Orinda Living Magazine

10/01/2024

So excited to have our Orinda Living Photographer as the feature family in the January Issue! A beautiful family and one incredible photographer!

25/12/2023

Wishing all of you a wonderful Holiday!

13/12/2023

Some great gift ideas!

Great gift idea for those houseplant lovers. We are now carrying a special line of plant care products from We The Wild Plant Care USA. Enrich- to create strong resilient roots. Grow- encourage plant growth with this fast absorbing product. Protect - spray and wipe to shine and protect your leaves. Organic and made in the USA. 🪴❤️

01/12/2023

One month left of the year! Hello December.

Some words from our Publisher Elaine:

Well here we are and it's hard to believe the holidays are upon us!
Sometimes it feels as though December is one great big holiday with so much going on. There are the big ones like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve. But, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate.

We've come up with a list of fun things you can do on a variety of days during December.

Dec 5 - Bathtub Party Day - or a Spa will do
Dec 8 - National Brownie Day - make those brownies, or begin
baking cookies today
Dec 9 - Christmas Card Day - send any holiday cards today
Dec 12 - Poinsettia Day - do you have yours yet?
Dec 14 - Roast Chestnuts Day - Union Square in San Francisco
usually has vendors selling them
Dec 15 - National Chocolate Covered Anything Day - get creative!
Dec 18 - Bake Cookies Day - if you didn't start on Dec 8
Dec 19 - Look for an Evergreen Day - just look for one - you don't
have to put it up in your house
Dec 20 - Go Caroling Day
Dec 21 - Crossword Puzzle Day - hunker down and relax
Dec 23 - Festivus - for the rest of us
Dec 24 - National Eggnog Day
Dec 25 - Christmas Day - or just a day off!
Dec 28 - Card Playing Day - get a group together
Dec 31 - New Years Eve Day - or go to bed early

Whatever you celebrate, we wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Wishing you all a wonderful December 🌟

23/11/2023

Wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Orinda Living

06/11/2023

Meet the Grewals! The next family of Orinda who we are so excited to feature in the November issue. Such a beautiful family! Welcome to Orinda Living 😀

04/11/2023

How is it already November. Here’s some words by our publisher Elaine:

When we think about the month of November, two thoughts generally come to mind, Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season. Gratitude tends to be the theme this month, but at times the frenzy of the season gets in the way of us truly appreciating all the good things in our lives.

In the famous words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it".

Here are some ways to find gratitude on a regular basis:
Don't be picky - appreciate everything. There is nothing too small to be grateful for.

Find gratitude in your challenges. Sometimes thinking about difficult experiences can help you nail down what you have to be thankful for.

Express yourself. Remember that when you express gratitude to someone, you get the residual effect of feeling more happy yourself.

•Look for joy and happiness everywhere in your life.
•There is a circular effect of being grateful and happy - being grateful can make you happy, but being happy can also make you grateful.
Don't miss out on life, slow down and savor it, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

02/11/2023

New month and new memories ahead. Wishing you all a wonderful November! Check back in a few days to find out what family is featured on our November issue!

23/10/2023

Are you still looking for a costume idea for the whole family? Here are some fun ideas!

1 Royal Family. You dont necessarly need to dress
as the real life royal family to pull this off. How fun would it be to trick or treat with your little prince(s) and/or princess(es)?

2. Beekeepers + Bees: I was thinking back to when I was a kid and one of my favorite costumes was a bee costume. I was thinking about how that could fit with a family, and then it hit me. Or should I say... stung me.

3 Ranchers + Baby Animals: This is a great idea for families with little kids. Animal onesies are not only easy to find, but there great for bundling up for warmth too.

4. Farmers and pumpkins: babies in pumpkin costumes. Do I need to say any more?

5. Olympic Snowboarders and skier’s: If you’re anticipating a cold Halloween this could be a great option.

6. Astronauts and Aliens: This idea is really cute and you can get creative with face paint and glitter if you want.

7. Angels + Devils: This is just a classic.

8. Ice cream parlor workers and ice cream: The kids can dress up as their favorite ice cream flavor and and you can be creative on how to portrait it!

These ideas are meant to be fairly generic. Most of them work well for a range of ages and they leave room for additional creativity. I hope these give you ideas for this upcoming Halloween. Happy Trick Or Treating!

09/10/2023

October Cover and it’s hitting mailboxes now. We are so thrilled to have Gail and Geno in this months issue as our Feature Resident. They are a beautiful couple and we loved learning about why they are so passionate about taking care of our planet for future generations and what they are doing to make that happen.

Gail and Geno, welcome to Orinda Living!

