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Warm Weather Wisdom –
Keeping Chill as
the Heat Comes In
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We live on a desert. It gets hot during the late spring and summer. The local weather wonks seem to rediscover this every year, and scream that OMG, it’s going to hit 100. And they talk about October as if it is our last best hope before the entire world explodes.
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We say, get a drink of something cold, and let’s talk about what to do so the summer only sizzles when you light the grill on the patio. There are ways to lessen the impact of months of sun and blue sky.
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- Call Robin McCombs of AZ Perfect Comfort for an appointment to check the health of your HVAC. Now is the time to make certain that your AC will keep you comfortable through the big heat months of June, July, and August. Don’t wait until you’re miserable and the dog is posting his picture on a rescue so he can be adopted by another family. For more information, see azperfectcomfort.com, or call 602-789-3000.
- Quit putting off making an appointment with Misty. If you have plans to mow the yard, trail behind a ski boat, or lift kids in and out of an SUV all summer long – you need to go in for an adjustment. Healing Hands Chiropractic offers 4 adjustments for $69 a month, and a 1-hour massage for $50 per month. The office is located at 20165 N. 67th Avenue, Suite B132, Glendale, AZ 85308. For complete information, call 602-899-6100 or see www.drmistyaz.com.
- Get a summer hair style that will keep you from looking like a shipwreck victim when you spend time in the pool, the sprinkler with the kids, or at the lake. Wendy Terrell of Moxie Hair Studio will keep your hair under control, even if nothing else in your life seems to be. Her studio is located at 5710 W. Bell Rd., #40, Glendale, AZ 85308. Call 602-989-2990 for an appointment. While you’re at it, book your follow-ups through the end of the year.
- Beth Deemer has soft contact lenses that will let you look great AND see great. The latest in eyecare, ACUVUE OASYS with Transitions quickly and seamlessly adapts to balance the amount of indoor and outdoor light entering the eye, including filtering blue light and blocking harmful UV rays. It is a soft contact lens that can help with light sensitivity in all light levels. For an appointment, call 623-256-0400. Westbrook Vision Center is located at 8877 West Union Hills Drive, #460, Peoria, AZ 85382.
- That pesky little crack in your windshield will travel far and wide once heat hits your windshield. Call Lupe Encinas and Goodies Glass Inc. Her company will take care of all your auto glass needs, and offers free mobile service. They come to you. For more information, call 623-215-8596.
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Summertime Jewelry Care:
Tips from Brooke Schiavone of Z’s Fine Jewelry
Jewelry care is always important, but in the spring and summer months we are tougher on our jewelry than other times of the year! Here are some examples of activities you should be removing your jewelry for, and why:
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- Pool time! If you take your jewelry off for only one reason, please let this be it!! Chlorine and chemicals in pools are EXTREMELY hard on your jewelry. They cause discoloration, pitting of your metals when they eat away at alloys, as well as impacting the strength of stones. Wearing your jewelry in the pool is not the best way to get it clean. The “summer bath” only applies to life guards and little kids.
- Gardening! I hear “but I wear gloves” a lot when I tell people to take their rings off when gardening. Any time you use a shovel/rake/hoe you are damaging the shank of your ring. PLEASE do not shovel dirt or trim trees while wearing your jewelry. Plus if your earring falls out in the manure pile, consider it a goner.
- Summer beach vacations! Sand acts as a piece of sandpaper…don’t wear your jewelry at the beach. Even if you aren’t “playing in the sand” think about what is stuck in your suit when you leave. All of that sand has abraded your precious metals and stones while you soaked up the sun. Not to mention the treasures that are found by mermaids everywhere when you lose your ring/necklace/earring in the waves.
- Spring cleaning! Please make sure to remove your jewelry when participating in the coveted “Spring Cleaning”! Not only are the chemicals found in most household cleaners bad for your jewelry in general, but losing earrings and rings down the drain happens more than you realize. Don’t let your jewelry become garbage disposal food!
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If you must “look married” while doing any of these activities, come on in and we will get you fitted for a Qalo Silicone Band starting at just $19.99! Z’s Fine Jewelry is located at 7547 W. Greenway Road, Ste. 580, Peoria, AZ 85381. For more information, call 623-374-7706.
