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.

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.

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:

• Approximately 7,264 square feet
  
• Open workspace and lobby on first floor
• Offices, conference room, cubicles on second floor
• Furnishings optional
• Two wheelchair accessible bathrooms
• Utility and storage closets
• Four HVAC systems
• Triple Net Lease    Dedicated parking spaces in large parking lot
• Convenient location for employees and clients
• Building has Spectrum fiber optics
• Building wired for Boyd Security system
• Well-lit entrances and parking lot
• Above-entrance and monument signage options
• Close to freeway, shops, restaurants, and services
• Weekly grounds maintenance
  

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.

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.

This 40-acre parcel is nestled amongst the mountains of the Rose Valley recreational area in the Los Padres National Forest.

With exceptional mountain views, mostly usable land, and a beautiful, natural setting, this secluded retreat offers an ideal location for a private ranch or weekend getaway.

Historically known as the Gore property and once home to the Mountain Sweet natural spring water company, this versatile property has been used for a family-owned bottled water operation, dry farming Sudan grass and barley for cattle feed, and growing organic snow peas, onions, garlic and other root vegetables to sell to local restaurants.

Rose Valley offers a unique, simpler way of life for folks looking to get away from the city and enjoy a slower-paced lifestyle.

Build your dream home, create an off-grid retreat or simply keep the property as is to enjoy rustic camping in the country with your family and friends. 

Visit the property information page for more photos, or contact Nora to visit the property.

This East Ventura home offers easy access to shops, restaurants, schools, parks, and the freeway and features several updates completed in 2022, including carpet in the living room and bedrooms, interior paint, ceramic cooktop, and the primary bathroom.

In the living room, a brick fireplace creates a cozy space to gather, while the breakfast bar between the dining room and kitchen is a great spot for homework or for guests to chat while you put the finishing touches on dinner.

The kitchen also features tile counters, abundant cabinets, a garden window, and a door to the attached, two-car garage for easily bringing in groceries or loading your car.

All the bedrooms have large closets, and there is also a coat closet in the entry and a linen closet in the hallway for additional storage.

Access the backyard through a sliding door in the living room or French doors in the dining room to enjoy a large patio and grass area with space for a garden, fruit trees, a dog run, or play area.

Visit the property information page for more photos and information about this East Ventura home for sale, or contact Nora Davis today to schedule a tour.

Bike to the beach, cafes, and shops from this charming 1950 bungalow on a corner lot in Midtown Ventura.

This quaint California cottage features original hardwood floors, natural light from large windows, an updated kitchen and bathroom, and large closets and ceiling fans in each of the three bedrooms.

The galley kitchen has two garden windows for your herbs or succulents, as well as a door to a screened porch with built-in benches for enjoying the ocean breeze or expanding your container garden even more.

In the fenced backyard, there is a brick fireplace, wood deck, lawn area, covered porch off the one-car garage, and a concrete patio that could be used for storage, entertaining, or to expand your parking options.

There is also room for a play area, fruit trees, or garden.

In the front yard, enjoy mountain views from the shade of mature trees as you wave to neighbors in this popular neighborhood of unique homes just minutes from the freeway, beach, and all that Ventura has to offer.

For more photos and information about this Ventura home for sale, visit the property information page.

Royal Oaks Ranch is a perfect example of the Ojai lifestyle that draws so many to the valley.

With just a five-minute drive, you can be in the heart of downtown Ojai enjoying boutique shopping, fine dining, weekly farmers markets, spas, galleries, community theater, and concerts in the park.

But you don’t even have to leave the property to enjoy luxury amenities and resort-style living every day with a wine cellar and tasting room, massage room, indoor and outdoor putting greens, driving range, golf swing room, pool, spa, Bocce court, slate chessboard, volleyball and badminton court, family orchard, media room, library, four fireplaces, indoor-outdoor entertaining spaces, dual primary suites, and voice- and phone-controlled lighting and music.

All of this is on five private, gated acres also featuring a private well with stone pumphouse, 10,000-gallon water tank, RV parking with hookups, six-car garages, workshop space, 150-year copper roof, copper gutters, and mountain views.

Features include:

Five bedrooms, five bathrooms
Approximately 6,000 square feet
Covered, wrap-around porch
Four fireplaces
Media room with nine-hole putting green
Wine cellar with tasting room
Library
Gym & massage room
Upstairs laundry room with sink
Two adjoining primary suites
Two, walk-in two-person showers
Vaulted, exposed-beam ceilings
Copper roof and gutters
Large, covered, wrap-around porch
Water softener system
Tankless water heater & recirculating pump
Voice-activated lighting & music
Designed, plumbed & wired for flexibility    
Approximately 5 acres
Six-car garage + workshop
RV parking with hookups
Custom, wrought-iron gate
Swimming pool and spa
Putting green with bunker
Two-person tee box with strike mats
Bocci court
Slate chessboard
Private Well with additional 3hp pump
10,000-gallon water storage tank
Fenced Pasture
Fruit and olive trees
Mature landscaping
Landscape lighting
Multiple viewing decks and seating areas
Mountain views
Less than five minutes to downtown Ojai

Visit the property information page for more photos and information, or contact Nora Davis to schedule a tour.