You will not want to miss this Ojai estate sale taking place Saturday (March 18) and Sunday (March 19) from 8:00am to 2:00pm.
This is the first in a series of sales that will include furnishings, art, and household items once used to furnish the houses at Matilija Canyon Ranch, including the historic Dent House, which was moved there in the 1980s. When Matilija Canyon Ranch was sold, the furnishings were moved into storage, and now will be sold through a series of estate sales, since there are far too many items for just one sale. Here is some of what you will find at this sale: Antiques Antique Furniture Art Jewelry Linens & Vintage Linens China Kitchenware Outdoor Pottery Outdoor Furniture Books Bronze Statue Antique Lamps Rustic Ranch Style Decor White Wicker Furniture Cameras and Equipment Rugs Pottery Antique Lanterns Smart TVs Beds & Bedding Couches And more!!!! Hope to see you there! Visit the sale's Web page for lots of photos and more information, including the address: Estate Sale Information and Photos
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Enjoy mountain views and the ocean breeze from this two-bedroom bungalow just minutes from the beach and steps from shops, restaurants, art galleries, event spaces, and a community park.
The close proximity to the freeway allows for a convenient commute, while the nearby bike trail offers leisurely rides to the shops and beaches of Ventura or the boutiques and hiking trails of Ojai. This over-sized lot has plenty of room for a second house to increase rental income or provide space for expanded family. Plans for a second home are available to the buyer. If a second house is not needed, there is plenty of space for a large vegetable garden, play area, dog run, other hobbies, or outdoor entertaining. There is also gated RV parking, a shed for extra storage, gravel driveway, and low-maintenance landscaping. Inside, enjoy natural light through large windows, easy-care LVT flooring, remodeled kitchen, newer paint, and a large laundry room. This Ventura home for sale went into escrow for over the asking price the first day it was on the market, so give us a call if you missed out on this one but are interested in finding something similar. I love spring cleaning. Really, I love any excuse to clean and organize, but I get so busy with work that it is easy for me to fall behind. That makes this annual cleaning ritual a great time to catch up on things like vacuuming refrigerator coils and purging belongings I no longer need. This usually results in a few boxes of things to get rid of, which is not really enough for a garage sale but is a bit too much to set at the curb for folks to go through without upsetting your neighbors. This provides a perfect opportunity to combine spring cleaning and supporting local organizations. The most direct way to turn your spring cleaning into support for local charities is to donate items directly to organizations that need them. For example, the Ojai Raptor Center (OjaiRaptorCenter.com) maintains wish lists on its website that include some common household items, like newspaper, masking tape, scrub brushes, shade cloth, and various medical supplies. The Humane Society of Ventura County (HSVC.org) also maintains lists of items they need, including towels, blankets, office supplies, cleaning supplies, puppy pads, litter boxes with covers, flashlights, rubber toys, and unopened bags of dry food. Organizations that accept donations of items they need to assist with delivering their services will only want specific items they can use. However, if you have a variety of items that are not on these wish lists, you can still donate the stuff you no longer need to help local causes. For example, you can donate household goods and clothing to the Goodwill in Oak View or you can donate them to the 2nd HELPings thrift store donation center in Ojai (370 Baldwin Road) so that the items can be sold to support the services offered by HELP of Ojai. HELP of Ojai is also set up to receive donations through selling for charity on eBay. If you would like to support this organization (or another of your choice), simply go to eBay, use the charity search function to choose a charity to receive a portion of your earnings, sell and ship the items, and then receive a donation receipt for your tax files. If that sounds like a bit too much work, you might consider consigning your items at The Lennon Closet to support the Brain Rehabilitation and Injury Network (B.R.A.I.N.) traumatic brain injury charity instead. Described as a “fine family consignment store” and located at 250 B East Ojai Avenue, The Lennon Closet accepts consignments on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10:00am on Fridays and donates 1% of all sales to this cause. You can also head to Ventura for other thrift shops that accept donations, such as SPARC Second Chance Store, Cats Cradle Thrift Store & Adoption Center, the Battered Women’s Thrift Store, Boys and Girls Club of Ventura Thrift Store & Vintage, ARC Thrift Store, or the Assistance League of Ventura County Thrift Store. If you have a favorite charity you would like to support that is not included above, you can also gather your castoffs, have a garage sale, and donate the proceeds to them. There are so many great organizations and causes to support in Ojai. If you are not sure where to donate your garage sale cash, here are just a few you might look into to see if they align with your values: Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, OjaiCARES, Ojai Music Festival, Secure Beginnings, Turtle Conservancy, The Ojai Foundation, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, All for Love Animal Rescue, Greyfoot Cat Rescue & Sanctuary, and California Coastal Horse Rescue. