Dear Valentine…

• The heart is the most common symbol of romantic love and because the heart is so closely linked to love, its red color is thought to be the most romantic.
• A single perfect red rose framed with baby’s breath is the preferred flower for giving on Valentine’s Day.
• More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day.
• About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged in US each year. That’s the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.
• In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine’s Day with their sweethearts.

Wait, what was the last fact?  No plans for Valentine’s Day?  Come on gentlemen, you still have a week. The suggestion that immediately comes to mind is Abby’s Fine Jewelry Designs in nearby San Juan Capistrano.

Abby’s is a custom jewelry shop that specializes in all precious metal such as PLATINUM 18-karat and 14-karat white and yellow gold. Their designs showcase some of the most beautiful DIAMONDS and COLOR GEMS. With the ability to craft any design you may dream up or have seen in a magazine or jewelry store, Abby’s has the creativity to make your dream a reality. Every piece of jewelry is hand made with loving attention focused on detail and finish. Their designs are on the fore front of jewelry fashion and are of the highest quality.

And who wouldn’t love to receive this gorgeous ring on Valentine’s Day?  So come on guys (and gals, who says we can’t buy our own gift?), here is the necessary info:

Abby’s Fine Jewelry Design
32382 Del Obispo, Ste. C-3
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
949.493.3632  
http://www.abbysdesigns.com/

As we move from Halloween to harvest, many Orange County residents start preparing for the blitz of shopping, cooking, cleaning, and decorating.  Yes, you know what is on the horizon – the holidays! With a few well chosen, budget friendly home improvement tasks now, you can enhance your home not just for the holidays but for the years to come.

10 ideas to make your home holiday ready:

1. Paint – Don’t underestimate what a little paint can accomplish.  A simple touch up of the existing paint may be all that is necessary to freshen up a room.  Or consider adding a splash of color by painting an accent wall.
2. Ceiling medallion – The  addition of a medallion around a ceiling light fixture creates interest and appeal on an ordinary ceiling and it’s easy and inexpensive.
3. Dimmer Switch – Create a soft, warm, inviting room by dimming the lights.
4. Cabinet hardware – The simple change of the hardware on the bathroom and kitchen cabinets make for a fresh, new look.
5. Hang a wall shelf – Make the most of an easy decorating tool.  Wall shelves can be used to highlight family photos or holiday decorations.  They allow indulgence of decorating with the seasons.
6. Hang a mirror – Simple or ornate mirrors open up a room, reflect light, and add visual appeal.  Add holiday greens around it for a decorative touch.
7. Pillows and throw blankets – Add color and texture to a room in a matter of minutes.  Shop at a discount store and this effortless tip is wallet friendly.

Don’t play favorites by concentrating on the inside of your home.  Think curb appeal with 3 more tips to bring the number to 10.

1. House numbers – Reflect your family’s personality in the house numbers you use.  Whether tiles, ironwork,or lighted, your house numbers will announce to your guests that you are eagerly waiting their arrival.
2. Landscaping – Update your planters or planter boxes.  Add some ornamental grasses for an easy to care for, yet unique look.
3. Paint your front door – A home’s front door is the focal point.  Welcome your guests during the holidays and all year long with a door that longs to be opened into an inviting home.

The many Orange County shopping centers can assist you in your quest for preparing now so you can party later.  Best of all, simple improvements made now can be enjoyed in the months to come.

A big thank you to this week’s guest blogger  Bill Koelzer. Enjoy his  informative post about  an unique furniture store in Orange County.

Richard Ross founded “South Coast Furniture & Mattress and Secondhand Store” in San Clemente back in 1957 and it’s been going strong ever since. Although Richard passed away at age 93 in 2010, his family carries on the tradition under the watchful eye of son Dale—who took over the business 9 years ago.

• South Coast Furniture carries a wide variety of brand new home & office furniture, mattress sets, custom upholstery, lamps, and other accessories…all at discounted prices.
• They also buy, trade, salvage, recycle and sell an eclectic mix of gently used home, office  patio furniture, antiques, appliances, collectibles, curiosities.

