As some of you know, I am the pickiest eater ever. This can cause some problems sometimes. As some of you also know, I started eating salads this past summer, at the ripe age of 24. Don't laugh too hard, you might hurt yourself.
A lot of food goes uneaten for a while in my fridge and pantry because I just don't realize it is still there. I think I mentioned this somewhere in a previous post about shoving things to the back of the fridge and then finding them later. Now I have started trying to empty the fridge before I buy more stuff. That is hard to do as some things you run out of faster than others. But I think I am doing a better job due to the fact that we finally got some deer meat into our freezer this week.
Part of using what I have is trying to figure out a monthly menu. This has been a domestic challenge for me, as I find it hard to come up with that many meals at once. But it does save on trying to come up with ideas while I am grocery shopping. And thus buying food I don't need and won't use!
So one way to save on unneccessary food costs: menu planning by what you have and only buying the "accessories".
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Snow Snow Go Away
I know that I live in the North, but I am ready for Spring to shoot through the snow and let us see its bright greens and new life!
I love Spring more than any other season of the year. When everything starts popping through the earth in March and April and the snow melts so we can see grass and dirt again, I get giddy!
I love to wake up with sunshine in the morning instead of darkness. It is much easier for my body to realize it should be awake, if the rest of the world is waking up outside my window too.
I love that Spring is symbolic of new beginnings. New plants, new trees, new grass. Just like God makes us new in Him. And I love that Easter is in Spring to remind us of that fact!
So here's to Spring! May it come swift and warm and take this snow away!
I love Spring more than any other season of the year. When everything starts popping through the earth in March and April and the snow melts so we can see grass and dirt again, I get giddy!
I love to wake up with sunshine in the morning instead of darkness. It is much easier for my body to realize it should be awake, if the rest of the world is waking up outside my window too.
I love that Spring is symbolic of new beginnings. New plants, new trees, new grass. Just like God makes us new in Him. And I love that Easter is in Spring to remind us of that fact!
So here's to Spring! May it come swift and warm and take this snow away!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Kitchens
Oh, cleaning the kitchen up again! I love to mess it up while cooking, but I hate to clean up afterward. I admit, as I have before, keeping a clean kitchen is quite the struggle for me, there are always dishes laying around and cups and so on sitting everywhere. I try to get a handle on it, but for me it is daunting for some reason!
It is great to mix things up, bake everything, make yummy sauces and salads, but it is quite another to clean up after they are gone. I also forget things are in my fridge and just scoot them around for a while, until I realize they have been in there far too long and like today, dump them out and wash the smelly containers.
If you are thinking I live in a pig pen, that is not true, a little cluttered at times, but its not that bad beyond the kitchen! And about once a week I clean like crazy and everything is back to normal order. I know that if I did this regularly during the day I wouldn't have these problems, but somehow that just doesn't happen for me!
It is great to mix things up, bake everything, make yummy sauces and salads, but it is quite another to clean up after they are gone. I also forget things are in my fridge and just scoot them around for a while, until I realize they have been in there far too long and like today, dump them out and wash the smelly containers.
If you are thinking I live in a pig pen, that is not true, a little cluttered at times, but its not that bad beyond the kitchen! And about once a week I clean like crazy and everything is back to normal order. I know that if I did this regularly during the day I wouldn't have these problems, but somehow that just doesn't happen for me!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Do You Want a Massage?
Hey to all of you that have ever read this blog! I want to give you some information on my massage business so you can tell all your friends and get signed up for an appointment!
I graduated from SHI Medical Massage School on October 25, 2009 and got my License for Massage Therapy for Ohio on January 15, 2010. I have an office set up on Orchard Lane, in Beavercreek, Ohio.
I love to do deep massage work, as well as light relaxation massage. I take a full medical history for each client and keep it on file for future reference and to add to it as needed. I keep medical notes on all the work I do so that I know what works and what doesn't for each client. If I feel that the person needs it, I will take thier blood pressure to ensure I am not going to hurt them by doing massage. Each massage is catered to the client's needs and specific requests.
I use massage specific tools and products to ensure a clean, relaxing, professional approach. I offer many discounts including a discount of 15% for all clergy and military. The Hand to Hand Program is a great way to get discounted massages as well, all new clients will recieve 15% off thier first massage. Anyone they refer to me that gets a massage will recieve 15% off and the client that referred them gets 15% off thier next massage! Every time you refer someone they get 15% off and so do you!
My prices are the average for the market, $60 for one hour. I take 1.5 hours for the first massage to allow time for the medical history and information gathering, but you will still only pay for one hour!
