Spring is always a busy season in the South Bay Area. During March, April and May you can catch many activities including:
On March 3 and 4, you can catch an 8:00 p.m. small-stage presentation of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men at Norris Pavilion. The show also runs Saturday March 5 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday March 6 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

If you feel like getting some exercise for a good cause, why not board the “Cycle for Survival.” All funds raised by riders at this indoor cycling event are used for clinical trials to find a cure for rare cancers. Cycle for Survival continues throughout March, for details on the event location, times, and how to register or donate, go to www.cycleforsurvival.org.

Another great fitness opportunity is the March 13th Annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K run/walk. The event is open to men and women of all fitness levels. Meet at Redondo Beach, with the Race Expo starting at 6:30 a.m., while the 5K race begins at 8 a.m. There is a kids’ race at 9:30 am in Riviera Village. Each runner receives a St. Patrick’s Day T-Shirt. Cash prizes are awarded to first, second, and third male and female winners. A $40 registration for adults and $25 for kids can be brought to 1811 S Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach.

If you want to network with women in the South Bay area, why not attend the annual Women’s Club of Hermosa Beach Spring Tea. Your $20 donation allows you to participate in the hat contest, the luncheon, door prizes, and jewelry sale. To reserve a spot for Wednesday March 9, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., email [email protected].
On Saturday March 11 and Sunday March 12 at 8 p.m., take a musical journey back in time as Jake and Elwood perform a tribute to The Blues Brothers at The Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive in Rolling Hills Estates. Tickets are $48-$58, with a $10 discount for children under 13. Tickets are available at the box office (310) 544-0403, ext. 221, or online at www.palosverdesperformingarts.com.

For ABBA fans, April 16 at 8 p.m. is a special night. The ABBAFAB concert will be held at The Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive in Rolling Hills Estates. Tickets are $48-$58, with a $10 discount for children under 13. Tickets are available at the box office (310) 544-0403, ext. 221, or online at www.palosverdesperformingarts.com.

Friday, April 22 and Saturday April 23 at 8 p.m., you can see “Fiddler on the Roof.” The production will be held at The Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive in Rolling Hills Estates. Tickets are $48-$58, with a $10 discount for children under 13. Tickets are available at the box office (310) 544-0403, ext. 221, or online at www.palosverdesperformingarts.com. 

When babies arrive homeowners begin to see their house in an entirely different light. For the creeping or toddling child certain features of your home need new consideration.

The safety features and working order of the baby’s crib are often first considerations.

For all of us, regular checking of smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers should be a regular seasonal practice. You need at least one working smoke detector and one working carbon monoxide detector on each level of your house including the basement. You should also have detectors in kitchen and hall areas and near or in bedrooms.

Every family should have a well thought out exit plan that takes into account alternate exits. This plan and practicing it is even more important when you add the critical addition of getting a small child out of a burning building as well. The plan needs to be that much smoother and well-rehearsed.
Make sure emergency numbers are beside each phone for quick access for a babysitter or nanny.

Plan ahead to child proof your home for an active mobile child. Here are things to consider:

Hazards before your baby grow and find them first. Here are some things to do before your baby is crawling:

• Electrical outlets not being used should have covers on them to avoid little fingers poking into them.
• All electric cords should be high enough to be out of baby's reach. You can tack them to the walls or tuck them behind vertical blinds or furniture.
• Make sure your furniture bookcases, TVs, and entertainment stands will not topple on your toddler if he pulls himself up on them.
• Pad all sharp edges and corners on coffee tables, end tables, or the fireplace hearth.
• If you have glass tables store them until your kids are grown or donate them.
• Put safety gates at the bottom and top of every stairwell. Block entry to unsafe rooms such as gun or play rooms.
• Place safety latches on all cabinets and doors.
• Medicines, cleaning products, and other potentially poisonous materials should be kept in cupboards up high well out of baby's reach.
• Remove decorative glass sculptures and any artwork that is breakable and/or has sharp edges.
• Avoid small objects that can cause choking.
• Replace real houseplants with silk ones or place them well out of baby's reach.
• Water temperature should be set lower than 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot water can cause bad scalds.

A new little one in your house makes you reconsider what is safe!
 
 
http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/getting-ready/make-home-safe.html
http://publications.usa.gov/epublications/safefromfirenco/firesafety.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_5144550_make-house-safe.html
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/making_your_home_safe_for_your_child.html
 
 

When it comes to choosing new flooring, there are many things to consider. Personal taste, your budget, and the way the room will be used are major considerations when you consider all the options. Most people look at such choices as carpet, natural wood, tile, synthetics, and combinations previously stated.

If your kitchen floor is like most it gets a lot of tracking, spilled food, dropped pans, and scraping chairs. So it needs to be durable, easy to clean and low maintenance. Good choices are tile, stone, bamboo or cushion synthetics. Natural wood and carpet are poor choices because of the traffic.

