There was a time when silence was expected and was built into the fabric of daily life.

Think about Sunday afternoons, unplugged dinner tables, walks without earbuds, and the hum of a city before the 24/7 noise loop of pings, podcasts, sirens, and scrolling.

Now, silence feels rare and almost indulgent.

Yet it’s making a comeback—not just in wellness retreats or remote cabins but in cities, architecture, and even luxury branding. Developers are marketing soundproof windows, minimalist homes promise “visual quiet”, and some high-end hotels now include silence as an amenity. Copenhagen even has a “silent bike lane” where talking is discouraged.

During 2019, The Atlantic dubbed silence “a new luxury good,” citing how hard it is to find it in modern life and how deeply we crave it when we do.

However, silence is not only aesthetically pleasing. Studies show it boosts memory, lowers blood pressure, and increases neurogenesis in the brain. Only two minutes of quiet can be more restorative than listening to relaxing music.

In a world that won’t stop talking, the decision to go quiet, intentionally, even temporarily, is a power move.

If you find yourself closing the door, pausing the podcast, or simply sitting in your car a few minutes longer after work, then that’s your nervous system saying, “thank you.”

Canadian prices, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose 1.7 per cent on a year-over-year basis in July, down from a 1.9 per cent increase in June. Month-over-month, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI was up 0.1 per cent in July. Downward pressure on headline inflation was driven by a sharper fall in gasoline prices year-over-year compared to June. The CPI ex-gasoline has held at 2.5 per cent over the past three months.  Additionally, shelter price growth rose for the first time since February 2024, with prices growing by 3.0 per cent in July, slightly up from 2.9 per cent in June. Food purchased in grocery stores rose at a faster pace of 3.4 per cent year-over-year compared to 2.8 per cent the previous month. In BC, consumer prices rose 1.7 per cent year-over-year in July, down from 2.1 per cent in June. The Bank of Canada's preferred measures of median and trimmed inflation, which strip out volatile components, are 3.1 per cent and 3.0 per cent year-over-year, respectively.

July's CPI report continues to show a divergence between headline and core inflation, largely due to monthly fluctuations in energy prices. The Bank of Canada's core measures of inflation have remained at the upper end—and even outside of—their target range for the past three months as tariffs continue passing through the economy. With 3-month annualized core inflation dropping a full point to 2.4 per cent, this report slightly favours a rate cut from the Bank of Canada in September, as the downside risks to growth remain strong from ongoing trade uncertainties. 

https://mailchi.mp/bcrea/canadian-inflation-july-2025

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

It's Time To Break Up With Overhead Lighting, and fall in love with lamps, moonlight, and a better vibe.

If your space feels cold or chaotic, then your lighting, not your furniture, might be to blame.

Overhead lighting, especially the bright, cool-toned kind, can feel harsh and overstimulating. It flattens textures, casts odd shadows, and creates a subtle stress response that your body picks up on, even if your brain can’t name it.

Ready for a change? Here’s what happens when you switch it up:

1.Softer Light = Softer Mood. Table lamps, sconces, and indirect lighting (sometimes called “moonlighting”) mirror natural light, which is warm, low, and gentle. Your nervous system reads it as safe, which helps you relax and feel more at ease.

2.Better Sleep Starts Here. Bright lights during the evening can confuse your internal clock. Switching to softer, warmer bulbs, or even candlelight, helps signal your body that it’s time to wind down.

3.An Instant Ambiance Upgrade. Warm, layered lighting transforms your space. Whether it’s a cozy dinner, a solo evening with a book or just winding down after work, the right light makes everything feel more intentional and more beautiful.

Pro Tip:

Start small. Replace one overhead bulb with a floor or table lamp using a warm-toned bulb (look for 2700K or lower). Your eyes and your mood will thank you.

Canadian housing starts increased 4 per cent from the previous month, totalling 294,085 units in July at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). Starts were up 7 per cent from the same month last year. Single-detached housing starts decreased by 1 per cent from last month to 55,740 units, while multi-family and other starts increased by 5 per cent to 238,342 units (SAAR).

In British Columbia, starts fell by 15 per cent from last month to 56,918 units (SAAR) in all areas of the province. In areas of the province with 10,000 or more residents, single-detached starts increased by 1 per cent to 3,953 units, while multi-family starts fell by 17 per cent to 50,394 units month-over-month. Starts in the province were 16 per cent above the levels from July 2024. Year-to-date starts are up 147 per cent in Abbotsford and 29 per cent in Victoria, but down 71 per cent in Nanaimo, 36 per cent in Kelowna, and 5 per cent in Vancouver. 

https://mailchi.mp/bcrea/canadian-housing-starts-july-2025

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

Metro Vancouver home sales in July extended the early signs of recovery that emerged in June.

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

Read the July MLS® Market Report to learn more: 

https://www.gvrealtors.ca/market-watc...

