SPECIAL FASHION EXPO INSERT
WELCOME HOME TO
CALEDONIA, NY
Art, furniture, jewelry, antiques, and more! Preview Sale Wed., Sept. 19 • 5-8pm (admission $5) THURSDAY SEPT. 20, 10am-7pm
FRIDAY SEPT. 21, 10am-7pm
SATURDAY SEPT. 22, 9am-5pm
SUNDAY SEPT. 23, 9am-2pm
NEW ITEMS ADDED DAILY!
Proceeds benefit the Rochester Museum & Science Center
Collectibles
Fairy Garden Accessories
Furnishings
Presented by
657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 585.271.4320 RMSC.org/fantasticfindings
Saturday, Aug. 18 | 7–11pm | VIP Entrance at 6pm Summer camp needn't be just a good childhood memory. Return to the world of campfire songs, tie-dye shirts, and team games. Camp After Dark is all the fun of summer camp — but just for adults. Pack your curiosity and head to the RMSC!
• Get in the camping spirit with L.L. Bean demos • Challenge a friend to a fencing match and meet Iris Zimmerman, 2000 U.S. Women’s Foil Team Olympian • Tie-dye your own camp shirt
Sponsored by: Check-In Sponsor: Yelp Rochester Special Thanks: Crazy Dog T-Shirts Includes full Museum access. Must be 21+ to attend. Valid ID required for entry.
RMSC.org/afterdark
• Climb to the Strasenburgh Planetarium roof to stargaze through telescopes • Enjoy food trucks and cash bars, and more!
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WHAT WE OFFER
hCG Weight loss s Botox s Dermal Fillers Male and Female Hormone Replacement Peptide Therapy s Vitamin Therapy ALL NEW PRP Treatments $100 OFF ANY PRP PROCEDURE 980 Westfall Rd I Rochester, NY 14618 I 585.287.5299 I vitalizemedicalcenter.com
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august { TABLE OF CONTENTS }
COVER STORY 14 VISIT A QUAINT HOME TOWN CALEDONIA
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12
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246 120
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2018
{ TABLE OF CONTENTS }
REGULARS 8 10 48
64 70
PUBLISHERS LETTER TEAM LIST
HER EDGE Corrin Stellakis
FABULOUS & 50
QUEEN OF ARTS Danielle Ponder
84
WOMEN WHO INSPIRE Jackie McKnight Cassie Stone Nikki Greene Jen Schlegel Mercedes Phelon
114
DIVA’S REPORT Makeup By Laura V.
126
ON THE WAY UP HAEZEL
134
A “MODEL” BUSINESs AMS ModelS & Talent
142 160
FUSION LEADERSHIP
114
RW PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT Goat Isle Soap
346 352 366 368 374
MORTGAGE TIPS FOR WOMEN
390
ASK JULIE
60 158 192 268
FIT TO REIGN
214 246 250 270 278 284 290 316 330 358 362 380 386
OM HOUSE OF YOGA
LOCAL BUSINESS MATTERS All About Liv Lori Cheer, LMT DIVA’S REPORT Makeup By Laura V.
220 STRATAGEM 224 #HOTMESSMOMBOSS 228 YOUNG & TALENTED
Mia Hall
236 254 260
CONFIDENT IN YOUR OWN SKIN
264 286 294 300 304 310 320
BEST FIT COLLEGE CHOICE
326
I.D. SOCIALE
336
A WOMAN’S PERSPECTIVE
338
KAREN’S KOACHING KORNER
340
FOOD 170
BRENNA & BRENNA LAW FORUM
PLATTER CHATTER Drifters & Chef Charise
112
INSPIRITUAL BOSS BABE LAW & HIP HOP
HEALTH & WELLNESS
HER EDGE Patti Gomez
70
REGULARS
QUEEN FOR A DAY LOCAL BUSINESS MATTERS JB Wine Cellars & Sarah VISUAL REALITY MAKING A MONARCH JOURNEY’S BY KARIN WHEN I GROW UP
FITNESS FOR SENIORS LUPUS CHICK HEALTHY WOMAN Fibromyalgia
90
PARTNERS IN A JOURNEY CRAZY, FIT & PREGNANT ROCK & SOUL GLICKFIT LIFE COACHING WITH GINNY A HEALTHY MOUTH RW FITNESS HEALTHY WOMAN MIND, BODY & SPIRIT THE BEST YOU IN HER DEFENSE ASK THE DOCTOR
SPECIAL FEATURES 152
WEIGHTLOSS JOURNEY WITH CHERYL KATES BENMAN
126
178 IT’S A SUITE LIFE 188 A LIVING GIFT - PATTY FLOWERDAY 196 I DO... 210 LIVING WITH LYME 240 ROLLING HILLS ASLYUM
FASHION & BEAUTY
GET MINTY LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER
10
34 42
289 334 342
A UNIQUE BOUTIQUE FASHION FIRST WITH JOAN LINCOLN A LITTLE LIPSENSE LETS MAKE YOU BLUSH SOME MASKCARA
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{ FROM THE PUBLISHER }
“If June was the beginning of a hopeful summer, and July the juice middle, August was suddenly feeling like the bitter end.” – Sarah Dessen
W
elcome to Caledonia, NY with a population of just over 2,300. This month, Rochester Woman Online decided to do something a little different for our cover. Instead of a person, we are doing an entire town!
Kelly
T T
ON OUR COVER
Main Street, in the quaint town of Caledonia, NY was photographed by Marisa Nicodemus along with our entire amazing cover spread starting on page 14 featuring many of the great business in this small home town.
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{ A LOOK AT OUR TEAM }
PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN CHIEF ASSOCIATE EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR/GRAPHIC DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
ADVERTISING SALES
Kelly Breuer Cheryl Kates-Benman Susan Rook d’Ettorre Kelly Breuer Marisa Nicodemus Rock Beach Photography Chris Conlon Rob Daniels Photography Natalie Sinisgalli Photography Sarah Salvilla Cheryl Kates-Benman Ashley Michaelsen Julie M. May Liza Pabon Phyllis Haberer Cassondra Kubit Christine Buff Chloe Corcoran Dave Jenkins Christina Duco Alana Cahoon Evangeline Reale Jones Audrey Avirett Malena Guadagnino Joan E. Lincoln Kristin Joy Martin Ginny Hronek Karen Messina Corrin Stellakis Mary Kay Tandlmayer Christine Bailey-Clar Colleen Lefave Olga Monacell Jason Kropidlowski Alexis Santos Shari Santos Lauri Bonnell Kelly Breuer Heather Hunt Kelly Breuer, Colleen Lefave, Luci Succheti
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
The Next Design
WEB DESIGN & MANAGEMENT
The Next Design
Rochester Woman ONLINE is the premier professional woman’s online publication in the greater Rochester area. Our feature articles address major topics that interest local women. Each issue includes articles on health, fashion, fitness, finance, dining, lifestyle and personal perspectives, as well as a spotlight on local area women. The electronic magazines are distributed freely through your favorite app store and will be in your inbox electronically by the first week of every month. The publication is available free of charge. Please feel free to contact publisher Kelly Breuer at 585.727.9120 or you can email us at networkrocqueen@gmail.com. Download our current media kit at www. rochesterwomanonline.com. The magazine is published 12 times a year by Rochester Woman ONLINE. Copyright © 2017 Rochester Woman ONLINE. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or republished without the consent of the publisher. Rochester Woman ONLINE is not responsible for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts, photos or artwork. All such submissions become the property of Rochester Woman ONLINE and will not be returned.
Bringing A World Of Theatre To Rochester... Bringing Rochester Theatre To The World Becoming Dr. Ruth By Mark St. Germain
OCTOBER 6-21, 2018
AREA PREMIERE - Long before Dr. Ruth Westheimer became America’s favorite radio and television sex therapist, Karola Ruth Siegel escaped the Nazis on the Kindertransport, became a sniper in Jerusalem, and was a struggling single mother in America. Filled with humor, hope and life-affirming spirit, Becoming Dr. Ruth is the untold story of a remarkable woman who refuses to accept the status quo.
The Legend of Georgia McBride A Comedy by Mathew Lopez
DECEMBER 1-16, 2018
Featuring Mrs. Kasha Davis and Aggy Dune AREA PREMIERE - When a down-on-his-luck Elvis impersonator, with a pregnant wife at home, loses his gig to a pair of B-level drag queens, the stage is set for a hilarious and entertaining stand-off, complete with sequins, feather boas, and that iconic white jumpsuit. Before Elvis leaves the building, can a couple of drag queens teach him what it takes to be a real man?
The Hit Makers: The British Are Coming
Conceived by Ralph Meranto, Written by Jack Garner, Musical Arrangements by Casey Filiaci
FEBRUARY 2-17, 2019
ALL NEW SHOW – The musical and cultural impact of the British Invasion is explored in a rockin’ new show featuring songs by The Stones, The Who, The Beatles, Hollies, Kinks, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield and more. Democrat and Chronicle columnist Jack Garner joins the creative team to explore the Brits that dominated the pop charts…and how musicians on our shore fought back.
Indecent By Paula Vogel
MARCH 30 - APRIL 14, 2019
AREA PREMIERE - Inspired by the controversial 1923 Broadway debut of Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance, this play with music by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel explores a troupe of Jewish immigrant actors who risked their lives and careers to perform at a time when art, freedom, and truth were on trial. Universally hailed as one of Broadway’s “Must-See Plays of 2017,” Indecent is a powerful and entertaining look at Yiddish theatre’s impact on Broadway and an explosive moment in theatrical history.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s
Oklahoma!
Music by Richard Rodgers, Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs
MAY 4-19, 2019
75 years after the original Broadway production, Oklahoma! remains a ground-breaking musical that set the standard for American musical theatre. Curly, Laurey, Will, Ado Annie, Judd Fry, Aunt Eller, and all your favorite songs are there, but our fresh look at this story of a dangerous love triangle and a semi-lawless territory at the turn of the century will have you seeing this classic in a whole new light.
CenterStage Theatre
A program of the Louis S. Wolk Jewish Community Center 1200 Edgewood Ave, Rochester, NY 14618 • (585) 461-2000 • www.jcccenterstage.org
jake levin
Caled
WELCOME
donia
E HOME TO
“Nestled in Livingston County, just a hop-and-a -skip outside of Rochester, NY; is where this gem of a town is located. With a population of 4,567 (2010, census,( 1) and a median income of $50,607, where there are 1,677 households the town is trying hard to make a name for itself (1). Safe streets, lined with boutiques, antique stores, delicious dining and even an art gallery.
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{ COVER STORY }
CALEDONIA, NY BY CHERYL L. KATES-BENMAN, ESQ. I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
Rochester Woman Online had the pleasure of touring the streets of Caledonia on one Sunday afternoon and meeting some of the amazing business owners in this quaint little town. We immediately had to know more. What was the history of this cute little town? Nestled in Livingston County, just a hop-and-a -skip outside of Rochester, NY; is where this gem of a town is located. With a population of 4,567 (2010, census,( 1) and a median income of $50,607, where there are 1,677 households the town is trying hard to make a name for itself (1). Safe streets, lined with boutiques, a n t i q u e s t o re s , delicious dining and even an art gallery. An interesting place to stop and pass the time for a day, shop and reminisce of times gone by. Looking for something different to do on a weekend, or maybe want a fun place to visit on a day trip that is just 30 minutes from Rochester or Buffalo? Then the small, but welcoming little village of Caledonia is the perfect destination for you and your entire family. If you visit on a Sunday, you might even catch a glimpse of the antique cars pulling in to visit Betty Boop at Reminisce Soda Fountain. Don’t forget to try one of their fabulous pulled pork sundaes while you are there or their famous shakes!
Or, you might want to stop down the street and around the corner and try a homemade cannoli, or one of their famous meatballs at the Angry Rooster Deli with owner, Helen Serafine. Then you can pop in next door and shop at Bellismo Boutique for their one-ofa-kind Ruffle Butts childrens clothing line, or head next door to Reflections Antique store for their candy bar and truly stunning vintage and collectibles
and a collection of oil lamp shades that people come from everywhere to purchase. Be sure to browse the shops on Main Street like my personal favorite, Pastique, for interesting decorating ideas for your home with her new and upcycled furniture and treasures. Owner Heather Hunt always has something new she is working on. We are very excited that she
will now be writing a “Decorating with Pastique” monthly column in Rochester Woman Online. Don’t forget to stop next door to the Village Gallery and meet Heather’s parents Bill and Ann. They have great exhibits from local artists, different mediums, and even have a huge library in the gallery to check out. Then we can’t forget McKay’s Antiques with three floors of goodies for everyone. Old, vintage, unique... everything you can imagine and more! As you head out of town, be sure to stop by and check out the succulents at Zantopia Herb Gardens by the railroad tracks in the old railroad station just on the border of Mumford. Owner Drew has left the station just how it was in the past. He has an amazing floral selection to choose from. We will be working on an Herb Garden in a Pot for the next edition of RWO which our audience is welcome to join us as we go LIVE and show you just what to do to build your own. It wouldn’t be a trip to Caledonia if you didn’t visit the Gigglin Pig. They feature Amish furniture that is handcrafted and ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE :: AUGUST 2018
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American made and is two floors of custom furniture that would be perfect for any home. In 1797, this area was originally, the first permanent white settlement (North Hampton) (2). In 1803, it was established as the Town of South Hampton(2). Then in 1806, Scottish settlers renamed her Caledonia, Latin for Scotland (2). The settlement began as two groups of settlers; the Inverness (purchased land) and the Perthshires (donated land) (3). It was a historical version of the haves-and-thehave- nots. One of the famous historical stories of Caledonia, NY stems here. In 1807, a Caledonia man was the first criminal to be publicly hung (took place in Genesee County) (3). James McLean was sentenced to death for his role in a double homicide in Caledonia from a dispute with William Orr (Inverness) (3). The story places McLean, William Orr and Archibald MacLachlan at “The Springs” where it is alleged the three were under the influence (3). McLean 20
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struck Orr with an ax killing him (3). He then attacked Archibald (3). McLean was later apprehended in Canandaigua (3). McLean’s trial took place in June of 1807 (3). His jury was also interesting as it was made up of ½ civilian and ½ alien jurists (3). During the hanging, the rope broke, so McLean was hung twice, before his public execution was carried out (3).
known for this before he did it! There also a magnitude of antique stores in the area, if you are in search for the unique old artifact. That there, is the history Ma’am of Caledonia, NY.
On a lighter note, there is also another historical story of Caledonia pertaining to the Fish Hatchery which all started with a Rochester entrepreneur, Seth Green who owned a fish store on Front Street (4). Green purchased land in Caledonia in 1864, after a trip to Canada where he ventured to study how fish spawn (4).
2. Wikipedia (2018) Caledonia, Retrieved July 24, 2018, from www.wikipedia.com
The fish hatchery was the first in this area and is now owned by the state (4). It’s now 158 years-old and is the oldest hatchery in the Western Hemisphere (4). Green is one of few pioneer’s in artificial fish hatching, as there were only Marco Polo and a German scientist who were
4. Spaulding J. ( 2014). Democrat and Chronicle
Resources 1. Caledonia (2018). Retrieved July 24, 2018 from https://www.townofcaledonia. ny.org
3. Larson, Roger (2018). James Mclean, Double Murderer, Doubly Hanged, Retrieved July 24, 2018, from www.correctionhistory. org/html/chronicl/hangedtwice/jamesmclean. html
{ COVER STORY } “You can’t just go and not shop at all these cute little shops like Bellismo Boutique with the amazing owner Mary Kay.. Every place we went people welcomed us with open arms like we were family. That’s why we keep coming back!”
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LET US INTRODUCE YOU TO PASTIQUE...
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A MASTER OF UPCYCLING BY MARY-KAY TANDLMAYER I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
On Main Street in Caledonia, a black and white striped awning welcomes passerby to gaze longingly into the storefront that houses Pastique. Venture inside, and take in all of the unique treasures that make a house a home. Pastique is the utopia of a decorator’s dream.....if you can imagine it, you can find it here, along with other goodies that you couldn’t possibly imagine thanks to the talent and creative eye of owner Heather Hunt. We h a d t h e honor of talking with Hunt about her successful business; How did she come to decide to open a home decor boutique? “I’ve always loved shopping and decorating, so owning a home decor boutique was a dream of mine for sure. My parents are both artists so I grew up in a creative household and that has had a big influence on my decorating style. When the building next to my paren’ts gallery became available I was at the perfect juncture in my life to make the move. I’ve been looking for ways to up-cycle furniture (mostly with paint) and using things in an untraditional way for as long as I’ve had a home to decorate. When I was younger I couldn’t afford brand new furniture and I got an old hutch from my grandmother. I painted it black and loved it. That was the beginning 24
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of my passion for upcycling.” , she reveals. Heather looks for pieces that have good bones, unique structures, and functionality, with those qualities in place, it’s her vision and creativ-ity that transform a lowly piece into a coveted heirloom. Hunt is a master of up-cycling. She is humble is her self-description, as her
all. A turquoise wire bird cage hangs from a stand, next to an over-sized verticle ‘WELCOME” sign, painted in black with a distressed finish. In the front of the store, an up-cycled tea-cart carries a vintage looking oil-can lamp, a gold clock with a crown perched on top, and a pottery vase filled with faux cotton stalks instead of the tea service it was orig-inally intended for. Whimsical accent pieces are artfully displayed: an oblong mouse with a gold tail, de-signed to hold jewelry, a vintage looking pig with wings, an old fashioned postbox, embossed with a soaring swallow, enameled in a french blue shade, a giant marionette.
store not only has beautifully painted items, but also boasts furniture pieces that have been lovingly reupholstered in gorgeous fabrics. She is also an expert at decoupage, and has a few pieces in her boutique that showcase her talent. One can also find a wonderfully diverse selection of drawer pulls and knobs so shoppers can update a piece on thier own.
When we tried to pin her down on describing what trends she features, she commented “Many of the items are vintage inspired or French country. I also look for unique items in general, like a paper towel holder that is a pig or a toothpick holder that is a hedgehog…conversation starters are fun as you host parties, so I’m always looking out for that kind of unique accent piece. So far, my upcycled furniture has been a big seller. I find that my customers like the uniqueness but wouldn’t have had necessarily picked the fabric or paint colors. ”
There are so many interesting and unique items, it would be impossible to list them
Case in point, Hunt showed us a piece that she just completed that day: a sunny
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“I’ve always loved shopping and decorating, so owning a home decor boutique was a dream of mine for sure. My parents are both artists so I grew up in a creative household and that has had a big influence on my decorating style.”
{ COVER STORY } “Many of the items are vintage inspired or French country. I also look for unique items in general, like a pa-per towel holder that is a pig or a toothpick holder that is a hedgehog… conversation starters are fun as you host parties, so I’m always looking out for that kind of unique accent piece.”
yellow side-board with quirky, fun knobs. No sooner were we done looking at it, when a customer who saw it earlier came back into the store (which had since closed) to take measurements. It’s not the first time a piece has garnered interest so quickly; a couple came in one day as she was working on a piece- it wasn’t near finished- and wanted to know when it would be finished. They ended up purchasing the piece from a text message picture, and picked it up the next day. There are so many wonderful items in store, it’s not hard to believe they go quickly.
built in shelving. The store has a cool, eclectic, warm and welcoming vibe.” I want everyone to feel like they are visiting
Heather said that her fa-vorite thing about the store, is the store itself. Went she and her husband Jay purchased the building, it took months of restoration to bring the 1893 building back to it’s original splendor. Dropped ceilings were torn out, exposing a beautiful tin ceiling. Walls were stripped down to the warm brick walls, and the floor was re-claimed under a layer of linoulem tile, back to it’s gorgeous wooden plank boards. Hunt has a soft spot for the wooden check-out counter, and the 28
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customers talking to each other, sharing ideas, and having fun. The experience of shopping is becoming more important with the advent of online merchants. You can buy stuff without leaving your home but Caledonia has become an eclectic shopping experience and we are proud to be a part of that.” , states Hunt. Pastique has quickly become the “talk of the town”, drawing shoppers from neighboring towns and counties. The immense popularity the store has generated has not gone unnoticed. Hunt was asked to write a monthly column for RWM on decorating, and she will also be participating at the August 19th Expo, with a live demon-stration of bringing an old piece to life. We can’t wait to see her work her magic! Pastique is located at 3123 Main Street, in the heart of down town Caledonia. The store is open Fridays through Sundays from 10-4, and other times by appointment.
a friend when shopping. We’ve only been open a few months, but already I see my
Complimentary parking is available street side, and additional public parking is located directly across the street. Be sure to check the store frequently, as new, can’t live without additions arrive weekly.
pastique
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COME VISIT US AT PASTIQUE
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past
tique
3123 Main Street I Caledonia, New York 14423 (585) 294-3013 I pastiquecaledonia.com
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{ DECORATING WITH PASTIQUE }
INTRODUCING PASTIQUE! BY HEATHER HUNT I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
Hi everyone. My name is Heather Hunt and I own Pastique, a home décor boutique, located on Main Street in the beautiful Village of Caledonia NY. This is the first in a series of columns I’ll be writing called “Decorating with Pastique”. I’d love for you to tag along as I lay out some of the decorating techniques that I’ve had success with and share a few stories where ideas did not work out so well. So, what is a Pastique? In s h o r t , i t ’s a made-up word that was born from a bottle of chardonnay and a desire to find a name for my store that represented my design style. Start with upcycled furniture, mix in some unique retail items, some original art, add a pinch of French country and voila – you have Pastique. In fact, some of my customers have started using the word as an adjective. For instance, a mid-century mahogany sofa upcycled with a colorful but classy upholstery is “So Pastique!” I opened the store in May of this year after spending almost a full year restoring the building to its original beauty – OK I got a little help from my husband Jay and our contractor Aaron, from Aaron Herrick Exteriors. The building was 32
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built in 1893 and had not been used as a business for many years. The walls were all paneled, there was an ugly drop ceiling, and the floors were covered in 1970’s adhesive tiles. I was so excited to be opening my dream boutique that I was tempted to paint the paneling, fix the drop ceiling, and live with the floors. I knew that a full demo was risky and could get expensive and I was itching to open. But while I was deliberating I was
shown an amazing photo that changed my entire perspective. The photo was of the Foote family who were the original owners of the property. It was taken around 1930 in the building which was a mercantile at the time. The floors and the ceiling were beautiful, and I knew immediately that I had to roll the dice and try to recapture the charm of that old mercantile.
First, the drop ceiling came down and revealed a perfectly preserved wood slat ceiling that we painted a pale blue. Next, the paneling was ripped off the walls and the plaster literally peeled off the brick which proved to be in amazing shape after 124 years. Lastly, the adhesive tile. Now that was a real pain to get up and when all was said and done about two thirds of the original wood floors were salvageable. So we had a major decision to make. Do we replace the floors completely or try and maintain as much of the original hardwood as we could? We chose to keep the good hardwoods and patch around them. Well in 1893 wood floors were an inch and a quarter thick so we had to put down a sub floor and use shims to get the floor plumb – I love the word plumb!!! The flooring we found on Craigslist. We chose an unfinished red oak that we simply polyurethaned to complement the old dark floors but in the end it’s essentially a patchwork of new and old and I find it perfectly fits the store as our merchandise also mixes the new with the old. Now here is the awesome part. There was a 4 year old little girl in that old photo. Her name is Kitty and she is now 92 years young. She came into the store after it was restored and told us beautiful stories of her childhood
{ HER EDGE }
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So, what is a Pastique? In short, it’s a made-up word that was born from a bottle of chardonnay and a desire to find a name for my store that represented my design style.
growing up in Caledonia. She was so happy that we had preserved the history of the building it made all the work worth it. The photo of the Foote family in their old mercantile now hangs by the checkout counter at Pastique. I think that story captures my general philosophy of decorating. Sometimes you work with what you have and sometimes you take risks. But in the end, the best home décor projects elevate both the space
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they fill and the way they make us feel. As for this new column “Decorating with Pastique” I will be sharing creative ideas on how to decorate your home by upcycling furniture, staging using what you already own, and of course decorating with items from Pastique. Next month’s column will feature staging your home for the holidays. It doesn’t matter what holiday it is – its just fun to mix things up seasonally.
Check out Pastique 3123 Main Street Caledonia, NY 14423 Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 10 – 4 www.pastiquecaledonia.com www.facebook.com/pastique
MAKING LIFE
E BELLISSIMO!
{ COVER STORY }
MK: MAKING LIFE BELLISSIMO! BY CHERYL L. KATES-BENMAN, ESQ. I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
The story of how Bellissimo began “is a bit of an odd kind of story!” MK Tandlmayer never envisioned owning and operating a boutique in a small town. Many years ago, MK was an entrepreneur in the beauty industry. After successfully owning her own salon, she accepted a corporate position at Procter and Gamble, functioning as a Senior Regional Sales Manager. MK supervised 7 other account managers and she enjoyed travelling around the state. As a young woman, this was an exciting glamorous career with great opportunities. As often occurs in a corporate setting, P&G announced a re-structure. MK’s division was purchased by Coty. Luckily MK remained in her position, but last July she decided to re-evaluate where her life was. She was not interested in continuing to travel as much and decided she wanted a less stressful environment to work in. She left corporate and took 6 months off. As a woman, it is often very intimidating to consider leaving a corporate structure with no “game plan”. Relaxing and regrouping was a much-needed break, however, after the first 6 months home, MK was bored. She began to once again, redefine. She asked herself “What can I do next?” After much thought and research, MK was aware 38
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of the need for a natural hair care product line from her earlier days as a salon owner. This became her next venture and she was off-and-running. After much trial and error, she got it right, and the brand “HMF B” was born. Once developed, MK sold the product line through a distributor and her new product was placed in salons. Beginning a business
space just felt like this was perfect for her next stage of life. She was still left with an unsolved issue, “What was she going to do with the store-front portion of the building?” Hence, she did what she knew best, researched her options and Bellissimo was born. With little to no competition in the surrounding areas, a clothing boutique seemed like a win-win option! In starting this business, MK maintained her personality which she describes as , “always being unique and wanting to do something different”. She shares, “As far as my own family, I have two amazing sons, who are grown and gone. I never had a little girl to dress up. That was it! I found what I wanted to do, carry a line of clothing for children and their mothers. If the clothing was found on Amazon or a big box store, they weren’t the items for Bellissimo.
out of your home, is often a great option when your getting started but is usually not a long-term solution. Once the product-line was established, the operation exceeded the capabilities available. MK needed a place to run manufacturing. MK found a perfect place to move the manufacturing, a store-front for rent in the village of Caledonia. Strangely, the
When selecting merchandise, I look for good quality, one-ofa-kind, unique, stylish items. All vendors I use are from the United States, accept for the line of smocked dresses from Great Britain. I keep in mind, everyone loves cute clothing to dress their kiddos in, but nobody wants to spend $60 on an outfit that will be quickly outgrown. Bellissimo opened May 17th of this year, and this far it’s been a wonderful experience! I adore seeing the Littles that
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{ COVER STORY } MK envisions great things for Bellissimo, over the next five years. The business plan began with a focus on women and little girls. In a few months, this concept metamorphized based on demand, to also include fashions for boys and “tweens”.
come in and take delight in the ruffles and lace”.
bounds. It’s also a great place to live and raise children”.
One of MK’s favorite memories at Bellissimo surrounds one of the “Littles” who stopped in with her mom to check out the latest fashions!
As women, we cannot exclude being a mother when we are being a business woman. We become the juggler. We have work then there is home children, family, and our spouse.
“The little girl was just about kindergarten age. She was just adorable with long, curly, blonde hair, huge brown eyes, and eyelashes to die for. She had a blast trying on outfits in the dressing room, and then coming out to the store to model them for me! She was twirling around in the dresses being “Princess-y”. Her Mom purchased everything she tried on, along with a hobby-unicorn toy.
MK faced a “challenge” throughout. The challenge was more personal. Something we don’t like to talk about in a corporate setting, for fear of discrimination or as a woman being discredited. Since her early twenties, MK suffered from bouts of depression and anxiety. She saw a slew of doctors, most prescribing medication as the solution to her problems. MK went for many years not knowing why she was going through a roller coaster of emotions and feeling something wasn’t right.
Before she left, she came over and gave me a huge hug and thanked me. It was then I knew I chose the right thing for my endeavor. Seeing the excitement, the young lady felt, knowing she was beautiful was a type of fulfillment I can’t really describe”. MK went from big city lights to becoming an entrepreneur in a small, rural town. Those are two separate parts of the spectrum. RWO asked how she was handling the big changes? “Honestly, the community is so welcoming and wonderful! I love how friendly everyone is, and we even draw from neighboring towns. The great thing about being in business in a small town is, you really have a sense of belonging. Everyone is part of the BIG family. We look out for each other and support each other. There really is not a down side! Caledonia is a vibrant town, growing in leaps and 40
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She shares, “Many nights, dinner was comprised of Kraft macaroni and cheese or Ramen noodles. Things got better as I worked my way up in the company. Thinking back on those times, it really brought us closer. We couldn’t afford cable tv, but every Thursday night was “family picnic” night. I would “splurge” on a frozen pizza and a red-box movie. We would spread a picnic blanket on the living room floor and spend the evening dining on pizza and watching a movie. No matter how bad things were, these times made things brighter. I miss the days of Boy Scout meetings, soccer games, and band concerts. The children grow up so fast!”