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Ojai’s favorable climate allows residents to enjoy outdoor living in every season, which we have all been taking advantage of even more over the last few years. This has led to a trend towards improving outdoor living areas and maximizing space to get the most out of our backyards. If you have done all you can to expand your patio, repurpose your lawn area, and take advantage of every inch of your backyard but still have more you would like to add or upgrade, it might be time to take a look at those long, narrow side yards on either side of your house. Side yards are often considered too small to use for much more than storing waste bins or yard tools, but, with a little inspiration, you can transform one or both of your side yards into usable space to serve you or your family better. Here are seven ways to make your side yards more functional and maximize your home’s outdoor space. Toy Storage – Pool toys, dog toys, backyard games, and children's toys all need to be stored somewhere when not in use. Adding some outdoor shelving units or deck boxes to your side yard is an easy, affordable way to create out-of-the-way storage for items frequently used in your backyard. This will clean up your pool area, patio, or wherever you are currently storing them and allow that space to be put to better use. Horseshoe Pit – If your side yard is long enough for a horseshoe pit, this is a great spot to tuck one away, since this type of backyard feature is usually used only infrequently during social gatherings. This way, you have a permanent horseshoe pit that is always ready for action but is not taking up valuable space in your main outdoor living areas. Bocce Court – Most side yards are not large enough to accommodate a 90-foot-long and 13-foot-wide regulation bocce court or even the 60 feet by 12 feet recommended for backyard options, but you can go as small as 20 feet by six feet and still have a functional court. Play Area – If your kitchen, office, or another room where you spend lots of time has a window overlooking the side yard, this extra space might make a good play area. Dog Run – If it is not an ideal area for your kids to play, it still might work nicely for your dogs. Side yards are perfect for out-of-the-way dog runs where your dogs can safely be outside when you are at work or entertaining guests in your outdoor living areas. Cutting Garden or Shade Garden – If your side yard gets good sun, you can beautify this space and make it functional by planting a cutting garden to create fresh flower bouquets for your home. If it does not receive good sun, consider planting a shade garden filled with colorful plants that thrive in the narrow space between your house and your fence. Seating Area – Create a cozy seating area in your side yard for reading, enjoying your morning coffee, or providing a spot to find some peace and quiet during social gatherings. If your side yard transformation requires plants, patio furniture, flowerpots, or professional installation, support the local economy by using local contractors and buying from locally owned shops. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
According to a handful of studies I looked at before writing this, somewhere between 80% and 90% of New Years resolutions are abandoned shortly after making them. This is often due to goals being too ambitious, too vague, too much of a departure from our current lifestyles and interests, depriving us of something we really enjoy, or too focused on achieving a particular goal rather than improving our lives by increasing or reducing behaviors. Life is difficult enough without us being hard on ourselves or setting ourselves up for failure by establishing unrealistic goals. So, this year, maybe we should all consider focusing more on progress than perfection, setting intentions instead of rigid goals, and sticking with resolutions that we can keep and that will improve our lives, health, or community involvement at least a little. One of the key components in making resolutions you can keep is making them measurable and being specific. For example, instead of a vague goal like “I am going to walk more,” try something you can easily quantify like, “I am going to walk three additional miles each week.” Secondly, your goals are going to be easier to achieve if they help you live in line with your values. As I mentioned in last year’s New Year column, one thing that many of us gained in the pandemic is clarity regarding our priorities. We now have a better understanding of what is important to us and deserves our energy. If your resolutions help you live in line with these values, they will be easier and more satisfying to accomplish. Something else that will help you keep your resolutions this year is building on goals you are already achieving. An example would be expanding the water-saving efforts you have already fully incorporated into your life to gently push yourself to up your water-conservation game even more. This might include adding another rain barrel to your gutter system, expanding your drip system, or reducing your family’s meat consumption. Whatever you choose for your resolutions this year, remember to be kind to yourself, grateful for the loved ones in your life, and committed to making time for self-care. Here’s to the new year! May it bring you peace, joy, love, and prosperity however you define each of those. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Your front porch is the space where you shrug off the outside world before entering your sanctuary, where you send your family off with well wishes for the day, and where you welcome guests to your home. How this space looks influences the first impression your neighbors and guests have of your home and lets them know what they can expect to find inside. Most folks want their homes to be welcoming and inviting. If this is your goal, your front porch is the ideal place to start. Here are five ways you can freshen the look of your front porch to start the new year off right. 1. Paint Your Front Door Painting your front door is an easy, affordable way to instantly increase your home’s curb appeal and add a fun pop of color to liven up your home’s façade. You might simply choose your favorite color for your front door, or you might want to do a little research to find the perfect color based on current trends, historic trends, or feng shui principles. For example, in Early American tradition, a red door was a symbol of hospitality to welcome people into your home. If inspired by feng shui principles, a red door would represent the element of fire and might be chosen for good luck and protection. 2. Wash the Windows If you are looking for an even more affordable way to freshen the look of your front porch, wash the windows. It is amazing what a difference clean windows can make. 3. Clear the Clutter If your porch has become a catch-all for work boots, sporting equipment, dog leashes, or toys, you can easily improve the look of your front entry by clearing the clutter. If you do not have anywhere else to conveniently store these oft-used items, create some simple storage solutions to keep them organized. Even muddy work boots look more organized if they are sitting on a boot tray by the front door. 4. Replace Your Porch Light If you have not replaced your porch light in the last decade, this small home improvement project is a quick way to update the look of your home. This task is best completed by a professional, so hire a local electrician for this one. 5. Add Seating Even a small porch likely has room for some type of seating. A small bistro set, a bench, or even a stool provides a spot to take off your shoes, set packages, or enjoy your morning coffee. Having some type of seating on your porch also creates a more welcoming space to invite neighbors and guests into your home. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
This approximately 7,264-square-foot Ventura commercial space for rent is ideally located for employees, vendors, and customers. It is close to freeways, shops, restaurants, and services in one of Ventura’s most popular commercial districts near the bustling area around Telephone and Main. The square footage is divided almost equally between two floors. The first floor has the main entrance, a side entrance leading to the parking lot, a lobby or reception area, two wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, a storage closet, and two large, open spaces that were most recently used as labs but could also be used for manufacturing, assembly, shipping, or office space. Each of the large rooms downstairs has its own HVAC system, and one of the rooms has built-in cabinets and work areas. The second floor has a large, open office space with cubicles and an office manager’s desk, a conference room, lunch area with sink, and three separate offices, one of which also has a file or storage room. This floor is currently furnished with cubicles, conference table and chairs, desks, filing cabinets, whiteboards, and other items that can help a new or growing company save money on office furnishings. These items can remain without warranty or can be removed if your company has its own setup. The upstairs also has two HVAC systems and is accessed by two staircases, one leading to the lobby and main area, and the other leading to the side entrance to the parking lot. Both entrances and the parking lot are well-lit at night, and there are dedicated parking spaces and shared spaces in the parking lot. Signage options include space over the main entrance and a monument sign at the street in front of the main entrance. The building has Spectrum fiber optics for high-speed Internet and is wired for alarm service by Boyd Security. The downstairs is supplied with 220 electrical. The other two tenants in this building are medical offices. Features include:
This Ventura commercial space for rent is offered with a triple net lease at $1.65 per square foot. Tenants are responsible for all utilities.
Visit the property information page for more photos. Contact AimeeJo for more information or to schedule a showing. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms Breakfast bar Crown molding in living room Tile floors in bathrooms Carpet in bedrooms Ceiling fans Open floor plan Attached, two-car garage Patio with pergola Dog run Fruit trees Hot tub Mountain views Close to Ojai Valley Trail and Lake Casitas This three-bedroom Oak View home for sale is perfectly situated for enjoying the Ojai Valley lifestyle with an easier commute to Ventura and closer proximity to Lake Casitas.
