December Newsletter
GIVE THE GIFT OF WARMTH THIS SEASON
Nearly half of low-income Americans reported that they or someone in their household experienced some type of income loss during the pandemic, according to information published by Pew Research Center. Because more people are facing hardship this year due to the impacts of COVID-19, many families in our community will likely be in need of assistance this holiday season and into 2021.
Wellspring Living is a nonprofit in Atlanta, GA. Over the last 19 years they have supported women and children that have been at risk or victimized by sexual exploitation. Wellspring Living needs help this holiday season. Assistance this year for many nonprofits has already been strained. Companies and individual donors have been stretched thin, providing donations to many organizations effected by the pandemic. To aid those most vulnerable, Fabricare Center has partnered with Wellspring Living to provide warmth through our coat drive.
Wellspring Living programs include residential and community-based programs which provide therapeutic services, educational support, as well as personal and professional development. The hope is to safeguard and uplift as many women and children as they can. By collaborating with the generous community, Wellspring Living is able to provide their participants the tools they need to flourish in life.
Consider donating gently used or new coats in sizes small to 4X at either of our two retail locations in Dunwoody or Sandy Springs. We are also collecting coats through our convenient pickup and delivery service, just remember to include a note to let us know what items you are donating.
Whether you donate with Fabricare Center’s partner Wellspring Living or are working with another organization this holiday season we hope you are inspired to give a little back this year and help those most in need.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season!
Happy Holidays
Pair and Pour Some Festive Holiday Cheer This Season
While holiday traditions and celebrations will likely look different this year, the season is still special. Set the scene for a celebratory occasion by mixing festive cocktails or creating the perfect spread to complement your wines, beers, cheeses and even chocolates.
You can help make your spread delicious with these pairings and seasonal cocktail ideas:
Light and Refreshing – With aromas of Meyer lemon and flavors of fresh green apple and white peach, the crisp Landshut Riesling has a touch of delicate sweetness while still being juicy and refreshing. For a savory-and-sweet combination, try pairing it with a Goat Cheese Log and Milk Chocolate Domino Cubes.
Rich and Decadent – Indulge your senses with the aromas of butterscotch, warm baking spices and the velvety dark fruit notes of the Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Red Blend. This decadent red blend offers a smooth finish, similar to mulled wine without the extra work. The rich flavor pairs well with a smoked cheese like Smoked Gouda as well as Dark Chocolates with Caramel and Sea Salt.
Savory with Brew – If a craft beer is more your style, consider a rich and creamy dark ale like a stout. Its robust flavors of roasted coffee beans and bittersweet cocoa combine for a sweet yet savory, earthy finish. Serve it with rich flavors like English Truffle Cheddar and add a touch of chocolatey sweetness with Cocoa Dusted Truffles.
Signature Libations – Up the ante on your holiday celebration with a special yet simple cocktail you can mix at home with confidence. The secret to making the Mistletoe Mule is the 3-2-1 method: just pour wine for three counts, ginger beer for two counts and pomegranate juice for one count.
Mistletoe Mule
Servings: 2
Sugar
4 1/2 oz Brut Sparkling
3 oz Ginger Beer
1.5 oz Pomegranate
Juice
lime juice
fresh cranberries,
for garnish (optional)
Rim two glasses with sugar.
In separate mixer or glass, combine wine, ginger beer and pomegranate. To serve, pour over ice in prepared glasses then top with fresh lime juice. Garnish each glass with cranberries, if desired.
EAT AND DRINK SMART TO FEND OFF COLD AND FLU SEASON
It’s no secret that a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and veggies can deliver important vitamins and nutrients for better health, but many of your favorite foods can actually help support your immune system, too. In addition to precautions like avoiding people who are sick and washing your hands often, you can influence your immune system through what you eat and drink.
Stay hydrated. Keeping well hydrated can be difficult during the winter months, especially if you spend most of your time indoors. A warm drink like this flavorful Orange Spiced Tea provides a strong dose of vitamin C along with a delicious dose of hydration.
Keep the produce going strong. Fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies often come to mind during warmer months, but produce like citrus, leafy greens and root vegetables are plentiful during cold and flu season, too. “Consuming the whole fruit is the best way to ensure you gain the maximum nutritional benefit,” Dr. Poonam Desai said. “When speaking with patients, I recommend seeking nutrients like vitamin C from whole food sources, rather than supplements, especially with a vitamin C-rich fruit like California oranges.”
