We hope everyone enjoyed a safe yet fun Halloween over the weekend. Thanksgiving marks the next big holiday on the books. (Just over three weeks to go.) As the weather turns a little more chilly in Southern California, it's a good time to add mulch to your garden. Score a free bag of mulch at the Ventura Mulch-Giving 2020 event this month.What: Ventura Mulch-Giving 2020Where: Ventura Maintenance Yard (336 Sanjon Rd)When: Saturday, November 14th, by appt onlyContact: City of Ventura websiteVentura Mulch-Giving 2020Why Add Mulch in the Fall?Mulch helps maintain moisture in the soil. It also acts as a weed suppressant and erosion protector. But when you add mulch to your garden in the fall, it insulates the soil, allowing microbes and earthworms a good source of food. You need both of thes... 11/02/2020

Wordless Wednesday: Just Parked  We spent a long weekend in Ventura with our daughter, her husband and their 2-year-old daughter back in 2017, staying at a hotel right at the marina. We enjoyed walking around the marina, admiring the boats...and wow were there a lot of them...and listening to the harbor seals several times. I had to laugh at this photo. It made me think of our crowded freeways at rush hour and the sea of cars.  Hopefully users get to moor their boats at assigned slips, otherwise how would you keep track of where your boat is. Sorta like coming out to a big parking lot after shopping and not quite remembering where you parked your car.  Must be quite the scene when lots of boats are coming and going!  10/28/2020

In mid-March, Governor Newsom placed California on a virtual shutdown. At that time, non-essential workers found themselves either furloughed or sent to work from home. Those temporary work-from-home orders appear to be more long term now. In fact, some companies may never bring their employees back into a communal office. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that home office space holds a huge appeal to today's home buyers. So, if you plan on selling your Ventura home anytime soon, your marketing needs to include a dedicated home office area.Tips for Creating a Home Office SpaceGuest Room/OfficeA couple of months ago, we talked about creating a classroom space at home for your child. That included using part of their bedroom as a dedicated classroom area. While buyers love office s... 10/19/2020

Did you see any of the chalk artwork around town over the past couple of weeks reminding you to fill out your 2020 Census form? Did you miss the September 30th deadline? It's OK. The Census 2020 website remains open for any of the stragglers out there. We strongly urge you to complete your census soon if you have not done so yet. Now, on to something fun: the Ventura Seafood Eats Photo Contest 2020. Your love of seafood could win you a $50 gift certificate.What: Ventura Seafood Eats Photo Contest 2020Where: Any Restaurant or Fish Market in Ventura Harbor VillageWhen: Now through October 15thContact: Ventura Harbor Village (805) 477-0470Ventura Seafood Eats Photo Contest 2020Any time you visit a Ventura Harbor Village restaurant or pick up something at one of the fresh seafood markets in... 10/05/2020

2020: what a year! Besides the global pandemic and an election year in the US, 2020 also happens to be the year that we update our census numbers. Questionnaires went out earlier this year to every household. But, if you missed that, the government provides other options to complete the census before the September 30th deadline. And to remind you to fill it out, the City is hosting a Ventura Census Chalkathon.2020 US CensusEvery 10 years, the government surveys residents of the United States to find out how many people live in different parts of the country. This helps determine how future budgets allocate money to these areas. Legal status does not matter for the 2020 US Census either. Any stats provided in the survey will be used for information purposes only. The government encourage... 09/21/2020

For many Ventura County residents, the beach represents their happy place. Surfing, swimming, and sunbathing contribute to our way of life. California Coastal Cleanup 2020 challenges everyone to protect their "happy place" by signing up to clean the city's streets, parks, and beaches.California Coastal Cleanup 2020Last year, more than 74,000 volunteers cleaned up their local areas all over the state in one day. This year, the California Coastal Cleanup looks a little different. For one thing, it takes place throughout the entire month of September. For another, the official dates fall on each Saturday of the month from 9 am to noon. However, organizers want to encourage as many people as possible to contribute to the cleanup. Therefore, they allow cleanup any day of the week and any tim... 09/08/2020

The 2020 school year for Ventura Unified School District students officially begins tomorrow, August 18th. But instead of in-classroom teaching, it starts off (for now) with remote learning. The district provides two separate home schooling options: Weave and Homestead. Whichever way parents decide to go, your child needs a dedicated Ventura home school space from which to operate. Here are a few tips to help your child thrive during their remote learning experience.Creating a Ventura Home School SpaceDefined School Zone(s)Just like a home office, a defined Ventura home school space allows students to focus on the task at hand much better than the dining room table. If one room of your house cannot be designated as a school zone, set one up in your child's bedroom. Section off a portion... 08/17/2020

