Furniture Talk: Considering Reupholstering?

Black Salon Chair Upholstery by AFH Decorations and Upholstery, North Augusta, SC USA.

When to consider reupholstering?

1) If your furniture has solid wood construction and/or was made for longevity, then reupholstering would deliver you a new solid piece for less than buying a new, cheaper made replacement.

2) If your furniture is antique or vintage or has sentimental value, then reupholstering may give you a peace of mind as you continue to proudly display the piece.

3) If you believe in "going green, " then reupholstering is a way to recycle and save the planet from excess waste.

Wondering if the furniture is salvageable?

1) You can text or email pictures for an initial consultation and feedback.

2) You may also find comfort in knowing that the wooden framework can be repaired and springs can be retied before reupholstering. 

How about customizing?

1) Headboards can be reupholstered for decoration and self expression.

2) Vinyl swatch books can give you plenty of choices for changing up a room.

3) A visit to a fabric store may also give you other ideas.

What other furniture categories should consider reupholstering?

1) Marine/boat seating requires marine quality construction, UV protection, and stainless steel components. 

2) Restaurant booth seating may need the cushioning system replaced.

3) Barber shops and beauty salons owners can remove their shop chair seating from their hydraulic bases to have the seating reupholstered and then re-attached to their bases when finished.  This procedure will save on shipping costs because most of the weight is in the metal base.

Worried about shipping costs for reupholstering? Depending on the total job, only one item may need to be shipped to get a pattern made and then the upholstery company may be able to complete the rest of the work onsite at your location.

You can start your professional consultation with AFH Decorations and Upholstery based out of North Augusta, SC.  They also offer custom window treatments and  "re-organizational ideas" that can be built into your custom furniture pieces.  The representatives at AFH Decorations and Upholstery have 40 years of experience in the upholstery field.  They are also timeline conscious which is very important for "one on one" service based businesses.

This article was based on my interview with Victoria Weaver Cooks of AFH Decorations and Upholstery.

 

Red chair upholstery work by AFH Decorations and Upholstery in North Augusta, SC USA.

Do It Yourself Dental Tips

Most people are on a budget these days and going to the dentist on a regular basis may be a luxury versus a necessity.  So here are a few tips that I have discovered and some that I have learned from my clients who are dentists.

Blood
If you see blood coming from your gums, then that is a sign that you need to get your gums back healthy!

1) Increase your flossing along with your brushing.  Even I am guilty of skipping the flossing step, but I also have paid the price.  So floss regularly to keep food from hanging around in-between your teeth.

2) The Crest Pro Health toothpaste as well as Colgate Complete toothpaste seem to be excellent in fighting the germs causing the bleeding gums.  You do not need to get the "Clinical" version.  If you are at "Clinical stage," then you probably should schedule a dental visit in my opinion.

3) The alcohol-free Multiprotection Dental Rinse is a nice extra step after flossing and brushing the teeth as well.  These "pro-health" products cost more than the regular toothpastes, but they are less than a dental visit.

If you use these three steps on a consistent regular basis, then your dental condition should drastically improve.  I have witnessed this for myself so I know it works.

Tooth Extraction
If you let your dental condition get too bad requiring a tooth extraction,  please remember that if you get a tooth extracted to save money, then your other teeth will shift positions to compensate for the gap which may cause you other problems cosmetically and functionally.

In a nutshell, 1) pay attention to your gums 2) pay extra for the more expensive dental care products and 3) stay consistent with your dental hygiene.  If these three steps are followed, you should not find yourself having to decide on tooth extraction nor a root canal.

Making a Vegan Lifestyle Magnificient!

Pictured above is the Citrus "Rib Tips" Entree with Collard greens and candied yams 

 from ZiZi's Vegan Take-out Restaurant in Charlotte, NC.  

Everything was perfectly seasoned and delicious!  I could not believe that there was NO Meat in it! 

The "rib tips" are made from pressed soy protein. The texture of this vegetable protein reminded me of real meat.  If no one told me that I was not eating meat, then I would have never known.  

It was unbelievable that eating healthy could taste that good!  Now, for those who are allergic to soy or gluten, there are other menu options.

Update:  I tried a vegan meal from a "raw" vegan restaurant.  It was a culture shock for my body.

Pictured is a Classic vegan burger and kale salad from Luna's Living Kitchen.  Great presentation, but "too vegan" for me.  The dish did give me plenty of energy, but I would have to acquire a taste for this raw vegan cuisine!

McDonald's menu prices vary within a Five Mile Radius

 So I purchased a Daily Double Meal from McDonald's at Exit 18 and Interstate 77 as well as Exit 23 and Interstate 77.  These two McDonald's have two different ownerships.  Their operating hours are different as well, but what was mind-blowing for me was the difference in the prices.   You can save dollars at a time depending on the McDonald's restaurant you patronize.

As you can see, my meal was $3.79 plus tax at one McDonald's compared to $4.79 plus tax at a different McDonald's which was only five miles away.

For someone buying only one meal, driving five minutes farther to save a dollar plus tax may not be worth it, but let me assure you that if you are buying for four people or a family, it would be well worth the extra five minutes drive to save three or four dollars.

Obviously, McDonald's is fast food and some people do not eat fast food, but for those of us who have hectic lifestyles, McDonald's is an occassional hunger fix.

