September 2011 GO FOR IT 1
Hardwood Floor Cleaning Tips
Why do I Love E-Z Living Cleaning? With Georgia Wenger Q: How did you select E-Z Living to clean your home? A: When I had my very first remodel, the contractor was working with E-Z Living Cleaning and they were doing the big clean up after construction. They did such a great job that I called them time in and time out. Pretty soon, I had them cleaning on a regular basis.
Meet the owners of E-Z Living Cleaning: Kristy Skondras and Annette Arent.
#1
Vacuum floors with an approved hardwood floor vacuum. Sweeping will leave fine particles behind.
#2 #3
Avoid soaps. They will leave a filmy residue behind.
Use water & vinegar or a Bona Floor Cleaner product once a month.
#4
Get on your hands and knees. Use a minimal amount of water and dry as you go. That’s how the pros do it at E-Z Living Cleaning!
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Q: What do you love most about E-Z Living Cleaning? A: They are very reliable and very trustworthy. If they ever have any accidents, they tell you right away. They’re just a wonderful group of people and they have long term employees, which is nice. Whenever I’ve left instructions on how to turn the alarm off or any other special instructions, it’s always done. I trust them completely in my house. I’ve never had anything that’s gone missing. They are very trustworthy and I would recommend them to anyone! Q: Why do you like the fact that they have long term employees? A: It’s nice because you get to know the people that are coming into your house, which is very important. Annette has just been wonderful and Kristy too! Q: Do you ever need E-Z Living Cleaning for other services in addition to your regularly scheduled cleanings? A: Yes, and whenever I call last minute, they are able to accommodate me. I’ve been using their service for 7 years, so I would highly recommend them!
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Back to School Tips By Monica Ortiz
This year is going by fast. We’re now in back to school mode and all of our families are busy preparing lunches, planning what’s for dinner and handling a full day of work at home and the office. We would like to help reduce the stress by giving you a few proven tips that have worked in our family. *Start by planning your daily meals on Sunday. Gather the family and agree on what’s for dinner. Write your weekly menu, assign daily duties to members of the family and get your shopping list ready. Once you’re at the grocery store, this list will help you get all the ingredients needed, you’ll stay within your budget and have a less stressful week. *Have the kids organize their backpacks and homework every night. Place the backpacks by the door with a sweater or jacket ready to grab and go in the morning. *Set the alarm clock five to ten minutes ahead. This will allow everyone to have time to eat breakfast and head out the door on time and not feel rushed. Once your internal clock adjusts to waking up at that time, you won’t miss losing a few minutes of sleep. If you have very young children, establishing a routine is very important to accomplishing a stress free morning. Here at Grocery Outlet, we love to bring you bargains
everyday. When planning your meals, think of what’s in season: Fresh fruits and vegetables are best to keep everyone healthy. Did you know that we have a new healthy snack section? We built a display on aisle number three,
filled with tasty and healthy fruit snacks and nuts that the entire family will love! Our Natural and Organic food section is one our fastest growing categories and there are so many items available! Most natural and organic items are kept on the top section of our freezer. We also carry many frozen food and refrigerated organic and natural items in our deli case. These items are all brand names you know and love, like Kashi, Amy’s, Yes, Paul Newman’s Own, Horizon and many more. All are priced at 40% to 50% off supermarket retail prices, but don’t delay because all items are limited to stock on hand and sell fast. New items arrive every week, so visit us often and don’t miss out!