As business owners, it is not always easy. Business often has a lot of expenses and it starts off slow, after large investments were made. MK’s journey was challenging. As she worked her way up the corporate ladder her family struggled to make ends meet. She was also a single-parent.
She remembers, “Over the years, I went to doctor after doctor, medication after medication, hoping to find an answer. I was literally a walking pharmacy. Things came to a head 5 years ago, and after all those years, I was finally diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. It was utterly devastating. I went through a grieving stage. Then I was prescribed many kinds of medication, until we found something that worked for me. It was exhausting.
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{ COVER STORY } So, what is a Pastique? In short, it’s a made-up word that was born from a bottle of chardonnay and a desire to find a name for my store that represented my design style.
Honestly, it was a bittersweet thing. Although the disease is incurable, it can be managed. My hope is there is more awareness. Having this disorder, is really no different than suffering from diabetes. Living with Bipolar Disorder means there’s an imbalance. It involves monitoring and managing for the rest of your life. Living with this entailed a process of acceptance. Once I got over the shame, I started speaking out. There is a huge stigma around mental health. It’s sad. You can still be a contributing member of society and do great things despite the diagnosis! I wish that I hadn’t spent so many years being misdiagnosed. This was all lost time. But I’m happy now I have answers, and a 42
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treatment plan that works. It’s not a death sentence, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of”. Looking back. MK was lucky to have many supportive people in her circle. Her parents always supported all of MK’s endeavors. She is now married, so her husband often serves as the “ voice of reason”. MK enjoys having someone to run things by and getting a different perspective on her options. MK also has a group of strong supportive people in her corner, including her best friend Tamie, Victoria Gallo, a former colleague at P & G, and her pastors Tim & Christie Schmidt. MK envisions great things for Bellissimo, over the next five years. The business plan began
with a focus on women and little girls. In a few months, this concept metamorphized based on demand, to also include fashions for boys and “tweens”. A main brand offered in the store is “Ruffle Butts” This is MK’s favorite. Bellissimo is the only authorized retail outlet for Ruffle Butts and Rugged Butts in all of upstate NY. Make sure to check out the loyalty program. In the coming weeks, the boutique will further expand the “tweens” and “women’s” line to include Hayden Girl, Los Angeles. MK loves to see new customers and really cares to have a quality selection of items for anyone to enjoy! So, make sure you stop in the boutique and check it out!
Carrying a wide selection of infants, children’s and womens clothing and accessories. We are the ONLY Ruffle Butts and Rugged Butts retailer in Upstate NY! Come visit us! open Thursday-Sundays 11-4
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REMINISCE TO A DAY ONCE KNOWN BY CHERYL L. KATES-BENMAN I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
Who doesn’t love watching Grease and Sandy and Danny? Or the Andy Griffith Show, “Hi Opie.” Let’s not forget, “One, Two, Three O’clock, Four O’clock, Rock, Happy Days”and the Fonz, Joannie and Chiachi. These were the days when people had fun doing “The Twist”. The day of milkshakes, car hops and drive-in movie theaters. Family time and making memories were appreciated and there wasn’t a problem with people having their eyes glued to a cell phone. Poodle skirts, revved up cars with the tops down... if only we could turn back the hands of time.
wife suggested he turn his attic into the man cave, his fascination with a 50’s theme finally had a home. Being an avid fifties memorabilia collector, including soda fountain stuff, the man cave came to life . Out of this monthly get together came an idea, why not open a restaurant? Chuck began researching. This included visiting
Guess what? You can with Reminisce Soda Fountain in Caledonia, NY! Take a ride out to Reminisce and let the follies begin. Drop a quarter in the jukebox baby! C h u c k Constantino, is the owner at Reminisce. What a story he has regarding the birth of a dream! His vision for this restaurant all began 15 years before he retired from his day job at Kodak. His brother-in-law Rick and a bunch of guys would take turns hosting a get together once a month. The guys would shoot some pool, throw a few darts, play cards or just watch a game. Everyone had a dedicated room to entertain, except Chuck. After his
other diners, ice cream parlors and soda fountains across the United States. After all of that, his own personal idea was formed. It then took close to three years to find the optimistic location. Caledonia became the location representing a hallmark movie, small town flavor. The town was very accommodating, the folks were friendly and nice. Former Mayor Debbie Davis and the Town Board went above and beyond to help Reminisce and Chuck get the job done. After 5
months of remodeling June 6, 2015, Reminisce progressed from a dream to reality! After working at Kodak for 32 ½ years, and no prior restaurant experience, the learning began. One of the drawing factors of Reminisce is the curb-side Betty Boop statute outside the diner. This too comes with an interesting story. It was by luck, Betty became part of the décor. While passing through town, heading to the Livingston County Health Department one day to turn in the food permit application, several antique stores lined the street. Having a passion collecting memorabilia, stopping seemed like a great idea. A unique store, “Carvings and More was the place where it all happened. A friend Ed, along for the ride, found something he knew Chuck would have to have. There she was! Betty Boop. Turns out the owner’s son carved the statute out of wood with a chain saw (James Link). James was an award-winning chainsaw sculpturer. When asked, “How much Betty was?” Chuck was told “She wasn’t for sale”. His heart sunk because he felt he must have this statute. After explaining what the statute would be used for, James was happy to make a deal because Betty would be on permanent display. The rest is history!
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{ {SHIFT+CONTROL COVER STORY } } Reminisce makes their milkshakes the old-fashioned way. Staying to tradition, a little bit of milk, throw in the flavored syrup and some hard ice cream, bingo a great tasting shake! The presentation is everything. A drizzle of syrup and don’t forget the cherry on top.
At Reminisce, the best memories happen every day! Meeting new people is always great. Making people happy is also delightful. Nothing gives more pleasure than seeing smiling faces and hearing the compliments from customers on how great the food is in a restaurant you created. Being able to use your business to do good will always let you leave content.
Opinions of customers can make or break you as a new business owner. Often people suggest ideas for the menu. There is the “Reminisce version” of the garbage plate. A regular customer suggested taking the known garbage plate and adding pulled pork and coleslaw to it. Now, we have the “Reminisce Whipple plate”. It’s named after the customer who suggested it. The black bean veggie
One of the most meaningful memories at Reminisce was a “Man Vs. Food” challenge used as a fundraiser for a young boy who was injured in an accident. The injuries left him paralyzed from the waist down. At 12 -years-old, this was devastating. Other town members also did fundraisers to help the family. In the challenge, each contestant had 45 minutes to eat 5.5 pounds of food. They gathered sponsors and the pledges were donated to the family. The event made the news in the Livingston County paper. A private individual read the article and anonymously donated an all-terrain wheelchair. The moment Reminisce presented Jordan and his family with the donated wheelchair was definitely a time all will remember. Chuck recalls: “There is no way to explain the feelings everyone experienced at that moment, but everyone in the restaurant felt them”. 50
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burger is also a recipe which was given to Chuck by another customer. This became the “Stapely burger”. Surely, there will be more to come. Reminisce makes their milkshakes the old-fashioned way. Staying to tradition, a little bit of milk, throw in the flavored syrup and some hard ice cream, bingo a great tasting shake! The presentation is everything. A drizzle of syrup and don’t forget the cherry on top. Only Gifford’s
ice-cream will do. The deserts are all home-made. Chuck’s sister is a baker and chocolatier. The meats including prime rib, NY strip, pork butts, ribs and brisket are purchased from a meat market in Greece, NY. The burgers are never frozen and are hand-pressed. The barbeque is authentic. Fresh bread comes from a bakery in Rochester. Last but not least, the recipes are second or third generation recipes. Another interesting factor about Reminisce is everything which is on display and what is used there is authentic down to the finest details. Chuck recalls when growing up, he would go antiquing with his mother and older sister. He was an avid collector even then. Everywhere the family travelled, they sought an antique store or flea market to meander through. The “American Picker” long before this show came about. Chuck moved his things related to the theme of the diner but still has a house full of antiques dating back to the 16/1700’s. Rochester Woman is thrilled to work with such an awesome venue. You don’t want to miss this experience. Take a drive to Caledonia today and go visit Betty Boop! Reminisce Soda fountain is a great place to eat!
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Reminisc
e Smokeh ouse
Burger
BBQ Ribs with Ho memade Mac & Ch Baked Be eese, ans & Co rn Brea d
Cruise Ins
Every Sunday from
2:00 PM until ?
(weather permitting)
3403 CALEDONIA AVON ROAD, I CALEDONIA, NY 14423 I 585-538-4099 MONDAY-SATURDA
9 800-649-2830 I WWW.GIGGLINPIG.COM I INFO@GIGGLINPIG.COM AY 10-5 SUNDAY 12-4
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WELCOME TO THE GIGGLIN PIG BY MARY-KAY TANDLMAYER I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
Just a quick venture down the road from down town Caledonia, The Gigglin’ Pig awaits to welcome custom-ers on State Street. Originally located in the heart of downtown, for 20 years the Mattice Family graced Main Street with the famous store that brings customers from near and far. They out grew the space on Main, and re-located 6 years ago to the State Street address, doubling the size of the store. The offerings are astound-ing.... and every piece is made proudly, painstakingly by hand in the U.S.A. by Amish o r Me n n o n i t e hands. “We work with 155+ family vendors between 3 States,.” Jennifer Mattice reveals. Every item is made with the finest of solid natural hardwoods, and is fully customizable- you choose your finish, size, and storage options, and in as little as 8 weeks, you can be the proud owner of a beautiful heirloom that will last a lifetime to cherish in your home. The day we visited, we were shopping for a new bed, as with the addition of our two small dogs, we needed a little more room. We were pleasantly surprised by the options we could choose from. So many styles, from mission, to traditional and modern, it was difficult to narrow it down to just one selection. 56
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Gigglin’ Pig also has hand-made Amish mattresses. Each piece is lovingly made, with only the best materials available. You can expect a traditional big-box store mattress to last at best, 7 to 10 years. One of Gigglin’ Pigs Amish made mattresses will easily last 20 years. Don’t think for a moment that purchasing an Amish made mattress will fore-go you the modern mattress trends of memory
foams and gels, it’s simply not true. There are many options and sizes to choose from. Mattresses can also be made custom to fit an antique piece that will not accommodate a standard size. “Pauly makes all of our mattresses.” Jennifer states. “He does an amazing job, and is extremely accommodating. He truly goes above and beyond, and that is why we work with him.” Aside from wooden dining furniture,
Gigglin’ Pig also has a large assortment of upholstered furniture, all cus-tomizable. Choose your style, finish and fabric. “We work with the Smith Brothers of Burns for our uphol-stered goods. They have been in business for 98 years, and the quality and workmanship in un-surpassed. For example, the Mission style couch downstairs is a classic piece. Our display is upholstered in a Frank-Lloyd Wright fabric. Almost every buys the piece as-is, with no deviation from the upholstery that it’s shown with. That particular piece is a mainstay of our inventory. It has been a top seller for the 25 years we have been in business. A piece like this is of heirloom quality, and will easily last 20-30 years to be passed down for others to enjoy.” Jen reveals. Along side of the traditional wooden pieces available, are some unique and whimsical pieces that are real conversational treasures. A stool, with a metal saddle seat surprises with pig legs upon which it stands. A gor-geous hall butler, with a storage seat and coat hooks, along with hand-thrown, personalized crockery, and many other unique items too numerous to list. Gigglin’ Pig also offers outdoor buildings from Woodtex. There are many styles onsite to peruse, and, as with all of Gigglin
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{ COVER STORY } “We work with 155+ family vendors between 3 States. Every item is made with the finest of solid natural hard-woods, and is fully customizable- you choose your finish, size, and storage options, and in as little as 8 weeks, you can be the proud owner of a beautiful heirloom that will last a lifetime to cherish in your home.”
Pig’s items, are completely customizable. Woodtex is based on the south-west shore of Seneca Lake, in Himrod Ny, and are Mennonite owned and operated. They manufacture a variety of outbuildings, all to your preferences. I can personally attest to the quality of their product; as I purchased a Woodtex horse barn 7 years ago and have been extremely happy with the quality, functionality, and quick lead time they pro-vided. Jen states “We love Woodtex....they 60
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have been a reliable, quality vendor.... very easy to work with and the products they offer are top-notch. They are just the nicest people.” In keeping with the exceptional customer service they offer, Gigglin’ Pig also provides complimentary deliv-ery within a 50 mile radius of Caledonia. With the high caliber assortment of goods they offer, one can’t go wrong making a purchase from this local,
family owned business. Gigglin Pig is open 7 days a week, closing only for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Easter. Located on State Street, it’s just minutes away from I390 and the New York State Thruway. Well worth the trip, the Gigglin’ pig send satisfied customers away with a smile, and you can be proud of supporting the talented, hard working hands of Amish and Mennonite families, right here in the USA.
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MCKAY’S ANTIQUES BY MARY-KAY TANDLMAYER I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
It is late afternoon on a Friday in July, as customers wander through the 3 storied, brick walled structure which makes up the storefront of McKay’s Antiques and Curiosities, Main Street, Caledonia. The McKay family was among Caledonia’s earliest settlers; today, Rick & Mandy proudly own & operate McKay’s Antiques in an historic 1891 Main St. building. The store front window is decorated cheerily with a summer y picnic theme, and pedestrians walking Main Street pause to admire the displays. As I wait to talk to the Owner, Rick McKay, Glenn, an employee is helping a customer carry a large wrought-iron stand to the shelf to check out. It has an extremely heavy marble top that is carried separately. The item is paid for, and Glenn assists the customer out to load their new acquisition into their car. Next, a couple brings a light pink area rug to the check-out counter, and the woman asks if she can unwrap it to inspect it. Rick, the owner, chuckles and helps her untie the strings which bind it. “Looking for stains?” he laughs “It’s for my daughter’s room.” She explains. The rug passes inspection, and she purchases it and leaves the store with her treasure. Another couple wander in, carrying boxes which they place on the old wooden countertop. A circa 1940’s turquoise glass canister set is lovingly wrapped 62
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inside. “They were my Mother’s.” the woman states...”How much will you give for them?” These are just a sampling of the daily activities that transpire between the walls of this fabulous store. Rick and his family moved from Oklahoma to Caledonia 9 years ago, in search of business opportunity. He
side, with a doorway knocked through the wall for access. it was originally built in 1869, and housed a clothing store named “Staubs”. between the two buildings, over the years, it hosted a variety of different businesses including a saloon, a car dealership show-room, dress shop, funeral home, drug store among others. In 1990, Michael McKay purchased the building, and it became “Curious Goods”, Rick took on the business in 2010, adding the pre-fix of McKay’s Antiques (and Curious Goods). When planning a visit to Caledonia, make sure to allot ample time to take in all three floors and various rooms of the buildings. There is nothing you can’t find.... antique clocks, figurines, textiles, kitchen and dinnerware including fine china and silver.
found it when he took over his Brother’s antique store. “I knew nothing about antiques at the time.” MacKay states. One would never know this as he expertly assesses and buys goods right over the cash-register counter. “If I had to stock the store myself, I would never be here...I would be out buying all the time. So now I have dealers, and they do a really good job of keeping things stocked and updated.” Rick has 19 dealers in-house, all with separate areas in the building. The building is actually two buildings, side by
There is a gardening section, a Christmas section, and even what Rick likes to call “A man cave”- lot’s of old tools and equipment. McKays is a wonderful place for collectors to hunt for elusive treasures. In fact, it’s a collector’s paradise! Like Elvis? Find Elvis memorabilia..... old fishing lures, bottle caps, soda and beer cans and bottles, comic books, rolling pins, and so much more. Find them all at McKay’s. Wandering through the rooms is akin to going back into history- items that have been replaced by modern electricity and motors abound- a hand-held rotary
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{ {SHIFT+CONTROL COVER STORY } } “If I had to stock the store myself, I would never be here...I would be out buying all the time. So now I have dealers, and they do a really good job of keeping things stocked and updated.”
mixer, can openers, even vintage clock radios. It is an expe-rience to be taken in slowly, leisurely and punctuated with memories from your childhood. Rick recently began selling farm-house style decor and vintage reproductions. He points to a winged hog up on the shelf adjacent to the Cash counter. “I love stuff like that!” He states “I have to have something unique like this stuff to talk about.” 66
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There are plenty of items in McKay’s to talk about; too many to list. This business is a must-stop and experi-ence when coming to spend time in Caledonia. Just plan on spending ample time to take in all of the wonder-ful offerings available. McKay’s Antiques and Curious Goods is open Wednesday Through Sunday from 10 am to 5pm. Free parking is available on Main Street, and also is the Public Parking Lot directly across the street
from the store. Bring your family and friends for a fun-filled shopping trip back into the past!
McKay’s Antiques Any day is a great day to add a special piece to your home!
3113 West Main Street I Caledonia, NY 14423 I 585-538-2350 contact us at mckaysantiques@gmail.com
WELCOME TO
TO ZANTOPIA
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MEET DREW ZANTOPP BY MARY-KAY TANDLMAYER I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
A favorite fair-weather pastime for many Upstate New Yorkers is planning a garden, and then taking time to stroll through a nursery to pick out flowers and plantings. Many gardeners stick with the old standbys....petunias, marigolds, geraniums. But if you are looking for something truly unique, than Zantopia Gar-dens is the place to go. We visited the nursery on a Tuesday morning. As we pulled into the gravel drive, but-terflies greeted us, alighting on the many beautiful displays of blooms in the nursery trays. The nursery itself is entirely out-doors, in front of a historic rail road depot. We wandered inside, where we found the owner, Drew Zantopp. Drew didn’t start out as a horticulturist, but rather worked in a bookstore, stocking shelves. As luck would have it, he found himself assigned to the gardening section, and there would read sections of books as he stocked the shelves. He took an interest in gardening, and not long after, took a position in a local nursery, where he learned how to start plants from seeds, as well as the workings of the nursery business. Zantopia was born not long after, as Drew raised and sold culinary herbs to the restaurant and grocery industry. He soon learned that people were more interested in purchasing the actual plant, than the cuttings, so when the Old Rail Road Depot in Mumford became available, he leased the property, opening up Zantopia Herb Gardens. The old building had been vacant for years, but remained intact, save for a fire that was set in the mid 1980’s by vandals 70
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that severly damaged the back of the structure. The window openings remain boarded up from that event; none the less, the structure still stood, and the original waiting benches, ticket counter, and restrooms are still as they were back in the 1800s. “The last passenger train came
What makes this nursery different from other commercial nurseries? Everything! Although one can find trees, bushes, herbs, succulents, heirloom tomatoes, peppers and some annuals among the inventory, Zantopps pas-sion and specialty is perennials. Perennials that are uncommon, yet perfect for growing and thriving in the Upstate New York climate. Everything is done by hand, every plant started from seed, in a customized mixture of leaf mulch, bark mulch and sand that Zantopp mixes himself. Another significant difference is the the har-diness and quality of the plants. “Many times people will buy plants from a nursery that have been raised in a hot house, so they are used to tropical conditions. They get the plants home, pop them in the garden, and the plants just don’t last, because they don’t like not having that tropical environment they were used to.” states Zantopp. “The plants here are not raised that way, so there is never a hardening off issue when the plants go to thier new home.” As we tour the nursery, I spy caledula “volunteers” poking up through the edging on the weed-tarp. Zantopia smiles and nods “I planted Calendula a few years ago, and every year, they just keep self-sowing through the tarp.” - and we thought it was a deliberate, charming part of the layout!
through here in 1954, and the depot was shut down after.” states Zantopp. Even with the missing windows and scorched bricks, it made for a per-fect location for his nursery, and several years after leasing the property, Drew bought it, and shortend the name to “Zantopia Gardens”.
Zantopp is an expert in solving horticultural problems, and has a wealth of knowledge of what will work best for specific soil types and planting arrangements. He is an advocate for sustainable gardening, and practices this in his nursery; “I used to spend hours watering every day with the hose, but now I use a 7 pronged drip irrigation system. Not only does it save time, but also conserves water.” No chemicals are
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used in the nursery what-so-ever. “We rely on Mother Nature to provide pest control.” States Zantopp as he plucks a weed that was co-habitating with a pot of Asters. “Weeds happen, and we do our best to keep them at bay by pulling them.” Pointing to the weed he just evicted, I express my disdain for that particular species. “Oh, thats “Purs-lane”!” he says. “It’s a really wonderful source of protein; it just doesn’t taste very good.” We’ll stick with peanut butter, thank you. Strolling toward the backof the nursery, we are greeted by Zantopp’s two dogs, Jet and Ginger that were adopted from a rescue. The canines spend thier days basking in the sun or napping in the shade of a fenced in area that houses the ingredients for his special soil mixture. “They love people, but Ginger takes great relish in harassing the fisherman walking the trail. She runs up and down the fence barking, announcing their pres-ence.” he smiles. As a beekeeper, Zantopp was ready and 72
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willing to share with me the best options for some of the challenges I’ve faced in selecting plants for my apiary. The first, seemingly un-surmountable obstacle was the poor gravely soil I have, as I live on an old , re-claimed gravel quarry,; Unless it’s crown vetch, Queen Anne’s lace, or chicory, it just doesn’t grow in the dry soil. The second opportunity: choosing plants that the resident wild-life does not find palatable. ” It seems like wild Phlox does great here, but I have tried to plant my own, and had zero success” Zantopp quickly offers perspective:” Wild Phlox seems to be heartier than the modern cul-tivars, and modern cultivars also have proven tasty to deer and rabbits.” He directs me to “Butterfly Weed”. “Butterfly Weed is a wildflower that grows just about anywhere, and is not palatable to wildlife. There are two varieties: An Annual, and a perennial. The perennial will die back to the ground with the frost, but return again the next growing season, and the annual will self-sow in the right conditions.” I quickly grab a few pots of each. “Show
me more!” I exclaim, finally finding some real help. Drew shows me three more plants: “Cal-amint”, which is a member of the mint family, and boasts beautiful spikes of pale blue flowers, “New York Ironweed”, which can grow 5-7 feet tall, and sports late-season violet flowers, and lastly Symphvotrichum- or “Bridal Veil” with covers itself in white flowers in late summer/fall- all of these are beloved by pollinators. I leave the nursery a very happy gardener, and I’m sure my bees will be enamored with the new additions to the apiary. Zantopia Gardens is located at 1147 Main Street in Mumford, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10-5. You can also find Zantopia at local Farmers Markets: Wednesdays at the U of R form 2:30-5:30, Thursdays at the Irondequoit Farmer’s Market from 4-8pm, Saturdays at the Fairport’s Farmers Market from 7 am-noon, and Sundays at the Brockport Farmer’s market from 8am-1pm.
Come visit us! We are a perennial nursery that takes pride in growing healthy, beautiful plants for Rochester gardeners! There’s nothing better than taking a little piece of our garden home to your garden!
PRESENT THIS AD AND RECEIVE 20%OFF ANY 1 ITEM 1147 Main St. Mumford, NY 14511 I (585) 478-0607 www.zantopia.com
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THE ANGRY ROOSTER DELI BY MARY-KAY TANDLMAYER I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
Among the potted flowers and outside dining tables that grace the entrance to The Angry Rooster Deli stands a 6 foot tall rooster, welcoming hungry diners. Three O’clock on a Wednesday afternoon, the lunch crowd has dissipated, and the owner, Helen Serafine, is scooping ice cream for a couple on this warm summer day. “Want to try it? It’s a new flavor: Peanut Butter Pretzel!” She finished up serving, and then took a breather to sit with me to chat about her successful business on State Street in Caledonia.
left. That is exactly what I’m doing, and I couldn’t be happier!” she cited. “I wanted a place where people could come, and have good, home style food.” And come they do. The lunch rush starts shortly after the deli opens at 11, and nary can a parking space be found. It’s not over after lunch; The deli is open until 7, sometimes later. Little league teams and soccer team’s flock in after practice or
Serafine decided to open the business a year ago, when a friend of hers shared that he had a vacant property in downtown Caledonia, and wanted her to open a restaurant. She didn’t hesitate, having spent years develop-ing her menu, she was ready to put her plan into action. Serafine is no stranger to the restaurant industry- it is all she has ever known. Starting off young, she worked the first push carts in downtown Rochester, “Primo”. From such humble beginnings, she quickly rose in the industry, opening The Delmonte Lodge, Two Vine Restaurant, and managing several high end restaurants. Af-ter such high-profile roles, I wondered what drove her to ditch her career, and open a deli in a small town. “It was easy; I didn’t want to put a suit on and drive into the city anymore. I wanted to have the kind of place where I would have to sweep mud off of the floor when the lunch crowd 74
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games to enjoy any one of the 12 flavors of Hershey’s Premium Ice Cream she serves in generously sized portions. Aside from the regular crowd, The Angry Rooster Deli also caters events, from as small as ten people up to 300. The catering menu offers a plentiful selection of options, including deli trays, and full and half pans. With her plethora of experience, there is no event she can’t handle. The deli has some iconic stories: We wanted
to know how she came up with the name: “It’s a funny story!” she says “I was in here with a friend, and we were tearing down the ceiling, trying to come up with a name while we worked. I wanted a name with an animal in it, as a nod to the farming community here in Caledonia. I couldn’t do a pig, because another business has that. My friend came up with “The Fat Hen”, which I shot down. As we were tossing out ideas, the landlord came in to check on our progress. As we worked, I told him we were trying to come up with a name, and without missing a beat, he said “I don’t care if you call it the an-gry rooster, just hurry up and open!” Serafine exclaimed “That’s it! The Angr y Rooster! That’s the name!” And the rest is history..... when asked about the giant bird that welcomes guests into the deli: “I had a catering job for a wedding, and they had two children. The kids were all about the bird, and named it “Avocado.” So the name stuck. “Avocado is a hen who thinks she’s a rooster.” In addition to running her business, Serafine makes time to give back to the community. Throughout the year, she hosts fundraising benefits which include a Kentucky Derby Party, complete with fancy hats. Proceeds go to benefit The Caledonia Big Springs Museum. The Strawberry Social proceeds go to aid Focus on the Chil-dren. Giving
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back is a natural for Helen, so much so that she only sells pies that are made by The School of the Holy Childhood. “I want to support them” she states. “It’s a good cause.” Don’t be fooled by the “Deli” in the name, this restaurant boasts more than just amazing sandwiches. Meat-loaf, Pot Roast, Greens and Beans and Chicken Pot Pies are among the regular offerings, not including the daily special. Everything is made with the best and freshest ingredients available. Each day the bread is fresh-ly baked, and turkey breast roasted for the sandwiches. Romaine lettuce and Roma tomatoes are sliced, and premium deli meats used for her offerings. And oh, the meatballs! Yes, the meatballs are hand rolled and cooked in-house. They are exquisite! Order them on their own, or enjoy them in the popular hoagie-style sammie the “Jimmy Two-Times” which in addition to meatballs, has Italian 76
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sausage and melted provolone cheese. The “Hippie Picnic” is also a popular option for those who want to forgo the meat. It features an array of fresh veggies packed into a sun dried tomato wrap. Serafine’s salads also do not disappoint. We tried the chopped, which features fresh romaine lettuce, topped with sliced hard-boiled egg, bacon, and ham and pro-volone cheese. The spinach salad has baby greens, complemented with strawberries, bacon and topped with a unique dressing. It is astounding with sweet and savory flavors in each bite. We were among the first to sam-ple a new soup she offers “Crack Chicken Noodle”. With huge chunks of in-house roasted chicken, home-made broth, hunks of bacon and a generous amount of noodles, it is hearty enough for a complete meal, you just can’t put your spoon down, and it’s so addictive. As with everything else on the menu, Serafine makes soup
the old-fashioned way. Nothing from a can, all from scratch. Finish your meal with a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, the size of a saucer, or perhaps one of Serafine’s famous cannoli’s. The Angry Rooster also offers a well-rounded selection of soft drinks, or if you like, craft beer and wine. Come hungry, leave sat-isfied. “Food so good you’ll think we stole your Mother” is the tag line printed on the employees T-shirts. We couldn’t agree more.
“Food So Good You’ll think we stole your Mother” Open Daily 11-7 Closed Sundays
585-294-5208 3178 State Street,Caledonia NY 14423 Full Catering Menu Available
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THE VILLAGE GALLERY BY MARY-KAY TANDLMAYER I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
The Village Gallery was a happy accident that fell upon Linda & Bill White. Linda had previously retired from an insurance agency, when Bill decided to retire from39 years as a Professor of Painting, teaching drawing, painting, Modern Art History and opening and running the Visual Arts Center at Hollins University in Virgin-ia. The pair never thought they would leave Virginia, but as sometimes happens, they ended up following fam-ily who had moved North, and fell in love with Caledonia.
and community participation. But something was still missing...and the couple decided to re-purpose the space into a fine arts gallery, complete with featured monthly openings.
