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FEBRUARY 2019
Everything You Own Wants to Be of Use to You
Marie Kondo’s Tips for a Happy Home
Does this spark joy? This question more than anything else is the operating principle of the KonMari method. Objects that make you feel happy when you hold them matter to you. Ergo, they’re the ones you should keep. If something doesn’t spark joy, you can live without it. It’s a simple concept but an entirely new way of thinking about which items you truly cherish. Tidying is the tool, not the final destination. While Kondo herself loves tidying — at one point she gleefully declares, “I love mess” — she understands that some people feel the opposite. The goal, instead, is to create a space you love living in, full of only your most prized possessions. Clutter is caused by failure to return things to where they belong. In the KonMari method, everything has its place. Kondo loves boxes, baskets, and other organizational tools. Not only does designating a specific place for items make you more organized, but it also forces you to take better care of your things. Can you place your hand on your heart and swear that you are happy when surrounded by so much stuff that you don’t even remember what’s there? I don’t think anyone can answer this question in the affirmative, which proves Kondo’s point. Everyone prefers an orderly home, so spring-cleaning is more than worth the effort. It may sound daunting, but you’ll feel a lot better when it’s done. Cleaning the inside of your house may be a trying process, but handling your exterior is much simpler. All you have to do is call All-Clean! SoftWash and we’ll take care of it . I’m guessing that crud on the windows and those leaves in the gutter aren’t sparking much joy anyway.
Maybe I’m hoping for a quick end to winter, or maybe I’ve been binge-watching too many episodes of “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” on Netflix — that show is strangely soothing and seriously addicting — but I’ve been thinking about getting an early jump on spring-cleaning this year. If you’re of the opinion that February is way too early to think about spring-cleaning, we’ll call it Valentine’s Day for your home instead.
In honor of “Tidying Up,” I’d like to share a few Marie Kondo-inspired tips for making spring-cleaning a joyous process. But first, here’s a little background. Kondo and her “KonMari” organization method first became a phenomenon in 2014 when her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” was translated into English. In “Tidying Up,” Kondo visits different California homes and applies her methods in actual practice.
Unlike every other home-cleaning show, “Tidying Up” doesn’t feel exploitative or judgmental. Kondo, who is basically the personification of a warm cup of chamomile tea, understands that objects have real value to people. Her approach is not forceful, and she doesn’t expect her hosts to become spartan minimalists. Instead, she encourages people to keep objects that “spark joy” and discard those that have “outlived their purpose.” She also folds clothes better than anyone in the history of planet Earth, which is very comforting to watch.
Here are a few quotes from the show to help inspire your early spring- cleaning. I hope you get as much motivation from them as I did.
–Jennifer Ricca
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Family Game Night
Break the Monotony of Overplayed Board Games!
CATAN Welcome to the island of Catan! After a long voyage at sea, the people in your expedition compete against other seafarers in building settlements. Enjoy the 45–90-minute game as you and your family build roads, barter resources, and race for absolute supremacy on Catan. ONE NIGHT WEREWOLF Every night, werewolves prowl around the village, and it’s up to the villagers to find the werewolf once the sun rises — before it’s too late. Each person plays a unique role with different abilities to help find or conceal the werewolf. If the werewolf is caught, the villagers win the game, but if the werewolf manages to escape, the villagers lose. Now you can bring some exciting variety into your family game nights. Don’t miss out on these excellent tabletop games, and most importantly, have fun!
Family game night is a time when a family can forget about all of life’s commitments and bond over a good old-fashioned board game. But the old, tattered Monopoly box or worn-out UNO cards can leave something to be desired, and the classics might be getting a little dull. If you’re tired of playing the same board games over and over, it might be time to start looking for ways to change things up. Here are four tabletop games you might not have heard of that are perfect for spicing up family game night. MYSTERIUM Your family will love delving into this cooperative murder mystery game that is a mixture of Clue and Dixit. You can play as the ghost or as one of the mediums who enters the haunting. The ghost player gives each medium a clue or vision about a potential murderer, and the mediums have
to guess which person, room, or weapon was used to murder the ghost player. After each turn, the ghost reveals whether each of the mediums’ guesses are right or not. If all of the mediums succeed in guessing correctly by the seventh in-game hour, they work together to find the true murderer. LASER CHESS A classic game of chess is a great way to spend an evening, and it just got a little more interesting. Laser chess includes all the problem-solving skills a typical chess game offers but with a twist. At the end of each turn, a player fires a small laser beam that bounces off the mirrored chess pieces. If it hits the non-mirrored surface of a piece, that piece is taken by the player. A player wins when the opposing player’s king piece is illuminated.
Meet Dominic Shepherd Lead Window-Cleaning Tech and High-Level Gamer
Dominic Shepherd, our lead window-cleaning technician, has been a member of the All-Clean! SoftWash team since November 2016. He’s an expert at his role and identifies three main reasons for his continued success and enjoyment: his affinity for the work, the company culture, and most of all the customers.
meant to be a window-cleaning tech. I wake up every day excited to go to work. Most people aren’t so lucky. All-Clean! is the best company I’ve ever worked for. Everyone works together, and we all believe in the importance of world-class customer service.” Dominic wants to pay special tribute to scheduling and logistics teams, who make his job easy and fun. Because of their skills, he can spend his days in the field doing what he loves best. When he’s not working, Dominic enjoys singing, making music, and playing online multiplayer games. Currently, he’s exploring the post- apocalyptic wasteland of “Fallout 76.” In the gaming world, the phrase “git gud” (a modification of “get good”) refers to the process of becoming a competent player. Dominic is already plenty “gud” at his job. We haven’t figured out a way to apply arcade-style scoring to window cleaning just yet — but if we did there’s no doubt he would have the world record.
