San Diego Living September/October 2015

SANDIEGOLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

SANDIEGOLIVING VOL XXXVI • NO. 5 • EVEN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Contents 16 - 18 Gorgeous And Unique Handcrafted Art Designed Just For You Get A Goodnight’s Sleep, Every Night Marchella Carsona Collection: High-End Traditional Look At Affordable Pricing

20 Looking For A Fast And Affordable Kitchen Makeover?

22 - 29 The Dirty Truth About Wool Rugs How Clean Is Your Carpet And Furniture?

Dryer Fires Are the #1 Household Disaster Say Goodbye To Your Old Popcorn Ceilings Avoid Indoor Air Quality Problems. Clean Your Air Ducts Don’t Just Clear Your Drains Stairs Keeping You Down?

30 Whimsical Tree Houses

31 Redefine The Home That You Love With Exterior Upgrades

32 - 45

Your Own Unique Piece Of Living Art: Sculpted Olive Trees Before Investing In A Glass Door System Make Sure To Visit A Full Service Showroom Sophisticated Pizza Ovens A Green Clean Lawn That Doesn’t Require Any Water Open Spaces Enhance Your Lifestyle Cleaning And Restoring Your Outdoor Grill Run Your Cleaner, Safer Pool For Just Pennies, A Day! Evict Termites Without Leaving Your Home Concrete Resurfacing A Revolutionary And Unique Shade System

46 A Personal Virtual Assistant Introducing ATM’s New Newsletter!

47 Finding The Best Organic Produce Has Never Been Easier!

48 Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Consultant

49 - 55 Changing The Yoga Accessories Game Get The Long Beautiful Hair You Have Always Dreamed About Address Stress With Natural Medicine Reshape Your Body In 20 Minutes!

What If Every Day Could Be A Good Hair Day?

ON THE COVER Featured on this month's cover, the beautiful coastal home captures views from every angle. New windows and doors keep the home cooler in summer months, and warmer during the winter months.

For more information on replacing your own windows and doors, you can contact American Vision Windows at (858) 300-6468. You can also stop by their showroom at 7950 Miramar Road in San Diego, or visit their website at AmericanVisionWindows.com.

See their ad on page 11.

SANDIEGOLIVING

PUBLISHER WALLY HICKS III ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER DAVE BAKER MARKETING MANAGER DEBBIE TARNOFF MARKETING SPECIALISTS GLENDA BAYLY, JENNIFER BURKE, DEBORAH MESNA PUBLISHER’S REPRESENTATIVES MARKET LINK SAN DIEGO OFFICE DAVE BAKER 619/296-9305 1081 CAMINO DEL RIO SO. STE. 224 SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92108 ADVERTISING MAILING ADDRESS Affluent Target Marketing, Inc. P.O. Box 18507 Anaheim Hills, California 92817-8507 (714) 446-6280 FAX (714) 446-6294 (888) 612-7400 • www.affluenttargetmarketing.com

For comments to the publisher: wally@keyaccess.com The opinions expressed in the editorials are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of San Diego Living. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, we cannot supervise the way in which information found in San Diego Living is used. San Diego Living is produced bi-monthly by Affluent Target Marketing, Inc., P.O. Box 18507, Anaheim Hills, California 928178507. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. All submitted materials, including images, logos, and text, for advertising and editorial are assumed to be the property of the provider, and Affluent Living Publications can take no responsibility for unintentional copyright infringement. Affluent Target Marketing, Inc. has the right to refuse advertising.

CIRCULATION VERIFIED BY U.S. POSTAL RECEIPTS

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homefashion

G

orgeous and

U

nique

HANDCRAFTED ART DESIGNED JUST FOR YOU rt is sacred because it speaks to our souls. Individual people are drawn to certain pieces of art for different reasons—the art may remind them of something nostalgic, offer a symbolic message, or simply look appealing. Since all people are unique in this aspect, the art that they choose to have in their home should be just as special.

Mass-produced art is not created with the individual in mind; therefore it can be very hard to find that perfect piece without feeling as though you’ve been forced to compromise. Because of this, there is nothing better than the opportunity to have art crafted just for you; a unique, one-of-a-kind piece created to meet your own needs.

Russell and Merri Peters are a husband and wife team who have been working together for 30 years to design bold, creative, and fully customizable mixed media art for homeowners, collectors, and anyone seeking exclusive works of art.

Focusing on original lamps, vases, and wall art, Russell and Merri utilize a combination of three different medias to create stunning works that simply cannot be duplicated. Their unique process involves decorating the clay when it’s fired using acrylic paint, as opposed to glazes or other common pottery techniques. This provides the artists with almost a limitless spectrum of color choices so they can create any style that suits your home’s décor.

With their unique process, you have the option to customize certain aspects so your piece is absolutely perfect. Working with the artists, you can choose carvings, design, texture, and color options depending on your needs.

If you want something even more specific, a more thorough customization process is available.

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Lamps are a popular choice for discerning homeowners because not only is a handcrafted lamp hard to come by; it also fulfills a functional aspect. It’s not uncommon for people to spend years searching for that perfect lamp because they tend to lack any sort of artistic touch in mainstream stores. Now, you can have a gorgeous lamp that surpasses all of your expectations.

For more information about fully customizable lamps, vases, wall art, and more, you can contact Russell and Merri Peters with Faith Fired Pottery today.

Russell and Merri travel the country showcasing their art in shows and galleries where they have won numerous awards. To find out more about your own custom piece, you can call them at 760-518-3402 or 760-749-1245, email merriandruss@sbcglobal.net, or visit www.FaithFiredPottery.com.

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homefashion

Get a Goodnight’s Sleep, Every Night lthough we spend hours every single day on our mattresses, most people never put much thought into what their body is coming in contact with on a regular basis. Which is perfectly understandable, because your bed is probably not something that comes to mind when considering the possible toxins in your environment.

The unfortunate truth is that the average mattress contains an uneasy amount of chemicals.

Petroleum based polyurethane foam, synthetic materials, polyester fills, and a variety of other threading and fibers have recently been under scrutiny. However the more recent toxin to enter your sleep space is the addition of flame-retardants since 2008 that contain both arsenic and antimony (III) oxide, which both have suspected carcinogenic potential for humans.

Your skin is the largest organ on your body. When you are sleeping on your mattress, your body is also sweating and detoxifying on top of these bothersome chemicals. It’s very frightening to imagine what your skin might be absorbing, every single day. With that being said—if you had the chance to choose between a chemical-laden mattress and a natural mattress, which one would you pick?

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Most people don’t even realize that natural mattresses are a viable option. Clean and safe for your family, natural mattresses are affordable, not to mention as comfortable and luxurious as some of the top-of-the-line mattresses on the market. The only aspects you will be compromising are the toxic chemicals.

Each natural mattress is handcrafted in Southern California using components from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The ingredients inside each natural mattress include 100% all-natural talalay latex, individual pocketed coil springs, organic cotton, and organic wool—all certified as chemically safe, and absolutely zero toxins.

You will never have a more peaceful rest.

Scripps Natural Mattress has been selling healthy mattresses since 2001. Along with certified chemically safe mattresses, they also offer organic bedding and pillows. For more information about how natural mattresses can promote your family’s health, you can visit them in Carlsbad Village at 800 Grand Ave. #B11. You can also call 760-720-9111 or visit www.ScrippsNatural.com.

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homefashion

Marchella Carsona Collection: HIGH-END TRADITIONAL LOOK AT AFFORDABLE PRICING

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iscover elegance in a whole new way with the Marchella Carsona furniture collection. The lush texture and movement that embodies each piece makes Marchella Carsona a collection that is suitable for a king or a queen.

Beautiful and baroque in style, Marchella Carsona can add sophistication to your interior. Crafted with exquisite attention to detail, each piece is rich and has the potential to drastically transform a room with its bold presence. Intricate and elaborate decorations and patterns are balanced with curvaceous legs and frames, and a royal mix of deep dark woods with gold hardware and artistic accents makes this robust collection a one-of-a-kind addition to your home.

Marchella Carsona offers furniture for the dining room, living room, and bedroom. Your home will feel more like a palace once you have incorporated this tasteful and romantic collection into your living space.

To see more from this collection, and other fine furniture manufacturers, you can call or visit Furniture Royal at 2000 S. Rainbow Blvd. in Las Vegas. 702-253-0600. You can also see their ad on page 15 of this issue.

