Spring is one of the prettiest times to explore the South Bay area. There are so many things to do and see. The weather is just perfect for being outdoors.
Choose from such day activities as:

1. Spend the Day at the Beach

Redondo, and Hermosa beaches are the perfect places for a relaxing time on the beach or brunch at any one of the trendy restaurants located there.

1. Take a Morning Hike/Bike Ride or Horseback Trip at Palos Verdes

Just thirty minutes from LA, Del Cerro Park is a great spot for hiking. Several trails accommodate hikers of all abilities and fitness levels. In addition you can bike some of them and go horseback riding on others. Many present breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island.

1. Get a Massage at and Lunch at Terranea Resort

This Rancho Palos Verdes sight seems far from the hustle and bustle of LA although it’s only a forty-five-minute drive away. Watch the schools of dolphins at sunrise and sunset. Lunch at one of several restaurants at the resort, or visit the deli/bakery for a treat to take home with you. Get a massage or walk the magnificent coastline. Don’t forget your camera.

1. A Shopping Day on Rodeo Drive

If you don’t have a fortune to spend, don’t let that stop you from window shopping and people watching at LA’s famous Rodeo Drive.
 

1. Exploring Manhattan Beach

While you are taking a walking tour of Manhattan Beach, why not get together with a group of friends at MB Post? You can each order one of the small plates from their seasonal menu and pass them around so each of you can sample what the others had. This restaurant’s neat sampler plates make eating out a social experience as well as a dining one.

1. Take a Bike Ride on the Boardwalk

View the coast as you bike ten miles through Marina Del Rey, Venice, and the Santa Monica Pier or three to six miles south along Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo Beaches.

1. Go Wind or Water Surfing

Whether you prefer wind or water surfing, South Bay beaches offer plenty of opportunities. Never tried either? Check out the equipment shops. Many offer group and individual lessons.

1. Take Hang Gliding Lessons

Beginner hang gliders can get seven lessons for $140 or seven half- lesson of four flights for only $85 with Windsports. This group has A-class instructors. They’ve been in business since 1974. There’s nothing like it for excitement!
 
 

While cork has been used as a decorative and building material for centuries, it has been experiencing a renewed popularity in the United States thanks to its use as a flooring material.
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Cork is becoming extremely popular, and for a number of valid reasons. Sustainability has been a hot topic among designers, who are increasingly looking for materials that make a lesser impact on the environment. Enter cork, which offers many versatile and unique characteristics while also representing a natural and renewable material.

Cork is an environmentally sustainable material harvested from the bark of cork oak trees, which are native to Spain, Portugal, and Tunisia. The extraction process doesn’t harm the tree and there is very little processing, leaving an incredibly low environmental footprint compared to other industrial materials, such as plastic. The bark is harvested once trees reach an age of 18-25 years, and it regenerates to allow harvesting every nine years.

So we know about cork’s green qualities. But because of its durability, just about anything can be made with cork, giving it many uses throughout the home.
Cork flooring. Cork is simply ideal for flooring. It’s durable, aesthetically versatile, comfortable, safe (it’s fire-resistant) and healthy (it’s anti-microbial and resistant to mold, mildew and termites). Cork flooring retains its look as it wears, and comes in many styles.

Cork boardstock insulation. While it has major environmental upside as insulation, it has only recently been introduced to Western markets. Cork granulates are superheated to activate a natural binder in the cork which binds the material together. The 100 percent natural material, a byproduct of the cork bottling industry, is permeable to water and meets fire-resistance standards without flame retardants.

Underlayment for flooring. Popular in apartment buildings and condominium associations, cork cushions, insulates, and helps control the noise from walking on floating, engineered wood floors.  It also helps improve the look, feel, and durability of laminate flooring, and acts as a vapor barrier against moisture.

Decorative uses. Just about anything can be made with cork, but it’s popular to see it used in bath mats, tableware, lighting and of course, bulletin boards. But as ApartmentTherapy.com suggests , cork can be used in vases, book ends and serving trays, among other things.   
What is your favorite use for cork inside the home? Click here for more uses.

