Upcoming Events

I'm still fine-tuning my time management, as you can see. It's been too long since my last post once again, but I tell you now, I just set a recurring appointment for myself to get in here and write something once a week. My apologies for missing a few this summer. 

Our CD of the month for August is another of Gary Jess'. The album is Northwest Trilogy. If you recall, I have another CD from Gary Jess featuring piano work. This one also has piano, and to be very honest, I think I like the other CD better. There's a track on this one that reminds me of the Doogie Howser intro, in a minor, gentle way. It did inspire me to watch an episode on Hulu today though! Love those blasts from the past. :)

Room Update: I have transitioned into my new room--yay! The only left to do is get my certificates hung on the wall. I have an open wall that is waiting for some beautiful piece of art to go on. I initially was drawn to panel-type sconces in the Partylite catalog, but wound up changing my mind about them. 

Speaking of Partylite, I finally got my show to close and am anxiously waiting for all my new things to come in. I forgot to order one of their seasonings (yes, if you didn't know, they're carrying a small food line now too!) that my hostess prepared into a dip for our party. She didn't mention that it was a Partylite item (we devoured my Blueberry Buckle instead), though that may have encouraged more sales if she had. I don't have the catalog in front of me now, but I think it was some kind of Buffalo-Blue Cheese seasoning mix that she added to equal parts mayo and sour cream. SO good! Fortunately, I do have lots of leftover hostess credit coming my way in the form of product certificates, so I will be able to order some soon enough. No, I'm not a consultant myself, so if you ever find yourself with access to placing a Partylite order, I do highly recommend ordering that seasoning. It has a little zing to it, but not too much. Delish. Consider this plug my recipe of the month for last month in lieu of a full post for it. ;)

My study and mentor programs are slowly creeping along in progress. Very slowly. I am starting from the ground up here, and have just made a crucial decision on how to structure this, so that's been helpful. There's so much information to cover, I didn't know where to start with it all at first. It may be several months before I can comfortably launch it as a means of generating income for me. 

PS--Remember to put on sunscreen on these gorgeously sunny days we've been getting! A client of mine recommends Mexitan organic sunscreen. I haven't tried it yet, but it comes with such high regard from her, that I feel confident in sharing it with you.

Upcoming Events

I hope you all had a fun and safe 4th of July celebration and took advantage of that awesome weather we had. We found ourselves cutting down two poorly placed trees in our backyard and attempting to remove the stumps that weekend. We've since gotten one of the stumps out, and now: back to rain. Nonetheless, I love Oregon. The cooler, wet weather gives us an excuse to let our bodies rest from our newfound homeownership-induced weekend warrior status. 

I've got a few things up my sleeve to tell you about this month. On Sunday, I'm planning on painting the walls of the bigger room next door to my massage room and begin to move into that room. After nearly 3 years in my current room, I'm beyond ready to stretch out my legs. The extra space will be put to use during the workshops I'm trained to teach to other massage therapists, as well as my new project. My business is taking me in another new direction, a pull I can't resist and am SO excited about. I'm in the process of creating study and mentor programs to help newly graduated massage therapists prepare for their licensing exams, get a job, and/or learn to build their own clientele through my help and guidance. 

The study and mentor programs are in the very early stages of development, but I'm hoping to be ready to launch them within the next month or two. As much as I enjoy the hands-on aspect of my job, it still surprises me how much I enjoy the behind-the-scenes business-end of my job, and I feel these new programs will bring a fun twist for me.

In other news, our CD of the month is Medwyn Goodall's Medicine Woman. 

I recently had a client come back to see me after a 3 year span since his last massage with me. Upon seeing the picture above, he said he liked the picture, and thought of me as a medicine woman, not realizing that it was the cover to the CD we were listening to. 

Other client testimonials this week include another client I hadn't seen for a year who stated the he must get massages more often, and would have to get his wife to come in. 

