Janet Davis Cleaners - December 2019

Janet Davis Cleaners - December 2019

“HOT OFF THE PRESS” Dry Cleaning News

(248) 543-0340 | www.janetdaviscleaners.com 27607Woodward Ave., Berkley, MI 48072 | 3645 Maple Rd., Bloomfield, MI 48301

DECEMBER 2019

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

Keeping the Spirit of the Holiday Alive for My Children

I don’t think anything compares to seeing the magic of the world through a child’s eyes, and this is never truer than around Christmastime. I remember my parents trying to capture this magic for as long as they could when I was still a little kid. Once, when I was around 6 years old, my dad put the harness and leash on the dog, tilted the ladder against the roof of the house, and climbed up to the top. Now, as Michigan residents, you know how treacherous this could have been for my father and our dog. It’s usually pretty cold around Christmas, not to mention the slippery snow. But my dad took the dog up to the roof, so they could put tracks on the roof for me to find on Christmas morning as if some magical visitors had been on the roof the night before. I’ll never forget my father’s dedication to keeping Christmas magical for me, and I can appreciate my father’s motivation today as a dad myself. My daughters are now 4 and 7 years old, and Christmas is about as spectacular as a holiday can be. My eldest daughter is starting to pick up on a few of the traditions, but we are right in the sweet spot of fascination with my youngest. Just like my father, I record them coming down the stairs Christmas morning to find the presents and loot Santa stashed under the tree for them. I can still remember the big video camera sitting in the corner of my family’s living room as we opened Christmas presents every morning. To this

day, I’m not sure if it even caught anything, but there it sat, year after year, recording our reactions. Each Christmas Eve as a kid, we were allowed to choose one present to open. Of course, by that point, we had already done our calculations and discovered which presents came from whom and which ones were bigger than the rest. By then, we knew which gift we were dying to open, and we tore into what we thought would be the best present every Christmas Eve. These days, my wife, our daughters, and I spend Christmas morning together. Then that afternoon, we load up and head to either my sister-in-law, my mom, or my mother-in-law’s house. For my daughters, seeing their two cousins — two boys — on Christmas is just like seeing their brothers. They’re together so frequently that they are more like a set of siblings than cousins! memories they will hold onto. You never realize what your kids remember, but, when we visited Disney this summer after having been there years ago, my older daughter could still remember certain parts from her visit as a 3-year-old. For my younger daughter, it was pure magic. She met Princes Anna, and she will always remember that undeniable feeling of enchantment. As my daughters get older, I’m so grateful for the traditions we have and the

But that’s the power of the holiday season. You don’t have to travel to Disney or meet a princess to feel magic. All you have to do is remember what it was like to run down the stairs Christmas morning to find a few more presents under the tree or footprints on the roof to know this season is nothing short of miraculous. Or, you can watch it all unfold before your child’s very eyes.

Have a wonderful holiday season,

–Kyle Matthews 1 (248) 543-0340

The Joy of a Gingerbread House

SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT

EVERYTHING YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THIS HOLIDAY TRADITION

Partnering With Fellow Small Business Owners to Serve Our Community

Of the many seasonal traditions that sweep our nation, few are as creative, delicious, and satisfying as building your very own gingerbread house. Whether you’re looking to create a simple table decoration or bake a tasty treat to nibble on, everyone can enjoy this holiday activity! THE ORIGINS OF GINGERBREAD Ginger was first cultivated in ancient China, then traded into medieval Europe. There, Europeans incorporated it into culinary traditions and used it to bake cookies into elaborate shapes and works of art, including figures of animals and people. The gingerbread house first appeared in the early 19th century in Germany. Although historians don’t know an exact date, it’s speculated that it gained popularity around the same time that “Hansel and Gretel,” the popular fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm, was published. THE LARGEST GINGERBREAD HOUSE In 2013, the world record for the largest gingerbread house in the world was broken. The house, topping out at 21 feet and covering 2,520 square feet, was built by Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas, to raise money for a local Level II trauma center. To construct the house, builders created a recipe that required 1,800 pounds of butter, 2,925 pounds of brown sugar, 7,200 eggs, 7,200 pounds of flour, 1,080 ounces of ground ginger, and a few additional ingredients. BUILD YOUR OWN! While you don’t have to challenge yourself to beat the Guinness World Record, you can still have fun creating your very own gingerbread village. Starting your gingerbread house from scratch can be a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy. Give the kids a chance to mix the ingredients, roll out the dough, and set out plenty of candies and frostings to use, and remember to have fun! If you’re looking for unique gingerbread house ideas, take a look at 20 gingerbread house ideas at TasteofHome.com/collection/ gingerbread-houses.

