tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84475268037961657702024-03-12T18:31:57.342-07:00mommybusinessRelating the adventures of a full time Mom, former small business owner and lover of the written word.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-67685436098891179452012-02-28T11:08:00.002-08:002012-02-28T11:08:22.501-08:00Coupon Clipping<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like anything that I am interested in, coupon clipping has me obsessed. I love books, I read all the time. I love coffee, I'm always looking for the next great cup; dark roast, of course. I love the internet. I hate to admit it, but I am the queen of net searches and can find just the right combination of keywords to find what I'm looking for. I love coupons, so I clip and download and combine. So, when I love something and enjoy immersing myself in it, I usually don't go halfway, but dive right in the deep end and learn as I go.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coupon clipping seems simple, right? You get the Sunday paper, flip through the inserts, cut some coupons and put them in your purse. When you go shopping, you might or might not have a coupon on hand - or, more likely, it's in your other purse or in the car or went to school in your daughter's homework folder. That is the kind of clipper I was. For a while, we didn't even get a Sunday paper and I didn't know what I was missing.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My friend, Therese, introduced me to the show "Extreme Couponing." You know the one. These people are crazy, right? They have stockpiles of items they won't use until 2043. They have entire rooms in their houses dedicated to the almighty pile. We don't have cable, so I don't get to see the show often, but it fascinates me that someone can get $800 worth of groceries for 73 cents. So, I started thinking. And, you can ask my husband, when I start thinking about something that can only mean there's going to be a change around here. "Honey, I was thinking...," gives my husband that deer caught in the headlights look. It's not pretty. I think couponing gives me that look; the frantic "how can I really get the best deal" look.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not like "those" women, I am not like "those" women, I am not like "those" women, but I am. I don't carry "the binder" and I don't fill four shopping carts, but I do like the thrill of the hunt. I want to get the best deal. I want to spend my husband's hard-earned money as wisely as possible. So what if I had to re-write my shopping list three times because I missed the Friday sale and then the weekend sale because my kids had a class and I was carpool Mom. I hone and whittle that list until every item on it has a deal. I look for the loyalty card deal, the store coupon, the manufacturer's coupon and when the three combine, it's bliss. I got a deal. I checked out my groceries and saved 46%. Wow. I am woman, hear me roar. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't have the stockpile. I don't even have enough toilet paper to get me through next week, but I am saving money and taking care of my family in the best way I know how. That far exceeds the thrill of watching my total shrink on the cash register (it's really like winning in Vegas) and far exceeds the challenging stares of the poor souls who are in line behind me. I'm doing my best and it feels good.</span></div>Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-55475982804156302872012-02-23T16:13:00.001-08:002012-02-23T16:13:20.422-08:00Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have always been sure that change in life is what keeps us going, gives us something to look forward to and something to dread. By the time you are in your 40's, so many changes have likely taken place in your life that you wake up some days and literally ask yourself, "How did I get here?" You know that where you are is a result of many intertwined good and bad decisions that you've made, yet you still wonder if it really was YOUR freewill that got you here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This last weekend we had a "room" (for lack of a better word) removed from our house. When we moved in 12 years ago, there was a greenhouse attached to the back. We thought it would be a great "sunroom," "workout room" or "playroom" for our eventual kids. After all, the owner trying to sell the house had kids' toys out there and a nice ceiling fan twirling above our heads. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We bought the house in March and closed escrow in June. We were in! Moving in in Southern California in June, meant balmy, somewhat overcast weather in the mornings and cool afternoons. Summer doesn't really hit us until the end of July and then it hangs around until Halloween, making an appearance or two again in January. So, here we were in blissful June, oblivious to the fact that our "sunroom" would soon become an oven. As summer hit and the sun blasted through the glass roof, we realized that we had to make some changes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V_1xF2PBiyR0Nu81kKxR4oWjG2fEizwUKe88_EdTVq4jcb4PfnGy3-kHszxg2bwNPR2sZrTZGVMa59ftxCJoOxrG1IwXPchPB53w4c-MeBUi93k4O8G8XB0vLeRmVs11WvrIrqAXfOU/s1600/DSC05620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V_1xF2PBiyR0Nu81kKxR4oWjG2fEizwUKe88_EdTVq4jcb4PfnGy3-kHszxg2bwNPR2sZrTZGVMa59ftxCJoOxrG1IwXPchPB53w4c-MeBUi93k4O8G8XB0vLeRmVs11WvrIrqAXfOU/s320/DSC05620.