BASICS: CARE & CLEANING OF NATURAL STONE

No doubt that stone surfaces have become popular in homes within the last century.  More homeowners are installing stone flooring, furniture, countertops, and vanity tops.  More common stones we see often are marble, granite, limestone, slate, and travertine (a limestone).  And even though these different types of stone call for different kinds of care and maintenance we're only going to touch on general cleaning.

Sounds a bit weird but vacuum or dust (using a smooth microfiber cloth) stone surfaces before damp wiping them.  Do not use abrasive materials to clean with; such as, dusting sprays or chemically treated mops or cloths.  Abrasion by dirt can dull the surface if not properly removed.  If something should spill on your stone surface blot the spill with a microfiber cloth immediately.  Using a clean microfiber cloth wipe the area with fresh water and a mild soap. Dry the area thoroughly.

Just in case you're wondering why I stressed blotting a spill instead of wiping a spill up let me share a tidbit.  If you wipe the spill around, you will spread the spill and stone surfaces are porous.  We wouldn't want to create a bigger catastrophe on your investment.

Hope this helps.

Ladies: Is Protecting Yourself Important?

As women, we are naturally busy taking on more than we should. We get caught up in the stresses of life; work, school, birthdays, holiday parties, the end of yet another year and then taxes creep in on us. It is there, in the busy-ness of life that I find the reason for this article. Many of us know that being still at the end of a long day is because we’re lying down on a couch or in bed sleeping. During the day we walk around with our cell phones attached to our ear and a planner full of things to do lists (I’m so guilty of this). My question to you is this, how many times have you placed self-protection as a priority on your long list of things to do? Have you thought of visiting a martial art school or a university or community center that offer self-protection seminars?

It’s not about the class itself or the style of self-defense/martial arts. It’s about the why.

Many of us work late and walk to our cars in the dark. We go grocery shopping at night. In the rare occasions we get the chance to hang out on a girl’s night out. Our backs are turned away from people when we’re securing our children to a car seat and the list goes on.

As women we should feel confident in that we have a basic understanding of how to defend ourselves when we go out or invite people into our homes and offices. We need to realize that there is a real danger of harm. Too many of us come across real ass____ (please, fill in the blank) that our skin crawls and we begin looking for an immediate exit when confronted with one. Self-defense is not about learning any particular set of forms but partly in learning how to use what you have in front of you as an equalizer. Using your keys, your beverage (hopefully a really hot one), a chair, a pencil, etc. as a tool for a quick escape. We should learn to make use of what is needed when it is needed. To react by moving instead of standing still and being victimized.

I am painfully aware that not many schools, community centers, or local organizations advocate and market their self-protection classes well or consistently. Maybe once or twice a year we will see a flyer for an introductory workshop on women’s self-defense. I have taken some kickboxing and martial arts classes and know that if it weren’t for friends who told me about them I wouldn’t have known or have had an interest in going. Even though I don’t attend classes anymore, I can honestly tell you that I learned not to be afraid because of not having an idea of what to do if I were ever to be confronted in a bad situation. It is due to the value of what I’ve learned that I am a strong advocate in women making it a priority to spend some time out of their busy schedules to acquaint themselves with self-protection skills.

Our self-protection is a priority. We need it and we deserve it! Since most men in our lives don’t encourage us to participate in these types of classes it’s up to us to make the initial inquiry. At the very least, visit a school or community center that offers self-defense, kickboxing or martial arts and try a class. Believe me, it’s a great stress reliever and a good workout. You will learn to follow your intuition. Because if something feels wrong it usually does for a reason. It will be a blessing if you can use some of what you’ve learned in class in an unforeseen real life experience if there ever will be one. Look for programs that are taught at universities or community centers where the cost is minimal if not free. Look for a program where at least one member of the training team is a woman. We have a higher comfort level walking into a generally male dominated class/subject matter when we know that another woman will be there to greet us and be apart of our experience.

