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By Denise Lee 18 Feb, 2021
Photo by jean wimmerlin on Unsplash
By Denise Lee 10 Jun, 2019
Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash
By Denise Lee 22 May, 2019
Truth be told, I’m a bit of a weather fanatic. When the weather turns ugly, I can often be found checking weather apps and watching the local weather reports. Part of my keen interest is due to scientific curiosity. The other part is due to a healthy concern for safety. As interesting as weather is, it can be very dangerous. When I meet with clients during the spring I ask them how they intend to keep themselves safe during bad weather. Spring is tornado season in the Midwest, and it’s not a question of “if” a bad storm comes, It’s a question of “when.” There are several things we check for in preparing for storms. There is an uncluttered place in the basement or on the first floor to shelter. You want a space that does not have windows. If you are sheltering in the basement, make sure there is nothing heavy on the floor above you. You do not want a piano to land on you. If you are sheltering on the first floor, make sure there are as many walls as possible between you and the outside – for instance, a closet in the middle of the first floor. You can get to the designated shelter easily. The path to the shelter should be uncluttered. If you are recovering from clutter, you may want to consider putting painters’ tape on the floor to mark a 3-foot path to the shelter. Remove all clutter from that path and keep that path clear. If your shelter is in the basement, make sure the stairs are clear. When moving quickly to escape a storm, you may not be as sure-footed as you normally are. Items on the stairs can become especially dangerous under those circumstances. If using the stairs is difficult for you, consider creating a shelter on the first floor. You may not have time to use the stairs. Protect yourself from airborne debris, which is the cause of most injuries from a tornado. Have pillows, blankets, or sleeping bags at hand in the shelter. Wrapping yourself up can help protect you from flying debris. I have heard of people putting a mattress over themselves, but most of my clients cannot maneuver a mattress off the bed and carry it to the shelter. Do the best you can with what you have. You should absolutely wear shoes. If there isn’t time to put them on before you go to the shelter, grab them on your way. A bike helmet could be a handy thing to have. Have a first-aid kit too in case someone does get hurt. Count on the power going out. You will need flashlights and battery-operated lanterns. It’s not unusual for power to go out before you need to move to the shelter, so it’s a good idea to have a flashlight in every room. Avoid candles and lanterns that use a flame. If a gas leak results from the storm, a spark can cause an explosion. Have a battery-operated weather-band radio in the shelter so you can get updates. A backup battery for your phone is nice to have too. Some radios have a power bank built in for your electronics, like this one: http://tinyurl.com/y4c8ryc9 . If you live with someone who is deaf, you may want to invest in a weather radio with strobe light notification, like this one: http://tinyurl.com/y3rk6er8 . Keep your pets under control. You may want to put your small pets in a carrier and larger pets on a leash. When pets are scared – and storms are pretty scary – do not count on them to be their normally well-behaved selves. Keep informed. Keep your radio on and check the news apps on your phone. Tornados aren’t the only destructive storms. High winds can uproot trees and bring them down on powerlines, houses and cars. Hail can wreak incredible damage too. Be prepared. Set up your storm shelter now. Declutter your path now. A few minutes of work can make the difference in how you are affected by a storm.
By Denise Lee 11 May, 2019
Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash
By Denise Lee 02 May, 2019
Photo by REVOLT on Unsplash
By Denise Lee 22 Apr, 2019
Photo by Alfonso Navarro on Unsplash
By Denise Lee 18 Apr, 2019
Photo by Jeremy Wong on Unsplash.
By Denise Lee 20 Mar, 2019
We were working in my client’s newly renovated kitchen finding new homes for its contents when we opened up box one of several boxes of cookbooks. “The cookbooks! Where do they go!?” exclaimed Angela (not her real name, of course). Angela loves her cookbooks. Prior to the renovation, the cookbooks resided in a bookshelf that rested against a wall that was removed during the renovation. While the renovation provided Angela with more storage, we questioned whether there was enough space for the four shelves of books and everything else. In general, books are often near and dear to people’s hearts and cookbooks are often especially so. Cookbooks are emblematic of a host of qualities: creativity, togetherness, fun, worldliness, and traditional, to name a few. On the surface, it would seem that letting go of cookbooks would be an act of rejecting these wonderful qualities, and that can make discarding challenging. So how did Angela go from having four shelves of books to a little less than one shelf? We followed a process that considered her mindset and then posed several different types of questions. Mindset affects our perceptions and how we make decisions. For Angela, the first thing we did was discuss how the books were not imbuing positive qualities upon her. In fact, it those positive qualities already resided within Angela. Furthermore, those positive qualities are independent of the thing. Realizing that things are not material to our character can be very liberating. Our next steps focused on very practical matters. We looked at which books Angela used a lot – her go-to books. These books were easily identified as they showed the wear of frequent use. Then we pulled out the “occasional” books. These were the books that Angela used a few times a year. After pulling out the frequently-used and occasionally-used books, we were left with a lot of books that looked as though they had never been opened. From the remainder, we immediately discarded the books with few or no pictures – Angela really needs pictures to help her choose a dish to cook. Then we identified the books that just didn’t fit her lifestyle anymore. At this point we were left with a little more than a dozen books. Upon examining the remaining group of books, Angela discarded four of them because the recipes looked a little more complicated than what she is willing to cook these days. At this point Angela had pared down her cookbooks to a collection she feels good about. Not only did the books fit very nicely in one of her cabinets, but she had rediscovered a few books that had been lost in the former extensiveness of her collection. Recall that she did not feel very enthusiastic about paring down her books at the beginning of this process. To her credit, she was willing to work through the discomfort to get to a very satisfying conclusion. Through the process she was able to examine her beliefs about her collection and acknowledge their inaccuracies, which then freed her to examine her collection further from different perspectives. The decluttering process spotlighted the books that serve her, eliminated the books that were really “just noise,” and left Angela feeling confident. By eliminating, much was gained.
