Colorful Living Magazine | Spring 2019

Colorful Living SPRING 2019

Magazine

Happy NEW YEAR

Happy NEW JOB!

by Karen Moss

Travel Junkie

by Cynthia Ruehlig 1

Spring 2019

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CONTR IBUTORS Charleen Earley | Publisher | Owner Founder and publisher of Colorful Living Magazine, Charleen is an 18-year freelance writer for newspapers and magazines throughout the Bay Area, and currently teaching journalism/mass communication at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA. She’s also a stand-up comic, motivational speaker, wedding planner and most recently, proud grandmother to Andrew Elias Earley from her son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Natalie Earley. Reach her at charleenbearley@gmail.com.

Karen Moss | Webmaster | Writer Karen has been producing web sites since web sites have been produced, for Fortune 1000 companies and small businesses. Originally from Phoenix, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1987. From 1989 to 1994, she produced The Nooner, a local lifestyle publication for San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton and Danville area.

Karen is the mother of a brilliant and beautiful teenage daughter, and is a pop culture trivia freak. Reach her at kmoss@mosswebpro.com.

Karri Reiser | Graphic Designer Karri Reiser is owner of Little Owl Design, where ‘Your message is unique, let Little Owl Design help you deliver it.’ A graduate of the Academy of Art University, she’s happily married to her best friend and together they two children. When she’s not designing, she’s enjoying time with her family, Netflix-binging on the weekends or going on frequent coffee runs.

Photo by Steve Nosanchuk of Steve’s Photography

ON TH E COV ER

Jessica Wendland, lover of muscle cars and all things vintage, poses next to Steve Noack’s (Antioch) 1952 Ford F1 pickup named Tweety Bird, for a pin-up style photo shoot. The Shoot was for entry into Furry Friends Pet Relief “Hot Rods for Paws” car show and pinup contest.

Jody Hanson | Photographer Jody’s from the small town of Telluride, Colorado, where she grew up skiing, horseback riding and loving the outdoors. She attended Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara and has been working in the field of photography for 15 years. She now resides in Discovery Bay with her husband and new baby boy Van. She still loves the outdoors and spending time with her family and being a mom! She is a drone certified aerial photographer and absolutely loves what she does. Reach her at jvbphotography@gmail.com.

Steve Nosanchuk | Photographer Owner of Steve’s Freelance Photography in Antioch, he’s a professional photographer for over 30 years in East County, who specializes in studio and location portraiture. Steve’s philosophy is to collaborate with each client to ensure the portrait is a keepsake to be cherished for generations.

A graduate of San Jose State and former owner of Visual Productions photography in Brentwood. Reach him at stevesfreelance317@gmail.com.

I N TH IS ISSU E

6 Oakley Has a New State-of the-Art Storage Facility 8 Wanderlust: It hit my husband Walter in 1967

10 12 14 18 20

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Happiness comes from believing in what you are doing, It’s not playing God, it’s playing love, hope Jesus Ochoa saves his mothers life through weight loss Job-hunting in modern times: spray and pray is the old way Honoring heroes using my husband’s DeWalt Tools

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~ ADVERTORIAL ~

Oakley Has A New State-of-the-Art Storage Facility

By Charleen Earley

C

ypress Self Storage, conveniently located at the corner of E. Cypress Rd. and Picasso Dr., is Oakley, California’s newest self-storage facility.

With doors opening for business in 2019, they are currently constructing a modern, state-of-the-art facility. Cypress Self Storage is actually the eleventh facility in the Smart Self Storage portfolio. Smart Self Storage, the parent company behind Cypress Self Storage, is a Californiabased, locally owned and operated self storage company with roots dating back over 40 years. “We truly love our communities and we are your friendly, local, neighborhood self-storage facility,” said Ian Lopuch, par t ner at Carlo Development LLC. “We also offer the advantage of simultaneously having the backing of a larger, 11-facility company that has been in business over 40 years.

Customers get that local, personable experience with the strength and peace of mind of a large, stable company. It’s truly the best of both worlds!

a high–rise, self–storage facility in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, called Los Angeles Self Storage. We also own a variety of facilities not too far from Oakley, spanning cities such as West Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Elk Grove, El Dorado Hills, and Scotts Valley! The common link between all of our facilities is that we choose our communities carefully and always offer exceptional quality, both in our facilities and customer service.

to say “hi” and chat with our management teams. We encourage this! We truly are your local, neighborhood self-storage facility and are here to add value. With Cypress Self Storage (and Smart Self Storage overall), you will always work with a real person who cares. Of course, we also employ the latest technologies and innovations. That said, the technology never replaces the human element at our business.