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Quality Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Is the Perfect Solution for You!

Looking For a Fast and Affordable

Kitchen Makeover?

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ost homeowners will agree that the most eye-catching part of your kitchen is its cabinetry. So it would make sense that in order to spruce things up and give your kitchen an updated feel all you need to do is alter the exterior facade of your current cabinets.

Most kitchen remodels such as designing and installing brand new cabinets or refacing have proven to be rather expensive and time consuming. Why not skip all of the hassles and make the smart decision to have your cabinetry custom painted? This way you’ll be able to give your kitchen a beautiful new look for much less than you ever imagined.

Custom cabinet painting and refinishing allows you to not only incorporate fresh colors and modern trends into your kitchen, but it can also renew

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the sparkling factory-finished look your classic, well-made cabinetry once had.

Your cabinets will be thoroughly prepped, cleaned, and painted or stripped, stained, and finished to perfection. Select from a variety of antique glazes or clean white colors to achieve the classic or contemporary look you desire. Once your cabinets are refurbished you can further complement your new kitchen by simply adding a few fashionable hardware accents.

You will save thousands of dollars while increasing the value of your home with this effortless but stunning remodel. For further information on custom cabinet painting and refinishing, you can call Palmer Painting at 619-460-3985 or 858-452-4314. You can also visit their website at www.palmerpainting.com. Palmer Painting also offers faux finishes for garage doors, as well as entry door refinishing.

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homeinteriors CLOSE UP

BEFORE

AFTER

THE DIRTY TRUTH ABOUT WOOL RUGS By: Lisa Wagner (NIRC Certified Rug Specialist and author of www.RugChick.com)

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hether the showcase textile of your home is an antique Persian Kashan rug, or a contemporary Nepalese Himalayan wool rug, every buyer is left with an enormous problem after they have made their rug investment: Rugs do not come with instruction manuals.

Most rug owners do not know how to clean spills properly, how to vacuum without causing fiber damage, or even how often they should be having their wool rugs washed.

What makes wool fibers the absolute best to have on the floor are their strength, durability, and texture. Wool is second to none in performance.

Under a microscope wool is comprised of many cuticle layers. This layered construction allows for easy flexing without breaking. In laboratory resiliency tests, a wool strand can be bent more than 10,000 times before breaking.

As a point of comparison, a real silk strand

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breaks after 2,500 times, and viscose artificial silk breaks after only 75 times.

This layered natural construction of wool creates a depth in dye color that allows for a richer look than any synthetic petroleum-based fiber can produce.

Wool fiber layering also has another benefit, which is that these layers are excellent at holding and hiding dirt. This is why a wool rug can still look clean after years of use, and why smooth synthetic fiber rugs begin to look gray and dirty after only months on the floor.

This ability to hide soil is a great selling point for wool rugs, but it also can be a danger.

It is not uncommon to hear a rug owner say they haven’t cleaned their wool rug in five or more years, because the rug just didn’t “look” dirty. However, a wool rug can hold pounds of dirt contamination in its fibers before it begins to look like it needs cleaning.

SAN DIEGO LIVING • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Because most rug owners do not know how to properly care for their wool rugs, they wait years longer than they should to clean them. Waiting too long to wash a wool rug can contribute to permanent fiber damage and wear from the embedded soil and grit, as well as permanent dye damage from spills sitting in the fibers too long. Pet accidents that are not properly cleaned up also can cause damage, from dry rot to dye loss, to the attraction of bugs.

Professionally washing wool rugs is the best way to soak and rinse away years of grit and grime brought inside from shoes, feet, and paws. Wool rug colors explode back to life once the dirt that is hiding in those fiber layers are removed.

Wool rugs under regular use should be washed every two-to-three-years, with a regular vacuuming routine to remove daily abrasive surface dust and a spill care plan to prevent damage and remove any substances that may attract bugs.

For free rug care tips on how to vacuum and clean up spills safely, you can email Lisa at lisa@blatchfords.com, visit K. Blatchford’s San Diego Rug Cleaning Company at 7848 Silverton Ave. Suite G in San Diego, or call them at 858-223-0222.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 • SAN DIEGO LIVING

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homeinteriors

How Clean Is Your Carpet and Furniture?

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outine cleaning of your carpet and furniture is critical to maintaining both the cleanliness of your home and the quality of your health. As a homeowner, you know the investment you’ve made into your carpet, but did you know that your carpet is the largest air filter in your home? The carpet and furniture in your home easily collects dirt, dust, dust mites and other pollutants on a daily basis.

While regular vacuuming is important, the truth is that your carpet routinely needs a deeper cleaning to remove build up that is not so easily seen. Up to 99% of soil in your carpet or furniture is made up of dry dirt particles. The absence of spots or stains does not equate to clean carpet or furniture. We walk on our carpet constantly, and after a long day of work, it’s nice to come home, kick up your feet and relax, or play on the floor with the kids. Knowing that your carpet has been professionally cleaned will allow you to relax and enjoy the investment that

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you’ve made.

Most warranties state that carpet needs to be professionally cleaned every 12–18 months in order to maintain the warranty.

Having your carpets cleaned once a year ensures that you protect your investment and also your health in your home. When choosing a professional cleaner for your home, it is important that they perform a 12step cleaning process to ensure that your home is cared for and your carpet and furniture is thoroughly cleaned.

For more information, or to schedule an estimate you can email Sarah at sarah@cbcrinc.com or call Christian Brothers Cleaning & Restoration at 760-3003925. In addition to carpet and upholstery cleaning, Christian Brothers also provides services for water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold remediation and reconstruction. You can visit their websites at www.christianbrotherscarpet.com and www.waterdamagesd.com.

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homeinteriors DRYER FIRES ARE THE #1 HOUSEHOLD DISASTER Learn How to Prevent Dryer Fires, Save Time and Reduce Your Utility Bill ost homeowners are completely unaware that if unmaintained, a clothes dryer can pose a serious threat to their home and family.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, these seemingly harmless appliances cause an estimated 15,500 fires, 10 deaths and $100,000,000 in damages every year. When you learn how dryer fires happen you will understand how crucial regular dryer maintenance is to your safety.

The reason most dryer fires happen is lint. Contrary to popular belief, your lint trap doesn’t catch everything, and this highly combustible material builds up inside your dryer with every load. A tiny spark is the only catalyst this hazard needs to become a full on disaster. The good news is that disaster is easily avoidable. Professional appliance technicians recommend having the inside of your dryer cleaned every three years. Most homeowners are shocked to see the amount of lint that is vacuumed out of their appliance and can instantly recognize the value of this service.

A properly functioning dryer should only take 30 to 45 minutes to dry a load of clothes. If your appliance is running slower, this is a telltale sign of

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dirty dryer vent. Clogged vents prevent heat from escaping the machine, and keep moisture trapped inside your dryer. This means that an unmaintained dryer is not just dangerous; it is also wasting your time and raising your utility bill! Once cleaned, you will notice an instant improvement in drying time and begin saving money right away. If you are past due for a dryer vent cleaning there is no reason to procrastinate any longer, especially with the numerous benefits this service offers.

To schedule your dryer vent cleaning, you can call Nick's Dryer Vent Cleaning and Air Duct Cleaning at (760) 533-0783. Homeowners can be confident in this company’s service because they offer a six-month lint free service guarantee pledge with every cleaning. You can learn about their pledge and services online at www.oceansideairductcleaning.com. Helping families dry their clothes in one cycle.

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homeinteriors SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR

Old Popcorn Ceilings o you cringe every time you look up at your ceiling? An old acoustic ceiling can be a real eyesore, especially if you are trying to go clean up and modernize your décor. The fact of the matter is—getting rid of those popcorn ceilings is the single most effective thing you can do to improve the overall look and feel of your home.

Yet, if you have popcorn ceilings, then you already know how much of a mess they can be. Just the thought of having them removed probably sounds like way too much of a hassle.

Luckily, this is not the case. Not only can experts remove those outdated ceilings cleanly and efficiently without disturbing your home, they can do it in just a matter of hours instead of days.

First, a team of professionals will cover all of your floors and furniture with protective tarps and plastic. The ceiling is then misted with water and scraped using a proprietary tool that eliminates all of the mess by catching the scrapings before they fall to the floor. This tool is called the Scalper, and it speeds up the process to the point that up to 1,200 square feet of ceiling can be both cleaned and retextured in just one day.