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We painted the glass ceiling a light color to reflect the sunlight back up. I made white curtains and hung them around the room to quell the blast furnace effect. We even replaced the living room windows that opened onto the "sunroom" with double-paned thermal glass - but none of it worked. Our little bonus room soon became the "too hot" or "too cold" room and started accumulating junk. We tried to use it as an office, but the computer kept overheating in the summer and condensation dripped from the ceiling. Then, when the girls came along, it was a great playroom when the weather cooperated. As the years went on, though, it just became "the playroom" whether anyone used it or not. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXs3D4bZ7fgmNPgzvRsdfZevPamtM7TFYLKE1TeTGpwbZ41K4n_2xR6I6RTr2ukxkYuXpWYA0hcjgg7SQyKLaEonPKszMNXo5xfP_BFiZnZwdTNUIQYIKNce00LvEpR1vlYX1xsvXh8vU/s1600/DSC06623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXs3D4bZ7fgmNPgzvRsdfZevPamtM7TFYLKE1TeTGpwbZ41K4n_2xR6I6RTr2ukxkYuXpWYA0hcjgg7SQyKLaEonPKszMNXo5xfP_BFiZnZwdTNUIQYIKNce00LvEpR1vlYX1xsvXh8vU/s320/DSC06623.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The final change came last week, when we finally had the room removed. We now have the beginnings of our Hawaiian-style lanai. And, though it may take another twelve years to get it where we want it to be, it is a nice change and a decision I think we'll be happy with. We got here by choice, by choosing to try to improve our home and trying to make it a better place for our kids and their kids.</span>Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-43878280420148472072011-08-19T16:16:00.000-07:002011-08-19T16:16:28.141-07:00Best Friend BirthdayToday is Denise's birthday and I celebrate her. We have been friends for ten years and she has helped shaped who I am as a grown woman and mother. We met when our daughters were six months old in a "mommy and me" class. I had signed up with another great friend from my neighborhood and soon we evolved into a group of six or seven moms and kids who rotated play groups from house to house. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rGeLEteow5pgMTZ4oHiyENVNRfjLNNAAfFFJLHJ-6SXcQKFe_Ox_TAoMmTc1cmGVt0afuldF2MCNu1YC24QWfcxJmkbjLqekH7DvLgtCkYIF6ijoTvZurltA90Gv_v8XezJICbfhXV4/s1600/DSC05540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rGeLEteow5pgMTZ4oHiyENVNRfjLNNAAfFFJLHJ-6SXcQKFe_Ox_TAoMmTc1cmGVt0afuldF2MCNu1YC24QWfcxJmkbjLqekH7DvLgtCkYIF6ijoTvZurltA90Gv_v8XezJICbfhXV4/s200/DSC05540.JPG" width="200" /></a>As the years went on, at least four of us moved away- that being the nature of life in LA it seems, but Denise and I were still here and still got together even as I added a second daughter to the mix and Denise's eldest went from middle school to high school (and has now graduated college and is heading for grad school). Our girls are still friends and we get them together from time to time. They pick up right where they left off, as kids do, even as they each sprout wings and progress toward who they will become as the years pass. Denise and I, though, seem to manage to get together despite how busy we both are. It is important to us to maintain this great bond and it helps to keep us grounded. <br />
<br />
She listens and advises, and has even let me cry on her shoulder when it felt like my world was crashing down around me. We celebrate each other's victories and curse the defeats. She walks with me for exercise and slows her pace to match mine when needed. She is strong in her faith and loyal to the end. She keeps my confidences and buoys me up when I am sinking. We laugh together and have grown older together. We accept each other.<br />
<br />
She is my true friend, and I need her in my life. I wish her the happiest birthday today and send all my love. I look forward to celebrating so many more years of her life entwined with mine. <br />
<br />
<br />
Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-62770893836773968352011-06-11T12:44:00.000-07:002011-06-11T12:44:41.422-07:00Jenny Craig Mention on TwitterThanks so much for the double-mention on Twitter @Jenny Craig! Both yesterday and today, mommybizblog got a Tweet. I appreciate it.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-9336982505379463992011-06-10T11:11:00.000-07:002011-06-10T11:11:01.837-07:00Weighing InWhat is it about women that we measure our milestones by what we weighed at the time? I know what I weighed when I got married, at the end of my pregnancy, at my heaviest and in college. I centered my world around that specific goal; how many pounds I gained or lost on the scale and I felt good or bad depending on what it told me. I look back on my honeymoon photos from 13 years ago and think, "I was fat" knowing that I weighed 14 pounds less than I do right now. I'm not going to think this way anymore. I am not "fat", I am getting "fit" and healthy and that is the new description for how I look and feel. I'm not sure I can say yet that I am "fit", but that is now the goal. It's nice to put a positive spin on something that I have been a slave to as long as I can remember.<br />
