Solaris = toward the sun

Solving Stress – one problem, many solutions!

SB — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:29:59 +0000

I ran into Dr. Lynn MacIntosh last week at Skyline Salon after an AWESOME facial with Amanda there. I hadn’t really seen her since she helped me recover from a car accident five or six years ago. She looked great, and said she was also on her way in to see Amanda for a facial. “It’s the only time I sit still!” she said. I can totally relate, because I find going to the dentist relaxing for the same reason. It’s sad but true that often the folks who help other people feel better don’t spend a lot of time following their own advice.

Dr. MacIntosh has been to our office once to get a massage, but she’s not a regular client. It was great to run into her doing the same thing I do to relax. I tell people all the time that massage isn’t for everybody, and I think getting a facial is another great way to tune out. Some folks just don’t like the idea of having legs or feet massaged, others don’t have a whole hour to spare. For Dr. MacIntosh, it seemed that what was working for her was being able to get her hair done AND her facial at the same spot. She said that the first time she did it she just had a little spare time while a friend was having her hair cut. Now she’s making a habit of it, and I’m so happy for her!

I remember my first facial. I could not believe how many different ways my face could be massaged. I couldn’t believe how relaxing it was to “just” have a facial! Now, to be clear, a great facial is GREAT, and a mediocre facial just feels like someone applying various lotions and creams to your face. I’ve had both, but luckily more of the former. While I love doing massage and find it a supremely relaxing way to disconnect, unwind and optimize, I know that it doesn’t have universal appeal. I always encourage people to find what works for them, and I know that it may not be massage at all. It might be getting a pedicure, going to the chiropractor, running, cleaning house, going for a long walk with your dog, or a night of dancing at a loud club. It doesn’t really matter, just as long as you make a habit of shaking off the stress that inevitably creeps in to modern life.

What is your favorite stress remover? Do you plan ahead to keep the tension at bay, or do you wait ’till you’re in pain to start chipping away at anxiety? If you’re a caretaker, how do you take care of yourself?

Best Laundry Detergent – from someone who knows

SB — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:03:12 +0000

Over the years I’ve done a lot of laundry for the shop. I once stood in line at the coffee shop Sunday morning after a particularly busy week and exclaimed loudly “EVERY single sheet I own is DIRTY!” I realized immediately realized how funny that would sound out of context. My friends who worked there laughed, knowing that I often say “my LIFE is laundry” As a massage therapist, a busy work week means loads of sheets, blankets, towels, and pillow cases. A lot of laundry is a good thing, because it means I’m having a lot of work.

I always know when it’s laundry day for my next door neighbors. A cloud of Suavitel wafts past my front porch and continues on down the street. It’s a smell I enjoy, because I love my neighbors and I associate the fragrance with being home, sitting on the front porch watching the sun set with my tribe. My grandma was also a fan of fabric softener.While I enjoy the good feelings associated with these popular laundry products, I do so from a distance. They all make me itch. I break out in hives if I forget and use a scented detergent, softener or dryer sheet. I started using unscented EVERYTHING in my 20’s, and when I opened my massage business I obviously did the same for my shop laundry. While a fragrance might invoke fond memories of home or childhood, it can just as often invoke itching. Below I’ve listed some of my favorite detergents, along with the pros and cons of each.

Costco Kirkland Institutional Laundry Detergent
200 loads/$17.21 – about 12 cents/load
Pros – Unscented, good price, bucket is a great size for reuse
Cons – Some folks can’t handle powder, and often use too much, only available at Costco to members

Method Laundry Detergent Refill
85 loads/$19.99 – about 23 cents/load
Pros – Great spill-proof, idiot-proof, easy to lift, measured pump packaging, easy to transport concentrated refills, unscented, available at Target
Cons – Somewhat more expensive than powders

Nellie’s All-Natural Laundry Soda
1101 loads/$124.95 + $15 (shipping) – about 12 cents/load
50 loads/$9.99 – about 20 cents/load
Pros – Very concentrated, great price in bulk, minimal packaging, unscented, available in handsome reusable tin or giant bulk 5 gallon bucket
Cons – May not be available in your area

Miscellaneous tips:

Use a pair of tennis balls in the dryer when drying down comforters to help fluff up the feathers.Sort laundry by category. If you are doing several loads it is easier to do all pants in the same load. Not only do they dry in roughly the same amount of time (why burn up your t-shirt waiting for the jeans to dry?) but it makes folding and putting away easier. Fewer categories to sort just make the process easier.