You mentioned how this company is not quite corporate and not quite mom-and-pop, that it’s somewhere in between! How does this business model play out for your customers?

What features will this self-storage have?

Our customers truly love us because of our unique position in the market. We are not too big and not too small. Since we are part of the Smart Self Storage family, we offer the stability, scale and peace-ofmind that comes with a larger company.

However, since Smart Self Storage only owns 11 facilities, customers also experience the joy that comes with a local comWhere are your other self-storage munity focus. All of our facilities offer locations? on-site management teams who truly Our facilities typically fall within the understand and love their local customgreater San Francisco Bay Area, the ers and communities. We care! In fact, greater Sacramento Area, and the greater many of our customers will just stop by Los Angeles area. A fun fact: We own

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Dr ive-up u nits, i nter ior u nits (1st f lo or), i nt e r ior u n it s (2nd & 3rd f loors) with elevator access, climate controlled units, free moving tr uck (subject to availability), helpful on-site management, individually alarmed units, camera security system, security gate access with individual keypad codes, self storage units spanning 22 different sizes, convenient access at a signalized intersection. In fact, we are adding a left turn lane on E. Cypress Road, so customers can easily access our facility from all directions at our signalized intersection. This is super important for those driving larger moving trucks!

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What features will set you apart from other local storage facilities?

There are so many features that set us apart from all the rest. Size, for starters!

Our self-storage facility is large, offering approximately 113,656 net rentable square feet of self-storage. Also, the backing of Smart Self Storage; we are your local, neighborhood self-storage facility with the backing of a larger, locally owned self storage company. We offer peaceof-mind! We are home of The 1st Year Price Guarantee, meaning we will not adjust your self–storage rate for the first 12 months. We offer a free move-in truck (subject to availability). We do not want customers paying extra money for a moving truck when we can offer one for free (subject to availability). We are here to save our customers money! Truly, our state-of-the-art facility, the culmination of our 40+ years of experience in the industr y, and no expense spared in building our amazing facility to serve our community we love so much—all set us apart. And finally, our customer service—as soon as you chat with our managers, you will realize the Smart Self Storage difference. We truly love our community and customers. We are here for you!

What are some of the top reasons people need a storage company?

Life events such as marriage, new baby, new business, and more! And expensive Bay Area living, with the cost of living being so high in the greater SF Bay Area (and California overall), many of our customers’ need more space than their residence offers. They view our self-storage units as an extension of their home, another room. For people who are moving, storage is a great place to store belongings while staging your own home. It’s also a great place to store belongings as you figure out how to organize and furnish your brand new home! Also, business use—storage is so helpful to store tools (great for landscapers/contractors), inventory, and files and records (for most businesses).

Lastly, storage is great for sporting equipment, collectibles and collections.

What is your business philosophy?

Our primary focus has always been incomparable customer service and Colorful Living Magazine

modern, pristine facilities. We are self-storage-client/g5-cl-1hxjq0sadi-cypress-self-storage/uploads/cypress-self-storincredibly customer-focused. age-oakley-infographic_p0d5rv.pdf

What should people look for in a What are some of the dos and storage company?

Several things. They should look for sta- don’ts when storing items? bility of the business, proximity to their home or business and overall convenience.

Features, cleanliness and overall quality and modernization of the facility should be at the top of their lists too. The face of the business and the customer experience is important as well. Of course price—not only the cost per month, but also other aspects too—free moving truck or not, price guarantee or not, other extra costs. Also, security features are important, such as individual unit alarms, cameras, and individual gate codes, not to mention, ease of entering and exiting the facility, look for signalized intersection entrance or not.

Will you have a retail section, selling boxes, tape, etc.?

We love saving our customers time, making the storage process easy. That’s why we wrote one of the most definitive guides on the Internet about storage tips. Go to: www.smartselfstorage.com/storage-packing-tips and, packing tips at: www.smartselfstorage.com/packing-tips.

What were some of the reasons the company chose this location and why Oakley?

We love Oakley and Brentwood. We view Oakley as the future of the Greater SF Bay Area. With housing prices on the rise and an overall shortage of housing in the SF Bay Area, we view Oakley as THE solution. We carefully selected Oakley for our newest storage facility because we view Oakley as an amazing community on the ascendency, one that we want to stand behind, and one that will continue to grow for many decades! We share our love for all things Oakley on our blog that is updated almost every week: www.smartselfstorage.com/self-storage/ca/ oakley/cypress-self-storage/blog/.