2801 Zinfandel Dr., Rancho Cordova, CA (916) 858-2801 www.groceryoutlet.com Mon–Sat: 8am–9pm • Sun: 8am–7pm
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Living Your Purpose By Bob Cox awareness without action is like driving a Ferrari without When my son Bobby and I were out one Friday gasoline. It looks amazing in your driveway but it won’t night enjoying each other’s company, along with yet take you where you want to go. another savory pepperoni pizza, he asked me which book would help him most in life. I was shocked and When we arrived at the bookstore, I found a book excited, because from the time he retired his last diaper, written by one of my favorite author’s, Jack Canfield I’ve been strongly encouraging him to make a positive (Chicken Soup for the Soul books) that seemed to investment in his mind and his future by reading scream at me. “The Success Principals” is a guide and empowering and uplifting books and articles. For the a workbook that was created to help readers get from past two decades, his response had always been the where they are to where they want to be. For the past same, “No thanks dad, I’m not really interested in that several months, I had been brainstorming about what stuff. Besides, thinking isn’t my strong point!” my life’s primary purpose really was. When I got to chapter 2 titled “Be Clear Why You’re Here,” I knew that I asked him why he had developed a sudden interest synchronicity had once again worked its way back into my life. in the subject of self improvement and he told me that a friend of When I got to the end of the chapter, I worked my way through his was reading a book called “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon the four part “Life Purpose Exercise” which helped me really refine Hill. He went on to explain how the book had turned his friend’s life my purpose for why I’m sharing this spec of dust with nearly 7 completely around. Instead of getting high with a little help from billion other souls in a cosmic sea his friends, his good buddy had of shining stars. discovered a transforming thirst In my mind, awareness without action is like driving While there is a big part of for knowledge and wisdom. I told a Ferrari without gasoline. It looks amazing in your me that would love to experience him that while that was very good driveway but it won’t take you where you want to go. a wide variety of interests that read, the one book that had the would require financial wealth, I know in my heart that my primary greatest impact on my life, both personally and professionally was purpose is to use my creativity and unique insights to inspire others “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey. with lighthearted humor to become the best possible version of When I explained how that book helped me create better themselves. I really like the feeling I get when I truly believe that I relationships and achieve greater wealth, he said, “Great, I’ll get can have it all, that as long as I follow through by living my purpose that book first,” then agreed to go to the book store with me that with passion and a sense of urgency every day, I will eventually evening. I was thrilled by his desire to follow up on his inspired idea earn a life where limitless possibilities exists. and sensed a real turning point in his young life. In the past, he would have said something like, “No thanks dad, I’ll order it online One of the best ways to achieve my life purpose is to ask and save some money,” then fail to follow through. In my mind, all of you for help by sharing your life’s purpose and/or unique and inspiring real life stories. If you’ve had one or more positive life changing experiences that you believe would help encourage and inspire our readers to live their lives to the fullest, we want to read all about it. Personally, I love nothing more than a good laugh, so we welcome all articles that are seasoned with insightful, humorous and lighthearted wisdom. Email us your article to the address below and we will do everything we can to publish it in the next issue of Go For It Magazine. Please limit your story to 500 words, and we will do our best to find a business that’s willing to sponsor your article. All submitted articles become the property of Go For It Magazine.
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Bob Cox is the founder and publisher of Go For It Magazine. He can be reached by phone at (916) 266-3115. His email address is coxrobert@comcast.net. Go For It Magazine is owned and operated in Rancho Cordova, CA. Copyright © 2011.
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September 2011 GO FOR IT 5
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90 Seconds That Could Save Your Life By Dr. Denisse Montalvo According to The Oral Cancer Foundation, someone dies from oral cancer every hour of every day in the United States alone. Over 300,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed every year, worldwide. This is a serious dental disease. Oral Cancer is defined as the uncontrollable growth of cells that invade and cause damage to surrounding tissue. Oral cancer appears as a growth or sore that does not go away. Oral cancer, can include cancers of the lips, tongue, cheek, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx (throat). It can be lifethreatening if not diagnosed and treated early. Tobacco use is the number one risk factor in oral cancer. Studies have shown that at least 75% of those diagnosed were either current or former tobacco users. Heavy use of alcohol among tobacco users has been proven to have a 15% greater risk of developing oral cancer than tobacco users that aren’t heavy alcohol users. Age and prolonged exposure to radiation or sunlight are contributing factors as well.
Unfortunately, in its early stages, oral cancer can go unnoticed. It can look like a common ulcer, cold sore or a discoloration of tissue. The most common symptoms of oral cancer include: • Swellings/thickenings, lumps or bumps, rough spots/crusts/or eroded areas on the lips, gums, or other areas inside the mouth. • The development of velvety white, red, or speckled (white and red) patches in the mouth. • Unexplained bleeding in the mouth. • Unexplained numbness, loss of feeling, or pain/tenderness in any area of the face, mouth, or neck. • Persistent sores on the face, neck, or mouth that bleed easily and do not heal within 2 weeks. • A soreness or feeling that something is caught in the back of the throat. • Difficulty chewing or swallowing, speaking, or moving the jaw or tongue. • Hoarseness, chronic sore throat or change in voice. • Ear pain. • A change in the way your teeth or dentures fit together. • Dramatic weight loss. Fortunately, your dentist can see or feel if a lesion looks cancerous. If you have any type of lesion in your mouth or on your lips that doesn’t heal within two weeks, if the lesion appears to be getting bigger, if the lesion is painful or you have difficulty in swallowing for a prolonged period of time, it is very important to see your dentist right away to make the correct diagnosis and begin treatment. The treatment for a suspicious lesion in your mouth might be having it removed by your dentist, but your dentist will most
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likely send you to a specialist for a biopsy, which is a painless procedure. If oral cancer is detected early enough, it could possibly be treated with surgery alone. Radiation combined with surgery would likely be used if the cancer is in its advanced stages. The best preventions of oral cancer are not to use tobacco of any kind and only drink alcohol in moderation. Avoid prolonged exposure to sun or use a sunscreen on your lips. Visit your dentist every 6 months for regular check ups. When your dentist examines your mouth at your routine check up appointments, they will also screen you for oral cancer. This process only takes about 90 seconds and consists of a visual examination for any presence of cancer. Although the number of deaths each year from oral cancer is astounding, it is highly curable if diagnosed early. Prevention is a key factor in oral cancer and a 90 second dental examination could save your life.