“The most rewarding part of my job,” Dominic says, “is the chance to serve people from all walks of life. We get to experience different cultures just by visiting homes. It’s an honor and privilege to be invited onto somebody’s property, and I always strive to be a model guest.”
Of course, Dominic isn’t just there to visit; he and his squad have a job to do. “It might sound corny,” he adds, “but I really feel like I was
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And How to Get Yours Cleaned for FREE The Importance of Dryer Vent Cleaning
When was the last time you had your clothes dryer vent cleaned? The most common answers to this question are “never” and “what’s that?” While it may not be a visible part of your home, cleaning your dryer exhaust is an essential part of any home maintenance plan.
recipe title When you book a window or gutter cleaning with All-Clean! SoftWash, you’ll receive a complimentary, comprehensive dryer vent cleaning. We want your home, even the unseen parts, to be clean, well- functioning, and hazard-fre . Let us ensure that your dryer vent doesn’t contain kindling just waiting to ignite. It’s too important to ignore. Call us today to book a window or gutter cleaning, and let us find out what’s lurking inside your dryer vent. We also offer dryer vent cleaning as a standalone service and are happy to provide you with an estimate. can imagine how much builds up in the vent over time. This build-up of lint decreases the efficiency of your dryer, thereby increasing your utility costs. It also puts excess strain on your dryer, which shortens its lifespan and causes the heating element to burn out. Even worse, lint is extremely flammable. According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are approximately 15,000 dryer fires in the U.S. every year. The vast majority of these are caused by clogged vents and are entirely avoidable. Now that you know how important dryer vent maintenance is, you may be wondering how to have yours cleaned. Because dryer vent cleaning is both crucial and often overlooked, we wanted to give our clients a FREE opportunity to have theirs serviced.
A clogged dryer vent is both a waste of energy and a potential hazard. Over the course of use, dryer exhaust vents fill up with lint. If you notice how much lint collects in your drier after just one cycle, you
Sudoku
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
INGREDIENTS • 2 bone-in porterhouse steaks • 1/4 cup olive oil • 2 sprigs rosemary • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste • Lemon wedges, for serving DIRECTIONS 1. 30 minutes before cooking, remove steaks from fridge to bring them to room temperature. 2. Heat a grill or large cast-iron skillet to high. While heating, brush steaks with half the oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. 3. Place steaks on the hottest part of the grill or pan and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Flip steaks and baste with remaining oil, using rosemary sprigs as a brush. If cooking in a pan, place sprigs next to steaks after basting. 5. Cook for 5–6 minutes for medium-rare. 6. Let steaks sit for at least 5 minutes, slice against the grain, and serve with bone.
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Inside This Issue NOTES FROM A BINGE WATCHER PAGE 1
BRING VARIETY TO FAMILY GAME NIGHT
SPOTLIGHT ON DOMINIC SHEPHERD PAGE 2
IS YOUR DRYER VENT DANGEROUSLY DIRTY?
BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA PAGE 3
It’s May 1, 1969. As the war continues in Vietnam, people gather in the Senate Subcommittee on Communications in D.C. to fight for what they believe is critical to the American public. Proposed budget cuts to Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) threaten the programs that have become dear to so many, and $20 million is on the line. For a public television station, this is everything. Over the course of two days, Senator John Pastore, chairperson of the subcommittee, has listened to speech after speech about why PBS should be awarded the funding. He’s tired of hearing the same bland data and is eager to have the ordeal over with. HOW MR. ROGERS SAVED PBS PAGE 4 Speak From the Heart Unlike his fellow speakers, Mr. Rogers doesn’t use numbers or research to persuade Senator Pastore. In the calm voice many of us associate with our childhoods, Fred Rogers shares with Senator Pastore the reasons why he’s concerned about what children see on television. Two minutes after Rogers has begun talking, Pastore’s demeanor changes — his face softens, and he can tell Rogers has something important to say. From his work in child development, Rogers has come to empathize with and understand the worries and fears of children. He explains to Senator Pastore that he’s created a show for children, saying, “I feel Then Fred Rogers, host of the newly syndicated series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” steps up to the microphone.
How Mr. Rogers Saved PBS
that if we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a great service for mental health.” He doesn’t speak from the piece of paper in front of him; he speaks from his heart. Rogers shares with Pastore what he tells viewers at the end of each episode: “You’ve made this day a special day just by being you.” “I’d like to see this program,” Pastore says. Five minutes into the speech, he is transformed, just like anyone who’s seen Rogers’ show. “I’m supposed to be a pretty tough guy, and this is the first time I’ve had goosebumps for the last two days,” Pastore tells him. How has Rogers swayed the senator? He hasn’t waved a magic wand or given a dramatic performance, but Rogers’ passion is so palpable, even Senator Pastore can’t help being won over. After Rogers shares the words of one the songs he features in “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” Pastore has heard enough. “I think it’s wonderful,” Pastore declares. “Looks like you just earned the $20 million.” If you’d like to see Mr. Rogers’ testimony for yourself, you can check it out at youtube.com/watch?v=fKy7ljRr0AA .
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