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(248) 543-0340 | www.janetdaviscleaners.com 27607Woodward Ave., Berkley, MI 48072 “HOT OFF THE PRESS” Dry Cleaning News
NOVEMBER 2020
USING 2020 TO ORGANIZE AND REFRESH
Daylight saving time ends this month, and without question, it always confuses me every year. I usually spend the next month wondering what time it is, what time it was before, and whether or not it’s lunchtime or the middle of the morning. But, when we “fall back” and get that extra hour, it'll be nice to spend that extra hour with my family. The end of daylight saving time is also a reminder that this year is (finally) coming to a close, which can inspire us to catch up on a few things before the new year. For us, I believe we’ll be finishing up a project we’ve been working on for quite a while at Janet Davis Cleaners. Because of the pandemic, we’ve used our extra time to spruce up our office. We’ve never been a disorganized business, but after staying in one place for 70 or so years, things tend to back up. So, we took a fine-toothed comb to everything with two questions in mind: "Do we really need it?" and "Does it need to be here?" It’s amazing all the things we’ve unearthed as we’ve tidied up our space. We’ve found advertisements from the ‘80s and others with phone numbers in a different format that probably go back to the ‘60s. Rediscovering and appreciating these small pieces of history was fun, but it was a lot of hard work. We dedicated our Fridays to these “cleaning days,” and at first, I was dreading the end of the week. But the more progress we made, the more I started to look forward to Friday to pick up where we left off. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long. Eventually, I went right back to dreading it again because all our organizing and choosing what to keep became harder and harder. You get to a point where you want to keep what you need and throw away things you don’t, but at some point, that line becomes blurred.
Even though exhausting and challenging at times, I will say it’s been really nice getting rid of the things that we didn’t need in the office. Instead of having three different spots for computer parts and four spots in the office for marketing, we now have one dedicated marketing zone and one extra computer equipment area. Not having all this overwhelming stuff is refreshing and opens up our space so much more. My wife and I have been doing the same thing at home. We moved into our house about five years ago, and we finally managed to go through some of the boxes we hadn’t unpacked. When we were first planning to move in, we were super organized about how we packed, but then we looked at the calendar and realized we were out of time. To make it even more hectic, we also had a baby to look after, so we ended up throwing the last things into boxes and into the moving van. Then, when we finally moved in, we just didn’t have time to get everything. Now, with this year’s unique events, we’ve spent a lot more time at home, which has given us the chance to go through these things, and it’s been really nice. We’ve revisited old memories as we unearthed some of the boxes, and we’ve condensed a lot of things, too. Just like in the office, things feel lighter and fresher at home. However, I’ve had to organize the home and office on alternating weeks. Organizing my house and the office in the same week made it difficult to keep it straight in my mind where everything is.
This year may have taken a lot from us, but at least on Sunday, Nov. 1, I'll get to spend an extra hour with my family.
–Kyle Matthews
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Get Your Backyard Glowing
WHEN PLANS CHANGE, DON’T DISMAY!
We Can Get Your Wedding Dress Cleaned
As more homeowners are seeking to bring the indoors to the outdoors, fireplaces and firepits are a “hot” commodity for making that happen. There are several details to consider if you want to create maximum ambiance and a little warmth. PLACEMENT The possibilities are nearly endless, but consider the unique features of your backyard when deciding where to put your fireplace or firepit. Placing it by a pool or hot tub provides a perfect area to dry off and warm up. If your home has a garden, build your fireplace near its edge to integrate it into the foliage. If you go for a big and bold design, place it somewhere so that you can still visibly appreciate it from inside your home. And always take climate into consideration when deciding where to locate your fireplace. Protect it from too much sun or rain exposure. DESIGN Fireplaces and pits these days range from circular bowls to a traditional in-wall or double-sided setup. Your design should help you achieve what you want most out of a fireplace. If you want more of a camping or outdoorsy feel, opt for a round bowl. If you’re creating a communal place to gather, a double-sided fireplace allows for more seating flexibility. How you fuel your fire — gas, propane, or natural wood — will play into its aesthetic appeal as well. You can even add a brick oven for baking pizza or other barbecue options for a more unique look. SIZE The size of your fireplace will determine how many people can gather around and enjoy it. If you like to entertain large crowds, you’ll need a bigger size, perhaps one with an extended hearth. If you plan for small gatherings, you can find pits or places as small as 3 feet in diameter. Take the size of your yard into consideration as well — bigger yards can house larger pits, while a large pit may look oversized in a smaller yard. Firepits and fireplaces make for great outdoor gathering spots. The heat and light they provide also allow you to use your backyard for more of the year. Make yours a thoughtful addition to your outdoor space, and you’ll create a fun and unique focal point for your backyard.
One thing is certain when it comes to 2020: unexpected changes.
Back in January, no one thought the year would end up how it has been these past nine months or so. Many of these changes impacted people’s plans, including everything from celebrating annual holiday traditions, worldwide trips, and, most devastatingly, weddings. At Janet Davis Cleaners, we know things are changing fast and plans aren’t what they used to be. Everyone wants their wedding to go smoothly, and we’re here to help in any way we can. Over these past few months, we’ve helped several brides-to-be who have had their plans change abruptly, and our team was ready and willing to get them a fast turnaround. One such bride was to be married up north, but as they were packing their car, their dog hopped into the car and peed on the wedding dress. Dismayed, they reached out to our team asking if we could get it done as quickly as possible. Our cleaners worked hard to give this couple their dress back within only 18 hours of them reaching out to us. It was a challenge, but we were happy to ensure all the plans they put into this special day went as unchanged as possible. Whether it’s a full cleaning or a pinch spot-cleaning for the dress, we are here to save a couple’s special day. If you know someone who is having a wedding and needs their wedding dress cleaned quickly and professionally, we’re the experts to send them to.