Yes! First, we will offer a comfortable office and members of the community are invited to stop by just to say “hi” or rent a self–storage unit. We will offer free tours to anyone who wants to experience our facility! Of course, we will also offer a retail section with boxes, tape, mattress covers, locks, and more. We want to make the moving and storage experience as simple as possi- Anything you’d like to add? ble, offering everything in one conve- We just want to emphasize how much we nient location. love the community and how proud we are to build the newest self-storage in town.

How involved in the community is We are here to over deliver and dazzle our customers. We are thankful and blessed to your company?

We are very involved. We are Oakley’s be part of Oakley. local, neighborhood self–storage facility.

In fact, we share our love for the comCypress Self Storage munity in our blog and info graphic: 207 E. Cypress Rd. Blog:www.smartselfstorage.com/self-storOakley, CA 94561 age/ca/oakley/cypress-self-storage/blog/ Info graphic: https://g5-assets-cldwww.CypressSelfStorage.net res.cloudinary.com/image/upload/ 925.529.1307 v1537478046/g5/g5-c-in0qyvc7-smartCypressSelfStorageOakley@gmail.com Spring 2019

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Wanderlust: It hit my husband Walter in 1967 Story and photos by Cynthia Ruehlig

A

nthony Bourdain’s life cut short left us aghast in wonder. Insect eaters devouring creepy cuisine, families of cave dwellers on mountain ridges carved with ancient tools by generations past, fire-dancing, bull-running, cliff-jumping rituals of religious or traditional origin tickle and provoke our sense of adventure.

What parts unknown are out there waiting for discovery?

The wanderlust bug bit my husband Walter in 1967. The proverbial hippie in flared denim jeans and faded fatigue jacket crowned by unkempt tousled golden blond curls blowing in the wind was the badge of the sixties. Walter wore the badge well.

Out of college, he took a summer hiatus to trek Europe using maternal aunt Gretel’s house in Wallerstadten (near Frankfurt) as home base. With Eric Frommer’s book (Europe On 5 Dollars A Day) tucked in his backpack, Walter savored the culture and delicacies of Paris, Vienna, London, Monte Carlo, Berlin, and, of course, Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon; staying at a dollar-a-day hostels on short trips.

As a young travelling man, Walter had money woes on a few occasions while on tour. To this day, he laments after-dark hustles wading through shallow waters of Europe’s magnificent fountains with rolled pant cuffs picking up coins that brushed his bare toes. Thus, he shows penitence for his juvenile deeds with regular donations to the Church and hosting foreign students at our home. Akin to a rite of passage, his exploits of wild abandon in alluring places left this 8

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impressionable 21-year-old obsessed with idealism.

A year later, Walter set out to pursue a quixotic quest to better the world as a teacher and volunteer with the Peace Corps.

He went through months of rigorous training at Occidental College, gaining posh teaching skills and a background check so stringent it went as far back as talking to grade school teachers. It was a period of angst, waiting and wondering whether his catechism teacher at St. Anastasia Roman Catholic Church in Little Neck, NY was spoken to. The pubescent years were mischievous. The red handle sticking out of the ground, that turned out to be the lawn sprinkler switch, was too tempting to resist.

Should the burst of cold water that soaked the graduating class during dress rehearsal chill his warmth for service?

Walter received his first assignment Barbados, teaching English as a Foreign Language in this Spanish speaking country.

Jump for joy, one might think, at hitting the jackpot to relish the sun, sea and coconutlined beaches of this Caribbean paradise.

Rather, the starry-eye Walter was disheartened and appealed for a more exotic mission; for a more authentic experience. Little did he know; beware what you ask for, this golden goose could become a turkey.

Excitement filled the air as the new teacher from a far-away land entered the classroom. The students probed his every move. Walter knew that his blue eyes and tall, lanky stature strikes a quaint pose.

He was determined to impress this adoles-

cent crowd while he had their attention. He quickly proceeded to his first lesson; selfintroduction in English. “My name is Walter. I am a teacher – ‘hocam’ (pronounced hojam). What is your name?” Curious faces stared at him. It was a vision forever etched in his mind.

The day seemed endless, head spinning from trying to connect as many names to faces as possible from the hundred plus students he met on his first school day. Wearing a fez, the traditional headwear given by his host, Walter shook hands or bowed as he was acknowledged as the new teacher by the town folks he met while walking back home. En route, he leisurely passed a grocery store, a tea house, a restaurant, a shoe repair and a bus depot that doubles as pony express to bring mail to the nearest post office 40 miles away. This was the strip; the main part of town with a population of 5,000 people located three hours by bus from Ankara.