By comstlco-admin 14 Feb, 2019
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For purposes of this Policy, the Site shall be the initial point of contact between you and this site, and will serve as initial point of collection of any personal data you may provide us. By using our site, you are consenting to our privacy policy. In order to use part or all of our services, you may need or will need to provide this site with certain personally identifiable information (“PII”). Our website or ads do not collect any sensitive personal data about you (i.e. gender, racial origin, financial information). What information we collect We collect all the you provide to us through our forms, including your name, email address, phone number, zip code, the services you select, and the comments you provide. What we do with that information We utilize the information you provide us to contact you in response to questions, advertising and possibly email you with additional questions, offers, updates, and follow ups. 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We will post the update on the website, send you an email and/or otherwise conspicuously notify you of any changes. Contact For inquires or comments regarding this Privacy Policy, please communicate with us via the form on this site. By using our site, you are consenting to our privacy policy. If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact the owner and operator of this website business at: 8772 Pine Ave. St. Louis, MO 63144 
By Denise Lee 13 Dec, 2016
Denise’s note: I emphasis the importance of self-care with my clients. It is practically impossible to manage one’s life if mental and physical health are constantly sabotaged due to poor self-care. Speaking to this point is guest writer Amy Lee who is currently studying at Kansas University as a dietitian intern. And yes, Amy is my brilliant daughter. The holidays are coming up, and while this season is called the most wonderful time of the year, for many it can also be very stressful. Between family gatherings, preparations, and schedule changes, it can be hard to remember to take care of yourself during this busy time. Today, we’ll discuss not only why it’s important to care for yourself, but some ways in which you can do so. Why practice self care? To explain why exactly self-care is so important, especially during the holidays, I like to reference the car analogy. First, imagine a car. Cars can do all sorts of things, like commute to work, drive to the store, and help friends move. They work hard, but they get things done. Now, imagine that no one takes care of this car. Maintenance checks and oil changes are skipped, recall orders lapse, and nobody ever buys it new tires. That car isn’t as effective at doing all of its jobs now, right? It doesn’t run as smoothly, and maybe it even has a few moments where it can’t work at all. Maintaining care for yourself is similar to maintaining that car. It’s important to sometimes take breaks, treat yourself, and listen to your body because otherwise, you may end up overtaxing yourself and feeling frustrated. How do I care for myself? This is a hard question, because it’s so different for each individual. I’ll provide some ideas below, but a good place to start is to begin a running list of things that make you feel taken care of on your phone or a notepad. For instance, if you’ve noticed that you feel more relaxed and clearheaded after walking your dog, write that down as a go-to thing to do when you’re stressed or anxious. This way, you have multiple gameplans to help you cope when times may be too busy to think straight. Here are some suggestions for things you can do to take care of yourself: 5-minute Freshen Up: Take a few minutes to comb through your hair, splash water on your face, and brush your teeth. If you can, change clothes into something comfortable or put on a pair of fuzzy socks. Guided Meditation: If you’ve never tried to meditate before, have no fear! Guided meditation involves someone walking you through the process and telling you exactly what to do step-by-step. As a bonus, there are many guided meditation guides available on YouTube or apps, so you can do them in the privacy of your home. Here’s a good 5-minute one to try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i50ZAs7v9es . Get moving: sometimes, a quick stretch or a brisk walk can not only clear your mind, but deliver extra oxygen to your muscles and refresh you long into the day. However you care for yourself this season (and always), make sure to make time to do so by writing it on your to-do list or setting a timer on your phone. Happy holidays!
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