We’re off to a strong start this year at PEERS and this blog is going to tell you all about it…

Our current president, Oni (Balance Point Acupuncture), started us off this morning with distressing news about some nasty flu bugs that are going around our community. But she also had some helpful tips for kicking it before it really gets your down… Acupuncture. When you very first start feeling yucky go straight to Oni’s office at Northwest Health & Healing Center for an appointment and she’ll help set you up to beat that bug! Tara from Jeff Mill’s State Farm announced that their office would no longer be open on Saturdays – insurance agents and their staff need time off too. 🙂 Peg O. (Citizens Bank) had some helpful tips for staying mobile AND staying secure. 1. Set your device to lock after a certain period of time to prevent unwanted access. That one will also prevent your from pocket calling people (very helpful). 2. Turn on wi-fi, location services, and bluetooth when not in use. It also helps conserve your battery life. 3. Do not store, text, or email personal information from your mobile device. Thanks Peg!

Peg W. from Pathfinder Travel wants you to know that vacations aren’t just for the summer time. She’s ready to help you plan AND budget the trip of a lifetime. Lori (The Thank You People) likes to think of herself as an unofficial non-profit. All the profits from the sales of her greeting cards are donated to actual non-profits in our community. So not only are you sending someone REAL mail (which is super fun), and supporting multiple local small business (Rice’s Pharmacy & Gift and The Book Bin), you’re also supporting worthy causes. All with a greeting card. Speaking of snail mail, Julie (Tobias Weiss Design) reminded us that the standard letter stamp rate will increase on Jan 26th to $0.49 and postcard stamps will increase to $0.34. Looks like it’s time to stock up on forever stamps before the rate increase. On a less pleasant, but just as important, note Ilene (A&S Accounting) is in full tax season swing. And even though the tax laws are constantly changing you shouldn’t let April 15th sneak up on you. Anne Fahy (Remax Integrity)had some handy real estate advice: Hire a professional, like Elaine (Simply Home Professionals) or Susan (Let’s Get Comfortable Interior Design), when remodeling your home. A professional’s eye will help ensure that your improvements won’t hinder a future sale.

Moving on to thoughts of spring Christine (Red Stem) says that NOW is the time to start planting your bulbs. Their up to 75% off at Garland’s Nursery! She also had a couple tips for better planting: Plant the bulb three times deeper than it is tall, use some chicken wire to discourage squirrels from digging up your bulbs, and plant in stages for continuous blooming. 🙂 Stefanie from Rice’s Pharmacy & Gift also want you to start thinking about spring as they prepare their gift inventory for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and warmer weather. And when that warmer weather finally gets here Chris at Valley Eye Care wants to see everyone in sunglasses. You only get one pair of eyes – take good care of them. Jess (JessBFit) is here to guide you into fitness so you can more easily enjoy that nice weather in your fancy new sunglasses. She’s promoting her Foam Rolling class at EcoFusion Fitness, as well as her yoga and personal training. If you’re feeling a little tuckered out from all that activity there’s no better way to pamper yourself than with a massage from Amy (Carefree Massage). Mmmmmmmmmm.

Amanda (Amanda Photographic) gave a reminder about voting for Oregon Bride Magazine – Best for 2014 award. It’s a wonderful way to show some love to the best wedding vendors in the state! Shelley (Alta’s Antiques & Collectibles) and Michelle B (Arbonne International) are both eager to start their new year with hosted parties. Both ladies have great products to share with you and your BFFs. Karen from KidSpirit/Girls On The Run is still looking for coaches, volunteers, and team sponsors for this year’s spring program. Girls On The Run makes a HUGE impact in the lives of girls in our community – the program has expanded to include Linn, Lane, Marion, Polk counties.

Two upcoming events in our community:

CIBA (Corvallis Independent Business Alliance) Membership Meeting – Wednesday January 29th at Valley Eye Care from 5:30-7:30. Non-members welcome. 🙂

Luna Fest (National Short Film Festival) – Saturday January 25th at LeSells Stewart Center 7:00pm. Click on hotlink for info and tickets. Girls On The Run will be there!

Michelle Volkert was our presenter today and we had A LOT to learn about carpet cleaning & restoration. After working in carpet cleaning and full fire, water, mold restoration for 13 years in Lodi (pronounced “low-dye”… just in case your were curious), CA Michelle and her husband, Nick, decided it was time for a location change. In 2008 they moved to Corvallis and immediately established VS Restoration – specializing in carpet, upholstery, and grout cleaning. Offering a high-quality service is very important to both Nick and Michelle. They do this best by keeping their business eco-friendly and by taking care of their customers AND employees. Having happy employees is key to running a business smoothly and passing that on to happy customers.

Offering both residential and commercial cleaning, VS Restoration is one of only two carpet cleaners in Oregon that is AAA approved. AAA members also get a 15% discount! With online scheduling Nick and his crew can easily service the Willamette Valley from Salem to Eugene, and Philomath to Lebanon. Now with 18 years in the industry Nick knows a thing or two about getting stains out of your carpet and how to keep them looking fresh. One key piece of advice is to never scrub when trying to remove a stain. No! Michelle says to get a CLEAN, DRY towel using it to blot the area and soak up as much of the spill as possible. …then call Nick and he’ll come finish taking care of it.

Call or schedule an estimate online to see what VS Restoration can do for your home or office space. Ask them about their “Stay Beautiful” program.