Walter reached a mud house and climbed up to the second floor. In one corner lay a newly purchased mattress next to a chair in front of a desk that held a candle and matches. Cater-corner is a bucket with water and a hole on the floor for lavatory purpose. The landlord routinely swept the ground floor outside the house where the hole ends to pick up the day’s mess. This $20-a-month humble abode with no running water or electricity was the top of the line accommodation in the remote town of Sultandag, Turkey. This was home for the next two years.

To be continued . . .

Colorful Living Magazine

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~ ADVERTORIAL ~

Oakleycomes Has A New Storage Facility Happiness fromState-of-the-Art believing in what you are doing,

By Charleen Earley say “hi” and chat with managea high–rise, self–storage in the towhat ypress Selfwhat Storage, conveniently knowing you are doing andfacility loving you areour doing located at the corner of E. Cypress heart of downtown Los Angeles, called ment teams. We encourage this! We truly

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Rd. and Picasso Dr., is Oakley, Los Angeles Self Storage.

We also own a are your local, neighborhood self-storage

By Charleen Earley California’s newest self-storage facility. facility and are here to add value. With of facilities not too far from Oakley, Photosvariety courtesy of Delta Ranches and Homes With doors opening for business in 2019, spanning cities such as West Sacramento, Cypress Self Storage (and Smart Self oricurrently Abreu gotconstructing her real estatea license in 2000 they are modern, Roseville, Rocklin, Elk Grove, El Dorado Storage overall), you will always work and when she started her own business, state-of-the-art facility. Cypress Self Hills, and Scotts Valley! The common with a real person who cares. Of course, Delta Ranchesthe and Homes,facility it was in because Storage is actually eleventh link between all of our facilities is that we also employ the latest technologies she the wanted to create a culture which encompassed Smart Self Storage portfolio. Smart we choose our communities carefully and and innovations. That said, the technoloall that important to hercompany – be a ‘selling Self was Storage, the parent behindbroker’ always offer exceptional quality, both in gy never replaces the human element at andCypress keep a small team of agents with similar goals Self Storage, is a Californiaour business. our facilities and customer service. andbased, principals.

A owned strategicand account executive locally operated self for Eastman Kodak and a branch manager for IKON storage company with roots dating You mentioned how this company What features will this self-storage Management Services in her past, today Lori has is fivenot quite corporate and not quite have? back over 40 years. “We truly love our longtime, seasonedand agents, a transaction coordinator communities we are your friendly, mom-and-pop, that it’s somewhere Dr ive-up u nits, i nter ior u nits (1st andlocal, an assistant.

She loves that her clients hire her, neighborhood self-storage facility,” in between! How does this business f lo or), i nt e r ior u n it s (2nd & 3rd andsaid enjoysIan being accessiblepar to tthem times. Lori Lopuch, ner atatallCarlo model play out for your customers? f loors) with elevator access, climate talks about her work, her family and her fun.the Development LLC. “We also offer Our customers truly love us because of controlled units, free moving tr uck advantage of simultaneously having the our unique position in the market. We are (subject to availability), helpful on-site What sets Delta Ranches and Homes apart from backing of a larger, 11-facility company not too big and not too small. Since we management, individually alarmed units, all that the rest? has been in business over 40 years. are part of the Smart Self Storage family, camera security system, security gate ICustomers address my client’s lifestyle goals and life choices get that local, personable we offer the stability, scale and peace-of- access with individual keypad codes, as my #1 priority.with Specializing in large parcels of land, experience the strength and peace mind that comes with a larger company. self storage units spanning 22 different ranch farm arestable very different transactions. of and mind of asales large, company.

It’s However, since Smart Self Storage only sizes, convenient access at a signalized Buyers mebest because I understand trulyuse the of both worlds! soil types, lender intersection. In fact, we are adding a hurdles, appraisals, land values and have a pulseowns on 11 facilities, customers also experi- left turn lane on E. Cypress Road, so ence the joy that comes with a local comthe Where agricultural in thisself-storage area. At times, when are market your other munity focus. All of our facilities offer customers can easily access our facility my sellers have passed away and I am working with locations? management teams who truly from all directions at our signalized their children, or a spouse has passed away, or iton-site is Our facilities typically fall within the understand and love their local custom- intersection. This is super important for relocation out of the state or country, so they know greater San Francisco Bay Area, the ers and communities. We care! In fact, those driving larger moving trucks!

