As a kid growing up in New York I would turn on the TV and see TV shows and movies showing how glamorous and fun California was. I remember once watching “The Mickey Mouse Club” where Walk Disney presented a tour of Disneyland and being totally amazed by what I saw on the TV. “Someday”, I dreamed “Someday I want to live there!”.
Fast forward too many years later and I now live here in beautiful Southern California. While I may not exactly live in Disneyland, I sure can visit. One of the great things about life at Mosaic Walk is that Disneyland is just down the street. As a kid I would want to go everyday. Even just passing by gives you a sense of fun and excitement.
In this blog we will be visiting not only Disneyland, but Knotts Berry Farm, the beach, restaurants and many other great things to see and explore when you begin to live the life mosaic. Stay tuned to this blog, you are going to love it!
Curiosity has been building for months behind Lotus Walk in Garden Grove. This weekend we raise the green screen for a short window of time to let the public sneak a peak at what we are doing.
Since January, we have been very busy building Mosaic Walk and while we are still under construction, we have decided to give the public a peek behind the green screen. “Green Screen” in home builder parlance is not the same as in Hollywood Special Effects, so don’t expect to be in a movie. Green Screen refers to the construction fence that surrounds a building and keeps unauthorized people out until it is safe to pass.
This Saturday February 27th from 10AM-2PM, Mosaic Walk will host our “Behind The Green Screen Tour” where potential curious homebuyers can get a sneak peak at Mosaic Walk in it’s raw form and get an insiders view of what exactly goes into making an Olson Home so special. Homebuyers will get a guided walk-through of the future model homes, ask questions of the construction team regarding the how the home is built, and learn what makes a new home green enough to receive LEED Certification.
The tour is open to the public for one day only. For more information, call 714-537-2323 or visit the Mosaic Walk Sales Center, 12852 Palm Street, Garden Grove, CA 92840.
There’s no place like home and there’s no place like a home decorated with little accessories! A Home decor accessory can be cheap or expensive. In selecting a Home decor accessory it is not the price that matters. It is the beauty that the Home decor accessory will add to the place where it is displayed that matters most. If you want to make your house a home, then home décor is a must.
A beautifully crafted brass telescope sitting atop an adjustable wooden tripod stand of about 38 inches high can be a good Home decor accessory. It can also adorn an office of a person who has interest in astronomy or a person in the shipping industry. Some of the common items that are much sought after by people include decorative signs. A mural depicting Golden hills laden with ripe vineyards pay homage to the joy of wine. This painted glass in a wooden frame of 17 1/4″ x 12 3/8″ high can be a beautiful Home decor accessory that will not cost more than thirty dollars.
Holiday gifts and decorations are another common Home decor accessory. A Halloween chip and dip platter made of ceramic on the table is another simple but attractive decoration. This will be less than 10$. Another beautiful Home decor accessory is a “Divine Madonna and Child grace” mural tea set. This adorable doll-sized 10-piece tea set is made out of porcelain with a tray 6 ½ inches in diameter, teapot 4 ¼ high.”
There are professionals who constantly research, write, and update about Home decor accessories to bring you the latest ideas, trends, and solutions for your home. From lighting to linens, design tips to Direct TV, they have a wealth of information for you. Furniture guides, patio and garden design, home office, bed and bath, home electronics and media, kitchen design, cooking, recipes, cleaning tips, even historical perspectives are all well researched for you. You will find articles that are truly helpful, written by experts who take pride in sharing their knowledge of home-related topics. All you need to do is go online and look for them under home décor tips and suggestions.
Before you look for a Home decor accessory it will be better if you read the various articles, yips, suggestions so that you will be better informed. You need not spend much money in your decoration. There are simple things at cheap prices yet will give you a posh and attractive look for your home.
Photo Tour of various cities in Orange County including Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Garden Grove, Anaheim, City of Orange, San Juan Capistrano, and more.
You may heave heard about Mosaic Walk’s VIP Pre-sale event by now. But just in case, you can read about it here. Oh, you are invited and so are your friends. Interest is very high with over 500 people registered for just 78 homes. Don’t miss out on this great new home opportunity.
Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Get on our VIP list today! To learn more click here.
For so many years now, green was the buzzword in many circles. Now, you may be wondering what living green is all about considering that so many people are taking it up as their new ideal.
Well, living green means different things to different people. However, one common theme persists despite these differences in opinion – living green means making the choice to lead lives aimed at achieving health for one’s self, for one’s community, and for one’s environment. In short, it is the conscious choice to be more eco-friendly, day in and day out.
Common Criteria
To be more specific about it, living green follows certain common criteria regardless of the daily activities involved. More often than not, it will take plenty of practice to determine the best course of action for living green but soon enough, it will take little effort to do what’s right for your health and the health of the environment.
With that being said, here are the common criteria for living green:
Your actions should lessen the use of energy and other resources, both of the natural and manmade kinds. This involves saving on the use of water, soil, trees, fuel and even air.
Your decisions involve lesser toxins and harmful chemicals being released into the environment.
Your uses of resources are designed to recycle, reuse, and reduce wastes.
You utilize organically grown, sustainably produced, and socially responsive resources.
Your actions are in themselves socially responsible, ecologically aware, and environmentally friendly in virtually all aspects possible.
You will observe that all these actions and decisions involve the environment at some point while engaging your health in terms of the physical, mental, and financial aspects first and foremost. It only reinforces the thought that human beings and their environments are intimately connected.
Common Ways
If you think that living green is mission impossible, think again. In reality, you can take baby steps towards truly living green – no undue pressure, no great money involved and no extra strenuous effort necessary. Just your commitment to living green and acting on your commitment may be enough.
The following are good steps to starting your journey in living green:
Lessen water wastage by taking more showers instead of tub baths, using just a glass of water to brush your teeth, and washing the dishes only when it can fill the dishwasher, to name a few suggestions.
Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent lights to lessen energy costs. Better yet, go for solar power to provide light to the interiors and exteriors of the house as well as to provide heat.
Compost your household and garden wastes to make natural fertilizer for your garden. For that matter, plant more fruits and vegetables even in containers to lessen dependency on supermarkets. You save on food costs, you eat organic foods, and you help the environment.
Walk, jog, and ride a bike to your nearby destinations instead of using your car. You lessen emissions, lessen dependency on fuel oil and you get your exercise, too.
Indeed, living green has its benefits. So, start today and reap them all!
You’ve decided to spruce up the homestead with some needed improvements. Fantastic. Now here lies the rub, how are you going to find home improvement financing?
Let’s face it, kitchen floors and new window panes don’t grow on trees. Even though home improvements are an investment that will make you money in the long run, finding the home improvement financing you need now can be difficult, and not getting an adequate amount of funding for your projects can lead to compromises in quality that you may later regret.
Homeowners have a variety of options when it comes to finding home improvement financing. They can borrow against the equity in their homes and various federal loan programs also exist for borrowers. Here’s a few home improvement financing options you may what to consider:
Mortgage refinancing: Now is the time to take advantage of historically low interest rates by refinancing your mortgage to pay for home improvements. You can refinance your mortgage and borrow money against the equity you have in your home. Some banks even offer loans that allow you to borrow more money up front by adding the value of the planned improvement to your equity. Refinancing your mortgage for home improvement financing purposes is a good deal because you’ll have the convenience of just one home loan and monthly payment.
Home equity loans: These loans, also known as second mortgages, lets homeowners borrow money by leveraging the equity in their homes. They’re popular among folks looking for home improvement financing because homeowners are able to deduct the interest from their federal taxes.
Federal Title I loans: If you don’t have much equity in your home, you may qualify for home improvement financing under a Title I loan. These federally-backed loans offer negotiable interest rates and can be tapped for about $25,000. The loans can only be used to pay for essentials however, such as improvements made necessary by a medical condition, not luxuries like swimming pools.
One method of home improvement financing you want to avoid is financing through a contractor. These loans often are made by sub-prime lenders and come with hidden fees. Also, getting financing through your contractor puts you in a poor bargaining position with him when it comes to getting a quote for your home improvement project. When hiring a contractor, it’s best to have your budget and home improvement financing already prepared to ensure the best deal.
Home ownership is like any other investment — you’ve got to spend money to make money. But to get the most out of your home investment, make sure you get your home improvement financing right. Borrow from reputable lenders and don’t overextend yourself.
If you were waiting for the price of new homes to reach rock bottom, you may have waited too long. According to Jon Lansner of the Orange County Register, home prices in Orange County appear to be on the rise.
For the 22 business days ending January 25 – DataQuick’s freshest stats — Orange County homebuying patterns showed:
For a detailed report on the price moves, CLICK HERE!
What does this for first time homebuyers looking to move to Orange County? Two things really, the first being that if you wait you may find yourself priced out of the market again for missing the window of opportunity. Secondly, that new homes in Orange County are seldom priced from the low $300s like Olson Homes Mosaic Walk in Garden Grove.
Show them how much you enjoy gardening. Spend time in your garden. It is especially easy to stimulate a child’s interests when they see you having fun.
Make gardening easy. Don’t expect a perfect garden. Allow your family to work at their own pace and within their attention spans and age range, especially children.
Dig it! Kids love to dig. This is a great way to teach the basics while letting them play and just have fun.
Let them play an active role in planning. Take your children to the local nursery and let them pick seeds or transplants to start their garden. Take your time and let them browse and enjoy all of the beautiful plants.
Grow a theme garden. This is a great way to let your children use their imagination and express their creativity. The sky is the limit. Some great ideas are gardens that coincide with the holidays, alphabet gardens, a garden themed in their favorite colors, a sensory garden where you can experience different smells, tastes, textures and sights, or a “Freedom Garden”.
Give children their own “kid sized” tools. They don’t have to be expensive. You can go with an old spoon and a bucket that you have around the house or you can venture down to the garden center and purchase garden tools made for children’s hands.
Give them a space to call their own. It doesn’t have to be big. This will teach them ownership and responsibility, and your children will be able to take credit for their own little space.
Get crafty! Press or dry flowers to make a beautiful arrangement, make potpourri, or make a pomander ball. Children love making things and will be amazed at the crafts and gifts that they can make from the garden.
Grow a vegetable garden. Your children will be amazed that they can grow their own food. Be sure to use organic pesticides.
Use gardening to brush up your children’s math and science skills. Let them count the seeds they are planting, or teach them how plants are living things. Not only will you capture their attention, you will be polishing their skills as you go.
Have a contest. Kids love to be rewarded. Be sure to give each child a reward; the biggest tomato, the prettiest flower, or perhaps the best tasting herbs (a little Spray-N-Grow will help!)
Don’t try to do it all! Pick a few of these tips that you know are best for your family and have fun with them. After all, gardening is meant to be fun and easy. And with a little help, something the whole family can enjoy.
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