03/10/2023

Hello Friends! Can you believe it’s October. Here are some words from our publisher!
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When October pokes its head into our lives one of the first things that comes to mind is food! And of course one of the first food items that pops into our minds is pumpkin.
At this time of year, pumpkin flavor emerges in just about every type of food we eat. Sometimes it's fun like a pumpkin latte or pumpkin ravioli. But sometimes it's just plain weird and really makes us question the thought process of some of our fellow human beings. Here are some of the craziest pumpkin flavor additions we may find this time of year:
• Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt - it just sounds strange, but could be yummy?
Pumpkin Spice Peeps - really? Let's just keep those peeps for
the Spring.
•Pumpkin Spice Kale Chips - What?! Pumpkin Pie Potato Chips - I guess that's one way to make a
potato chip a dessert.
• Pumpkin Spice Sparkling Water - Lemon, lime, grapefruit, berries - but pumpkin?
• Pumpkin Spice Candy Corn - Some people love Candy Corn, some people hate it, but please leave it alone. For those of us who love it, it's perfect as is.
This is the time of year to challenge yourself to buy a pumpkin flavored food item you wouldn't otherwise try. And maybe instead of it being a trick, it'll become an unexpected treat.

Best,
Elaine Ebner, Publisher

P.S. And if you want to try out the recent campy vampire movie Renfield (streaming on Amazon and Apple and others) with Nic Cage and Awkwafina, you can hear our very own Orindan Leslie Darwin O'Brien on the soundtrack which she recorded at Skywalker.

30/09/2023

Happening tomorrow at Commons Park! Always fun, so grab family and friends and enjoy the festival!

Moraga Parks and Recreation

27/09/2023

Here is a great article if you’re looking for different ways to get more protein into your diet. Written by Emily Snider.

People often add meat to their diet when they want to increase their protein intake. The good news is that there are so many other foods that also provide this necessary nutrient. Protein is often talked about a lot in weightlifting culture. Lifting weights breaks down your muscles and adequate protein intake allows for the broken-down muscles to repair themselves and become stronger. Protein is extremely important for athletes, but it's also important for everyone else. Here are a few creative ways to add protein to your diet.

1. Protein packed oatmeal. When you make your oatmeal in the morning, add a little extra water or milk and a scoop of protein powder. You can add chocolate protein powder, pecans, and peanut butter to make it both tasty and protein packed!

2. Use milk instead of water for a smoothie. Milk is full of protein and other important nutrients as well.
3. Cheese please! Add a little cheese on top of your favorite meats and vegetables. This improves the taste and adds some grams of protein.
4. Add some peanut butter! When you grab an apple for a snack, dip it in peanut butter.
5. Trade rice or pasta for quinoa. Quinoa has more protein and is a good way to change things up.
There are tons of ways to add protein and it's possible to make it tasty as well. An easy way to increase your protein without counting grams is to make sure there's at least one protein-rich part of your meal. Have fun trying your new recipes!

19/09/2023

Sponsor Highlight! We are thrilled to welcome one of our newest sponsors to Orinda Living. Saint Anthony’s Thrift located at 128 Village Square.

Did you know they offer free in home pick-up of most household items you are ready to donate within the Lamorinda area Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.

A friendly agent will arrive at your home and give you an itemized receipt in exchange for all donated goods.

Call Tony DeMartile at 510-501-8331 to schedule a pick-up!

16/09/2023

Here’s a great article from one of our Expert Contributors. Read how digital dentistry has made huge strides and what this does for patients and dentists.

Dr. Amir Koopah, DDS
Koopah & Koopah, Inc.
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Researchers have made huge strides in digital dentistry during the past few years. This technology is great for dental patients because it saves them time and helps avoid discomfort.
Dentists can now use digital x-rays and digital scans to fabricate surgical implant guides.
With updated equipment that provides digital scans, it is now much easier to get a precise impression of the teeth. This technology is especially helpful in making well fitting crowns and invisalign trays, as well as determining precise placements of dental implants.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS - BETTER IMPRESSIONS!

For the past few years, impressions were taken manually. A technician would have the patient bite into a tray of a goopy medium, which was then made into a chalky cast at a lab. Inaccuracies frequently occurred because of expansion and shrinkage of the casting material.
Now dentists digitally scan the tooth, then send the scan to the lab. The lab receives the digital impression almost instantaneously and technicians can make the desired restoration from the digital impression. No inaccuracies are introduced, which makes the end result more precise and a better fit for the patient.

If you have questions about digital dentistry please don't hesitate to reach out to your dentist.

09/09/2023

Meet Our September Feature Family. Hitting mailboxes soon, we are excited for you to read about what keeps them busy. 20 year residents of Orinda and we are thrilled to have them on the cover of the September Issue.

02/09/2023

How is it September already! Wishing you all a happy, healthy month ahead.

29/08/2023

Are you looking for a skilled, reliable handy person that can help you check off all those jobs around the house that sit on your to do list?

Mention OrindaLiving and save 50% off your first month. This is a great membership to knock all those to dos off your list.

Thank you Honey Homes for being a sponsor!