So talk to everyone you know and let them know to get in contact with me for thier massage needs. Ask your chiropractor if massage would be helpful in your adjustments; schedule me for a health fair, ladies night, party, wedding, birthday party, company event and more! After all, you usually feel better after a massage, if not, something went wrong!
I graduated from SHI Medical Massage School on October 25, 2009 and got my License for Massage Therapy for Ohio on January 15, 2010. I have an office set up on Orchard Lane, in Beavercreek, Ohio.
I love to do deep massage work, as well as light relaxation massage. I take a full medical history for each client and keep it on file for future reference and to add to it as needed. I keep medical notes on all the work I do so that I know what works and what doesn't for each client. If I feel that the person needs it, I will take thier blood pressure to ensure I am not going to hurt them by doing massage. Each massage is catered to the client's needs and specific requests.
I use massage specific tools and products to ensure a clean, relaxing, professional approach. I offer many discounts including a discount of 15% for all clergy and military. The Hand to Hand Program is a great way to get discounted massages as well, all new clients will recieve 15% off thier first massage. Anyone they refer to me that gets a massage will recieve 15% off and the client that referred them gets 15% off thier next massage! Every time you refer someone they get 15% off and so do you!
My prices are the average for the market, $60 for one hour. I take 1.5 hours for the first massage to allow time for the medical history and information gathering, but you will still only pay for one hour!
So talk to everyone you know and let them know to get in contact with me for thier massage needs. Ask your chiropractor if massage would be helpful in your adjustments; schedule me for a health fair, ladies night, party, wedding, birthday party, company event and more! After all, you usually feel better after a massage, if not, something went wrong!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sickness
No one likes to be sick, for any reason; at least I don't know any sane person that likes to be sick. I certainly don't. I hate the inconvenience to be completely honest.
I hate the fact that even though I could get up and walk around, I don't want to because it wears me out. I hate that when I cough it feels like my chest will break open and my lungs will fall out. I hate that fevers make my whole body hurt, like my skin is made of tiny razors slicing into my muscles.
But illness is also an awareness of how good my body feels when it isn't fighting an invader. It shows me not to take advantage of my good feeling days and allows me joy that I will get better, probably not as quickly as I would like, but I will.
Illness also reminds me that I am not in control, God is, and He is much better at being in control than I am, no matter how much I may disagree. God allows me to get sick for one reason or another, and He allows me to be well again. Just like He allows doctors to go through years of training to know how to help me and gives chemists the good brains to know what will help my body fight this infection the best. For that I am thankful!
I hate the fact that even though I could get up and walk around, I don't want to because it wears me out. I hate that when I cough it feels like my chest will break open and my lungs will fall out. I hate that fevers make my whole body hurt, like my skin is made of tiny razors slicing into my muscles.
But illness is also an awareness of how good my body feels when it isn't fighting an invader. It shows me not to take advantage of my good feeling days and allows me joy that I will get better, probably not as quickly as I would like, but I will.
Illness also reminds me that I am not in control, God is, and He is much better at being in control than I am, no matter how much I may disagree. God allows me to get sick for one reason or another, and He allows me to be well again. Just like He allows doctors to go through years of training to know how to help me and gives chemists the good brains to know what will help my body fight this infection the best. For that I am thankful!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
SuperBowl Cupcakes
After sitting in my apartment sick from a sinus infection for a few days, I got beyond bored and decided I would make cupcakes for the SuperBowl! So here they are, the Colts and the Saints!! ( I know the saints are black and gold, but the black just wouldn't go dark enough so it turned out kind of purple! )
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Getting the word out about Massage Envy
Massage Envy is coming to The Greene, in Beavercreek, Ohio. This may sound like great news, but I would like to give you some education about what I have been told by people who worked at Massage Envy and people who have had appointments there.
First, Massage Envy requires a membership from you. I know that personally I don't like having to buy packages up front and pre-pay for things I haven't experienced yet. I don't like membership fees and not knowing where that money is going.
Second, Massage Envy only gives you a 50 minutes massage. You have to schedule for an hour, but you only get 50 minutes. The other ten minutes is for undressing and redressing and an introduction.
Third, Massage Envy overworks thier employees. From the former employees I have spoken with, Massage Envy required them to work 10-14 hour days with no break between clients. That is 10-14 massages in a day!! Imagine doing that kind of work and still feeling good at the last 2 clients of the day. You don't get the same energy or good mood from your therapist if they are completely worn out. And now multiply that by 5-7 days a week. Makes for one sore, tired, gloomy person working on you.