<br />
I think many women can relate to this. Being on Jenny Craig, I do weigh myself periodically but not daily. I also do my weekly weigh-in at the center and get measured every four weeks. How great it was this week to see that 10.5 inches are gone - I wish we had measured my arms and thighs as well as it would have been even more. <br />
<br />
It doesn't help that I love to cook. We keep mostly healthy foods in our house, but I was eating way too much and would eat without even thinking about it. Now I know how much I can eat, how much I need to move my body and what my new jeans feel like when I put them on. I'm hoping to buy the next size down within the month - and then I will be the weight I was at 25 years old. I remember that one because I was working on the TV show "Picket Fences" and know that I wore a size 10 (but still used the "f" word to describe myself). <br />
<br />
I feel good and I actually think about working out and then DO it! I may not be running marathons, but I do some sort of activity every day, have lost half of the weight that I want to lose and I bought skinny jeans for the first time ever. I'm still overweight, but I will never be "fat" again. I am still trying to get in shape, but "fit" is my goal.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-49772741652524051772011-06-01T17:40:00.000-07:002011-06-01T17:40:23.526-07:00Off to the DocI trust our pediatrician more than I trust almost anyone else. She is calm and sure when she explains how well or how sick our child is. She has never failed me when it came to parenting advice, how to get an active baby back to sleep at night or how to just let go a little when I'm stressing about an illness.<br />
<br />
It is very hard to put your child into someone else's hands, especially when they are very young. As they've gotten older, I've been able to let go a little; still remembering the day I sent them out into the yard to play while I stayed in the house, doors open so I could hear every whimper or cry. As the years have gone on, I've come to trust our pediatrician more than I ever thought I'd trust anyone with my girls. Her advice has never failed, her heart is sure and strong and she listens when we talk or answer a question. Doctors like her are few and far between and I feel so grateful with each visit, knowing that as puberty approaches and boys come into the picture, temptation and peer pressure will be there, but so will our Dr. B.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-75674240868754592222011-04-16T11:23:00.000-07:002011-04-16T11:23:52.369-07:00Love this. Let's all be grateful every day for small miracles.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk&feature=player_embedded">Small Miracles</a><br />
<br />
Louis CK has a great take on how grateful we should be for everyday miracles.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-19428457208216013682011-04-03T20:58:00.000-07:002011-04-03T20:58:29.511-07:00Small Business JourneyThe trip has not come to an end, but things have changed dramatically over the past year. I still call myself an entrepreneur, even though we were forced to close our small business in October of last year. <br />
<br />
I think I have inherited the spirit of "continuing on" in business from my Dad, who is never without an idea for a new business and/or way to provide. He started at 13 when he manned a radio station from his bedroom closet in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and never looked back. <br />
<br />
I was a kid in the 70's when huge gas guzzlers lined up around the block for gas, the economy was as bad as it has been these past three years and money was tight. We never felt it in our house, though I know there were times when my parents were worried about how to pay the bills. My Dad always had an idea for a new start.<br />
<br />
When I was really young, he worked at a radio station in Ocean City as its General Manager. We had the big red VW van parked out in front of our house each night after he came home and he worked with names I still remember Anne Fitzick, Tony Blum, Ed Rosenfeld, Vinny Dee. Their names and likenesses forever etched in my mind; the guys with sideburns and bell bottoms and Anne with her big blond hairdo. Under his watch, the station grew from AM to AM/FM Stereo and also had a small TV studio upstairs. I can still smell the teletype ink and the smell of actual "carts" and electricity in the fish bowl radio studio. <br />
<br />