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Vacation Do’s and Don’ts
by Victoria Mikoch, A Very Private Eye
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You’ve waited all year, and the time to get away is finally here. You’re ready for a relaxing, no-worry vacation. Here are a few tips to help achieve that goal and not be scammed.
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Before leaving, make sure you have copied everything you are taking with you in your purse/wallet and give these copies to someone local in case these items are stolen. Someone back home can then help you notify your creditors/insurance companies/financial institutions.
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Let neighbors know you’re leaving. Ask them to keep an eye on your home. Give them contact information or someone local.
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If you normally leave a vehicle in the driveway, give a key to a neighbor or someone trustworthy so they can move it periodically.
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Don’t place a hold on mail or newspapers. Dishonest employees are everywhere. These individuals will know when you’re leaving and returning. However, don’t let items accumulate in your driveway. Make arrangements for someone to pick them up and pull flyers left around the front door area.
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How many times have you driven down streets and seen multiple flyers hanging or papers lying all over the driveway? This automatically alerts one of abandonment. This not only attracts intruders to unoccupied homes, but gives them opportunity to scope out others in the neighborhood.
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When flying, don’t use your home address on your luggage ID tag. The dishonest handling flight arrangements and baggage can make note of where you live. Use either an office or personal post office box address.
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We love having group vacation pictures. However, do not hand your camera/cell phone to a stranger to take these shots. They can pretend to take the pic, then take off with your device.
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Beware of some popular scams while vacationing:
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A polite well-dressed con approaches with a sob story indicating they lost their wallet and/or they’ve run out of gas on the way to a funeral or job interview. Can you spare some cash? Tell them you don’t carry cash. If you’re bold, offer to go back to their vehicle to insure the gauge registers empty, and if so, you’ll be happy to assist. Chances are they’ll leave.
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Beware of unmarked transportation vehicles that approach indicating they’re off duty but could use side cash. They’ll usually take the longer route to increase fares. Or, if you’ve agreed on a flat fee, once you’ve reached your destination, they may demand additional money holding luggage hostage until you pay up. Always make sure drivers are licensed and have identification displayed. This way if left in this situation, drivers can be reported.
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Another scam is you’ve paid your driver the amount owing. They quickly stash the money and throw a smaller bill on the floor arguing you still owe more. To avoid this dilemma, when paying the driver, announce loudly the amount you are handing over so there is no mistaking the amount.
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This is also popular with some smaller tourist shops.
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A popular scam found in some poorer countries is coming across a woman on the ground holding a sleeping child (usually has been drugged). She calls out that she found a piece of jewelry that looks valuable. Because she needs to feed her starving baby, she offers it to you for a fraction of its worth. Thinking you’re getting a deal and helping out a fellow human being, you give her money for the item to later find out it’s a fake.
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Be leery of those on street corners claiming to have “the real thing” for much less than retailers. It’s easy to duplicate designer labels, placing them in counterfeit merchandise. If you’re caught with these goods, they’ll be taken from you. You’ll be out money, the goods, and may be fined for possessing counterfeit merchandise.
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Vacationers are often enticed with great offers to purchase timeshares at exotic resorts. Most are overpriced. Know their worth. Understand the “other costs” associated with the property – i.e., annual maintenance fees, and assessment fees usually increasing dramatically over a period of time.
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Remember, you’re buying a “slot” of time, not property. Resale or secondary markets usually operate at less than 50% of original value paid. Many programs are fraudulent. Read the fine print.
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Be safe and think! For more information, contact Victoria Mikoch, 623-572-2665, or vimpi@att.net.
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Make Your Reservations Now for Fall and Winter Events
We are just now entering the warm season, so it’s hard to think about fall and winter all over again. In fact, some parts of the country are still shivering. However, venues get booked, service provider schedules fill up for prime holiday time slots, and you can’t decide in mid-October that November would be a great time to throw a huge event with all the trimmings.
Plan ahead.
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This newsletter was created by SereyJones Publishers, Inc. Specializing in writing, graphic design, web sites, and social media, SereyJones creates content for ink-on-paper and digital applications of all kinds. Jody and David Serey have been a creative team in the Valley for more than 40 years. www.sereyjones.com.
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