2427 Loma Vista St - Open Today 2-4 and now cool with brand spankin' new a/c!

Tasty delights and a gorgeous home?  That's a win-win.

Sunday 7/24, 2-4 pm

Green Living

Some handy dandy energy saving, water saving, green tips for your home:

The Two-Minute Test
If you aren’t sure about the flow rate of your showerhead, you can test it using a five-gallon bucket and a stopwatch. Turn the shower on full blast (hot and cold). Place a five-gallon bucket under the shower and capture all of the flow. Fill the bucket for exactly two minutes. If your showerhead uses 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) or less, the bucket will not overflow during the two-minute test. If the bucket overflows during the test, you do not have a functioning low-flow showerhead.

Shower Power 
To maximize showering efficiency make sure that you have installed a low-flow showerhead in all of your bathrooms. All showerheads manufactured in the U.S. must restrict flow to 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) or less. Some models are designed to use even less water.

Natural Gas Dryers 
Consider switching to a natural gas clothes dryer, which is typically less expensive to operate than electric dryers, often by as much as 50 percent.

Get a Free Water-Saving Kit
Southern California Gas Company customers can request a free water-saving kit that includes three faucet aerators and a low-flow showerhead:  www.socalgas.com/kit.

What’s Your Water Footprint?
To learn how water-intensive your lifestyle is and how to lessen your “water footprint,” visit Waterfootprint.org.

Recycling No-Nos
Here are five things, according to earth911.org, that will contaminate or thwart paper mills' attempts to recycle paper and cardboard:

• Oil and water don't mix. That large pizza box with the oil imprint will become recycled paper with an oil stain.
• Did your napkin or paper towel blot up a water spill or nail polish remover? It could have been the latter, and, for this reason, napkins and paper towels are not recyclable.
• Plastic linings added to paper products; a perfect example is paper cups.
• Wet newspapers
• Pressure-sensitive adhesives, such as sticky notes, postage stamps, and address labels.

Hang Laundry Out to Dry
Automatic clothes dryers use 6% of total electricity consumed by American homes, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. Save energy, and make your laundry smell extra fresh by putting up a clothesline, just like your grandparents did. Start simple with a few sheets, towels and pillowcases, and if you like the results, gradually do more loads.

Write Stuff
Disposable plastic pens aren’t recyclable or biodegradable. The greener choice is refillable pens, marker, and pencils. When choosing a printer, opt for an inkjet printer, which uses 20 watts of electricity versus 300 watts for a laser printer.

Check for Leaky Faucets
Leaky faucets that drip at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water each year. Not sure if you have a leak? Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.

Install Faucet Aerators
Installing faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads will cut water heating costs by 50 percent and save up to $300 per year.

Save Time, Energy in the Dryer
Add tennis balls or dryer balls to your dryer. They will speed up drying time and save you electricity.

Loma Vista Street - Price Reduction & a/c added!

 Heads up to my readers before it hits the MLS!


This turnkey bettershelter re-fashioned mid-century modern house in Central Pasadena with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths home is getting even more polished – a/c will be added this week and there is a $5000 price reduction on the way.

Open this Sunday 2-4 pm

Pasadena City Council Passes Ordinance Banning Smoking in Multi-Family Building

Earlier this month (July 11, 2011) the Pasadena City Council passed an ordinance which will ban smoking in all multi-family building. (defined as two units or more) Smoking will be banned in all common areas and within the unit themselves, including balconies or patios.
The ban goes into effect immediately for apartment units which are newly constructed or which are being leased or rented for the first time.
It will be unlawful to smoke in ALL multi-family units (including condos and townhomes as well as apartments) effective January 1, 2013.
Property owners, managers, homeowners associations, etc. will be required to post signs noting the no-smoking law but are not responsible for its enforcement. Enforcement of the ordinance will be through the city’s health department.
All lease agreements entered into after January 1, 2012 will incorporate ordinance disclosure information. All purchase agreements after January 1, 2012 are to include a reference to the ordinance and a copy of it. PFAR will be working with city staff to develop disclosure forms and information.

Questions: Laura Olhasso, Government Affairs Director at 626.795.2455.

John Lautner's 100th Birthday Events

Schwimmer residence. Photograph by Tycho Saariste

 Don't miss all the events going on around LA for John Lautner's 100th birthday celebration.  Visit the John Lautner Foundation for more info.

The John Lautner Foundation is pleased to present the John Lautner Turns 100 series this July 16-November 13, 2011. In celebration of what would have been John Lautner’s 100th birthday on July 16, 2011, the series will showcase Lautner’s extraordinary body of work while informing and inspiring the public about the importance of preserving it. Taking place in Los Angeles, California and Marquette, Michigan, programming includes exhibitions, film screenings, home tours, symposia, receptions, and more.

See what events are happening here.

Not to be missed people!!!

Open Today: 2-4 PM BetterShelter's Pasadena 2427 Loma Vista Drive

Come see it - it rocks!  3/2   $649,000  Central Pasadena near Victory Park.

2-4 Today

Loma Vista Shout Out

Thanks sold on the eastside for the shout out!

bettershelter is at it again. and this time, they’ve headed over to my home town of pasadena.
their newest baby is right down the street from victory park, and biking distance to old town pasadena for a friday night dinner and movie. it’s classic bettershelter – wide open floorplan, tons of sunlight, and a fabulous yard just in time for summer.



Open this Sunday 2-4 pm.  Get it while it's hot

Stand Up and Paddle

How great was my 4th of July you ask?  Fantastic!  Thanks to some fun friends and Rocky McKinnon's excellent and patient SUP lesson.  That's short for stand-up paddle board.

Yours truly tackled the mighty waters of Huntington Harbor on a stand-up paddle board built by Rocky himself.  We paddled the Harbor on a beautiful, breezy day and although a bit tired, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Rocky teaches lessons and can custom make you a board of your very own.  And he's not so bad to look at either! (sorry Rocky - had to)

Oh, and who's the only one that fell off their board?  Not me.  The surfer in our group.  Just sayin'.