DON’T OVER LOAD! If your clothes take FOREVER to dry, and come out wrinkly, chances are you have too many clothes in the load. The dirt needs somewhere to go, fabric needs to be able to agitate, and there is actually a point of diminishing returns in your dryer. We appreciate that you want to conserve water and electricity, but making your washer and dryer work TOO hard is not the way to achieve this.

Line dry when you can, which is more often than you think. Grandma’s fluffy, full of fabric softener towels do have an emotional draw, but they use a LOT of energy. The dryer in your home is probably the number one consumer of electricity in your home, so skip it whenever you can. I’ve started using tea towels to dry off after bathing. They are very absorbent, 100% cotton, air dry quickly, and take up hardly any space. I bought eight about a year ago and they all fit neatly on the tiny shelf above my 100 year old tub. I don’t miss downy-fresh terry cloth at all, and I use a lot less energy washing and drying them. Yes, they are smaller, and I certainly don’t walk around the house in one, but they are even better at keeping wet hair out of the way. It’s a positive trade off.

What are YOUR favorite tips and tricks? Know a great way to save time?

KC’s top 5 local holiday gift destinations – 2011

SB — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:19:05 +0000

I have grand plans to create a proper and complete blog regarding places you shouldn’t miss this gift-giving season, but this will have to suffice for now. There are SO many good locally-owned places to shop in Kansas City I keep adding more to the mental list. And while it IS the thought that counts, in this case it’s just not going to get us where we want. So, in no particular order here are the top 5 places I hope you’ll remember when you’re doing your shopping this holiday season!

River Market Antique Mall – Four floors and a complete price range!

Christopher Elbow Chocolates – Impress them with the BEST fancy chocolates!

Sage and Daisy – A variety of handcrafted art and body care products!

Al Habashi Mart – Exotic nuts and treats great for sharing and for stockings!

Broadway Cafe and Roasting Company – Everyone is in a better mood after coffee, bring a bag of the best beans!

Shop locally AND on the internet!

SB — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 20:17:36 +0000

As the holidays approach, so does a modern dilemma: to buy locally, or via the internet. We all love supporting homegrown businesses, but sometimes the speed and convenience of cruising the web and having the perfect item delivered with a click of the mouse is just too tempting. Especially as winter gets cold and blustery, the allure of staying in to shop is strong.

Well we all know you can’t ALWAYS get what you want, but in this case we have a way for you to shop locally AND from the convenience of home. When you purchase a gift certificate from Solaris Massage you are supporting a locally owned Kansas City business. Our service based massage business is not only environmentally low impact, but our Gift Certificates themselves are made locally at the DeLaSalle Student Press.

We hope you enjoy the convenience of shopping on-line with Google checkout, and if you’re interested in saving money, you are more than welcome to buy a six pack and shop for half a dozen of your luckiest friends at once! What is a six pack? When you purchase a six pack, you get six services for the price of five! That’s a savings of 20% and better than that free coffee you get after buying ten. You are welcome to use all six for yourself, or share with anyone you choose. You can go paperless, and just keep the credit on file, or request Gift Certificate hard copies for the lucky recipients. We can send them to you, or directly to the recipients. Please send any special instructions via e-mail at solarismassage@gmail.com

We hope that your Autumn and Winter are peaceful and bright, and that you remember to take care of yourself as well as you take care of the ones you love.

Cheers!

Solaris Massage

816-868-1684

Available by phone, mail, or pickup.

We LOVE regulars, returns and referrals!

SB — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:06:04 +0000

When you run a small business everyone has a lot of good ideas about how you can promote your business. “You could do chair massage at first Fridays; you could offer $5 off your first massage; you could donate a free massage to my son’s football team raffle; you could work on famous people when they are in town; you can pay my company to put a link to your business on your competitor’s listing; you can sell a one hour massage for $40, then give me $20″ it goes on and on AND ON!

From the very beginning I wanted to set prices that were fair. I didn’t want to do a lot of promotions that involved dropping the price, because I feel like it punishes all the regular clients who make regular appointments and pay regular price. There is nothing wrong with being regular. In fact, we prefer regular clients. Yes, even over rock stars and other famous people.

If you compare our regular prices to those of our competitors, you’ll see that there really aren’t a lot of places charging LESS. If you’re looking for a bargain, it’s already here. Our ninety minute session, which includes many specialty technique options (Hot Stone, Ashiatsu, Deep Tissue) is about the same price a lot of places charge for a basic one hour swedish massage. BTW, it’s $90 here.

While it’s always fun to meet new clients, and it DOES take a village to run a business, we’re going to stick with what we know and go our own way. Which brings me to the promotions that we DO do. I said Do do.