Once the ceiling is scraped, a new finish can be applied. A common choice among homeowners is a skip trowel finish, which can be applied quickly by hand, and will cover most problem areas nicely. The texture also looks great with whatever finish is on the walls. Your professional can go over all of the available options so that you can find the ideal fit for your home.

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Bell Inc. Acoustical Removal and Texture (ART) takes pride in their customer service. The proud inventors of the Scalper, Bell ART can help you get rid of those old-fashioned ceilings and upgrade your interior ambiance, in just one day. For more information, you can call them at 888-559-6544 or visit www.bellacoustical.com.

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homeinteriors Avoid Indoor Air Quality Problems

Clean Your Air Ducts

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ne of the most important systems in your home is your HVAC system.

It allows you to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter and provides air circulation and ventilation throughout your home. While this system is largely out of sight and out of mind, it is essential to hire a company to complete air duct cleaning on an annual basis.

There are several air duct cleaning benefits that you may not have stopped to consider. However, once your HVAC duct system stops working efficiently, you will very quickly begin to realize just how essential this component is to your comfort, health, and even your safety.

Allergies, Asthma and Respiratory Problems. When homeowners don’t routinely complete air duct cleaning through a professional service, individuals in the home with any type of respiratory health issues often pay a very big price. This can include more frequent and severe asthma attacks, increased allergic reactions for those that are sensitive to dust, mold and mildew, and increased illness. By cleaning your ductwork annually dust, mold spores, allergens and contaminants that collect in the ducts are efficiently and effectively removed.

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Energy Efficiency Boost. When a system is clean and free from dust, debris, and build-up, the airflow is going to be more consistent. This will help heat and cool your home quickly, which means a decrease in energy required to keep the temperature just right.

Removing Odors. Even in a very clean and well-maintained home, the inside of your ducts collect dirt, contaminants from the air, spores and pollen and even mildew, mold and bacteria. Over time this can also create odors as the organic material collects in your system.

Routine air duct cleaning removes all these contaminants, and also removes related odors. This leaves your home smelling clean and fresh while also promoting energy efficiency and good respiratory health. For more information, you can call Nick's Dryer Vent Cleaning at 760-533-0783 or visit www.oceansideairductcleaning.com to schedule a cleaning.

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homeinteriors

Don’t Just Clear Your Drains—

Clean Them Out, The Right Way rains are often overlooked aspects of the home that can cause serious problems when neglected. It isn’t uncommon for households to have the original plumbing that came with the property. This means that piping in a residence must be preserved to avoid problematic issues.

When a drain is backed up, invasive floods can happen in unwanted places of your home, not to mention very expensive sewer damage.

Blockages in sewer lines and drain pipes can occur for a number of reasons, whether from hair, grease, paper products, lime scale buildup, or even trees roots that have broken into your system looking for an available water supply. Kitchen drains are a major problem area, accumulating large amounts of grease, sludge, and food, while laundry drains experience both clothing lint and detergent built up.

Some signs that might suggest your drains are in trouble include visible debris when looking into the drain, or when you notice standing water in a sink, tub, or shower basin. If you only have a partial clog, water may take a long time to clear away. With a full clog, your water level will not decline at all.

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If drain cleaning is not performed right away when you need it, you could be facing some serious consequences. However, it’s crucial that those drains don’t get a simple clearing out.

Some traditional methods of drain clearing, such as snaking, are typically effective against only freeing up partial clogs, and may potentially lead to cracks in your pipes that will require the need for additional repairs later on.

Hydrojetting is a superior professional service for ridding your pipes of serious clogs, blockages, and the buildup of harmful mineral deposits as well as any other damaging materials.

Hydrojetting uses an intense stream of pressurized water from a pressure washer that has 4,000-PSI capabilities, removing virtually any clog within your system without causing damage to the pipes.

A pure method of pipe cleaning, you will experience an optimally functioning system for many years to come.

Hydrojetting is especially designed for tackling the most stubborn blockages within your piping system. Whether you have slow drainage or continuous clogs that keep reappearing, this professional service is often the ideal solution.

Hydrojetting removes any risks that come with cleaning an aging piping system because there

is less stress added to the pipes. Additionally, invasive tree roots can only be eliminated by attacking the problem at the deepest level, which hydrojetting can successfully do.

Once the sludge, grease, and odorous particles have been flushed out with hydrojetting, your drains will continue to function properly, ensuring that your sinks, showers, tubs, and toilets will perform properly. Additionally, hydrojetting minimizes the risk of future clogs, reduces the chances of cracks in your pipes, as well as reduces the chance of leaks.

The professionals at Drain Help know how inconvenient it can be to deal with a clogged drain. Offering proper care, preventative maintenance, and professional services, Drain Help can respond to any issues without delay and offer the most effective services in order to ensure your satisfaction. For more information, you can call them at 844-372-4643 or visit www.DrainHelp.com.

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homeinteriors

Stairs Keeping You Down?

Discover the Convenience of a Custom Home Elevator, Wheelchair Lift or Stairclimber

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our home should be a comfortable environment tailored to your needs, and when your needs change, so should your home. Many disabled and elderly people find that every year getting up those stairs becomes more and more challenging. Some homeowners might even have to relocate their living quarters to the first floor, because they are physically unable to climb the stairs. This is no way to enjoy your home, and thankfully there are ways to remedy this situation.

A custom home elevator, wheelchair lift or stairclimber could be the perfect solution, allowing everyone in your family to navigate your home with ease.

When you decide that it is the right time to start your home elevator remodeling project, professional contractors will come to your

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home and evaluate your living space. They will discuss all possible locations for your elevator, and options such as size, materials and appearance. Every aspect of your elevator will be completely customized to ensure that your unique wants and needs are accommodated.

Not only will the elevator contractors go over every detail of the plans with you, they will also obtain all necessary permits, and make sure every modification done to your home meets applicable building codes and zoning laws. Putting an elevator, wheelchair lift or stairclimber in your home is all about making life easier, and the right contractor

will make sure that the process of installing your elevator is easy as possible too.

For more information on custom home elevators, wheelchair lifts, stairclimbers or dumbwaiters, you can contact the RIFE CO., a reliable contractor with over 15 years experience, at 619-300-9645. You can also visit them online at www.therifeco.com

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kids

TREE HOUSES That Come with Their Very Own Trees!

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ho says that you need a very large tree in your backyard in order to build a tree house? Now, you can have the addition of a charming, quaint, and enchanting playhouse without having to worry about the actual tree or the construction. Authentic to the core, this unique clubhouse starts with the log of a real, old fallen tree, and is then hollowed out. The charming house that sits atop of the tree is made from old, recycled barn wood.

Choose from styles that offer a more traditional look, or make guests walk the plank on creative pirate ship tree houses. You can even design a custom tree house based on your specifications.

Standard features include log porch and windows, a ladder with trap door, all wood construction, cedar siding, redwood decking, crooked windows, swayed rooflines, recycled cedar shingles, a rust accent package, painting and staining, and installation hardwood.

Tree houses can be shipped anywhere in the country. For more information on The Ultimate Tree Houses, you can call Affluent Products at 888-612-7400, extension 321, or email products@keyaccess.com. Invoke playful emotions in both the young and old with your own fantastic tree house.

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homeremodeling

after

Redefine the Home that You Love With exterior Upgrades ore and more, homeowners continue to realize that when a home can still meet all of their needs in regards to size, space, and function, then moving probably isn’t the best decision just because things are starting to look and feel somewhat dated. If you truly love your home, the concept of rejuvenation is simply the better choice.

Yet, most homeowners tend to focus more on updating their interior spaces because that is where they spend most of their time. The truth is—the exterior of your home is what greets you upon arrival. It’s what your neighbors and guests see each and every day, and is the first impression that many have upon entering your living space. In fact, this crucial upgrade to the outside of your home can actually redefine your entire perspective of the structure in which you live inside of.

Some traits of older homes might include heavy textured stucco, old brick or siding, and columns that lack any design. The paint may be a color that was popular during the time in which your home was built.

These components not only date your home, but also greatly diminish the potential of its curb appeal.

A facelift for your home’s exterior can make you feel as though you are living in a brand new place as opposed to the same old house that was built decades ago. Professionals will do whatever it takes to make your home more modern.