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September 2011 GO FOR IT 7
You Deserve a Stunning Kitchen Alco Can Make It Happen
BEFORE
By Bob Cox
after to be one of those When Steve Hawkins contractors. I spoke to first purchased Alco Steve recently about Siding and Windows, his experience as Inc. back in 1997, he the owner of Alco had no idea that his Siding and Windows, business would evolve Inc. Here’s how our into a one stop shop conversation went… for home improvement. The business, which was Q: When did Alco founded seven years Siding and Windows earlier, was built primarily get started? on window and siding A typical kitchen remodel can range from $15,000 to the sky’s the limit. A: The company replacement. Then, a originated 21 years ago and I’ve owned the business for 14 years. funny thing happened when Steve took the reins: his clients loved When we originally started, it was strictly just siding and windows working with him so much; they practically insisted that he handle and a few patio covers and sunrooms. all of their home improvement projects. So, very gradually over time, Steve added more and more services while maintaining the Q: Why did you decide to add kitchen and bath highest standards of ethics and workmanship in the industry. remodeling? One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard over the years A: We had a lot of clients that were inquiring as to why we from home owners is the struggle to find an honest, reliable and didn’t do kitchens and other projects and I really didn’t have a competent contractor that they can trust do handle their entire satisfactory answer for them. I just decided to partner up with project. Unfortunately, it’s a common practice for some contractors a custom cabinet maker who I had known since I started this to bid low to get the job while promising a fast turnaround, business. There is a lot of demand for kitchen and bath remodels then jack up the prices once the homeowner’s been sucked and that’s basically why we chose to start doing them. It’s been a into the quicksand. Fortunately, there are contractors who have very good experience and there have been a lot of very satisfied the integrity to quote prices and timelines accurately and then customers. finish projects on time and on budget. Steve Hawkins happens Q: When did you decide to pursue kitchen and bath remodels? A: We have been doing kitchen and bath remodels for about five years now, but we aren’t trying to mass produce. We are being very selective in our kitchen remodels because, unlike most companies, we will do the complete package. You won’t have to go out and get a bunch of subs to do your painting, coloring, lighting, etc. We will do everything in your house. Most contractors will not. Q: What are the advantages to the homeowner for you to do it all? A: It’s a one stop shop. We handle everything; the plumbing, appliances, basically whatever the homeowner would like. They only have one person that’s accountable for everything versus five or six different subcontractors in there doing their jobs. One sub may make a mistake or do something that doesn’t work. Countertops are a big thing nowadays and if your cabinets
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don’t set properly, then your countertops won’t set properly. We do everything in house and have quality control over every project. Q: What’s the feedback on your kitchen and bath remodels? A: We’ve had great satisfaction. Again, we aren’t trying to do 100 kitchens a year. We are very selective on the type of kitchen we’ll do. Q: For homeowners who are trying to save money and time, kitchen cabinet refacing has become a very popular choice. Is this something you offer? A: Yes, we can either reface or put in brand new custom cabinets. We have done some commercial applications of our kitchens as well and we are currently delving more into it. Q: When is it a good idea to reface instead of completely replacing cabinets? A: The difference is that if the actual boxes, the cabinets themselves, are in good shape or not. A lot of times they’re just old and outdated but everything is functioning properly. You can still add your slide-outs (pull trays) if you want to customize your cabinets without changing the boxes. It’s going to be less expensive of course if you go with refacing as opposed replacing all of the cabinets and everything, but sometimes people want to redesign their kitchen with new appliances etc. and that is when you get into more custom cabinets. Q: What’s the typical price range to do a kitchen remodel these days? A: The typical kitchen, depending on the amount of new appliances can range from as little as $15,000 to the sky is the limit. But yeah, it all depends on what you want. What type of appliances do you want? What finish do you want? Do you want real wood or simulated wood? Are you looking for green products? There are lots of options available, so it really depends. A typical kitchen remodel, which includes new cabinets, countertops and new appliances, would be right around $25,000. That’s pretty close to the proximity of what a normal kitchen would cost to remodel. It could be less than that because there are so many variables.