To all the guys reading this: If you have a scornful look because I geared this article to women and you feel that I’m being sexist (and I might, just a little), think about the women (daughters, wife, mother, etc.) in your life that you care for and love. Wouldn’t you want the piece of mind of knowing that they can take care of themselves? Admittedly, I have a beef if you will, with you fella’s. There are more and more martial arts, self-defense, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) classes and seminars offered to you. What’s that all about?

DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR YOURSELF?

CREATING CH’I

As a business owner and woman I’m always looking for balance. Balancing my home life from that of my professional life. Balancing fitness and nutrition with an occasional massage. Even balancing time out for meeting up with friends and family. I often wonder where the time goes throughout the day. I swear I wake up in the morning and think I’m going to get a lot done that day and by the time I get home I’m wondering what I accomplished. Sometimes, I’m aggravated in realizing I didn’t do much.

Today’s blog entry is about finding the time for you. Finding the time to sit down, relax and enjoy your “me” time.

In traditional Chinese culture and philosophy there is a fundamental concept called Ch’i or Qi. Ch’i literally means “air” or “breath”. Conceptually it refers to the energy flow or life force that is said to pervade all things. Why write about Ch’i? I’ve read that the quality, quantity and balance of Ch’i are believed to be essential to maintaining a long and healthy life.

When it comes to obtaining a long and healthy life I look at the stresses in my life and try my best in alleviating them. One such stress is cleaning my home. What a pain in the ass it is. Now, I don’t have a big home but it takes me forever to clean. In full disclosure, I take a lot of “breaks”; especially if the TV is on. Either way, I cannot seem to relax at home. That’s my point! I want to go home to feel relaxed and ready to lounge. No dog hair on the floor, on the bed sheets. No dishes in the sink. No cobwebs or dust bunnies in the corners. No floor to sweep and mop. Wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a clean home and not have to do anything but watch television or lay in bed reading?

So, I pose this question to you. Why not hire a cleaning service? Lessen one stress in your life. Come home to a space free from allergens; see that the laundry has been picked up from along side of the bed and the garbage taken out. At a minimum you get to come home and enjoy the comfort of a clean home. Let us, or any cleaning service in your area; help create a flow of Ch’i. It will positively affect your health and energy level whereby reducing stresses in your life.

All the best!

KENYAN BUSINESS INTERNSHIP

I’d like to congratulate "http://www.heartlandinternational.org" Heartland International, a non-profit organization in Chicago for its successful efforts in developing a training program designed to bring young Kenyan entrepreneurs (ages 25-35) to the United States. The training program offers preparation for learning entrepreneurial skills that can be utilized in their communities in Kenya. Heartland International paired these individuals with small businesses within the Chicagoland area that matched their own businesses in Kenya. I had the opportunity and pleasure of hosting a business intern from this group.

My assigned intern, Ms. Justine Ayieye, owns her own cleaning business in Kenya. She spent several days with my staff and gained valuable experience in practical and everyday business situations. Ms. Ayieye’s responsibilities included taking on marketing tasks (passing out flyers in designated areas) and operational tasks (scheduling customers and crew members). Having Ms. Ayieye around provided my staff and I a first hand look into her own business and the challenges she faces. She recognized several differences; such as, the equipment that they use and in the time it takes a crew to clean a home. My team also found the distinction in business practices to be enlightening. For example, I couldn’t take the shocked look off the faces of my team when they found out how low the pay per cleaning is in Kenya.

I would also like to send a special thank you to the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) for their invitation to be a panel speaker at the beginning of this program. I have to admit, I was a little nervous in answering a bunch of questions but the other panelists and our facilitator, Ms. Meg Herman but the experience was definitely a learning one.

I congratulate Justine and her fellow Kenyan entrepreneurs for taking two months from their personal and professional lives to visit our country and learn about our culture, our people and most importantly the business aspects of an entrepreneur in the United States. I wish each of them every success in their future endeavors and hope to have the opportunity of seeing them again.

