Take a look at our newsletter this month.
(248) 543-0340 | www.janetdaviscleaners.com 27607Woodward Ave., Berkley, MI 48072 “HOT OFF THE PRESS” Dry Cleaning News
AUGUST 2020
THE EDUCATION, PASSION, AND DEDICATION WE LEARN FROM OUR TEACHERS
On my first day of first grade, I realized how different kindergarten was from elementary school. In kindergarten, my teacher was there for us every step of the way throughout the day. She would be there for us during recess and during our snack time. First grade was new territory for all of us. Our teachers would stop holding our hand for everything and start encouraging us to learn for ourselves. First grade was my first step into starting to become responsible for myself in education. From that point on, though, I never had another moment quite so jarring as I transitioned from elementary, to middle, to high school, and even to college. But I do remember feeling rather alarmed about the college class I took during my senior year of high school. I was in a dual enrollment program that allowed me to take college courses even though I was still a high school student. I had one college class a couple times a week in the afternoon, and my first day was probably one of the most nerve-wracking times I’ve ever had in school. The first time I pulled up into the college parking lot, I was so nervous I remember thinking, “I’m leaving. I’m just going to go. I’m not ready for this.” I kept telling myself this wasn’t something I was supposed to be doing. “My schooling should involve one building where all the classes are together,” I thought. I lost all confidence in myself until I sat down in the classroom. I was completely fine after that. Once the class started, I even felt as though I was more prepared for it than many of the college students there. My passion for my education started with preschool, and it’s something I still carry with me today. No matter how scary or alien it seemed at first, I was always eager to learn, and I wouldn’t have felt that if it weren’t for my teachers. Over the years, I’ve had so many teachers that impacted my life — far too many to list here, but I’ll mention a few.
My second grade teacher, Miss Fisher, was amazing. I always looked forward to going to school to see her and engage in the next school assignment. In high school, my English and social studies teacher, Mr. Dziedzic, was able to really
connect with his students. I had him in his first year at my high school, and he made the subjects he taught fun and exciting to learn. My classmates and I could really tell he was passionate about what he was teaching, and that made such a big impact on us. Without the efforts of my teachers, I don’t think I would have been as engaged as I was in any of my schoolwork. I’ve always thought providing the very best public education to every child in this country is one of the most essential functions of our government. This opinion became even more cemented when I went to college and afterward, throughout all my life experiences. Personally, I believe teachers are going to be even more important moving forward. Of course, I could also be a little biased about this, since there are quite a few educators in my family. My wife, my wife's sister and mother, my aunt, my grandma’s sister, her brother, and her mother were or are currently teachers. I’ve not only experienced what our teachers can do, but I’ve also seen how hard they work to give their students the best education. As we move into the new school year, let’s keep these hardworking individuals in our hearts and do whatever we can to support them.
–Kyle Matthews 1 (248) 543-0340
IMPROVING OUR PLANT
Head Back to School Stress-Free
Putting Our Extra Time to Good Use
TURN YOUR ENTRYWAY INTO A COMMAND CENTER
“Has anyone seen my backpack?” “Dad, did you sign my permission slip?” “Mom, I can’t find my shoes!”
This is the household anthem heard on school mornings across
the United States — a chaotic rush of tracking down shoes, throwing together lunches, and racing to the bus stop. What if there were a stress-free way to make sure everyone in your family had everything they needed to walk out the door each morning? Believe it or not, it’s possible! And it all starts with turning your home’s entryway into an organized command center. GET HOOKED ON COAT RACKS. Building an entryway command center starts with coat racks. You should have enough hooks for every member of your family to hang their jackets, backpacks, and purses. It’s also good to have some extra hooks just in case. Get your family in the habit of hanging their belongings in the entryway rather than trailing them through the house. CREATE A CLEVER SHOE SOLUTION. Keeping your shoes by the door ensures that on busy mornings, the left shoe isn’t in the bedroom while the right shoe somehow ended up in the playroom. However, shoes can quickly pile up into a mess of their own. If there’s space in your entryway, cubbies or labeled storage bins are a great solution to make sure each kid has a designated spot for their shoes. If you don’t have storage space by the door, a wall-mounted coat rack is a great workaround. Install the rack close to the floor and have your kids hang their shoes on the hooks when they come in. TO YOUR BATTLE STATIONS, EVERYONE! Make sure each member of your family has a designated spot to put their belongings in the command center, including you. Sure, you might not have homework to keep track of, but what about your keys? Your parent battle station can include a bowl for keys, a tray for new mail, and a calendar to help you monitor your weekly schedule at a glance. Organizing your entryway won’t magically make school mornings stress-free unless you consistently utilize the system. Kids will need to build the habits of leaving their shoes by the door and returning their backpacks to the hooks after they do their homework. So stick to the plan, be patient, and take it one day at a time.