The testimonial I am most excited about was not even an expression of words, but the very dramatic difference I made with her physically, which has now inspired me to keep a little video camera at the office so I can document before and after massage results. When this client was first laying on my table, face down, I thought she was uncomfortable due to seeing wrinkles in her skin where her shoulder and neck seemed cramped. She said she was fine, readjusted a little, and was able to move her shoulder away from her neck a little, but it was still quite "stuck." After my work with her, both her shoulders were leveled out, and she felt the opposite shoulder was the one that was raised up near her neck--she felt so out-of-balance that "normal" now felt wrong to her! 

If you find yourself on my table, and I see something that I think will show dramatic visual results such as this, I may very likely be asking your permission to take some before and after video that I can post on my website for others to see. I so wish I had the opportunity to do that with this client, the results were absolutely amazing!

One more side note: I am hosting a PartyLite party this Saturday to replenish my stock of candles that I use during massages. If you'd like to order and contribute to the sales of my party, you can do so here. Just click on Shop, then Look Up Your Host and enter in my name for your order to be applied to my party. And much appreciation, as always!! I'm excited to be adding their water fountain and maybe a few other things to my "new" massage room soon!

A Dose of Inspiration: Before It's Too Late...

I had a math teacher in middle school that left a big impact on me. I seemed to know there was wisdom behind her seemingly unrelated words. As I've grown older and wiser in the years since, I've heard her words repeat themselves more times than I can count, "Keep the scale balanced."

I pulled my yearbook off the shelf this week after she'd been on my mind so much. A part of her inscription, "Always live up to your potential" and a drawing of a scale in balance, have meant a great deal to me over the years. 

I tried looking up Ms. Morris online. No luck, so I called the school to begin tracking her down, and received the sad news that she'd died just a few months ago from a brain tumor. How I wish I could have had the opportunity to let her know what an impact she'd made on me with those two simple sentences. 

In memory of Ms. Morris, please get over your qualms and take the time to find the people who've made a difference in YOUR life and tell them. Do it before it's too late.

Product & Service Spotlight: Aloe Facial Cleanser & Mini-Facials

Aloe Facial Cleanser

Rich, Moisturizing Lotion for Normal & Dry Skin

Like no other cleanser -- this product contains no soap! Cleaning is done with active enzymes (naturally present in aloe vera) that penetrate into pores to wash away dirt, makeup and excess oil.

Moisten face with Aloe Misting Spray or water, apply a small amount of the lotion cleanser, massage lightly and remove with a towel. You can actually clean without water -- so convenient (think camping!).

Lecithin in the cleanser will emulsify the oils to be cleansed from deep pores. This vegetable lecithin adds collagen and elastin for better skin tone.

The calming and anti-inflammatory properties of chamomile will soothe irritation and reduce puffiness making it excellent on areas of eczema and psoriasis too. Enjoy the smooth and never-dry feeling after you remove this lotion cleanser.

Available in sample size $1 each, 4oz $11, 8oz $18. 

Mini-Facial 

Cleanse--using either the Aloe Facial Cleanser described above or Aloe Enzyme Cleanser for oily skin or a deeper cleansing for normal-dry skin, pH toner, skin firming mask, and moisturizer--using Aloe Milk Moisture, Aloe Moisture Cream, or Day-Night Emollients, depending on your skin's needs.

This is, as the name implies, a Mini-Facial. It won't be the extensive facial you'd get from an esthetician, but is a wonderful way to extend your relaxation time during a massage. Usually, I will do the Mini-Facial at the end of the massage and incorporate more facial massage as well. When adding on to your massage, just let me know before we get started that you'd like to do the Mini-Facial also, to be sure I'll have time and finish preparing for this service.

Available as an Add-On for $15 or a la carte for $30.

Recipe of the Month: Tomato Basil Pasta Salad PLUS a Bonus Pasta Salad Recipe

My sister found this recipe last summer and kindly passed it on to us. It's become a favorite for sure.

Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups grape/cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dried oregano

12 oz. your favorite pasta, we usually use wheat rotelle

1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Directions

1. Put tomatoes, onions, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a large bowl; toss. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes or until tomatoes release their juices, tossing occasionally.
2. Cook pasta. Drain and add to bowl with tomatoes; lightly toss. Let come to room temperature. Add basil; toss. Serve at room temperature up to one day.