Get a natural boost of vitamins. Vitamins A and C, found in fresh citrus, are two key nutrients that support your body’s natural line of defense, your immune system. Just one orange offers 90% of the daily recommended value of vitamin C, and California Navel oranges are in their peak season – just in time for the height of cold and flu season.
Smart Holiday Gift Ideas
Many of the season’s most popular gift ideas can generally be classified as “tech.” From smartphones and gaming systems to digital photo frames and smart home devices, tech junkies and technophobes alike can delight in the options available to help enhance daily routines and make tasks easier.
Whether you’re looking to introduce your intended recipient to the smart home concept with a foundational device like a smart thermostat or want to take home automation to the next level, there are upgrades that can work in every area of the home. From the kitchen to the garage and the bedroom to the patio, homeowners can control everything from televisions, appliances and lights to the temperature in a specific room and home security cameras with their voices or smartphones.
Consider these smart devices that can work in harmony to help make day-to-day life simpler.
Intelligent Home Monitoring
If you want to give the gift of a safe and secure home this holiday season, consider an option like ecobee Haven including the SmartCamera with voice control and the SmartSensors for doors and windows. Instead of adding more devices and tasks to ever-expanding to-do lists, the plug-and-play home monitoring platform works with your smartphone to deliver peace of mind and eliminate the need for keypads, programming and single-use gadgets. In one app, you can automatically arm and disarm your home, distinguish welcome guests from intruders and use your activity feed to see when family members arrive or depart.
Automated Home Comfort
Help keep your home comfortable this winter even while you’re on the go
with a gift like the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. Because every home heats and cools differently, the thermostat works with your schedule, occupancy and desired comfort settings to deliver a personalized energy model that automates home comfort, reduces energy consumption and saves you money. It’s easy to install and help save up to 23% annually on heating and cooling costs, giving you the power to do your part to reduce your environmental footprint without compromising your lifestyle.
4 Tips for a Productive 2021
This year has taught many workers a thing or two about being productive when offices and homes blend into one. As the calendar turns to 2021, consider these key products and processes to stay productive next year.
Find a system (and stick to it): Creating an organizing system is an easy way to ensure your at-home workspace is ready for optimal productivity. Designate space to house all your work items – a drawer, cabinet or box – and keep work items organized by type (pens, papers, computer gear, etc.) At the end of each day, transitioning to “offline hours” can be easier when you have a place to stow your work items.
Start your day clean: Studies have shown cleanliness has a direct impact on productivity. Yet, many people struggle to find the time and energy to clean, especially at the end of a busy day at home. An option like a all-in-one robot vacuum provides a hands-free cleaning experience, complete with the time-saving benefits of vacuuming and mopping. Easily controlled via an app, just set it to clean before bed and wake up to a tidy workspace.
Break up your day: With so many hours at home in front of a computer, workdays can get a little monotonous. Break up the day to make working from home feel as “normal” as possible – shower in the morning, take a walk or drive to coffee then make time for at least two breaks throughout the day. Some people have found success with the Pomodoro Technique, which is breaking your day up into 25-minute chunks of work, with 5-minute rest periods. If you continue to work until you feel like taking a break, odds are you’ll overwork yourself until it’s too late to take the “big break” you had in mind.
Bookend your days with mindfulness: At the beginning and end of each workday, do a 3-5-minute mindfulness meditation. Before signing on to work for the day, allow your mind to fully focus on the day’s tasks at-hand. Sign-off by doing another mediation to end the day and let go of any worries or stresses you might have. Incorporating this tactic into your daily routine can help create a natural boundary from work and home while also restoring peace of mind.
Service Spotlight – Wash & Fold
Our #1 goal is to serve our clients and team members. And we have learned that the pain point most clients struggle with the most is not having enough time.
If I ask most of our clients what they want more of, the first answer is time and the second answer is money. In the spirit of providing exceptional value and savings this holiday season, for a limited time we have reduced our Wash and Fold Large plan to just $150 for one month of service.
Our wash and fold service is simple and easy. We have two plans to choose from a small bag which holds 2-3 loads of laundry or a large bag which hold 4-5 loads of laundry. Both plans allow you to send the bag in 4 times a month and they work like a subscription service. You are billed monthly with no contract, so you can cancel anytime. Once you sign up, we will deliver a Fabricare Center laundry bag. Then, just fill the bag with laundry and schedule your pickup. It’s that simple!
We want to save as much time for you as possible so you can do other things that are more important to you. And we want you to feel great so you can live your life to the fullest. Stop into our store, sign up online, or call (770) 396-5325. You’ll never be asked to sign a contract. You can always count on a consistent price and amazing value with each plan!
