Home & Garden

A synthetic pesticide is a poisonous chemical or mixture of chemicals that is intended to prevent, repel, or kill any pest.  In agriculture, pesticides are used to kill insects, weeds, or fungi.  However, synthetic pesticides present hazardous impacts far beyond their intended targets. Synthetic pesticides evolved from the chemicals like mustard gas and nerve poison developed for chemical warfare in World Wars I and II.  Seeking an outlet for their toxic chemicals after the war, manufacturers touted them as a way to control insects, fungi, bacteria, plants and other undesirable creatures (i.e., “pests”). 

In recent years, energy efficient products have become more elegantly designed, as homeowners increasingly want to improve efficiency without sacrificing the look they want. Today a plethora of options exist for improving the efficiency of a bathroom, from installing low flow faucets to making those seemingly minor repairs that are often buried low on the priority list.

See Alberta.  That has been the battle cry here in the Santa Clarita Valley for more than 40 years.  The person that we are referring to is Alberta Martinez, a local resident and an employee of Green Thumb Garden Center, one of the largest retail garden centers in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Alberta began her nursery career at Green Arrow Nursery in the San Fernando Valley, and transferred to Green Thumb Garden Center in Newhall the day it opened its doors 40 years ago.  She has been there ever since.

Residents of the Santa Clarita Valley are frequently asking how to achieve similar results with laundry/dishwashing, maintenance of sinks and fixtures and water heater maintenance without a Water Softener.  This of course is a result of the ban against self-regenerating water softeners imposed and the order to remove existing automatic water softeners ordered by the City and the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts.

Admit it!  You are tired of decorating with the same boring beige and white colors.  Color can be fun, exciting, sexy, calming and peaceful!
When you are planning to decorate your home, the colors of your rooms should be one of your first considerations!
Naturally, you want to choose colors that you instinctively like, as well as colors that create the right type of mood for both you and your guests.  Because wall color impacts our emotions and can create a mood in a space more than the furnishings in it.

Getting “organized” can seem like an overwhelming thought when you have several areas in your home or office that are out of control.  However, there is a lot that can be done using a two-minute schedule for organizing.  In fact, you can reduce your “To Do” list if you simply do the things that can be done in two minutes or less instead of adding them to your list.  Here are suggestions to reduce your clutter and organize your spaces two minutes at a time.

The art and craft of tile setting is one of the oldest trades, the practice of which dates back more than four millennia.  Although the fundamentals of tile setting have not changed dramatically, what sets apart the real artist lies in the craftsmanship.  As a pool builder, the owner of our company knows that the best way to learn this trade was to start from the bottom up.  And that is the road to finding the finest Mason artist. 

In today’s fast paced living, the kitchen serves as the hub of the family.  Activities range from cooking, family gatherings, and entertaining.  The size of a kitchen and the size of the family living in that space make a difference in the role a kitchen plays in the home.  Many kitchens in Santa Clarita are open to other rooms making it ever so important to use the right materials when re-doing your kitchen.  That is where your advantage comes by using Advantage Tile Stone Design. 

Shabby chic décor is a technique of decorating that balances well-designed and beautiful objects with old, worn out and sometimes-tattered items.  Top on this list is shabby chic furniture.  Shabby chic decorating includes soft delicate colors with creamy white being predominate in many simply shabby chic schemes.  Rachel Ashwell is credited for giving the style its name.  Shabby chic’s early beginnings included plenty of white painted objects, which are still used today. 

Whether you enjoy painting or taking fine photographs, or work in another two-dimensional medium, you know that if you want to display your artwork, you will need to use picture frames for that purpose.  You will not be disappointed when you look for the perfect frame for your art.  There are a plethora of ready-made picture frames, or you could select a custom-made wood picture frame or depending on the artwork and your preferences. The types of picture frames that you might want to choose from will depend on the type of artwork that you wish to frame.

Have you been putting off buying new patio furniture?  Have you been waiting for the perfect time to take the plunge?  You may even already be able to picture the space.  You may have an image in your head of what the furniture will look like, where each piece will sit and how you will be able to enjoy it at the end of the workday.  You should be buying those pieces of furniture now!  Did you realize that now is one of the best times to buy that outdoor furniture?

Gardening is a productive way to spend time with family and can result in yummy crops you and your family can enjoy. Many people have the notion that in order to garden, the plants must be maintained perfectly otherwise there is no point. If you are a new gardener, you should expect some things not to work, but it is all part of the fun. Trail and error will help you and your children problem solve together to figure out what went wrong. Allow your family to work at their own pace and within their attention spans and age range, especially children.

Just a few short months ago Rayne of Santa Clarita introduced the Rayne® Evolution Drinking Water System to the residents of Santa Clarita. Known as the smartest drinking water system ever made, local sales for the Rayne Evolution have been going so well, Rayne is struggling to keep pace with consumer demand.
“The LINX Drinking Water System represents the first real advancement in the drinking water industry in nearly 30 years,” said Bob Hickey, Rayne Corporation’s California Regional Manager.

Flowers are a pleasant addition to a variety of occasions, from weddings to birthdays, to funerals or perhaps just to brighten a day. The flowers themselves tend to receive a lot of attention, however it is the supplier of these intimate gifts that is really important. Choosing the right florist for your occasion can be an overwhelming task. Here are a few guidelines to make the process a bit easier.

As the Santa Clarita Valley’s schools, parents and students gear up to go back to school, Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) is getting ready for the new school year, too, planning for a variety of educational programs and a $15,500 scholarship program, all of which are designed to educate students about efficient use of our precious water resources.
Scheduling is under way now for elementary and junior high school in-class presentations and field trips, and the September deadline is fast approaching for entries in the 2010-2011 Water Challenge scholarship program.

Summer is a great time to start a remodeling project, the kids are out of school and you’re ready to clear out your house and start fresh for the next school year.  With great design styles, colors and materials to choose from, your dream kitchen is closer than you thought possible.  Stop by a certified kitchen and bathroom showroom today and see what they have to offer, as there are a lot of items to choose from when dealing with a remodel such as cabinet styles, countertops, fixtures, appliances, lighting, flooring, paint and textures.

We’ve all been bitten by the recession in some way or another, and while homes are not selling and the value of your home may have been reduced by the home market, it is the perfect time to consider improving your home.  The facts are clear that there is probably never a better time than during a recession because materials and labor have also been reduced.  So why not improve your home now while it’s cheaper so that when the market rebounds, and it always does, you will have increased the value of your home at a much lower price than at any other time possible, not to mention enjoyed the improvements that you make while waiting for the market to come around.

Many SCV homeowners are getting letters from their HOAs telling them they are in violation because their exterior paint is faded or peeling.  I guess we have an image to keep up.  So how long should you expect your exterior paint job to last?  I get asked this question a lot.
Seven to 10 years is my first answer… but that is not my final answer.  There are many factors that determine the lifespan of a paint job.  Beyond the obvious variables, like climate and damage caused by moisture, there are other considerations.