My Dad also took advantage of our locale. When the Miss America pageant was one of the biggest events of the year, he became the local "on the scene" reporter for radio stations all over the country as he interviewed their local state pageant winners throughout Miss America Week leading up to the crowning of Miss America on national TV. My sister and I would watch with excitement on pageant night to see our Dad with his press credentials sitting along the runway as the girls paraded by.<br />
<br />
When I was in 1st grade, my Dad started the local paper in our area. When I say started, I mean from scratch. He set up an office nearby, wrote copy, sold ads and built it from the ground up. I was so incredibly proud the day the "Township Times" first arrived in our school. It was a free paper with all of the local news and was supported by ad revenue. Later, he expanded to another seasonal paper called "Le Cap Canadien" which catered to the French Canadian population who came to the Jersey Shore each summer. The paper was entirely in French and made our visitors feel welcome and appreciated.<br />
<br />
The paper was later sold while Dad started his next project, literally from the ground up. He partnered with some other entrepreneurs and they built a radio station in Cape May County. It was a thrill to visit "the station" while it was being built and see the progress of my father's dream as the radio tower rose out of the trees on the wooded lot. I later worked at the station on the night shift and helped with the traffic logs as needed. My Dad had his own office as General Manager and Owner and he sat in a big leather chair behind a large, dark wood desk. <br />
<br />
Since he sold the station, he has worked for a couple of other companies, still holding true to his radio roots all the way. And, when he was laid off as he approached retirement age he "continued on" and started a trade association for those in radio who schedule commercials for the stations all across the country and around the world. <br />
<br />
He never strayed far from his radio roots, but always would "continue on" to the next thing and I know it is what keeps him going each day, helps him live his dream and makes me so incredibly proud to be like him in this way. I don't know yet what my next project will be, but I know that I have a great example to follow and I hope I can do it half as well as he always has.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-75799125856197357622011-03-17T10:37:00.000-07:002011-03-17T10:37:20.247-07:00Learning to Run Again<div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Learning to run again</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I've been resting too long</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ocean waves my metronome</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Chasing the scent of the sea</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I'm learning to run again</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Racing forward to strong</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Breathing in and out in waves</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Feet pound and fly</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I'm learning to run again</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Finding a way back to me</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Heart races and beats</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Breath ragged, lungs filled</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I'm learning to run again </i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>to find where I'm free</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #6aa84f;">Joanne Hall, March 17, 2011</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"> </div><div style="color: #0c343d;"> </div><div style="color: #0c343d;"> </div><div style="color: #0c343d;"> </div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div>Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-90607707659986367652010-09-15T19:27:00.000-07:002010-09-15T19:27:18.218-07:00Internet Safety for Your FamilyIf you are concerned about what your kids may find on the internet, we have been using Safe Eyes. You can set the filters the way you want them and even see activity reports to know who has been where. Here is a link for a free trial <a href="http://isafety.tellapal.com/a/clk/W7CNn">http://isafety.tellapal.com/a/clk/W7CNn</a> . This product is endorsed by Dave Ramsey and gives me the confidence to allow my kids to use the computer when I am not in the room.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-48594565687374149522010-09-03T21:29:00.000-07:002010-09-03T21:29:00.977-07:00End of Summer SleepoverOur house is full of girls tonight! It's the kids' last fling before going back to school, dance and routines next week. They are in front of the Wii, singing to High School Musical Sing It. I love the sound of happy kids in the house and am so happy my kids have such sweet friends. <br />
<br />
