PTCD

i think i'm suffering from post traumatic christmas disorder.

i'm back to the office and i think i could cry.
things have settled and there are no more presents to buy.
christmas cheer has slowly faded.
its quiet in here.

help! how do i keep that christmas feeling all year!?

flurries.

it snowed yesterday. (it never snows in oregon. half an inch managed to close all schools). and i can't believe i'm saying this...but i miss it. it took a few flurries to make me remember how peaceful and gorgeous it is. there's a special something about a fresh blanket of snow. it melted away by the end of the day but that short glimpse of all white stuck with me. i'm secretly wishing it will snow again.

living at home during the holidays again is so nice. i get to enjoy christmas decorations in my cozy home, going to get a tree, singing in sacrament with my sisters, and going to christmas themed ward activities. i don't know what it is about this year, but i feel like it's a special one. there has been a lot of change in the last year, and i feel happy where i am. i know i'm supposed to be here and this time of year just gives me the chance to really soak it all in.

i am so grateful for:
the gospel
my savior
the scriptures
the calling to teach
good parents who love each other
a beautiful place to live
music
a boyfriend who takes care of me
friends who love me
giving gifts
the atonement and the chance it gives me to be a better person
a new job
learning new things

life is good.

peachy

yesterday i canned peaches for the first time. 

well...canning dunn family style. meaning not just peaches....but peach PIE filling. 

yummy. 

i loved getting to hang out with mom and learn how to do something new! can't wait to actually make a pie! 

my favorite season

this year could quite possibly be the most red fall i've ever experienced in utah. 

i love the sound of gravel under my tires

and the sound of wind blowing through the leaves. 

what a great time of year! 

bring on the snuggling in blankets and caramel apple ciders!

laid off

apparently i no longer have a job.

you heard me right. i was just as shocked to hear it.

today i was informed i have been laid off. and yesterday was my last day of work.

im now unemployed.

as if getting demoted, and having my hours significantly cut on multiple occasions wasn't enough.

awesome......

anyone want to hire me for a month before i move? im poor.

lunch

so what if i ate an ice cream bar for breakfast

at 2:30.... in the afternoon

which is really like a late lunch.

all because i laid in bed all morning.

so what. it was good.

employees

i have learned quite a bit in the last couple of years about running a business. what to do, and what not to do. i think one of the most important things i've come to understand is how important employees are.

let me just share a couple of thoughts with you. i could go off on this subject but i will refrain for the time being.

1. employees are important!
2. if you are not willing to invest in good employees you need to do some re-evaluating
3. employees should be happy to work for you
4. you should treat employees like you are happy they work for you
5. a hard working, competent, reliable employee is hard to come by...so appreciate them!

sometimes there are situations where your employees need to be taken care of above other needs. unfortunately this may come as a financial or personal loss. yet, there are times that these losses are more effective in the long run to continue to have the loyalty of your employee.

let me share an example of bad employee relations:

say its tuesday and as a sales team there is a daily goal to reach in order to receive a bonus. after a hard days work the sales goal is reached and each person goes home that night with a $50 cash bonus in their pocket (good employee relations). a few days later you hear a customer service concern with one of the customers from tuesday. a few more days pass and you learn that despite your VERY strong policy of no returns the owner has decided give this customer a full refund due to a mistake on the stores part. the mistake was caused by the manager who pushed the sale when she could not guarantee that all services would be met. this is fine. the store knowingly made a mistake and went against policy to satisfy a customer. BUT since this sale was originally made on that tuesday and was refunded it essentially is removed from the sales numbers that day. therefore that goal technically would not have been reached. since that is now the case, the bonus is now void. and despite the fact that each employee walked home with CASH in their pocket the employer has asked for that $50 back from each employee 7 days later. ONE whole week. either in cash or to be taken from their next paycheck.

seriously? this is NOT ok, so not ok. had the bonus not been cash it may have been a different story. but money was given to employees that night! for a mistake that their boss made!

awful employee relations, awful.

if as an employer you are not willing to lose money in an unusual situation like this, that type of incentive should not be in place. but this should be one of those situations where employee needs should be taken care of above a financial loss in the store. (let be honest....$150 to employees is not that bad compared to a $5000 sales day) it just leaves a very bitter taste in employees mouths, and can potentially negatively affect the company in the future.

so treat your employees well! dont be afraid to show them that you are willing to take a loss for them to be happy.

the end.