When a company has the experience and skills to improve a wide range of exterior components, they can do practically anything. The installation of oversized beams and arbors can change the actual structure of your exterior, setting the stage for a whole new appearance. Replacing outdated stucco railing with regal wrought iron can provide you with more of an elegant look. Or, stucco can be smooth textured in a synthetic color coat finish for a clean and modern style.

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before Small architectural details can bring an entire masterpiece together. Turn outdated columns into beautiful focal points with the addition of natural stone. Architectural foam is a growing trend for outdoor remodels, as is updating the fascia of a home. Adding ambiance lighting in the soffits of a house is a fabulous finishing touch, allowing you to highlight your beautiful new home’s entryway or landscaping. These are just some examples of what can be done to transform your home’s exterior image.

Before any construction is started, you will meet with the experts to go over the different possibilities for your unique home. After you’ve discussed all ideas and options, a concept drawing will be rendered for you to review. This allows you to get a good visual of what your home will look like. Once this has been decided on, all necessary permits will be pulled so the plans can get underway for your project.

San Diego’s A.O.C. Construction, Inc. is a full-service general contracting firm with expertise in new construction, tenant improvement, and restoration. They offer a comprehensive list of services, including but not limited to electrical, plumbing, concrete, masonry, painting, stucco, custom lighting, drywall, windows, cabinetry, roofing, flooring, ironwork, and all phases of carpentry. You can call them at 619-226-0772 or visit their website at www.AOCConstruction.com.

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our own

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iece of

Photography by: RTK Fine Art Photography

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Sculpted Olive Trees

he olive tree is a timeless symbol of peace, perseverance, and strength. Celebrated for thousands of years, majestic olive trees are an ancient emblem of abundance and glory, and are among the oldest known cultivated trees in the world.

The Macro-Bonsai, also known as sculpted olive trees, are some of the most remarkable living sculptures in the world. However, these trees cannot simply be acquired with a trip to the local nursery.

In fact, they are extremely rare and have been nearly impossible to find in the United States—until now.

You have the exclusive opportunity to showcase an exquisite piece of revered beauty in your own yard.

After extensive searching, experts have located a selection of ancient olive trees and have transformed them into living works of art so that you and your family can enjoy their beauty for generations to come.

An authentic piece of history, these sculpted olive trees are over 100 years old. Along with the completely unique touch of style that will set your home apart from all the rest, these dignified trees also offer many benefits to the homeowner. Sculpted olive trees are one of the only living components you can buy that will never get any bigger then it is on the day that you install it. This is just one of the reasons that makes these trees an incredibly low maintenance choice.

Your incredible olive tree will create virtually no messes in your yard. Because these trees no longer produce any fruit, you don’t have to worry about constantly picking up stray olives and leaves scattered around your landscape. Additionally, sculpted olive trees are a wonderful idea for San Diego landscapes because they are drought-resistant—they thrive in the California climate.

When you look out the window and see your artistic sculpted tree, you will feel as though you are in an exotic location as opposed to your own yard.

Once you have ordered your sculpted olive tree, it will be delivered right to your door and installed.

However, it’s important to know that these trees are of limited inventory due to their rarity. If you want to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own such an incredible antiquity, your time has arrived.

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Olive A Dream Trees is proud to introduce to the American market the most striking landscape element to come along since the very first tree.

Upon discovering this treasure while vacationing in Europe, the professionals at Olive A Dream Trees have been cultivating and sculpting olive trees so that you can have a masterpiece for your landscape.

For more information, you can call them at 1-800-816-1783 or 760-695-7444, and you can also visit www.OliveADreamTrees.com.

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exteriorslandscaping Make Sure to Visit a Full Service Showroom ringing some of Mother Nature’s charm into the home continues to be a very popular project for homeowners. Large glass door systems are a wonderful way to blur that distinct boundary between inside and out, allowing you to open up your living space and maximize those stunning Southern California views.

However, opening up your home with a sliding, folding, or disappearing door system can be a heavy task to undertake. Because every home is unique, you want to make sure that you find your ideal match before making such an important investment.

One of the greatest assets to a homeowner looking to purchase a new door or window system is a showroom that displays a variety of available products for you to experience. With this opportunity, you can browse your different options, open and close the panels, touch the glass, discover different frame colors, and much more. Full-sized displays allow you to make a purchase with both pride and confidence.

Along with the actual showroom experience, you get the added bonus of professional expertise and ease of installation. Door and window specialists provide you with the highest level of personalized customer service and are fully trained in blueprint take-offs and estimates. Staff can even use the latest computer software to help you visualize the end result.

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Dixieline has been serving San Diego homeowners and contractors for over 100 years. They feature full-size window and door displays in nine different showroom locations, as well as a design center in their Solana Beach location that specializes in high-end systems. Along with an assortment of products from major brands, Dixieline also offers installation, jobsite delivery, and financing for projects that require additional support. You can visit their Solana Beach showroom at 663 Lomas Sante Fe Drive, or you can call them at 858-755-0246. You can also visit their website at www.dixieline.com for more information and additional showroom locations.

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exteriorslandscaping Sophisticated Pizza Ovens— A MUST-HAVE FOR YOUR OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE t’s no secret that the outdoor room is a huge focus for many people when the summertime arrives. Fire has always been the center of family life, and an evening spent with loved ones preparing food outdoors or sharing stories under the night sky is a memory to cherish. One fabulous way to take your outdoor living space up a notch is with a stylish pizza oven.

Sleek and attractive Fontana pizza ovens are 100% made in Italy by master craftsmen and are known to be some of the most well built ovens on the market.

Crafted from cast iron and 3mm stainless steel, and reinforced with Corten steel, each metal is electro-galvanized before powder coating. This provides superb protection against corrosion, making Fontana pizza ovens an ideal choice for the ocean air environment we experience in San Diego.

Each oven has been designed to produce uniform cooking, and allows smoke to ventilate when necessary. While an average pizza oven requires two to three hours of preheating time, the smaller Fontana oven is ready to cook in just 15 minutes—the time it takes your dough to rise. The larger Fontana oven is ready to cook in just 45 minutes. Ovens are also fuel efficient, using one-fifth less fuel than most similar sized ovens. You can also prepare bread, roasts, chicken, vegetables, and other meals in your oven.

For the ultimate outdoor experience, don’t stop with the pizza oven. Outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, patio heaters, built-in barbeques, and more can extend the nostalgic feelings of comfort that accompany fire, providing gathering spaces where you can always find warmth, food, and camaraderie.

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Whether you want a fire inside or outside, or both, the professionals at Fireplaces Plus offer a full service hearth store and carry all products related to “friendly” fire in the home. Fireplaces Plus sells and installs five fuel types—wood, gas, bio-fuel, pellet and electric. If you are interested in learning more about fireplaces or Fontana pizza ovens, you can call them at 760-752-7789, or visit them at 1833 Diamond Street in San Marcos.

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exteriorslandscaping

Clean Lawn very homeowner wants to look out the window and see a lush, green lawn. However, because California is currently experiencing one of the most severe droughts on record, it may seem as though that picture perfect lawn is now officially an image of the past.

Not only is that water bill going to keep going up, but you most likely want to play your role in regards to water conservation—which means throwing in the towel in regards to your healthy, vibrant grass.

And then one day, you are driving home from work when out of nowhere, you are greeted with an unbelievably flawless green lawn in your neighbor’s yard—that beautiful lawn you have been forcing yourself to forget about because you thought it was no longer attainable.

This is not a dream—the truth is that synthetic lawns are becoming one of the most popular home improvement products on the market. In the last five years, synthetic turf has progressed to look so realistic, it is preferred to actual grass. The natural look and feel, superior drainage, and long life expectancy make a synthetic lawn the perfect solution for homeowners that are forced to cut back on water usage, have difficulty keeping their landscapes up to expectation, or are simply tired of the time, effort, and costs required to do so.

It’s crucial that a professional takes the time to listen to your yard needs in order to discover exactly what applications will work best for your property. Finding the right synthetic turf is a system that involves different components. For example, do you have pets, or will your children be playing on the lawn? Is your synthetic turf going to be in a high-traffic area, or do you want it simply for aesthetic reasons only?

Residential landscaping turf comes in a variety of different colors and sizes so you can find the exact look that you desire. If you have pets, there is no better option. Synthetic turf products have been specifically designed for pets and will never stain or discolor. Your pets will also

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stay clean—no more muddy paw prints on the sofa or your clothing.