Did you know you can use cork as insulation inside the home?
Are you considering using cork as a flooring or underlayment for a wood floor? Click here for more.
 

Curtains have graced the windows of homes for centuries. Their lush material speaks of wealthy homeowners. Curtains keep out prying eyes and harsh material-fading sunlight. Curtains dress windows and make them look ornate.
Curtains are available in a wide range of styles, materials, and costs.  You can curtain a window for ten dollars or spend thousands. The look can be layered, bright airy, sheer or ornate.
Blinds have their followers too. They are the window treatment of choice for businesses and organizations.
Blinds provide a professional look for commercial properties.
 
Blinds are also significantly less expensive and easier to install than curtains.
 
In rental properties, blinds are the window treatment of choice. They are more durable. They are also faster and less labor intensive to replace.
 
Within the last ten years, blinds have appeared in a wide range of looks. They are easier to match to the rest of the room than curtains, and they are much more affordable. Homes are also enjoying a plethora of colors, styles, and materials in blinds, giving the homeowner plenty of stylish options.

While blinds lack the opulent look of curtains, most people can find blinds easier to deal with and to match the room décor.
 
Blinds can be combined with valences, swags, or drapers to form an interesting look that gives the best of both worlds. Blinds and curtains may be the right option if you are hoping to combine fashion with function.
 
There is no right answer in the blinds versus curtains debate. It all boils down to personal taste and purpose.
Both curtains and blinds provide light control and privacy. Curtains may be heavy enough to block out all light or as airy as sheers. The style and material of curtains affects their ability to both block light and obstruct peepers.
 
Sheer curtains are not a good light control nor privacy tool. However, they are decorative and lend an ambience of light and joy to a room.
 
Heavy curtains block the light. However, they can be adjusted to let in light.
When closed, they offer total privacy.
 
Combining heavy drapes and sheers can give you the best of both.
 
Labor is another factor to consider. Blinds are highly functional. With the twist of a rod you can control light. With the pull of a cord you’ve got privacy. Having blinds partway open obscures view and controls light.
 
When it comes to choosing it is merely a matter of taste or purpose.

I’ll bet you never gave a thought to security when you were planning your landscaping.
The fact is landscaping can be a deterrent—or an open invitation—to thieves.
Here are some interesting facts about burglars:

• American burglars don’t want to spend more than 60 seconds breaking into your home.
• Burglaries usually happen between ten in the morning and three in the afternoon—when most people are at work or school.
• The typical burglar in US is a male in his teens. He usually lives less than ten miles from your house.     
• Burglaries last only eight to ten minutes
• Most home invaders are not professional thieves; burglaries are quick, disorganized amateur ventures.

So how can you make your home uninviting for a typical American burglar? Here are some tips:

• Mark where your property begins, using a fence, gate, wall, or a hedge. Thorny bushes like trumpet vines, roses, and fire thorn discourage burglars or intruders.
• Pea stone, gravel, oyster shells, or other noisy ground cover offers a discouraging noise to burglars.
• Avoid tall hedges or plant rows. They make it easy for burglars to crouch and move.
• Planting thorny plants like cactus or roses makes your flowerbeds or border an unwelcome environment for both two and four-footed intruders. Plant  thorny bushes under your windows; some good choices are: bougainvillea, barberries, roses, yuccas and other large low maintenance succulents
• Keep bushes trimmed to under three feet and trim trees so that you have a clear line of sight across your property.
• Make sure that any tree branches, bushes, trellises, or patio railings do not provide an open invitation to the second floor of your house.
• Eliminate dark areas like porches, garage walls, alleys, garbage can storage spaces, and darkened backyards that would make it easy for trespassers to get close to your house. Illuminate those areas with motion detector lights. Illuminate walkways with moonlights.

