All the jokes my husband makes about potentially living under the same roof as his mother-in-law aside, my 84-year-old mother knows she can always move in with our family if or when the time arrives when she needs extra help in her daily life. I recently learned about Acti-Kare, thinking forward about what options were out there for those looking to take care of their elderly in-house: options to give you more dignity, comfort, and independence, not less. An industry leader in providing highly qualified, compassionate, and trustworthy caregivers, Acti-Kare is dedicated to in-home care, and Lori Renaud, R.N., is…

Fetch a calendar and bark the dates for Yappy Hour, the monthly cocktail party for canines and their companions at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Posh pups, haute hounds, and dapper doggies will enjoy complimentary house-made dog biscuits and refreshing libations, thanks to bacon, chicken, beef and vegan water, while their companions sip a glass of Mutt Lynch Unleashed Chardonnay, Merlot Over and Play Dead, or Chateau d’Og Cabernet Sauvignon. Cocktails, beer and a selection of barbecue items are also available for purchase. Supporting the resort’s Community Footprints program, proceeds from Yappy Hour benefit The Veterans Initiative™ of Canine Companions for…

May 5, 2018 Indonesian satay? Thai meat balls? Boba tea? Tacos? Polish sausages? Grilled rice balls? Italian ice? Korean BBQ? Dosas? Yakitori? Vietnamese food? Musubi? Indonesian satay? Thai meat balls? Boba tea? Tacos? Polish sausages? Grilled rice balls? Italian ice? Korean BBQ? Dosas? Yakitori? Vietnamese food? Musubi? These are just a few of the tempting international treats that will be served by student clubs and non-profit organizations at Soka University’s 17th Annual International Festival on May 5, from 10:30 am – 5:00 pm. Admission is free. Parking on campus is $10 (cash) and carpooling is encouraged. The 103-acre Soka University…

We all come from somewhere. A city, in a state- a street, down the street from your neighbor. A neighborhood. The concept of which, arising from the social attitudes of the early city planners, crystalized out of the 1900’s when Clarence Perry modeled residential development in growing urban areas. Just another collection of lines on a blueprint; just another place to rest at the end of the day. But what really exists in the places we call home? Shops, restaurants, hotels: the places we meet and connect, work, eat, celebrate. North Park, in San Diego is no different. With a…

Sweet little Lucy is full of fun and spunky energy. She just loves to run around in the yard and would make a great hiking or jogging companion. Lucy would do well in a family with an active lifestyle.           This handsome guy is Chestnut, a ragdoll mix looking for his purrfect home. Found as a stray, Chestnut is still learning to trust and can be timid initially. He is finally starting to come out of his shell and figuring out which are his favorite toys. Chestnut would likely fit best with a quiet family.  …

Featuring Cats and Dogs, plus Fish, Birds and Frogs…and More! OC Fair & Event Center - April 27 - 29 This annual family-friendly event features all creatures cute and cuddly, furry, feathered and scaled of all sizes, shapes and colors. New to America’s Family Pet Expo for 2018 is the Sea Lion Splash Show; a unique mobile aquatic experience combining both marine fun and environmental education. Sea Lion Splash Show features rescued sea lions from both California and South America. Ready to thrill and excite audiences of all ages, the sea lions balance balls, shoot hoops, dance, shake their flippers,…

It’s impossible to say what we love most about our issue release parties, especially the most recent one at Tokyo Joe’s located at 27981 Greenfield Drive in Laguna Niguel. Always made fresh-to-order, using the best ingredients possible, guests enjoyed sampling an array of delicious appetizers, including potstickers, sushi rolls, poke bowls and grilled chicken/brown rice bowls with a choice of specialty sauces. For info, visit www.tokyojoes.com. We know we’re lucky to have such great relationships with our amazing advertisers and that getting together is always a celebration each month! We feel lucky to do what we love, and hope that…

There are artists who write melodies for songs, artists who write lyrics and artists who perform. Rare are those who write and perform their own songs. Leiber and Stoller never sang a note, at least not well. Doc Pomus and Mort Shulman did not perform their songs but that did not stop Pomus from shuffling on stage with his crutches, grabbing a microphone and trying. The Brill Building in New York City contained songwriters, lyricists and artists but only Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond and Carole King were creative enough to step into the limelight and perform their own songs. Many…

You don’t have to have been born and raised in Southern California to appreciate its laid-back surf culture … and tell me that when you envision the quaint, coastal town of Carlsbad, it doesn’t immediately conjure images of sun-kissed adults and kids of all ages frolicking in the ocean. On the sand, in and out of sparkling pools, riding the easy peeling waves that curl toward Tamarack Surf Beach. All the classic golden glow that comes to mind when one imagines the beach communities of Southern California greet you in an instant when you step through the doors of Carlsbad’s…

It’s no surprise that what you eat plays a major role in the health of your digestive system, but are you making sure to incorporate these gut-healing foods into your daily diet? Check out these whole foods built to promote and maintain optimal gut health. Vegetables Fiber plays a huge role in your body’s overall digestive health, especially when it comes to keeping things moving along. Whole food fiber feeds the good bacteria to keep the bad from taking over and causing systemic health issues. The average American only gets about half of the recommended 30 grams of daily fiber.…