Synthetic lawn is ideal for recreational applications as well, such as putting greens and playgrounds. Imagine walking outside to improve your golf game at any given moment, not to mention beautifully installed synthetic putting greens offer a manicured and flowing design that complements your entire landscape. If you want to upgrade your children’s playground area, specially designed turf products contain an underlying shock pad to help keep your family safe and provide protection against falls, cuts, and abrasions. You can rest assured that your children will be playing on the safest playground grass turf in the neighborhood, not to mention, you can say goodbye to grass stains and allergies.

If you are ready to join the smiling faces that never have to worry about watering, fertilizing, and mowing ever again, then Home Turf is ready to help. Artificial grass from Home Turf requires very little maintenance and absolutely no water.

From the San Diego Humane Society to UCSD, Home Turf has been the go-to choice for San Diegans since 2008. To learn more about their special HERO financing, or for a free estimate, you can call them at 858-633-0770 or visit www.sdhometurf.com.

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exteriorslandscaping Enhance Your Lifestyle With Innovative Folding & Sliding Door Systems ide, open spaces in a home can actually make it seem as though you’ve increased your square footage. Innovative folding and sliding door systems not only allow for more natural light and air to flow in and liven up your interior, they also create new spacious areas for entertaining.

LaCantina Doors is a leader in designing and manufacturing large door systems that offer innovation, performance, quality, and value. With a comprehensive range of folding, multi slide, and swing doors, a perfect match exists for all openings.

Minimal, clean designs along with LaCantina’s signature narrow stile and rail profile create door panels with symmetry and balance, allowing for more glass and natural light. Each door system comes standard with Low-E dual-glazed glass for energy efficiency and is NFRC rated.

Folding doors offer a variety of both design and performance options, including an aluminum thermally controlled system that provides optimal thermal performance against cold and hot climates. A new class of multi slide combines the preferred features of high-end lift slide door systems, such as performance, strength, and symmetry, with the functionality and value of a multi slide. Swing doors are wider, taller, and more robust than typical single or French doors.

LaCantina’s latest innovation, Contemporary Clad, is available across their entire product range. Complementing any architectural style and all window packages, Contemporary Clad features contemporary aluminum styling with the warmth of a wood interior. Additionally, Contemporary Clad is LaCantina’s most

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Photography by: Dennis Owen Interior Design by: Abodwell Interior Design

energy efficient, with U-values complying with the recent energy code changes to Title 24.

If you are ready to create open spaces to enhance your lifestyle, then you can call LaCantina Doors, Inc. for more information at 888221-0141. You can also visit them at 3817 Ocean Ranch Blvd. Suite 114 in Oceanside or see their website at www.lacantinadoors.com.

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AFTER

Cleaning and Restoring Your Outdoor Grill MAKES YOUR BARBEQUE SAFER, AND YOUR FOOD TASTE BETTER BEFORE

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ust about everyone loves a good outdoor cookout, especially living in Southern California where the weather usually allows for year-round barbeques with friends and family. However, when it comes to cleaning the barbeque, that’s another story. It’s probably safe to say that most grills out there could use a good scrub down.

Deep cleaning your barbeque will not only make it sparkle and shine, this procedure also will improve the taste of your food! This procedure removes fat, carbon deposits, and harmful carcinogens that can be transferred to your food. The deep cleaning also removes grease, which will make your outdoor cooking much safer by greatly reducing the chance of grease fires. On top of all of this, barbeque cleaning also prevents future corrosion, protecting your investment and extending the life of your grill.

Now that it’s been established that cleaning your barbeque is a great idea, some homeowners might be asking, “Why not do this myself?” A thorough cleaning can be a messy job, and takes around two-and-a-half to three hours to properly execute. Therefore, a mobile barbeque company that can come to your home and utilize their proprietary cleaning system is a wise choice for any homeowner.

Skilled technicians are friendly and knowledgeable about all aspects of your grill. They will arrive on time, secure the area around the grill with tarps and towels to protect your property, and then disassemble the grill from top to bottom in order to do a full inspection. They remove all the internal parts, including the cooking grates, heat plates, burners, basting pans, warming rack and hood. Internal parts are taken out to the truck to soak in the dip tank. Professionals will then degrease and sanitize the interior and exterior of the firebox from top to bottom, taking great care to get the finer details. After the body of the grill has been thoroughly cleaned, the hood is also cleaned inside and out, using caution to maintain the integrity of the grain on

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the stainless steel. During the third stage of this proprietary service, a combination of clean water, degreaser and special power tools are used to refurbish the parts. After the parts have been refurbished, everything is rinsed with water, and the burners are drilled out to make sure gas flow is consistent during cooking. The grill is then reassembled, tested again, and completely polished.

For more information on mobile barbeque cleaning, you can contact San Diego BBQ at (858) 605-5777. They operate under the motto “Old grills, new grills, and everything in between,” and their friendly and well-trained staff is there to serve you. San Diego BBQ also sells parts and provides repairs for almost all brands. Common repairs include ignition system overhauls, valve replacement and parts installation. You can see a complete list of their services and prices online at www.sdbbqgrills.com.

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Run Your Cleaner, Safer Pool FOR JUST PENNIES, A DAY!

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ot summer days and warm evenings beckon family and friends to spend quality time cooling off in the pool. However, did you know that the number one electrical usage in a residence is the pool pump? The average one-speed pump consumes approximately 15-kilowatt hours (kWh) per day, operating around six-to-eight hours. Utilizing San Diego Gas & Electric’s tier four pricing at .29 cents, the annual cost calculation is approaching $1,600! (That is .63 cents, per operating hour).

The three imperatives for a healthy pool are circulation, filtration, and chemical balance. In today’s world with high utility costs, many homeowners cut back on the hours they operate their pump. Unfortunately, this practice can produce less than healthful water conditions for your family and friends, ultimately creating long term major expenses.

Algae grows substantially faster in the sunniest times of the day. Yet because these full sun hours fall into the most expensive “peak hours” from your utility provider, this leads to higher costs and as a result, many residential pool owners cut their cost by operating the pump early morning or late evening/nighttime hours.

This tactic creates a greater opportunity for chemical imbalance and usually increased

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chemical use (costs) to keep the pool clean.

Here’s the good news—there is a solution that not only allows you to save tremendous amounts of money on those electricity bills, but also keeps the water in your pool safe, clean, and healthy. The highly efficient Lanai system operates so efficiently, it is suggested that you run you the pump for 10 hours a day, bringing your annual cost to around $106.00—that’s only .3 cents per hour. This is a 95 % savings with 40% additional filtration time. How can that be?

The Lanai system is a direct current (DC), magnetically induced motor that only consumes 100 watts per hour. Its “low-flow” technology allows for a large amount of water to be moved slowly rather than quickly. Just like driving a car, it may take a little more time to arrive but you will use substantially less gas traveling at 60 mph than 75 mph.

Circulation, filtration, and chemical balance are greatly enhanced by not only the extended hours Lanai suggests, but also its lowflow approach. Less flow means less pressure, allowing the water to spend a greater amount of time in the filter for more efficient capture of unwanted contaminates. Longer periods of water movement circulation combined with better chemical coverage and filtration will

result in that clean, clear, healthy pool you want to see outside your window.

With the addition of a Lanai pool pump system, your pool will be cleaner and more efficient. Lanai systems are available for both residential and commercial applications.

Verified on-site testing results have been funded and published by Emerging Technologies division of a major California utility company. You can call 619-443-3342 or visit www.lanaipoolpumps.com for more information about Lanai pool pumps.

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exteriorslandscaping

Evict Termites Without Leaving Your Home

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ermites are among the most destructive pests in the United States, causing property damage to 600,000 homeowners each year. Although you have no choice when the termites move into your home, you have many different choices once you discover them. Twenty years ago homeowners didn’t have many choices, and tent fumigation was the standard extermination method for termites. This outdated method entails moving out of your home for three and a half days while a dangerous amount of toxic gas is pumped into your home. Homeowners who choose tent fumigation are forced to pay for three days worth of lodging, dining and pet boarding, as well as pack or discard all the food and medicine in their home. Not only is tent fumigation incredibly inconvenient, it also leaves a huge footprint on the environment.

