Keeping Up With the Pockets

So I'm sitting here next to Bethany, Manager of Perfect Pockets Plus, and a thought occurs to me. This is a funny one to me because I haven't said anything to her about this yet. But I wanted to pose a question to all the massage therapists out there trying to push through this pandemic.

Do you feel that your holster will change at all for this? A part of this isresearch that hasn't been asked for, but I thought it would be good to broach. We have seen the tremendous growth of our craft and the remarkable care our customers have put into their new holsters. When Kim made holsters for Bethany, I thought it was really cool, but I didn't truly understand how important holsters were to massage therapists until more people asked Kim to make them one.

But it makes sense, right? I mean, even from a novice or ignorant perspective, you can tell that massage therapists often depend on clean transitions when it comes to their massage style. Holsters can make significant changes to ones routine that most would consider subtle. The same can be said for the container of product therapists use.

Do you believe that mask considerations should be included with your holster?

Does the fit need to change for accomodating the new spacing regulations?

Should different materials be used that may or may not clean/sanitize better?

These are all questions I'm asking you this post, and I'll ask Bethany and Kim at some point (if they don't see this post first).

With that, I hope you all are having a wonderful, safe, and happy start to 2021. 

It has passed a year since we've been well aware of Covid 19, and the world is a much different place than it used to be. We are far less connected as a global community, and it seems we've regressed in many ways. Or have we progressed? I want to talk a bit about the impact this new....life has had on me personally.

Stress and frustration have skyrocketed, largely things that were already rough becoming more significant. There are so many core things we believe in for wellness, things that we explicitly cannot do because of the covid restrictions. There are many times I ask myself throughout the week "how can I become a more healthy individual". If I'm being honest, the answers are becoming more difficult to find. 

And at the same time, the demand for physical healthiness is at an all time high because hey, there's this virus out there that could potentially kill you if you get infected. Statistics are on your side, but no one wants to be caught on the other side.

I share this with you because we strive to understand wellness just like you, and we have our own battles that come with Covid 19. You aren't alone if you don't know what to do next. Many of us are trying to take the next step just like you. If I have a recommendation for anything....pick up the phone, make a call. Step outside if even for a few moments. Remind yourself that the world is still here, and forward motion is coming.

Hey everyone. Hope you are doing well this holiday season. If we don't get another post in before the new year, we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Season. We are about to hit the 1 year anniversary of Covid-19 making its presence known in our world. It's turned everything upside down, and there has not been this much overall fear in a long time. People have died, people have lost everything, and the overall morale is lower than anything I've ever seen.

This is the perfect time to talk about wellness and self care. It's not only necessary, it's vital. 

The first bit of advice I have for you is this: live today like you will have Covid tomorrow. It's important to note that this is vastly different than "live today like you'll get Covid today". Our culture has misused the phrase "act like you have nothing to lose". With all the uncertainty going on with the virus, politics, and our volatile social landscape, tomorrow isn't promised to any of us. It's an overwhelming, sobering thought, especially considering we have small children we love dearly. But this is precisely the time where we should act like we have everything to lose. A life not lived is among the greatest tragedies in my opinion.

My second bit of advice pertains to how you treat others, and it goes along with the first bit. We need compassion more than ever, and we have received a startlingly low amount. I'm not talking about any particular demographic, but our national community. Having a level of wellness is as simple as not projecting negative energy into already tense situations. Anger, stress, fear, these are all things that impact your body in hidden, harmful ways. Be mindful of staying healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

The last bit of advice is going to sound silly, but STRETCH. This is something I've noticed people don't do anymore, and it impacts our day to day. If you can get a couple minutes to stretch your back, arms, and legs, do so. You'll be surprised how much it impacts your day.

We look forward to bringing you more updates about Perfect Pockets Plus. See you soon!

Welcome to our website & welcome to our adventure.  We haven't talked in a while because life is life & it gets busy.  It gets messy.  It gets, well, lifey.  So here we are.  Still sewing, still working, still managing, but not as on top of it all as I prefer.  But hey, gotta give grace, right?  To ourselves as well as others.

First, let's do an update on some of our crazy.  Dad had his transplant & is back home.  Mom had her knee surgery & is finally moving fairly comfortably & is back to working 3rd shift.  These 2 things make things busy ;).  I am working with children at home full-time as well as doing massage part-time again (thank goodness!  Hands. Must. Do. The. 'Ssaging!!).  I share these things so hopefully you will understand that we are human & we are doing many things.  But that DOESN'T CHANGE our passion for what we do.  We absolutely LOVE creating things that can make people's lives easier & better.  We love making Holsters so that Massage Therapists can do what they love easier, better, & with personality!  We love making Therapy Packs to help with aches, pains, fevers, broken air conditioners, boo-boos, acute muscular spasms, surgical recoveries, & comfort!  WE LOVE THIS WORK!  And we will continue to do it as long as there are people out there who need our products.  And IF the day were to ever come where no one else ever needed what we make..... mom would start sewing something else haha.

Thank you for your support, thank you for your interest, & thank you for being the fabulously amazing person that God made you to be!  Make sure to follow us on Facebook so you can see updates, available products, & online events with ease.  And drop us a line any time!  We love to help people succeed & create.

Upcoming Online Event Information:

I will be posting information for an Online Event soon.  At this event we will have a giveaway, we will have comments open for questions & brainstorming, & I will be going through 1 of my massage sessions with you, this way I can share ways to integrate our products into YOUR sessions, upgrade ideas, & suggestions for taking it from your treatment room to your retail.  I will also be discussing Therapy Pack care & cleaning, especially in our current state of the world.  Keep an eye open for a date! 