Committed to Helping You Make Educated Choices for Your Loved One’s Care My grandmother and I used to joke with each other about the subtle difference in meaning between the words ‘subscribe’ and ‘ascribe’ (now that I’m thinking about it, that joke doesn’t seem like a joke at all - at least not in the joking-as-comedy way. Ok, ok, we’re language nerds). But I think the beauty in each one of those words’ individual meanings gives light to a great many situations I find myself in as an adult, dealing with each day’s new challenges and obstacles. Particularly, when I…

Compassionate Caregiving: Your Home Care, Inc. Over the past decade, there have been an increasing number of studies examining the effects of stress on the human body - from the immune to metabolic systems, to cell division, diet, hormonal changes, heart rate and of course, cortisol levels. Cortisol, after all, is what floods the body in response to stress. Its main purpose is more far-reaching than was once believed. Systemic effects play a great many roles to maintain homeostasis in the body: which, at a basic level, looks like a greater span of stress-free years. Experts at UCLA, Harvard and…

Based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard adapted for the stage by Lee Hall Music by Paddy CunneenDirected by Marc MastersonNow through February 10, 2018 Segerstrom Stage Young Will Shakespeare is desperate. He has writer’s block and owes two demanding producers a new comedy—a half-baked mess titled Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter. Enter his inspiration: Viola. Smart, beautiful and Will’s greatest admirer, she will stop at nothing—including breaking the law—to be in his play. As their love blossoms, so does his greatest masterpiece. Mistaken identities, ruthless scheming, and backstage theatrics make this romantic feast “a joyous celebration…

February 27 – March 11, 2018 Segerstrom Hall T he national tour of the Lincoln Center Theater Production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I will make its way to Segerstrom Center for the Arts February 27 – March 11, 2018. Laura Michelle Kelly stars as Anna Leonowens and Jose Llana as the King of Siam. Joan Almedilla will play Lady Thiang, with Brian Rivera as Kralahome, Q Lim as Tuptim, Kavin Panmeechao as Lun Tha, Anthony Chan as Prince Chulalongkorn, Rhyees Stump as Louis Leonowens and Patrick Boll as Captain Orton/Sir Edward Ramsey. Director Bartlett Sher had this…

Nine month old Martin is a sweet and friendly rabbit who is ready for his next big adventure.  This curious little bunny doesn’t mind being picked up or held and even enjoys lap time when he isn’t busy exploring. Martin has good litter box habits and would make a great house bunny for a loving family.         Calico was named for her pretty, spotted markings but could easily be named Sweetie for her mellow personality.  Her favorite activity is sunbathing and she is an avid birdwatcher.  Six years old and fully declawed, Calico would be very well…

Performances: February 21 - March 25, 2018 under the white-and-gold Big Top at the OC Fair & Event Center A WAKING DREAM OF MEXICO LUZIA takes you to an imaginary Mexico, like in a waking dream, where light (“luz” in Spanish) quenches the spirit and rain (“lluvia”) soothes the soul. Through a series of grand visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances, LUZIA invites audiences to escape on a surrealistic journey through a sumptuous and vibrant world suspended somewhere between dreams and reality. Smoothly passing from an old movie set to the ocean to a smoky dance hall or an arid…

How can one word bring back such memories? Sometimes it was just a first name of a person, and with other songs it was a term that described in so much detail what we felt. Connie Francis called out to “Teddy,” and proclaimed we were “Together,” while Sue Thompson saluted, “Norman.” But it was the guys who crooned and pinned for their ladies. In the majority of songs of the 50’s and early 60’s, women were revered, placed on that exalted pedestal and idolized. Doo Wop was to have its own anthem with multiple versions of “Gloria.” This song was…

February is national Heart Health Awareness month and at Align we are excited to participate. According to the American Hearth Association, someone dies from heart disease, stroke or another type of cardiovascular disease every 43 seconds in this country! Making heart disease the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. But the good news is, it’s one of the most preventable diseases. With a nutrient dense diet, exercise, and meditation a healthy heart is easy to achieve. Heart Disease is actually a generic term for variety of issues that take place within the Cardiovascular…

When you think about a company having ‘investment experience,’ what image does that conjure up? Stodgy bankers wearing suits with mountains of paperwork? Or a streamlined company full of seasoned professionals ready to take care of your assets? The team at American Mortgage Fund (AMF) is breaking the mold and putting it all back together in an entirely new fashion. With more than forty years of combined lending, finance and real estate acquisitions experience, the AMF team is quickly building their reputation as one of the best asset-backed funding groups in the business. If you’re new to the area of…

If you like wine, you’re my kind of person. If you like wine and you’ve seen the 2008 flick Bottle Shock, we’re well on our way to becoming best friends. Though the film certainly took artistic license in its explanation of the famed Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, the feat remains the same in history regardless. A vintage made in California became a winning symbol to the world of the premier scene that would emerge from the States’ golden coast shortly thereafter: wine. Since the seventies, the Napa region has undergone a remarkable transformation. From scrappy hippie to simply luxurious,…