Bonus Pasta Salad Recipe

This recipe doesn't actually have a name. It's a sauce recipe (French Dressing?) that I got from one of the girls I went to massage school with. I hadn't made it in YEARS and suddenly a couple weeks ago, I HAD to have it, and searched through my stockpile of cookbooks, recipe clippings, online, etc. Finally found it, and love it as much as ever. The quantities for sugar and oil seemed a bit excessive to me (at 1 cup for each!), so you may want to play around with how much works for you. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2-2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp paprika

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2-2/3 cup salad oil, olive oil works well

Optional add-ins: 1-2 cans tuna, sliced olives, onion, etc.

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients well in large bowl.
2. Cook your favorite pasta, our's is medium-size wheat shells. Drain. Mix with sauce. 

The sauce won't appear to be that much in the bowl, but it really coats a lot of pasta. Be prepared to have a large, very full bowl of pasta when you make this, or consider halving the sauce recipe.

Upcoming Events: Welcome June and Sunshine!

Welcome June, and your long lost friend Sunshine!! 

Who do you know that's graduating this month? What an exciting time in life, closing one chapter and bursting with energy to move on to the next. Show them you care and wish them well as they follow their journey in life. I have special "Congratulations" gift certificates, if you find that helpful. 

Father's Day is coming up June 19, and while I do prefer to work with women's bodies as opposed to men's, your husbands, dads, sons, and brothers are welcome--gift certificates are available if he's like MY dad, that is impossible to shop for otherwise.

This month, I decided Summer Thunder would be our tunes to relax to. This CD is fairly quiet--one track in particular, so enjoy the added moments of peace between the piano, rain and thunder--on the CD, hopefully not so much outside! ;)

So the weathermen say we'll be seeing sunshine and warmer temps this weekend--let's keep our fingers crossed! Supposing the weather follows suit, I expect the weekend warriors will be out in their yards, out at the park with the kids and dog, or otherwise overdoing themselves in true Oregonian form. I also expect that'll bring some sore bodies come next week. Good news for you--my schedule has some play in it this month. If you find yourself a stiff pile of sore muscles, be sure to seek relief for it, so you can be ready to get back out there when the sun strikes us again. 

Remember to put on sunscreen before you head out, and drive safely. Keep aware of "the other driver." As you may or may not know already, I do insurance billing for clients who've been in car accidents. More often than not, my clients are the people who were rear-ended, not the people who rear-ended someone else. In either case, I'm here to help you recover if you find yourself in such a situation. The 4 clients I've been working with over the past several months have improved dramatically, resulting in my schedule now being more open and able to accommodate a new set of these clients. While I don't wish the trauma of a car accident upon anyone, please keep me in mind if you find yourself or someone you know in that situation.

Recent feedback has been helpful and is appreciated. In the next week, I will be adding a "Share" menu button to my website (like the one below), making it easier for you to send others to check out my website. Follow me on Facebook to get more frequent notifications of changes I'm making, and get involved.

A Dose of Inspiration: Balancing Time

A week managed to pass me by without getting my last blog written. 

My email started piling up again.

I had a 3day weekend, enjoying time with family, soaking up some R & R with a sick kid.

Yep. Excuses. We all have them. So this morning, I set myself back on track, nevermind hitting snooze and all my other begrudgements. 

First things first, I spent 45 minutes on the phone correcting my order for brochures, business cards, etc. Couldn't let a terrific price slip by. And then....procrastination about that blog came rushing back. The email inbox daunting me all over.

Small steps. Chip away at the email, delete the things that are quick to make decisions about.

Harder steps. There's still more email than I'd like to see. Dig deeper. I read the posts on blogs of two other people--one is also a massage therapist, the other is a marketing guru. Both got me moving. And by reading them, a part of my goals were met (eliminating the email beast), my procrastination dwindled (taking action!!).

Besides meeting my goal of actually posting this blog, what IS my point? Balancing time is an on-going struggle for me, which I fully admit. But I'm also hoping to show my struggles in a way to help others realize they aren't alone, and to reach success in life together, one small accomplishment at a time. 

Tell me your struggles, tricks, and accomplishments in the comments below.