Update:  

Pictured is a receipt from the McDonald's in Matthews, NC area.  Even they are cheaper than the Huntersville, NC location.

Carolinas Healthcare System and Media Relations

Politics require everyone to do a little dancing especially when the media is involved.  So at the March 2014 CHS Board of Commissioners media breakout session the "Business Journal" representative wanted to take a "selfie" with the "Charlotte Observer" representative. Then one of the CHS Corporate Communications staff kindly volunteers to take the picture of the two news reporters as a nice gesture.  My thoughts about this mini-photo shoot were "cute but inappropriate."

I left the  "Business Journal" and the "Charlotte Observer" representatives in the media conference room.  The meeting was completely over.  The executives had exited the room.  I really did not see the need to linger any longer.  Now, my curiosity gets the best of me.  Why did the other news reporters hang around?

Also,  between June 2006 and  August 2006, I was able to find quite a few announcements that Carolinas Healthcare System began managing the Union Hospital District.  This Union, SC area includes Wallace Thomson Hospital, Ellen Sagar Nursing Home, and Union County Emergency Services.   Again, this is Union County, South Carolina, not North Carolina. References include 6/1/2006 article by Amanda Ridley, Staff Writer for the Herald-Journal Spartanburg, SC and  August 2006 Facebook posting by the Union County EMS website.

I also found references where the CEO of the Union County District was appointed to President of  CMC-University Hospital in Charlotte, NC in June 2010. (Modern Healthcare 6/18/2010 article by Vince Gallaro)

Within months after this "executive transfer," CHS seemed to discontinue its management of the Union Hospital District.  The Administrator/Executive Director of Ellen Sagar Nursing Home was also relocated into the Charlotte, NC area. This Administrator eventually was assigned to the Huntersville Oaks nursing home. I could not find any detailed media coverage of why CHS ended management within a four year period where the previous management company Quorum Health Resources (QHR) managed the district for twenty years.  There was plenty of media coverage for the CHS start of management, but CHS made a quiet exit.  No media coverage that I could find except that the Union Hospital District went back to self management.

It is interesting how much some Carolinas Healthcare System news gets media coverage, and other news is never mentioned.  Maybe much of what is reported is generated from press releases?

Carolinas Healthcare System Attorney Caution Against Whistleblowing

 Pictured above is a portion of my email to Carolinas Healthcare System attorney from August 2012.

Re: ERISA Investigation- "I would be happy to see other CHS employees get some benefits from my story." -Laid off CHS employee

Pictured below is a portion of the email response from the Carolinas Healthcare System attorney from August 2012.

"I would also caution you against making threats about initiating legal action or investigations in which you have no personal stake." - CHS Attorney

In order to remedy my position of vulnerability, I paid into CHS' MedCost through their COBRA department for a year and a half.  My COBRA coverage was for On-site Care health center visits and for their Employee Assistance Program (EAP).  These two programs are free to active employees, but there was a dollar value assigned to them for COBRA purposes.

Interestingly enough, upon calling into MedCost's main number a few times with various questions, the representatives told me repeatedly that there was no record of me in their system.  Then finally, a representative checked into their COBRA department under MedCost.  They found my records there.  So my checks were made out to MedCost, but the MedCost COBRA records are separate from the regular MedCost records.  So if any legal investigations yield a settlement, I should now be a part of the class action.

I did not accept the separation agreement that was offered for around $1000.00 to never apply to CHS, its affiliates, nor its managed entities.  They are the largest employer in the region right now.  No employee in the healthcare industry would be in their right mind to agree to this employment restriction at only a thousand dollar value. 

As a public, not for profit, multi-billion dollar organization in the healthcare industry, my healing from my traumatizing ordeal in their CHS workplace seems not to be a part of Carolinas Healthcare System's concern.

High Employee Turnover Never Leads to an End

I was taught that everyone can complain.  Leaders come up with solutions.  So let's talk about a problem:

HIGH Employee Turnover!

New management has no idea whether employees have 15 months seniority or 15 years seniority.  New management can not see the history behind the staff.  They just see the present, here and now.  New management will always need sound guidance from Senior Human Resources staff.  Otherwise, the employee morale across the company goes down with messy hiring practices.  Then it gets more messy when the company terminates new management as corrective action, then the newly hired team members feel abandoned because their manager that hired them is no longer with the company.  Everyone tries to cope until more new management comes in and the same mistakes keep happening.  It is a vicious never ending cycle.

Your senior level staff are usually at a premium salary, and therefore, they are often targeted for elimination to cut payroll expenses.  However, their operational knowledge of the facilities came from decades of trial and error.  New management may be cheaper to pay, but I guarantee you that they will repeat every last mistake that was made in the past which moves the company as a whole backwards not forward.

Human Resources may have "job descriptions," but senior employees know how to get the job done without the job description.  Sometimes you can not have success with something new until you past the torch down from the old in a proper timeframe with proper training.

Training is so important. New Managers need training on inclusion and people management.  The cost of living is too high now to treat employment matters like a "social club."  Employees need balance, opportunity, and inspiration.  Appreciation goes a long way.  Getting passed over for promotion is not acceptable when there is no sound  reason behind it.  Politics will never go away, but there is a way to manage it effectively.

We all have opinions, and we all know that "doing the right thing" always reaps a greater harvest in the end.