I have their back. The ranch transaction is more greater Sacramento Area, and the greater many of our customers will just stop by complex to include parcel size, septic, well, etc., Los Angeles area. A fun fact: We own however a person with unfamiliar territory has to be treated with the utmost care. I can only do that if they trust me 110%. I have been listed in many trusts for clients who want to make sure that after they are gone, that someone will look after their beneficiaries. When they share that with me, it is the biggest compliment I can get. They trust me to ensure I will do the right thing for their family.

Do you specialize in ranches?

As a broker, I handle all sales of residential, property management and commercial, however I am most known for land and ranch sales. It is an evolving, learning experience of crops, soil types, irrigation, title reports, land trusts, zoning, sub divisions, and after all these years, it never get’s boring!

I always see your ads with a horse, why?

I have always loved horses, their beauty, strength and trail riding. Unfortunately arthritic knees have prevented me from continuing to ride, however having them at my home is great. I have four quarter horses now, Chance (pictured on my business 10

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Colorful Living Magazine

Photo by Charleen Earley Lori Abreu and her Team at Delta Ranches and Homes purchased, assembled and donated backpacks filled with everyday necessities for the Paradise, CA fire victims during Christmas 2018.

picture), he’s a 16.3 Quarter Bay, former mounted patrol. I’ve had him for 16 years, and he’s now 32-years-old and suffered from a broken breast plate about six years ago and that is when I retired him. I have a 15-yearold Tobiano Paint, I’ve had since she was a baby, Kona. I have one mini horse, Dolly, who is 30-years-old, and I have Sunny, who belonged to my client who passed away, and Sunny is 39. I also have an 18-year-old pig I rescued, three dogs, cat, bird and a goat!

What are some things buyers and sellers should look for in an agency?

Length of time in this business and full or part-time agent. An agent who has been around for a long time demonstrates they have been through lots of different markets.

The longevity of the brokerage demonstrates they will be around when you need them.

Full service agency. We opened up our property management to offer our clients a way to manage their investment properties.

Why should sellers NOT try to sell on their own (since they want to save money)?

Commission is an important consideration. The national average of FSBO (For Sale By Owners) is 20% less than homes on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Sellers do not dictate market value, buyer’s do. Having your home exposed to millions of buyers instead of a few, will drive a price up. Industry average is 5% commission paid, 2.5% to listing agent and 2.5% to the buyer’s agent. Based on Colorful Living Magazine

the national average, it would still result in 15% higher profit and brokers can reduce your liability by doing all the appropriate disclosures and escrow for you. There are some low cost agencies out there, but usually they don’t last when the market changes. Ask your agent what the cost of commission includes: professional photos, drones, staging, open houses, broker tours and luncheons, marketing, internet advertising, print publications, virtual and narrated tours – those things all cost money.

Should sellers stage their homes?

Yes! In this market, buyer’s expectations are high. They want clean homes, well staged and in move-in condition. I do my own staging, and I include it in my listings.

Where’s the market heading?

I personally think we are heading for a “normal” market, where as the inventory will rise and rates will be around 5 to 6%.

Buyers and sellers will have equal inventory to work with and agents are going to have to work harder to market their homes and get them sold.

What do your clients say most often about your services?

It depends on whom you ask, lol. Long ago the line between broker and client changed to confidant and friend. I have picked up pet ashes at the vet, held their hands in the hospital, talk when they are lonely, bring food when they are sick, there are no boundaries of what I would do for my clients and they know that.

Do you support any local charities?

Yes, I support many local charities. The one I am most involved with is My Buddy

Dog Rescue and Adopt A Buddy. My friend Carol Stone started My Buddy Dog Rescue and we added Adopt A Buddy to add in additional services to include local families and homeless. We also work with Hold Your Horses Rescue, who really needs everyone’s help with the Camp Fire.

Outside of work, what are your interests and hobbies?

When you own an 11-acre ranch, hobbies are limited! I have been married for 31 years and we have a houseboat at Lake Oroville. Being on the water is my favorite thing in the world. I love to water ski and jet ski. My two daughters are now adults, they are my greatest achievement and now we have 20-month-old Olivia Bea, our granddaughter.

What is your business mantra?

The back of my card always has, “Happiness comes from believing in what you are doing, knowing what you are doing and loving what you are doing.” I realized how blessed I am. I do work hard, but everyday I get to meet amazing people, learn all about them and their lives, walk around these beautiful large parcels of land, horses nuzzling, dogs barking, earning lifetime relationships – and I get paid to do it. I’m blessed.