The chemicals used for fumigation have been identified by the California Air Resources Board as Toxic Air Contaminants, and have a harmful and long-lasting impact on the ozone layer. Fortunately there is an affordable, eco-friendly and effective alternative that won’t displace you from your home.

XT-2000 Orange Oil® Plus is a revolutionary, scientifically proven product used by IPM companies to control termites. This innovative formula is 95% pure orange oil, a natural termite pesticide made from pressed and distilled orange rinds. With orange oil, you get rid of your termites with the same guaranteed results as fumigation while still enjoying the comforts of home.

Trained technicians come to your home and perform a thorough inspection to detect the termite colonies. Using a high-tech optical scope, the technician can determine the extent to the infestation and inject orange oil directly into the infested wood members, killing the termites on contact. The fumes also act as a neurotoxin to the termites, creating a pleasant orange fragrance that humans smell without any effect. A remarkable property of orange oil is its ability to wick

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through wood, traveling through the porous cells in all directions.

Therefore, orange oil not only treats the areas into which it was injected, but will soak into surrounding areas providing a superior termite protection.

For more information on XT-2000 Orange Oil® Plus, or to find a certified Pest Control operator, you can call (866) 870-8485. XT-2000 has been in business since 2004, and they have treated over half a million structures, including homes, apartments, schools, commercial buildings, and more. Orange Oil Plus is 95% pure orange oil— beware of imposter products that contain only trace amounts of orange oil but also contain hazardous petroleum distillates. XT-2000 Orange OIl professionals are certified XT-2000 Orange Oil experts. They go through a required vigorous training program and have annual training updates. Very few pest control products are as vigorously controlled, so when looking for a pest control professional be sure they are a Certified XT-2000 affiliate by visiting their website at www.xt2000.com ONLINE AT SANDIEGOLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 • SAN DIEGO LIVING

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exteriorslandscaping

Concrete Resurfacing: An Easy and Affordable Way to Give Your Driveway, Patio, or Pool Deck a Fresh New Look

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re you tired of ugly, discolored concrete marring your driveway, patio, and pool deck?

Damaged concrete can heavily distract from the overall beauty of your home, however Before replacing it can be a lengthy and expensive process. The inconvenience and expense of having concrete replaced is simply too much for most homeowners. Thankfully, there are other options!

Concrete resurfacing is a cost-effective alternative to replacing your damaged concrete.

Resurfacing allows you to keep your concrete foundation and still achieve a brand-new look.

Whether you have cracks and stains in your driveway or crave a bold new look for your patio, this is an excellent option for all homeowners to consider.

Patio with stamped, stained overlay The overlay process is fairly simple when performed by a concrete resurfacing specialist. First, the concrete is prepared for bonding by chasing out and widening existing cracks, and acid etching the entire surface. After the prep work is complete, a nearly bulletproof slurry overlay is applied and usually given a broom finish to protect against slipping. Lastly, the surface is sealed, keeping it safe against stains and making it easier to clean. The concrete can also be colored before being poured to complement your home’s exterior color scheme or provide a stunning contrast that your friends and family will love. Stamped overlay is also an option for homeowners who crave a bold new look.

Before Replacing concrete can cost as much as three times more than concrete resurfacing and take days longer to complete. Resurfacing is truly the best value for your money. For more information on concrete resurfacing, you can contact Quality Sealants at 760-854-4608.

They have over 15 years of experience in concrete resurfacing and can give you a free estimate on your driveway, patio, or pool deck. You can also visit them online at Driveway resurfaced with color www.qualitysealants.com

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exteriorslandscaping A Revolutionary and

Unique Shade System ustom-made canopies have their perks, however they can also become an additional source of stress. For example, to fit properly, they require precise pre-measurement, fabric and color selection, weeks of fabrication and finally installation. Once installed the custom canopies can’t be modified and any repairs (if possible) require a trip back to Canopy Retracted the shop.

Now, there is an innovative new product on the market that provides homeowners with a retractable shade system that is infinitely versatile, customizable, and adaptable. Infinity Canopy is a modular You can also add vertical panels to either or slide on wire canopy composed of individual shade panels that are both ends for additional shade and privacy. connected together by a marine grade stainless steel and aluminum Unlike traditional shade products, Infinity Canopy can be modified even parts. It can be installed on pergolas or between two opposing structures. The after it is assembled and installed. You can add or remove sections and shade panels are available in a variety of colors and made of the highest quality ® ® panels to increase or decrease the width and length of the canopy, outdoor fabrics including Phifertex and Sunbrella that are resistant to water, change the canopy’s color and design, replace damaged sections with fire, mold, fading and can last five-to-ten years. They can be ordered in one or replacement parts and panels, and even remove the entire canopy or the multiple colors and placed in different panels for cleaning and winterization, in just minutes. configurations to create unique designs Infinity Canopy was designed with the goal to make the beautiful that are simply not possible by any other slide-on wire canopy style available to homeowners in an infinitely versashade system for those ever-changing tile and adaptable system. If you are ready to enhance your outdoor space tastes, styles and needs. and get the most out of your investment, you can call Infinity Canopy at You can lock individual panels in 844-4-CANOPY (844-422-6679), or visit them at www.infinitycanopy.com. place, or remove panels for open space.

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foryourinformation a

Personal Virtual Assistant That’s Always Ready to Help

hen you are a busy person, you know how hard it can be to find the time to focus on the little details in life.

Aspects such as scheduling meetings, paying bills, and booking travel can quickly escape your to-do list when you are constantly worrying about much larger issues. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone who is always available to help you at any given moment?

If this sounds all too familiar, then it’s time for you to meet Iris. Iris is the secret weapon of successful people—not just in work, but in life. Part robot and part human, Iris has the personality of a human being and the brain of a high-powered robot in order to help you get things done quickly and efficiently. Plus, Iris is available 24/7 via text message or email.

From social media assistance to dinner reservations, Iris is always a text message away. You delegate a task, and Iris is on it. For $35 a week, the Mogul package grants you access to unlimited task requests, 24/7 coverage,

and one-minute response time to all communication.

Some sample tasks include business oriented aspects, such as website management, event planning, legal research, financial planning, sales tracking, market watch, data-entry, meeting scheduling, creating reports and documents, staff recruiting, and more. However, Iris can also handle those personal tasks, such as diet tracking, motivational quotes, jokes, dinner reservations, online ordering, deal hunting, travel planning, and wake up calls. No task is too big or small for Iris.

If you are ready to streamline your success, maximize your time, and optimize your day, then it’s time for you to hire Iris.

For more information about HireIris, you can text 442-500-IRIS or visit www.HireIris.com.

ATM’s new NEWSLETTER! ffluent Target Marketing is excited to announce the launch of our new exclusive newsletter, available this year for our loyal readers. If you currently enjoy reading the articles that appear in our magazines, then you don’t want to miss out on this great opportunity to learn about and become engaged with even more beneficial material that we have hand-selected specifically for you—the homeowner.

From safety and security tips, exciting home improvement ideas, environmental solutions, and much more, there is so much incredible information available that extends beyond the printed pages of our magazines. Our goal is to deliver this extra material straight to your inbox for an exceptionally convenient reading experience. Additionally, if you have questions or find yourself in need of further expertise, our newsletter will allow you to go one step further and connect with local companies that specialize in specific markets.

Once you have signed up, we will proceed to email you regularly with what’s new and appealing in the industry. Affluent Target Marketing will never share any of your personal information with third parties—our staff simply seeks to provide you with an innovative new way to expand on what our magazines already offer, as well as new ways to connect with local businesses.

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If you are ready to receive vital information for homeowners and additional supplemental reading straight to your inbox, don’t miss this practical chance! Please send your email address to newsletter@affliving.com. You can also call 1-714-446-6280, extension 304 for more details and information about the newsletter.

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gogreen

Finding the Best Organic Produce Has Never Been Easier! e all know what it feels like to purchase fresh organic produce at the store, only to feel overwhelmed over the next few days trying to eat all of your vegetables before they go bad. There’s nothing worse than feeling as though you wasted both good food and money, not to mention the extra time that it took to find truly organic produce.

Luckily, there is a solution to this quite frustrating issue that offers a variety of incredible benefits for your family. When you have a garden full of your favorite produce right in your very own yard, not only do you gain instant access to the veggies you want when you need them, you also gain a fun and educational experience that everyone can enjoy.