Featuring 12,000 square feet of retail display backed by a 4,000 square foot warehouse makes South Coast Furniture one of the largest retail firms in San Clemente.  Wander at leisure through the place– it’s an eye-candy adventure with literally thousands of items to choose from.  And you can even get same-day delivery!

They often get called upon to go out and actually furnish a home.  Professional real estate ‘stagers’ and decorators come here for the many one-of-a-kind pieces.  Designers find South Coast Furniture a fabulous source to furnish an unoccupied home to make it look more desirable to home buyers.  South Coast also assists landlords with short term and summer rentals + furnished apartment–who buy the furnishings outright–then sell it back to South Coast at salvage value.

Charity is an active part of the business, too. South Coast will often donate items to Camp Pendleton—or sell them appliances at a very low price. They donate furniture to rehabilitation facilities—and even the local playhouse and high school drama departments to use as props.
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An environmentally-sensitive business by its very nature, they recycle a lot of goods, especially furniture and art objects—which might have ended up in land fills. That was the original philosophy of the founder: It was his dream to have a secondhand store as a way to help people find a “second life” for their furnishings. That’s why he opened the store…to not only turn used inventory around for sale, but also repair it and make it better. And they’ve been following that philosophy ever since.

Dale recounts that customers often say, “I wish I had known about you sooner!” stating they had bought from a bigger and more distant location when they could have purchased almost the same thing for less at South Coast Furniture.

South Coast Furniture & Mattress buys and sells most anything.  Check them out!

Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead.  ~Mac McCleary

Yes, patience is a necessity to drive in Orange County.  Also a necessity is the new 511 Motorist Aid and Travelers’ Information System.  Have you heard about this yet? 

511 is a free traveler information service that provides information about traffic, transit and commuter service information in Southern California via a toll-free phone number and website. By calling 511 or visiting Go511.com, all the information you need to make smart traveling decisions is readily available.

What services are available?

• Check real-time traffic speeds
• Plan a trip on a bus or train
• Find a carpool or vanpool partner
• Find Southern California bike maps and learn how to take your bike on buses and trains
• Link to area airports and taxi services
• Check the weather in your neighborhood or any other city in Southern California

511 will help improve your commute and keep you informed about travel conditions before leaving the house and while on the road.  Best of all it is easily accessed with a touch tone key pad or by using voice commands.

Yes, traffic is a part of life in the OC, but happily, help to navigate our busy highways is here!

Recent media flurries have detailed the dangers of buying products from China where the safety standards do not match those of the USA.    Sara Bongiorni, a business writer, turned her family’s experiences into a book, A Year Without “Made in China”: One Family’s True Life Adventure in the Global Economy. In it, she details her problems buying things like tennis shoes or a new coffee pot. One point she made was that it was often difficult discerning where a product was made.  We find this to be especially true at the grocery store.

A helpful way to discover the truth about a product’s origin is to read the UPC.  Not sure how?  Take a look at this handy guide:

If the first digits start with:

00 – 09: Made in the USA or Canada
30 – 37: Made in France
47:  Made in Taiwan
40 – 44: Made in Germany
49:      Made in Japan
50:  Made in UK

So if you are committed to only buying American made or grown products in Orange County shopping centers, take a look at the UPC/bar code and make sure it starts with 00 – 09.  An educated consumer is a smart consumer.

Do all your homework before Sunday so you can spend the day with her.

Clean your room without being asked!  You know she will like this!

Think about the chores your mom does each day, and do them for her.  Help her to relax knowing that Monday won’t be a “catch up” day for celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday.

Wash the car and don’t forget to vacuum out the inside too!

Play a day of fun.  Mom is usually the one to do all the planning so it will be such a treat to just sit back and enjoy your thoughtful preparations.  Need some ideas on where to go?

Plan the menu – and then for teens- actually go to the store to buy the ingredients.  Follow through with cooking and don’t forget to clean up the kitchen!

Not adept in the kitchen.  No worries, pick up the phone and make reservations at her favorite restaurant.

If you play an instrument, put on a mini concert for her.  She loves to hear you play! 
 

