the third-highest concentration of tattoo shops in the United States. For every 100,000 residents, Richmond has a whopping 14.5 tattoo parlors, meaning you'll have plenty of options to choose from. So if you're looking for a new tattoo, Richmond has got you "literally and figuratively" covered.                           Do you have home questions, need contractor referrals, or are you (or someone you know)                                   thinking of buying or selling a home in the Richmond area? Reach out! I'd love to help. In the meantime, follow me on social! Instagram | Facebook | TikTok ............. Did you miss last month's newsletter? Click HERE to see what you missed!

For a printable checklist, click HERE.