New local fave

I was volunteering last night at the Red Cross booth at the Spring Business Fair at the Sportsplex. It was so fun to walk around and see the local businesses and organizations. One business stuck with me. It is a local company that I had never heard of. While it doesn't have a brick and mortar store front, it is quite successful online. Click on www.aldrichfarms.com for their website and Aldrich Farms to like their facebook page.


Here is little bit about them from their website.

About Us

Aldrich Farms History: We are a small family farm located in Bellingham, Washington. Since our start, making jelly out of the fruit from a few backyard berry bushes, our goal has always been to make the highest quality gourmet jellies and jams available. Over the years we have added more fields, expanded production, and worked to add more variety to our product lineup, but we have never lost our focus on quality.  Richard Buford, the owner of Aldrich Farms, can be found working at all hours of the day as he follows his berries from field, to jar, to market. We believe that you’ll be able to taste the difference that his passion and attention to quality makes.
Production: With a great view of Mount Baker, our berries start their lives in dark Whatcom county soil. They’re never sprayed or chemically fertilized, and the moment our berries are ripe, they’re hand picked and brought to our on-site kitchen. Once at the kitchen, the berries are processed into our unique line jellies, jams, mustards, and sauces without every having been frozen. During a busy harvest season, the kitchen often runs around the clock for days on end as we rush to capture the peak flavor of our fruits. It’s an extremely trying ordeal for the whole Aldrich farms team, but we believe it is an essential part of our focus on producing the highest quality jellies and jams available.  You don’t have to take our word for it either: many Aldrich Farms products have won awards, and many of our customers have been with us since we started selling our products over ten years ago.
We’re passionate about our products, and we hope that they brighten your life a little bit too. If you’ve enjoyed one of our products we encourage you to stay up to date on Aldrich Farms news by signing up for our monthly email newsletter, and by following us on Twitter and Facebook. We’ll let you know when new and seasonal products are available and where you can sample them, give you recipe tips, let you know if anything is on sale that month.
Communication: You, the customer, are the best judge of our products, and we take your feedback to heart. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestion, please contact us through any of the means listed on the contact page. We’re real people, and we love hearing from you.
Thank you for your patronage,
The Aldrich Farms Team

Lessons Learned from one Mom

Thank you to our feature writer this week, Jen Lautenbach. I am sure many of you have had some of the same hard lessons in your house. Reminisce and laugh!

Lessons Learned!

Crest for Kids does nothing to freshen your breath!  Everyone in my house has a different tube of toothpaste.  My six year old insists on a tube that looks almost identical to mine.  Several times I have grabbed his instead of mine and it is a rude awakening.  The taste is sugary sweet, especially when you are expecting minty fresh.

When your 4 year old spends an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom, check the soap dispenser!  My middle son is fascinated with playing in the bathroom sink right now and making a huge mess.  He has also learned the fine art of filling the soap dispenser with water to hide the missing soap!  Remind me to start marking the liquor bottles in a few years!

Once a roll of toilet paper is un-rolled it cannot be re-rolled.  My 2 year old has taken to “fluffing” the toilet paper for us.  He is rather good at it and can complete the task silently and in less time than it takes you to have a quick, mom (only the most essential scrubbing needed) shower.

Business lesson learned:  DON’T QUIT!!  I was wavering on whether to embrace the jewelry business.  I joined Willow House because of the decor and when corporate announced in October that the decor was being discontinued I was in shock (to put it mildly).  In December I learned that my whole team was deciding to follow other paths.  This included my team leader that had inspired me for almost two years.  I felt very alone, but in January decided to really embrace the opportunity.  In February I reached record sales personally and in the company.  I received a call from Jerry Vitale, Willow House VP to congratulate me on my success.  I am the only representative left in Washington, so I have a huge opportunity to grow my business.  I am looking for partners in this endeavor.  Need extra money for school fees? Would you like to take a trip to Paris?  How about being your own boss?  What are your dreams?  I promise if you give me a few minutes of your time I will spend it wisely.

Safe in the Sound

Hi friends,
As you may know, I am an active volunteer with the Red Cross. Below is some information that can help with emergency/disaster planning. Consider taking some of the webinars. Join our movement in getting the Puget Sound better prepared!

The American Red Cross has recently launched Safe in the Sound , a three-year preparedness campaign sponsored by PSE, to help individuals and communities prepare for every type of disaster. With more than 4.5 million residents in the Puget Sound area, the goal is to have 1 million people train and take tangible steps toward preparedness through making a plan, getting informed and building a kit.
The Webinars listed below are part of this preparedness initiative and everyone is invited to attend.  Please consider joining these 15-minute sessions and please pass this information and invitation on to everyone that you know…it could save a life one day.
March 13, 2013     Fire Prevention Planning
April 17, 2013        Earthquake Preparedness
May 15, 2013         Pet Preparedness
June 12, 2013        Summer Safety: Water and Heat
July 2, 2013            Fireworks Safety
Aug 14, 2013         Workplace Hazards
Sept 18, 2013         Flu Preparedness
Oct 16, 2013          Flood Preparedness
Nov 13, 2013         Winter Weather
Dec 11, 2013         Travel Safety
All webinars start at 10:30am (Pacific Time).
Upon registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with a link allowing them to connect to the webinar on the appropriate date.  There’s also an attachment so they can automatically add  the dates to their calendars.

Stuff vs. Memories

Stuff Do Not Memories Keep

Stuff doesn’t equate to your memories of the person who gave them to you or an event.  Getting rid of items with an emotional attachment can be very difficult – heart wrenching.  Consider carefully if you need the item or if you don’t want to let it go because you have the memory or an emotional attachment.  Ask yourself some questions:

1. When did I last use this it?

If you haven't used it in the last year, chances are you’re not going to in the next.

2. Will I need this it on a specific date in the near future?

If your best friend will be getting married in a couple of months, it might be wise to keep your punch bowl.  But if you are keeping a garage of full of furniture/household stuff for when your young children move out on their own, it’s probably time to free up the space and use your garage for its intended purpose – parking your car(s).  

3. Does it have a legal or tax purpose?

Paper stuff is the worst clutter enemy!  Go through your papers and keep only items that are really needed.  If you’re not sure what to keep or how long to keep paper stuff, consult your account or attorney.

4. How hard would it be to replace it again someday if I needed it?

If it’s priceless emotionally or historically, you might not want to keep it.  If it’s dime a dozen/easy to replace stuff get rid of it. 

5. In what way is this stuff making my life happier or better?

If it’s not making you happier, healthier, or better, it’s just taking up space and cluttering up your life.  Get rid of it.

If you’re not sure, take photos of the stuff for an album - that’ll give you a tangible memory to visit, and then put the stuff into organized storage.  Revisit your decision in 6 months.  If you really feel the need to keep it, don't fight it.  Find a non-clutter way to incorporate it into your life…    

Laura Anderson

Organize With Laura

206-963-5343

laura@owlsgroup.com

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