Don’t underestimate the importance of frequent hand washing, covering a sneeze or cough with your elbow, and keeping hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.

-Anita, Accounting; Sandy, Administration

Eat homemade chicken soup

-Teri, Administration

Drink Gatorade or Pedialyte (depending on the age) to replace lost fluids and electrolytes, and stay hydrated

-Sandy, Administration

Take a good steam bath or use a vaporizer / humidifier at night

– Sandy & Teri, Administration

Use vapor rubs to help clear sinuses

– Sandy & Teri, Administration

Remember to replace toothbrushes every 3-4 months, or after an illness to help stop the spread of germs

– Sandy, Administration

For a sore throat, congestion, or pesky cough, try drinking herbal (non-caffeinated) tea with a couple tablespoons of honey and lemon juice.

*Warning: honey should not be given to children under the age of 12 months.  For more info, please visit http://www.aap.org/

– Kelly, Sandy, & Teri: Administration

For a natural way to reduce fevers, mix a bit of rubbing alcohol to water.  Place a damp cloth dipped in the mixture on your forehead while lying down.

-Teri, Administration

To help alleviate an infant or toddler’s nighttime cough, apply Vick’s Vapor Rub to the bottom of their feet and then cover with socks.

-Jessica, Marketing

For an earache, rub a piece of ice on the palm of your hand which correlates to your ear pain.  An easy way to do this is to place a couple ice cubes in a Ziploc bag, or hold a cold compress.  According to Eastern medicine, the cold temperature on your palm will lessen the pain of the earache.

-Kelly, Administration

For allergies, eat 2 tablespoons of honey every day (honey must be native to the state in which you live)

-Jessica, Marketing

Lots of love (the best remedy of all!)

-Teri, Administration

What’s missing from this list?  Share your favorite home remedy with us by commenting below.

These tips are only suggestions and are not meant to take the place of prescribed medication or regular visits to your doctor.

Here in Chicago-land, as we enjoy the beautiful fall foliage and wish the colorful leaves would linger, we realize that Halloween is right around the corner!  Wow, where did October go?  Are you prepared?  Do you have your costume ready?  Are you attending any fun parties?  How about those with little ones – do you have any firemen, ghosts, witches, or perhaps mini Lady-Gaga’s running around the house?

If you’re rushing to pull something together like I am, quick ideas and assistance are always appreciated!  Below are some creative party ideas and recipes that you can try this spooky season!

Halloween Party/Recipe Tips:

Halloween punch frozen hand: http://www.halloween-online.com/recipes/halloween-punch-frozen-hand.html An alternative to bobbing for apples is to hang them by their stems with thread from the ceiling and let party-goers try to bite them!  It is actually harder than bobbing in water and it’s also more sanitary. Treating your kids to a spooky Halloween dinner will make them less likely to eat the candy they collect before you have a chance to check it for them.  Check here for some recipes for main dishes using pumpkins! Rose Paving Staff 2007Rose Paving Staff 2008

Read more for Halloween safety tips…

 

It’s also important to keep children and teens safe during the Halloween trick-or-treating and parties they may attend.  Here are a few ideas for you!

Halloween Safety Tips:

Halloween style flashlights make a great addition to your child’s costume and can add extra safety to a dark night, helping to make your child more visible while trick or treating. You can also use reflective tape on costumes so headlights will pick them out in the dark. For more kids safety tips, click here: http://www.halloween-safety.com/halloween_safety_adults.html

Got a great costume idea?  Share it with us here!

Remember that catchy theme song from The Jeffersons? The eighties will always be considered a great decade in pop culture as well as a glamorous era for the financial world and stock market.  Although current times seem a bit less promising, there are still people movin’ on up!  And, we’re happy to feature one of our most recent promotions here in this post!  B.J. Schlageter, formerly National Account Manager, has advanced to his new position as National Sales Representative.

So, today, we congratulate B.J. for a job well done.  We know that he is ready to move on up and take on additional responsibilities.  Furthermore, we fully anticipate expanding national accounts with him on the sales team.

Got a tip for B.J. in his new role?  Please leave a comment with your advice, suggestions, or encouragement.

Bill Keller, Regional Project Manager

Looking out on a parking lot that has been newly resurfaced or recently striped, you may not realize the hours of prep work that went into revamping that space.  It’s more than likely that at least a dozen people – from the early planning phases to the actual execution of the work – helped ensure that your project was a success.  The key person in that mix is the Project Manager.

What time does a typical day begin for a Regional Project Manager?

Our days start at 4:00am.  We’re checking the weather to determine whether or not the scheduled jobs for that day are “a go.”  By 6:30am, we’re on our first job-site.

How many hours are in an average day for Regional Project Managers?

Roughly 12 hours

What do your daily responsibilities consist of?

My job is a combination of office work and tasks “in the field.”  Project Managers attend weekly meetings, schedule jobs, and approve invoices while in the office.  A big part of my job as a Project Manager is to communicate frequently with our customers and answer any questions regarding jobs scheduled to begin or recently completed.  We attend pre-construction meetings with customers, post-job evaluations, and often work with members of the sales team to help prepare bids.

How many miles would you say you drive to-and-from job sites in an average day?

100 miles per day

How many hours do you work in a typical work week?

There are jobs in progress 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.  If we have a job going – meaning a work order in our assigned territory – then we’re on-call 24/7 to manage that job.  We try to have at least one day off in a given week!

What do you like best about your job?

Being out on job sites where I’m able to manage my own jobs, and interact with customers and crew members.

What skills are necessary to be a good Project Manager?

Organizational skills, strong people skills, and a positive attitude.  We work such long hours in the summer and wear many different hats; having a positive attitude can go a long way.

Is there anything in particular we should know about Project Managers but don’t?

The entire Operations Team as a whole is a very close-knit group.  Together, we will do what it takes to get the job done.

Sunday’s event begins with Registration at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Kick-Off Ceremony at 11:30 a.m.  The Walk itself is scheduled to start at 12 noon.  The “Walk of Hope” features a 1, 3, and 5-mile course, as well as a 10-Step Hope Walk.

“Team Rose Paving” at the 2008 “Walk of Hope”

“Team Rose Paving” at the 2009 “Walk of Hope”

If you’re in the Chicagoland area and would like to register online for the “Walk of Hope,” or to donate to a team or walker, please visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/cancersupportcenter

For more information on the Jennifer S. Fallick Cancer Support Center, please visit: http://www.cancersupportcenter.org/