A few years ago an online magazine called PentictonNow reached out to me for an interview for their segment, In Focus. Each week they focus on a different community member who gives back locally. I was honoured to be chosen! In the few weeks between the interview, getting certain pictures to the journalist and the interview being published, the journalist left the magazine. Alas, my interview never got published. While Ninja and I were getting our documents ready (just in case we were evacuated) this past week I came across my answers! So, I thought I would publish them here! I changed all the numbers to reflect now and not 2 years ago example, we have lived here almost 12 years not 10 😉.
Who are you? my name is Kristin Maier. I am from Winnipeg Manitoba and on September 1, 2019 I will have lived in Penticton for 12 years!
Who’s your Best Friend? My husband, Chris. My BFF, business partner, and Father to our 2 beautiful girls. He’s been making me laugh for 19 years & we host a couples podcast called How Was Your Week, Honey? We hang out by the fire, talk about our week, & record it! It’s my favourite night of the week!
Favourite local store? My favourite store is actually a market, I love The Bench Market! I go there for all my local gift purchases, stocking stuffers and delicious ingredients.
A word to describe you? Loyal.
Dream holiday? New York. I would love to see a Broadway show, visit Central Park, and sit at an outdoor cafe eating a bagel and watching the fashions strut by. I love shoes!
Favourite local activity? My favourite activity in Penticton is anything outdoors! We love bike riding, the beaches, floating down the channel, geocaching, hiking, and exploring all that Penticton has to offer!
Name something you did that was out of your comfort zone? Hoping to get more involved with my Girl’s passion, I signed up for a jazz class with Balance Performing Arts Studio! I learned, I can’t dance. It was very embarrassing to “dance“ in front of my peers but, I did it! I showed my kids that no matter what, you finish what you start & I actually found a love for dancing.
A risk you took? My Bro got the travelling bug & travelled to Australia. My Sis taught English in Korea. When we got pregnant with our 1st my now husband was finishing up his studies in ATC & working long hours. We came to a place in our lives where we had to decide what road to take. We quit our jobs, sold everything, and moved to Penticton . Seeing my loved ones take huge risks inspired me & I haven’t looked back!
Favourite childhood memory? My favourite childhood memory was anxiously counting down the days until summer holidays and our vacation to Penticton! My Nana and Poppy lived here and every year they would drive to Winnipeg to come get us and bring us here for the summer. Spending my summers picking cherries, flagging at Ironman, helping out at the soup kitchen and the Eagle’s Nest, seeing all my cousins, visiting the museum and exploring the beaches was what I looked forward to all school year!
Any volunteer work? Being a contributing member of my community has always been very important to me. My Mom and Dad were involved in my education, they coached sports teams, and were on boards to help shape the community I grew up in. For the past 8 years I have been involved with PAC at my daughter’s elementary school. I ran the hot lunch program for 4 1/2 years, have been the secretary of DPAC for 4 years and was the secretary of the PAC for 5 years. I have also been fortunate enough to be on the board for the Playshare Preschool, The Children’s Festival, a Girl Guide Leader, a Marshall for KISU Jamboree events and I was a codirector on the board of security for the BC Winter Games.
Something you dislike? Intolerance. I majored in history & politics. I believe we need to understand our past in order to make a better future. The world right now is hurting and I feel that we need to be more understanding of other peoples situations, beliefs, & lifestyles.
Favourite thing about Penticton? One of my favourite things about Penticton is living between 2 stunning lakes! When I have free time I love to go to either beach and walk/run. We are so fortunate to live here and I never want to take it for granted!
What change would you looks to see locally? I would love to see positive progressive change in Penticton… I feel like the community is quite stagnant right now and everything is surrounded by red tape and naysayers. I am a positive person and believe in change & growth to better our community. I would definitely like to see more business opportunities in town with reasonable living conditions for everyone because economic growth is important to our future as a whole. However, I love where I live and the environment is very important to me. I believe there can be a happy medium that will make sense for the entire community.
Favourite thing about living here? The lifestyle. Our climate lets us have outdoor activities for most of the year & we have TONS all summer plus skiing, & other amazing winter activities! I love how many family oriented festivals, activities, & entertainment options Penticton offers.
3 things you would like to do in life? Three things on my bucket list are:
1. Go to the masters in Augusta, Georgia. I love golfing and the Masters is one of my favourite weekends of the year!
2. Host a 7 course dinner party. I write a parenting/cooking blog called HoneyBears and SydneyBeans. It is my goal to host the most amazing dinner party ever and blog all about it!