Living in beautiful California, our conducive climate allows you to grow just about anything you’d like—popular summer veggies include zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, and corn, while common winter harvests might consist of broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, lettuce and spinach.

Depending on your specific needs and outdoor space, professionals will work with you to establish which produce you want to grow and what size garden boxes need to be installed. Full service gardening that is tailored to your needs

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provides you with options such as drip irrigation, garden maintenance and harvesting. If you have any special requests, such as the need for animal-proof fencing, these concerns can also be addressed.

Additionally, you can be as involved in your garden maintenance as you want. Tasks such as weeding, watering, fertilizing, harvesting and general care can be customized to fit your schedule and preferences. If you have children that want to learn about gardening and help plant and harvest, professionals can teach you and your family how to maintain your garden. Or, if you’d simply like to sit back and watch the professionals work their magic, that’s an option too. The choice is up to you!

If you are ready to feel good about contributing to a healthy planet and a healthier you, then Teca’s Edible Gardens can help. For more information about getting started on your own organic garden, you can call them at 619-995-9005 or email tecasediblegardens@yahoo.com You can also visit them online at www.tecasediblegardens.com

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businessfinance

WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE CONSULTANT

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hether you envision renovation or remodeling projects large or small, necessary or optional, one thing is for sure—it takes meticulous planning in order to improve your home. When the time comes to plan your project, be sure to factor in the following to ensure that your experience is both smooth and successful.

Define the project. A great place to start is by creating a list of things you would like to accomplish. Next, prioritize the list from most important to least important. Keep in mind that your budget might not allow you to complete everything on your list, so it’s crucial to determine your priorities.

Create a budget. Calculate how much you can contribute to the project, and then determine how much you may need to borrow. If you obtain financing for your home improvement, it is an additional expense beyond your current monthly mortgage—so be sure that you can comfortably manage the payment.

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Select a contractor. The contractor with the lowest price may not always be the right person for the job, so be sure to balance long-term quality against cost. Choose the contractor who has proven knowledge for your type of project and the appropriate business licenses. Don’t forget to check references and the Better Business Bureau.

Decide if it’s worth it. Will your home improvement or repair be worth it in the long run? Some improvements that tend to add value include creating visible curb appeal, such as exterior siding, and adding or improving functional living space, such as a master bedroom suite, home office, or kitchen.

A number of factors may determine whether you recover some or all of your expenses, such as how long you remain in your home, the type of improvements you make, and the typical features of homes in your area.

Robin L. Mentzer is a Home Mortgage Consultant with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. She can help you with home improvement planning and loans and other financial planning needs. For more information, you can call Robin L. Mentzer at 619-743-1756.

Home Mortgage Consultant NMLSR ID 502304.

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healthbeautyfitness

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hanging the

YOGA ACCESSORIES

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ame

oga has been around for thousands of years. However, the last decade or two has seen explosive growth, and with growing popularity of the practice also comes change. It’s time to finally face it—athleisure lifestyle is here to stay!

The printed yoga mat industry is one such incredible innovation in the world of yoga. Both avid yoginis, Yvette Charlton and Michaela Moryskova decided to leave their careers in fashion styling and design to become entrepreneurs. Their bohemian inspired yoga brand carries uniquely designed yoga mats, traditional Peshtemal yoga towels for any yoga practice, microfibre towels for hot yoga, performance based printed yoga mats (made from recycled rubber), Ashtanga rugs made of 100% organic cotton and hand-woven in India, and yoga mat slings. The duo is also launching their first ever performance wear line.

In a recent Q&A session, Charlton and Maryskova discussed both the brand and their innovative products.

What was the idea behind La Vie Boheme Yoga? Working in the fashion industry, Michaela had her own accessories brand and Yvette was styling for brands and designers. Sharing a love and appreciation for yoga, they decided to create products that could merge their fashion sense and style with their knowledge of quality performance-based yoga products.

Describe a La Vie Boheme Yoga girl. An LVBY girl is any female that chooses to live comfortably in her own skin. She has a career, lives an active lifestyle, and is not willing to sacrifice aesthetics for function or performance. She appreciates quality, but wants to look stylish and fashionable as well.

How has the launch of your performance wear helped the brand? The company is happy to launch clothing that represents the brand, inspired by cultural elements that have been picked up while traveling. Printed yoga accessories diversify LVBY from other yoga brands, offering an advantage because the collection is more complete. Just about any and all yoga gear as well as apparel is now covered.

How will you stay ahead on recent competition attempting to duplicate your printed yoga brand idea? Any duplication of the LVBY brand is taken as a complement. Yvette and Michaela are both creative designers that will continue to launch innovative ideas that all complement the athleisure lifestyle. Visionaries in the yoga world, they will continue to stay ahead of the trends. For example, a current product is their 100% organic cotton yoga travel rug, which was the original way to practice yoga in India over 5,000 years ago.

Where do you see the company in five years? Becoming a worldwide brand that is a household name.

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PHOENIX YOGA MAT LAYED FLAT

La Vie Boheme Yoga (LVBY) has been in business since July 2013 and has already caught the attention of many major retailers.

You can find La Vie Boheme Yoga products at stores such as Urban Outfitters ™ , Free People™, SWELL, Shopbop.com, and many more. LVBY has distribution in USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Dubai. For more information, you can check out their social media handles @laviebohemeyoga, and you can shop at www.laviebohemeyoga.com.

Photography by: Michaela Moryskova ONLINE AT SANDIEGOLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

healthbeautyfitness Get The Long

You Have Always Dreamed About hen a woman wants long hair, it can be very disheartening to accept the fact that not all hair grows the same way. For many women, no matter how hard they try, their hair simply doesn’t seem to grow past a certain length. Or, maybe it gets longer, but it also starts to thin out and appear stringy.

Hair extensions are an innovative solution that allows women to have the hair they’ve always wanted. However, when considering hair extensions, it’s important to not only understand the product, but to also be familiar with the stylist who will be performing this service and his or her qualifications.

Great Lengths® is a selective salon distribution company, meaning that salons and stylists have to meet strict standards to be eligible to attend the three-day certification training. This is the most intensive and effective training for hair extension application available, which has been recognized as the industry’s best in the category. No other company requires or offers the in-depth education that Great Lengths does. This comprehensive education and training prepares carefully selected stylists for optimum service delivery to clients.

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A Great Lengths hair extension service can literally transform your hair, your appearance, and even your whole outlook! Many times clients will even become overwhelmed with emotion after seeing their new look.

At Hair Lounge and Spa at Cedros, it all starts with a free consultation with Kelly Perez. Kelly will listen to your desires, evaluate your hair for optimum results, and talk about color, volume, length, care, and any questions you may have. Kelly has over 30 years of experience with hair, and was one of the first in the North County area to be certified by Great Lengths. If you are ready to transform your image and your life, you can call Kelly at 858-755-4522, visit www.hairloungeatcedros.com, or email kellyhairlounge@gmail.com.

And Gain A Peaceful Mind and a Healthy Body tress defines the 21st century. For most of us, stress, unfortunately, is an accepted part of our daily life. Our lives are spent stressed out, anxious, and focused on the next item on our to-do list. According to the Mayo Clinic, chronic stress puts your health at risk. Common symptoms of chronic stress related conditions are headaches, hypertension, restlessness, gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, constipation and diarrhea, insomnia, frequent illness, panic attacks, decreased interest in sex, and infertility.

Acupuncture, the oldest (over 3,000 years old) and most widely used form of medicine, provides assistance with both the initial symptoms of stress to the deeper conditions due to chronic stress. The activation of acupuncture points releases endorphins, which balance serotonin and other chemicals in the brain to assist with relaxation and relief from anxiety. During the stress response, three major stress hormones are released: adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol. Studies have shown that acupuncture blocks stress-induced hormones from being released and actually has a protective effect against the stress response. This result allows the body to deal with stressful situations more calmly and effectively.

The World Health Organization continues to add to the growing list of varied conditions proven by clinical trials to be successfully treated by acupuncture.

ONLINE AT SANDIEGOLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

Many of these conditions are associated with or due to chronic stress. In California, acupuncturists are primary care physicians and can bill for services through health insurance if the patient’s plan covers acupuncture.