Although the pandemic caused a bit of a slowdown in our plant, it didn’t mean our team slowed down. We looked toward the future, knowing things will pick up again, so we asked ourselves: With this extra time on our hands, how can we improve things so that we can come back better than before? Our solution was to tackle a number of projects we’d had our eye on for quite some time but were unable to get to because we were so busy. The biggest and one of the most gratifying projects we tackled was redoing our entire plant's floor, which was in bad shape. The cement floor was covered in layers of paint, each of which had started to come off over the years. We could see the different colors and bare cement across the floor. Plus, it was common knowledge that if anyone dropped something on the floor, it would have to be recleaned — it was that dirty (even though it was mopped all the time). To complete this project, everyone on our team contributed. We felt unified as our entire in-house team worked together as part of this change. While most of our maintenance team did a lot of the work, our other departments did some heavy lifting and moving things around or were just there to help with whatever needed to be done. No matter how they helped, our employees were a huge part of making this happen for our plant, making it better than ever. Each of our team members have taken a lot of pride in the fact that they helped make this happen. Now, we have a beautiful, finished, brand-new floor that everyone is so proud to keep clean. We are so excited we took this step to ensure our plant is in tiptop shape for our customers. We are enthusiastic for the future and ready to take on whatever may come.
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ALTERATIONS AND REPAIRS Getting Your Clothes Back in Working Order
Over the past few months, people weren’t getting out of the house as often as they probably would have liked. Many folks shopped online for groceries, food, and even clothes. While buying clothes online is convenient, it’s also a bit of a gamble. No one really knows how the items will fit until they arrive at the door. However, that might not be the only reason why the clothes you have don’t fit. Perhaps you’ve lost a few pounds in the past month by including a daily walk in your routine. Instead of going through the process of returning the shirt you fell in love with at first sight or donating your favorite pair of jeans, get them altered. No matter the reason your clothes don’t fit, reaching out to a professional tailor can be your best and easiest solution. Whether the garment is too big, too small, too tight, too long, or too short, our experienced staff here at Janet Davis Cleaners can help. Our team knows clothing and appreciates quality workmanship as much as our customers do. We understand how frustrating it is to not be able to wear the clothes you enjoy, and we strive to transform any piece so you can wear your beloved attire as comfortably as possible.
But that’s not all. Clothes can be put through quite a lot, especially when children wear them. Kids love to run, jump, and play, which can result in ripped or torn clothing. We know how important it is for kids to look their best, which is why our team offers repair services, as well. If wear and tear has damaged any clothing item — whether your child’s or your own — our professionals are here to fix it right up. Just send your items in with a note on how you would like them altered and we'll take care of the rest. If you have any clothing needs we can take care of, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Call Janet Davis Cleaners at (248) 543-0340.
SUDOKU
Weeknight CURRIED APPLE PORK CHOPS
INGREDIENTS
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee • 1 cup onion, diced • 1 tbsp garlic, crushed • 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped • 1 tsp salt • 1/2 cup water or apple juice
• 2 tbsp hot curry powder • 3 cups diced apples (peeled or not, your choice!) • 6 pork chops • Cilantro, roughly chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt coconut oil or ghee. 3. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and salt. Sauté for 10 minutes or until onions are soft and mixture is fragrant. 4. Mix in water or apple juice and curry powder. Then add apples, ensuring they get coated in sauce. 5. In an oven-safe dish, arrange pork chops, cover with sauce and apple mixture, and cook for 20 minutes (if using bone-in chops, cook for an additional 10 minutes) or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 F. 6. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!
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1 From Kindergarten to College: Teachers Are Essential 2 3 Organization Tools for Stress-Free Mornings (248) 543-0340 www.janetdaviscleaners.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE
27607Woodward Ave. Berkley, MI 48072
Tackling Our Plant Floor 3 Providing a Comfortable Fit
Weeknight Curried Apple Pork Chops
4 Engaging Indoor Activities
3 ACTIVITIES TO KEEP YOU BUSY STUCK INSIDE?
Summertime means getting out of the house to enjoy the sunshine and the bright blue sky. But even during this great time of year, you may have to spend some of these precious days inside, not outside. Rather than scrolling through social media or reminiscing about better days, here are a few ideas you can use to turn a day spent indoors into a fun summer memory!
decorations by painting rocks, making a wind chime, or repurposing an old boot into a new plant holder. You never know — whatever you choose to do could become your next passion.
CHANGE IT UP
If you’ve been putting off rearranging or reorganizing a room in your house, then a day at home is a great chance to get started. Switching up the layout of your stuff gives your home a fresh new look and provides you with an opportunity to deep- clean your space. If you have a patio or porch, then try sprucing up those outdoor spaces with new furniture, potted plants, or trendy decor. Just imagine how satisfying it will feel once everything is in a new place and sparkling clean. Even when you’d rather be outside enjoying the last days of summer, these indoor activities will keep you entertained and give you something fun to look forward to!
PLAN YOUR NEXT VACATION
Spending the day inside might just be the perfect time to plan your next vacation. Use this time to calculate the expenses of the trip, such as travel, board, food, and souvenirs. You can also research and figure out where you’re going to stay ahead of time, whether that be a hotel or an Airbnb, to optimize your experience. Once you have the groundwork done, you’ll have a better idea of how your trip will go and be able to focus on the fun stuff when the time comes!
GET CRAFTY
You’re bound to have a few materials floating around the house that you can use to create a new art project or even start a new hobby. If you have extra sheets of paper lying around, then give origami a go. Do you have a shirt you don’t wear anymore but still love? Turn it into a new pillow cover or a bag. You can also create fun garden
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