They are all going to sleep well after having their own-make pizzas, milkshakes, brownies and chamomile tea (to help them relax and stave off any sore tummies). The evening started outside, moved inside for pizza making and watching "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", then on to a pillow fight and now on to the Wii. Good times.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-14815508360376125162010-06-09T18:20:00.000-07:002010-06-09T18:20:35.374-07:00The psychology of customers fascinates me. I wish I had started my novel when we began our business as there have been some pretty fascinating people who have come through our doors. Miracles, each and every one of us, but some have stories and histories that would just blow you away. I had a man in the store today who just had brain surgery. An epileptic for 40 years suffering from at least monthly seizures, he had brain surgery only six days ago. He came in to get some easy to prepare meals as he is re-learning how to live, how to recognize words and how to put sentences together. He has been told that in the next six weeks, he will regain all of those memories and be seizure-free or close to seizure-free. I was in awe of him and his story and felt like he put my problems into perspective. Being in business in this economy, opening when we did - right before the bubble burst has been a struggle, but it has also afforded me the opportunity to meet some fascinating people and to witness some true miracles.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-59358011573872266222010-04-12T21:17:00.000-07:002010-04-12T21:26:26.295-07:00The Seed CatalogThe seed catalog has arrived and it is much bigger than I thought it would be. It is going to take some serious reading to figure out where we are going with this. I am also attempting to find straw bales as we are going to use those as the borders for the planting beds. Found this tip on <a href="http://www.strawbalegardens.com/">http://www.strawbalegardens.com/</a> and it makes sense. You use the bales to hold the garden together, but the bales also compost themselves into the soil.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I found some pretty good prices on organic produce at the supermarket. I don't really go there very often but it was on my route today and we needed some (rbst-free) milk so I wandered down the produce aisle and was pleasantly surprised. Some of the organic stuff on special was less expensive than the pesticide-laden food.<br />
<br />
While trying to plan our garden, I am in the midst of my daughter's dance competition season and trying to work out a daily, monthly, annual marketing plan for our store, Super Suppers South Bay. There are a few other things going on with work that I may be able to write about later that are taking up quite a bit of my time, too. But, I know that this garden will be great for me and my family and I am hoping we will have a bountiful harvest.<br />
<br />
Food for thought...a garden is a great leap of faith and I am jumping in with both feet.Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-86258253844632397912010-04-07T19:45:00.000-07:002010-04-07T19:45:00.647-07:00Our FoodI have been educating myself lately on where our food comes from and how the American food system is run by a very few big companies, who control our food supply. I have watched the movies "Food, Inc." and "The Future of Food" as well as read "The Unhealthy Truth". It is time for us to take back control of what goes into our bodies.<br />
<br />
We are talking about how to plant a vegetable garden in our tiny Southern California backyard. One of my neighbors has introduced me to Square Foot Gardening which I think will make sense for us. The girls want to plant strawberries, tomatoes, corn and melons and we are trying to find non-GMO seeds from an heirloom seed company. I eagerly await the seed catalog so we can begin to plan our garden. James and I would also like to be able to harvest a daily salad from our garden so I am hoping for a few varieties of lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli and more.<br />
<br />
Because I run a food-related business, this is terribly close to my heart. I believe our store is doing it's part; that we are helping busy people to eat better. We make the meals and then freeze them so customers get a home-cooked meal without the work. I hope someday we can add organic items and fresh produce and/or salad bar but I do believe that we are getting people out of the drive-thru and back around the table - which is where it all begins.<br />
<br />
I look forward to tracking our personal gardening journey and our continuing journey in the food business.<br />
<br />
Food for thought...do you teach your kids to read labels and to know what is going into their bodies?Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8447526803796165770.post-75227739265987360302010-03-08T22:29:00.000-08:002010-03-08T22:29:05.425-08:00Finally<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have finally decided it is time to share my thoughts on business, appreciating my family and how I learn every day how precious these experiences can be.</span>Joanne Keene Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272547720195230957noreply@blogger.com0