They settled in an apartment in Caledonia, until they could find permanent accommodations. While house-hunting, they stumbled upon a vacant storefront on Main Street in downtown Caledonia, which offered an apartment that was available. Bill had always had a working studio in his home, and, the thought of having the additional space for a studio was appealing. What originally was a search for a place to call home, turned into one of Caledonia’s hidden treasures: The Village Gallery. At first, the space was allocated to become Bill’s studio. It offers plenty of natural light, and ample space to set up easels. The question became: “We have a store front. What do we do with the store front?” The dillemma was easily solved and Bill’s personal work soon filled the windows and added much needed culture and diversity in the village. Shortly after, Bill and Linda decided that they would offer workshops in the space, which resulted in great interest 78
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allowing him to choose an item to take home with him that day. Sometimes it was a paintbrush, sometimes a charcoal stick. Being famil-iar with the tools of the trade, he enabled Bill to use his purchased treasures, showing him how to clean brush-es, etc. Bill’s Mother continued his destiny by supporting his educational choices in High School, allowing him to attend summer programs during his Junior and Senior years in High School, which helped him quickly propel his career. Bill went on to Study at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, graduating with his BFA, and later, MFA. Although Bill’s still life’s can be found in the Gallery, his interests in subject matters include landscapes, par-ticularly those with a water feature; preferred media is Oil Paint, his style is a composure of loose, bold, color-ful and complex structure.
Bill knew early on in life that he was destined to become an artist. His Father was a housepainter, and would take Bill on trips to the store to purchase supplies. His Father nurtured his talents,
The Village Gallery opened a year ago this past fall, in conjunction with a community event “The Peddlar’s Market”, which draws sizeable crowds into the village of Caledonia. The very first opening featured commu-nity artists featuring local talent. It was so well received, that a second show was held shortly after, with the media chosen as Photography, again, showcasing local talent. Thus began the journey of monthly openings, showcasing various media and subjects. The present display boasts a diverse media selection featuring the artists and subject matter of the Mid-West.
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Openings are scheduled on the first Friday of each month, and are held from 6-8pm. The walls are filled with a variety of delicacies, and, the Art Library’s shelves are brimming with books to peruse from rocking chairs, or the welcoming solid wood table that is the centerpiece of the Library Room. Works of the great masters, along with lesser known artists can be found in this diverse collection of literary gems. The August Opening reception is scheduled to occur on August 3.. 80
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The opening will feature the work of Sarah King, renowned children’s book illustrator, and her collection of work on Reflections of Motherhood. Sarah is a former student who studied under Bill at Hollins University. She resides in Stamford Ct. Come out and and view the opening from 6-8 pm that evening, and throughout the month of August on Fri-days through Sunday from 11-4. The Village Gallery can be found in
downtown Caledonia, at 3119 Main Street. Free parking is available on Main Street, and in the Public Parking lot directly across the street. Bill & Linda are ready to greet you and take you through an exquisite cultural experience!
3119 Main Street Caledonia NY 14423 585-294-3009 I cell 540-354-5695 caledoniagallery.com I thevillagegallery@outlook.com
REFLECTIONS F
FROM THE PAST
{ COVER STORY }
ANTIQUES, VINTAGE & COLLECTIBLES BY MARY-KAY TANDLMAYER I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
Strolling down State Street in downtown Caledonia on a warm, summer, Sunday afternoon a red and gold striped awning beckons me to take a closer look. The awning frames Reflections of the Past Antiques. The store front boasts large picture windows, filled with treasure from times gone by. Outside, a red toy tractor stands guard under a tree, and the entrance of the store is flanked with picnic baskets stacked high, and a wooden child’s dining table and matching chairs. The old five and dime was recently transformed into the storefront it is today. Open the sturdy old wooden doors to reveal a treasure-trove of goodies just waiting to be discovered inside. Frank Burdick and Barb Van Keuren are the proprietors responsible for sharing a store full of goodies, care-fully selected to be “room-ready”. With their combined experience, selective eye, and combined experience of over 20 years in the business, they do not disappoint in their offerings. Frank didn’t start out in the antique business, but his background provided him with the knowledge and talent to repair items that need a little TLC. Barb has a banking background, but her love of all things old brought her to the business, where she lends her trained eye selecting only the finest items that grace the store on State Street. Reflections of the Past is an antique aficionados, and collectors dream. Aside 84
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from the gorgeous, pristine fur-niture pieces, one can find a wonderful and extensive selection of lighting, mirrors, art work, vintage clothing and accessories. Comic books, post cards, old toys, books, china, clocks, railroad locks and keys.... if someone collects, this is the place to be for a vast and unique selection. We took a moment to speak with Barb and Frank about the business, and it didn’t
start out as a stand-alone store; instead, they began as a dealer, renting space in another business. When a vacant store front became available on State Street, the decision was easy for them to make the move and go out on their own. They re-located the business to State Street, where they stayed for four years. Quickly, the demand for their amazing selection grew, and they found themselves growing out of the space that they had, so when a neighboring store front that offered more
space became available, they jumped on the opportunity and moved the store just two doors down into the old five and ten. The new space suits them with its original wood flooring, complete with obligatory creaks in all the right places, and the high white tin ceiling. It’s the perfect background to host the treasures inside. “Older people like to come in to the store, and reminisce about the good old days from their childhood when the store was the old five and ten.” Says Barb. “They enjoy just walking around, taking it all in, and remembering the days of long ago, taking comfort in a building that remains in its original state. One of Barb’s favorite memories is of a special customer that occasionally visits the store. “He is a kid, really a young adult that has some challenges. He collects railroad locks and keys, and it’s so heartwarming to see the joy and excitement on his face when he selects something to take home with him. It just makes me happy seeing him happy, and knowing we helped with that.” Barb reveals that, although it’s fun buying, it’s a very cut-throat business. “I’ve gotten up at 2 in the morning to make it to an auction or a sale just to get a number. I’ve been pushed out of the way, had tags switched out on me...it’s not a pretty experience.” “Sometimes when I go to a sale, people
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don’t realize that what they have is more valuable than what they are asking. I always try to talk to them, educate them, but a lot of the times, it’s a family that just wants to dispose of the items, and they don’t care, they just want it gone. It’s sad, but that is how things are today.” She states. “In the store, I always make sure that my customers know what they are purchasing. We research everything we have, so we know exactly what its worth, and we make sure the store is well lit, so customers can really see the items well. If there is a chip in something, which sometimes happens due to the nature of old items, I make sure the customer sees it, knows that it’s there before they make the decision to buy. It’s just good, honest business. That is what keeps people coming back.” 86
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And come they do. Reflections from the Past draws in customers from all over the region. “We don’t sell on-line, but people have seen pictures on our website and called to inquire about them, so we have shipped items out, as far away as California.” Barb says. Don’t let the “Antique’s” in the name discourage you from reveling in the wonders of this store. Many items can easily lend themselves into modern decor. Frank pulls a piece they acquired recently for a customer. It is a brass, hanging light fixture, with palm leaf fronds decorating the stem. A beautiful piece as is, Frank tells us that after researching the light, they discovered that it once held 1500
dangling crystals from its two levels of Palm fronds. Although they steer away from restoring items, preferring to offer them in their original, nearly pristine state, but this beauty deserves to be restored back to its original splendor. Frank and Barb ordered the crystals to be replaced on the lamp, and Frank is re-wiring the internal components of the lamp. Completed, this fixture would be a welcome addition to even the most modern decor. Make sure you plan plenty of time to visit this hidden gem in downtown Caledonia. You will want to wander, unhurriedly among the wonderful items, and enjoy the experience of purchasing a bit of history.
3166 State St. I Caledonia, NY 14423 I (585) 538-9333 Thur. to Sun.10:00-5:00 pm. reflectionsfromthepastantiques.com I antiques@gmail.com
COME VISIT C
ENJOY THESE SHOPS: The Village Gallery – Cr – Yesteryear Treasure Emp (& hopefully more
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reative Edge – Bellissimo Boutique – Pastique porium – McKay’s Antiques e to be listed later)
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{ YOUNG WOMEN’S COLLEGE PREP }
YWCP SENDS FIRST GRADUATING CLASS TO COLLEGE! BY LAURI BONNELL
When Young Women’s College Prep Charter School of Rochester (YWCP) opened its doors in August 2012 to its first class of 7thgrade girls, it was ground breaking. Today, YWCP is still the only all-girls public school in Rochester, and now it’s breaking ground again. On June 23rd, 50 YWCP seniors walked across the stage at the school’s first Commencement Ceremony. The school boasts a 90% graduate rate with 100% of graduates having been accepted to college! At a time when the graduation rate for the Rochester City School District is 57% for black females and the college readiness rate drops to just 15% (based on MCC Placement Levels in English and Math), these results are life changing. Research shows that an educated girl is more likely to earn a decent living; raise a healthy, educated family; and improve the quality of life for herself, her family, and her community. The graduation ceremony, held at the Nazareth College Arts Center, brought the students full circle from when they first came to YWCP for 7th Grade Summer Bridge, which was also hosted on the Nazareth College campus. The Bridge program was designed to ease the students’ transition into the rigorous academic and single-gender environment of YWCP by providing opportunities for socialization, initiation into school culture, and academic preparation prior to the school year. “We wanted the students’ first day at YWCP to take place on a college campus to help instill a collegegoing culture right from the start,” said Flor Colon, Chair of the YWCP Board of 112
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Trustees. “The students knew right from Day One that our goal for them was to graduate high school and enroll in a college program…and that’s what they’ve done!” Sixty-six percent of the students in that first class remained at YWCP through senior year. Those that joined in the later grades quickly jumped on board to the collegebound mission through twice yearly college visits at every grade level, visits from college representatives, attendance at college fairs, and a daily Advisory curriculum focused on
why they enrolled me at YWCP. I entered 7th-grade reading below grade level, but through the support of my teachers and reading specialists, I not only caught up to my grade level, I exceeded expectations!” Over the course of her six years at YWCP, Aleysha took five Advanced Placement courses and was inducted into the National Honor Society. In September, she’ll attend St. John Fisher College where she has received a full-ride scholarship to study Biology. Her dream is to become a physical therapist. That dream is much closer to reality today thanks to the power of her YWCP education, and Aleysha and her classmates are setting an example for future YWCP classes to follow.
college and career awareness. Two full-time counselors guided the seniors and their parents through the college application process starting in their junior year. “I’m a first generation college student, so my counselor’s help was critical to me and my parents,” said Aleysha Dominguez, a YWCP senior who started at the school in 7th-grade. “My parents moved to Rochester form Puerto Rico when they were young adults because they wanted a better life for me and my younger brothers. That’s
YWCP is a free, public charter school that educates more than 350 girls in grades 7-12. It’s an affiliate of the Young Women’s Leadership Network, which operates five all-girls schools in NYC and has 15 affiliates across the country. At YWCP, at least 82% of students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program. Thank you to all of the people who have supported YWCP over the past six years as teachers, staff members, board members, mentors, tutors, volunteers, and donors. This is an accomplishment that we can all celebrate together. If you’d like to learn more about YWCP and our college readiness programs, please visit our website at www. youngwomenscollegeprep.org or email foundation@youngwomenscollegeprep.org.
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Thank you to all of the people who have supported Y as teachers, staff members, board members, mento donors. This is an accomplishment that we ca
YWCP over the past six years ors, tutors, volunteers, and an all celebrate together.
{ FASHION FIRST }
IT’S OUR DUTY...DO IT IN STYLE BY JOAN LINCOLN I PHOTOS BY NATALIE SINISGALLI
It’s our Civic Duty...The American Way ...Do it with Style! Civic duties include, for example, obeying the laws of the country, paying the taxes levied by the government, or serving on a jury or as a witness in court. They find you...they always find you! If you have a valid drivers license, a consistent address and of course they have your SS# so the likelihood of you receiving a Summons to be considered for Grand or Trial Jury is very very likely!
on task pace, it also appears that they have no need to read the building signage to get them where they need to go. The rest of society in attendance is desperately trying to remember the maze from point A to point B and all the legal etiquette that was explained to them during the selection process. Let’s get back to what has been worn and what should never be worn. Perhaps your Jury Duty assignment is in the dead of winter...sorry, you have to drudge through the Rochester weather, find parking (NOT FREE for Jury Duty), drag
So how many of you would have to ask yourself or goggle “How Do I Dress for Jury Duty”? In my 58 years I have been summoned to ask myself this question twice. The first time I was 7 months pregnant with my first child and was awarded the role of Foreman for the Jury so dressing was fairly easy (and a super long time ago) and the second was more recently. The New York State Unified Court System took care of the answer in just 3 short sentences in the Grand Juror’s Handbook. It reads: What should I wear? Grand Jury is a very serious matter. The grand jury plays a crucial role in the criminal justice system. A juror’s appearance and attitude should reflect the importance of the grand jury’s work. Clothes appropriate to a dignified occasion should be worn.”p.10 Compelled to look up “dignified occasion” and this is what I found: NOTHING! There is a whole lot of common sense that goes in to deciding what or what NOT to wear to a Court House. Depending on your assumed role while your are there. Women and men representing the human race on multiple levels are easily recognized by their polished and professional attire. Their comfortableness, their 116
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long as I as doing my civic duty I decided that I would turn the experience into a Fashion First article. Comfort was definitely on every person’s mind as we stood single file holding our Jury Summons document like we were crossing into the “UNKNOWN”. Handbags, lunch bags, paper bags and plastic. Society carries stuff! I did notice that the men where much more casually dressed than the women were dressed. Let’s remember that the handbook suggests that we dress for a dignified occasion. By my Fashion calculations 95% of us would have been turned away at the door of a dignified occasion on said day. Now those in the commanding position of the process and those that oversee the etiquette training and the professionals that represent the Law... BRAVO. You all make Rochester Proud. I realize the County Court House is NOT a Fashion Runway. All I recommend is the use of some serious common sense when your civic duty opportunity comes your way. You are NOT on a runway so don’t dress like you are, you are not on a sports playing field so leave your uniforms and baseball caps at home or at least remove them while serving on a jury. Ladies, any level of Jury Duty is NOT a “Club” - Health or Dance - so leave either style of clothing either at the gym or in the closet until after hours.
your lunch, a days worth of correspondence, go through security only to be reminded that you can’t bring your metal nail file into the County Court House!!! Darn I never thought to clear out my travel make-up bag. Sorry Security! Oh wait, I am also sorry I forgot to tell you I have a fake hip...lots of buzzers and bells sound when I go through the metal detector ...UGH!!! So much for blending in to the crowd. The wait in the security line allowed me to view a very different Rochester Fashion Runway. As
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{ PLATTER CHATTER }
BY CHERYL KATES BENMAN I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS
Roux
FRENCH KITCHEN Park Avenue, a quaint artsy district, known for the patio-seated restaurants, and an incredible art festival, coming up soon. There’s a little something for everyone. The biggest issue you encounter is where to park. Count on the street being lined with parked cars, because everyone knows the secret some of the best hidden gems of restaurants can be found right here on the avenue! Today, Diva 1, along with writers Susan Rook D’ Ettore and Marisa Nicodemus (writer/photographer) ventured out to enjoy a meal at the French restaurant Roux. It was a particularly sunny but not so hot day, so the patio seating was overflowing with customers taking in the beautiful weather. It reminded us of a small café on the streets of Paris. You can pick Roux out of the crowd, by its stylish black-and-white striped awning, right across from CVS. We as ladies, were glad we were given the opportunity to sample the menu at this eclectic spot, around the way. The staff was warm and welcoming. The atmosphere was cozy and upscale, but not snooty. As soon as you walked in, you can see Chef Ashley through the peek-a-boo window above the bar. It was interesting to watch, as she moved confidently through her kitchen, preparing the meals. You’ll see the whole family when visiting, Robin Banister (mom and owner), Ashley Swan (
chef ) and sister Paulina Swan ( bartender and owner of Swan Dive). It is women empowering women at their finest. Ashley tells us the history of the interesting logo with a kangaroo with boxing gloves and the name Roux (pronounced Roo). When she was little her Mom, owner Robin Banister called her Roo, short for kangaroo. She was called this as she was a “clingy kid” who never wanted to leave her mom’s side. They spelled the name Roux, like the classic thickening agent “Roux” in many French dishes. The establishment was previously Café Cibon, which Ashley’s Mom also owned and operated for ten years, closing in 2014. In 2015, Roux opened. Roux is unique being a family-owned, French kitchen making everything “in house”. The restaurant changes its menus seasonally and puts an emphasis on the quality of local ingredients from the area. On every day of the week, there is a “Plats Du Jour”! On Monday, there is a mixed grill; On Tuesday, Poisson; Wednesday, Dollar oysters on the half shell; Thursday, Le Grande Aioli plate; Fridays, Lobster Rolls; Saturday, Boeuf; and Sundays, a roasted chicken for two! Ashley shares “I want what every chef wants, to create beautiful food that people want to eat. Ashley shares many customers relay they love the restaurant because it reminds them
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{ PLATTER CHATTER } of Paris experiencing the French/European vibe, which was the intended goal of the establishment. We definitely appreciated this factor when visiting.
Marisa was with us as the photographer, but Diva 1 decided to throw her under the bus and join us as a writer with the perk of sampling the menu.
Ashley prepared the following for our luncheon at Roux: A Plat du Fromage (cheese plate with fruit, lavender honey and a trio of artisan cheeses); Snap Pea and radish salad with Bolton Farms watercress; Whipped chevre toast with seeds and maldon salt; Charred eggplant, tahini yogurt, cilantro, mint and sesame seeds; Panseared salmon with sugar snap peas, summer squash, Thai basil and curry crème fraiche and “Le bete noir”, Roux’s flourless chocolate cake with Chantilly cream.
Marisa tells us, “When I walked into the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was the atmosphere of the space. It drew me in to look around the entire place and I felt comfortable and peaceful. In my opinion, the atmosphere can be more important than the food at times. If the place doesn’t send a good vibe or great energy, then I don’t want to be there. This restaurant absolutely had a wonderful vibe. The mood was great, and the service was awesome. The service is the second thing, that determined whether I will go back or not. This place simply has it all! From amazing dishes and appetizers, to top-notch service, and the best atmosphere to make you want to come back again and again. This restaurant became one of my favorite restaurants and it is located right in the heart of Park Avenue. Great for day or evening, I would recommend this place to everyone!”
Susan shares her take by saying, “WOW. I can sum up my review of Roux on Park Avenue in that one word. Wow. Roux is a family-owned restaurant. Chef Ashley is a classically trained chef, with great skills and instincts. There is an art to creating a great meal that becomes a memorable dining experience. Everything about Roux is artistic. Let’s start with the food. We had a small sample of the menu. The cheese plate has the creamiest brie I ever tasted. The Roquefort, called the cheese of Kings and Popes, is amazing! The lavender honey on the cheese plate was new to me and I’m ruined for “regular” honey. The sugar snap peas and watercress salad came with whipped chevre toast sprinkled with everything salt. The charred eggplant with a creamy yogurt tahini sauce was delightful. The salmon was quickly seared to a crisp finish and paired with a very light curry creme and locally-sourced vegetables. Don’t forget dessert! The flourless chocolate tart is heaven on a plate. The combinations of flavors and textures are what make this a thoroughly delightful experience. The variety of sensual delights continued in the ambiance. The decor is described as casual but the attention to details is obvious. We didn’t have the signature cocktails but the bottles of liquor against the back wall lead up to a small window where diners can peek at the chef plating our food. I loved that touch! Everything is classic, comfortable and delicious – Roux on Park Ave. is a five-star dining experience”.
I, Diva 1 share the views of both Susan and Marisa about Roux. “I think there may not be one person in Rochester who doesn’t already like Park Avenue. It may be overwhelming to chose what restaurant to stop at it, as there are many to choose from. They all offer something a little different, so you never get bored. Whether its people watching, you’re a foodie, or you need a unique place for date night, Roux is definitely a good choice for you. One of the things we regret we didn’t experience was some of the signature cocktails, as we visited during lunch, but that is also something Roux is known for, so stop in for happy hour or grabbing a drink you won’t be disappointed. On another note, the coffee selection was delicious and satisfying to wash down the remnants of our enjoyable, appetizers, meal and desert. Different factors shape our memories. It was definitely a plus, to go to Roux with Susan and Marisa as they both have different perspectives then Diva 1 and 2. It was interesting to hear what they found delightful, as we hear from the eyes of a photographer and the lips of a former CNN anchorwoman who has travelled the world. The girls were great company, as we tried all of the delicacies, ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE :: AUGUST 2018
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Ashley put before us. I love fine dining, so I was a happy camper walking in. I shared the love of the honey, the bread and cheeses with Susan. It was a pleasure to the palette. Fresh produce is also always a plus. There is nothing worst than going out to eat and having your lettuce wilted etc. The greens were superb, and you could tell they were all fresh.
were happy. Her personality was genuine and so welcoming. When she spoke about her family being in business together it was very obvious how each woman played a part in the overall success of the venture. As our divas indicate, this is a thumb up for me as well. Roux was fabulous and definitely a place which belongs on your bucket list as somewhere to experience!”
I also am a person who loves to cook exotic meals at home, and a world traveler, so I appreciated the choice of curry with the salmon. The choice of seasonings on all of the food was perfectly spiced and at the right portion so you could be nothing but happy as the food hit your taste buds. For me, I especially enjoyed speaking to Chef Ashley when she presented her craft as it was apparent how much she loved being a chef and ensuring her dining customers
Chef Ashley Swan indicates she became interested in the restaurant business as this is all she knows. When she was growing up, Mom, Robin owned coffee bars named Sorelle, all around town. Mom then opened a restaurant called “West Coast Café” in Bushnell’s Basin. Ashley indicates her Mom is the most influential person in her life and is largely responsible for her choosing to go to culinary school (French Culinary Institute in NYC; 2009). She shares, “She
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is an amazing business owner, mother and grandmother!” RWO asked Ashley how does being a female play into her role as a chef she said, “I love being a female chef especially when I can help the other females in the industry grow and succeed in the kitchen. Balancing family and career is actually pretty easy and great already working with my mom, brother and sister. It can be hard sometimes with my two small children, Smith(4) and Oliver(1) and my husband who works a day job. Doing a job that I love, makes it count and worth it all!”. Roux is the sister restaurant to Swan Dive, Ox and Stone, Dorado and The Daily Refresher. Look forward to features in the upcoming months on all of the family restaurants.
And the family continues to grow...
good food, good service, good atmosphere since 2004
see you out there
Ox and Stone Daily refresher swan dive dorado roux
tapas.tacos.paella.cocktails oxandstone.com 282 alexander street spirits.cocktails dailyrefresher.com 293 alexander street
pizza.pasta.beer.cocktails.music swandiveroc.com 289 alexander street
mexican.tequila.margaritas doradoparkave.com 690 park avenue
french.cocktails.absinthe rouxparkave.com 688 park avenue
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WINOLIMO.COM Welcome to Cayuga Lake, the Cayuga Wine Trail and Water To Wine Tours, offering a unique opportunity to tour award winning Finger Lakes wineries from a boat along a beautiful and scenic glacier lake. We offer both private and group tours. All scheduled cruises depart from the dock at Silverstrand Bed & Breakfast, Ovid NY or Long Point State Park in Aurora, NY. Reservations are required. All Ovid departures tour past the beautiful Sheldrake-Kidders shoreline. You will view Victorian homes with lakefront gardens and vintage boathouses. Cayuga Lake is over 40 miles long and 430 feet deep. The waters are sparkling clear and approach 80 degrees in summer. As we head north past Sheldrake, the lake is at its widest point of 3 miles. We will see Long Point State Park on the east side and and Sheldrake Point on the west side. Lunch is available at the Thirsty Owl Bistro, Amelia’s at Long Point Winery and the Busy Bee Café. All of their 11 AM departures are a lake cruise with 3 winery tastings and a lunch stop. Plus, you have 3 choices of boats to choose from. Private cruises are available 126
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on the six passenger II Special. She is a custom built “Gentleman’s Runabout” offering classic elegance in a modern performance package. She is 27 feet long with highly varnished mahogany decks and sumptuous accommodations for six plus the captain. She departs from either the Silver Strand Bed & Breakfast or the Aurora Inn.
The Isle of Skye is available for either private or group tours and can accommodate up to 15 passengers plus the Captain. She is a 26 foot long harbor launch built in Newport, Rhode Island and evokes the look of a Maine lobster boat. She offers easy ingress and egress and excellent weather protection. Her classic lines and festive adornment make her a special event from the minute you board. She departs from either the Silver
Strand or Long Point State Park. The 26’ Panga is a 6 passenger center console boat featuring spacious seating, walk around comfort and generous wine storage and cooler space. She offers the performance and safety of dependable Cummins diesel power. She has been fitted with excellent protection from sun, wind & rain.
First Class!
The “LIMO” is luxurious 6 passenger winery tour boat featuring teak decks, mahogany trim & luxurious seating with full sun-only protection. She was custom built to serve as the tender to a 188’ luxury yacht and she has circled the globe in her previous life. She offers exceptional ingress/egress with dedicated steps & railings. She carries a large cooler with bottled water, plastic cups & wine opener. You ‘ll be traveling
Either boat, in private charter, is available for any and every event, including small weddings as the Captain is able to perform legal ceremonies. Birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, bachelor/bachelorette parties, retirement, graduation, full moon, you name it and we’ll celebrate it on the water.
Touring the Finger Lakes w Hope you
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with Cassondra & Mike... u enjoy!