Here at Solaris we love regulars, returns, and referrals. So, for regular return clients, we offer the Six Pack Savings Bundle. Basically, you pay ahead for six hour- long or ninety minute sessions, and you only pay for five. You do the math: that’s a 20% savings.

For referrals, we offer a FREE one hour massage every time you send us three new clients. Yup, just send us an e-mail when you send a friend in and when three of your best buds have made it in, your next hour-long massage is on the house. Send your e-mail to solarismassage@gmail.com and be sure to put the word “referral” in the subject line. Mention who you sent us and the approximate date of their appointment.

Even if you have a bat, you would be hard pressed to beat that deal with it. Whether you are regular, or a future regular, you can make your appointment request on-line whenever you’re ready to start saving at the place with the always day low prices (intentional mix of opp).

Sage & Daisy at Crown Center!

SB — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:58:47 +0000

I am NOT a shopper. Ask anyone who knows me well, I have a make-do attitude and hang on to a hand-me-down well past its prime. So when I run into a store that makes me all giggly and giddy for the stuff that they stock, well, it’s rare indeed. Sage and Daisy has been that kind of store since I first became familiar with Dave and Stephanie’s soaps way back in our City Market days. Since then, Sage and Daisy has moved a handful of times. I always manage to stay in touch, and I cannot walk into this store without buying something I LOVE.

They make delicious soaps, lotions and scrubs. They feature local artists who make everything from jewelry, to hand-knit wash cloths and caps. One of my favorites is Desiree Warren, who is a master of lucite and vinyl. If you’ve noticed the orange clock with the dear in the couples room, that’s her work too.

If you need to buy a gift, or just want to treat yourself, I can’t recommend Sage and Daisy highly enough. They are currently located near Kabuki on the lower level of Crown Center. Check them out at your earliest convenience! Sage & Daisy 816-421-1101 at 2450 Grand Blvd. Kansas City MO 64109

Summer is HERE 2010!

SB — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:55:14 +0000

Many of our friends and fans reside elsewhere. The rest of you live in Kansas City, and you are well aware of the fact that Summer is here! I hear a lot of people complain that we didn’t get a spring. Take it from a lady who goes for a walk everyday and has no central air: we HAD a lovely and appropriately long Spring. In a city with extreme seasons you DO need to take the time to enjoy the seasons as they roll by. There are PLENTY of beautiful days, but you gotta go out and get them!

Now that Summer has landed, we are already enjoying the changes. Here at Solaris, we have been VERY busy with couple’s massages. Really? Yes, really. Wedding season is anniversary season, is couples massage season. It’s always fun to meet new pairs of people. Many are from out-of-town, and often one of the pair is having his/her first massage. Teri and I do the majority of these appointments, and we’re having a lot of fun with it.

The warmer weather has also brought in more pre and post event clients. triathlon, bike races, marathons, summer camp counseling, and pre-vacation relaxation. Many of these clients continue to benefit from Ashiatsu. The kind of deep, even, broad pressure is great for our more athletic clients.

BTW, if you receive an interesting massage or spa treatment while on vacation this summer, be sure to tell us about it. We can only go on so many vacations ourselves .

Speaking of vacation, I’ve elected to take my summer vacation one afternoon at a time. Circumstances do not allow a traditional out-of-town week-long getaway, so when a slow business day coincides with a beautiful sunny one, I’ll be taking half-day vacations. Many of the area pools and community centers offer one day pricing, so I’ll keep you updated on the gems as I discover them. Try to enjoy the best each season has to offer by taking a little time to act like a tourist in your own home town. It will be HOT in Kansas City no doubt, but spending some time at ‘the pool’ makes me feel like a kid again!

We have been seeing a lot of return clients from the Fall and Winter seasons. While a 6-9 month massage schedule is not ideal, it’s always great to see folks return. If it’s been more than a season since your last massage, get in here! Once a month is ideal, but no matter your orbit, each repeat visit makes our therapists more familiar with your issues. If it’s been a while since your last massage, be sure to mention any changes, and remind us of the important issues from last time. Always err on the side of repeating yourself.

We had a super-busy May, as ALL the holiday gift certificates had a June 1 expiration date (my genius move). It is always great to meet the lucky recipients, many of whom are friends and family of existing clients. We are working on making the GC purchase process even easier, and hope to include office hours this holiday season. We’ll keep you posted.