Delta Ranches and Homes Broker 01336343 925.216.6317 www.DeltaRanches.com loriabreu10@gmail.com Spring 2019

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Van, at seven months old, enjoying a stroll in the belly pouch they named ‘Carlos,’ after the movie The Hangover, along the Vallejo, CA marina with his mom Jody and dad Kyle Hanson.

Van Matthew Hanson, at six and a half months old, poses for a selfie with his mommy Jody Hanson, at a Moms In Motion class at Delta Valley Health Club in Brentwood, CA.

It’s not playing God, it’s playing love, hope and answer to prayers

T

here is a lot of stigma behind ‘playing God’ but in some cases, there are people like myself who would stop at nothing to become a Mom. My whole life I dreamed of having children. When the time came that I found my perfect partner and we started trying, it wasn’t as easy as we had hoped. After a year with no success, we turned to a fertility specialist who told me I had endometriosis.

My eyes instantly filled with tears and within weeks I underwent my first of many endometriosis surgeries.

We went through the gamut of everything possible to try to conceive. The ups and downs of our struggle were like nothing I had ever experienced. I had dozens of doctors’ appointments, was pumped with lots of hormones, took tons of pills and vitamins, endured hundreds of needles, nightly prayers and cried thousands of tears that came every month while waiting for our little miracle to happen.

There were months I questioned if we would ever become parents. I would cry at the sight of pregnant women or newborns because I longed so baldly for that feeling.

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Story and photos by Jody Hanson I knew I was going to be a mom and I was not going to give up. Fortunately, I have an incredibly supportive husband who helped me every step of the way. He took me to appointments, held me when I cried and lifted me up when I just couldn’t do it myself. He is my rock!

Besides the empty feeling of failure I felt every month and year that passed, and everyone and their mothers telling me to ‘just relax, it will happen when you stop thinking about it,’ the other kicker to this struggle is that insurance very rarely pays for any infertility treatments.

Fortunately, they covered all my surgeries, because they were considered ‘medically necessary’ under the endometriosis code.

But facing IVF scared us and our empty bank account. So, after three years of trying everything else, including clomid shots, numerous rounds of IUIs, Lupron injections to shut down my ovaries for six months, throwing me into menopause, we decided to take out a loan and give it one shot.

We found a new fertility doctor and went for it. Long story short, we extracted five eggs, three turned into embryos and

only one survived the eight days needed to transfer successfully. On day eight, we froze our one little embryo and a few months later I underwent one more surgery with an endometriosis specialist out of Stanford. He assured us my uterus was ready to conceive.

Four months later, my mind and body were ready for the transfer. When we saw the embryo before it was implanted, both my husband and I were in tears. It was the most beautiful thing we had ever seen. Eight days later our prayers had finally been answered and I was finally pregnant!

When I told my husband, we held each other, and we both let the waterworks fall.

It was one of the most precious moments of our entire lives. I still had to endure 80 more injections to the buttocks as well as numerous high-risk doctor visits, but it was worth it. Our little miracle had finally found us!

One in six couples struggle with infertility. We are living proof that if you work hard enough and push past all the odds and doubts and negative thoughts and doubters, dreams really can come true!

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A New Storage Facility JesusOakley OchoaHas saves his State-of-the-Art mother’s life through weight loss

By Charleen Earley

C B

By Charleen Earley

ypress Self Storage, conveniently a high–rise, self–storage facility in the Photos

by JVBLos Photography located at the corner of E. Cypress heart of downtown Angeles, called Rd. and Picasso Dr., is Oakley, Los Angeles Self Storage. We also own a orn innewest San Leandro and facility. raised in Brentwood California’s self-storage variety of facilities not too far from Oakley, sinceopening age 11,fornow living in Oakley, Jesus With doors business in 2019, spanning cities such as West Sacramento, Ochoa is the Manager and Wellness Coach they are currently constructing a modern, Roseville,atRocklin, Elk Grove, El Dorado Delta Valley Health Club in Brentwood, whereHills, he teaches state-of-the-art facility.

Cypress Self and Scotts Valley! The common clubStorage members how to live a more healthier lifestyle – all of our facilities is that is actually the eleventh facility in link between andthe he Smart knowsSelf all about it, since he has lost and kept off Storage portfolio. Smart we choose our communities carefully and 75 Self pounds for over two years.

He lost 26.4 pounds Storage, the parent company behind always and offer exceptional quality, both in 29 Cypress inches while the Delta Health Club’s 20/30 and customer service.

SelfinStorage, is Valley a Californiaour facilities based,and locally and operated self members as Program nowowned he’s helping his family storage withusroots well.