Fourth, Massage Envy doesn't pay thier therapists very well. They charge an average price of $40 for an hour (remember you are only getting 50 minutes of that hour). Thier therapist makes a tiny fraction of that price for themselves, and they are encouraged to refuse tips.
Fifth, Massage Envy drives the market down for other massage therapists in the area. You have seen what happens to the small business grocer when Wal-Mart moves into town. That is the same thing that happens to small business massage when Massage Envy moves into town. It looks great at first, cheap prices and you can get an appointment at almost any time you want. Here are a few things that causes:
1) Massage Therapist paying rent, paying for insurance, paying for thier continuing education requirements charge a standard fee most of the time, that fee right now is right around $60 for an hour. Some are more some are less, but that's the average.
2) You may get an appointment any time you want, but you probably won't get the same person twice. So you have to put your trust in a stranger every time, you never get someone that learns your body and your needs and caters to them.
3) If you aren't happy, you are stuck with the package you had to buy at the beginning, and they don't do specials or many discounts.
Sixth, Massage Envy doesn't usually take any kind of Medical History or keep detailed notes of what they did for you at each session. When I sit down with you for your first appointment I allow a half hour free of charge to take a detailed medical history, to see what your body needs and make sure it is safe to work on you and what work is safe and what isn't. I find out what kind of pressure you like and if I can use other tools and techniques catering your massage to you specifically. I even take blood pressure if needed to ensure you are safe in my hands.
I could go on with other reasons, but I think you see the point. I am not calling for an all out boycott and I am not saying the therapists are the reason Massage Envy isn't a good idea, many good therapists get stuck in the Massage Envy scenario. There are also many people there that only know how to do Swedish Massage, they don't know any other techniques or modalities or use of any tools to enhance the massage to your needs. They know how to "relax" you and how to put lotion on you, and that is it. Many chiropractors and doctors will not send thier patients to Massage Envy.
Please take these thoughts into consideration when you are looking into the new flashy Massage Envy in your area.
First, Massage Envy requires a membership from you. I know that personally I don't like having to buy packages up front and pre-pay for things I haven't experienced yet. I don't like membership fees and not knowing where that money is going.
Second, Massage Envy only gives you a 50 minutes massage. You have to schedule for an hour, but you only get 50 minutes. The other ten minutes is for undressing and redressing and an introduction.
Third, Massage Envy overworks thier employees. From the former employees I have spoken with, Massage Envy required them to work 10-14 hour days with no break between clients. That is 10-14 massages in a day!! Imagine doing that kind of work and still feeling good at the last 2 clients of the day. You don't get the same energy or good mood from your therapist if they are completely worn out. And now multiply that by 5-7 days a week. Makes for one sore, tired, gloomy person working on you.
Fourth, Massage Envy doesn't pay thier therapists very well. They charge an average price of $40 for an hour (remember you are only getting 50 minutes of that hour). Thier therapist makes a tiny fraction of that price for themselves, and they are encouraged to refuse tips.
Fifth, Massage Envy drives the market down for other massage therapists in the area. You have seen what happens to the small business grocer when Wal-Mart moves into town. That is the same thing that happens to small business massage when Massage Envy moves into town. It looks great at first, cheap prices and you can get an appointment at almost any time you want. Here are a few things that causes:
1) Massage Therapist paying rent, paying for insurance, paying for thier continuing education requirements charge a standard fee most of the time, that fee right now is right around $60 for an hour. Some are more some are less, but that's the average.
2) You may get an appointment any time you want, but you probably won't get the same person twice. So you have to put your trust in a stranger every time, you never get someone that learns your body and your needs and caters to them.
3) If you aren't happy, you are stuck with the package you had to buy at the beginning, and they don't do specials or many discounts.
Sixth, Massage Envy doesn't usually take any kind of Medical History or keep detailed notes of what they did for you at each session. When I sit down with you for your first appointment I allow a half hour free of charge to take a detailed medical history, to see what your body needs and make sure it is safe to work on you and what work is safe and what isn't. I find out what kind of pressure you like and if I can use other tools and techniques catering your massage to you specifically. I even take blood pressure if needed to ensure you are safe in my hands.
I could go on with other reasons, but I think you see the point. I am not calling for an all out boycott and I am not saying the therapists are the reason Massage Envy isn't a good idea, many good therapists get stuck in the Massage Envy scenario. There are also many people there that only know how to do Swedish Massage, they don't know any other techniques or modalities or use of any tools to enhance the massage to your needs. They know how to "relax" you and how to put lotion on you, and that is it. Many chiropractors and doctors will not send thier patients to Massage Envy.
Please take these thoughts into consideration when you are looking into the new flashy Massage Envy in your area.
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