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COME JOIN US ON A LITTLE WINE TOUR BY CASSONDRA KUBIT
In Celebration of the food and wine issue of the RWO Mike and I decided to let you join us on our anniversary tour of the Fingers Lakes. We did a weekend trip that started at Cayuga State Park where we set up camp for the weekend. Cayuga State park is a beautiful park to camp at. Each site is big and secluded from your neighbors, which is what we like.
and we finally decided to stop after 2 years of driving by it. Fleur De Lis was an awesome find (we’ve made the drive out there just to go there the week after this tour because it was that good). Fleur De Lis has only been around since 2016 and they brew their own beer, root beer and cider. There Hard Cider was absolutely to die for. We
We started our tour with the Cherry Festival at Varick Winery on Cayuga Lake. We went last year and really enjoyed walking through all the different venders and picking our own cherries. Varick Winery is a beautiful winery with a very wide range of wines that they pair with 1000 River Rat Cheese. The charge $5 for 6 tastings which Mike and I always enjoy doing. To really appreciate their wine and their history you are better off tasting them when it isn’t the Cherry Festival because they are very busy. We ended up buying the 2017 Moscato which was a fullbodied wine. Next on our tour was Goose Watch Winery. We had never been their before and we were pleasantly surprised by how bright and open this winery was. On top of that there was an absolute beautiful view of the Lake. They charge $5 for 6 tastings, but the down side there were no crackers or pretzels. We always travel with our own which was good. They have a very wide range of Dry Red to Sweet Fruit wines. But our favorite is their Cabernet Franc Ice Wine. Which we paid a whopping $34.99 and it was well worth every penny. Mike and I do not like beer, but we do enjoy hard cider and we were looking for a good cider place and we kept on driving by this brewery that was close to the campgrounds 130
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haven’t come across a better cider and we have tried quite a few. They also make what is called an Adult Root Beer Float... Love! They mix their root beer with a shot of cream bourbon from Black Button and you have a Root Beer Float without the ice cream. This is a must stop when you are up on Cayuga Lake. The next stop of the list was another Cider House with food. We were super hungry and needing lunch (this was on day 2 of
our tour), so we ended up at Finger Lakes Cider House where the food was very good but was a bit slow because of just having one cook, but worth the wait. They do not serve their own hard ciders but showcase ciders from the Finger Lakes. Their flights are 4 for $12. The best one was the Young Cider which tasted just like apple juice with a hit of spice. Since we were now in between Cayuga and Seneca Lake we decided to take the drive to our favorite winery on the Seneca Lake, Silver Springs aka the Hippy Winery. We call it this because the owner has a hippy decked out car in the parking lot for everyone to see. We found Silver Springs by taking a wrong turn two years ago and when we first stepped into his winery it was his kitchen with a tasting booth. We spent over 30 minutes standing there and talking with him about his wines. The second time was the same, but he was starting construction on a new tasting room. When the new tasting room opened we were there on one of the first weekends it was open. Beautiful doesn’t explain the wood work, but the best part was the pizza oven. We finally were able to order a pizza and sit back with our favorite wine. Mine is the Riesling With Cherry and Mike enjoys the Cabernet Franc. Next, we visited Atwater which wasn’t too far down the road from Silver Springs. We hadn’t been there before, and we were impressed with the view of the lake. This winery has water front which is beautiful. Atwater charges $5 for 6 tastings, but you do not get free reign of choices. You have to choose from 3 lists, one is dry red, semi dry-semi sweet, and sweet. I personally do not like being limited on what I can taste,
{ {TAKE {INSHIFT+CONTROL HER A TOUR OWNWITH WORDS RWO } } } The Finger Lakes makes a great weekend trip or even a day trip. You have the outlet mall and the casino with 100+ wineries spread throughout our great lakes.
for I have a wide range of wines that I enjoy and like to try at different wineries. I chose the semi dry list which was okay. I probably wont stop at this winery again because the service was not on par of what we are used to. We were just poured wine with no explanation or what we were drinking. On our way back to the campgrounds we saw this colorful sign that said wine tasting but we didn’t see a winery sign until we pulled in. The sign read Randolph O’Neill Vineyard. A very small winery with only 4 wines on their list, but they were all fantastic and worthy of being bought. Best part is they didn’t charge a tasting fee and you got to talk with the winemaker himself. This will be a place we will stop again. We ended our 3-day anniversary tour with lunch at Stone Cutters which is one of the restaurants at Belhurst Castle. If you want a beautiful view and 5-star quality food Belhurst Castle offers 2 different restaurants to choose from. The grounds you are allowed to walk, and they have plenty of seating to enjoy a beautiful view of Seneca Lake. The Finger Lakes makes a great weekend trip or even a day trip. You have the outlet mall and the casino with 100+ wineries spread throughout our great lakes. Throughout the summer every weekend there is some kind of festival being held and a ton of different things to do, but If you don’t have time to tour the Lakes but love wine you have to checkout the Finger Lakes Wine Festival that is held every year in mid-July at Walkins Glen International Race Track. They have over 80+ wineries from all around New York that you get to enjoy. 132
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GETTING TO KNOW THE WONDER TWINS OF RMSC BY AUDREY AVIRETT I PHOTOS BY ROCK BEACH PHOTOGRAPHY
If you have been keeping up with us for the past few months, then I’m sure you may know that the Rochester Museum & Science Center has offered their establishment and time to us for our Rochester Woman Online Fashion Show and Fundraiser – which will take place August 16, 2018, from 5 to 9 PM. …But, what do you know about the Museum and its staff? We at Rochester Woman Online have had the pleasure of visiting this magical place and getting to know some of the staff members. We did some research about the Museum and interviewed a couple of ladies, Rachel Sheffer and Sarah Janas – the beautiful Wonder Twins of the Museum. Established in 1912 as the Municipal Museum in Rochester, New York, the Rochester Museum & Science Center has constantly expanded and evolved to meet the changing needs of our community. Deeply committed to serving the community, the Museum has always been seen as a “university of the common man.” Since 1945, the staff and volunteers have been strongly encouraged to interact with the museum visitors within the galleries and through outreach efforts in the community. In 1968, the Strasenburgh Planetarium opened adjacent to the Museum, and the name was officially changed to the name it has today - Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC). From 1973 to 1996, efforts were devoted to upgrading the physical facilities with new exhibits and 136
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education program spaces. The construction of the 400-seat Eisenhart Auditorium, the Gannett School classroom building for lifelong learning programs, the 900-acre Cumming Nature Center – which is 40 miles away, the Elaine Wilson Hall, and the Strasenburgh Planetarium’s giantscreen film system were included in these expansion efforts. Current RMSC President, Kate Bennett
(1996 – present) is dedicated to continuing the constant growth of this establishment. Bennett inspires the staff to understand and create visitor experiences that engage different learning styles and communicate the excitement of hands-on experimenting and discovering. She encourages streamlining and cross-departmental collaborations for greater efficiency. She spurs efforts to increase the accessibility of collections and
cultivates collaborations with community partners as well as other museums and science centers. ** Rachel and Sarah were born and raised in Caledonia, and both eventually made their way to Rochester to work with RMSC. Rachel, being the older (by 7 minutes), naturally found RMSC before her sister Sarah. Rachel began in 2014, and Sarah began in 2017. Working with your siblings can present different types of experiences, both good and bad, but luckily for Rachel and Sarah, they value their time together both in and outside of work. The only “difficulties” they have had in the past have been based around the fact they are twins. Sarah said, “Sometimes people struggle with knowing who is who when they first meet us. Once they know us, it is easy to tell us apart.” Rachel said, “While we are identical, I believe that people know who we are, we are independent and our mannerisms are similar, but different enough to tell the difference. I never ever thought that Sarah and I would be working at the same business, let alone the same department with our cubicles next to each other.” With any siblings working together, it’s about finding that balance and harmony of working together and being professional. Fortunately for these girls, they have found that balance. While they are both very different people,
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{ WOMEN WHO INSPIRE } “Sometimes people struggle with knowing who is who when they first meet us. Once they know us, it is easy to tell us apart.”
they share very similar personality traits, beliefs, and work ethics. Interviewing each of them separately was very entertaining based around the fact they had very similar answers. Sarah assured me she genuinely enjoys her time behind the scenes, “I prefer to not be in the spotlight. I think that I am quiet and reserved.” However, both feel as if working with RMSC has helped them to step outside of their comfort zones. Stepping outside of the shadows and “into the spotlight” has helped them grow not only as staff members with RMSC, but also as individuals. Rachel explained it best, “I have been able to overcome some of my own insecurities and I’m confident that the information I’m giving is helpful and improving our visitor experiences.” Their greatest inspiration is their father, “He was the most hardworking and honest man I knew. He always made sure everyone else 138
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was taken care of first and then took care of himself. He was the very definition of integrity,” Sarah informed us. They both share the same regret as well: Not seizing this business opportunity with RMSC sooner. Both have a divine love and appreciation for RMSC, and they were more than happy to share their experiences, opinions, and personal stories with us. Rachel made her way to RMSC in October of 2014. “I was hired as part-time staff at the front desk for a temporary position. My first weekend working was the opening of the Dinosaur Exhibit. I learned that a large portion of the Rochester population sees us merely as the Dinosaur Museum; and just how popular dinosaurs are. Since being here full-time, I’ve learned that the needs of our visitors vary and how to appropriately accommodate them
confidently instead of second guessing myself or needing reassurance.” When asked what she thinks makes the establishment stand out the most, her reply was, “We are a unique establishment with cutting edge ideas and technology, giving our community a one-of-a-kind experience that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy. We are always striving to improve how we teach and with what tools we make available, while still preserving the importance of the history of Rochester as well. Adults remember coming as children and are excited to share their memories with their children/grandchildren while creating more.” Rachel’s favorite memory is of her time helping with the Solar Eclipse last year. “The way the Community all came together, shared their eclipse glasses, or other safety devices for everyone to experience the eclipse was just so overwhelming. To
{ WOMEN WHO INSPIRE } “I never ever thought that Sarah and I would be working at the same business, let alone the same department with our cubicles next to each other.”
To know that we have so many kind people here in our neighborhood just warms my heart.” Rachel has always loved the small-town vibe, but she slowly intergraded into the City after she started working at RMSC. “I love the City and the amazing culture and community that’s here in the heart of Downtown. The ‘big city’ doesn’t intimidate me anymore. I am actually currently looking to move over to the East Side, closer to the city.” Rachel likes to spend her off time with her 11-year-old daughter, Isabelle. “I strive to be a good role model for my daughter, teach her how to be a kind, functioning adult in this crazy whirlwind world. It’s my job to make sure she has values and morals, self-confidence and class.” They like to visit the GC&M, as well as other museums. She also enjoys hosting events at the RMSC and attending the after-dark events as a guest. “I hosted my daughter’s birthday party, and then 6 months later, I hosted another birthday party for my boyfriend at the RMSC. The after-dark events are always fun to attend too!” Rachel is a family-oriented lady, so to be in an environment that is so welcoming to everyone is one of the many reasons she loves her job so much. She hopes to establish herself as a permanent fixture at RMSC, where her input and opinions will make a difference in the museum as a whole – instead of just in her department. Rachel explained, “I would like to see myself grow along with the museum.” Sarah began working with the RMSC in March of 2017 as the Hospitality Coordinator. “I had my first wedding at 140
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the RMSC on my fourth day. It was an adventure. I really gained a sense of what a ceremony and reception could be in the facilities – how to utilize the space to get the best possible guest experience.” When asked what she thinks makes the RMSC stand out amongst the rest, her reply was, “The Strasenburgh Planetarium is the only Planetarium in the Rochester area…Electricity Theater has two Tesla Coils that ‘sing’…Live
Science demonstrations of liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream is another unique offering of the RMSC…The museum itself offers 3 and a half floors of interacting and engaging exhibits for all age groups.” You can tell she finds everything about the RMSC to be quite amazing, so deciding on a few favorite things about it was seemingly difficult. “I want people to know what a treasure the RMSC and Strasenburgh Planetarium are to the community. I want the RMSC to be a top destination when visiting the area – not only to visit the museum, but to take advantage of the one-of-a-kind ambiance
for private occasions. I want this to be a top venue to host family and community events as well as once-in-a-life-time weddings. I want clients to know that I want to work with them to make their event the very best event it can be.” Sarah currently lives in the Finger Lakes, and is a happy and proud Rochesterian. “I think that Rochester has a little bit of everything for everything – music, art, sports, history, nature, museums, the Strasenburgh Planetarium, breweries and wineries, garbage plates – all of these things make me a happy girl.” When she isn’t at work having a great time, she spends her time with her family including her husband of 12 years, Scott, her two children, Aiden (son) and Harper (daughter), and her dogs. She loves reading, attending Civil War Re-enactments, being at the theater, and watching/ listening to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra perform. Sarah believes in Equality, Humanity, the importance of family, and appreciates the fact RMSC also shares these same values. **Partnership projects with Monroe BOCES 1 brought new interactive learning experiences: The Challenger Learning Center at the Strasenburgh Planetarium (1997) and the Bathysphere Underwater Biological Laboratory (BUBL™) in the Museum (1999). In 2001, the Genesee Community Charter School opened on their campus. Responding to contemporary visitor requirements, they created new galleries with increased interactivity and opportunities for families to share fun learning experiences, including the Patricia F. Hale Hands-On Gallery (2001) and the Riedman Gallery (2006). At the same time, they are recreating existing galleries, beginning with
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Charisse Patterson Executive Chef
Located in the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester Downtown. Drifters offers a modern twist on classic comfort food with locally sourced ingredients. Join us for Happy Hour from 4pm-7pm daily. Stay for dinner and try one of Chef’s daily specials. Call 585-454-3999 for reservations. Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/DriftersMainSt/
155 East Main Street Rochester, NY 14604
WHO INSPIRE {WOMEN WOMENWHO WHOINSPIRES INSPIRE}}} { { WOMAN
WELCOME TO THE DOAN FAMILY! BY AUDREY AVERITT I SARAH SALVILLA
Whether you are looking for a new or preowned vehicle, service or collision repair; all aspects of the Doan Buick GMC experience are designed to demonstrate how true savings, value, and customer satisfaction are attained. Doan Buick was the original Doan Dealership that opened on West Ridge Road in 1983. They are now Doan Buick GMC and part of the Doan Family of Dealerships, a five-location dealer group in Greece and Spencerport. For more than twenty years, Doan Buick GMC has been serving the Greater Rochester Area with the kind of professional customerfocused experience that has made them synonymous with automotive sales and service excellence. The seasoned sales staff brings over a century of combined knowledge and experience to help you find the right fit for your budget, needs, and lifestyle. Their factory trained and certified technicians offer the absolute best treatment the industry has to offer. We at RWO heard about just how amazing the service is here, so we decided to check them out ourselves and give you the scoop… We had the pleasure of interviewing not one, but TWO lovely women who proudly represent this exceptional establishment – Jolene Vitto and Jo-Anna Post. Jolene Vitto is a certified Buick / GMC Sales Consultant, and has been assisting customers for 11 years with their vehicle needs. “I pride myself on giving our customers 144
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an informed, easy, and fun experience. I am honored to service our customers.” Jolene is so great at what she does that she has achieved the General Motors Mark of Excellence. (This prestigious honor is given to select GM dealers who are committed to excellent customer service.) “I hear frequently that buying a vehicle is stressful. It doesn’t have to be that way. I am here to assist you with your vehicle. I do a great job at giving the information, making the
process clear, and most of all…fun. The best part of my job is when my customers pick up their new rides!” Jolene was born and raised in Rochester, NY, moved to Oklahoma when she was 20-years-old, and decided to move back home to Rochester about 15 years ago to raise her children around their family. “Having those relationships gives you a sense of where you come from.” When asked what her greatest achievements are, her reply
was, “My Children: Amanda, Alanna, and Adam.” Her favorite thing to do outside of work is spend time with her family. When asked who she is most inspired by, Jolene replied with no hesitation, “My parents. My father has taught me the importance of embracing who I am. To look at all sides objectively and listen with your ears AND your heart. My mother has given me strength and taught me to pick up the pieces when they fall apart. They have stressed the importance of never letting anything keep you down and just keep moving forward.” Family is a VERY big part of Jolene’s life. Being in a workplace that is also very familyoriented is vital and one of the main reasons Jolene loves her job so much. *Contact Jolene directly: (585) 6986613 Most days, the smiling face of JoAnna Post is the first thing people notice when they visit the Dealership. She’s been with the Dealership for 16 years, but she is fairly new to the sales floor. “I started as someone who just followed up on service customers. I have only grown since my first day on the job. I’ve done almost everything in the Dealership from service, office work, administrator duties, assistant greeter, and now I’m in sales.” What makes Jo-Anna stand out (aside from her 16 years in the business – which helps her identify/solve issues that may arise earlier than most and also helps with her ability to properly assist
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the various types of clients that may come to visit), is that she also used to be the Dealer Trade Manager. “I can pretty much figure out what packages people want, and I’m confident I can get them in a car that will make them very happy. I will work very hard to make sure that each and every customer I get is 100% happy.” Being new to sales means the best way for Jo-Anna to conduct business and bring in customers is by word of mouth. So, Jo-Anna was more than happy to share a little bit about herself with our readers. “I help my customers learn and love their new vehicles. It’s not just the sale that matters to me…it’s the after the sale. My clients become my friends, and I look forward to them coming back to me. It’s always a plus when they come back with friends and family!” Jo-Anna is from Greece, NY. She isn’t just a saleswoman; she’s a role model. She’s an inspiration for women everywhere. In her words, “I feel some people think this is a ‘Man’s World’, but it’s not. Women can do 148
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it, and here we are!” Jo-Anna loves being able to prove that she is just as capable and knowledgeable as anyone else in this field. “I feel confident in my ability to adapt to my surroundings, and I will make this a career…not JUST a job.” Being a woman doesn’t hold her down in anyway, and she wants all other women (especially her nieces: Izzy, Maryann, and Gabby) to know they are more than capable too. She has raised her 16-year-old son, Ricki, as a single mother for years, and she confidently assures him and herself, “You can do anything you set your mind to…” *Contact Jo-Anna directly: (585) 230-7910 Finding a company that shares the same values as you is seemingly difficult these days, but not for these girls. Doan Buick GMC is not only a place to purchase or repair a vehicle, but it’s also a place to make friends, be accepted as you are, and extend your family. You won’t be singled out in a negative way as a customer, an employee,
or even a potential employee. You will be graciously greeted, treated as a friend, and (most importantly) welcomed into the Doan Buick GMC Family! So, what are you waiting for? Hop in the car and drive on down to 4389 W Ridge Rd, Rochester, NY 14626. Make sure to ask for Jolene and Jo-Anna. (Definitely mention this article and let them know what you think!) They would love to meet with you… And not just to talk about cars. They are always interested in seeing more friendly faces and adding to their Dealership family. You can also find the website and phone number to the Dealership below: Website – http://www.doanbuick.net Phone – (585) 352-6600
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{ MEALS BY DELEO }
HI, MY NAME IS JASON DELEO BY JASON DELEO I PHOTOS BY CHRIS CONLON
Hello, my name is Jason DeLeo. I am the owner and operator of Meals by DeLeo and Food by DeLeo. About 4 years ago I made some choices which have truly changed my life. The first choice I made was to get help for an addiction I had to painkillers. After 6 back surgeries and chronic pain, I had developed more than a habit. From Vicodin to OxyContin and Morphine; I can’t remember where the pain started and the addiction ended. The second choice I made was to do one thing, to help me reduce the diabetic medication I was on. I was on the maximum dose of metformin and following my last surgery, I needed to go on insulin. The doctor wouldn’t operate until certain numbers were under control. So while I was getting help with my addiction, I began paying attention to what I ate. Once I felt comfortable and confident that I was on the right path with my eating habits–about a week’s time– I began to wonder what else I could do to help me reach my goals. I decided to drink only water and coffee, and do 10 push-ups a day. To my surprise, I could do 10 push-ups. They were ugly as hell, but 10 nonetheless. 152
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That was a turning point for me. Just 10 push-ups. Wow– I could barely walk before my surgery, after I was in a wheelchair and had a nurse coming over daily teaching me to walk again. It took me a month to get to my mailbox.
into what do I want to do? I spent some time thinking, and came up with this list:
So I thought, “What else can I do?”
2. Stay off painkillers
1. Have a positive mind and strengthen my faith
3. Love my wife 4. Be a father my sons could trust 5. Stop being a victim 6. Stay off antidepressants 7. Get off my diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol medications 8. Lose enough weight that I could sleep without my cpap machine 9. Stop complaining about what others aren’t doing and simply help others when and where I was able 10. Do what I was capable of, not what anyone expected
My new goal was 1000 pushups in a day. Within just one week I was doing 30 push-ups a day: 10 at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was in awe. What else can I do, tuned
Finally: I made a goal to walk out of the black hole I called my mind, learn to love myself, and realize if my Creator loved me, and didn’t speak death over me, it was time for me to stop doing so to myself. One step at a time, with these goals in mind, my journey began. Once I had a new habit mastered, I added another to my list of goals.
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{{ MEALS BY DELEO {{ MAKING WOMAN SHIFT+CONTROL A WHO MONARCH INSPIRES }} }} “There’s so much more that leads me to writing this passage. I wanted you all to know just a bit about where I came from. How I got here. And to remind you that, no matter how dead you feel you may be, there is life to be lived.”
Whenever someone asked anything of me, if I was able, I said yes. Then I began to look at what resources I had, and found others that could use them. Then I would almost accidentally meet people that had things, and sometimes within an hour I would by happenstance meet the person or persons in need of what the other had. I would be overjoyed inside, because I could act as a middleman and deliver to the folks in need. I made myself available and that was it. I was used. And selflessly, I allowed it to happen. The things I experienced changed me forever.
Mind you, I was a self-centered, selfabsorbed, yet self-hating human being that was sad. I couldn’t shave or brush my teeth in the mirror for fear of looking at what I thought I was. Through all this, I began to change, body, mind, and spirit. There’s so much more that leads me to writing this passage. I wanted you all to know just a bit about where I came from. How I got here. And to remind you that, no matter how dead you feel you may be, there is life to be lived.
As I said, this is a merely a snippet of my story. I have reached every one of the goals on my list. I continue to receive more than I deserve. My wife loves me, my sons trust me, I no longer take medication, I am sober. Most importantly, I can look at myself in the mirror and respect the man looking back at me today. I’m Jason DeLeo. Thank you.
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{ HARNESS YOUR ABILITY } BY JASON KROPIDLOWSKI
HARNESS YOUR ABILITY TO
CHANGE So many good intentions. So much time and energy used. Logic and rationale make it all seem so achievable, yet self-sabotage, fears, failure and “life” keeps getting in the way. Every time you take a step forward in the right direction, it seems as if you take 2 (or more) steps backwards in the blink of an eye. You’ve worked with your doctor, counselor, psychologist or maybe even a psychiatrist, and can’t seem to rectify the issue. Or maybe relentless hours in the gym, following the advice of nutritionist and counting calories and avoiding carbs, only to continue looking like the same pear or lightbulb you were months before when you began. Maybe, trying any and every alternative modality know (chiropractic, acupuncture, energy healing, reiki, massage therapy, yoga, etc.), temporarily “feeling” better, but soon regressing right back. About the only thing you haven’t tried yet is vudu, and Hypnosis.
Hypnosis…? Isn’t that where you are “under” the control of the hypnotist, in which they can brainwash you against your will, and you may even become “stuck” in trance or become amnesiac and never again remember who you are? I mean, that’s what books, comedy shows and Hollywood make it out to be. So then, isn’t that true? It couldn’t be anything further from the facts! Hypnosis is scientifically proven to be a natural stage of mind, similar to that of daydreaming, that the average person goes in and out of 12-16 times daily. About every 90-120 minutes. While Hollywood and books make it out to be magical, scary or controlling, the hypnotic states of mind are ones in which the individual is awake, aware and in-control at all times. It is merely a meditative state of concentrated focus, in which the subconscious mind is very open to making positive changes desired
by the individual, often in a very short period of time, with minimum effort. Some have heard of hypnosis for uses such as natural weight loss and smoking, but hypnosis is also very useful and successful in overcoming fears, managing stress, depression & anxiety, and management of chronic pain. Natural painless childbirth and surgical procedures without the use anesthesia, including dental work are common situations where hypnosis has been proven effective. Sleep issues, trauma relief, effectively working with ADD/ ADHD and even PTSD, are just a few of the dozens of common uses for clinical hypnosis. So, where does one find a hypnotist? Believe it or not, most populated cities, along with some suburbs, have hypnotist in their area, searchable on the internet, or if reputable,often referred by medical ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE :: AUGUST 2018
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Hypnosis…? Isn’t that where you are “under” the control of the hypnotist, in which they can brainwash you against your will, and you may even become “stuck” in trance or become amnesiac and never again remember who you are?
doctors. Caution: not all hypnotists are professional, or even certified by a recognized organization or insured! Therefore, do a little research first. Make sure they are certified in their training standards and are an active member in a reputable organization of hypnotists, such as the National Guild of Hypnotists, the American Society of Clinical Hypnotists, or the International Hypnosis Association, to name a few. This ensures they are being held to higher standard of continuous education in their field, along with ethics and codes of conduct they abide by. Equally important is ensuring that they are insured. Insurance companies will only insure those who are in deed certified through a reputable recognized organization. Rates will vary, depending on the methods of hypnosis used, the duration of the sessions, and the caliber of the hypnotist and their success rates. In the WNY area, rates are
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typically $100 - $300 per session when conducted by a professional with proper training, knowledge and success. You will however find some hypnotist charging $80 or less, however these individuals typically are not skilled, lack experience, and often are not certified or insured. Likewise, traveling hypnotists offering “stop smoking in one session “ or “one-session weight loss “ for only $69, GUARANTEED, are usually salesman who are trying to sell supplements or snake oils to “stop cravings or desires”, and after their sales pitch will often do a very generic, scripted hypnosis session, typically with a less than 10% success rate. Currently, health insurance in New York State generally does not cover hypnosis services, however a reputable hypnotist typically will have multiple payment options available. Stop continuing to do the same things, expecting different results. If other methods
just haven’t helped you to get the results you desire, isn’t time that you consider hypnosis, so that you can take back control? Harness your ability to change! It may be just what you need to succeed. Contact your local hypnotist. ROC Hypnosis, on the border of Brighton and the City of Rochester, is one of the areas most successful practices, and has been in business since 2010. While specializing in smoking cessation, weight loss and fears, we deal with over a dozen common issues regularly. If you are ready to see if hypnosis might be the right method to resolve your unresolved problems, give us a call at (585) 267-5756. We will happily offer you a free, no-obligation screening to see if you’re a candidate, and to determine a plan to assist you with achieving your desired goals.
Stress Relief, Fears & Phobias, Sleep Problems, Weight Loss, Quit Smoking, Relaxation, and much more...
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Esthetics By Natalie | 500 Helendale Rd, ste 195 I Rochester, NY 14609 I estheticsbynatalie.com I 585-314-0285
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{ FIT TO REIGN }
SHE’S FIT TO REIGN BY CORRIN STELLAKIS I PHOTO BY LAURA MARINO
Hi ladies! Welcome to my column! My name is Corrin Stellakis and I am the owner of Fit to Reign. What is Fit to Reign? It is a business that is dedicated to helping women achieve their goals and become the best possible versions of themselves. It is a place where women inspire and empower one another. In my last article, I gave an overview of all aspects of Fit to Reign. This month I want to focus on the self-development coaching process and how I help my clients challenge themselves and grow into stronger, wellspoken, confident women. Women come to me hoping to develop more advanced communication skills so that they can perform well in job interviews, key-note speeches, pageant interviews, onstage questions, etc. Public speaking and personal interviews can be extremely nerve-wracking and difficult to prepare for. When it comes to getting that dream job or speaking at a big event, it is important to know how to make an impact and leave a positive impression. My job is to teach women techniques on how to create a lasting impact in an interview and how to communicate their ideas through verbal and nonverbal 170
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means. The interview philosophy at Fit to Reign creates focus, helps to increase vocabulary, instills confidence, helps you create a presence, express your personality, connect with the interviewer, and helps you to leave a lasting impression in an interview. You will gain interpersonal skills and critical thinking skills, be able to communicate your ideas more effectively, and increase thought processing speed. Through the public speaking coaching
process, you will learn how to write, edit, and perform a speech. How you communicate with the audience is very important, so I will teach you how to create a personal connection with the audience while you are speaking. You will learn techniques on how to ease your nerves, communicate your thoughts thoroughly, inspire and command an audience. Although personal interview and public
speaking are different, the way that you prepare for each of them is similar. The first step to having a successful interview and speech is to allow yourself to be vulnerable, and let down your walls. Through observation and experience, I have noticed that when women go into an interview, or begin to write a speech they immediately begin thinking about what the judges, employers, or audience want to hear instead of what they actually believe, or want to say. When asked a question, your first reaction may be to wonder what the judges want to hear, but through Fit to Reign coaching, your first reaction will be to answer honestly a n d g e n u i n e l y. Authenticity is key to a successful interview and speech. The next step is to project an image of what the company, event, or pageant is looking for. Success in the interview room or in front of an audience does not only happen because of what you say, but it happens because of how you look and the image you project. You have to look the part!! It even goes a step further. You not only have to look the part, but you have to truly believe that you are the best candidate for the position. Fit to Reign offers wardrobe and image consultations to help women choose appropriate wardrobe for each occasion, learn proper makeup application techniques, and select hairstyles that compliment the desired
{ {FITHER TO EDGE REIGN} }
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look. It is all about creating confidence so that you can handle whatever comes your way! When going into an interview, or performing a speech you have to look and feel your best! A successful speech/interview is not only about what you say, but it is about what you do! Yes, I am talking about nonverbal communication. Throughout my years as a coach, I have taught many intelligent, and articulate women that could answer any question thrown their way, but they lacked nonverbal expression! When you are giving a speech or answering a question in an interview, you want the listeners to feel your passion as you speak. Everything that you communicate verbally 172
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with the audiences, employer, or judges should be reinforced with your nonverbal communication. If you are explaining to an employer what you love about the company, and why you believe you would fit right into the workplace, you should do so with passion through body gestures and facial expressions. Think about what makes a good storyteller. A good storyteller is someone who tells a story with passion, emotion, genuine feeling, truth, and validity. They do this through both verbal and nonverbal means. The same qualities make up a good speaker. I know that this is a lot to think about, and after reading this article you may still feel as if public speaking and personal
interviews are extremely nerve-wracking and difficult to prepare for, but with Fit to Reign self-development coaching, you will feel completely prepared and confident! Practice leads to progress, and I would love to help you prepare for the next time you step into the interview room or speak in front of a large audience. Challenge yourself to increase skills, create a presence, express yourself confidently, and make an impact! Gain interpersonal skills in order to communicate your ideas more effectively. Become Fit to Reign!
{ QUEEN OF ARTS }
FINGER LAKES OPERA BY AUDREY AVIRETT
Finger Lakes Opera was born on a brilliant Summer’s day in 2012 on the campus of the State University of New York at Geneseo. Artistic Director and Founder Gerard Floriano and Christopher Dahl, then President of SUNY Geneseo, envisioned creating a professional Summer Opera Festival in the Heart of the Finger Lakes – where outstanding singers, designers, and directors could come together to create bold new productions of grand operatic masterpieces, complete with spectacular sets, dazzling costumes, inventive staging, and the accompaniment of a professional Orchestra. The Company would also invigorate the local Community through the influx of production attendees.
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Fast forward six years and seven Productions later, Finger Lakes Opera is writing a new chapter with its 2018 Production of Johann Strauss Jr’s Die Fledermaus, August 10th and 12th at Canandaigua Academy. This Comedic Masterpiece of mistaken identities and amorous double-dealing is sure to entertain and charm audiences young and old alike. Die Fledermaus features a sparkling musical score full of beautiful melodies and exquisite orchestration. In addition to the main production of Die Fledermaus, Finger Lakes Opera is producing two additional programs on August 11th. The first, Opera Pops, will showcase some of Opera’s greatest hits,
blended with a bit of Broadway. This production will be performed with the Finger Lakes Opera Young Artists - a new program designed to highlight young and upcoming singers throughout the 2018 Season. The second, Little Red’s Most Unusual Day, is a children’s Opera, free of charge, aimed at introducing our next Generation to the captivating and wonderful world of Opera. *Tickets to any of these productions can be purchased online at: fingerlakesopera.org.
