CUDDLE UP TO CLEAN
2021 is finally upon us, and you know what that means…time to give 2020 the boot. For many, the new year brings a fresh start, with the hopes of what could be. We often set goals, in hope of achieving those essential aspirations we have been longing for. This can be quite daunting when everything around us has been so chaotic, and even when our best laid plans can have good intentions. What it all comes down to is the habits that we create that will allow us to reach our milestones creating a happier, healthier you.
While goals rely on motivation, habits are routine. They literally rewire our brains. When pursuing change in our lives, it is best to form positive habits, rather than focusing on a specific goal. It could be a new diet, a way to be more organized or even the act of keeping things clean.
Sometimes it’s the most frequently used spaces that we often neglect but keeping things clean and organized is good for you, and science can prove it. A survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that people who make their beds every morning are 19 percent more likely to report regularly getting a good night’s sleep. In addition, 75 percent of people said they get a better night’s rest when their sheets and bedding are freshly cleaned because they feel more comfortable.
So why is it so difficult to keep up with our cleaning habneedsits? Organizing and cleaning just one room takes a LOT of time. When faced with the prospect of organizing your entire home, you might be tempted to give up before you start. How are you supposed to keep up with your career, your family, and your hobbies if you’re spending all of your time doing laundry and cleaning? So why try and stuff your comforter in your home washer and dryer without knowing if it’s really clean. Take some time for yourself and let Fabricare Center do the heavy lifting.
You’ll rest easy knowing you did your part to eliminate all the invisible dirt, germs, allergens and dander brought to your beds, without having to do all the cleaning yourself. We’ll do our part to extend the life of one of your home’s most important style statements through commercial cleaning, and help you keep up with your routine. All spots are pre and post treated as necessary, and your comforters, sheets and bedding get the ultimate clean from the space and professional action of our large-capacity machines.
Regardless of the how we stick to our goals and maintain our routines, it’s clear that staying clean and organized is a good thing, it helps us feel better about ourselves. The next time you bemoan having to keep up with your cleaning, remember we’re here to help. I promise you’ll feel much better when everything is cleaned and organized.
Kind regards,
Nutritional Inspiration for the New Year
A new year brings new opportunities for personal changes and improvement from taking steps forward in a career to bettering personal relationships and – perhaps most common – starting on a path toward better health. For many, the worthwhile challenge of enhancing physical health begins with the foods and beverages you eat and drink.
Step one is to leave behind the habit of turning to unhealthy meals and instead focus on dishes that call for fresh fruits and veggies. Making nutritious choices goes beyond just your meals, however. Take your commitment to the next level with beverages that don’t cancel out your effort to eat healthy.
Quinoa Salad with Orange Cilantro Salad Dressing
Yield: 2 cups
Dressing:
1/2 cup Zevia Orange Soda
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 avocado
1 teaspoon garlic
Quinoa Salad:
1 cup quinoa
leafy greens (optional)
1 orange, cut into pieces (optional)
1 grapefruit, cut into pieces (optional)
1 lime, juice only
1/2 avocado, diced (optional)
1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)
1/4 cup diced red onion (optional)
To make dressing: In food processor, pulse orange soda, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, avocado and garlic until consistency is smooth.
To make quinoa salad: Cook quinoa according to package directions and let cool.
Once quinoa is cool, add to bowl with orange pieces, if desired; grapefruit pieces, if desired; lime juice; avocado, if desired; feta cheese, if desired; and diced onion, if desired. Top with orange cilantro salad dressing.
KIDS CORNER – Polar Bear Fun Facts
Polar bears live along shores and on sea ice in the icy cold Arctic.
Polar Bears are strong swimmers, and their large front paws, which they use to paddle, are slightly webbed.
When sea ice forms over the ocean in cold weather, many polar bears, except pregnant females, head out onto the ice to hunt.
Polar bears weight up to 1,600 pounds, can be 8 feet long and live up to 30 years.
In fall pregnant polar bears make dens in earth and snowbanks, where they’ll stay through the winter and give birth to one to three cubs.
5 WAYS TO GIVE YOUR FURRY FRIEND A LITTLE EXTRA LOVE
Pets have a unique ability to make their owners’ lives happier, off ering unconditional love, companionship and even health benefits. In fact, studies supported by the Waltham Petcare Science Institute and National Institutes of Health have shown pet ownership can positively impact physical and emotional well-being, in addition to building social relationships and connections among communities Because pets can have such a positive impact on owners’ well-being, it’s important to periodically take a step back and show appreciation for all they o er. Consider these tips and tricks to thank your pets for the joy they add to your life.
Give Your Pet Something to Call His Own
The companionship and love pets o er can help transform a house into a home. To show gratitude for your furry friends, make sure they feel at home as well. Make a point to create spaces and give them their own belongings, such as a bed or their own toys. Small gestures like these can help them feel like part of the family.
Train with Treats
Another way to thank your pets for the fun they bring into your life is through treats. For example, giving your cat an enjoyable treat can be a welcome surprise for your pet and bring him running to play with you. You can use treats as incentives to learn new tricks or as a reward for good behavior.
Pencil Your Furry Friends into Your Schedule
Many people set aside time for meetings, hair appointments or brunch with family or friends, but the same can be done for pets to make them feel like a priority. Setting aside intentional time just for your pet and identifying unique new activities, like a play session with a new toy or a hike on your favorite trail, can strengthen your bond and ensure your pets get to enjoy quality time with you.