COVID-19 continues to affect us all. For a little while, it looked like Californians would be able to enjoy a date night inside their favorite bars or restaurants again. Unfortunately, Governor Newsom put the kibosh on that in early July. He closed down any inside patronage of bars, restaurants, breweries, and tasting rooms throughout the state. While outdoor dining and to-go orders remain a possibility at many of Ventura's restaurants, this severely cuts into the owners' and employees' income. To help your favorite local restaurants stay in business during this rough time, the local restaurants began to encourage Ventura Takeout Tuesdays.>Ventura Takeout Tuesdays 2020Yes, the governor allows outdoor dining at Ventura area restaurants. However, restaurants only allow a certain numbers o... 08/03/2020

Just today, Governor Newsom ordered a second shutdown of indoor businesses amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19. That includes indoor dining at restaurants. However, he still allows outdoor dining and shopping to continue. Why? This facilitates social distancing much easier than the confines of indoors. So, the local experiment known as Main Street Moves Ventura appears to continue through until its end date of July 16th.What: Main Street Moves VenturaWhere: Downtown Ventura, Main St between Fir & Palm and California St between Santa Clara & Poli When: 7 am to 10 pm every day between now and July 16th, 2020Main Street Moves VenturaOn June 16th, five blocks in the downtown Ventura area shut down their streets to vehicular traffic. This allowed businesses in the area to expand out on... 07/06/2020

Each year, when reservations open up for California campgrounds, spots fill up fast. If you don't reserve a site early, you run the risk of not ever getting in during the season. When the governor announced the opening of Ventura beaches last month, many people thought campgrounds would soon follow. Alas, that didn't happen. For those who made their reservations earlier this year, COVID-19 concerns and the statewide shutdown canceled their plans. However, Ventura County campgrounds opened back up last weekend. Again, campgrounds filled up right away.Ventura County Campgrounds Now OpenCurrently, 28 California State Park campsites are open for business. That includes a few Ventura County campgrounds. Some state parks currently operate at only 50% capacity. Most of the parks in operation r... 06/15/2020

2020 started out rough for everybody around the world thanks to COVID-19 concerns. Non-essential businesses across the country shut down around mid-March. California's lockdown could continue through July. One thing that won't go on lockdown? Wildfire season. It's here. Local government officials require all Ventura County homeowners to get rid of dead brush and other fire hazards on their properties to lower the chances of total devastation from a wildfire. The deadline to complete your brush clearance is today. Are you in compliance? If you brought your property into compliance with the county's brush clearance policy, where do you take your trimmings?Brush Clearance in Ventura CountyHow to Clear Your BrushFirst, concentrate on any flammable or combustible materials in or around your ... 06/01/2020

Ninety years ago, the United States experienced the Great Depression. Twelve years ago, we saw the Great Recession. Now? A global pandemic. During the first two eras, the housing market took a massive hit. The Ventura housing market seems to differ during the global pandemic. Low inventory and even lower interest rates kept prices from dropping like a rock. Is it still a good time to buy a Ventura home right now? The answer might surprise you.The Pandemic's Effect on the Ventura Housing MarketState of the CountyYes, sales have slowed down. Part of this is due to the shelter-in-place order Governor Newsom put into effect several weeks ago. And part of it is due to so many out-of-work people. However, Ventura County opened up their beaches (with limitations) on April 20th. Other businesse... 05/18/2020

Back in mid-March, Governor Gavin Newsom issued his Stay at Home order for the state of California. Government officials eased these restrictions a little bit in mid-April. While restaurants still only offer to-go or delivery options, golf courses, bike shops, and car lots opened back up to the public. From April 4th to April 20th, Ventura beaches shut down due to COVID-19 concerns. However, as of April 20th, local officials opened up Ventura Beaches for limited usage. They want the public to enjoy our gorgeous Southern California weather but strongly encourage continued social distancing.Ventura Beaches Limited UseWhat's Allowed?For now, officials allow the following activities on Ventura beaches, parks, trails, and pathways: Walking Hiking Biking Running Jogging Ocean activities (swim... 05/04/2020

Officials shut down access to all Ventura beaches and parks as of April 1st. Schools shut down their on-site classrooms and transitioned to distance learning (from home) last month. They plan to stay that way through the end of the school year. However, some students relied on the school's cafeteria to eat one or two meals per day. With the shutdown, this makes it more difficult for them to receive the nutrition they need. Fortunately, the City implemented a few Ventura meal services during the governor's "Stay Well at Home" orders. Senior citizens also can be taken care of at this time through these meal services.Ventura Meal ServicesKidsVolunteers and staff of the Ventura Unified School District work hard to put together nutritious meals for kids ages 1 to 18 each week. They provide b... 04/06/2020