{ QUEEN { HER OF EDGE ARTS } }
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WOMENWHO WHOTHE INSPIRE }}} DISHING WITH DIVAS {{{ WOMAN INSPIRES
PEMF TREATMENT BY KELLY BREUER
WHAT IS PEMF? Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMFT), also known as low field magnetic stimulation (LFMS) is known primarily for reducing pain, inflammation, the effects of stress on the body, and platelet adhesion. Improve energy, circulation, blood and tissue oxygenation, sleep quality, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the uptake of nutrients, cellular detoxification and the ability to regenerate cells. PEMFs have been used extensively for decades for many conditions and medical disciplines, and results can be seen in animals as well as humans. The National Institutes of Health have made PEMFs a priority for research. In fact, many PEMF devices have already been approved by the FDA, some specifically to fuse broken bones, wound healing, pain and tissue swelling, and treat depression. Most therapeutic PEMF devices are considered safe by various standards and organizations. Well, luckily enough, Marc Sanfillipo, owner of oNe Beauty, Body. Life. has this amazing technology here is Rochester! Science teaches us that everything is energy. Energy is always changes. All energy is electromagnetic in nature. 178
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All atoms, chemicals and cells produce electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Every organ in thebody produces it own signature bioelectromagnetic field. Science has proven that our bodies actually project their own magnetic fields and that all 70 trillion cells in the body communicate via electromagnetic frequencies. Nothing happens in the body without an electromagnetic exchange.
When the electromagnetic activity of the body ceases, life ceases. Physics, that is, electromagnetic energy, controls chemistry. This in turn controls tissue function. Disruption of electromagnetic energy in cells causes impaired cell metabolism, whatever the initial cause. This happens anywhere in the disease process. (1) Matrix Repatterning PEMFs address impaired chemistry and
thus the function of cells – which in turn, improves health. PEMFs deliver beneficial, health-enhancing EMFs and frequencies to the cells. Low frequency PEMFs of even the weakest strengths pass right through the body, penetrating every cell, tissue, organ and even bone without being absorbed or altered! As they pass through, they stimulate most of the electrical and chemical processes in the tissues. Therapeutic PEMFs are specifically designed to positively support cellular energy, resulting in better cellular health and function.
treatments.
There are no “one-size” fits all treatments, or solutions. Most PEMF devices help to varying degrees depending on the problem or condition. Since the body is complex, PEMFs are ideal devices to be able get good results without needing a myriad of different
Recently, I had he opportunity to visit Marc at oNe and test out this amazing technology for two things: chronic migraine headaches, and severe lower back tension and pain. To say that I was completely impressed after just one treatment would be an understatement!
WOMENWHO WHOINSPIRES INSPIRE } } { { WOMAN
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I came to the appointment not really knowing what to expect. Marc brought me into the service room, I hopped up onto the table, and he handed me earbuds and what looked like virtual reality googles. He then placed a pad under the bottom of my neck. He set the timer for 28mins, turned on the sound and light show, and off I went into dream land. Laying there thinking about everything I needed to do for the day, and yes, stressed with a migraine, I began thinking, what am I really doing with this. Will this even help? And suddenly, I literally felt the tension leave my body. It is a very unusual experience to say the least. One, I am not use to since I rarely relax. But, by the time the 28 minutes was over, I genuinely could not feel any signs of my headache that the 180
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night prior had left me virtually incapacitated. After the initial tretament Marc asked if anything else was bothersome for me, or if I had any other chronic pain. I said yes, my lower back has been bothering me for a long time with absolutely NO relief even after physical therapy, massage, etc. So, Marc proceeded to place the earphones back in, goggles back on, and repositioned the belt behind my back and I laid back down for another treatment. When I was done, Marc came into the room and asked, “So what did you think?” I told him, “I am not sure how to even say this, or if it is even real, but I literally felt the tension and pain leave my body.” We are now 3 weeks post treatment, and I have
had not even a glimmer of a headache, and absolutely no pain or tension in my lower back. That is from just one treatment! I will defiantely be going back for more, and I can’t wait. Contact Marc for information on how he might be able to help you relief chronic pain, fibromyalgia symptoms, help lesson the effects of Parkinson’s and more. Tell him Rochester Woman Online sent you! PEMF Rochester at oNe 330 West Commercial Street (9.07 mi) East Rochester, New York 14445 (585) 264-0250
RAISE A GLASS TO TOAST OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY.
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OH SUMMER TIME... BY KRISTEN JOY MARTIN
Oh Summer Time...sweet sweet summer time. It’s what dreams are made of for us 6-months-of-winter Rochester residents. We dream of it, we yearn for it and we long for long days of boating, swimming and maybe (ok, absolutely) a cold cocktail in hand while the kids play and we soak up that sweet rare sunshine!
to the other 3 moms in cover ups and then that one mom who somehow looks like a fitness model! We sit there feeling insecure, desperately wanting to take the blasted hot cover up off and jump in the pool, but all we can think about it our cellulite, belly bulge, floppy arms
There’s only one problem… Most of us will spend more time worrying about how we look in a bathing suit, shor ts or summer attire than actually enjoying the beauty of the short summer. As women we tend to spend more time picking ourselves apart then just putting on the dang swimsuit and hopping in the pool with our kids. Since becoming a mom I have become so much more aware of the typical “moms at the pool” scenario than ever before. It goes a little something like this: We arrive at the pool in our cover up with 47 bags, 10 pool noodles and a cooler of snacks for the kids (that aren’t on our “diet”). We unload our arms, slather the kids with sunscreen, set them free to swim and then we sit there in the shade with our cover up on sweating our faces off... next 184
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and what other people might think. So instead of getting in the pool we stay stuck in our heads with our insecurities. This may not be the situation for every woman out there but I’m willing to bet
that it is the situation for the majority of moms and a lot of women in general. I know this because I was this person for years and years! I know how it feels and I know that it only gets worse the older we get and the more wear and tear our bodies encounter. I used to be this person in the worst way but 2 years ago I decided that I didn’t want to be her anymore. I decided I wanted to be the mom in the pool and the woman who didn’t say no anymore because of my body insecurities. I decided I wanted to rock my body as-is in whatever state it is in and live my life. It’s been a long road but it’s been so worth it! The fact of the matter is that society has imposed some of the most unreasonable expectations on women. I’m on a mission to help change the world around me. I’ve never met a woman over the age of 35 that doesn’t have some form of cellulite yet we demonize it and act as if we are unhealthy because we have it. I’ve rarely met a woman who has had a baby that doesn’t have stretch marks or loose skin and yet we act like it needs to be covered up. Why??? Why do we have to be at war with our bodies and why do we need to cover up our “imperfections”. Why are we only supposed to show the “smooth” and “flat” parts of our body? Because that’s what we see in magazines or social media? Real life isn’t filtered and photoshopped and we have to start living our lives, flaws and all, out loud! We have to be
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role models for our daughters and help change the unrealistic standard of health and beauty that is flooding our lives. We have to GET IN THE POOL and enjoy this precious life. Four months ago I was honored to participate in the Mrs. New York America Pageant as Mrs. Victor. I had wanted to do a pageant since I was a little girl but truthfully never felt like I fit the standard of beauty needed to participate. I never had the body I believed I needed so I didn’t pursue it. After going back and forth for months I made the decision last October to enter the pageant this past March. Truthfully I was terrified (TERRIFIED) but I knew it was time to step out and truly change my life. I knew if I could get on a stage in my swimsuit with my mom bod I could do ANYTHING. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed many tears over the fear and there were times I wanted to quit...
but I didn’t and I DID IT!!It was one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done in my life and I overcame a hurdle that had held me back for years. I was one of the fullest figure contestants yet I had more compliments on my stage presence and figure than I could have imagined. I didn’t win but I was 5th runner up and I came out a new person! Now when I’m at the pool whether I’m bloated or feeling “slim” I walk with a swagger I never had before. Not because I’m perfect but because I now live with the freedom that I don’t have to be! I’m not saying you have to get on stage in a bathing suit to overcome your insecurities, although it would be pretty amazing if you did! Start with taking some baby steps and focusing on the beauty of your body instead of the “flaws”. Focus on all your body has gotten you through and all the places you’ve been together. Focus on your strong thighs, beautiful
curves, arms that hug your children and your belly that carried life. Then step out and put on the shorts despite the cellulite and just rock them! I guarantee you that the Women you are concerned will judge you or you think will size you up will actually be cheering you on inside! They’re throwing a party for you in their mind and you’re helping them change their perspective of themselves! So, every time you take that coverup off at the pool or put on the dress that you think shows off too much of your legs you are empowering yourself, other women, our daughters and you are playing your part in changing the unrealistic beauty and body standards! Together we can change the world around us and get our focus off of our bodies and get it back on living our best lives and not missing out on the things our bodies were designed for!
Spaces with Style
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LET’S GET REAL, PERIOD. BY ALEXIS SANTOS I PHOTOS BY ROB DANIELS
Period. Menstruation. That time of the month. Crimson Tide. A visit from aunt Flo. On the rag. Yes, I said it, all of it. It is that inevitable step in our transition from childhood to womanhood. The average woman is estimated to have 450 periods in her lifetime. While periods have been a thing since, well, human women have existed – there is still so much shame felt around even discussing it, let alone the blatant dismissal and disrespect a patriarchal based society has shown to this sacred aspect of being female. Most of us are familiar with the political side (such as the “pink tax” or being accused of PMSing for any number of reasons), but that is a discussion for another time. I want to share the insights and tools that Ayurveda h a s p rov i d e d me, ultimately changing my quality of life, especially on my period. Ayurveda is the world’s oldest holistic healing system dating back over 5,000 years and is still practiced as the main system of healthcare for more than 800 million people in southeast Asia and India alone. What sets Ayurveda apart from other systems of healing is the acknowledgement of the integral connection between mind, body and spirit. Without the nurturance and 190
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healing of all aspects, true health is not possible. In Ayurvedic Medicine, physical attributes of the body are viewed as being made up of the 5 elements: air, ether, fire, water and earth. Vata (air + ether), Pitta (fire + water) and Kapha (water + earth) are the physical expressions of the elements, each representing a collective of different functions within the physiology.
From an Ayurvedic perspective, the Doshas “build up” prior to menstruation and are eliminated during. The menstrual cycle involves all 3 of the Doshas, with Kapha creating swelling and fluid retention, Pitta creating heat, hot flashes, irritability, anger and heavy menstrual flow and Vata creating cramps, pain, anxiety, sensitivity and moodiness. Vata however, is recognized as being the most influential. Vata governs over movement, transportation and
communication in the body. To be more specific, the Sub-Dosha known as Apana Vata is the aspect of the Dosha that is responsible for the downward flow in the abdomen, and when “out of balance” it commonly expresses itself as constipation or bowel disorders and problems in the reproductive system. If the Doshas become too built up, or if Apana Vata gets weakened, symptoms begin to occur. As far as its correlation to the Chakras (subtle energy centers throughout the body), Apana Vata is connected to the second Chakra. Otherwise known as Swadhisthana, the second Chakra governs over our interdependence and emotional flow, and our ability to experience delight and contentment. Our feelings, sexuality, aspirations, passion, longings, necessities and prosperity are a direct result of its state of being. When balanced, it provides emotional intuition, the experience of intimacy and pleasure, the capacity to nurture ourselves and others, the wherewithal to change and flow and our ability to be plentiful. When imbalanced, “I don’t have the right to experience” is the impression it leaves, and its physical demonstrations being problems with reproductive organs, menstrual disorders, lower back pain, knee problems, lack of
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Ayurveda is the world’s oldest holistic healing system dating back over 5,000 years and is still practiced as the main system of healthcare for more than 800 million people in southeast Asia and India alone.
flexibility and the loss of zest for life. It’s estimated that 75% of women are affected by PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome). According to Robert F Casper, MD (from uptodate.com) PMS refers to a group of physical and behavioral symptoms that occur during the second half of the menstrual cycle when the hormone levels of estrogen and progesterone increase until day 21 and then begin to fall. Our bodies are easily influenced by the changes in hormone levels, even affecting the brain’s production of serotonin (the mood hormone). As reported, common symptoms of PMS are fatigue, bloating, irritability and anxiety. Other symptoms such as feeling sad or hopeless, feeling tense or “on edge”, difficulty concentrating, sleeplessness or excessive sleeping as well as physical manifestations such as breast tenderness or swelling, headaches, joint or muscle pain and weight gain are common. PMS is recognized as a PittaVata disorder in Ayurveda, with Ranjaka Pitta and Apana Vata being the Sub-Doshas involved. Ranjaka Pitta is the function and energy of the liver and gallbladder, and is responsible for the formation of blood, the bodies manufacturing of proteins and the regulation of blood sugar and cholesterol. Common conditions are skin rashes, irritability, EMA (early morning awakenings) and PMS. It becomes out of balance from immoderate or acute physical and mental activity, hostility, irritation or excessively heating foods. Minimizing stress is important, so doing things such as decreasing the fervor of our activities, spending time in nature, meditating, and steering clear of intense conversations and 192
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conclusions during the week leading up to your period can be very beneficial. Now to the main event – the actual period. 30-40% of women are reported to experience severe enough symptoms during menstruation that affect the quality of their lives. Dysmenorrhea (painful menses) and endometriosis (outward growth of the uterus lining) are some of the most common. As
discussed before, menstrual cramps and pain during menses are considered Vata disorders. Pacifying Vata is the heart of dealing with menstrual disorders. Resting and relaxation during our period is integral, as well as addressing sleep disturbances as to make sure we are getting plenty of good quality sleep. Massaging the abdomen with sesame oil and then applying a heating pad (wet heat preferred) can help with menstrual cramps. Daily Abhyanga (self oil massage) throughout the month leading up to our period can help to get eradicate symptoms
for some women as it physically manipulates the downward energetic flow. However, avoiding Abhyanga during menstruation is recommended as it can increase the intensity of the flow itself. Our periods are a time of purification, and are meant to be a shedding of old beliefs and tendencies that no longer serve us, a time to go within and reflect, to nurture and listen to our body’s needs. It is an experience that should be honored, each and every month. Excessive activity and large workloads should be set aside if possible. Lighten your experiences and surroundings, even if that means spending time alone. Other recommendations such as 2-4 tablespoon of pure Aloe Vera Juice daily, avoiding ice cold foods or over consumption of raw foods such as salads, incorporating more nourishing, warm, cooked and unctuous foods and substances such as fresh veggies sautéed in sunflower oil, semolina pasta and ricotta, and swapping butter out for ghee, and herbal formulas specifically designed around reproductive health are great modalities to correcting imbalances causing menstrual disorders. Most importantly, listening to what our bodies are telling us is crucial, and something as women we tend to ignore in order to keep up with the hectic lifestyles society has defined as “normal”. Having an easier period is within reach, it is our right and improves the overall quality of our lives. For more information on abhyanga, my services, or to book your own personal Ayurvedic Consultation email me at alexissantos@ sarvaniayurveda.com or call 585-362-1038.
{ SOUND & THE CITY }
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS SOUND? BY SHARI SANTOS I PHTOS BY ROB DANIELS
So what exactly is Sound? We know we’re surrounded by it, we use it to speak, we listen to it in a variety of ways and circumstances, but most of us take sound for granted. It’s been there before we were born (we hear sounds in the womb) and will be there until our last breath. The ear is the first organ formed in the fetus. The FIRST organ formed! It is also the last organ to stop functioning during the process of death. This bestows immense power from both a scientific and spiritual perspective. In ancient cultures, the ear was symbolized by the conch shell which resembles the gateway to the female reproductive o r g a n s . It i s feminine and soulful in nature due to its receptive, interior and mysterious qualities. The quality of our hearing and the sounds we hear are crucial as we attain sustenance and healing from them. It’s calculated that the ear is ten times more precise in its perception than the eye, and no other sensory organ can detect impulses as minimal as the ear, which can also perceive sounds over a vast dynamic of range. The ear symbolizes the soul, while the eyes symbolize the ego. If you’ve ever watched The Voice you can see that they take the judgmental, ego-based vision component out of the equation and rely solely on the ear to determine the quality 194
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and resonance of a particular voice and how it “speaks” to them. It’s an effective and honest way to make a sound judgment. Nikolai Tesla said “If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration”. This is because Sound is the building block of the Universe, and there are five levels of vibration in sound. These vibrations are frequencies, tones or timbres, musical
intervals and chords, music and energy. Frequencies are measured in Hz (Hertz) and here are a couple of examples to give you an idea: 1.2Hz is the average heart rate, 8Hz is the lowest frequency put out by whales, 25Hz stimulates mitochondria, is the frequency of a cat’s purr and is the lowest frequency most people can hear. 136.102Hz is the Om frequency, 144Hz is the code within the golden spiral of all atoms, 432Hz is average baby just out of the womb AND relates to the diameter of
the Sun (miraculous coincidence)?! These frequencies range from low to high, with 4000Hz being the most irritating (chainsaw frequency) while quartz crystals, essential oils and Bach Flower remedies are very high healing frequencies that work on the emotional, physical and spiritual bodies. Energy is the apex of the Sound Hierarchy. When energy is added to sound, the effect is exponentially amplified. We have witnessed this numerous times in a variety of ways. Prince, one of the greatest musicians of all time, is a prime example of energy in motion. His intention, passion, life force and vibrational frequency electrified everything in his domain, so much so that I feel electrified even when watching him on YouTube, I mean you didn’t even have to be at his concert to feel the enormous potential and kinetic energy that resonated from his being! He is a perfect example of the remarkable effect of what attention and intention can do to sound, and he transmitted that energy directly to his audience! In essence, everything is vibration. We are vibrating at an atomic level, and are influenced by sound at an atomic level. Science has concretely proven this, and the ramifications are enormous. Ancient cultures have been aware of this for thousands
FUSION WHO LEADERSHIP { {WOMAN INSPIRES} }
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{ SOUND & THE CITY } “If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration”.
of years, and have used sound to clear emotional, spiritual and physical blockages so that purification and transformation could take place. Out of all the sounds, the voice is actually the most powerful. Think about the power your favorite singers have over your emotional state…their voices are transmitted via sound waves from any part of the world and can directly and instantly affect you. That is the immense power of the voice! Your voice contains all the frequencies that make up your being, and MIT, IBM and even the Army among many others are deep into research of vocal analytics and sound technology. We have seen the use of sound in Western medicine with ultrasound being one of the most common diagnostic tools. Ultrasound is high frequency sound waves past the upper limit of human hearing, and is used to view the heart, kidneys, liver, blood vessels, organs and of course fetuses. Sound waves can deliver drugs to various locations in the body, monitor chronic liver disease and analyze harmful plaques in the veins and arteries. Stethoscopes have a “diaphragm” that vibrates when sound occurs, and these high frequency sounds travel up the tubing into metal earpieces and into the doctors ears. Sound has been an integral part of Western Medicine in diagnosing disease and health, but is rapidly expanding into using sound as a means of bringing the entire human being 196
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into a healthy state physically, mentally and spiritually. There is a resonant frequency for everything on the planet. In fact, researchers able to find the “frequency” of a cancer cell
have been able to explode the cell by matching its frequency and turning up the volume on it! I truly believe Sound Medicine will be the main form of medicine in the near
future. No horrible side effects, destruction of healthy cells, organs and depletion of vital energy is truly a gift from the Universe! As a Sound Yogini practicing Nada (Sound) Yoga, I couple my intention for healing with the Tibetan Singing Bowls, gongs, tingshas, tuning forks and chimes to create a transformational experience in mind, body and spirit. I also use color therapy with a full spectrum Chromascope Light box. The body loves and needs color, and the photonic energy is delivered via meridians or nadis to deeper parts of the body. All colors have a frequency as well. The deeply restorative harmonic frequencies of these instruments are magical as I have witnessed firsthand their effect on all levels of my being. They have been shown to lower blood pressure and improve circulation and blood flow. They induce a meditative state in minutes, and when the mind and body are completely relaxed is when true healing happens. Clients have reported sleeping better, less pain, dramatically reduced anxiety and a state of calm and peace. These instruments are created with the elements, and give the body what it’s missing when played. They are harmonic vitamins to the depleted, stressed out and sensory overload beings we have become. I feel truly blessed to play a part in the healing that we all need and deserve. Namaste.
{ PAMPERED BY WENDY }
WENDY’S HOT MESS EXPRESS BY WENDY ORADAT
The first thing I learned after becoming a Pampered Chef Consultant is that happiness is truly homemade. After a little over a year at Pampered Chef, I am only working two days a week outside the home at my old job. My remaining days are spent with my kids Lilliana (6) and Axel (4) while also having fun working with Pampered Chef, which doesn’t seem a bit like work to me. They love doing cooking demonstrations in my Pampered Chef Facebook Group “Wendy’s Hot Mess Express.” We would love you to join our group for cooking videos, cooking tips, recipes, specials, new products, and more! Scan the QR code for a quick link! Pampered Chef was founded in 1980 by Doris Christopher, who had the idea that if getting dinner on the table was easier and faster, families would be able to spend more quality time together. Cooking is the tool that can bring today’s families together one meal at a time. Together we are enriching lives, one meal and one memory at a time. When I graduated school with a Doctorate degree in the medical field, I never imagined I would be cutting 200
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back the time I spent in a career I liked and was proud of to sell high quality kitchen tools online full time from home. My journey started when I hosted a party March 2017 to get the products I needed to cook my own Easter dinner for my family. The consultant saw the size of my wishlist and asked if I wanted to join the Pampered Chef family. I now have a motto: if your
wishlist is above $100, host a party; if it is over $250 become a consultant. Best. Decision. Ever. My favorite part about being a Pampered Chef Consultant is the time I spend with my kids in the kitchen. I love trying new recipes with them. Both of my kids are picky eaters, but since
I started cooking with them my oldest tries something new each time we cook. My favorite perk is the free products I have earned during each month’s sale promotions or specials. I have earned an ice cream machine, grill stone, stainless steel skillet, and a grill pan, just to name a few. Of course, I get a paycheck, too! I would love to be able to help you with any kitchen issues you face! I can give you recipes, tools, and products that fit your lifestyle no matter what! Do you not have time to cook in between errands and sports practices? Do you hate to cook? Have a special diet or need to live a healthier lifestyle? I can help with any kitchen need you have! If you are on a budget, I can help you host a party so you can get 60% off a popular product from the host special, plus an opportunity for 50% off items, and free products too! Most importantly, I can help you become a consultant so you can earn extra money and spend extra time with your family. You, too, can realize that happiness is homemade!
“My favorite part about being a Pampered Chef Consultant is the time I spend with my kids in the kitchen. I love trying new recipes with them.”
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{ TIP FOR WOMEN }
CLEANER HOMES & A CLEANER CONSCIENCE BY CHRISTINE BAILEY-CLAR
Why Norwex?
Indoor air pollution is one of the top five highest-ranking environmental health problems in America, with chemical levels up to 70 times higher than outside. Much of this exposure comes from the things we use in everyday life, such as common cleaning products. The good news is that you can help reduce the amount of harmful chemicals in your home by using products with fewer harmful chemicals. Norwex Microfiber offers you a powerful clean with nothing but water.
and everyone, from newborns to seniors, is wiping or being wiped with something. I’m passionate about educating our society that it has options. Who knew water and a cloth could remove all of the harmful cleaning products from our home? Hey, there’s nothing better than water – we can all drink to that! While raising my four children and teaching middle school, the reality of life hit many times. Crayon art on the walls, milk dumped
Our household cleaning products use enzymes for their incredible cleaning power, instead of harsh chemicals like chlorine, ammonia and phosphates. Spotty appliances, messy countertops, and a dirty sink. Can you relate? Who hasn’t had a spill in the oven or an explosion in the microwave? Some can’t live with a mess, others don’t care. Kids or pets? Mirrors and windows get smudged. Life gets messy. Who wouldn’t want to reduce their cleaning time by 75% and use products that will protect their health? As numerous family members passed away from cancer when I was a child and teen, I realized that environmental factors had so much to do with this impact. Back then, the trendy expressions like “clean living”, “carbon footprint” or “body burden” had not been spoken in my world. Little did I know, I was exposed to toxins daily through the use of common household and personal care products, simply by inhaling their fumes, ingesting food or through my skin’s absorption. Everything
these products will give you palpitations… they’ll blow you away with their efficiency and ability! Here’s my why…it’s going to take the passion and wisdom of women to clean up this mess• The Environmental Working Group has detected 287 chemicals in the cord blood of newborns. Of these, 212 chemicals were banned more than 30 years ago. In most cases, these chemicals were passed from the grandmother to the birthmother… and now onto the new infant. • ADHD is diagnosed in the United States 100 times more than in European countries, where these chemicals are banned! • Leukemia, brain cancer, and other childhood cancers have increased more than 20% since 1975. • 62% in acute lymphocytic leukemia • 40% increase in childhood brain cancer
into the sofa, windows smudged 24/7, endless laundry, sticky floors and drawers, counters… perfection was unattainable, time was limited and the tidy was never done. Norwex was my solution. As a consultant, I teach my customers to take a cleaning moment so they’ll never need a cleaning day. Eco-friendly, healthy solutions for day-today cleaning and personal care! Those who love cleaning, well… go crazy…
• Environmental factors (including toxic chemicals) and not heredity plays the principal role in causing cancer. • 90% of childhood cancer may be explained by environmental exposures. • 150 chemicals found in the home are connected to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders. Source: EWG- Environmental Working Group, CDC Center For Disease Control Let’s roll up our sleeves women, we can do our work cleaner, greener, and with a clear conscience!
{ { SOUND SHIFT+CONTROL & THE CITY } }
WHAT’S NEW ON THA AVENUE, JOSEPH THAT IS. BYCHERYL L. KATES-BENMAN I PHOTOS BY MICHELLE ASHLEE
East side! Many Rochestarians won’t go past downtown Rochester. Oh, what they will be missing. Others remember Club 127. Through the years, we have watched as impoverished areas in the city of Rochester are getting a facelift and evolving to be areas people can frequent. A visionary, Reenah Oshun Golden, who you might know as the voice of the “Goddess Hour” on Wayo radio, brings her lifetime dream of “equal access in the arts”, that’s right to Joseph Avenue. Her vision brings a community theater to “the neighborhood” involving the community and providing free programming to kids. Most importantly, Reenah made sure everybody can afford to access the events at her theater, as it provides a sliding scale membership for those in the zip code. It is refreshing to see a positive force, making a difference to upbuild the area and breath life back into it. The Avenue Blackbox Theatre is born. The ribbon cutting ceremony occurred in June 2018 and Reenah is ready to bring the arts into the community. We as a city need this, especially when our news this month is plagued with homicides. By fall, Reenah is expected to have the Avenue Blackbox Theatre up-andrunning with a full premier season! Something positive, a safe place for kids and all are welcome! The teen summer program begins soon! Reenah worked tirelessly using social media fundraising to obtain most of the funds for the theater. It was an impressive movement to watch the community to come together and find a way to make this happen. Reenah shared, “I am the founder and artistic director at the theatre. Fundraising started immediately, when friends and supporters heard what I was doing. They began to help me organize opportunities. The first was a lovely brunch. This was held on behalf of this dream, by Jenny Kellogg of Hart’s Grocery. She got so excited when I told her about the project she 204
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immediately called friends over to her house, for a little get together. Between this group of friends and some of mine, we raised the first $ 3,000.00 and even more importantly, found my architect, Richard Rosen, who is married to one of the women at the group. He was vital to making the project happen. You can expect socially responsible, culturallyrelevant, dynamic multi-disciplinary performing arts productions. These works will include plays, live music events, independent film screenings, literary events, creative community outreach events and more. Most productions will include
community conversations and talk backs with performers and community reps. We aim to engage non-traditional audiences and long-term theatre patrons alike”. Reenah is an activist in her community. The social issues she is passionate about include urban education reform, disrupting racism, equity in the arts and creating inclusive safe places for all. Reenah loves to show people how their interests, stories and passions have a really high value in the creative world. She likes to give them inspiration to prioritize these things in their lives. Reenah has also made an impact in the community as a host of the “Goddess Hour” on Wayo 104.3 FM. She helped founder Mike Yates during the initial planning stages of the station. Once the station was approved,
Reenah reached out to community members connecting Mike with other people who were creative and cultural assets in the black community to recruit their involvement as well. First radio, and now theater! The Avenue Blackbox Theatre is an evolution and culmination of what Reenah put her blood, sweat ,and tears into over the last 20 years of her life. It kind of emulates her perspective as a person. She is many things: an activist, an educator and an artist. This theater is the center of life for “all of the things she has grown to love and appreciate”. It is also an opportunity for her as an individual, to create space for more urban-based theatre. The Theater is a 2000 square foot space, which can seat 72. The first resident group is already locked in, so we will enjoy the talent of the Rochester Latino Theater Company. Additionally, More Than Rebel Noise, Breathing Fire Teen Poetry and the Avenue Children’s Theater Project are in the house. When asking where Reenah gets her motivation, she shares “the creatives and radical lovers who I roll with. Authentic humans who are cultivating their best lives”. Reenah points out she is a survivor of the failing inner-city schools and institutionalized racism. She sometimes wonders how she dodged some of the pitfalls some of her peers and students struggled to navigate on a day-to-day basis. Creative thinking and a profound sense of self-awareness are things Reenah honors daily. These factors take part in her daily life decisions. Her motto is “Let your passion direct your path”. This was instilled in her life because she learned the hard way by not always following it. Reenah indicates, she now avoids making choices based on lack and instead cultivates the abundance of life’s currency combining it with rich-lived experiences. Reenah Oshun Golden is definitely a woman who inspires. Check out the Avenue Blackbox Theatre! Eastside baby!
