3 Local Strathroy Business Heroes

There must be something in the air of this nation's turkey capital because everywhere I turn examples of local heroes abound.

Although the list is very long, here are just 3 recent local heros for me:

• Last summer my car got a flat tire while parked in front of my home.  For several months, it had been a slow leak, but I had always managed to get to an air pump every few days before the tire got too low.  Well not this particular day.  And of course it had to be a day I had to be somewhere else important.  Fortunately the good folks at Strathroy Tire were sympathetic to my plight.  They could have let me monkey around with removing the tire, and finding a way to get it to their tire shop for repair.  Instead they dispatched a truck out with compressed air that filled the tire enough that I could drive the car to their tire shop.  Now that was going the extra mile, both literally and figuratively!  The tire was serviced immediately and I was off to my important meeting.  Now these folks didn't know who I was when I called, so to dispatch a truck and provide such exceptional service to an unknown customer certainly deserves a lot of kudos.  Thank you Strathroy Tire!
• Some time before that my pick-up truck was misbehaving.  I would step on the gas, hear the engine rev up, but not get any acceleration.  I took the pick-up to McDonnell Motors for service.  Based on my limited knowledge, and wanting to sound like a man with good car knowledge, I told the garage the symptoms, and then gave them my diagnosis... I thought the transmission was slipping.  When I left the garage I felt very foolish for suggesting that the problem was related to the transmission, a repair that surely would have cost an arm and a leg.  However on my return to pick up the vehicle, I was blessed with great news... that the problem was a few bad spark plugs and about $50 or so in charges.  You can't believe my relief that this garage, that I was new to at the time, didn't take advantage of my ignorance or suggestion that the problem was the transmission.  Thank you McDonnell Motors for having the integrity to repair only what was truly needed.
• My last example (but certainly not last nor least) of a local business here was the local Mac's convenience store.  This past summer after making a purchase, I turned to head out the door.  The clerk saw that I had dropped some bills on the floor, and called my attention to it.  What a temptation it must be to see cash on the floor behind a customer walking out an empty store.  Whoever you are Macs convenience person.... Thank you for your honesty and integrity.

There are many more examples of kindness and help received from local Strathroy businesses and residents.  I am certainly luck to be part of this community.  To receive such exceptional service from Strathroy businesses makes me very proud every time I have the privilege of spending my hard-earned dollars in town where they can support local businesses like this.

7 Rules for Perfect Picture Hanging

Here are some helpful hints to prevent the most common picture hanging mistakes.

• Rule 1 - Picture Perfect
• Accessorize at the end. Hang pictures only once you have determined a room layout and all your furniture is in place.
• Rule 2 - Define Boundaries
• To reinforce a sense of order in your groupings you need to define your positive and negative space. The negative space on the wall is the area you can hang your picture. Take a look at the shape and hang a picture or grouping that reflects that shape.
• Rule 3 - Space Issues
• Keep the spaces between pictures 2" to 4" apart. Spacing should be consistent vertically and horizontally, throughout the grouping. The larger the art, the wider the space can be. If you have too much space between pictures, your composition will look disjointed. The artwork will feel like it it floating away from one another.
• Rule 4 Picture Overload
• You don't have to hang a picture or grouping on every wall. This often appears too busy, fussy, and prevents you from creating a focal point in the room.
• Rule 5 - High Art/Low Art
• As a general rule, hang art at eye level, which is 58" to 60" off the ground to centre of image. Don't hang pictures at different heights in the room. Keep them at the same level so your eye is not bouncing from picture to picture.
• Rule 6 - Picture Integrity
• When hanging a picture over a piece of furniture, leave 6" to 8" above the sofa, table, chest, sideboard or mantel. Remember you want to place art low enough that it relates to the furniture, but not so low that it gets hidden by the accessories. If you have artwork over a chest, you may need to adjust this height, depending on the accessories that are placed on the surface.
• Rule 7 - Size Counts
• A small picture over a big sofa will look awkward. A common mistake people make is hanging a grouping that is too small for the furniture under it. Plan your arrangement so that it covers at least two-thirds of the wall space. For instance, if your sofa is 7' wide, your grouping or picture should be 5' wide or more. Although it can be wider than two-thirds of the sofa, it should not be wider than the sofa or furniture itself.

Everything is More Fun in the Moonlight!

Strathroy has been quite abuzz lately with new local businesses... Now here's a new speciality store you would only expect to find in the big city!  Here Under the Moon tells us the secrets of what makes them so unique...

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Hello All!

We gals at Under the Moon are very excited to have opened our shop at 76 Frank Street, we think everything is more fun in the moonlight! Under the Moon is the place to be for eco-friendly, imaginative, mom-inspired items. It feels wonderful to supply women with the products they need, all the while helping MotherEarth stay green and well. 75% of our items are from women created companies, usually moms who couldn't find what they needed, so they made it themselves! We strive to purchase Canadian whenever we can and as locally as possible. Currently about 50% of our products are Canadian made, many from Ontario, and the quality is fantastic.

We are proud to say you won't find a battery operated toy in our shop! We stock a variety of fabulous German made toys, many made of wood, to tantalize little imaginations, and last through generations. From bras, to books, to bottles, to blocks, we have it all.

Under the Moon was an idea conceived by mothers who searched high and low to find the ideal products for ourselves and our babes. We know from experience there is nothing more frustrating than purchasing something and finding it poor quality, useless, or worst of all dangerous! This is why we have great faith in the products created BY mothers, FOR mothers. Part of our vision is to inspire everyone to express their creative ideas and to put them into action! We all need to have confidence that our contributions CAN make a difference in the world, each in our own unique way.