Once this is established the next decision is budget. Kitchen flooring costs vary greatly. Vinyl and linoleum are less expensive. They will last ten to twenty-five years—depending on the traffic. Ceramic or stone tile is more costly but will last long past your lifetime.

Let’s face it. Some materials wear better than others. This is a major consideration in a kitchen which can be the busiest room in your house. Vinyl looks nice and cleans easily. It is also scratch resistant. Vinyl gives you a wide range of colors and patterns from which to choose one that looks lovely with your cupboards and is aesthetically pleasing to you. (Remember: You will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen!) Vinyl, however, fades in the sun so if your kitchen gets a lot of sun, you might wish to consider tile instead.

More expensive to buy and install, tile is very durable and a breeze to maintain. However, tile—particularly stone or ceramic tile—does not have a lot of cushion. This may result in a tired back and feet if you do a lot of standing. Tile can also result in serious injuries if you fall on it.

While linoleum is resilient, its production is not very environmentally friendly. It is also more costly than vinyl. But, it provides a good cushion for walking and standing.

Ceramic tiles last practically forever but they are costly and can be cold for standing. They also provide little in the way of cushion. Ceramic tiles can be very slippery. They are not recommended flooring for seniors or young children. Accidents can result in serious injury.

While wood floors are lovely to behold they dent easily and are hard to maintain. Spills can cause permanent marks on wood floor. Synthetic wood products are a good alternative if you like that warm, natural wood look.
When it comes to choosing a kitchen floor, there are many decisions to make and a wide range of options.

Chosen carefully, the art in your living room can be the highlight of your personal collection.
If you are like most, your living room is a quiet comfortable haven where you read, watch TV, converse, and generally relax in the evening after the kids are in bed and you have a precious hour or so to kick back after a long, busy day.

But your living room is also likely the hub of your entertaining family and friends.

It follows then that the art you choose for this important personal and social space should add to the fresh, creative, welcoming ambience of your living room. The ideal artwork will be pieces that speak to you, but also are soothing and interesting for those who will from time to time share this space.

Art in your living room should be neither too loud nor too soft. As cosmetics expert Mary Kay said, “Less is more.” Your living room should not contain so many paintings and artwork that it distracts the viewer. Your focus should be quality not quantity.

The artwork you choose could be governed by any of these:

• Adding a splash of color or a center of interest.
• Blending with a room motif such as American colonial or nautical.
• Preference for an art style like realism, impressionism or abstract.
• Collecting art of up-and-coming new artists.

If you are a person who likes to change art seasonally or frequently, you may wish to purchase less expensive pieces. You may wish to become part of an art-lending program at your local art gallery. These pieces are changed regularly or as often as you wish. You may choose pieces that match or contrast with the room décor. You might decide to feature one time of art—like abstracts, black and white photographs, or family pictures— on one way and another type of art on another wall.

Make sure that the art pieces are neither too small nor too imposing for the room or the walls.
The art you choose should give the room the atmosphere you are looking for. Moreover, it should reflect your personality and your taste in art. When it comes to choosing the art for your living room do not let the taste of interior designers or art experts dictate what you put on your walls. Art is what speaks to you!

 
Stone tiling or natural stone tiling includes stone that has been quarried to be used as building material. Stone used for tiling includes: granite, marble, limestone, travertine, slate, quartz, sandstone, adoquin, and onyx.
In order for this to be used as tile, the stone must be hand selected and/or ground to shape.
There are several advantages of using stone tiling.

The stone is aesthetically pleasing. Unlike synthetic materials, which have uniformity, natural stone offers endless variations in color, texture, and tone. Stone tiling adds a touch of elegance to your room. It is a definite selling feature.

Many believe stone gives a tranquil feeling to the room in which it is used.

Natural stones are very durable and will last a lifetime.

Stone tile requires little maintenance. You do need to avoid placing hot, wet, or abrasive objects on the stone surface.

It is easy to clean. All you need to do is wipe spills.

Where some synthetics are not water resistant, stone tiling can withstand floods and overflows.
Because of its durability, stone tiling can be scrubbed. They are stain resistant, which makes them perfect for shower stalls. Cleaning takes far less time than synthetic materials. This makes stone very popular with busy people who have little time to clean.

Natural Stone does not exude harmful chemicals the way manmade products might.
Using natural stone is environmentally friendly. There is no emission from production and to date we have a large supply of stone.

Visit a stone yard where there are many choices of local stone. If you are unsure what to buy ask a stone expert. Your first consideration is how it will look in the room. Next is how the stone will be used. Each type of stone has its distinctly different appearance and use.

While there are many advantages to stone tiling, there are also disadvantages:

Stone tiling is extremely durable. It is also extremely heavy so extra supports are required. Because it is so heavy, stone tiling is more labor intense and it requires special equipment, possibly extra workers to move it.
Stone tile is cumbersome and time consuming to install. This makes the job more expensive.

Stone tiles have to “cushion” so walking on them in bare feet is difficult. Those with walking or back problems will not find stone tile very forgiving. Because stone is so hard, those prone to falls should not consider it as they could be very badly hurt in case of a fall.