Oh, in case you missed it: we offer a referral program. Since our best NEW clients are sent by our best EXISTING clients, we want to thank you for sending them to us. For every three new clients you send us, we will give you a free one hour massage. Send us an e-mail with the words “referral program” in the subject line, mention your friend’s name and approximate appointment date in the body to: solarismassage@gmail.com . No punch card, no bar code, no magnetic strips. Just old-fashioned word of mouth. Ok, and high-tech e-mail.

There are a ton of new tips and ideas I want to share, but instead of putting them in this newsletter, I’ll be reorganizing this blog and putting everything in its place. There are so many great businesses and people in Kansas City, it would be impossible to keep them contained in even a monthly newsletter. As always, follow us on the social network of your choice. If you don’t see us there, let us know and we’ll join up if we can find the time. You’ve really been keeping us VERY busy. Until next time, enjoy the season. Acclimate, and soak in the heat of Summer.

Kip

SolarisMassage on Twitter

Solaris Massage on Facebook

Solaris Massage on Myspace

Kip’s Tip #426

SB — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:53:25 +0000

Date mascara with a 3 month expiration date

Free Upgrade March 2010

SB — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:13:41 +0000

Solaris has been within Scott Fitness for nearly two years now, and one thing we’ve learned is the complimentary relationship between excercise and massage. Many of our regular clients have joined the gym, and their bodies really benefit from regular workouts! If you’ve been in over the past year, I’m sure I’ve mentioned coming to LimberJacks as part of your massage follow up plan. LimberJacks is a real class taught by me here on Monday nights at 6:30 and is a motion stretching class. Follow the above link for more details. We hear it all the time “I should really stretch more”, to which I reply “YES!, Come to my class!”

The iron cross, swim cap optional

So here’s the deal kids: come to LimberJacks during the month of March 2010, and recieve a free upgrade on your next massage*. That’s right, you get a bonus for doing something you know you need to do anyway. To get your free upgrade certificate attend a LimberJacks class during the month of March (attend means participate, and there are five Mondays in March, so quit whining). If you are already a member of Scott Fitness, just show up. If you are not a member of Scott Fitness, give me a call at least an hour before class so I can put you on our guest list. Again, if you ARE NOT A MEMBER, YOU NEED TO CALL ME TO BE PUT ON THE GUEST LIST. 816.868.1684

Class is at 6:30 on Mondays at Scott Fitness 3.0 at 2020 Washington KCMO 64108.

When you’re ready to schedule your appointment, please do so here: Solaris Massage on-line request.

* Upgrade is non-transferable, has a firm expiration date, has no cash value, cannot be used alone, can only be used with participating therapists, adds one free half hour to your massage.

Update: January 2010!

SB — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:40:33 +0000

Last we spoke, getting ready for THIS winter was our focus. Well, it’s here now and I don’t think many of us are surprised that it’s been powerful cold! The good news is: our treatment rooms are TOASTY. I think I’ve worn more short-sleeved shirts now that it’s midwinter than during the summer!

As predicted, it WAS a busy gift certificate season. It has been really fun to meet the significant others who buy those GCs for our regulars, and to have some of our regulars bring in their family members. It really is an honor to share something you like with someone you love. We have the best clients, and it’s so much fun getting to know more of you; like feathers, and such.

I have at least two exciting things to share with you:

wheresmycellphone.com is a free service that allows you to get on-line, enter your phone number and make it ring. Everyone misplaces their phone, and some of us do so without the aid of an extra phone with which to call it. You’re welcome!

bargaincell.com has really appropriate prices for gadget accessories. I waited until I had actually received my order to recommend this. I got a screen guard for my phone for $1 and the cover for $2. I just think these are the correct prices for little pieces of plastic. The same items cost $6 and $16 in the store. It’s a little embarrassing to buy accessories for one’s accessories. I did sew some protection out of pilla cases, but I can’t figure out the screen protector. I did consider cling film (that’s how the English say “plastic wrap”).

On the horizon is a fun coincidence of holidays: Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day both fall on Sunday 14 February 2010! We will be offering couples massage on Saturday the 13th AND Sunday the 14th. Request appointments on-line, for best results. Because it’s also our 6th anniversary, we will be making your shopping one stop. The first 20 folks to reserve a couple’s massage or purchase a ninety minute gift certificate in February will be getting beautiful Dutch Flowers and Christopher Elbow Chocolates. Pick up for flowers and chocolate will be on the 13th and 14th. One stop shopping at it’s best. And think about it: a couples massage is a great way to make sure you BOTH get something nice!

Well, in the interest of keeping things brief, I’ll sign off for now. Thanks again for making 2009 such a great year, and cheers to the new year!

Kip