{FUSION SHIFT+CONTROL LEADERSHIP } } } { {WOMAN WHO INSPIRES
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{ LET’S ASK ANN MARIE }
PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) PHOTOS BY ANN MARIE EBLING
Platelet -rich plasma first made its mark as a way to accelerate wound healing in orthopaedic surgery. We are now using plasma that is extracted from blood to rejuvenate your face and thinning hair. PRP stimulates your own collagen to grow for total facial or hair rejuvenation rather than individual hair or wrinkle improvement. Platelet -rich plasma is a concentrate of plateletrich plasma protein derived from whole blood, centrifuged to remove red blood cells. Since PRP uses your own blood, you should not have a reaction to it. After the procedure you may experience minimal pain, pinpoint bleeding and redness. The treatment for scalp and face is not covered by insurance.
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Anyone experiencing hair loss is essentially a good candidate for PRP treatments, but those with early hair loss tend to respond best. Treatments are typically performed three to four months, and then every three to six months thereafter, depending on the individual patient’s response and results. Following this protocol, anticipated results can first be seen within two to three months. The first results are usually a decrease in shedding followed by regrowth and increased length of hair. PRP facelift corrects all four elements of a beautiful face. PRP improves shape, texture, pigment and collagen production. Results begin to show
within three to four weeks after the treatment and continue to improve with time. The PRP treatment will consist of drawing a small amount of blood. While the PRP is being prepared, your skin will be cleansed and prepared for the treatment. The procedure is quick, approximately fifteen minutes. No post procedure care or time off from daily events. Mild swelling, redness, or bruising if present will fade in 1-3 days. The PRP is made from your own cells, virtually eliminating the possibility of negative side effects.
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{ LIFE{ COACHING A TRIP TO THE WITH SPAGINNY } }
SCREW SHAME WITH SELFLOVE! WHAT? BY GINNY HRONEK
How do you really feel when someone starts spouting about the importance of self-love? Kinda sappy? Like you want to leave this conversation, now? Yep, me too. Hang in here with me, please. I promise it won’t be too painful. And, maybe a little insightful. Love is not just a feeling, rather, love is an ability, suggests meditation guru Sharon Salzberg. Think about it, the ability to love yourself. For many people, it’s a preposterous concept. The plethora of selfloathing thoughts and negative self remarks become deeply ingrained, particularly among women, in a culture of sexual objectification. Previously, I’ve challenged the notion of self-love by arguing self-love is self-absorption or narcissism. But self-love is not narcissistic. For those of us who have been hampered with limiting beliefs, the concept of self-love is akin to walking into a train. Maybe it’s time to get off the track. The late, famed poet Maya Angelou once wrote: “I do not trust people who don’t love themselves and yet tell me, ‘I love you.’” Initially, I rejected that proposition, regarding myself as always trustworthy. I would clutch your deepest secret, always 214
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a loyal team player, never unfaithful in a romantic relationship, no matter the circumstances. Yet, I was misinterpreting Angelou’s statement. Rather, being trustworthy is not tied to common love expectations or conditions such as the unconscious notion that “I’ll love you as long as I get this or that in return.” Recently someone told me she was mad at a friend for not thanking her for a gift
she had sent. I asked, “Is that the reason you gave the gift, to be thanked? If so, you gave it conditionally.” Loving another is void of expectations. No expectation of a returned favor, a surprise bouquet of flowers, etc. Likewise, loving yourself is void of expectations. Not expecting yourself to be smaller or larger, wittier or smarter. Simply loving what is.
So how do we develop that ability to love ourselves? As I write this, I look around my little home and absorb the beauty of the space I’ve created, initially referred to by many as a poor real estate investment. I love the home I’ve created. I love myself. I reflect on my amazing kids and I pride myself for instilling many of their values. I love myself. Regarding the college students I taught who later sent me messages of appreciation for getting them through tough courses. I appreciate my ability to creatively teach. I love myself. How do you love yourself? Please take a time to pause and regard your talents, your abilities and what you have imparted to others. How do you love yourself? Trust that you have generously shared with others. Establish that loving relationship with yourself. Consider allowing me to help you with this journey. Reach out and text (585-2413020) or email me, ginny@ytcoach. com, to share the ways in which you love yourself. I’m listening. Please check out my website: www. yourturnlifecoaching.com. Contact me for a complimentary discovery session. I look forward to hearing from you! Cheers!
{ A TRIP TO THE SPA }
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{{ STRATAGEM STRATAGEM }}
LOCATION MATTERS BY LIZA PABON I PHOTOS BY STRATAGEM
L O C A T I O N MATTERS MORE THAN EVER In a mobile world, location provides the ultimate context for what consumers are doing and how they might spend their money. Businesses that engage mobile consumers with accurate and relevant content in the local moments that matter stand not only to drive more foot traffic to their door but also to create more opportunities for meaningful loyalty.
out from the competition by leveraging rich listings — moving beyond name, address, and phone to incorporate additional listing information to both inform and engage consumers. T H E 2 0 1 5 C O M PA R AT I V E LISTINGS STUDY A three-month study of 31,000 brick-
At Stratagem, location is at the heart of everything we do, and in this Comparative Rich Listings Study we analyzed over 31,000 businesses to demonstrate how something as simple as a complete online business listing can dramatically impact consumer engagement. INTRODUCTION Too many businesses still think of local digital presence with a yellow pages mindset, believing that name, address, and phone are all customers need to make a decision. Today’s mobile consumers expect more. Getting a business listed on a website, app, or directory site is the essential foundation of building a digital presence. But the full value is unlocked when businesses start using their location data not just for basic discovery but as a distinct marketing channel. You can differentiate your business and stand 220
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that rich business listings with images, descriptions, contact information, directions, and reviews outperformed their more basic counterparts. LISTINGS FIELDS STUDIED The study analyzed 14 popular business listing information fields (beyond name, address, and phone) and compared metrics for locations with each field complete versus metrics for locations with the field blank. The goal was to identify fields that businesses could add to increase consumer engagement and foot traffic. Key Findings
and-mortar business locations was conducted to illustrate the relationship between rich listings and consumer engagement. The study used our own Power Listings® Analytics to measure how the completeness of a business listing affected the following metrics: BASIC VS. RICH LISTINGS When it comes to online business information, less isn’t more. Time and time again, our research found
PAINT A FULLER PICTURE T h e 2 0 1 5 Comparative Listings Study shows that enriched listings are more effective at engaging consumers. By adding a few simple pieces of information to their local listings, businesses paint a fuller, more compelling picture for consumers. All of this is accomplished with minimal effort and cost. Locations with a URL link in the listing received 116% more listing views on average than those with no URL. Completion of any of the other 14 fields also increased consumer engagement. This type of improvement typically might require businesses to create
{{ STRATAGEM STRATAGEM }}
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businesses to create new content or paid ads, but in this case it was a product of adding basic business information. URL, logo, hours, and payment options are details that businesses have regardless of vertical. Very little, if any new content needs to be created by the business.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Enriching local business listings is a simple, powerful way for businesses across all verticals to increase impressions, views, and special offer clicks — all of which increase in-store visitors. Rich listings also increase intent-to-visit among consumers.
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By adding a few simple pieces of information to their listings, businesses paint a fuller, more compelling picture for consumers.
CONCLUSION
Accurate and complete location data in your business listings drives visibility, engagement, and more consumers through your doors. Since you can often enrich your listings with information that already exists, this effort is lowhanging fruit that marketers can use to boost in-store traffic. It’s time to move beyond mere name, address, and phone in your listings, and embrace today’s mobile consumers with the rich
information that moves them. So why let the public facts about your people, places, and products be scattered across multiple systems and spreadsheets — often with conflicting information and zero integration? Stratagem’s directory listing services integrate the accurate facts about your business across 100+ digital services globally, including Google, Apple, Bing, Facebook, Yahoo, and Yelp. Contact us today at 585-204-7974 to drive more business to your door.
1 585 204 7974 • 627 MEIGS STREE T ROC NY 1 4620 • WWW.F OLLOWSTRATAGEM.C OM •
@F OLLOWSTRATAGEM
{ CONFIDENT IN YOUR OWN SKIN }
FACE IN THE MIRROR BY MEG BURTON TUDMAN
How is it that we can look at the same face in the mirror for years, and some days think we’re so beautiful and other days so ugly? We’re looking at essentially the same face, however what we think and how we feel about our face can be vastly differently from day to day. We also often make a connection consciously or not between our worthiness and how we feel about our face. (As I wrote that last sentence, I thought to myself, that’s so ridiculous, tying our worth to how we think we look. Nevertheless, I know I’m not alone in that connection.)
ugly, not good enough or even flawed. Try this with me, take a deep breath and close your eyes, I invite you to picture the best version of you possible. Really focus on that version of yourself inside and out, that’s your real, true self. Allow your focus to be so strong that you crowd out the parts of you who don’t believe it. So strong that you confidently move forward into the
If our face is presumably pretty much the same, then wouldn’t it hold true that our opinion of our face should also be pretty much the same? This goes so much deeper than feeling extra beautiful because we’re glowing post yoga or run, or we’ve had our makeup professionally done or we’re in front of exceptionally good lighting. More than anything else, it’s our frame of mind that directly impacts what we see. From my own personal journey and my work as a health and mindset coach, I’m confident how we feel about our face has almost nothing to do with what it actually looks like. For our opinion of ourselves to change so drastically, something much more profound is at play. When we’re in a good mood, it doesn’t matter what we physically look like, when we see our reflection, we feel good about it. Conversely, when we’re having a bad day, we see ourselves through that negative veil and our perception veers towards 224
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best version of you. So strong that you replace fear with excitement for the real you. And so strong that you release any excuses that are holding you back from your best possible self. Continue to imagine that best version and when you look at your reflection give yourself permission to see that positive version. If you’re struggling with this, imagine how the people who love you the most see you. Borrow their lens and see yourself through their eyes, they see you as your
best and true self regardless of how you look on the outside. That common phrase, I’ll believe it when I see it, is actually incorrect. We see what we believe to be true and we can’t see it until we believe it. As our mindsets become more positive, our view of ourselves also becomes more positive and we’re more able to see our beauty. There’s an element of self-sabotage for those of us who choose to see ugly when we look at our faces. That belief, whether unconscious or not, keeps us stuck and playing small. It may be safe because it’s what we know, however it robs us of our best life and robs the world of all the goodness we have to offer. I invite you to empower yourself and experiment with these new actions to cultivate a positive mindset and healthy mind. Join me and start to feel confident (and beautiful) in your own skin today! 1. Refocus Your Eyes. See kind eyes gazing back at you when you look in the mirror. Instead of mentally tearing your face apart, practice focusing on your eyes. Look deeply into them and find the warmth and humanity in yourself. Use that focused gaze as a catalyst to treat yourself gently and cultivate feelings of love and acceptance. Experiment with sticky notes on your mirrors reminding you to look into your eyes and use a selfie of just your eyes as the background on your phone, then notice if with practice you’re able to crowd out the judgments and embrace the loving acceptance.
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{ WOMEN { SHIFT+CONTROL WHO INSPIRE } }
With every glance and gaze at your reflection work on supporting your authentic self and mak our internal and external selves and create balance between the two by choosing to refocus our e worthy of seeing beauty when we look in
2. Refuel Your Mind. Eat more healthy fats in order to support your brain health and mindset. Here are some of my favorite healthy fats: avocados; fatty fish like salmon; nuts, especially almonds, walnuts and macadamias; chia seeds; coconuts and coconut oil; and extra virgin olive oil. Test incorporating healthy fats into all of your meals and notice how you feel. With every glance and gaze at your reflection work on supporting your authentic self and make the conscious choice to see the goodness and beauty that make the true you. Let’s support both our internal and external selves and create balance between the two by choosing to refocus our eyes on the best version of ourselves, while also refueling our mind with healthy fats. We are each worthy of seeing beauty when we look in the mirror and that beauty starts within. -Meg Burton Tudman helps successful women who feel stressed and exhausted (yet still striving for more!) master their mindset for a complete inner and outer transformation, that empowers them to live authentically and actually enjoy the life they’ve created for themselves. Click here for your free Reset Your Mindset Toolkit with 7 quick reset strategies, plus a weekly checklist. https://www. megburtontudman.com/reset-yourmindset Website: https://www.megburtontudman.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ MegBurtonTudmanCoach/ Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook. com/groups/confidentinyourownskin/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UC0eUJrlMNXy4FQEOXkeVWUw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ coachingbymeg/
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{ WOMEN WHO INSPIRE }
ke the conscious choice to see the goodness and beauty that make the true you. Let’s support both eyes on the best version of ourselves, while also refueling our mind with healthy fats. We are each the mirror and that beauty starts within.
{ PARTNERS IN A JOURNEY }
DANCING TO END ALZHEIMER’S BY OLGA MONACELL
Purple balloons greeted dance enthusiasts the week of summer solstice this past June at Arthur Murray Franchised Dance Studio of Rochester. The studio owners Joe Born and Kate Kearney-Born held five nights of entertainment celebrating The Longest Day®, a nationwide event to raise funds for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. I set down with Joe and Kate at their studio in Pittsford Colony Plaza to learn more about their commitment to bringing attention to Alzheimer’s and raising funds to find a cure for the disease. Accomplished professional ballroom dancers, Joe and Kate have gained dance training and experience while working as Arthur Murray instructors for a combined 25 years. Six years ago, they acquired an Arthur Murray’s franchise and now employ eight dance instructors. Joe continues teaching dance lessons whereas Kate has assumed the business manager role but remains proficient in dancing as well. Both Joe and Kate describe themselves as Rochesterians born and bred. They left the area for a couple of years to work elsewhere but chose to return home because both of their families are here. They live in Irondequoit with their three kids. “We love our community. And now that we feel we have become successful in our industry, we want to give back and do it in a million different ways,” Kate said. When the couple found out that Arthur 228
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Murray International has a corporate partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association for The Longest Day, they didn’t think twice about embracing the initiative. Both Joe and Kate have vivid childhood memories of grandparents who lived with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
Vivian developed dementia, Kate’s aunts took care of their mother. It was hard for young Kate to watch how her grandmother was slipping away. “Vivian, an extremely well put together--in a very Italian way-woman just stopped taking care of herself,” added Kate.
“Alzheimer’s is an important issue for me and my family,” said Joe. He was about 12 years old when his grandfather was diagnosed. Joe came of age while his parents
These personal experiences have motivated the couple to welcome individuals who live with the disease and their care partners in their dance studio. Kate reminisced about a student from her early years as a dance instructor. When Kate worked at Arthur Murray’s Irondequoit studio, she taught dance lessons to Virginia Dunn. Even though Virginia didn’t join the studio until she was in her mid-70s, she picked up the instructions quickly and turned out to be a talented dancer. Several years later, she was diagnosed with dementia but kept dancing almost until she passed. “Virginia would walk into the studio and wouldn’t recognize who we were or remember names, yet she would get on the floor with her teacher and dance anything. The music would come on and the instructor would lead her around the floor. Virginia had no problem remembering any step she had learned. She danced flawlessly,” Kate said.
were taking care of his grandfather in their home for almost five years. “He stayed with us until my parents couldn’t do it anymore. Six months before he passed, they had to find help because he was in a bad shape. I remember watching his deterioration and wishing there was a way that we could make Alzheimer’s not a thing anymore.” “My grandmother Vivian was off the boat from Italy. She took extremely good care of herself and loved to dress up. It didn’t matter how old she got,” Kate said. When
Joe shared a more recent story of a student whose wife lives with Alzheimer’s. Debbie and Bob Johnson of Pittsford had been Joe and Kate’s students at Arthur Murray for almost 12 years when Debbie was diagnosed
{ PARTNERS IN A JOURNEY } “We believe ballroom dancing can have huge positive impact on brain health and can help both people with Alzheimer’s and their care partners.
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with an younger-onset Alzheimer’s six or seven years ago. For more than three years after the diagnosis, the Johnsons continued dancing at Arthur Murray. I reached out to Bob, who is an active Alzheimer’s Association volunteer, to talk about his love of ballroom dancing. “My wife and I have always enjoyed dancing together and had a great time at Arthur Murray studios. Eventually, Debbie would forget the moves we had learned and we could no longer dance together,” Bob said. The couple stopped dancing for a while. “They realized they didn’t have a ton of time and wanted to travel while they could,” Kate said. Having been Debbie’s care partner for a number of years, Bob had to make a decision to move Debbie into a place that can better manage her condition. 230
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Their daughter encouraged Bob to resume dancing because her mom loved it so much. He now takes one private and one group lesson a week and goes to a weekly dance party on Fridays. “He is here every day, dancing with us. When he goes to visit Debbie, he plays music for her,” Kate said of Bob. “We are honored being part of the ups and downs in the lives of Debbie and Bob. Bob is our inspiration. We believe ballroom dancing can have huge positive impact on brain health and can help both people with Alzheimer’s and their care partners,” she added. The week of June 18, the Arthur Murray Franchised Studio of Rochester hosted a wine tasting, a silent auction, a “dunk-tank your dance instructor” night and a discothemed Big Purple Party. All funds raised
from The Longest Day events at the studio benefited the Alzheimer’s Association. At this stage in their careers, it is important for Joe and Kate to go beyond offering dance lessons. The couple tries to create a warm and healing ambience in their studio for families impacted by Alzheimer’s. “Because of our personal stories and those of our students such as Bob, Debbie and Virginia, we can’t be more thrilled to raise money to find a cure. We also want to let people know that dancing could help those affected by Alzheimer’s bring back great memories,” Kate said.
Join the world’s largest fundraiser to fight Alzheimer’s disease. Register today at alz.org/walk. Canandaigua: Oct. 6 at Granger Homestead Elmira: Oct. 13 at Eldridge Park Rochester: Oct. 20 at Frontier Field
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{ CRAZY, FIT PREGNANCY }
THE UNDERCOVER REPORT. BY TRACY JASON ECHEVERRI
WHAT PEOPLE DON’T TELL YOU ABOUT BEING PREGNANT So as most of you know I am pregnant. Very Pregnant, 39 weeks to be exact and let’s just say I am ready for the next step. I am over being pregnant and uncomfortable. I am over people telling me I can’t do anything like I am physically handicapped. I am over people giving me advice or actually telling me how I should raise my kid-like I am actually going to listen to them at all. For anyone that has gone through pregnancy, you can relate to all these feelings. This has been a wild ride and a huge eye opener for me and an immense mental journey more than anything. I had to accept this body change and attempt to embrace it and at this point I have but am now ready to have this little one and just hold him or her and get on with my story. I struggled again this month trying to figure out what to write. Ultimately like I said-I am over this pregnancy thing, I don’t even want to talk about it. Overall, I think it’s just my body being as tired as it is, and it is has worked so hard these last 39 weeks and this mama is ready to get this baby out. But as I look back I was trying to think of things I can pinpoint as stuff I really recommend you do when pregnant and also what to expect or what to let go or not care about. I did a quick poll on Facebook and reached out to some of my expecting friends and to the super moms who have been on this ride way more times than me. So here are some things people don’t tell you and if you are as immersed in social media as most of us-pregnancy looks like a god damn dream and it is not! 232
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1- Nothing in Pregnancy is Beautiful.
Other than the moment you find out your expecting because at that time it’s so early and your body isn’t feeling pregnant-the rest of the time you do not feel well, and things aren’t pretty. The snazzy Facebook post you make celebrating that this time you actually did not avoid getting pregnant like the last 15 plus years will be that 15 seconds of fame and flooded joy and then it will disappear into feeling like crap. Oh, and then you have your alien like sonogram picture that no one even knows what their looking at other than it is
supposed to be a tiny human. These pictures you really never will get used to looking at or know what you need to look for-ever. Anyways- after that Facebook announcement, it is constant awkwardness. You are peeing in a cup every other week, you are constipated or nauseous or surprise---BOTH! I stopped fitting in my clothes immediately and was also told I cannot really eat drink or do anything anymore because it was illegal in the Prego world. I may be different than the rest, but I didn’t like being held back or not being able to do what I used to do because I was pregnant. It
just drove me nuts. Until your pregnant, you don’t expect these things to be as aggressive or people being as hostile to you regarding their views. You hear the stories, but you just don’t know till it happens.
2- You Need to Get Your Health in Order.
If you are overweight and/or are constantly struggling, you need to get serious about your health. You will be gaining weight no matter what because of this baby, but it needs to be the right weight. Not eating like a slob just because you think you are allowed. Ultimately doing that will result in you gaining more than you should which could put you and the baby in harm’s way with health issues or struggling to lose the baby weight after it is born because you didn’t eat properly. If you are already in shape and healthy you will continue your good habits, but you need to not obsess over the weight gain and keep yourself in check on how much you work out and not overdo it, so you also do not put you or your baby in dangerous territory. Typically, when we hear about pregnant women, we see them eating like crazy and more than ever and it’s an acceptable thing to do. You have to think about it differently. Why are we restricted so much from alcohol or certain foods or activities? Because we are growing a little human inside us and we have to be extra careful. But if you look at how pregnant eating is portrayed, it is usually the exact opposite. The mom is overeating everything from ice cream to pizza to every fast food you can think of; it is a huge exaggeration and also very unrealistic or should be. I had cravings. I wanted anything creamy from butter to cream cheese and mayonnaise. Don’t get me wrong-I ate those things but not in crazy excess. Just because you are pregnant does not mean you can eat anything you want because
{{ PARTNERS CRAZY, FITIN PREGNANCY A JOURNEY }} I believe with age you finally come to a realization. It takes you years and maybe some people they’ll never figure out how to deal with this. I finally realized that no matter what you do, someone will have an opinion about it.
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{ CRAZY, FIT PREGNANCY } Overall, I kept living my life and bitched about those changes, but I can’t say it was the worst thing I ever had to do.
more than likely you will suffer after the fact and will struggle with that weight loss. Some never lose it.
3- Butt Shot?!!!!
Never in my life did I ever get a shot in the butt, but you do when you are pregnant. Also, if you’re like me and you hate needles, be ready to be queasy. You are giving blood almost every visit in the beginning and for me I struggled every time.
sentence. People are shitty man. Plain and simple and women are the worst. Men are typically smart enough to stay away from the subjects and just say congrats. And for oncethe men are right!! Just say congrats and leave it at that. Mostly the women and mothers have the impulse to tell you how you should
4- Maternity Clothes Are Overpriced!
Some chicks look great in the maternity clothes but most of my pregnancy I just wore larger sizes because I did not show till later. Also, some of the maternity stuff I did try on-I felt made me look as large as a house. I know pregnancy fashion has really excelled in the last few years and is so much more appealing compared to when my mother was expecting, but no matter what sometimes you still just look crappy. Also, the clothes are not cheap! Until you have an ultimate bump-you really do not need maternity clothes. I wasn’t showing until maybe 20 plus weeks or later. I knew I looked bigger a few weeks after I found out but no one else could tell. So, my recommendation to you is hold off on spending crazy money on overpriced maternity clothes until you have to.
5-Babies were born in barns a little while back! People love to shame you. They will tell you that you are crazy for working out and give you dirty looks while you’re at the gym and then they will also tell you that you look too big for how far along you are in the same
do things and how they know better or that they know your body better than you do. Ignore them or kindly tell them to f*** off. Politely though!! So many people will tell you what is right or wrong for you and your baby. That those supplements will kill your kid or drinking any caffeine will just be the
end of the world. Dude- parents smoked and drank 20 years ago and the kids came out just fine. Kids were born in the middle of nowhere on grass and the mom and kid somehow survived. So, in my eyes-all these excessive lists of things you can’t do is a load of BS. I cut back on the caffeine before I even conceived the baby because I was doing it to be healthier. I am not a smoker so that wasn’t a problem and I didn’t really drink much anymore so if anything, I thought it was a great challenge to cut booze out for this extended amount of time. I tried to obey mostly everything and stopped spray tanning although I was heartbroken about it and I also stopped eating sushi which was also such a bummer. Overall, I kept living my life and bitched about those changes, but I can’t say it was the worst thing I ever had to do. Going through a pregnancy will be one of the most amazing and challenging things you will ever face as a woman. You have to manage your body and mind changing throughout these 9 months and somehow grasp the concept of it all. It’s impossible to say or do all the right things because honestly there is no right or wrong. Sure, you definitely should not smoke or do drugs through a pregnancy but having a little deli meat won’t kill you. You need to pick your battles. You need to keep sane. This is about you feeling comfortable or the best you can feel through this hectic time in your life. You are going to be a mom. Can you believe it? I still can’t. I still think it’s a dream and I am still in shock of it all. Until this baby pops out, I am still thinking I am just large and in charge and not making a baby! Good Luck to you all and I look forward to my next article which will be about being a new mom!
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{ ROC AND SOUL FITNESS }
ROC & SOUL FITNESS BREAKS DOWN THE BARRE BY MALENA GUADAGNINO
ROC & Soul Fitness is BREAKING DOWN THE BARRE and explaining the amazing benefits of the ballet inspired fitness class. Although many of the movements and positions from barre class come from ballet, the barre workout is definitely not a dance class. One will not find choreography, tutus, or leotards in this fun and energizing class, and no dance experience is needed to ROC at the barre. Barre fitness class will keep you on your toes, literally. Essentially, our barre classes (SOUL Barre and BARRE Flow) combine the best of ballet, yoga, Pilates, and functional weight training for a full body workout that targets all major muscle groups. The barre technique stems from a dancer named Lotte Berk; an injured dancer looking for a way to rehabilitate, fundamentally creating her own version of physical therapy. Berk had such great results with her back and the wonderful impacts of tightening and toning, that her barre workout became a hit. Berks’s method is widely used in barre classes around the globe and ties in those small isometric movements that engage and strengthen the core, arms, legs, back, and of course, let’s not forget the booty. ROC & Soul Fitness instructors keep the terminology easily accessible for those who may not have a dance background. One common phrase you might hear in class would be, “down and inch, up an inch,” which literally means we’d like our students to use small, tiny movements moving the muscle group only one inch. These small repetitive isometric movements isolate 240
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specific muscle groups and target slow-twitch muscles, which helps build endurance and strengthen the muscles. Embrace the shake! As your muscles reach their point of fatigue, you might notice your legs or arms begin to shake. Shaking is totally normal because your muscles are telling you they are feeling the burn. After working each muscle group, the instructors provide a wonderful stretch routine, bringing in many yoga elements to lengthen and elongate the muscles.
but not enough to tear the muscle. Just because this class is low impact does not mean it is not a hard workout. The barre workout is challenging, but is perfect for all ages because it puts little stress on the joints and can easily be modified. Plus, it has a low injury risk because you are putting less stress on your joints. The beauty is that no matter your age, you can take the movements to your range of motion to suit your needs. You can even do barre if you are pregnant, just as long as you notify your instructor for modifications and follow your doctor’s recommendation for exercise.
2. Barre Helps build range of motion and endurance for other sports
What are the benefits of barre? 1.Barre is a low impact workout and is perfect for all ages
Think the opposite of Cross Fit; this is a relatively low impact class. Typically, in a barre class there is little to no jumping, no heavy weights, and not much cardio. For those used to HIIT and Cross Fit style classes, it might seem like you are not working hard enough, but that is NOT the case. With focus is on the small isometric movements throughout the entire class, the muscles fire up and become more elastic,
Barre classes target the core, which is often neglected in other conventional strength training classes. Barre is perfect for cross training because it gives your joints a break, while strengthening and stretching muscles. Runners, golfers, soccer plays, cheerleaders, and more can benefit from the strengthening and stretching in barre class. The stretching in barre class can open hips, lengthen hamstrings, and increase shoulder mobility, perfect for golf and tennis players. You also gain strength in your feet, ankles, and calves, which can improve your running and can reduce shin splints.
3. Barre increases flexibility, balance, and strengthens bones
Our barre classes focus on proper stretching to improve flexibility to and range-of-motion. We end each class with a fantastic stretch series. It amazes us to see our clients’ flexibility improve over time. Along with flexibility,
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Our Barre classes offer total body toning conditioning to give you a longer, leaner, more defined physique.
and , and
we aim to work on balance. As women age, not only is balance important, but also maintaining healthy bones. Women peak at bone density around age 30. Barre can rebuild and reshape current bone structure. Using light weights and body resistance can help keep bones strong, helping women maintain a healthy bone mass.
barre workouts focus on one major muscle group at a time, it has absolutely amazing results. The targeted muscle work means major tightening and toning in regions that women often struggle with, such as hips, glutes, and thighs.