Encourage her to lock her door and relax in a hot bubble bath.  Remind her to take her book with her.

Hide notes of love and appreciation all over the house.  Mother’s Day may turn into Mother’s week before she finds them all.

“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.”
— Dr. Seuss (The Lorax)

At home:

1.  Make your own window wash: Mix 3 tablespoons vinegar with 2 cups of water. Spray right on your windows and wipe away.  For windows that have been tinted, this is a must as cleaners with ammonia can harm the tinting. 
2.  Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot. This also keeps your clothes in top shape for longer.
3.  Lower the temperature on your hot water heater.  Simple, simple, simple.
4.  Five-minute showers – make it a goal for yourself.  Reward yourself with extra time in bed.
5.  Make your own sink and toilet cleaner:  Drizzle your sink and toilet bowl with vinegar, lemon juice. Sprinkle with baking soda. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Wipe sink down with a sponge/Scrub with toilet brush.
6.  Turn off vampire electronics.  Unplug appliances, and don’t leave chargers plugged in when nothing is being charged.  Plug your TV, DVD, computer, and printers into UL-certified power strips and then switch off the entire group each night to prevent overnight electrical draw.

While out:

7.  Stop using disposable bags and purchase some reusable bags.  It’s an affordable onetime expense.  Many stores are providing a 5 cent discount on your purchase and many Trader Joes offer a raffle ticket for an opportunity to win a $25 gift card when you bring your own bags.
8.  Buy a reusable water bottle, and stop buying plastic disposable bottles.
9.  Support your local economy and shop your local farmers’ market.
10.  Purchase products from companies that environmentally friendly.  For example, brew coffee that has been shade grown or is labeled “Free Trade”.  The tasty snack, SunChips has launched a line of chips in a fully compostable bag.  And right here in OC, many OC Businesses are committing to being green.

Small changes make for big results.   In honor of Earth Day, start making your changes today!

Last Month Welcome To OC invited its readers to participate in a contest held by So-Cal Solar on “How Green Are You?”  Take a look below to read about the winners and their great ideas on being green.

Green Contest Winner…The Komar’s Impact

March 18th, 2010
So-Cal Solar Inc. ran a contest last month on how green are you. After many entries we are happy to announce Nick and Brooke Komar as our winners. This couple really has made saving our planet a priority in their household and together their contributions make a positive impact on our environment. Below is their story on how they work together to reduce, reuse and recycle.

“Reduce: For the past 6 years I’ve been reducing the amount of plastic bags in our landfills by shopping with fabric grocery bags. If I forget them in the car, I ask the grocer to put my cart aside and I run and grab them (they’re only 50 feet away! no biggie!); at malls I reduce shopping bags by asking subsequent stores to place their merchandise in my initial bag; I do all my shopping on one day to reduce emissions; we keep our A/C and heat as low as possible and just put on or take off layers to regulate our temperature; recently I’ve learned my hubby limits himself to just a few squares of toilet paper per bathroom pit stop!

Reuse: I’ve always been a fan of reconstituting items. As an artist, I will repurpose objects and make them into new things (clothing into a purse, curtains into a canvas, wine corks into a trivet); our wedding day was even green! Our e-vites/RSVP were virtual & I went to antique stores to purchase the centerpieces (candelabra’s) and have used them to decorate our home since then. My wedding dress will be re-worn by a friend and then I’m having it turned into a quilt!

Recycle: I began recycling in 4th grade after I completed a school project on ozone layer depletion and greenhouse gases. It impacted me greatly. I thought I wouldn’t live to see my 18th birthday because of pollution! Thankfully I am still here, and our earth is here too! But that made a big impact on how I live my life. My husband and I thankfully now live in a town/city that encourages living green! Plano, TX accepts all plastics, papers, glass, and metal and they collect them at our doorstep biweekly! However, before that, I lived in Germany (where they enforced recycling) and in Indiana where I would have to take separate recyclables myself and then transport them in my car to the local recycling plant.”

Recycling, reusing, and recycling are a great way to start your quest to care for our planet.  There are many Orange County businesses who have gone the extra step and have “greened” up their business practices.   Check them out HERE!