Our Christmas open house is this Saturday, December 5th! Coupons for $10 off in-store purchases of $50 or more. Santa will be there for pictures with little ones from 10:30am - 1pm with local photographer, Anita Windsor, no appointment necessary. December's Stocking Stuffer Special is 2 pairs of Babylegs for $20.00. There are tons of adorable patterns to choose from and keep little legs warm.

Hope to see you soon!

Under the Moon
76 Frank Street,
Strathroy, ON  N7G 2R6

TEL: (519) 205-2229
WEB: www.UTMCatalogue.ca

STORE HOURS:
Tues - Thurs: 10am - 4pm
Saturday:       10am - 2pm

2nd Annual Operation Red Campaign

There is a revolution going on in Strathroy!  2009 marks the second year of the Operation Red campaign.
It started when the recession hit in 2008.  While other businesses conceded to the effects of the economic store, businesses in Strathroy took a different direction.  They knew something a lot of people seemed to have forgotten... The BEST businesses and stores around are RIGHT HERE in Strathroy-Caradoc!

Not only can the best kept treasures can be found when we just do a little digging right in our own back yards, but the benefits of shopping local come back to us several-fold.  When you spend a dollar at a local business it can circulate up to ten times -- spend it out of town and it disappears forever.

Not only that but local businesses support and give to numerous local causes and public services, which we all benefit from and enjoy!

• VISIT OperationRed.ca today for:
• To learn about local businesses in Strathroy & how they benefit you!
• Find valuable offers to save you money!

New Clothing Store Opens in Strathroy!

Topping the wish-list for Strathroy, is clothing! Now there's a fresh new option for clothing, called what else but... Fresh Clothing!

Here, Katie spills the beans on what's behind Fresh Clothing and how it all landed right here in Strathroy!

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Hi All! I'm Katie,

From my very first visits to Strathroy over 13 years ago, I knew that this was an awesome community! It is a beautiful town with tons of hometown pride! My husband, Jay, and I had always talked about owning our own clothing store and we made it a reality in October, when we opened Fresh Clothing at 81 Front Street West in Strathroy.

Since we’ve been open, we’ve heard so many positive words about the store which is so awesome! We were just featured in the SDCI Fashion Show which was incredible! Some of the featured brands were definitely some of the biggest hits at the store including Fox, Roxy, Quiksilver, Converse, Esprit and Oakley. The students did an amazing job blending the fashion with their great picks in music. The colours of the season – including grey, purple, teal & fuchsia - were highlighted through all of the gorgeous clothing, footwear and accessories.

So, if you haven’t been in, check us out soon for a great supply of unique Christmas gifts without having to leave Strathroy! We’ve got adorable sleep sets from Life is good, tons of accessories like Fluff, even the classic Chuck Taylors! And, if you have been in, keep checking in for new deliveries of great stuff every week!

I hope you all enjoy every minute of the Holiday Season!

Katie Rutherford
Fresh Clothing
81 Front St. W,
Ph: (519) 205-2225
Fx: (519) 205-2339
www.freshclothing.ca

Sleep your way through the H1N1 virus.

The CDC recommends sleep in order for your body to keep a healthy immune system.  Of course in our hurried lives it's hard to get enough sleep.  So what can you do?

In one study people were given the "rhinovirus", A.K.A., the common cold. The results show a clear link to the health of one's immune system to the quality of sleep.  This is now far from the first study to show such a link.

The participants who had less than seven hours of sleep per night got the cold 3x more often!


In our busy lives not everyone can get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night.  Does that mean you're doomed to get the bug?

As important as the number of hours of sleep is the quality of sleep.  The two most important factors in a restful sleep is support and softness/firmness.  Firmness does not mean more support.  A mattress that has good support is good for your bones and skeleton because it lifts and holds your body correctly.  Comfort on the other hand is good for your blood circulation.  A quality mattress offers both, and both contribute to better sleep for you.

Other practices to ward of any flu bug is frequent and thorough hand washing, using hand sanitizers, coughing into your elbow, maintaining 6 feet between you and a sick person (staying home if you are sick), not touching your nose, eyes or mouth, and of course, getting the flu shot.

Colour and the Human Response

Colour certainly brightens our daily lives.  Not only that, but as humans colour has the power to create a very emotional and influential response.  That response helps shape our past, present and future.  That influence  not only effects how we respond to the world around us, but also how the world responds to us.  Colour introduces our personality to our guests, friends and family alike.

The knowledge of the past, influence of the present, and our personal preferences, all blend together to create a colour palette that’s unique to you, surrounding you with emotional responses that give you a positive reaction to your environment. With our day to day lifestyles becoming increasingly busy I have found people turning toward simpler styles, furniture lines and colour choices. We desire to be individuals without compromising our lifestyles. Many of us live in a have-it-all ideology and are not willing to give up our multi-tasking dream, making it a challenge to be simple.

By simple, I mean the way we have high-style and appeal without the overwhelming maintenance factor. Our love for colour is a part of a deeper desire to get back to the basics.  Many of us are re-evaluating our lives in order to simplify our ever-changing complex lives. We are now seeing the need to simplify our lives without losing our individualism, using simplified ways to reach the end goal -- And still have a great space!

Sometimes simplifying our surroundings means enduring a modification to our living environment or paring down on the amount of items in our space. This allows for space to come to the forefront. With space, there is more emphasizes on wall colour. Colour can be used as the back drop, or colour can be the fore-runner for the entire space. Paring down on items for a space often invokes memories and emotions.  Of course we need to be realistic about our belongings and treasures. To some this may mean looking back to a hand-crafted treasure. While others are savouring the simple yet vibrate joys of the natural world around them.

Whatever simplicity means to you embrace change and your individualism!

Tena Wait ASID, IIDA

Total Home Design

Tel: (519)438-8598

www.TotalHomedesign.ca

Helping you create spaces that enhance the way we live today!