This will be fun for the whole family.  The event will be held on September 11th and 12th.

Activities include:

• Nature based arts and crafts
• Nature hike led by a Naturalist
• Games and crafts
• A campfire with s’mores
• Music, dinner and breakfast.

If you decide to attend, please bring the following:

• Tent & sleeping bags
• Chairs
• Flashlight
• Personal refillable water bottle, snacks, change of clothes & personal items

Check-in 3:00pm • Activities begin at 4:30pm • Check-out Sunday 10:00am

The cost is $15 per person for Dublin residents and $17 for non-residents.
Registration is underway (use Activity Number 24833).

PLEASE, NO PETS
For more information please call 556-4500. To register go online to www.DublinRecGuide.com or visit the Shannon Community Center, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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Bankrate.com 

• 30 Year Fixed Rate: 4.66 percent
• 30 Year Fixed Rate Jumbo: 5.34 percent
• 15 Year Fixed Rate: 4.11 percent
• 5/1 ARM (Adjustable): 3.95 percent
• 1 Year ARM (Adjustable): 4.80 percent 

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association:

• Mortgage applications rose 1.3 percent when compared to a week earlier
• Refinance applications shot up 1.3 percent when compared to a week earlier
• Applications for new purchases increased 1.5 percent

According to the National Association of Realtors:

• Pending home sales fell 2.6 percent in June when compared to a month earlier
• Sales were also down 18.6 percent year over year.

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Bankrate.com 

• 30 Year Fixed Rate: 4.74 percent
• 30 Year Fixed Rate Jumbo: 5.48 percent
• 15 Year Fixed Rate: 4.22 percent
• 5/1 ARM (Adjustable): 4.06 percent
• 1 Year ARM (Adjustable): 4.79 percent 

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association:

• Mortgage applications rose 6.7 percent when compared to a week earlier
• Refinance applications shot up 9 percent and are at 13-month highs
• Applications for new purchase dipped 2 percent

According to the National Association of Realtors:

• Pending home sales fell 30 percent in May when compared to a month earlier
• Sales were also down 15.9 percent year over year.

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We called ahead for reservations and learned that you can reserve a table for dinner and work in a quick wine tasting beforehand at the within-walking-distance Vineyard Tasting Room.  Thinking that sounded like a great evening, it quickly became our anniversary plan.  We thought to have about an hour to taste right before dinner, since the Vineyard Tasting Room closes at 6:30 PM. Great plan, but we got there behind schedule, leaving us a very short amount of time to taste.  Our wine server saved the day by suggesting we share a flight, which worked out really well.  We shared the Nth Degree flight for around $10 and each had several sips of some nice wines. A perfect way to start out any anniversary dinner. 

Even the two minute walk to and from the parking lot between the Tasting Room and the Restaurant was nice due to the beautiful wedding taking place on the grounds.  The scene was serene, with the Restaurant’s patio humming with patrons enjoying the sun-soaked early evening. 

My wife and I both feel that the service that night was excellent.  From the host/manager who sat us to our waiter with his knowledgeable recommendations, we really got the impression that the restaurant was infused with class and elegance simply by their skilled delivery.  Our food was wonderful, including a Mary’s Farm chicken dish and a recommended pan stew.  Even the bread and butter brought at the beginning of the meal were notable, including a light sprinkle of salt on the butter.  My wife said that the word “fresh” kept coming to her mind, with the veggies being a consistent standout.  We had a fritto misto appetizer that was crunchy and light (even though fried), however both of us felt that there was a mysterious fried item (was it lemon slices?) that created an odd flavor.  We also ordered a side dish of baby artichokes that was a nice accompaniment.  Sweetly, Wente created an assorted cookie/truffle plate for us spelling out a chocolatey “Happy Anniversary!”  It’s the little things that make all the difference.

At the end of this special evening, more magic wafted around our table as a well-meaning, older couple leaned over and expressed that we must always remember how important it is to fit alone time into the daily hectic schedule of young family life.  Agreed.  And this night was so memorable that it will be a bookmark in our lives, serving as that important reminder.  Thanks, Wente.

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A few years back, my family and I started a vegetable garden project.  We have just a wee bit of space in our backyard where we plant vegetables and herbs.  The kids get a kick out of it, and my wife loves to use the “fruit” of our labors in her cooking.  We’ve come to realize that our tiny garden (and our novice gardening skills) really delivers in a few varieties, but is not so stellar at more.  We can do tomatoes, peppers and herbs successfully, and unfortunately not much else.  So, in preparation for this year’s crop, I thought it might be smart to look for a few classes that would help us be more successful backyard gardeners. 

