Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits

Cooler nights are approaching and what better way to stay warm than an outdoor fireplace or fire pit! Outdoor living spaces are the perfect place to entertain a group, or the ideal place to relax at home for a quiet evening outdoors.  If you are planning a backyard renovation, or starting from scratch, an outdoor fireplace or fire pit is a great way to add appeal to your backyard.  You will get enjoyment for years to come!

We have a board on Pinterest that is dedicated to some beautiful backyard fireplace or fire pit ideas for your outdoor living space.  Styles range from contemporary to country chic ... there is a style for everyone and they are pretty impressive!

Better Homes and Gardens has put together quite a few articles on Outdoor Living with Fireplace and Fire Pit ideas.  Take a look at a couple of those links here:

Better Homes & Gardens Outdoor Fireplaces
Better Homes & Gardens Outdoor Living
Better Homes & Gardens Fabulous Outdoor Fireplaces

*Photo credit:  Better Homes and Gardens

Home Maintenance for Fall

The best way to protect your home, most likely your largest investment, is through preventative maintenance on a regular basis.  Below is a list of Home Maintenance Tips for Fall.  Set aside a couple weekends to get through this checklist so you an rest easy (and cozy) for the remainder of the season!

Clean Behind the Fridge
Fall is a great time to defrost and clean your fridge and freezer.  Pull your fridge away from the wall in order to vacuum the condenser coils.  Use a long, narrow brush to dust off the bottom-mounted coils.

Inspect your Furnace
Buy a Winter's supply of furnace filters now to save you time later.  To get the maximum energy savings, it is recommended that you change your furnace filter once a month.  Also, schedule an annual furnace inspection now.  It's best to schedule this appointment for 3 to 4 days after you have started running your furnace for the season.

Clean the Gutters
Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a professional, getting your gutters cleaned twice a year is one of the best ways to protect your home.  Wait to do it until all the leaves have fallen.  Replace any gutter pieces that are damaged.

Inspect your Roof
Look for signs of deterioration, such as loose shingles or tiles, rotting wood or cracks.  Trim heavy branches that are hanging over your roof.  If there are branches near power lines, call a professional tree-trimming company to do the work.  They may need to call your power company to briefly turn the power off while they do their work.

Check All Windows and Doors
To save money and energy, replace any weather stripping that is loose or damaged and caulk around doors and windows to reduce a draft.

Inspect Laundry Room
Check your dryers exhaust tube and vent for built-up lint and debris.

Secure Cracks
Protect your home from unwanted invaders.  Inspect the perimeter of your home for cracks or holes where they could enter and seal them well.  If you see evidence of animal activity, such as droppings, footprints or gnaw marks, call an exterminator.

Detector Check
Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working properly.  This should be done once every month.  Change the batteries in all of them at least twice a year.  If you don't have any smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, now is the time to get them installed!

*Picture source: www.google.com (fall leaves)

Fall Inspired Baking

Today is officially the first day of Autumn!  A lot of us have been waiting for the crisp weather to enjoy our sweaters and boots, pumpkin spice lattes, baking and warming up by the fire.  Well, the wait is over ... as long as the weather cooperates!

I've put together a board of pumpkin-inspired recipes on Pinterest.  Have a look ...  And here's to amazing smelling kitchens!  Happy Fall!

*Photo source: I Wash You Dry.

Getting Organized Before you Move

Moving is easily one of the most stressful and time consuming responsibilities.  On top of the manual labor that goes into moving day, there is also a lot of prep work, organization and de-cluttering that needs to take place before the first box can even be packed!  The Allstate blog shares a 17 page guide  full of checklists, printables and tips for making your moving day more efficient and less stressful. You can click here to view or download the moving guide.  They recommend even starting a "moving binder" to help you organize all the resources and checklists provided.  Enjoy!

*Image Source: The Container Store

Rancho Santa Margarita Events for September & October

As always, Rancho Santa Margarita has quite a few events happening this September and October!  Below is a list of the workshops and events, along with a few details and brief description.

Vegetable and Herb Gardening for Small Spaces Workshop
Saturday, September 20th (9:30-11:00am)
Lago Santa Margarita Beach Club

Kathy Moine, Nursery Manager for Green Thumb Nursery in Lake Forest, will teach participants about herbs and veggies that thrive in containers.  She will also talk soil preparation, fertilizing, container selection and placement.  Everyone attending will create a container garden to take home.  Cost is $20 and includes all project materials and handouts.
To register, contact Susan Ciotoli at (949) 709-0013
or email susan.ciotoli@fsresidential.com

Animals, Animals, Animals
Saturday, October 18th (10:00am-1:00pm)
Central Park - Rancho Santa Margarita

SAMLARC invites you to a fun-filled community gathering featuring lots and lots of animals!  This free event will include unusual reptile and marine life displays, educational exhibits, informative and interactive animal shows, a farm animal petting zoo, pony rides and much more!

Registration takes place on the day of the event.  There is no cost for this event.  Bring cash for treats available for purchase from local food vendors.  (Please leave your pets at home)

Haul in the Fall
Saturday, November 8th (7:00am-1:00pm)
Locations
Salvation Army Donation Sites:
Arroyo Vista Park, Solano Park and Lakeshore Amphitheater from 8:00am-1:00pm, or until all trucks are full.

E-Waste Recycling & Document Shredding Site:
RSM City Hall parking lot from 8:00am-12:00pm

CR&R Bulky Item Pick-up
Call 1(800) 728-0446 by Wednesday, November 5th to schedule a pick-up.

This is the perfect opportunity for SAMLARC residents to clean house, get rid of junk, and shred unwanted documents.  Haul in the Fall will feature a community-wide garage sale, Salvation Army donation sites, e-waste recycling and shredding trucks in collaboration with the city of Rancho Santa Margarita, and bulky item pick-up by CR&R.  Bulky item pick-up dates are November 7, 8, & 10th.  Items must be curbside by 7:00am for pick-up.

To register for the garage sale, please visit www.samlarc.org to fill out the registration form.  The garage sale will be advertised in The Penny Saver, The OC Register, and Craigslist.  Maps of participating homes will be posted by November 5th on www.samlarc.org and maps will also be available at all donation and recycling sites on the day of the event.

The Beach Club Lagoon Closes
The Rancho Santa Margarita Beach Club Lagoon closes for the season on Sunday, October 12th, 2014 and will re-open in May 2015.

*All of these events and more can be found at www.samlarc.org for more details.
*Information provided by Rancho Living Magazine

Helping the "Curb Appeal" of your Home

As many of us know and have experienced, you can get a real first impression of a home just by the "curb appeal" it provides at first sight.  Driving up to a home that has a well manicured lawn, a stone pathway with lighting, an inviting entryway and a cheery front door impacts our emotional side more than a home that has paid no attention to detail in their front yard/entryway.

This does not mean that you need to spend thousands of dollars on landscape, lighting and a new front door.  Even a simple potted plant on either side of a freshly painted front door can be just the thing your entryway needs to evoke that "welcoming" feeling to the neighbors and occasional passerby.

Better Homes and Gardens has put together a list of 20 ways to add curb appeal to your home.  Some are simple DIY weekend project ideas and some are more extensive and will require a few extra dollars.  Even those who have little to no front yard or entryway can spruce up a porch with some low maintenance potted plants, such as succulents.  They have a dramatic effect with little effort and cost.

Please enjoy this list that Better Homes and Gardens has created here.
Also, you can view our Pinterest Board where we have compiled some of our favorite porch, entryway and door inspirations.  You can view our board here.