Science tells us that the effects of stress can be measured. Stress raises blood pressure, encourages blood clots to form, adds fat to our bellies and kills brain cells. The tips of our chromosomes called telomeres are shortened by stress, which decreases cell reproduction and increases the aging process. Stress needs to be addressed today and not when your schedule allows.

For more information, you can contact Jackie Bensinger, L.Ac. with Vibrational Healing Arts, serving the San Diego area since 1995, at 858-505-9444 or visit www.vibrationalhealingarts.net.

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healthbeautyfitness

Reshape Your Body in 20 Minutes!

By John Colman

When Diane Rand reached age 50, she got concerned that her weight was slowly creeping higher and her clothes were feeling too tight. As a practicing physician in San Diego, she knew the diagnosis. “Your muscles atrophy as you age, and this slows down the metabolism,” says Rand. “I knew it would keep getting worse if I didn’t correct it.” The antidote?

Effective weight training. But, she’d never lifted weights before. Plus, her fulltime job as a physician as well as her family life left little time in her schedule for exercise.

Fortunately, Diane read an article about “slow-motion” strength training, a revolutionary new exercise method promising a firmer, stronger, more shapely body from just two 20-minute training sessions per week. Even though the time efficiency and results sounded almost too good to be true, she decided to enroll with a personal trainer at The Perfect Workout, a local company with dozens of private fitness studios specializing in this unique approach.

Right away she noticed immediate increases in her muscle tone and energy.

After several months she’d also dropped one to two clothing sizes and was fitting into clothes which used to be too small.

“My trainer pushes me in a safe way, and I walk away feeling great after each session,” says Diane. “This is the wave of the future.”

Lean Muscles—The Key To Reshaping Your Body The Perfect Workout’s trainers encourage clients to build lean muscle tissue, which increases the body’s metabolism, burning extra calories even while you’re sleeping. Many people—especially women—have a fear of “bulking up” like a

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Physician Diane Rand tones her arms as part of her 20-minute training session in San Diego.

bodybuilder if they were to start strength training. In reality, if you’re older than 25, it’s much more likely that too little muscle is the problem rather than too much muscle. In their book Biomarkers: The 10 Keys to Prolonging Vitality , William Evans, Ph.D., and Irwin Rosenberg, M.D., show the research demonstrating that adults who don’t strength train lose an average of a half pound of lean muscle tissue each year starting at age 25.

As an example, a typical 55-year-old woman will have 15 pounds less lean muscle (and significantly more fat) than what she had at age 25. Muscle takes up less space than fat, so this typical

SAN DIEGO LIVING • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

55-year-old woman has arms and thighs that are softer and less firm, wears a larger clothing size, and has a slower metabolism that burns fewer calories each day.

Effective strength training changes all of this. It increases your body’s metabolism, causing you to burn more fat and calories all day long. Strength training reshapes and tones your legs and arms.

And since muscle takes up 20% less space than fat, adding muscle and losing fat will make your body firmer, smaller, and more shapely. A fit 140-pound person can wear clothes several sizes smaller than an out of shape 140-pound person.

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healthbeautyfitness How Can Slow-Motion Strength Training Work So Quickly?

Slow-motion strength training involves brief and demanding workouts to get great results. The basic concept? Lift relatively heavy weights excruciatingly slowly (10 seconds to lift, another 10 seconds to lower) for as many repetitions as you can until you’re unable to move the weights anymore.

And when you learn to challenge your muscles as deeply as a skilled trainer can teach, it’s impossible to workout much longer than 20 minutes, even if you try. Dr. Philip Alexander, physician and faculty member at Texas A&M University’s College of Medicine, explains that it’s the intensity of exercise that stimulates greatest changes. “A slower repetition loads the muscles more effectively and efficiently. It’s harder!” exclaims Alexander. “That’s why it stimulates such a great total response from the body.”

Dr. Alexander has tracked hundreds of subjects using slow-motion strength training, noting significant improvements in muscular strength, HDL cholesterol profiles, bone density, and glucose tolerance. Other research adds more supporting data. Two separate studies by Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., and one study by Ellington Darden, Ph.D., demonstrate that slow-motion strength training produces 50% to 59% faster improvements than regular weight training. And because the repetitions are harder, each training session must be limited to 20 minutes—making this exercise method quite time efficient.

In 3 months Justin Brunette dropped 4 inches from his waist and lowered his body fat percentage by 6.4% with effective nutrition and weekly 20-minute training sessions at The Perfect Workout.

Joyce Reclaims Her Youthful Figure 54-year-old Joyce Magnuson had always been slim and slender when she was younger. But in her mid 40s, life’s stresses caught up with her and she began gaining weight. “During the next few years, I kept getting heavier, until I was thoroughly broken and disgusted with myself,” says Joyce.

Fortunately, she happened to read an article about slow-motion strength training and how it would reshape her body with just two 20-minute training sessions per week. The effectiveness of the method made sense to Joyce, and she decided to enroll with a personal trainer at The Perfect Workout.

ONLINE AT SANDIEGOLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

In 3 months Laura Retana Shelp lost 23.4 pounds and 10½ inches off her waist with improved nutrition and two 20-minute training sessions a week at The Perfect Workout.

After five months of combining an effective nutrition plan with two 20minute training sessions each week, not only had she gotten stronger, she’d lost 43 pounds and dropped from a size 16 to a size 10. She was also able to get completely off the blood pressure medications that she’d previously needed to take. She adds, “The perk is looking good in the current styles. Even Macy’s keeps me motivated to stay fit!”

The Perfect Workout has dozens of private studios throughout the United States that specialize in one-on-one personal training with the slow-motion strength training method, including these San Diego County locations: Carlsbad (760) 444-2195, Del Mar (858) 345-3051, La Jolla (858) 210-6200, Rancho Bernardo (858) 434-0300, and Mission Valley (619) 757-1001. www.ThePerfectWorkout.com

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healthbeautyfitness

After

Before

f you are a woman who suffers from hair loss and/or hair thinning, you are most likely quite aware of how difficult it can be to find a solution to the problem. Hair thinning and loss are terribly sensitive issues that can have negative effects on anyone’s self esteem.

Some common solutions that exist on the market include unappealing remedies that use chemical adhesives, glue, and even hair trimming or shaving. However, when you are already struggling with hair loss, the last thing you want to do is cause damage to the hair that you still have. As a result, the hunt to find the perfect hair solutions can become extremely disheartening.

The American Hair Loss Association recently sent an online Buyer Beware alert warning the millions of women suffering from hair loss of common misleading trends and scams. Hard, soft, and other chemical related methods are unfortunately very common in the U.S. market. The hair replacement industry in our country tends to look for such methods, which are more commercial. It’s easy to train new stylists how to implement, and it’s easy and fast to implement on all customers, unlike one tried and true method of superior hair restoration: Raz’s ITHL™ Method.

If a solution sounds too good to be true, such as a miracle shampoo that will grow your hair back instantly, it probably is. The ITHL Method, or Integrated Thread Hair Lines, requires top levels of professionalism and experience. This cutting edge, technologically advanced solution is the ideal

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SAN DIEGO LIVING • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

choice for women who don’t want to wear a wig, are fed up with damaging extensions, or don’t want to resort to invasive scalp surgery or medication in order to get thicker hair.

The first step to the boutique approach of Raz International is a consultation with a hair restoration professional so they can learn about you, your lifestyle, and your needs and expectations. This is both cost- and obligationfree. Next, the procedure itself takes place in a relaxing setting with the founder and creator of the ITHL method himself, Amnon Zakay, who is also a client. Here, he will expertly create bridges between your thinning hair with real, 100% human donor hair that matches yours in both density and appearance for a truly natural look.

Amnon, a licensed barber in California and a master hair replacement specialist, has over 32 years of worldwide experience in the hair restoration field. Amnon has been helping women and men with hair loss for over 30 years, and is continuously updating and advancing the ITHL process in order to provide the latest beautification techniques to his clients. It requires minimal maintenance, far less than all other typical bonding methods. You can live a completely normal active life with your new hair—swim, style, shower, clean, and sleep as you always have done.

For more information, you can contact Amnon Zakay at Raz Hair by calling (760) 444-0488 to schedule a free consultation. In your consultation you will watch an educational video showing the actual method and procedure so you can be fully informed before you make any decisions. You can also find more information and video testimonials on their website at www.razhair.com

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Raz’s Actual Client

Before ONLINE AT SANDIEGOLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM