Simple Spring Recipes! Looking to kick up your repertoire in the kitchen? Try cooking seasonally using the following recipes from Food & Wine.com. Each features beautiful spring produce complete with wine pairing. For more recipe suggestions see our Mangia! Board on Pinterest here:  https://www.pinterest.com/5aspace/mangia/ Grilled Apricots with Burrata, Country Ham and Arugula Recipe by Travis Lett http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grilled-apricots-with-burrata-country-ham-and-arugula?xid=emailsharebar Thai Crab-and-Green-Mango Salad Recipe by Laurent Tourondel http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/thai-crab-and-green-mango-salad?xid=email Pea-and-Bacon Risotto Recipe by James Tracey http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pea-and-bacon-risotto?xid=emailsharebar

Healthy Heart, Healthy Body              February is Heart Health Awareness month. The Go Red for Women campaign has done a wonderful job bringing to light the effects of heart disease in women. What are some simple steps we can all take to increase our heart health as well as our overall health? Let’s visit the American Heart Association Go Red for Women website for some helpful tips. https://www.goredforwomen.org/# Participate in regular cardiovascular exercise to increase and maintain heart health. The AHA (American Heart Association) recommends that we participate in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity 5 days a week or 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity 3 days a week. Combine your cardiovascular exercise with Moderate to high intensity strength training exercise at least 2 days a week.  Eat a diet rich in heart healthy foods such as leafy greens, extra virgin olive oil, fish, nuts, and berries. The darker color in the produce, the more a

Planning a Kitchen Remodel? Use a Rental  Unit at a Storage Facility in Moraga,  near Lafayette A kitchen remodeling project takes a lot of planning, patience and organization to get the job done on time, on budget and with the least amount of stress. You may not have a fully-functional kitchen for weeks or months, depending on how extensive your remodel will be. Instead of cramming all your kitchen accessories, furniture and appliances into the rest of the house, why not rent a unit at a storage facility in Moraga near Lafayette? Storage Options During Kitchen Remodeling Whether your kitchen remodel is a big project or a small one, for the time you will be displaced, it is easier to move your stuff out of the way so that you do not have to worry about things being broken and cluttering up the rest of your living spaces . Luckily, you have a great option for storing your kitchen stuff while the remodel is in progress. Quick and Easy Kitchen Remodels - For a kit

A Senior Loved One Moving Into Your Home? Make Room by Renting a Unit at a Storage Facility in Moraga, close by Lafayette! As our loved ones age, they may need more personal care. Moving your loved one into your home is a great way to help them and even ensure they stay close to the entire family. You will need to think about what to do with their personal belongings; not all of their things will  fit in your home. How do you make your home comfortable for the entire family, including your loved one? Will you need to move some of your stuff out? Renting a unit at a storage facility near Lafayette can be the answer to your problem. Making the Transition Easier Moving is stressful for anyone. For your senior loved one, they are giving up some levels of independence and maybe even moving away from the home they have lived in for decades. Try your best to make this transition as easy as possible for everyone. Respect their possessions. There may be some items your l

E-Waste             Everyone can admit to wanting to keep up with the latest and greatest in technological devices. At some point in time we look at the growing pile of old iPhones, iPods, laptops and charging cords and wonder what to do with them. The best practice when disposing of these items is to look for a way to recycle them. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), “Recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by more than 3,500 US homes in a year.” And for every million cell phones recycled, “35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.” And recycling produces jobs. http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm Here are a few tips for recycling your electronics: Make sure they are all wiped clean of all personal data. Don’t know how to do this task? Walk into an Apple store and ask them for help. They will make sure no perso

Valentine’s on a Budget It’s that time of year again where “love is in the air” and people start to make plans for Valentine’s Day. As is the case with New Year’s Eve and Mother’s Day Brunch, the cost of a meal out can be expensive. If you want to do something special for the one you love, and don’t want to break the bank, take a look at the following suggestions to help you enjoy your holiday in a meaningful and cost effective way. Make dinner from scratch at home. Cook each other’s favorite dishes, buy some sparkling cider or wine instead of Champagne (Note: Martinelli’s Apple Cider at $3.69 a bottle and La Marca Prosecco at $14.00 are excellent budget conscious choices). Cooking together requires teamwork and communication. The quality time can be a great respite in the midst of chaotic schedules. Have Kids? Spend time baking cookies or cupcakes that the kids can decorate with frosting and sprinkles in Valentines colors. Then make it a movie or game night with the kids.