Janet Davis Cleaners - December 2020

(248) 543-0340 | www.janetdaviscleaners.com 27607Woodward Ave., Berkley, MI 48072 “HOT OFF THE PRESS” Dry Cleaning News

DECEMBER 2020

THE VALUE OF FAMILY AND TOGETHERNESS

Supporting, Loving, and Caring for One Another

When I first set out for college, I thought I was going to be Mr. Independent and do all these great things, as everyone thinks when they go to college. I was going to be the fastest, smartest, and the best. Within the first few weekends, however, I started to realize how much I missed home and that making new friends was hard to do. I knew college wasn’t going to be an easy adjustment, but it was a lot harder than I thought. Before that moment in college, I was never without my family. My parents had always been a big part of my life and my biggest cheerleaders, so their support had always been a part of my life. When I went to college, they were there for me emotionally, of course, but not physically. I obviously adjusted and thrived, but it took me almost a year, and even then, I still missed home a lot.

The holidays remind me of that value of family and togetherness. Spending time with family, supporting one another, and helping your loved ones are so important, and not just during the big holidays, either. At any time of year, being there for family — immediate family, in-laws, or distant relatives — is crucial. My experience at college really put it into perspective for me and never left me. Once I married Laura and had kids of my own, both our families grew even closer. My brother and sister live a little farther away from us, but my parents are close by and both help out with our girls. My wife’s sister and her family also live eight houses down the street, and our kids are almost like siblings with all the time they spend together. Their youngest son and my oldest daughter are the same age, attend the same school, and are even in the same class.

I honestly can’t imagine what it would be like to live in a place or move to a city without having my family close to me, especially this year. We’ve all leaned on one another. With school being remote, the whole family working, and all the stress of this past year, it would’ve been impossible to manage. I’m so grateful my family is as close as we are, supporting one another and helping raise our kids, too. It’s something I don’t take for granted.

–Kyle Matthews

1 (248) 543-0340

Be the Host With the Most

WE EXPANDED OUR SERVICE AREAS Helping These Communities With Home Cleaning Needs

This year, you’ve probably celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving a little differently in order to keep your gatherings safe. But ‘tis the season for holiday parties, so if your annual get- together is one you just can’t go without, consider creating the perfect virtual party this year. KEEP INVITES CLASSIC. Just because your partygoers won’t be attending in person doesn’t mean they should be any less excited when their invitation arrives! Create a fun and festive invite and send it to your guests in the mail, complete with date, time, attire, and exact instructions for how to access your virtual party. This physical reminder will keep your event top of mind and bring some familiarity to the process. OVERDO YOUR ATMOSPHERE. Just as you would decorate and set up before guests arrive in person, you should do the same for your virtual party if you want to create a truly festive spirit. Because people will see you and your home through a camera, you should ramp things up a bit. Pick a corner of your home where you can hang plenty of lights and decorations, crank up some tunes, dress in your holiday best, and have a glass of eggnog and some classic hors d’oeuvres nearby. Treat your virtual party like a real party, and it’ll be one to remember. GET IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVING. Sometimes, a lull in conversation during a video call can feel agonizingly awkward. But this is a party, and you want to keep festivities lively, so avoid potential lapses by providing plenty of things to do. Games are always a great option, and if you want to keep with the spirit of holiday parties, send your guests party favors before the party that they can open during the call. Mail wrapped gifts with strict instructions to wait until the party. Fun food items, gag gifts, and ugly Christmas sweaters make for great conversation starters, and taking turns opening gifts on camera gets everyone involved. There’s no reason to cancel the holiday party you’ve been looking forward to hosting all year. Virtual parties present an opportunity to get creative, start new traditions, and provide loved ones with the holiday cheer they’ve been needing.

We’re always thankful for the many referrals sent our way by our current clients and readers! It means a lot to know you trust our services to your loved ones, and we do our utmost to treat the people sent our way like family, just as we treat you. However, maybe some of you don’t know the other areas we service and that’s a reason you’ve held back. For many years, we’ve served the Berkley, Royal Oak, Bloomfield, and Birmingham areas, but for a long time, we wanted to extend those services to even more communities. Now, we offer our dry cleaning, shirt laundry, sheet service, home laundry, and household item cleaning services throughout the Metro-Detroit area! Here are all the locations we now serve with pickup and delivery:

• Auburn Hills

• Dearborn

• Novi

• Berkley

• Dearborn Heights

• Orchard Lake

• Beverly Hills

• Rochester

• Detroit

• Bingham Farms

• Rochester Hills

• Farmington Hills

• Birmingham

• Troy

• Franklin

• Bloomfield

• West Bloomfield

• Northville

• Bloomfield Hills

If you have a friend or a loved one who lives in any of these areas and is looking for a dry cleaner, you can stop their searching today! We are here to help them with all their home cleaning needs.