• Give your house a lived-in look even when you are gone. Leave your car in the driveway. Play a radio or TV. Use a timer for lights throughout the house. Have someone take in flyers, newspapers and other debris. Have someone clear your mailbox. If you are away for an extended period, don’t forget to have someone water and trim plants.

Your safety plan to protect you and your property should include ways to make your landscaping difficult for thieves to penetrate.
                                                                                               

Just as your car needs to be “summarized” so your house needs to be prepared for the summer months.

1. Open up those windows and let the fresh spring air inside. Don’t forget to air the closets, shake out the rugs and dry clean or wash the curtains.
2. Detox your bathroom by placing plants near the sink and toilet. Plants filter air and give off oxygen. Good choices include: snake plants, spider plants, English ivy, and rubber plants.
3. Clean that refrigerator—inside and out. Unplug the fridge and remove the base plate. Vacuum out dirt and lint from the fridge coils using a nozzle attachment.  Don’t forget to plug the fridge back in.
4. Get those screens out of storage. Clean and repair or replace torn screens so you will be ready to let in the summer breezes. When screens are clean, put them on the windows.
5. It’s time to store those winter coats and boots. Wash or dry clean them and store them. At the same time, get out your summer things. Air, wash, or dry clean them and then hang them in your closet.
6. Summer is a time of visiting. Freshen up that guest room. Change sheets and pillows. Vacuum the room and air the duvet or bedspread. Tuck sachets of lavender in drawers and under pillows.
7. Clean light fixtures and fans. Set fans to move counterclockwise. This pushes the warm air to mix with the cooler air and delays the need to turn on the A/C.
8. Go through cupboards and discard anything past its due date. Rearrange food being stored and reline shelves.
9. Give all small appliances a good cleaning with the nozzle attachment of your vacuum.
10. Give the air conditioning a hand. Install reflective film, or sunscreen-fabric curtains, or roller shades on your windows.
11. Now is the perfect time to attack that garage. Take everything out. Sort into three piles: keep; donate; trash. Vacuum the garage floor and shelves. Power wash the winter salt, mud, and oil off the floor. Decide what goes where. Get hooks for hand tools and gardening implements. Buy new shelves or paint old shelves. Store things where you can find them easily. Consider storage boxes for things like winter clothes or sports gear. If you had to discard old beach chairs or umbrellas, now is the time to replace them. 

 

 
Spring housecleaning may be an annual event at your house. However, some homeowners also plan renovation projects for spring as well. I am talking about those jobs you might complete over a weekend. These small projects probably cost no more than $1000.

Let’s look at some small home improvement projects:

One of the most common small projects and one, which the family will enjoy for years, is erecting a deck. You might make this a family project or ask a few DIY friends to help you build a deck or repair an existing deck.
Clearing out those clogged eaves troughs or rain gutters is a worthy project. Make sure you have the right tools and a good sturdy ladder for this job.

Another project that lets you use more storage space is cleaning out the attic, basement, garage, or storage shed. Consider adding some shelves and the space can be used even more efficiently.

Another neat project that will be popular with your family is installation of a hot tub. These come in all shapes and sizes. Some are so easy to install, it is a simple matter of hooking up water and a power source. There’s a hot tub for every taste and need, so make sure to do the research before you make a selection.

Consider improving the curb appeal of your house by replacing the existing siding. There are some great new vinyl and aluminum sidings available to homeowners. You may choose to have the siding professionally replaced or you could make this a DIY project.
Another way to improve your home’s curb appeal is to reseed your lawn or add some landscaping.

You might add a new room and value to your house by adding a sunroom or enclosing an existing open porch area. This three or four-season room can be made energy efficient by installing high efficiency windows.

With summer on the way, it is a great time to inspect, clean, and update your HVAC system. Change filters and have the system inspected by a qualified central air conditioning technician. An efficient HVAC system works better and costs you less money to operate.

Spring is also a good time to have wood burning stoves and fireplaces cleaned and checked.
With the season change, it is a good reminder to check and replace batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Spring has the feel of new beginnings. That is why it is an opportune time for those small home improvement and maintenance projects.