If you are looking for a serene place to relax on a beautiful day, visit our newly opened Citrus Lounge. It features an outdoor bar area with picnic tables and cabanas. Soon we will have fresh lemons and limes to pick right from the garden to add to your Mojito or iced tea – we encourage our residents to help themselves. Pomegranate trees will also soon be bearing fruit.Coming at the end of June is our Culinary Courtyard. This outdoor demonstration kitchen will be fully equipped with a barbecue, Viking cook top and myriad edible plants to pick and use in your dishes. Some of the things to be featured are: Guava trees, Strawberry plants, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage and Mint.

Be on the lookout for a Resident Newsletter to keep everyone informed with upcoming events and the latest Community news.

Written By: Krystal Lampignano

If every home replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent bulb, there would be enough energy to power 3 million homes for a year!

Easy Tricks to Stay Green
A few things to be energy efficient, Eco friendly and easy on the bills!

Let there be light!
Use Fluorescent light bulbs to curb your electricity bill. Here at The Crossing, we already use dimmers and automatic lights in some of our rooms to help with this as well.

Unplug…
About 75% of your electricity bill comes from electronics that are turned off but still plugged in. So next time you charge your phone or blow dry your hair…remember to unplug.

(Dry) Clean Your Clothes!
Choose environmentally friendly dry cleaners. They don’t use harsh chemicals which in turn has lower emissions that can harm the environment. Try California Green Cleaners located near our community for all of your dry cleaning needs. California Green Cleaners 2046 E. Lincoln Ave. Anaheim, CA 92806 714-535-1775

Green linens…literally.
Try bamboo linens or sheets. Bamboo requires less water to grow than cotton does and the material feels nice and wicks away moisture as well. Locations selling these products include Brookstone, Overstock.com & Greenearthbamboo.com

Eat Local!
Go check out a local Farmer’s market for local organic foods. By buying local it reduces emissions of exhaust in the air that would normally come from shipping in produce and foods. Also it’s fresh from the grower when you buy local. Nearby at The Village shopping center they hold a Farmer’s Market every Thursday.

Recycle!
By using recycled paper such as toilet paper or paper towels it saves up to 40% of energy when it’ s made from pre-existing materials. You can find these products at stores like Trader Joe’s or Sprouts.

Written by: Krystal Lampignano

Crisp table dressings provide an elegant backdrop to any meal. Yet conventionally grown cotton pesticide applications include some of the most toxic organophosphate pesticides in use. Paper alternatives contribute to deforestation, and vinyl, made from polyvinyl chloride, releases carcinogenic dioxins during manufacturing and incineration.

Instead, look for Rawganique’s newly expanded line of organic French linen and organic hemp tablecloths ($54 and up; www.rawganique.com, 877-729-4367). Or try hand-woven, organic cotton tablecloths from Native Organic in rustic stripes or plaids (tablecloths, $40, napkins, $35/set of 4; www.nativeorganic.com, 800-766-7454).

By Joanna Howard

The Crossing, for one thing, is a non-smoking community that’s also filled with environmentally friendly features.

If that’s not enough, a multitude of amenities – from in-home washers and dryers to a 14-seat home theater – might be a draw. Not to mention gardens growing mojito ingredients.

Stop by today and see why the Orange County Register were amazed just stepping in our lobby, you will be amazed too.