Here’s a sampling of gardening classes coming up this spring in the Tri-Valley, including Danville, Livermore, Pleasanton and San Ramon:

Navlet’s in Danville: http://www.navletsgardens.com/2010-classes.html
Soil Preparation Basics (mini-class): Saturday 3/6 at 11 AM
Berries, Berries, Berries with Buzz Bertolero, The Dirt Gardener: Saturday 3/13 at 2 PM
Edible Gardens (mini-class): Saturday 4/3 at 11 AM and 3 PM
Just Tomatoes with Buzz Bertolero, The Dirt Gardener: Saturday 4/10 at 2 PM

Alden Lane in Livermore: http://aldenlane.com/alnsclass.html
Get Ready to Vegetable Garden, Saturday 3/27 at 10AM
Herb & Vegetable Pot Planting, Saturday 4/17 at 10 AM

Western Garden Nursery in Pleasanton: http://westerngardennursery.com/
Vegetable Gardening/Soil Preparation, Saturday 3/6 at 10AM
Vegetable Gardening/Soil Preparation, Sunday 3/7 at 1 PM

San Ramon Library in San Ramon:
Glorious Gardens in San Ramon - Starting a Spring Garden,
with Janet Miller, Contra Costa Master Gardener
Saturday, March 13, 2-4 PM

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We all spend a lot of time indoors, whether it is in our own Tri-Valley homes or at our place of business.  Most people don’t realize that often the air inside our home could be more of a problem that the air we are breathing outdoors.  This is especially true during the winter time when opening your windows becomes more of an infrequent event.

An article by Consumer Reports magazine, goes on to list a variety of sources that cause indoor air pollution and ways to reduce their negative impact. I have listed some of those below from the article.

Problem Sources:

• The fireplace
• Air fresheners
• A shedding cat or dog
• Dusty furniture
• Aerosol spray
• Dust mites in bedding
• A poorly ventilated kitchen range

Solutions:

• To discourage dust mites, encase your pillows, mattresses, and box springs in dust-mite-proof covers. Wash very dirty or dusty laundry in the hottest water.
• Ventilate - Cooking, cleaning, using hair spray, and polishing your nails can release volatile organic compounds that are linked to a variety of health problems. Use exhaust hoods or fans in the kitchen and bathroom to reduce your exposure and minimize humidity that can cause mold and mildew. Before you use your fireplace, make sure the flue damper is wide open. Poor ventilation can allow pollutants to stay in the air.
• Eliminate Odors - Find the source of bad smells and clean it up. Using a box of baking soda in the area instead of air fresheners makes more sense.  Air fresheners cost more and can contain VOCs and phthalates.
• Clean Effectively - Because dust can harbor pollen, pet dander, bacteria, mites, mold, and mildew, dust furnishings regularly with a damp rag or an electrostatically charged duster. Vacuum often.
• Control Pets and Critters - Seal cracks and crevices and put food away. You’ll be less apt to attract pests and need to use pesticides. To minimize your exposure to pet dander, don’t allow pets to hang around slleping areas and on furniture.

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• Bake a cake together for Washington’s Birthday. She was thinking of a box cake mix with an American flag in frosting and just possibly berries or sprinkles, but check out this blog’s intense listing of presidentially-inspired desserts.
• Visit the Whitehouse’s site for kids. This is an informative site with loads of information. Her best bets for kid appeal are the following: the White House/Presidents, the White House/First Ladies, Photos & Videos (especially Photo Galleries (there’s a real cute one of Bo in the snow!), and the White House/Air Force One.
• Peruse the website for George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, especially under the Learn tab. There are some very cool facts and photos for the kids to view, as well as just plain fun games and puzzles under Washington’s World for Kids.

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I thought it might be helpful to research some of the restaurants in the Tri-Valley that offer Kids Eat Free deals.  To do this, I went online and found that there are whole websites devoted to Kids Eat Free finding.  You can just plug in your zip code or choose a city near you and the website displays Kids Eat Free deals based on your search. A lot of these deals are marketed via word of mouth, so it can be a hunt of sorts to discover them.

At the time of writing this article, the restaurants that I discovered offering Kids Eat Free deals around the Tri-Valley are: Carrows in Dublin (Wednesday & Thursday (4PM-Close)), Chevy’s  in San Ramon, Pleasanton and Livermore (Tuesday), Denny’s in Danville and Pleasanton (Tuesday and Saturday (5PM-10PM)), IHOP in Dublin (Tuesday & Thursday (4PM-9PM)), Marie Callendar’s in San Ramon (Tuesday & Saturday), Izzy’s Steaks and Chops in San Ramon (Sunday & Monday) and Pasta Pomodoro in San Ramon (Tuesday). For all of these restaurants, you must pay for an adult entrée to get a kid’s meal off of the Kids’ Menu for free (at Denny’s you can have up to two kids’ meals free per paid adult entrée). The Kids Eat Free deal age limit is usually based on the age of the restaurants’ Kids’ Menu and some restaurants have time frames etc., so, be sure to call ahead to confirm their Kids Eat Free deal is still on and to understand of all of its requirements and “fine print.”