Every day, we seem to hear something new about COVID-19. Currently, all city-sponsored events involving more than 250 people gathered at one place at one time are put on indefinite hold. Ventura USD schools are shut down until April 10th. Some restaurants and other businesses find themselves closing due to lack of business or as a precautionary measure. While the March 21st Mermaid Meet & Greet appears to still be taking place, the parade has been canceled. (To keep up with current COVID-19 info, check-in on the City's website daily. If you find yourself at home for an extended period of time and want to get your property ready to sell, it might be worth your while to consider putting some of these kitchen remodel ideas to good use.Kitchen Remodel IdeasCabinet Color ChangeOne of the kit... 03/16/2020

In March, we celebrate Mermaid Month at Ventura Harbor Village. All month long, several mermaid-related events take place in the village. treasure-hunting, a mermaid parade, and a themed escape room created specifically for Mermaid Month. But if you want to see one of these beautiful creatures live, you need to come to one of the Ventura Mermaid Meet and Greet 2020 events scheduled this month.What: Ventura Mermaid Meet and Greet 2020Where: Ventura Harbor Village (1583 Spinnaker)When: Saturday, March 7th & 21st, 1 pm to 4 pmVentura Mermaid Meet and Greet 2020Ariel may be the most famous mermaid, but her friends make an appearance at the Harbor Village's Mermaid Meet & Greet. Talk to them and pose for a picture anytime between 1 pm and 4 pm this Saturday, March 7th. Try on a tail of your ... 03/02/2020

The Monday through Friday work week feels like it drags on and on sometimes. How do you break up the monotony? How about a stroll on Downtown Ventura's Walk It Wednesdays?What: Downtown Ventura's Walk It WednesdaysWhere: Main St VenturaWhen: Every Wednesday, from 4 pm to 7 pmContact: Downtown Ventura (805) 260-7023 or via emailDowntown Ventura's Walk It WednesdaysPerform a little mid-week pick-me-up with Walk It Wednesdays. Every Wednesday night, visit any of the ten participating Downtown Ventura restaurants for a delicious meal with your friends or significant other. Compare the fare offered by at least two of these restaurants over the course of two weeks. (Unless you enjoy two dinners in one evening. No judgment here.) The only judgment needed is your opinion about each appetizer an... 02/17/2020

In less than two weeks, we celebrate Valentine's Day. What do you have planned with your sweetie? Chocolates? Jewelry? Dinner? If you struggle to find a way to show your special someone how much you love them, consider one of these Ventura Valentine's Day events.Ventura Valentine's Day EventsWhale WatchingWintertime is a great time to go whale watching in Southern California. Right now, you might see gray whales as they journey back north from Mexico. Island Packers Cruises offers whale watching cruises every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through mid-April in the Ventura Harbor area. Choose from the early 9:30 am cruise or afternoon 1:30 pm cruise. Each cruise takes between three and three and a half hours to complete.Evening Harbor CruiseIsland Packers also offers a special one-hour Val... 02/03/2020

Why wait until spring to clear out the extra stuff in your Ventura home? Start now. Go through closets, cupboards, sheds, and any other nook and cranny to find things you seldom or never use anymore. Then, bring them to the Ventura Community Cleanup and Recycling Event 2020 this Saturday for proper disposal.What: Ventura Community Cleanup and Recycling Event 2020Where: Fire Training Facility (765 S Seaward Ave)When: Saturday, January 25th, 9 am to 12 pmContact: City of Ventura (805) 652-4526 or via emailVentura Community Cleanup and Recycling Event 2020Organizers allow no more than five boxes (similar in size to filing boxes) of items for each vehicle that shows up to the event on Saturday. They accept old household furniture, appliances, clothes, metal, and even tires. Bring in your Ch... 01/20/2020

We hope you enjoyed the holidays with your loved ones. Now that the new year is officially underway, time to take a look at your water usage. New water rationing bills were passed last year. Beginning by the end of June 2022, the State Water Board must adopt standards put in place by the bills to limit indoor and outdoor water use in California homes. Their goal? To lower the average household water usage from its current 65+ gallons per person to 55 by 2022, 52.5 in 2025, and, eventually, down to 50 gallons per person in 2030. To do so, they need your help to lower your usage. Your first step should be performing a Water Efficiency Survey.Water Efficiency Survey for Ventura ResidentsVentura Water offers free efficiency surveys for all Ventura residents. To do so, simply call (805) 667-... 01/06/2020