As a fifth-generation small business, we love nothing more than serving our community. Our goal is to always be efficient and effective in everything we do, especially when it comes to treating our customers’ items with care. When that level of service is extended to our fellow small business owners, we can’t help but feel honored to know they trust us to support them and their customers. More than six months ago, we learned that Manno Clothing and Tailoring has noticed this dedication and often recommends our cleaning services to their clients. We are honored to earn such a distinction. Being the kind business owner he is, Anthony Manno shared his experience and professional advice in a recent Google review. Anthony wrote, “The best in the dry-cleaning business. If you are in need of a reliable, efficient, and affordable dry cleaner, use Janet Davis. As the owner of a men’s clothing store, the maintenance of my clothing and the clothing of our clients is paramount. That’s why we only recommend Janet Davis to those in need of dry-cleaning services. Ask them about their pickup and drop-off service. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that!” As members of this community, we are proud to serve the customers Anthony and his Manno team send our way. We know many of the items we receive are cherished pieces of clothing his customers value, and we do all we can to ensure we honor their wishes and protect the stories associated with these pieces. This not only reflects on our business, but we are also holding the reputation of Manno Clothing and Tailoring in our capable hands. It’s not a situation we take lightly, and we’re proud to serve this community alongside Anthony and his team. If you have a specialty suit or tuxedo you need dry cleaned, bring it on down for a consultation. We will give you the best course of action and service, just as Anthony has promised we can.

Thank you for your kind words, Anthony!

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BREAK OUT THE BLANKETS

Get Warm, Cozy, and Clean

You children may be nestled all snug in their beds, but are they sleeping in clean beds? It’s the time of year when we break out our heavy blankets and our extra- plush comforters, then belly-flop into our cozy beds and nuzzle our pillows to fight the cold. But it’s also the end of the year, which means these items are likely in need of a thorough cleaning. You may have been dutifully washing your bed sheets and pillowcases once a week as you normally should, but when was the last time you really washed those extra duvets, comforters, and winter blankets hiding in the back of your closet? Although you haven’t been sleeping on them for the better part of a year, they’ve still gathered dust and animal hair and may even have sweat, saliva, oils, and food particles stuck to them from last winter.

comforters, bed spreads, and blankets. We pay close attention to detail to make sure every type of linen is cleaned carefully and properly, and we press all your sheets and duvets. We clean, fluff, sanitize, and deodorize your feather pillows and will replace their covers so you can continue using them for years to come. If you have visiting family overflowing into the living room, we’ll even properly clean and sanitize your sleeping bags.

So, while you worry about planning the perfect Christmas party or knocking out your gift list, let Janet Davis Cleaners worry about getting all your linens clean and snug. Don’t forget to use our free pickup and delivery service with no minimums and no obligations. Spread the love this holiday season by letting your friends and family know about our services, and we’ll pay it forward with guaranteed satisfaction every time!

Let Janet Davis Cleaners take extra care in cleaning all your bed linens,

Potato LATKES

SUDOKU

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed • 1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters • 2 large eggs • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp kosher salt • 1 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp black pepper • Safflower or vegetable oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Using either a food processor with a coarse grating disc or the coarse side of a box grater, grate potatoes and onion. (If using a food processor, halve or quarter potatoes.) Once grated, wrap in a clean dish towel or cheesecloth to wring out as much moisture as possible. 2. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix in eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper. 3. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan containing 1/4-inch of oil over medium-high heat. Use a heaping tablespoon to drop batter into the hot pan, working in batches. Use a spatula or spoon to form them into discs. Fry about 5 minutes per side, until deeply browned. 4. Transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack to drain, and serve alongside applesauce and sour cream. 3 (248) 543-0340 Inspired by The New York Times

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1 It’s the Most Magical Time of the Year 2 Building Your Own Gingerbread House What One Small Business Owner Says About Janet Davis Cleaners 3 Nestle Into Clean Blankets This Winter (248) 543-0340 www.janetdaviscleaners.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE

27607Woodward Ave. Berkley, MI 48072

Potato Latkes 4 The History Behind Christmas Lights

The first string of twinkling lights illuminating your neighbor’s house is always a telltale sign of the upcoming seasonal festivities. Christmas lights are a holiday staple, but have you ever wondered where this beloved tradition started? The tradition of hanging lights on the tree originally started with candles. Because this posed an immense fire hazard, Edward Hibberd Johnson, a close friend of Thomas Edison and vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company, vowed to find a better way to decorate Christmas trees with light. In December 1882, three years after Edison’s invention of the lightbulb in November 1879, Johnson hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue lightbulbs together and wound them around a Christmas tree in his parlor window. A passing reporter saw the spectacle and declared in the Detroit Post and Tribune, “One can hardly imagine anything prettier.” Johnson continued this tradition, increasing the number of lights each year and eventually putting them up outside. But because electricity was still a new concept, many years passed before the fad took off for regular Americans. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge began the tradition of lighting the National Christmas Light Up the Night WHY DOWE HANG CHRISTMAS LIGHTS?

Tree, which spurred the idea of selling stringed lights commercially. By the 1930s, families everywhere were buying boxes of bulbs by the dozen. Today, an estimated 150 million Christmas lights are sold in America each year, decorating 80 million homes and consuming 6% of the nation’s electricity every December. Whether you’ll be putting up your own lights or appreciating the most impressive light displays in your neighborhood or town, let the glow fill you with joy this season. Just don’t leave them up until February!

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