www.janetdaviscleaners.com 2

OUR TEAM IS HERE TO HELP! Don’t Worry About Home Laundry Again

Not too long ago, a customer called our office and asked whether or not we offer regular laundry services. When she learned that, yes, we do have these services, she was not only happy to get involved but also relieved. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started in the spring, we’ve had many similar instances like this one, and it’s no surprise. Things this year have changed rapidly, forcing people to adapt at a faster pace. Something we know one week is not the same the next. With a million things going on and news constantly changing, people feel a lot of stress. When this happens, even the simplest of tasks suddenly seem overwhelming. At home, people must address many responsibilities to keep their lives functioning as normally as possible. This includes working from home, supervising kids during their at-home schooling, planning meals, tidying up the house, and taking care of any pets. For many households, adding just one more chore might be the piece of straw that breaks the camel’s back. Luckily, there is something our team at Janet Davis Cleaners can do to help lighten that load! With our Wash Dry Fold service, we can ensure your laundry is washed and ready to wear, giving you the chance to focus on

more important things. This service has allowed us to help families with kids as well as adults with elderly parents. People who usually did laundry for their parents to help out are suddenly finding themselves unable to make it to their parents’ home as often as they’d like due to the pandemic. However, when they do find the time to visit, their focus can be more on spending time with their parents than on chores because of our laundry service. When these individuals and family members reach out to us, we can help them make the most of their time by doing this particular chore for them. Let the Janet Davis team step in and save you time and some of your sanity, too. Call us at (248) 543-0340 to use our Wash Dry Fold service today!

SUDOKU

Not Your Grandma’s FRUITCAKE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp baking soda • 1 cup sour cream • 3 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit of your choice, chopped • 1 cup nuts of your choice, chopped

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided • 1 stick butter • 1 cup sugar • 1 egg, room temperature • Zest of 1 orange • 1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with greased baking paper. Ensure the piece running the length of the pan stands 1 inch above each side to form “handles.” 2. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and sour cream. 3. In a second bowl, combine fruit, nuts, and 1/4 cup flour. 4. In a third bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, zest, and sour cream mixture. Then, add remaining flour and salt. Mix, then add fruit mixture. 5. Pour batter into lined pan. Fill up a separate loaf pan halfway with water. Bake both pans in oven for 1 1/2–2 hours or until a skewer leaves the cake clean. 6. Use “handles” to remove cake from pan and cool completely on a rack before serving.

3 (248) 543-0340

Inspired by SimplyRecipes.com

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

Monday–Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

1 The Value of Family and Togetherness 2 How to Throw the Perfect Virtual Holiday Party Offering Our Services: The Metro-Detroit Area 3 Let Us Lighten Your Load Not Your Grandma’s Fruitcake 4 Winter Road Trip Essentials You Didn’t Know You Needed (248) 543-0340 www.janetdaviscleaners.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE

27607Woodward Ave. Berkley, MI 48072

WINTER ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS YOU DIDN’T KNOWYOU NEEDED A DRIVER’S GUIDE TO SAFE HOLIDAY TRAVELS

On Sept. 24, 2019, more than 2.5 million people passed through TSA checkpoints at airports across America. On the same date this year, those terminals saw just 826,316 travelers — a nearly 70% drop. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Americans have been thinking twice about air travel, and this holiday, millions of would-be flyers will set out on road trips instead. Road tripping is a great way to avoid contact with a lot of people, but it can also be dangerous, especially in winter weather. Fortunately, you can take several steps to keep your family safe. Getting your car checked before you go, for example, can save you a lot of hassle on the road, as can investing in a set of snow tires. It’s also smart to take precautions such as letting a friend or family member know your route,

predicted arrival time, and where you plan to stop for gas along the way.

Apart from that, one of the best things you can do is pack an emergency kit. AAA sells premade kits through outlets like Amazon, and you can find a basic kit with things like jumper cables, ponchos, rope, batteries, pliers, zip ties, and a first-aid kit at pretty much any Walmart or sporting goods store. You could even save a life by adding a few more essentials to your kit, like a blanket, snacks, and an extra cellphone charger. At this point, you’re almost a safety black belt. But to take your kit to the next level for winter driving, there are three more little- known items you should stash in your trunk: a shovel, a bag of sand or cat litter, and an extra bottle of windshield wiper fluid. If you

get stuck in a snowbank, the shovel will help you dig your way out without risking frostbitten fingers. The sand or cat litter will boost your traction if you sprinkle it around your wheels in an icy spot, and the extra wiper fluid will make all the difference if you run out during a snowstorm.

Once you’re prepared, crank up the Christmas carols and get driving!

www.janetdaviscleaners.com 4