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Lucky thing is you’ve got some great choices for adventure near and far.  Staying in the Tri-Valley - you could do Super Franks in Pleasanton, Campo di Bocce in Livermore, or Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl in Dublin. (All are open tomorrow)  Wandering a little further out, there’s always a trip to a museum - Lawrence Hall of Science or Chabot Space & Science Center are only thirty minutes or so away.  Looking for more of a drive, you could venture for a day to Sausalito and include the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

Here’s a list of some Bay Area museums that are open on Monday’s holiday:

• Lawrence Hall of Science, Open Daily 10AM-5PM (510) 642-5132
• Chabot Space & Science Center, Open 10AM-5PM on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (510) 336-7300
• Habitot, Open 9:30-4:30PM, BONUS! - Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration (510) 647-1111
• Bay Area Discovery Museum, Open 9AM-4PM, BONUS! - Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration (415) 339-3900
• Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, Open 10AM-4PM, BONUS! - Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration (408) 298-5437

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What’s acceptable in your Green Waste cart (according to the recent flyer from Waste Management):

• Anything edible
• Coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags
• Fruit and vegetable peels and pits
• Food-soiled paper products: cups, plates, napkins, paper towels, pizza boxes, waxed ice cream, milk and juice cartons, grocery bags and newspaper used as pail liners
• Green waste: plant clippings, leaves and grass, branches and twigs
• Uncoated wood: no paint, stain or varnish

There should be NO plastic or styrofoam placed in your Green Waste cart!

If you are a Valley Waste Management customer, you can recycle your food scraps and food-soiled paper in 3 steps:

1. Collect acceptable items in a re-usable kitchen container or in a compostable container, like a brown paper bag or ice cream carton.
2. Place acceptable items in your Green Waste cart with your yard trimmings.  Make sure your cart lid closes completely.
3. Set out your Green Waste cart for your weekly pick-up. 

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Livermore:

Rockin’ In The New Year

Doo-wop performances, comedy and a complimentary wine, champagne and dessert reception immediately following really cover your bases at this New Year’s Eve festive event at the beautiful Bankhead Theater. Showtime is at 8PM. Tickets are $98, $88, or $78.  For more details, visit Livermore Performing Arts or call 925.373.6800.

Boomers! New Year’s Event

From 9PM - 1AM on New Year’s Eve at Boomers!, $17 will get you unlimited Go-Karts, Lazer Tag, Miniature Golf, Bumper Boats, and Video Games (excludes tickets games).  A prize balloon drop at midnight for all guests!  And… for the fist 50 people there will be complimentary tiaras, hats, noisemakers and sparkling apple cider.  For more details, visit boomersparks.com or call 925.447.7275.

Pleasanton:

New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Hilton Pleasanton at the Club

See a live performance of Ryze the Band and enjoy DJ Jammin J spinning tunes to make you “move & groove.”  Individual tickets and room packages available. For more information, visit the Hilton Pleasanton  or call 925.737.5623.

Start Planning for the follwing Year - New Year’s Eve Ball at the Mall - 12/31/10

A gala event at the Stoneridge Mall benefiting Axis Community Health, Tri Valley Haven, School of Imagination, and Valley Humane Society. From 9PM-1AM, featuring two live bands, a variety of games, hors d’oeuvres, party favors and a glass of champagne at midnight (in a souvenir glass). Three ticket packages available, starting at $75. For more information, visit Ball at the Mall or call 925.292.8058.

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As I was driving, I thought about the reliability of these homes and their owners.  Year after year, they put in what must be countless hours building their displays, hanging their lights, setting out their inflatables - for the enjoyment of their fellow Tri-Valley residents.  What kindness! What holiday spirit!  I am amazed at the dedication.  It is because of you homeowners that we are able to enjoy our Christmas light viewing tradition, and we thank you.

A Few Light Looking tips:

• You can always go to lightsofthevalley.com to plan your route first.  We now have our family’s favorites down pat and pay visit to them year after year, but if you haven’t gone light looking much or are on the hunt for a new favorite, give this website a try.  One of our favorite homes is on the website for San Ramon on Ascot Drive.  Gotta love the light show and radio combo!
• Try letting your kids plan your route.  You may not travel in a concise geographical order, but they’ll feel great about getting to plan a holiday tradition.
• It’s not really necessary what with car heaters these days, but you could encourage your kids to bring blankets to snuggle with on the drive. My wife suggested this one year, and, every year after, the kids remember the blankets for these trips.  Proven to add to your Light Looking excitement!
• Make sure to play that Christmas music!  It’s easy to forget to turn on the radio or bring the CD, but it will add the extra sparkle to your evening of fun.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!!!