3. I would also love to climb a lighthouse in PEI. Travelling is very important to me and one of my biggest bucket list items is travelling across Canada. There is no better place to explore than my own country because every province is so unique and beautiful in its own right. Getting to the East Coast would be a dream come true.
How can people find you? I love social media! You can find my blog at HoneybearsandSydneybeans.blogspot.com & our podcast, How Was Your Week, Honey? Is available on iTunes and Stitcher! I’m on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter @Kmaemaier.
What do you do? My husband & I own Sparkles Window and Blind Cleaning with my Dad. We specialize in window washing, hot/cold pressure washing, gutter cleaning, snow removal, ultrasonic blind washing, & home cleaning. We’re your 1 stop shop to making your home sparkle! I look after the Home Cleaning!
Why did you move here? My parents moved here in 2005 & bought Sparkles. After we had our 1st baby, we ultimately decided to invest in our family. We moved in with my parents to build Sparkles from a 2-man show to now employing 7-8 people. Best decision of our lives.
What is your professional goal? To service Penticton & employee as many locals as we can. My goal is to be there for my kids before & after school & to help other Moms. If I can help a working Mom spend more time with her kids, I feel like I’ve done more than just clean her house.
Something you wish to teach your children? Financial literacy. At 18 I had student loans, got credit cards, & didn’t learn how to budget or save. Over the years I have learned more & am much better but it’s definitely something I feel is very important to pass on to the younger generations.
If you could change one thing in your life what would it be? I wouldn’t change anything. Everything led me to where I am now. There have been struggles & disappointments but they made me who I am & I love the life we have built. I love where I live, what I do, & I’m extremely happy with the family that we’ve made together.
Something you say all the time? Good job. I run 2 fitness groups, 1 on Fitbit, 10 of us challenge each other weekly. I also have a Facebook page called No Shame Exercise Group & every day I post levels of an activity for each member to achieve. I end up saying good job all day!
Any advice you would like to give? Get involved. We’re SO happy to be involved with KISU, Girl Guides, Springers Gym, Balance Dance, Kamu Pottery, Starlit Yoga, Little Tree Music, curling, SUP, Penticton Tennis, & Bowling. We built our village with these programs. Set down our roots.
Someone you look up to? My BFF Dana who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We met on the very first day of kindergarten back in 1984. We were the only 2 that wanted to play hot potato instead of show and tell LOL we bonded while we stood in the corner in time out. She was the first person I ever lived with besides my parents, she has had a lot of adversity in her life and has always managed to be positive and think about others before herself. When her older brother died of cancer at age 18, her and her mom started a compassionate fund for other sick children. She became a children’s oncology nurse to help families like her own. She flew out to Penticton… Just to say goodbye to my mom and then flew back a week later for her funeral. Shortly after that, she lost her dad and her youngest daughter was diagnosed on the spectrum. Despite all of these challenges she still finds time to maintain relationships, volunteer, and do whatever is needed to make sure her children are afforded every opportunity that she can give them. She is an amazing lady and I miss her very much.
Name some thing that is close to your heart? I strongly support shopping local. I love sending gifts to family across Canada with wonderful things produced right here. I’m very loyal & once I’ve found a product, person, or store that provides quality service with a personal connection, I’m yours forever.
Some thing you hold dear? My kids. After 11 years, I still look at both of them in awe every day. It’s the best job I’ve ever had & it provides the most gratifying experiences. It’s also the most important job. Teaching them responsibility, kindness, & work ethic is so important.
Would you like to give any shout outs? I have met so many wonderful people here in Penticton that deserve a shout out! However, there is one woman that I have met that Epitomizes what Penticton is to me. Her name is Andrea Neil and her entire family is involved in our community. She grew up here and moved away but returned to raise her family. She is a Mom of 3 amazing kids 1 in gr 3, 1 in grade 9 and 1 in grade 8. Her husband is a phenomenal man that provides for their family by working shifts up north. What I see in Andrea is a positive outlook on everything. When other families are getting out of Dodge to avoid tourism, races and or large events, she and her entire family not only dive headfirst into the event but also uses every opportunity to show her children what Penticton, Canada, and the world have to offer them. She is always smiling and never complaining. She does not judge and is the first to offer help to anyone who needs it. She is honestly one of the best people I have been fortunate enough to meet. She deserves a shout out!