4. Barre Classes give a full body workout
Hitting the barre is fun! Group fitness classes are very motivating and you can make friends at the barre with our warm and inviting atmosphere. Our instructors play fun, energizing playlists and often plan themed classes to keep things interesting. Do you want to break out that leotard and neon head band? No problem! 80’s night themed classes are a blast. Sometimes we even practice barre at the bar for a special
In ROC & Soul Fitness’s barre class, you get a one-hour workout that targets all the muscle groups. Most importantly, almost all of the exercises and movements engage the core. Barre works those easy to forget about muscle. So often people will tell our instructors that they worked muscles they didn’t even know they had. Because 244
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5. Barre classes are fun and can turn into a party
treat. Want to plan a private party? We have hosted birthday parties, bachelorette, and corporate events at our studio. We’d be happy to plan a personalized class for you and your friends. A special thank you to Corin at Divine Images Photography for beautifully capturing our barre classes in action. Visit her website for more information on maternity, family, and senior portraits. Like to try a barre class or learn more? Visit our website www.rocandsoulfitness.com to register for class and to see our class offerings.
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{ LIFE COACHING WITH GINNY }
SCREW SHAME, AGAIN BY GINNY HRONEK I PHOTO BY RENEE VENISKY
This is a follow-up to April’s article, “Screw Shame.” Overcoming limiting beliefs is a process. There is no one-size-fits-all. I expect some readers will say to themselves, “What does she know, she’s a life coach, lucky, successful.” Please bear with me... it ain’t been so easy, sista! I’ve struggled with limiting beliefs as long as I can remember, beginning around age four. My older sisters ridiculed my chubby legs, at five I was told my neck was too short; at seven my eyes were too narrow, my waist too thick. At nine, mocked by my siblings who discovered I had prematurely started my period at a very early age. “Ginny’s got her period,” they chanted to their friends. Where do you hide at that age? My mother was suffering from mental illness and not a resource. Shame. Tears. Crawl. Under. Bed. At age eight, I found solace in community service. I organized a neighborhood carnival and raised money for a Red Cross fund relief in our community. The article and photo in the local paper gave me confidence to continue helping. Throughout my pre-college years I volunteered for many causes. These experiences gave me confidence outside of my physical self. Yet, I continued to consider myself fat, unattractive and incompetent. Fast forward to young adulthood. I was the only woman in my criminal justice undergraduate and graduate programs and 248
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invariably harassed and humiliated. Later, the only woman in my faculty department. I got the “gutter” assignments, teaching the most heavily populated classes and new preps every semester. On the home front, the only spousal attention I received was about my small waist. Anorexia was my antidote for control. 5’4”, 100 lbs. My slow recovery began while reading
unequivocally helped me to love myself. Oh sure, there are days that I can make self-deprecating comments. It’s a work in progress. Would you hold on to your garbage till it rotted? I bet not! But we give our limiting beliefs the strength of diamonds and refuse to let go. I get it, repeat that you are fat or dumb and that becomes the scapegoat for not losing weight or not seeking a more fulfilling life. Try this: look at your hands, look at your feet, look all around. See yourself in a mirror. Find one place that feels good. Tell that part you are grateful. Pull out your phone and take a picture, or, write it down. Describe what you like. Start the journey. Keep a “love myself ” journal. Create your recovery.
the classic Fat Is a Feminist Issue by Susie Orbach. This coincided with viewing my bony knees in a department store mirror and exclaiming in fright. I was certain they belonged to some undernourished soul when I realized they were mine. Recovery is all about learning to love yourself and self-compassion. Eventually, we learn to know that you can never fully love someone else unless you love yourself 100%. I had that epiphany when my children were grade-school age. Embracing them
Loving Kindness guru, Sharon Salzberg offers an impactful mantra: “May you be safe. May you be healthy. May you be happy.” You’re encouraged to practice this mantra, or whatever works for you. Open your heart. Welcome your beautiful self! Until next issue, with more recovery suggestions, check out my website, yourturnlifecoaching.com. Text/call 585.241.3020 or email me at ytcoach.com for a complimentary discovery session. I look forward to connecting! Cheers!
Gnny
{ READS & WRITES }
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{ KAREN’S { JOURNEY’S KOACHING BY KARIN KORNER } }
ARE YOU UNHAPPY WITH YOUR ORDINARY LIFE? BY KAREN MESSINA
The Motivational Triad can help you create an “extra-ordinary” life…. I learned about the Motivational Triad from Master Coach, Brooke Castillo. It is a concept that puts into perspective how we have been living our lives and how we can change our lives for the better. Is your life ordinary and you feel that ordinary isn’t enough for you? Are you living from your past or from your future thinking? Did you know that you can “deliberately change” the way you think in order to change your future? Well, that is a lot, right? Let’s get started. The motivational triad, as explained by Brooke, is what human beings have been motivated to do in order to survive. What does that mean you might ask….., we as humans have evolved to survive in this way, 1) to seek pleasure, 2) to avoid pain and 3) to exert the least amount of effort. When we seek pleasure, we survive. Some of the pleasures that we seek include connection with other people, food, sex and other things that help make us feel good and help us survive in this world. We avoid pain. We try to keep ourselves away from things that hurt us. We protect ourselves from any kind of emotional 254
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pain. We have felt like this is the way to live and be happy, but pain is built into the human experience as a way of survival. We exert the least amount of effort, in most circumstances, as a way to stay alive and to be happy. Again, we are designed and we are evolved to seek pleasure, to avoid pain, and to
exert the least amount of effort as possible. This is what has gotten us to this point but that exact motivational triad that we’ve evolved to is the exact problem that we are going to have when it comes to moving into our futures because all of the things that got us here are the exact opposite of what are going to get us to the next stage in our lives. So, in a nutshell, you are looking to your
past to create your future, which as I just explained in the triad, is the problem. This causes a sense of dissatisfaction with your life. That desire for something more, that desire to go into the next version of yourself becomes totally misdirected. We buy more things, which doesn’t seem to solve it. We overeat more food, which doesn’t seem to solve it and we overdrink or overplay. This is what is called BUFFERING. As humans, we have learned how to buffer as a way to survive. Buffering is avoidance, which means we are avoiding any kind of pain or discomfort and instead of dealing with those things we buffer them. Since our brains have evolved to avoid pain by buffering, we end up seeking pleasure to avoid pain, which puts us into survival mode. [Buffering to avoid Suffering]. What is the solution….? The solution is to put effort, the exact opposite of the motivational triad, into changing those neuropathways in your brain. We need to do the opposite of what the old motivational triad was and ON PURPOSE, create a new motivation. Pave some new pathways for your brain. Our brains are very efficient. That is your brain’s job, to be efficient and remember. Give it a new thought to use and memorize. We must give up that immediate pleasure for the long-term pleasure, the exact opposite of what we’ve evolved ourselves to do.
{ {JOURNEY’S SPECIAL FEATURE BY KARIN} }
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{ KAREN’S { JOURNEY’S KOACHING BY KARIN KORNER } } You need to deliberately change the way you are thinking now and the way your “past thinking” has been to a new thought and a new plan.
You are going to let the normal pleasures of life, instead of the artificial pleasures of life, grab your attention. You are going to be willing to move toward the discomfort. You are going to be willing to take massive action toward your future to get the positive results in your life. 256
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You need to deliberately change the way you are thinking now and the way your “past thinking” has been to a new thought and a new plan. It takes practice and effort, which we are not used to doing, but is essential to our new survival plan. I can help you start this process. To learn more about this concept you can contact
me via my webpage to set up a free mini session at: https://kmessinalifecoach. wixsite.com/mysite Or email me at kmessinalifecoach@ gmail.com
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MOVING FORWARD BY KAREN MESSINA
A R E Y O U PA S T FOCUSED OR FUTURE FOCUSED? I recently did a blog on Getting Past Your Past and I feel like I can’t talk enough about that topic because it is the biggest blocker of success that we all suffer with. So, a good way to move forward is to stop beating yourself up over your past. It sometimes feels like if we punish ourselves it will push us to make a positive change. Taking action and moving forward does not come from beating yourself up over your past or past actions. Remember in my last podcast I mentioned that your past is over and done with. The only place your past lives is in your mind and your thoughts. You have the power to rewrite your future. Let’s look at how you interpret your past, which is anything that has happened up until this moment. Are you using all of those things that have happened, all the things that you have done or not done, to define yourself? Let’s start defining yourself by your future, instead of defining yourself by your past. Now think about that. So here is the thought, if you are defining yourself by your past, you are going to create more of your past. I find that when I look at people that never can seem to move forward with anything in their lives, it just seems like I can predict exactly what’s going to happen next year and the year after for them. I think it is because they always live based on a repetitive thought pattern of what has 258
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happened in their past, which is what they think defines them. If you look at people who are always creating something new, always coming up with new ideas; they are basing themselves on the future. Negative thoughts from the past are always recycled, so you’re always thinking something that has always created a negative feeling that has created an action that may not have been desirable and that has created a result, good or bad. So, if you want
think our recycled thoughts from our past are our reality, but that is not true at all. You have the power and ability to create the kind of life that you want, by simply realizing that the past is exactly that, “past” and deliberately thinking new thoughts to create the kind of life you really want. It is not easy, but you cannot let your past define you, otherwise you get stuck in the spin cycle of past, negative thoughts which fogs up your ability to create new thoughts. As Brooke Castillo explains: “The way that you know if you’re thinking deliberately consistently is you will consistently have new results in your life. If you are always getting the same results, you’re always thinking the same thoughts. Thoughts create feelings, create actions, create results. So, if you feel the same feelings, think the same thoughts, you’re doing the same things, you’re getting the same results, it’s because you’re not thinking deliberately enough.” Here are the problems with being past focused.
to create something new, if you want to implement a new idea, you have to think a thought you have never thought before. The way to think a new thought is to shift your mind from thinking about the past, which is all recycled, to thinking about the future, which is all fresh and new. It is more effort to think deliberately, to think about and create your future, than it is to just recycle your past. We tend to
1. You limit your potential by what you have been able to do in the past. 2. You explain your life by what happened in your past, your identity is pre-defined and hard to change. 3. You explain current behavior by your past and make it hard to change. 4. You make excuses based on past experiences.
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{ KAREN’S { JOURNEY’S KOACHING BY KARIN KORNER } } How can we turn this around and change the pattern of your past thinking?
5. You may use evidence from your past to identify as a victim in a situation. The truth is that you can’t go back. The past is over. For some of us, this is a blessing. The good news, however, is that the future is yours for the taking. How do you make that happen, you might be asking? Here is what my experience says, you need to take control of who you want to be. A past focused person will say things like: “That’s how I’ve always done it. That doesn’t work for me. I’ve always had this issue my entire life. This is just how I am.” Those kinds of comments are what define a person by their past. Start creating from your future and stop creating from your past. Get excited about the possibilities of what you could have in your life, rather than what you have never had in the past. You get to decide how 260
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to proceed because you are in control of your own life. If you find yourself blaming everyone and everything for how you feel and for your end results, that is a great place to start. Let’s use an example, let’s say that you feel like you are not appreciated among your co-workers because they don’t invite you to work functions. You were told about the half day Friday outings at the beginning of the year, but you wanted to be invited personally by your co-workers so that you could feel better about attending and being part of the team. Each week that goes by, you feel less like part of the team and you become resentful. You want to blame someone or something for how YOU feel. You begin to gossip to others about how this group has been alienating you from the outings. You feel like if you get others to “see it your way” you will feel vindicated
in some way. You have had this problem in your past with your family so your past thoughts will create that negative feeling which will make you act in that same, old way which will undoubtedly end with a negative result. How can we turn this around and change the pattern of your past thinking? Rather than expect a personal invitation from your co-workers, you could have said, “can I get the schedule of the half day Friday outings so that I can put it on my calendar?” Then you are taking control of your outcome, you will be in attendance and likely having a great time. Your past behaviors may have lead your co-workers to believe that you are an unhappy or negative person which may have kept them away from you, giving you evidence that no one likes you. Changing your thought and behavior creates a positive end result.
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{ IN HER DEFENSE }
WOMEN’S INTUITION BY DAVE JENKINS
“On your side” A thought provoking column about personal safety. Hello everyone. Every issue, we’ll do a column about your personal safety. This might be something general or specific, depending on current events or special requests. This information is for you to use and share. I bet that most of you have had that ‘feeling’ that something was wrong. It may have been an odd quirk, a unease in your abdomen, a tingling in the back of your neck, or maybe it was something you couldn’t describe. But that feeling was there, it was real, and it was telling you something. But what was that feeling telling you?
or make excuses for that odd feeling. We KNOW something is wrong, but we just think that it’s our mind playing tricks. We think that we will be made fun of if we say or do something. We’re told “It’s nothing, just ignore it” while our brain is telling us quite the opposite. Talk about frustrating! Think about this: Our brains are our most powerful tool we have. When we allow our brains to work, amazing things happen. We invent, we create, we nurture, we build bonds, and we survive.
Women’s Intuition. A gut feeling. A premonition. Call it what you want, they’re all correct. ACT ON IT!!!! Don’t ignore that intuitionbecause it is most likely correct. Whatever name you give this feeling, our bodies have a way of communicating to our brains that something is going on and you should be aware or paying attention. Awareness is one of the most important keys for personal safety. Being aware of your surroundings or situation is important. You’ll notice more, you will see something happening and you’ll have time to process the details and react if necessary. Listening to your intuition is important. Over time, we tend to ignore, override, 264
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Let’s look at our personal safety. Have you ever heard someone say “It happened before I could react” or “I never saw it coming”? Most likely. Awareness is something you can learn to use. It’s not that difficult, and the results are spectacular! When you allow yourself to process what you see when you are more aware, you’ll pick up on body language cues, discussions, or actions that will give you a warning of what could happen.
How can YOU raise your level of awareness and use it to your advantage? Let me ask the following: How distracted are you when in public? Are you checking or updating on social media? Answering texts or emails? If so, chances are you are focused in a 5’ radius around you. Your eyes are down, not up, and you are not seeing or hearing what’s out there. How aware are you of potentially dangerous areas or situations and do you take steps to avoid them? We all know that there are places to avoid because of the higher risk of danger. Dark parking lots or garages, alleyways, basements, or deserted parks or trails. What do you do to minimize your risk? You’ve probably heard about the basics of always walking in groups, avoid those dark alleys or deserted parks, right? What if you did work late and you have to get to your car, in that dark parking garage or lot? What if you were out hiking or running and you’re on that deserted trail? How would you accomplish this safely? Do you ignore your intuition because you feel that others would think you are overreacting? Have you ever seen a situation and thought “That could never happen to me” or “I hope that never happens to me” or even “How could that happen?” Time to fix that! The first and best step you can take to be more aware is to learn
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{ IN HER DEFENSE } Women’s Intuition. A gut feeling. A premonition. Call it what you want, they’re all correct. ACT ON IT!!!! Don’t ignore that intuition- because it is most likely correct.
to pick up more details when you look around. Try this: when you see the color YELLOW, look around. You can do this while at work, walking or running, driving, pretty much any time. You don’t have to do it fast or slow, just look. This is a casual method where you’re just seeing what is going on around you. You’re not looking to study anyone or anything, you’re just looking. How many people are around you? What are they doing? Who’s looking at you or is there anyone that is different or standing out from all the other people? After a while, you’ll start to notice more detail. What are those people wearing? What is going on outside that window behind those people? Are their lips moving? What are they saying? What are they looking at? As you start to become more aware, you will process more information and start to adjust or react to what you see and hear. 266
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Being more aware gives you more time to react. Faster reaction time gives you more safety and security. Learning to use your mind, combined with learning safe tactics and self defense skills is important. Not only for your safety but for the safety of those around you. Self defense means self reliance and independence as well. Think about this for a second: Depending entirely on someone else for your safety is not the method that works. Only you can ensure your safety by learning how to be more aware and how to use physical skills to your benefit. You can use these skills right now. Don’t wait. Start looking around. If you see something that you feel is unsafe, threatening, or uncomfortable, then do something about it. Don’t wait to become a victim before you realize that something was wrong. The more
proactive you can be, the safer you can be. What you’ve just read about is one of the important parts of every self defense course that we teach at Rochester Personal Defense. Our Basic Self Defense, Ladies EQUALIZER, Pepper Spray, and other courses all build on our awareness and intuitive and instinctive reactions to a threat. We teach you that YOU are your own bodyguard and that it is okay to be assertive and be responsible for your safety. We give you the mental and physical skills to be safer. Dave Jenkins is the founder of Rochester Personal Defense, LLC, the area’s best self defense training company. Come join the other women that have learned how to be safe, keep their family safe, and how they became their own bodyguards. You can reach Dave and his team of lady instructors at www.rochesterpersonaldefense.com or 585-406-
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WELLNESS AS A WAY OF LIFE BY CHERYL KATES BENMAN I PHOTOS BY MARKAS KATES
J U L I E H O B A RT, HEALING HANDS WELLNESS STUDIO Julie Hobart, the owner of Healing Hands Wellness Studio, always knew she wanted to help people on a deeper level. This interest pushed her to gain an education in massage, skin care and alternative treatments to guide clientele to a deeper level of wellness using the best natural treatments. After Julie spent years in the spa/wellness industry performing services, she felt the need to open her own studio, so she could fulfill her vision. This provided an opportunity for her to provide her clients with the highest level of one-on-one treatments. Her vision is each client will leave her studio transformed. Julie employs the philosophy of focusing on the entire well-being of her clients. After starting her business with a year in practice, she expanded and added the services of additional massage therapists, (2) esthetician/nail techs, a nail technician, front-end staff and a marketing manager. Healing Hands then grew from a “me” to a “we”. Healing Hands Wellness Studio is unique where the care of the clients and the positive atmosphere in the studio is genuine. No matter what walk of life and or who a client is, the focus of the staff is to make them feel special when they enter the doors of the studio. From the elderly to young, the athlete, musician, stressed-out professional or the stay-at -home mom, this business prides itself making everyone feel 268
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welcome and at home. The number one priority in the clinic, is to get to know the client as an individual, because they are not just someone who walked in the door. Julie indicates instead of spending money on “glitz and glam” the focus in her studio is to provide quality care in an intimate, upbeat, positive setting. From massage, and skin treatments, as well as services such as manicures, pedicures, waxing and spray tans, this is a one-stop wellness studio. The products used in the studio include
a female-owned, locally produced line called “Norabloom Botanicals”. Norabloom, is a company started by an esthetician. Their moto is to “simplify” and the concept implied is “Every woman has a skin story and so does her skin”. The owner of Norabloom, Holly, after 18 years in the industry, launched her line. Her philosophy is “skin care should be clean, simple and honest”. The product line includes cleanser, scrubs, soap, masks, mists,
serums and cremes. There also specialized treatments. Healing Hands Wellness Studio offers overall wellness for the client from headto-toe. The products contain no artificial colors or fragrances and no artificial ingredients. They also do not engage in animal testing. In getting where she is, RWO asked Julie Hobart who was the most influential person in her life? She responded: “There are many people who played a role in my life. Many have helped shape me and propelled me to be where I am today. But, if I were to focus on my perspective on treatment and the care I provide to others, I draw on Buddha. Buddha speaks of mindfulness and living in the present moment. When I meet with a client and they start to describe an issue, I begin to envision the muscles and skeletal system to formulate a treatment plan. I am fully present with that person to provide a deeper level of care. When someone talks about shoulder pain, I see the structural components of the shoulder. Throughout treatment, I remain fully focused on the person, the muscles and systems”. One of the most important things Julie wishes to share with our readers is in our society, too many people do not take the time for self-care, until it is too late. Getting a facial, massage, manicure, or pedicure is not a luxury reserved for the wealthy, or for those on exotic vacations. Stress, food, the environment and many other factors affect our beings. The wrong foods can start negative effects on the skin. Too much activity or repetitive motion, can cause muscle stiffness and pain. Facials help restore the skin to a much more natural state, replenishing the naturally occurring substances in skin. Manicures and pedicures keep nails healthy, as well as our hands and feet. Waxing provides a benefit of
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{ DIVA’S REPORT } “There are many people who played a role in my life. Many have helped shape me and propelled me to be where I am today. But, if I were to focus on my perspective on treatment and the care I provide to others, I draw on Buddha. Buddha speaks of mindfulness and living in the present moment.
of exfoliation. Wellness is a life-long habit. Healing Hands Wellness Studio focuses on teaching clients this is a lifestyle. Taking care of yourself improves the quality of life. Recently, Julie was trained in Ashiatsu massage. She plans to continue to expand the business horizons and hopes to start her own “Healing Hands” line of wellness products. In the Fall, Julie will also get trained in Thai Massage. In addition to running her own business, Julie is also a mom, who is proud and likes to celebrate her children’s accomplishments. She loves snuggling with her beagle Boe. Part of her healthy lifestyle includes staying active. She loves kayaking, yoga, and running. Julie indicates she will continue learning and growing as a person and sharing that knowledge of “healthy living” with her clients in the years to come.
Cheryl, our editor, used massage for decades to manage the pain she experiences from Fibromyalgia. For all of the Divas, the rooms and atmosphere at Healing Hands was very relaxing and welcoming. We felt throughout, all of the therapists at Healing Hands genuinely love what they do and care about providing quality services
The Divas went to visit Julie at Healing Hands Wellness Studio. Cheryl tried out the Ashiatsu massage. Kelly had a traditional hot stone massage. Mary grabbed the deep tissue massage and Luci tried the facial and a deep tissue massage. Here are their experiences. Cheryl and Julie: Ashiatsu Massage Ashiatsu is a new concept to the United States and is quickly gaining popularity with western practitioners. This is a barefoot massage which allows a deeper method of penetration to the muscles as the practitioner stands over you while hanging from bars for balance. This technique grew out of other practices starting as early as the 12th century (1). A practice called Chavutti Thirumal was used in India where the practitioner used a single rope to hold on applying a similar technique (1). Thailand also uses foot massage following energy lines (1). Japan has a concept Shiatsu, using feet but the practice occurs on the mat on the floor (1). In the 90’s, an American, Ruthie Piper trademarked the form of Ashiatsu called “ Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy” (1) 270
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to their clients. The sessions started out with completing necessary paper work, so the caregivers were aware of any underlying conditions, the purpose of the massage and where the client is experiencing pain currently. This allowed the massage therapist to become familiar with the clients and your personal background. Off the bat, the procedures of getting to know the therapists definitely produced the trust factor of
Healing Hands Wellness Studio caring what was wrong and what would really help the client. The Ashiatsu experience was very different from any other massage I previously had. Once you became used to the therapist using their feet and hanging from bars above you, the massage was very helpful. The pressure applied was much deeper than a deep tissue massage and it really was helpful to release some of the tension in the muscle produced with Fibromyalgia. Julie was very knowledgeable about both the problems with Fibromyalgia and the procedure she was administering. Mary Boyce-Bushey, our stylist joined us for Diva’s Day and she obtained the deep tissue massage. Deep tissue massage is good for muscle tension, trigger points, muscle spasms and pain or injury. As a hair stylist, she is on her feet all day and constantly using her arms to cut, color and style hair. This often takes a toll on the body and causes tightness in Mary’s neck and shoulders. Mary found the services she received at Healing Hands Wellness very relaxing. She notes she is generally a tough customer to get to relax! She found all the staff to be friendly and the atmosphere to be very comforting. Mary says, “Definitely thumbs up from this girl! After working in my salon, I experience long days where I am standing on my feet and using my arms and hands excessively. The tension which develops often leaves me with pain in my shoulder and tightness in my neck. As an entrepreneur, It’s hard to take time out to care about me. I work in the spa industry so I’m at work most of the time places are open making it that much more challenging to get a spa day. The atmosphere at Healing Hands was relaxing and promoting wellness. The décor was outstanding and comforting. Most of all, the hospitality stood out as comforting and welcoming. I was totally relaxed when I left.” Luci Sachetti, RWO writer, experienced the facial with a peel and deep-tissue massage.
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She reports, “Healing Hands! What a perfect name! I experienced the opportunity to spend my day with a few technicians from Healing Hands Wellness Studio in Victor, who performed my facial and gave my body a rest with a deeptissue massage. I scheduled myself for a facial with an add-on service; peel accompanied by a one hour, deep-tissue massage. I simply love spa days. These are so important for our physical and mental well-being. These are days where we get to practice self-love, de-stressing and rejuvenating from the everyday hustle-andbustle. It also gives us a chance to reconnect with our souls. I started out with a facial. So relaxing, especially if you suffer from migraines. The room was quiet and restful. The products used were
gentle and soothing. After a timeless moment, the technician prepped my face for a peel. In this treatment, a chemical solution was applied to the skin, which makes it “blister”. In my case, a very mild dryness, which eventually peeled off. The new skin is smoother and less “stressed”. It appears brighter and healthy. It was recommended with consistent treatments, 6 weeks apart, the skin’s appearance and texture will continue to get healthier and glow. I will definitely be returning in 6 weeks. Quickly after my facial treatments, another technician slipped into the room to begin my massage. Highly recommended for anyone who is constantly on the run. It was a peaceful experience. We discussed my aches and strains, we also discussed pressure in certain areas. Some
people might not choose deep tissue because of the intensity of pain in some areas like past injuries. If you happen to be as lucky as me at Healing Hands, there was no pain involved. I was able to just take a deep breath and let the technician work out all of my knots, tightness and strain I’ve been carrying for a bit. I was almost disappointed the time was up. My next appointment will be the same combination. I felt with the facial first and massage last, it gave me the opportunity to get into my state of mind and relax deeply, so I could fully enjoy the benefits of these services. cannot tell you which service I liked more, the facial exfoliating of my tired skin or the onehour massage, working tightness and knots in my tired soul. Either way, I can say I literally felt ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE :: AUGUST 2018
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MOLLIANNE: IT’S ALL IN HER HANDS BY CHERYL KATES BENMAN I PHOTOS BY MARKAS KATES
One of the talented employees of Healing Hands Wellness Studio, is Mollianne Parsons. In October 2016, Mollianne became a massage therapist . She loves working with people. She always knew when choosing a career, she wanted to be in a profession helping and having a positive impact on the physical, emotional and mental health of others. In doing so, her career choice is beyond gratifying for her as an individual. Mollianne enjoys working at Healing Hands Wellness Studio. She feels the positive atmosphere at her work place contributes to her growing as a young woman. She appreciates the mentoring she receives from owner, Julie Hobart. She feels the positivity helps her feel free to grow and become the woman she was intended to be. She shares, “The positive energy and enthusiasm among my co-workers and clients makes me feel like I can do anything! In five years, I will still be working here maintaining and continuing to build meaningful relationships with my clients. I hope to be impacting their lives for the better and meeting their health and wellness needs!” Mollianne shares her Mom is the most inspirational person in her life: “She has always supported me, as well as pushed me to follow my heart. Through good and bad, she gives me some of the most valuable life advice and I can’t thank her enough”. Mollianne likes to go camping and be close to nature. In the winter, she is a skier. She enjoys tastings at the craft breweries and 274
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especially going home to cuddle with her three kittens. Mollianne emphasizes the importance of massage by saying, “I want everyone reading this to the know, as a whole, the impact massage can really have on your life. It can be a conduit for healing physically, emotionally and mentally”. In addition to being a great massage therapist, this young lady is also an artist. It was
way words cannot help. My most recent work involves painting with Mandela patterns. I’ve done some different and interesting pieces including wooden wall plaques, wearable jewelry, stones, tablets, and stools. Each of the pieces are unique in that they are never the same. Every single creation is a new birth differing from the last. For me my art is a piece of me, where I put a lot of love and positivity into each piece. My hope is that everyone who sees something I have created can feel and experience good vibes!” Mollianne feels massage therapy is also a form of art and this is why she enjoys it so much.
inspiring to see how much Julie supports her staff. Mollianne’s artwork is hung in the Wellness Studio. Mollianne shares, “I’ve been creating art since I was a little girl! Art was always my own form of therapy. Being creative is very relaxing. It allows a person to block out everything else. I focus on what I am doing in the very moment. It helps in a
She shares, “I have positive intentions for a client. When I focus on meeting their needs, it changes a good massage into a great massage. Massage therapy is very personal. The moment I put my hands on a client I am thinking “how can I affect their physical, emotional and mental well-being in the most positive way possible”. Art to me is the ability to affect others by creating a feeling or reaction using yourself as a conduit. I like to think that through both my art and massage therapy I am making a difference!” We need to take time out for ourselves. Take a half day. Go relax. Go see Julie or Mollianne at Healing Hands Wellness Studio. Close your eyes. Lay back and relax and let their hands do the healing.
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{ HAIR HYPE }
INTRODUCING ALL BEAUTY ALLEY: ALLEY BELLAPANNO BY MARY BUSHEY
Mario’s Hair Studio is pleased to announce there’s a new stylist in tha house! Mario’s prides itself on being a family-owned business which has survived generations. Small home town feeling where everybody knows your name, but stylists who are up on the latest hair trends and procedures. The latest family member has earned her crown, so congratulations Alley Bellapanno, s h e’s l i c e n s e d everybody and ready for business. RWO gets close and personal. Alley’s accepting new clients so make sure you check her out on Instagram @allbeautyalley and she has a full album of her work on Facebook. Alley grew up seeing her “Auntie” and others in the beauty industry. The family has maintained the s h o p f o r ov e r 60 years. Alley indicates being exposed to beauty is what sparked her interest to follow suit. She enjoys the creativity in doing colors including the funky pastels and rainbow mixtures which are trending in the industry. She also enjoys esthetician waxing. RWO asked Alley about what she though of societal norms defining beauty and how society seems to be changing what 278
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the expected definition of “beauty is supposed to be”? Alley shares, “Everyone is beautiful. This is not defined by size, shape, color or anything else. We must teach women to love themselves. Society puts crazy
pressure on women, where they must look a certain way, dress a certain way, maintain beauty, not show any signs of aging. All women are beautiful and we need to start teaching our daughters this and instilling this to develop their self esteem at a young age”.