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In the Tri-Valley area, default and distress properties have been waning. The last few months have seen less foreclosure and short sale properties come on to the market.  Six months to over a year ago, these default and distressed homes where primarily found in the lower to middle price ranges. Many of the homeowners in this price range had secured subprime mortgages which later resulted in big problems and consequently led to foreclosures and short sales. Now, things are beginning to shift away from the lower to middle priced homes.  More homes at the middle to upper price ranges are expected to become default and distress sales according to a recent New York Times article.  “Plenty of pain yet to come,” said Joseph Shapiro, chief United States economist for MFR.

In talking to homeowners, I have identified that some homeowners at the higher price points have been more equipped financially to survive the downturn in the market.  Despite job losses or reduction in income, they have been able to live off savings or the liquidation of stock for a longer period of time.  Some have been able to adjust their lifestyle while others have found jobs to replace lost income. However, for those who have not been able to overcome their hardship, they are faced with the grim reality that their life savings is being wiped out.  They may be left with no choice but to consider giving up their home to short sale or foreclosure.

On top of the potential for more default and distressed sales, another factor that could weigh in on home sales is a rise in interest rates.  Rates have been maintained at an artificial level for some time due to the Federal Reserves purchase of mortgage-backed securities.  Once this halts, interest rates could float higher which could limit a buyer’s purchase power and in some cases remove them as a candidate to purchase a home.  Less demand results in fewer transactions.  Less transactions results in home sellers’ inability to move their product.  And, if you can’t sell your home, then lowering your price may be the only option.

On a positive note, two factors that might limit the deep freeze on home sales are the housing tax credit and supply and demand of available homes. The tax credit was extended for first-time homebuyers and also expanded for existing homeowners who are looking to purchase. This should only drive more buyers to take advantage of the tax credit and actually make a home purchase. In addition, supply remains relatively low in Dublin, Pleasanton and San Ramon.  Homes have been coming on the market and getting gobbled up within a few days or weeks.  In some cases, sellers are experiencing multiple offers.  If these two factors continue, it may be just what the doctor ordered to counteract the items mentioned above and prevent a downward slide for home sales in the future.

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You and your family can visit downtown Pleasanton to see many scarecrows that are on display at local businesses and vote for your favorite.  You will receive a raffle ticket to bring back on Halloween to possibly win your favorite scarecrow! 

During the Farmer’s Market on Halloween, all scarecrows are on display at The Museum on Main from 10AM-2PM.  You can also purchase additional raffle tickets to win a scarecrow.  There’s more!  You can enter the Carved Pumpkin Contest from 9-10AM or just judge your favorite from 10-2PM.  Also, there’s a Fall Dessert Contest, for $5 per ballot you can taste and vote on your favorite dessert from downtown locations.  And at 12PM, there will be a scavenger hunt where kids (costumes encouraged) draw a starting point card to figure out clues through downtown locations. 

Check online at pleasantondowntown.net or call 925.484.2199 for all the event details.

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In a recent article by Strategic Equity, Dave Muti, author of “Mortgages:  What You Need to Know,” was asked how a credit score is calculated and tips for increasing it. The Fair Isaac Corporation created the most common credit score used today - the FICO score.  It ranges between 350 and 850.  The higher the score, the better the interest rate you can secure.  720 is the credit score threshold that you don’t want to drop below in order to secure the best rates.  If you drop below 500, you may not even be able to secure a mortgage.

The following are five critical credit criteria reported in the article:

1. Payment History - This pertains to your track record for paying your bills. It makes up 35% of your score. Essentially, this means paying your bills on time. A mortgage “late” is much more serious than a credit card “late”
2. Credit Ratio - How much you owe is 30% of your score. Just because you owe less does not translate to having a better score.  This score is determined between the various types of credit you have opened (see #3 below). There needs to be a balance between how much you owe and how much you have available to you.  Having too many credit cards can be a negative and having only one could be as well. The goal is to have a lot of credit available to you, and to then use that credit, while at the same time not maintaining a high balance.
3. Credit Type - The type of accounts you have makes up 10%. These are mortgage, car loans and credit cards.
4. Credit Maturity - The length of time you have maintained your individual credit accounts is 15% of your score.  This does not mean how long you have been involved with credit.  It is specific to each individual account and the length of time that you have maintained each particular account is the key.
5. New Credit - recent history makes up 10% of your score. 

The bottom line is to be proactive in maintaining your credit.  Plan ahead and check your scores at least two times a year.  Although the guy in the credit report commercial keeps winding up in seemingly outlandish circumstances due to his poor credit score, scenarios like those can happen in life (maybe not all to the same person consecutively, but they do happen).  It is important to think carefully about all of your financial moves in order to maintain and build your credit score.  That score can be a gateway to many things we all would like to obtain in life. 

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