Pleasantonians are proud of their picturesque, quiet city, and rightfully so. With First Wednesdays, the best fairgrounds in the Tri-Valley, and a charming downtown—plus free parking throughout the city—this is definitely a suburb with a small town feel where you would want to raise a family. “The second Silicon Valley,” as Pleasanton has been nicknamed, is a thriving place full of friendly faces and generous people.

Pleasanton’s own Open Heart Kitchen, a nonprofit that has been incredibly active with feeding those in need, recently came across a major obstacle in operations: a two-alarm fire at Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Livermore, their second location and a major storage facility for foodstuffs. The Pleasanton community has stepped up to the plate magnificently to help the organization continue operations as normal, but this month they’re more in need of our help than ever to serve this community and spread the love.

Palo Alto is one of the cities in the South Bay Area lucky to be home to over 2500 of Eichler’s celebrated mid-century houses, including several nestled in south Palo Alto surrounding the Mitchell Park area. Eichler homeowners are famous for their "cult-like" devotion to the architectural and stylistic integrity of these iconic homes, so planning any renovation involves finding a delicate balance between additional features and the characteristic sleekness of the midcentury style. Maybe you want to add a home gym for morning workouts or create a workspace in your bedroom. You need more interior space, but if you opt for an addition you’re likely going to encroach on your Eichler atrium or your backyard.

GUEST BLOG BY LORI KROLIK OF MORE TIME FOR YOU. THIS IS PART OF A SERIES OF GUEST BLOGS FROM SOME OF OUR PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER PARTNERS.

Valet offers great solutions for storing and keeping your stuff organized, but you don’t want to just fill your redesigned cabinets and closets with disorganization and clutter. To kick off the New Year, we asked professional organizer, Lori Krolik of More Time For You, to share her thoughts on how to get your home organized and create the custom Valet cabinet, closet, or space of your dreams.

GUEST BLOG BY CARLA WHYTE OF EMBRACING YOUR SPACE. THIS IS PART OF A SERIES OF GUEST BLOGS FROM SOME OF VALET'S PROFESSIONAL PARTNERS.

Are you having trouble making space for all of your holiday food in your pantry? Are you storing bags on top of cans and boxes? Do you even know what's in there? Sounds like it's time to take a closer look!