Alley tells us her life was filled with loving, caring individuals, who always supported her. As a young lady entering the beauty profession, it was nice to have close family members who were already established, so they were able to learn and grow together. Alley enjoys spending the time with her Aunt Mary owner of Mario’s Hair Studio where they both learn the latest trends and grow together as stylists. Alley was blessed, her family’s close-knit structure supplied her with many role models and people who contributed to her development as an individual. She credits her family and boyfriend as being her biggest fans and helping to shape her into the person she is today. Alley looks forward to developing her craft. She plans over the next five years to continue seeking training and obtaining other licenses to expand the family business by keeping up with the latest trends. Alley also specializes in doing multi-cultural hair. She is knowledgeable in doing hair extensions, dreads and other services not routinely offered outside of the city limits. Check out All Beauty Alley! Or stop in at 1474 Monroe Avenue at Mario’s Hair Studio!
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{ MORTGAGE TIPS WITH PHYLLIS } BY PHYLLIS HABERER
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6 COMMON MYTHS ABOUT HOME BUYING & MORTGAGE RATES Buying a home can be frustrating and intimidating, especially if you’re relying on advice from friends and family members who purchased their homes years ago. I recommend turning to a professional instead if you want the home of the dreams and affordable mortgage rates. Financing a home is a complex process that depends on professional insight and accurate information. Unfortunately, buyers are surrounded by pervasive myths and misunderstandings on almost every aspect of the industry, from negotiating a sale to securing the best mortgage rates. Today I’d like to debunk 6 of the most common myths surrounding home financing. With these tips, homebuyers will have a much more pleasant experience, with as few complications as possible! If you’re in the market for a home, you might have heard a few of the following myths:
6 MYTHS BUSTED
MYTH #1: Find a Home First Some people might tell you to find the home you’re looking for first. After all, how else will you know you’re really serious until you find a property you love? Unfortunately, you might get your heart set on something, only to find that you don’t qualify or someone else can make a higher offer. Your best bet is to apply for pre-approval instead. With a Pre-Approval from Premium Mortgage, not only will you have an understanding of how much you can afford, but you will show credibility to real estate agents, who will want to know that you are serious about purchasing, and can qualify for financing.
MYTH #2: Go For a Longer-Term Loan While the monthly payments for a 30-year loan may be lower, you’ll almost certainly wind up paying more for your home in the long run. Another option is to go for a 15-year
fixed-rate loan if you can afford the monthly payments. There are dozens of mortgage programs available, and everyone’s situation is different. Talking with a professional loan originator such as myself will help determine the term that’s best for your own unique circumstances. Give me a call to learn more!
MYTH #3: You Need to Put 20% Down Of course, the more you can put down on your home, the better, as your monthly payments will go down and you’ll end up paying less in interest over the life of the loan. But sometimes a 20% down payment is simply impossible, especially if you live in a hot market with steadily climbing property values. Fortunately, some lenders such as Premium Mortgage will offer mortgages with as little as 3% down, and there are even a few products that require no down payment! Give me a call – there are a number of home financing programs with a multitude of options for down payment. Your options might surprise you!
MYTH #4: A Down Payment is the Only Up-Front Expense Buying a home involves a long list of costs and fees, which may amount to thousands of dollars. For instance, you may be liable for the closing costs — which could be as much as 2-5% of the purchase price — as well as the home appraisal, processing, underwriting, and variety of additional expenses. I’d be happy to sit down with you and go over your individual circumstances, so that you have a better understanding of what your closing costs might be.
MYTH #5: You Need Excellent Credit While this may be the case for securing a traditional loan, FHA loan programs, for example, offer homebuyers with less-thanperfect credit a chance to invest in their futures and allow you to start with a much lower down payment. Also note, your credit score is can be improved over time with the proper steps taken. ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE :: AUGUST 2018
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! From the first time homebuyers just starting out, to experienced homeowners refinancing or upsizing, each individual’s circumstances are unique and require special attention to meet their needs.
MYTH #6: You May Skip The Inspection In short, while it is not mandatory, we never recommend for a buyer to waive the home inspection. Purchasing problems you don’t know about could wind up costing you thousands of dollars to fix in the not-so-distant future, easily offsetting the few hundred dollars you save waiving the inspection. Don’t take shortcuts! You will be a lot better off, and with much less stress if you take my advice and go ahead with the home inspection before you purchase! _____ Now that we’ve busted these common myths, I trust that you’ll go into the home buying process with more confidence, better information, and
the professional resources you need to make the process as easy (and affordable) as possible! Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or an experienced investor, I am committed to helping you secure the financing you need. As I mentioned earlier, a Pre-Approval from Premium Mortgage is the best place to get started, and it’s totally free! To learn more about our services and current mortgage rates, call give me a call at (585) 314-8511, or visit our website to find your nearest location and apply for a loan: www.premiummortgage.com. You can also connect with me on Facebook (/ MtgageGirl ) and Twitter (@MTGAGEGIRL)
Phyllis Haberer (@MTGAGEGIRL on Twitter) Senior Loan Officer | NMLS# 58078 (585) 241-0000 x104 Premium Mortgage Corporation 2541 Monroe Ave., Rochester, NY 14618 Equal Housing Lender | NMLS# 3254 | Licensed Mortgage Banker NYSDFS
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2541 Monroe Ave. Rochester NY 14618 | Equal Housing Lender | Licensed Mortgage Banker NYSDFS | NMLS#3254 Premium Mortgage Corporation does not intend to solicit business away from other mortgage banking professionals. If you are currently working with another mortgage banking professional, this communication is not intended for you. ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE :: AUGUST 2018
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{ LETS { SHIFT+CONTROL TALK REAL ESTATE } }
THE PRO’S AND CON’S BY KIM BARRETT
T H E P RO S A N D CONS OF BUYING OR SELLING A HOME IN TODAY’S MARKET! The housing market has changed dramatically the past 3 to 4 years and buyers and sellers are facing unique challenges as well as opportunities. With the lowest existing housing inventory in 30 years, it is important for consumers, whether listing their home for sale or negotiating the purchase of a new home, to understand what they can expect from the current housing market and over the next 2 years.
Advantages to Sellers: Though it is not a seller’s market across the board, there are pockets of products, locations and price ranges where demand outpaces supply. Many sellers are receiving multiple purchase offers for their home, often thousands of dollars above asking price. Home prices are expected to increase 8% over
The Current Housing Market: 2017 - Lowest inventory of existing homes for sale, nationally, in 20 years. 2018 - Lowest inventory of existing homes for sale, nationally, in 30 years. Over the next 2 years, housing sales are expected to increase by only 4%. Reasons for Low Housing Inventory: Homeownership has reached a 50-year low. The number of first-time homebuyers is lower because these buyers are discouraged by the lack of inventory and affordability. Those in the 65+ age bracket are more interested in renting than owning. During the last recession, many builders locally and across the country were forced to exit the industry. As a result, new construction building starts have suffered dramatically. With fewer new housing options for buyers, sellers are not moving further reducing the number of existing housing choices available for sale. 284
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the next 2 years. Tips for Sellers: There is no ‘best’ time of the year to put a home on the market. Put the home on the market when you are ready to move. Relocating as well as serious local buyers are always looking for the right home. Have your real estate agent conduct a market absorption analysis to better understand the
demand for comparable homes over the past 12, 6 and 3 months. This analysis will explain whether the market is heating up or slowing down for your type home and also reveal the number of months of inventory available of the same product, yet to be absorbed by the market. Have home repairs completed prior to putting the home on the market to maximize best presentation to potential buyers. Don’t be pressured to accommodate the buyer if you need time to finalize next steps for you and your family. You can always accept an offer subject to locating and negotiating a new home within a stated period of time. Advantages to Buyers: The government is seeking to propose alternative methods to increase housing affordability and enhance the mortgage qualification process for millennials and first-time homebuyers. The average net worth of a renter is $5,000 but the average net worth of a homeowner is $230,000. Renters who pay their rent on time have only a 1% mortgage default rate which is a huge indication of potential success in homeownership. Mortgage programs that consider rental information on credit scoring are being reviewed. One proposal is described as a ‘Rental w/Escrow’ program. The idea suggests that a portion of a tenant’s monthly rent go into escrow, with the landlord, to eventually grow into an amount
{ SHIFT+CONTROL } The number of first-time homebuyers is lower because these buyers are discouraged by the lack of inventory and affordability.
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{ SHIFT+CONTROL } Not all real estate agents are equal. Interview agents wisely to protect your equity and garner the highest return on your real estate investments.
could serve as a down-payment on a home. It encourages renter’s to think and act like a homeowner. For example, if their apartment/unit needs a repair and they properly fix it rather than call the property manager, the escrow remains intact. If maintenance is required, the cost of the repair is deducted from the escrow account.
Don’t assume a better home is coming on the market and delay the decision to purchase. The first home viewed may be the best one. Rising interest rates and home prices will add up quickly when it comes to your mortgage payment for the same home you could have bought last year for less.
Another proposal is to modify the HUD ‘Condo Rule’, acknowledging that a condo is sometimes the first entrance to homeownership. This motion would allow purchasers of individual condos the opportunity to access FHA funding, even though the entire condominium community is not FHA approved.
Have your real estate agent, prepare a study of similar properties prior to viewing homes where there is a high-level of interest in order to gauge the maximum opinion of value at time of purchase.
Another effort to increase homeownership for millennials and first-time homebuyers is proposed financing that folds student loans into a mortgage program. Tips for Buyers: Be pre-approved by a mortgage lender and prepared to purchase before you start shopping for a home. 286
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Where there is the possibility of multiple offers, put forth the highest and best offer up front. Negotiate ways to add value to the purchase offer alongside price such as ‘all cash’, no seller concessions, no inspection, a larger deposit, early closing date, etc. Make sure your agent understands how to protect your interest in the purchase contract if another purchase offer is presented to the seller between
accepting your offer and attorney approvals. Summary: Between 2011-2017, income increased 15% but home prices have gone up 48%. The only way to curb this inequality is to choke off demand but this is not good for the economy or housing. Instead we must increase new construction. To increase new construction and lower the cost of building, we need community banks to provide key relief by lending to developers, remove the tariffs on lumber, relax zoning laws, etc. The #1 area of knowledge consumers want from their real estate professional is market experience and insider knowledge of neighborhoods, schools and market trends. Not all real estate agents are equal. Interview agents wisely to protect your equity and garner the highest return on your real estate investments.
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{ MIND, BODY, SPIRIT }
SUMMER IS HERE SAVOR EVERY MOMENT BY ALANA CAHOON
Ahh! At last. It’s summer. And it looks like it will be a nice long one for us. I love the sun, and to me there’s nothing better than soaking up its rays while enjoying a good meal and being entertained. It nurtures the soul. So here’s the question. Where’s a great spot to eat outdoors? I got together with Hollis Hewins the other day and asked her. I also asked my FB friends. Here’s what we’ve come up with.
become a foodie place with a number of high-end restaurants to choose from.”
Joe’s and a bottle of wine from Marketview Liquor. Sounds romantic!
How else will she spend her free time?
CHECKING OUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH ALANA
“Fun classes - things that I haven’t done in a while, like music, cooking, ancestry. Learn more about our family background and make a family tree. Music - classical, opera. Cooking - ethnic!”
T R AV E L & LEISURE WITH HOLLIS HEWINS Holly is about to have a whole lotta freedom on her hands. After spending 30 years in the banking industry (currently as Underwriting Team Leader for Investment Real Estate at Key Bank), she’s ready to take off and explore what else is out there. Travel & Leisure may sound like a magazine but it’s about to be her new reality. That includes dining! Savoring the moment of freedom will begin with a dream vacation to Amsterdam where she and her husband, Scott will “walk the cobblestone streets and feel the culture”. Then off to Norway to investigate the fjords of the sea. “We’ll be on the longest suspension bridge in the world. It literally takes at least 5 minutes to get across.” (I hope it gets you back!) “We tend to dine outdoors when we’re traveling. That includes closer to home. Geneva on the Lake is one our favorites. The views are beautiful and the town has 288
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NOTA - NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE ARTS
It’s a booming scene on and around University with the Strathallan, Revelry and many more eateries, but Pomodoros has always been a favorite. Now with their even bigger patio and fire pits, there’s more room for … more people! Some of you may remember when it was called Blades. It was the summer scene to experience. Today the bands are still playing. Pizzas are sizzling. And people are enjoying the vibe.
VILLAGE GATE
Has too many restaurants to mention but nearly all have outdoor dining. And it’s fun. The lovely courtyard dotted with Paul Knoblaugh benches and gates provide the perfect ambiance for an evening out.
PUBLIC MARKET
Holly is the Past President for Rochester Women’s Network (RWN) where she participates in a group called Women for Wine Sense. Pairing wine with food takes them to outdoor restaurants like: Napa Grill, Olives, Gatehouse, Pomodoro’s Cheesecake Factory, and Castaways. If you’d prefer to picnic, Holly suggests grabbing a loaf of fresh bread from Baker Street Bakery, Artisinal cheese from Trader
How many of you have grown up buying your weekly produce at the Rochester Public Market? Today you’ll still get your fresh greens and flowers, as well as a selection of cafes. Morning goers can grab a cup of java and those visiting in the evening can dine in or outside for a meal. A very cool organization called ‘Friends of the Public Market’ helps to make it more accessible to everyone. Laura Parker, Financial Advisor of Sage Rutty is their president. She shares the following.
BY ALANA CAHOON
{ {MIND, SHIFT+CONTROL BODY & SPIRIT } } “We have quite a few initiatives that we do to support the market, its vendors and customers. Our flagship program is the SNAP token program that we run out of the shipping container next to the market office. “
“We have quite a few initiatives that we do to support the market, its vendors and customers. Our flagship program is the SNAP token program that we run out of the shipping container next to the market office. We enable SNAP recipients to use their EBT benefits at the Public Market which allows them to buy fresh & affordable produce from local farmers and vendors which benefits our community - it’s a win, win, win. Our program is currently the largest token program in the country with over a million dollars worth of tokens sold each year!”
Aladdins The Owl House Rocco Pomodoro’s Public House Hedges Roux Napa Woodfired City Grill Tony D’s
What a great contribution, Laura! In addition to the Friends’ efforts, you can find live entertainment. Bands on the Bricks offers outdoor concerts some evenings, while roaming musicians playing ukulele will serenade you in the morning hours.
FACE BOOK SUGGESTIONS
Get out there and savor the sun at these local outdoor venues! Bernard’s Grove Pane Vino Jetty on the Port Silk District Pub Otto Tomottos 290
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A special thanks to my FB Friends … Stu Petch, Tamara MacDuff, Sharon PerryFerrari, Steve Volpe, Michael Hess, Rebecca Dodge, Maureen Laffey Bills, Maggie Lattuca, Irene McKenna, Laura Pesce Glasner, Laurie Berry DiBeradinis, Diana Palotas, Mike Sky, Cheryl L Kates Benman, Nancy Powderly, Brian K Stratmann, Gary Fish, Leslie Okeefe, Kathy Jackson, Lori Webster, Michael Sassone, Karen Mungenast, Aimee Louise, Geri BillottiVan Auker, Linda Gliottone, Ken Columbo, Jill Morris, Anne Coltre, Jeanne N Gerard Weber, Marjorie Barkin Searl, Karen Faiello Heroux, Lisa Commentucci Lowden … for sharing your favorite spot to enjoy an outdoor summer meal in Greater Rochester, NY. I’ll see you there!
SCHOEN’S PLACE
This sweet spot is located on the Erie Canal in Pittsford and boasts affordable eateries like Aladdins, Coal Tower, and Olives as well as high end restaurants. Bring the kids and feed the ducks!
Mendon 64 Gate House ROAM Cafe McArdle’s Hattie’s on the Roof Simply Crepes
Revelry Village Gate Nox Mr Dominic’s Windjammers Trata Genesee Brew House Inn on the Lake Penfield Pour House Porterhouse Lento Castaways Pelicans Nest
Alana Cahoon is a Creative Coach with a Holistic Approach, guiding professionals in transition, leadership & entrepreneurship. Her signature program, ‘Mindfulness for Professionals’ trains the mind to achieve calm, clarity and balance. Her group program, ‘Body Mind Connection’ provides a holistic approach to weight loss and body image. She teaches meditation, reiki and yoga. Alana can be reached at (585) 953-0503 - alana@alanacahoon. com - www.alanacahoon.com.
{ THE BEST YOU }
Rejuvenation with Microdermabrasion BY CHRISTINE BUFF, LE, CPLC
Microdermabrasion is a powerful tool used to help exfoliate an individual’s skin in order for products to absorb better which will result in a faster cell turnover and healthier and more youthful skin. It may utilize either crystals or diamond heads. It uses no chemicals and is not invasive. Microdermabrasion treatments use a minimally abrasive instrument to gently sand your skin, removing the thicker, uneven outer layer, or your superficial layer of skin. This type of skin rejuvenation treatment is used to treat light scarring, discoloration, sun damage, and stretch marks, to reveal brighter, healthier skin. Microdermabrasion is also good for individuals with fine lines or wrinkles, age spots, sun damage, or uneven pigmentation, clogged pores, skin texture problems. Clients with Rosacea or acne may also benefit from it. It unclogs pores and cleans the impurities contained in them that can cause inflammation and spots. It works in two parts, firstly, a machine utilizes tiny crystals to gently exfoliate the surface of your skin to remove dead skin cells, while a vacuum sucks the removed skin cells and debris away. Microdermabrasion is suitable for all skin types and colors and will not cause scarring and color changes. It is a less aggressive procedure than traditional dermabrasion and has a quicker recovery time, but can still achieve great results and won’t require 292
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needles or medications to numb the skin. Microdermabrasion has been used by Dermatologists and Estheticians since the 90’s. This procedure is a lot safer than other treatments. How does Microdermabrasion work? It works by using a crystal or diamond tip swiping it across the skin, or applying highly pressurized crystals against the skins surface
are supplied to the cells. This improves cell processes and therefore enhances the skin, improving elasticity. It also enhances the absorption of skincare products by the skin by up to 50%. This means that if you are treating your skin for acne, the skin will be more receptive to the products, and in turn will have better results than it normally would. It can also reduce pore size. Pores are small when we are babies, but enlarge when we get older due to lack of hygiene, inflammation of the skin, or as a result of being clogged. By improving circulation and natural skin hygiene, your skin will look healthier.
to rejuvenate and brighten the skin. This gently, but vigorously exfoliates the top layer of skin surface. Products could be applied to the skin during this treatment to enhance the results. Microdermabrasion can also improve blood and lymphatic circulation deep within the skin, which can improve the internal health of the skin. The enhanced blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients
Many people choose microdermabrasion over other treatment options like laser procedures and chemical peels because it is safer and still achieves great results. It is one of the safest cosmetic procedures you can have done and does not require recovery time or medications. Microdermabrasion does not hurt. It may feel a little uncomfortable during the treatment, and your skin will likely feel tight for a few hours after, but it should not be painful. It is one of the softest, noninvasive skin treatment available today and achieve great results. If you have sensitive skin prone to
Microdermabrasion can also improve blood and lymphatic circulation deep within the skin, which can improve the internal health of the skin. The enhanced blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients are supplied to the cells.
bruising you may notice some bruising if the suction is set too high, but this will not last long. Microdermabrasion is most commonly used on the face, however, it can be used in most areas of the body, arms, legs, back and chest. Depending on your reason for using microdermabrasion, you may even notice results after your first treatment. This is particularly the case when being used to brighten the skin or remove blackheads. Other conditions, however, will require most sessions before you are able to notice its effects. Often between 5-8 sessions, with deeper scarring requiring more. Occasionally 294
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to maintain the good results you may need a top-up treatment, but in some cases you only need to treat small areas, not the whole area you treated initially. The best benefit of microdermabrasion is how quick it is. It can be as quick as 5 minutes long, or take up to an hour depending on the part of the body being treated. It is both cost-effective and time-efficient. After your treatment, your skin will feel tight, and may become a little dry and/or pink for 24 hours. Treat like a sunburn and do not apply makeup on for 24hrs. Keep your skin moisturized and wear adequate sun protection, minimizing your time in
the sun. There are no major side effects to the treatment. For the month of August, a 6 series of treatments at The Best You Spa will be ONLY $250. Just mention this article. As always, at The Best You Spa in Webster, we care deeply for your skin wellness and only want the BEST for you. Contact us now at 585-298-6618 for this great offer or for a different treatment. At The Best You Spa, we want You to Be The Best person that you can BE.
THE BEST YOU SPA
The Best You...Believe it, Achieve it!
For the month of Aug. 10% off of any service of choice, or 20% for a treatment package.
847 Ridge Road I Webster, NY 14580 I 585- 298-6618 I www.cmbthebestyou.com
{ NO EXCUSES }
FINDING TIME FOR FITNESS BY JULIE M. MAY
Getting fit is the number one New Year’s resolution for Americans. Just go to a gym in early January and you’ll find thousands of people who made fitness their goal for the New Year. Go back to the same gym in February. Where did everyone go? Hello? Did they all achieve their fitness goals in a month? Bueller? Bueller?
We find time to go shopping on the sale rack at Kohls or Macy’s, looking for that sweater on sale because we’ll look just like J-Lo when we wear it. Or if we’re really in the mood to search we hit up the beautiful, chaotic disarray of Marshalls or TJ Maxx looking for sweet deals on designer clothes, purses and shoes. Face it, we are more willing to spend time and
Experts say the most common excuse for not working out is the biggest excuse of all time that we use to ignore EVERYTHING we don’t want to do… “I don’t have time to do it.” I intend to show you that it’s not true. That’s what this “No Excuses” column is all about. Letting go of your fears to achieve your dreams. And admit it right now… it’s FEAR that is holding you back. Fear of failure. Fear you won’t be good enough. Fear you’ll never be a size 4 so why even try to work out… And on top of the list is the biggest excuse we have for anything we don’t want to do… I don’t have time. The job. The house. The kids. The animals… We can all come up with excuses for being “to busy” for fitness. But busy as we may be, we find time for television, binge watching Netflix. We have plenty of time to eat, sometimes way too much, mindlessly consuming snacks. We have time to surf the internet, checking out friends, relatives and ex-boyfriends on Facebook. (What did you see in him anyway? And did he really marry her?). I digress. 296
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money to adorn the outside of our bodies than we are to change the INSIDE. But at the pace you are going, the clothes are going to outlive you! You need fitness in your life. Everybody does. We even find time for dull household tasks. We clean the toilets and do the dishes because we want our home to look nice. We clean out the refrigerator… ok, sometimes not as often as we should (what
is that bowl of green stuff?) But come on, we are talking about your BODY. Why don’t you want to make time to make the real ‘home’ you have to live in every day LOOK and FEEL better? Right now, think about how old you will be in 20 years. What do you want your life to look like? Do you want to fit into the same clothes you wear today? Start exercising now because aging makes people gain weight. You can fend that off by finding a fitness routine and fend off spending thousands of dollars on bigger clothes. Do you want to be playing with your grand children? Find something you truly love to do that gets your body moving so you will have the energy to play with them. Do you want to be a sexual, vibrant, active human being? Start a work out now so you can be that person. Because you won’t be able to go back twenty years, hunched over on a walker and say “IF ONLY I HAD MADE TIME…” Don’t be in denial about your health. How will a sedentary lifestyle be affecting your future? Will you have time for multiple doctors appointments? Will you have the time and money to take medication every day to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes? Psychologists say there is a deeper reason, that lack of time is really a cover-up excuse. Typically lack of motivation or lack of enjoyment are the two biggest reasons you don’t “have time.” Be blunt with yourself… Say this out loud: “I am lazy and don’t enjoy working out. AND I AM READY TO CHANGE THAT AND FIND FITNESS ACTIVITIES I ENJOY.” Write it down
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{ NO EXCUSES } “I am lazy and don’t enjoy working out. AND I AM READY TO CHANGE THAT AND FIND FITNESS ACTIVITIES I ENJOY.”
on a post it note and hang it on the mirror you look into every morning. Find an activity you love, and it won’t seem like working out. Try to find at least three so you can vary your routine and never get bored. NOW YOU ARE READY TO FIND A WORKOUT THAT YOU LOVE and can COMMIT TO. Here are my five best tips for starting an exercise habit: Rise and shine. For most people, the day only gets more demanding as it goes on, says celebrity trainer and fitness DVD star Sara Haley. “Exercising first thing in the morning will ensure you fit it in,” she says. Lay out your workout clothes the night before, she suggests. “This way you won’t waste any time and can’t claim you forgot anything.” Another friend says wear your work out clothes to bed… so you are ready to work out the minute you wake up. If you get up an hour early each day and do a fitness activity, a walk, a bike ride, a trip to the gym, an exercise DVD, some yoga, whatever you do if you plan to START YOUR DAY WITH IT YOU CAN’T ‘RUN OUT OF TIME’ TO DO IT. Even if you need to get up an hour earlier, the work out will make you feel so energized you will never miss that hour of sleep. In fact if your body needs the rest, you will fall asleep even faster and earlier at night. 298
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If you must do it after work… Hire a trainer. Putting some money on the line will provide you with the motivation you need to show up for activity. Book some sessions with a personal trainer, so you will get to the gym no matter what. A personal trainer will help you set and reach
realistic goals. A personal trainer will be your biggest cheerleader. A personal trainer will help you learn all the fitness equipment in the gym that you need to master to reach your goals. Find one. Every single gym will give you recommendations. Even if you can only afford 5 or 10 sessions DO IT. Ten is better to get you into a habit. That will be all you need to start seeing results so you can move forward on your own. That’s what my friend Christine did,
and she toned up, firmed up and lost 43 pounds as a bonus and is sexier than ever! Be an active watcher. When you watch TV, make the most of it. Do some ball-crunches, planks, yoga poses, squats, lunges or pushups while you’re watching. Put a treadmill in front of the tv. Or keep fitness equipment, such as a kettlebell, resistance bands, a stair climber and a jump rope, near the TV. Get in a 30 minute workout while you are watching your favorite show. Or use the commercial breaks to mix in brief cardio intervals. Run in place or up and down the stairs; do some burpees or jumping jacks. You spend every minute of your life multi-tasking so make use of tv time. I promise you, if you do this you will have PLENTY of time to sit in front of the tv relaxing into old age because you invested in your health. Be a hot date. Dinner and a movie is so cliché. What if, instead, you took your date/partner/loveinterest to a cycling class or a ballroom dance lesson, tried a tennis game, a bike ride, a yoga class, indoor climbing, went on a hike, walked along the beach or kicked a soccer ball around the park? Bonus: Research shows that shared activity builds attraction. Test it out for yourself. You’ll thank me later. Buy and wear a FitBit. It’s like having a tiny
life and fitness coach on your wrist. Your fit bit needs to be on you everyday to remind you things like… why am I searching for a spot closest to the store when the spots furthest from the store are empty and I can get in a few hundred more steps? Why am I composing an email when I can walk over to my bosses office and ask the question in person? Did I do enough steps today to have a glass of wine with dinner or should I stick to water? Do your homework to find one you like. They range in price from $20 to $200 dollars depending on what features you like, but I guarantee it will change your thinking about fitness and exercise. Make it a habit for two months and you’ll be naked ever after without it. Now I would be amiss to tell you people who make a fitness goal often do it to lose weight.
As far as dieting goes, your goal should not be more than 7% of your current weight. (Multiply your current weight by .07 to get a goal weight loss number). Losing weight can be a perfectly good goal for starting a fitness routine, but remember, you will gain muscle. Muscle will burn more calories while you are at rest, but it also weighs more than fat. You absolutely cannot make losing weight your only goal. Because you won’t lose weight at first. You might even gain, which is muscle which will burn more calories than fat cells so you can eat more! Seriously, if you set your goal to lose 50 lbs you will get discouraged. If you set your goal to lose 10 lbs… now you have a chance and a motivational number. If you hit that goal and are motivated to keep going, set your new goal at another 7% weight loss. Just don’t say “I am going to lose 50 lbs”
because that is a two year commitment if you want to lose weight and keep it off and you will get discouraged in a few weeks. THIN is not a goal. Healthy is. Where will you be in 20 years? Where will you be in 5 years? Where will you be next year if you stop making excuses to improve your fitness and start doing something TOMORROW? Find the time. You have the power in your hands right now to make it the best version of you possible. You only get one life and one body. Go out and take a walk right now. It’s the easiest, cheapest fitness regime ever. No excuses.
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