Below company he shares with how hedating did it. You mentioned how this company back over 40 years. “We truly love our is not quite corporate and not quite communities and we are yourtofriendly, What was your powerful “why” lose the weight? mom-and-pop, that it’s somewhere neighborhood self-storage facility,” Ilocal, was always told growing up that diabetes in runs in my How does this business between! saidand IanI wanted Lopuch, par t ner Carlo family to break thatatmold!

Proud to I out for your customers? modelsay play Development LLC. “We also offer the am not a diabetic and have lowered my chances my Ourwith customers truly love us because of advantage of simultaneously having the lifestyle change. our unique position in the market. We are backing of a larger, 11-facility company not too big and not too small. Since we that has been in business over 40 years.

Have you always struggled with weight? are part of the Smart Self Storage family, Customers get that local, personable I have been overweight my whole life! I believe it was we offer the stability, scale and peace-ofexperience with the strength and peace mindofthat comes with a larger company. justofpure lack of education with a combination my mind of a large, stable company. It’s However, since Smart Self Storage only culture and the types of foods we ate. truly the best of both worlds! owns 11 facilities, customers also experience the joy that comes with a local comWhat have you learned through this process?

Where are your other self-storage focus. All of our facilities offer That it’s all about the foods and making itmunity a day-tolocations? on-site management teams who truly day lifestyle one day at a time!

Our facilities typically fall within the understand and love their local customgreater San Francisco Bay Area, the How did you hear about the 20/30 Program?ers and communities. We care! In fact, greater Sacramento Area, and the greater many of our customers will just stop by ILos sawAngeles the amazing area. Abenefits fun fact:members We own were seeing on the program. I wanted to challenge myself and try to become a prime example to our members and clients that anything is possible with a little dedication and hard work.

to say “hi” and chat with our management teams. We encourage this! We truly are your local, neighborhood self-storage facility and are here to add value. With Cypress Self Storage (and Smart Self Storage overall), you will always work with a real person who cares. Of course, we also employ the latest technologies and innovations. That said, the technology never replaces the human element at our business.

What features will this self-storage have?

Dr ive-up u nits, i nter ior u nits (1st f lo or), i nt e r ior u n it s (2nd & 3rd f loors) with elevator access, climate controlled units, free moving tr uck (subject to availability), helpful on-site management, individually alarmed units, camera security system, security gate access with individual keypad codes, self storage units spanning 22 different sizes, convenient access at a signalized intersection. In fact, we are adding a left turn lane on E. Cypress Road, so customers can easily access our facility from all directions at our signalized intersection. This is super important for those driving larger moving trucks!

What do you love about this particular program?

The food is really good and you can eat out and still enjoy yourself without feeling like you’re restricted!

What was challenging for you and what was easy for you during this time?

Challenge: My mentality of thinking this was another diet, not knowing the importance of a day-to-day lifestyle change. Easy: No exercise is required during the 30 days and I kept losing weight and seeing amazing health benefits.

How supportive were your family and friends throughout this weight management program?

At first my family thought I was crazy and once they saw my dedication and results, I was then able to inspire, motivate and educate them on the benefits of a fully 14

Spring 2019

Before Colorful Living Magazine

alive lifestyle. Since then, over 10 of my family members have done this program and have gained the confidence and proper education to feel and live better. My Biggest accomplishment to date is saving my mother’s life – through this program and helping her lose a total of 40 pounds, but most importantly, the health benefits she saw far outweighed the cosmetic benefits.

Are you continuing to lose weight? Or maintaining?

Maintaining is most important at this point!

Does it take more work to maintain than to lose?

Yes! It does take a little more dedication and discipline to maintain, and that’s where the lessons and tools you learned on the program come into play!

What lifestyle changes have you made - because of this program?

I have fully educated myself on what foods and exercises works best for my body and my goals. In keeping GOOD HEALTH in every decision I make!

Did you suffer from any health issues before the weight loss?

Yes, Acid Reflux, migraines, sleeping issues and digestive issues.

Do you exercise too? If so, what does that program look like?

My exercise is a combination of MX4 team training, cardio and sports.

What advice would you give our readers regarding the program and just changing your eating and health lifestyle in general?

Food and education is most important, and take the time to do something for you. I have grown through this program; it changed my confidence, attitude and it inspired me to be the best version I can of myself. We all deserve the opportunity to transform ourselves to the best version you can be, while creating unstoppable motivation and momentum in your life!