Any last words for the readers? I am truly my mother’s daughter. My mother was my best friend. On June 20 it will be 5 years since cancer took her from us. Since then my oldest daughter has entered school and I have met a whole network of amazing women that have become my closest friends, and none of them have ever met my mother. To me that is crazy. She was an amazing mom to my older brother, myself, and my younger sister. She was an incredibly hard worker, a fabulous volunteer, a committed wife, a dedicated daughter, a fighter, and the very best Nana I could’ve ever asked for. She was only 54 when she died and I only had 34 years to learn from her but she was a fabulous role model and every day I strive to make her proud. Every June 20 my family and I go out into the community and do random acts of kindness in my mother’s name. On her first anniversary we took donuts to all the striking teachers, the city employees at City Hall and the residence at the Andy Moog Hospice. Year 2 we handed out 100 yellow flowers at the farmers market. Year 3, we blanketed the town with books with notes for people to read them and pass them on. Last year we left 50 inspirational rocks that we had painted throughout the city in hopes of cheering people up. On June 20 please spread kindness for my mom, Kathy Castle. Thank you.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #186: On Alert HERE This week we chat about the wildfire threatening our city. Topics: golfing, kid stories, evacuation, Seadoo’s, PAC, YouTube, Instagram Reels, DNC, and Obama’s playlist!
I am a big fan of Chinese takeout. Actually, I love Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese! I have a thing for Asian food, except Korean! NO Bulgogi for me thanks! I love rice, fried rice, rice noodles, Singapore noodles, and big fat wide noodles! My favourite thing though, saucy dishes! I like saucy ginger beef! I like sweet pork and I LOVE sticky chicken! HBear was begging for takeout the other week and I have a ton of basil in my “deck garden” so I put the 2 together and made this absolutely delicious sweet with heat, saucy, sticky chicken dish bursting with fresh basil! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Next time you are craving takeout, try out this recipe instead! You won’t be disappointed!
Sticky Basil Chicken
Adapted from Averie Cooks
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon sugar
1 to 4 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (I used 1 tablespoon)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup corn starch
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 big handful fresh basil leaves, chiffon
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnishing
In a medium bowl, add honey, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, sugars, and chili garlic sauce and whisk to combine; set aside.
Add the egg to a bowl, the flour in a separate bowl, and the corn starch to another bowl.
Add the chicken to the egg bowl, pick it up and transfer it to the flour bowl and coat it with flour, pick it up and transfer it to the corn starch bowl and coat it with corn starch.
To a large skillet, add the oil, the chicken, and cook over medium to medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken is seared, lightly browned or golden on the outside, and cooked through.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the sauce to the skillet, and stir to combine. Stir the sauce nearly continuously for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened up.
Turn the heat off, add the basil, and stir.
Garnish with additional basil and sesame seeds.
For a while there, it was pretty terrifying to scroll through Facebook! Every time I looked for updates I saw something worse happening in our city and across the world! It made Ninja and I feel like holding the ones we love.
I worked part time this week, Ninja spent a day filing when all of his clients had been evacuated on Wednesday, and HBear found a new passion… online shopping!
I fell behind a little on my Morning Meltdown 100. Too busy pacing and stressing out about current events and not enough time with Jericho. HBear treated her Sister to Booster Juice and SBean treated us to breakfast in bed.
As the wind howled on Friday, I decided it would be best if we spent the day downstairs instead of looking out our window at what was happening with the fire. I got the Girls to try on all of their winter clothes and SBean looked adorable twirling in one of my Mom’s dresses from when I was a kid! We also enjoyed an afternoon of relaxation with masks and 10 Things I Hate About You! We ended the tense day with our favourite pizza from Corleone’s and hockey!
On Saturday we decided to get out and enjoy the sunshine with an afternoon round of family golf. Ninja and I both love golfing and we are so happy that our kids enjoy one of our favourite past times as well! It was kind of eerie laughing and enjoying the day when we could see the smoke billowing from the fire just on the other side of the Valley. After a great day we came home and enjoyed delicious Caesars using special local craft Caesar mix that J gave me!
We went to West Kelowna on Sunday to do a little Geocaching and hiking! Although I was exhausted from the night before when our fire alarm went off throughout the night, we had a wonderful time and the view was amazeballs! The Girls must have been tired too because SBean slept all the way home! We ended a pretty stressful week with the one thing that always makes everything better, McCain’s Deep and Delicious Chocolate Cake! ❤️
