Orange County Farmers Market Schedule

What's better than strolling through your local farmers market, seeing all the colors of Summer in the produce, and tasting samples of fresh, sweet, locally grown fruit?  Yeah, we don't know either!  It's one of the best ways to get out and buy organic produce, while supporting your local farmers.

OC Foodie magazine has a detailed list of all Orange County Farmers Markets with their location, day and time that they are open for business.   You can view that list here.

If you're not already convinced to shop your local farmers markets for fresh produce, dairy and meats, then you can read this great article written by CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture).  It lists 10 reasons to support your farmers markets ... and we agree!  Even if it's for the taste alone!

*Image provided by ocfoodies.com

4th of July Trike & Bike Parade In Rancho Santa Margarita

Rancho Santa Margarita's July 4th Star Spangled Spectacular ends with a magical firework show, but there are a few other fun things that will be happening during the day as well!

As mentioned in the previous post about the July 4th Star Spangled Spectacular Schedule of Events,
beginning at 10 am there will be a Trike and Bike Parade.  Decorate your trike, bike (and even your DOG!) in a patriotic theme.  Uncle Sam will lead the parade which begins at the entrance to the Beach Club and travels south around the lake to the Lakeview Corridor.  Refreshments are available for all participants and no registration is required.

Also mentioned previously, is the entertainment provided at the Lake Amphitheater such as a DJ, games, local food vendors and more!  The entertainment will begin at 12 noon.

To reserve your spot on the grass for the firework show, you will need to do so after 7 am on Thursday, July 3rd.  All materials placed on the grass prior to that time will be removed and can be retrieved at the Beach Club office.

*All information provided by SAMLARC.

4th of July Star Spangled Spectacular in Rancho Santa Margarita

The Star Spangled Spectacular firework show and event in Rancho Santa Margarita is almost here!  There are limited tickets available for the Star Spangled Spectacular at the Beach Club event.  Tickets are first come, first serve and can be purchased at the Lago Santa Margarita Beach Club.  For more information and requirements to purchase tickets, you may visit Samlarc.org.

The schedule for the 4th of July Star Spangled Spectacular is as follows:

Beach Club Lagoon
6 am - beach club opens
10 am - bike parade
12 pm - DJ, games, and local food vendors begin
3 pm - entrance tickets expire/non-ticketed entrance begins
7 pm - lagoon swimming closed

Lakeshore
5 pm - amphitheater entertainment
7 pm - air cannon launches
9 pm - fireworks begin

* Times are subject to change

All information provided by SAMLARC.  You can find this information, as well as additional details and other events at Samlarc.org.

Summer Cleaning Checklist

School is almost out for those of us local to Rancho Santa Margarita who have children in school!  Summertime means lazy mornings, messy homes, vacations and keeping the kids busy and out of the house as much as possible.  With all the busy summertime schedules, it is hard to keep up with the chores and maintaining a tidy home. 

Martha Stewart has come up with a daily checklist of a few basic tasks to keep your Summer house cleaning a little more manageable.  By spending a few minutes a day on these items, your home will be a much more peaceful one to come home to at the end of a busy day.

Print a copy and laminate it so you can check off the boxes with a dry erase marker as you complete the task!  

Community Garage Sale in Rancho Santa Margarita

As your local neighborhood Real Estate specialist, I am hosting the 2nd annual Community Garage Sale in the "Serenada" community in Rancho Santa Margarita on June 28th from 7am-1pm.  Clean out your garage, closets, cabinets and kids rooms and get rid of the things you no longer use or need.  

In preparation for the garage sale, I will provide the following services:

1) Free advertising in local papers

2) Deliver a garage sale "care packet" upon sign-up

3) Place directional signs leading to your garage sale

4) Arrange for a donation delivery truck to pick up your unwanted items after the garage sale

5) Morning snack delivery on the day of the garage sale

If you are interested in participating, you can register one of two ways:

1) Call Lisa Piltz // 949.292.5528

2) Email Lisa Piltz // Lisa@LisaPiltz.com

Those looking for directions on how to get to the community garage sale to shop, you can view this area map below.  The major cross streets are Rancho Santa Margarita Parkway and Avenida de las Flores.

Drought Tolerant Gardening in Southern California

As you probably know, Southern California is in a drought state of emergency.  According to the California Department of Water Resources, 2013 came to a close being the driest year in history in many areas of California.  We are being urged to conserve as much water as we can.  One easy way to help with water shortages is to plant drought tolerant gardens that don't require much water ... or much fuss.  These plants are still beautiful and come in a variety of shapes, textures and colors.  Some even attract butterflies!

Sunset and Better Homes & Gardens have both compiled a list of drought tolerant plants that are suitable for the Southern California region (as well as many others areas).

You can view the lists of drought tolerant plants, as well as other garden related articles here:
SUNSET // http://www.sunset.com/garden/flowers-plants/low-water-plants
BETTER HOMES & GARDENS // http://www.bhg.com/gardening/gardening-by-region/southern-california/top-drought-tolerant-perennials-for-southern-california/

*Photo credit to Sunset.com

Annual Air Conditioner Maintenance Tips

The Summer heat is quick approaching here in Southern California!  We've already had glimpses of what's to come, with temperatures over 100* recently.  To get your air conditioning unit ready for regular use, Apartment Therapy has compiled a list of 5 action items on how to keep your air conditioners running efficiently and in tip-top shape.  Keeping up on annual maintenance can save lots of repair dollars in the future.  Setting up calendar reminders through Google or alerts on your phone can be an easy way to help you stay organized with your annual home maintenance to-do lists!

The basics are:

1) Change the filter.

2) Clean the vents.

3) Check to see if you're blocking the condensing unit.

4) Check your freon levels.

5) Check all other components.

You can find the list in detail on Apartment Therapy's website here.

Family Handyman has a step-by-step tutorial (with pictures) on how to clean your air conditioning unit with just a few simple tools and about an hour of your time.  You can find that article here.