December Good Stuff Award

The month of December is such a memorable month for our children. Aside from the fun stuff they had at school like the pancake breakfast sponsored by the firefighters, the Choir Concert, there was also a giving of Good Stuff Award. We are very grateful and proud of our daughter for getting an award. Although not that huge accomplishment, but thinking of our child's effort and get recognized is such an uplifting moment for us as her parents. 

                                                    BRAVO DHURIANNE!!!

You made mom and dad's day so bright!

Good News: American Life Expectancy Is on the Rise

Good News: American Life Expectancy Is on the Rise

Americans are living longer across the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans live the longest in the states of Hawaii and Colorado. However, life expectancy is on the rise across all 50 states. In 2012, Americans had an average life expectancy of 78.8 years across the board. Women tend to live longer than men. However, the gender gap has remained consistent since 2011.

Putting Things in Perspective: What Life Expectancy Was 100 Years Ago Compared to Today

Living until the ripe old age of 80 years might not seem like a big deal. However, the life expectancy for Americans has increased by a whopping 31 years over the last century. To be exact, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that women have experienced a life expectancy of 32.9 more years and men have experienced a life expectancy of 30.1 more years since year 1900. Suddenly, living to the age of 80 years sounds a lot better than living until the age of 50 years.

What Increased Longevity Means for Americans

Messing Around with Fire Sprinkler

Last week there was one awkward scenario in our building. One unit occupant messed around with the fire sprinkler inside his unit, therefore unwanted incident occurred right after what he have done. It happened close to midnight where people are already asleep so really annoying. The loud noise of the fire alarm woke us up and it took about 30 minutes before the fire truck arrived, although we live so close to the fire station.

To elaborate fire sprinkler further, Wikipedia says that it is a part of a fire sprinkler system that releases water when the fire have been sensed. So if you mess around with it and the water release, of course flooding will happen, especially if the action takes too long. During the following day, we got a notice from the company who handle the problem and have mentioned that it flooded on that night until to the 10th floor from the affected unit.

Figuring Out What People Want

Figuring Out What People Want

If you are in the food service industry, whether it's a restaurant that's been in the family for generations or a Cold Stone Creamery franchise, you know that the customer is always right. That means you need to figure out exactly what consumers want to keep them knocking on your door. No matter how long you've been in a business, whether it's been two decades or two days, stay attuned to your customer base and keep them happy.

Hire the Cream of the Crop

Your employees are as important as the food that you serve. You can have dishes that are out of this world, but no one will come to your establishment if your service is poor. Take the time to bring in the best help. Give questionable employees a chance to improve. Let them go if they cannot meet your expectations. If you're having trouble with family members in your family-owned business, give them responsibilities that do not deal directly with the public. Make the most of each individual's talents.

Make Everything Look and Taste Good