What is going on?!?!

Recently (as in the last few months) I have been liquidating the assets of my childhood home. Problem is, my childhood home is five and half hours away, so it takes awhile to get there, do stuff, and come back. Other problem is, I am an only child, doing this mostly by myself. Of course my husband and some friends and neighbors have helped a lot (thanks, guys!), but the ultimate decisions come down to me.

My mom has moved to an apartment--a lovely 2 bedroom independent living apartment. She has furnished and decorated it nicely and she took all the comfortable chairs, which leaves me with folding chairs and card tables on which to work. ;)

We lived in that house for 47 years, so there has been plenty of time to accumulate stuff. I am bringing back things that I think my customers would like (that would make great gifts, since after all, we are a gift shop), and I will be trying to sell them in my store.

So this is why my hours and days have been spotty. I am posting on facebook whether I will be open or not, so check there before you come. With the holidays fast approaching, I am hoping to be open more, but my familial duties must take precedence at this time.

Thank you for your support. Does anybody need a card table?

Look at Me! Look at My Posts!

I have been seeing lots of articles lately about how things are not showing up in facebook news feeds. I realized that there are several businesses that used to post regularly that I haven't been seeing. Then I realized that MY business is one of those. ARGH! With the new layout and timeline, page owners (that means businesses, bands, artists, etc.) that people have "liked" are just plain not showing up.  The page owners can see how many people are actually being reached. I'm averaging about 7%, according to their info. I can't prove it; I'll just have to take their word for it. Or pay them to reach all the people who have "liked" my page. I guess I was under the impression that by "liking" a page, people would be kept up to date with that page. Here is a link that I received (via email) from The 3/50 project that lets you know how to get the updates you thought you signed up for. You can add all the pages that you'd like to keep seeing in your news feed all at once, so if you have a lot, you can take care of them in one fell swoop.

http://alwaysupward.com/facebook_helpers/Get_Your_FB_Page_Posts_Back.pdf

Thank you for adding Fly Right to that list--we really can't afford to pay $15 every time we post a picture of a new item that came in, or an event in the neighborhood, or whatever other drivel we post, just to be sure that interested people can see it.  Honestly, we thought you already could.  

How about a hot flash?

Island Sunset brims over with passion, heat, and flirtation, creating a tempting escape for the senses. A green marine top harmonizes with a sweet concoction of island fruits and red fruit musk. Hints of pear, peach, coconut, banana and apple create an aromatic cocktail of juicy splendor.

Okay, that's the company's description of this fragrance, but I agree--it makes you want to lay on a beach sipping a fruity umbrella drink. The temperature outside today kind of does too. In this fragrance we have sachets, votive candles, and the big candle that is pictured (all natural and made in the USA). This just came in today, and I was thinking about how great it would be to give your sweetie for Valentine's Day along with some airline tickets and hotel vouchers to somewhere exotic. Or just the candle. After all, it's the thought that counts!

Giving Thanks

I have several facebook friends who are posting something they're thankful for every day in November. Yes, food, shelter, a supportive partner, good friends, a job, and other obvious things have been seen so far. It will be interesting to see how their lists progress over the course of the month! Breathe Right Nasal Strips? The perfect shade of lipstick? I think it's fine to be thankful for products, as long as you've already expressed gratitude for all the people first.

It's always nice to show appreciation for all the things in life that we are thankful for. For me, I'm especially thankful for my UPS man. I keep him busy this time of year--new products are coming in every day in preparation for the holiday season. He's always pleasant and cheerful, even if it's a cartload of heavy wooden toys. And snowing. I'll have to give him a really good thank you gift this year.

Have you ever gotten a little "just because" present? It's great. Especially if it's accompanied by a sincere compliment or thank you. If you are of the old fashioned variety, you have heard of a hostess gift. It's really swell to get one--especially if it's something that you don't need to attend to right away. Fly Right tries to keep a balanced stock of little special things that would make great hostess gifts. Beautiful soaps or candles are always appreciated. Fun or fancy dish towels or aprons also make cute little presents. A funny magnet might do the trick. Reusable shopping totes are also nice and useful (just don't get the cheap ones from the grocery store for somebody as a gift--they kinda suck and they're not washable). You get the idea. Just show them that you're paying attention to the special things they do.

So while you're busy preparing to share a Thanksgiving meal with friends or family, think of a little special something that would make them feel loved. It doesn't have to be expensive. And if they're going around the table saying what they're thankful for, throw in Breathe Right Nasal Strips, if you can't think of anything that hasn't been covered by somebody else.

Summer's Bounty

The weather this year has been atrocious for humans and their gardens. I'm hoping that we get a few sunny days and that my tomato crop will ripen a few at a time and not all at once. If that's not the case, I can always freeze some. Ideally, I will learn how to can them. Then I won't have to give up any freezer real estate, and I can use these cute labels we just got in from Galison. They'd be great for canning labels and/or just for gift tags to put on the bags of zucchini you will inevitably be leaving on your neighbor's porch.

Spring Clean your Home and your Community

Thinking about Spring Cleaning? Earth Day/Week/Month? Combine the two with great smelling products from Mrs. Meyer's and Howard Naturals.

We just got in a new product from Howard--Butcher Block and Cutting Board Oil. It's made from clear, odorless, pure food-grade mineral oil. It meets or exceeds all FDA standards for food preparation surfaces. I use it on my Chicago Cutlery knife handles and block. Keeps them looking nice and new. It's great for wooden kitchen utensils and bowls, too. We also have a new supply of their Butcher Block Conditioner, which is awesome for restoring dried out wooden food handling stuff. (We have a furniture version too, but it has a light fragrance).

Mrs. Meyer's products are still selling well, and they should! Their refreshing fragrances make even the grossest cleaning jobs tolerable. Apply them with a biodegradable sponge from Twist, you've got a winning combo for you, your home, and the planet.

Want to get involved in keeping Berwyn beatiful? You can join in on Saturday April 16th from 9-noon as residents, business owners and local politicians help clean up various schools and business districts. You can register by calling 708-749-4900, or just show up and join in the fun!

Sweetheart, you gotta see this!

Well, Monday is Valentine's Day. Want to make it easy on yourself? Come in and get one of our grab-n-go gift sets. Prices start at $16. Want to design your own? We can help you with that too. Don't forget, we wrap for free. We have plenty of jewelry in stock too.

This is the Sweets for the Sweetie basket. It contains a 5.5 oz. Mexican Cocoa soy candle, A vanilla/cinnamon natural soap, fair trade dark and milk chocolate hearts, and a locally made Mango Peach lip balm.

Here we have packages of fair trade heart-shaped chocolates, dark (70%) or milk. These can also be purchased individually.

Put a bird on it! Bird brooch made from a vintage window shade pull in a vintage heart shaped box. We have a couple of empty boxes if you'd like to select another piece of jewelry and make it look special.

This set consists of Malibu Lemon Blossom spray perfume, solid perfume, and body butter. There's also a candle available to add to it, if you wish.

This is the Mediterranean Fig gift set. You get a 6 oz. natural glycerin soap, solid perfume, and a little votive candle in a keepsake heart canister.

Greenleaf votive candle, small sachet, and large candle in an organza bag available in Bamboo and Blossom, Haven, or Garden Breeze fragrance.

How about Cinnamon Almond? Heavenly 3 oz. Zanzibar Cinnamon Almond soy candle, 6.6 oz. natural soap with nest magnet, and a small sachet are packed in an adorable basket!

There are several other options too, and like I said, we can make up a set to suit your sweetie. We will be open Monday February 14th from 11-7 (or later, if we're busy).