Some new(ish) thoughts on the Sower Parable - Matthew 13: 1-9 and 19-23 of the Christian Bible for those of you needing a reference. What I normally read it as is “God puts the message in our ears, but the nature of our hearts dictates that message’s path”. If we aren’t fertile ground, then the fruit won’t grow.

But what if we’re the sower? Stick with me on this for a moment.

Throughout our lives, regardless of what you believe (I believe in Christ if that isn’t obvious), you are trying to plant seeds. Could be literal, could be biological, could be intellectual, but we all try to plant seeds of some sort. And many times we fail.

Perhaps it’s not the seed that is the problem, but where you’re trying to plant it. We’re speaking on largely secular terms and not necessarily Christians right now. If you keep throwing seeds on rocky ground s and nowhere else, can you expect anything but failure?

Where are the seeds in your hand going? Have you inspected your ground lately?

Have a blessed weekend everyone.

We haven't talked much about celebrities here on PPP, but I felt compelled to write something regarding a particular incident.

If you haven't been reading much in the way of celebrity news, Johnny Depp has fuled a defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard. For a while, we heard of antics of Mr. Depp and assumed that it was another case of a celebrity being so far from regular life that goes insane, for a lack of a better way to put it. It was a reasonable thought. He wouldn't have been the first, and he won't be the last. What has come out as legitimate evidence could potentially reveal what depths "the love of his life" went to not only to physically injure him, but ruin his professional career. It is a tragic story in development.

But what does that have to do with wellness?

The relationship between genders has always been volatile, but that situation has increased more in the past eight years than I've ever seen. Between the LGBTQ movement and the #meetoo movement, both sides have become increasingly more aggressive in multiple ways; physically, legally, and socially. Everyone at home, regardless of background, feels the tension rising despite some recent legal victories. This is one of many situations where the best self care is something we always promote.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

This post will be a bit of a ramble, but we're getting to it.:D

When we take time, as people, to focus on something other than ourselves, what we find is our own well being is enhanced. That also applies to gender dynamics and the different social changes that are coming with it. Regardless of what you believe/feel, at the heart of it all is caring for one another. Perhaps if more of that was practiced, one less person would've suffered.

Hello! We hope you are enjoying this year thus far.

Right now, I'm sitting on a couch. That would be a strange way to talk about wellness, massage, and overall health, but is it really? When we aren't at work or in bed, the furniture we choose is where we spend the most time. It's where you talk, where you enjoy shows, or books, or video games, etc. The furniture in your house has a great impact on how you live your lives. It also serves as a window of the type of person you are. That's absolutely insane, isn't it? So today, I just have a few questions for you regarding your furniture, and these questions will be expanded upon. I know you'll enjoy and benefit from looking at something that is taken for granted often in the United States.

Question 1:What does your furniture say about your rest? Do you have a big comfortable bed, or do you have a bed with accessories? What adorns your most private space should bring out everything you want in relaxation. If you are sleeping the recommended time per night, you will spend around 1/3rd of your whole life on that one piece of furniture. That sounds morbid, but how your furniture impacts your rest has a profound and lasting impact on your quality of life. Are you struggling with rest or irritability? Maybe not working efficiently? These are basic examples of interrupted sleep, but something as simple as a new mattress can make all the difference.

Question 2:How much do you move at home? This is related to the truth that our home may not be the most welcoming place for....us. It is possible to have too much or too little of furniture. Biblically, there is power and validity in resting and relaxing. Too much furniture can obviously stifle your movement, but too little is also potentially detrimental. How crazy is it that a healthier life can start as easily as removing or adding a chair.

Question 3:How many pieces of furniture do you have that are not in front of a screen? This is a two part question, and we could do a whole post on TV and wellness. But this idea goes a little deeper. A reading corner? Somewhere you play an instrument? A repair stand? Your furniture can open so many possibilities for what you do at home. And those things can greatly improve your wellness.

We didn’t even talk about massage therapy or your body wellness, but that is very clearly intermingled in this. Not feeling well lately? Something just isn’t right? Maybe it’s as simple as a chair, a couch, a table, or a bed. Just give it some thought.

New Year, new you!

I want to congratulate everyone who is embarking on their journey of self improvement with the New Year's Resolution. It's been a while, and Perfect Pockets Plus is back on the blogging schedule. The topic of today is the resolution cycle. Yes, we are discussing the common thing people do, whether it's going to the gym, trimming down their facebook friend's list, or eating (insert healthy thing here), or something similar. I used to be one of those people who scoff at the idea. What 

If someone wanted to change, they shouldn't wait for the new year, they should do it now.

What a naiive thought that is!

Change is difficult whether it is initiated by you or something out of your control. As someone who has embarked on change regularly, it really is a challenge. The most prominent part of the new year is it gives you hope. The previous year is behind you, and the switch of numbers is a hard representation of that year never coming back. That is a negative thought for some, but for those who struggled, who did everything they could just to make it through 2019, the call of 2020 is a blessing to them. This year it can be different. This year, it can be better. The beginning of the year, people begin to believe in themselves and each other again. 

So for those of you who have decided on a New Year's Resolution, we at Perfect Pockets Plus are cheering you on! You can do it! Let's embrace our drive to improve ourselves, and this time, it'll happen!

We're going to have a short update today, but I noticed that we'll be having our third anniversary on the website! How wonderful? Share with us some ideas to celebrate!

We're going to have a short update today, but I noticed that we'll be having our third anniversary on the website! How wonderful? Share with us some ideas to celebrate!