For the complete news release, including detailed statistics, click here.

ancouver, BC – August 2025. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that 7,056 residential unit sales were recorded in Multiple Listing Service^® (MLS^®) Systems in July 2025, up 2.2 per cent from July 2024. The average MLS^® residential price in BC in July 2025 was down 2.1 per cent at $942,686 compared to $963,047 in July 2024.

The total sales dollar volume was $6.7 billion, virtually unchanged from the same time the previous year. BC MLS^® unit sales were 16 per cent lower than the ten-year July average.
 
“Housing markets across BC continue to build momentum through the summer, with all regions apart from the Lower Mainland boasting higher sales activity from the previous year,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “With a stable trajectory for monetary policy, we expect sales in the province will continue to improve as tariff uncertainties fade.”
 
Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume is down 9.4 per cent to $40.8 billion, compared with the same period in 2024. Residential unit sales are down 5.7 per cent year-over-year at 42,895 units, while the average MLS^® residential price is also down 3.9 per cent to $952,323.

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

Most parents complain, at least from time to time, that their children don’t listen to them. Shouting doesn’t help, and chances are it will only aggravate the problem. Try these tips for forging better communication with your kids:

• Get their attention. Don’t start talking if they’re focused on something else. You may have to do something unusual—to reach a toddler having a tantrum, for example, trying giving his or her back a few pats or a tickle. For older children, singing a song may break through their wall of boredom or inattention.

• Be brief. Most kids don’t want to listen to long lectures. When you have something to say, get right to the point. They’ll get the message without feeling patronized or growing bored.

• Write a note instead. If your message isn’t time sensitive, try writing a note to your kids. They can read it at their convenience, and you’ll be able to put more detail into it than you would in a brief conversation.

• Stay positive. Don’t just assign chores and tell kids what they’re doing wrong. Praise them and thank them so they won’t automatically tense up when you ask, “Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”

• Set the right example. When kids have something to say, give them your full attention. If you ignore them when they’re trying to talk, they may do the same.

Who says fresh starts are only for the new year?

August carries its own kind of in-between energy. Although summer plans are winding down and the temperature is still hot, fall hasn’t arrived yet and "back to school" and pumpkin-flavored everything are creeping in. Consider this your gentle nudge to pause and reset—your way. No big overhaul and no pressure, just a few small shifts that can bring a welcome boost of clarity and calm.

Five Simple Resets To Try This Week:

1. Declutter your camera roll.

Delete the screenshots you’ll never look at, archive the blurry photos, and create space— for your phone and your mind.

2. Take a “fake commute.”

Even if you work from home, get out for a coffee, take the scenic route, or queue up a podcast that has nothing to do with work.

3. Audit your calendar.

Are you still honoring your boundaries? Clear out the obligations that drain you. Make room for what fuels you.

4. Do one thing purely for fun.

It doesn’t have to be productive to matter; for instance, catch a matinee, treat yourself to lunch away from home, or wander without your headphones.

5. Pick a word for fall.

Skip the goals and pick a guiding vibe instead: Centered. Brave. Rested. Focused. Choose which word feels right and let it shape your next season. Save it. Share it. Send it to a friend who needs a reset, too.

You don’t need permission to start fresh—but here it is anyway.

There’s something touching about watching a child prepare for their first day of school. The careful selection of the perfect outfit, laid out the night before. The new backpack, zipped and unzipped a dozen times to make sure everything fits just right. The quiet rehearsal of walking to the bus stop, just to be certain they know the way.

Most of us remember our own version of this ritual. Maybe it was practicing a locker combination all summer long, terrified of fumbling with it in a crowded hallway. Or memorizing the route between classrooms, worried about being late and having everyone stare. Those seemingly small preparations felt monumentally important because, to a young mind, they were.

What strikes me now is how we adults sometimes forget what it feels like to face something completely unknown. When did we stop remembering that every “first time” requires a special kind of courage? That six-year-old practicing their walk to the bus stop is doing exactly what we all do when facing the uncertain – finding one small thing they can control and mastering it.

The truth is, we never really outgrow those first–day butterflies. Starting a new job, moving to a new town, walking into a room full of strangers – that same flutter of uncertainty is still there. The same need to prepare, to practice, to feel ready for what we can’t possibly predict.

This creamy, cold, and addictive dish is akin to pad thai being on a beach vacation.

Ingredients (serves 4):

8 oz rice noodles (or soba)

1 can full-fat coconut milk

Juice of 2 limes

1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp honey

1 clove garlic, grated

1–2 tsp chili crisp (Momofuku or Lao Gan Ma)

Toppings: shredded carrots, chopped cucumbers, fresh mint, crushed peanuts, green onions

Instructions:

Cook noodles according to package, then rinse under cold water until fully chilled.

In a bowl, whisk coconut milk, lime juice, soy, honey, garlic, and chili crisp. Toss chilled noodles in the sauce until coated and glossy.

Top with crunchy veggies, mint, peanuts, and extra chili crisp to taste.

Why it works:

• Zero heat required once noodles are
cooked.

• Creamy + spicy + tangy = serious flavor

• Feels indulgent, but still light.

• Easy to make ahead for guests, meal prep, or a late-night “I deserve this” moment.