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MEET LATONYA GILES
LaTonya Giles celebrated 16 years at Janet Davis Cleaners this past September! When she first joined our team, LaTonya worked in households. There, she and the rest of the team cleaned bedsheets, comforters, duvets, couch and chair covers, flags, car covers, and
The work she does has taught her a lot over the years, especially when it comes to detail. “It keeps me really busy and teaches me detail, and that spills over into my everyday life. I’m a detail- person no matter what I’m doing. I’ve even learned how to shop for my own clothes just by working here. In this day and age, we get things that say ‘Don’t dry clean’ or ‘Don’t wash.’ My job has taught me to pay attention to these labels.” LaTonya’s family and the owners of Janet Davis Cleaners, the Matthews, go back quite a way. “Our families are really close. We go back to at least the 1980s. My mother knew Mr. Matthews when she was in college, and he knew me when I was in middle school. And , my daughter, Martell Giles, is a customer service representative, so we’ve had three generations of my family working at Janet Davis Cleaners. It’s hard work, calls for a lot of patience, but the work is really enjoyable and we loved it. I really love and enjoy my job and the people I work with.” Before the pandemic hit, she and her husband enjoyed going to the movies or a concert, but this year, she’s enjoyed her other pastime of watching the world pass by. When LaTonya isn’t spending her day ensuring our customers’ wedding gowns are perfect, she enjoys the peace and quiet of her backyard as she sits on the porch. “This year has been real quiet; there’s been a lot of sitting on the porch or riding my bike at least three times a week.” At other times, you can catch her spending time with her family of five children, seven grandchildren, her mother, and four sisters.
banners. Her mother, who was working in households at the time before she retired, taught LaTonya all she knew about our household department. “My mother first started at Janet Davis as she was a cleaner spotter,” LaTonya remembers. “That was when I was in high school. Mom left for a bit, and when she came back, she went back as a presser. When I started with Janet Davis in 2005, my mom was working laundry, but she ended up working in most every position, apart from the wedding gowns.” Today, LaTonya works as our wedding gown finisher. Janet Davis Cleaners has been doing wedding gowns for several years, and LaTonya has been working in this department since day one. When it comes to wedding dresses, we do everything that goes into cleaning them. After the gowns have been dry cleaned or wet cleaned, LaTonya takes them and puts the last finishing touches on them before our customers view them. “I work with all kinds of material,” LaTonya says. “Polyester, all kinds of silks; today, there are many different types of materials. I also work with beads, sequins, really big poufy dresses. I also specialize in any type of linen and evening gowns.”
SUDOKU
Cinnamon-Spiced CANDIED SWEET POTATOES
INGREDIENTS
• 4 lbs orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces, then cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp kosher salt • 1/4 tsp ground cloves • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed • 4 (2-inch) cinnamon sticks
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Place sweet potato wedges in a 4-quart baking dish. 3. Sprinkle sugar, salt, and cloves over sweet potatoes.
4. Dot with butter and place cinnamon sticks around sweet potatoes. 5. Bake, turning every 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid is syrupy, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. 6. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. 7. Discard cinnamon sticks and serve.
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1 Organizing: Get the Most Out of 2020 2 The ‘Hottest’ Trend in Backyard Ambiance (248) 543-0340 www.janetdaviscleaners.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE
27607Woodward Ave. Berkley, MI 48072
A Fast Turnaround for Your Special Day
3 Team Member Spotlight
Cinnamon-Spiced Candied Sweet Potatoes
4 Is ‘Glamping’ the Perfect Winter Getaway?
CABIN FEVER HAS NEVER BEEN SO STYLISH IS ‘GLAMPING’THE PERFECTWINTER GETAWAY?
When COVID-19 struck the U.S., travel restrictions had people canceling their vacation plans left and right. This meant that many would-be vacationers had to find some getaways a little closer to home — namely, camping trips and their fancier cousin, glamping trips. If you haven’t heard of “glamping” before, it’s essentially glamorous camping. You have access to the beautiful, rugged outdoors as well as all the comforts of home. While traditional winter camping certainly wouldn’t be a relaxing getaway for most people, glamping during the winter months can give you access to the peace of the outdoors like you’ve never experienced before without so much as a shiver or sniffle.
If you’ve decided to make glamping your go-to method of escape from the cabin fever that besets us all during the cold, dark winter days, you might be thinking: How can I make sure I have the best glamping experience possible? Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks you can apply to any glamping location to ensure that your time away from home is just as relaxing as that Caribbean cruise would have been. STEP 1: DECIDE WHICH KIND OF LODGING YOU WANT. Glamping shelters come in all shapes and sizes depending on the level of comfort you desire on your trip. The most rugged glamping lodgings usually still include a wood-burning stove and a nice comfy bed, whether you opt for a log cabin or a specialized glamping tent (sometimes
called a yurt). However, some of the more posh options include amenities like fresh linens, private bathrooms and showers, fully stocked kitchenettes, and even TVs. STEP 2: DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR TIME. Obviously, the point of glamping is to spend time in the great outdoors with winter activities, such as snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and other fun snow activities. However, glamping really shines during the frigid evenings. You can retreat indoors, throw some logs in the stove, prepare some hot cocoa or cider, and just watch the snowfall from your window. There’s no right or wrong way to glamp. All that matters is spending time in the wilderness with all the comforts of home — all while feeling refreshed and at peace.
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