Q: Are you working with more investor’s that are flipping homes or are you are getting more remodels with people who are staying in their homes? A: Typically we are finding more people that are staying in their homes these days and they want to improve their homes. We have a few clients that have bought fixer-uppers, but for the most part its owners who have been in the homes for 10 plus years and are just looking for a makeover. We’re remodeling a lot of kitchens with tile countertops these days. Tile was great in its day, but it’s outdated now and there is a lot better stuff that’s available now. Q: Do you have clients that are trying to maximize the overall value as well as the aesthetic look, so that whatever they put into their home, they can get all or most of their money back if they decide to sell? A: Yes and there is a real good return on investment for kitchen remodels. Typically about 85% is what the best estimate it. There have been all kinds of studies and they show that 85% is about what you’d get back if you sold your home right away. A lot of the times, kitchen remodels are done for our own satisfaction, convenience and enjoyment. Q: What types of upgrades offer the best return on investment? A: I think the best returns on investment deal with maintenance issues. Most people don’t want to have something they have to maintain all the time. Granite has its advantages and it’s very beautiful, but it’s something you have to maintain all the time. I don’t think most people realize that granite is very course. You can buy very high end granite and it still has to be sealed. A lot of people don’t like that maintenance Continued on page 10
Q: How much would the average bathroom remodel cost these days? Again, it depends on so many different variables. It’s difficult to throw out a number on bathrooms because the fixtures will drive up your cost. Your faucets, tubs, drains and everything else involved with your bathroom will greatly affect the final cost. If you want any vanities, if you want to change the walls or remove a wall, we can do all of that for you. It’s a turn key job. We can do it all, including the painting, the flooring and everything that you want done in that time frame.
September 2011 GO FOR IT 9
You Deserve a Stunning Kitchen Continued from page 9 issue but fortunately, there are a lot of other alternatives out there now. Q: What advice would you give a friend who is looking for a contractor to help them with their remodeling project? The most important thing is to deal with one contractor you can trust. Most people would like to just deal with one person. I think that’s the big advantage we have over a lot of other contractors. When you are choosing a contractor for your kitchen remodel, the design is also very important to help you achieve the end result you want. Q: Do you help your clients design kitchens and baths? A: Yes, we do it all in-house. Q: Does in-house design save your clients a lot of money and time versus hiring an outside architect to draw up the plans? A: Yes absolutely. You can spend a lot of money just on kitchen designs. Q: Do you offer financing? A: Yes we do. We have many different financing programs. We have same as cash payments and we can do home loans as well through banks that we deal with. There are many different financing options out there nowadays. Editor’s notes: For more information about Alco Siding and Windows Inc., visit their office at 10255 Old Placerville Road in Sacramento, log onto their website at www.alcohis.com or call (916) 362-1400.
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The Olympic Spirit (and then some) 2012 brings the Summer Games and the HIGH drama of a worldwide arena that happens only once every 2 years makes the stories of unexpected victory and tragic disappointment that much more poignant. Then there are the stories in a class by themselves. One night, in the year 2000, a lone swimmer captured the world’s attention. His performance was, in a word, “pathetic” but also mesmerizing! His name was Eric Moussambani and he was one of four athletes representing the new country of Equatorial Guinea. He had practiced in the ocean, had his first experience in a swimming pool at a hotel, and had never been in an Olympic-sized pool before. The reason he was there at all was his name was picked as one of those from smaller countries that could compete without qualifying. The reason he was alone was that the other two swimmers in his first heat false-started and were disqualified. So, there he was, swimming alone in a style that was perhaps a cross between FREE-”style”, dog-paddle, and drowning. But you could tell he was determined with the entire world watching and he would finish no matter how long it took. The crowd sensed his determination and cheered him on. When he did finish, the crowd was cheering so loudly, he thought perhaps he had won something! Well, he did WIN: by being there, by participating, by showing courage, by having his presence count for something! The moral is “Show Up**, Do Your Best, Make a Difference!” Don’t let excuses rob you of any EXPERIENCE!! Take it from Eric! **Events & activities in calendar brought to you by:
*Visit www.BobsPocket.com for the VIDEO in Bob’s Blog. You’ll be glad you did!
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RC
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Q&A With Sherm’s New Manager
Randal Shepard Q: Where did you work before you came to Sherm’s? A: I worked at Rick’s Body Shop in Sacramento for 27 years. Q: What’s most important to you when it comes to managing a full service auto body shop? A: I’m big on service and customer service is paramount. Our customers love my honesty and integrity. Q: How will you be able to help the customers here at Sherm’s? A: I have a lot of experience and connections with the auto body industry. The insurance companies all know me and they trust me. They know I’m honest and reliable. They know I won’t try to cheat them or rip them off. This trust helps the entire repair process run smoothly, so I’m here to make sure the customer always gets what they pay for and the job is done right. I go through a complete checklist on every car to make sure everything was done as promised. On the rare occasion when something doesn’t get fixed because the technician didn’t see a very small repair, I’ve brought it to the attention of my customer and given them the option of either a credit for future work or deducted the cost of that repair from their bill if they are satisfied with the final results.
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