The Ojai Valley Trail runs behind the property, the local community center is just a short walk away, and Oak View’s shops and services are within a short drive or bike ride. Start your morning with a cup of coffee on the covered front porch where you can wave to neighbors as they walk their dogs along the sidewalks that line this popular neighborhood’s streets. Then, spend the evening soaking away the stress of the day in the hot tub under the stars. There is also an attached, two-car garage with a laundry area, a dog run for your four-legged family members, peach and apricot trees for fresh fruit, crown molding, a breakfast bar, tile floors in the bathrooms, cozy carpet and ceiling fans in the bedrooms, and a large window in the living room for you to enjoy natural light and mountain views. Visit the property information page for more photos and information, or contact Nora to schedule a showing. One of the many benefits of living in Southern California is that we can enjoy fresh produce from our backyard gardens any time of the year. There is a wide variety of foods that can be grown even in the coldest months, but winter is a particularly good time for growing lettuces and leafy greens for use in salads, juicing, and side dishes. Some varieties, such as kale, taste better when grown in cooler weather, while others are simply too fragile to thrive in Ojai’s summer heat and must be grown in winter. Here are 10 tips for growing your own winter greens to get you started with this healthy hobby. 1. Raised garden beds are a great option that allow you to better control your soil content. While kale likes nutrient-rich soil that is not high in nitrogen, many winter greens thrive with a bit of nitrogen added to the soil, so amend your soil according to the greens you are growing. 2. Many leafy greens like their soil moist, which is another reason it is best to grow them during the rainy season to reduce the need for supplemental irrigation. 3. Avoid wasting water by growing your greens in shallow containers with plenty of soil for their shallow root systems but no excess soil to soak up water. 4. Consider starting your seeds indoors if you are planting early when the weather is still pretty warm or planting late and the temperature is already regularly dipping below 50 degrees. 5. Succession planting is the key to enjoying an ongoing harvest throughout winter and spring. Plant a few seeds of each variety each week to significantly extend your harvest. 6. You can also extend your harvest by taking only what you intend to use right away and harvesting leaves at the outer edges of the plant. 7. Growing winter greens from seeds is pretty easy; however, if your thumb is not all that green, you may achieve better results by starting your garden from seedlings from one of our local nurseries. 8. Another way to help ensure success is to choose easier-to-grow greens, such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or rocket lettuce. Most greens are easy to grow, but these are even easier, so they might be better options for beginner gardeners. 9. If you do not have room for a vegetable garden, grow your greens in containers on your patio, a vertical garden, or in small pots on a windowsill. 10. Add a layer of mulch around the base of your plants to help retain moisture and protect the roots. 11. Consider a simple hydroponics system for growing leafy greens indoors. I grow leafy greens both in soil and hydroponically and would recommend either one for gardeners with any level of experience. Using a hydroponic system allows you to grow greens indoors all year – not just in winter – so that is a bonus. You can purchase an indoor hydroponics system that is complete with grow lights and a pump, but it is also possible to start with a much simpler and more affordable, do-it-yourself option, such as using the Kratky method, which you can easily learn with a quick Internet search. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Fall is my favorite time of year. While we may not enjoy the beautiful displays of entire forests of leaves changing color, it is nice to finally ditch sundresses and sandals for cozy sweaters and boots. It is also nice to be able to spend time working in the garden now that the temperature has dropped enough to actually enjoy outdoor activities. Here is some fall garden inspiration to help you get as excited as I am about getting back out in the garden. Plant an herb garden. Fall is a great time to plant an herb garden for you and your family to enjoy. Since our climate allows for year-round growing, you can plant just about any herb you would like, but you will have the best luck starting herbs that prefer cooler weather, such as mint, sage, rosemary, lavender, parsley, or thyme. Any of these can be used both as culinary herbs and as ornamental plants, so consider planting an edible border or incorporating culinary herbs into your flowerbeds. Remember that mint is a thug, so it is best to manage its growth by planting it in a container. Plant leafy greens. Sweater weather is on its way, which means it is time to start planting our leafy greens. Varieties of kale, lettuce, and spinach do well throughout fall and winter, so these are good choices for your fall garden. To extend your harvest period, practice succession planting by sowing seeds every two weeks. This will allow you to enjoy fresh greens from your garden well into late spring. If you have limited space, skip the lettuces, and opt for kale or spinach, which offer greater nutritional value and more versatility in the kitchen. Plant fall vegetables. While it is generally best to start your fall garden a bit earlier in the year, there is still time to plant cool season vegetables, like beets, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, peas, carrots, cauliflower, onions, garlic, and celery. Like with your leafy greens, you can extend the harvest period by practicing succession planting. With foods like radishes or beets, determining how many you and your family will eat each week will help you decide how many seeds to sow for each round of succession planting. Consider container gardening. If you have limited space for gardening or want to expand your garden beyond your raised beds, there are many food plants that grow well in containers. I like using fabric containers to expand my garden area so that I can fold them up and store them when not in use. I particularly like tall, fabric containers for growing potatoes and sweet potatoes, since this makes them easier to move around and easier to dump out at harvest time. Home maintenance tip: It is time to start using our heaters, which means it is time to change our HVAC filters. The coming months will also likely bring some rain, as well as the Santa Ana winds, so it is a good time to clean your gutters to reduce the risk of water damage or gutter debris catching fire. If you need a professional to perform these tasks, remember to support our local economy by hiring local contractors. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a member of The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
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