Practice Daily Well-Being
Taking time to monitor and maintain your pets’ well-being can help them live their healthiest, happiest lives, and finding ways to make their healthy habits more enjoyable is an easy way to show your pets you care. Try finding grooming brushes that relax them while removing excess hair or giving them dental chews like Greenies Dental Treats to support oral health. They’’ll think it’s just a treat, but you’ll know you’re helping keep their teeth and gums healthy and clean.
Give a Gift
To show appreciation for your furry family members, try off ering them surprises to let them know you’re thinking about them. There are many toys that can keep your pets entertained and stave o boredom. Finding the right one can be exciting for your pets and an opportunity for you to share quality time playing together.
How to Create Your Dream Closet
Creating the closet of your dreams could be in closer reach than you may think if you’re willing to take matters into your own hands. With a little creative inspiration and some basic DIY skills, you may be surprised by the stylish space you can design by yourself.
Start With a Vision
Creating the perfect closet space begins with your ideas. Think about the details such as how you want the space to look and the amount and type of storage you need. Envision everything from colors and finishes to the physical shape. In need of a little inspiration, grab ideas from Pinterest and Houzz.
Get Practical
Once you’ve dreamed up your ideal closet, compare your ideas with the space you have available and adjust your plans to fit your footprint and budget. This step allows you to get creative with ways to maximize your space and use every available inch to create a closet that gives you the function and aesthetic you desire.
Create Closet Zones
An envy-worthy closet isn’t just a stunning space, it integrates functional elements so seamlessly that they blend right into the design. When it comes to storage, a stylish and easy-to-assemble system balances form and function in almost any space. Tower-based closet systems, can be a perfect option for projects on tighter budgets, they combine multiple tower sizes and corner units to create a completely custom DIY closet system. The system also accommodates a wide range of accessories for more customization such as stylish doors and drawers, angled shoe shelves, jewelry trays and tie and belt racks.
Pay Attention to Details
It’s not just the structure that can bring your dream closet to life; little touches can add up in a big way. Upgrade your light fixture, for example, and look for other ways to personalize the space for a look that’s all yours, such as shelving to display treasured photos or keepsakes, or a spot on the wall for a vision board to draw inspiration from as you begin each day.
Keep color in mind
Introduce light and personality into your closet with rich color and style. Add accent color on the walls behind your clothes or incorporate color with the structural elements.
5 Steps Schools Are Taking to Help Feed Children During the Pandemic
Nearly 30 million children in the United States rely on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition. Since the start of the pandemic, the number of food-insecure children has increased 20% to 1 in 4. Although many schools are operating remote or hybrid models, most are still open full-time for feeding students.
An issue-framing report by GENYOUth, a national nonprofit dedicated to creating healthier school communities, addresses what’s at stake for schools today, progress that has been made, challenges they face and key opportunities that exist. It concludes that although the role of the school building has changed this year, health-promoting schools supporting the “whole child,” including ensuring children receive proper nutrition, matter more than ever for students to live full, productive lives.
Due to COVID-19, school nutrition professionals, bus drivers and volunteers are taking measures to distribute and deliver school meals through a variety of methods that enable social distancing, including grab and go, bus stop drop o and drive-thru pick up.
Creating Extended Meal Pickup Times During the initial lockdown, many families were home and had greater flexibility to pick up meals during a narrow window of time. However, as people return to more typical work schedules, their availability to take advantage of provided meals is compressing. Some districts are expanding, even doubling, their pickup windows to provide greater access for families.
Eliminating Barriers to Providing Meals School feeding programs are typically required to collect income eligibility applications from families to determine if children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Due to the pandemic, the United States Department of Agriculture is allowing schools to waive those requirements and o er free meals to every student. In addition, many school feeding sites don’t require students to be present to pick up food; parents, siblings or caregivers can collect the meals.
Raising Awareness of Options and Locations In response to crisis-level food-insecurity, GENYOUth, working with multinational software corporation SAP, engineered the SAP4Kids digital school-meal locator app so families in need can find food and other resources near them amid the pandemic while also providing ways for organizations to off er additional support.
Providing Multiple Meals at a Time Scheduling is also a factor, leading some schools to off er multiple meals at a time. Whether it’s meals for a full day or enough food for several days, o ffering multiple meals at a single pickup time streamlines scheduling for both the school and families. In addition, it reduces points of contact, helping to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Seeking Assistance and Support Federal funding continues to support school meal programs, but schools are also partnering with a wide range of organizations committed to students’ nutrition needs. One example is GENYOUth’s Emergency School Meal Delivery Fund, which has provided thousands of schools with millions of dollars in grants and in-kind support.
SERVICE SPOTLIGHT
Area Rugs
Spring is right around the corner and its just about time to start the pesky task of cleaning. While year after year we clean out the linen closets and those odd drawers we have around the house, we often forget about those larger items that we use every day. Area rugs can be one of those few things we forget about even though we wind up walking on them almost every day.
Vacuuming up surface dirt is a great way to prevent excessive dirt from building up it is no substitute for a professional cleaning. Fabricare Center provides a deep cleaning that will help to remove the dust, dirt and grime that builds up over time. With attention to detail, we finely look over the rug for spots and stains and focus on those areas that need more TLC.