A Lesson Learned

Is it possible to gainfully learn something from someone whom you see as unsuccessful? Be it a neighbor, a friend, a co-worker, or member of the family. In life, I have spent the greater part of my adult life listening to people who had great ideas and who inspired me to do better. Yet I viewed many as people who rarely seemed to emanate success in their own lives. For example, I have heard the myriad of “how to have a great relationship” from neighbors who later filed for divorce. Or in business, I have been told that “this is how to market yourself to be successful” from business consultants who were finding it difficult to run their own businesses. So, I ask myself, do I turn a deaf ear when someone offers advice on a subject I know they know little about?

In the past, I have struggled with the notion that I knew more than my neighbor, my friends, and god help me my parents. And yet, in recent years I have come to the standing realization that I have so much to learn from the very same people who I thought otherwise had much to offer. What I thought “I knew” was not at all what I know now.

I am bitterly aware that listening was one of my shortcomings. I didn’t listen close enough to what they were saying because if I did I would have been smart enough to utilize some of those thoughts and ideas into accelerating my personal and professional growth. I would have attended more events, more networking meetings. Been involved in more projects. I would have (albeit reluctantly) taken opportunities that were made available because someone thought it would be good for me.

As a business owner, today I look for and listen attentively to those who can offer any advice no matter how small. I attend after hours networking events even when I’d rather be at home or finishing a project at work. Why? Because that’s where people share their ideas, their opinions, and their triumphs and tribulations. I may learn something valuable that would immediately help my business grow and then I may learn of what not to do because it would hinder the growth of my business. Or I may learn about an idea that may not help me in any way but may help someone I know. What’s ironic is that at times I may even learn something about myself.

A continual goal of mine is to “listen”, even when I feel someone isn’t (at that moment) making any sense. As a kid, I remember sitting around a dinner table with my parents and their friends (always against my better judgment) hearing “the” adults talking business and life. I would think to myself and often times to my dismay out loud that I would be different, I would make my own rules, I’ll do it my way. And as I would vocalize my thoughts, I would hear “it may not mean anything to you now but wait until you’re my age, you’ll see.” All I’d like to say to them is that I remember and I thank you. I am not only hearing you but also listening.

Business is tough and life is tougher. It is up to me to make every opportunity count and to learn something because it may be of value sometime in the future if not now.

Sweeping Dimensions Commits to its Employees Personal Saftey

How many small companies invest in the personal safety of their employees?

Next week Sweeping Dimensions will be hosting a self-protection seminar. On what started as a team-building event for our employees has grown to include friends and family. This article is written mainly because of the overwhelming feedback I have received from everyone I have mentioned the seminar to. I have not once been questioned on “why” I am hosting the event. I have gotten lots of “when” and “where”. It is surprising to me how excited my staff are of this experience. It’s been a long time since I have heard a common conversation among them. A few are looking forward to “defending” themselves against a fellow employee. Hmmm…..that sounds like trouble!

Robert Bartkowski, owner of www.whitecollarwarrior.com, is instructing our group next Tuesday. Mr. Bartkowksi, a student of martial arts for the last 17 years, will educate us on effective, efficient and easily applied self-protection skills in the (hopefully) unlikely event we become a target to an attacker. What appealed to me about his program is that we do not need to learn tons of ways of beating off an attacker, we only need a few good ones. It’s not about strength or size that matter, it’s about using basic techniques that cause the most pain. Which is kinda cool, since several of our staff are older and petite and for some ungodly reason believe that they couldn’t defend themselves.

I am thankful that I have employees who like what they do. Who take great strides to arrive to our offices before dawn and often times go home after the sun has set. I feel a responsibility to them. I also have a responsibility to my nieces and nephews who are growing up in a world that is different and scarier than the one I grew up in. Knowing that they too can utilize techniques that can keep them from harms way is priceless to me.

As with my staff, I too am looking forward to Tuesday’s seminar. I have ton’s of stress and aggression built up and the idea of Mr. Bartkowski in full gear (the assailant) waiting for us to practice what we’ve learned is extremely tempting. I guess I’ll have to buy a lot of ice for when he goes home.