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14 passengers

This was taken outside our “flat” in London in October, 2018. Wally and I, along with a group of team members from the USA traveled to London to meet our business partners. After that, we traveled to the beautiful country of Armenia. Our purpose was to see our company’s Cryptocurrency Mining Farms in the city of Yerevan and meet the CEO and co-founder of OMNIA. What a delightful trip it was in so many ways. Traveling to new places, meeting people in our business for the first time in person and seeing and sharing the excitement of Cryptocurrency and the opportunities it has given to so many. I took my Colorful Living Magazine on the trip and shared it with my mentors in London and everyone on the trip. It was an opportunity to share how colorful life is back here in our special place in the East Bay.

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There are so many great aspects to “Crypto” and many ways for people to get involved. We have been making a positive difference in the lives of many people by sharing what we know. We offer FREE Webinars as well as live presentations here in the Bay Area. Please contact us for further information.

We are here to help you learn and allow you to see the great opportunities available to everyone!

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Honoring heroes using my husband’s DeWalt tools: Never underestimate the power of necessity Story and photos by Jennifer Cline @missdewalt

B

I’m holding my DeWalt tape measure and impact driver just after presenting a flag to a local fire department. My daughter Justine Chapman took this photo of me standing on the crosswalk of my hometown, Newton Falls landmark, our old covered bridge.

I took this photo with my phone and camera timer. I’m evening up some rough edges of a 5-foot flag with an oscillating multi tool, working in my outdoor shop.

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Spring 2019

y day, I was the Grand Jury coordinator for Summit County where I had the privilege of working with hundreds of police officers.

A little over two years ago, our Chief Investigator requested that I make a thin blue line flag for him out of wood, because he knew I was handy.

I had earned this reputation after designing and overseeing the renovation of my farmhouse in Ravenna, Ohio, a house that had been in my husband Gary’s family for over 100 years. I completed this task alone following his untimely death in 2008. He was killed in a traffic accident almost 11 years ago on the morning of our son Cameron’s fourth birthday. Upon his passing, I found myself left with a crumbling farmhouse and almost no fixer upper skills, so I decided I would carry out our dream to remodel our home alone, in his memory.

You see, my husband was a maintenance man who could fix and build anything, and my participation in our projects was generally limited to “holding this” or “steadying that.” I’ve come a long way since then, but what I’m the most proud of – is taking our 1818 farmhouse from a teardown condition, to one of the nicest on the street.

I designed an addition, acted as my own general contractor, hired subs, pulled permits and did much of the work.

That first flag for our chief investigator led to a few others, which I donated to local police agencies. Soon after, I began taking orders and requests for new designs, each named after the real life person who asked for the particular style.

I got the materials for these first flags through the generosity of several local store managers who agreed to let me take their broken pallets that could not be recycled. Thank you Carter Lumber, Tractor Supply and Lowe’s! I apologize to your employees who were, no doubt, startled by the presence of a woman in stilettos and dress clothes, breaking down pallets behind your businesses! My trips generally followed work, which explained my choice in shoes.

One of the highlights of my flag career thus far was winning a national competition, the DeWalt “Show Us Your Tough” contest sponsored by Stanley Black & Decker. I submitted a photo holding a drill that belonged to my late husband, as well as one of my law enforcement flags.

My hometown and friends backed me and voted through my relentless (more like nagging!) solicitation of daily and weekly reminders and contest updates. From the beginning of the contest, I pictured myself winning the grand prize trip to Vegas, meeting the bull riders of team DeWalt and attending the PBR finals, but even in my wildest dreams I could not have imagined we (my daughter Justine and I) would have such an amazing trip. We truly were treated like queens. Presenting personalized flags to the bull riders was one of the best moments of my life.

All of my flags include hidden messages between the boards of scripture and words of thanks and encouragement for the recipient. I can’t help but think this is a huge part of why I am being blessed the way I am right now. Today I’m a full time flag maker – @blessedarethepeacemakers5.9 on Instagram – and mother of two beautiful children.

At the time of my husband’s accident, he was working on our living room, which was completely gutted! Little did Gary know then that I would be the one to pick up his tools and help finish not only the living room, but also a complete renovation of our home. He couldn’t have known then that simply purchasing that DeWalt drill would lead me to honor our American heroes and also win a national contest.

Looking back, I laugh at my first attempt to use his miter saw. I had no idea how to release it from its locked, safety position!

Whenever I’m intimidated, I think this saw, mower, tractor, air nailer, etc., doesn’t know it’s me using it instead of Gary. My projects and learning continues, but I hope to inspire and encourage other women to take on roles that have traditionally been male-dominated.

Working with tools is fun and rewarding. If I can do it, you can too!

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