What starting a Garden Coach business feels like.

 

Hello friend! Are you struggling to see how you can take your joy and knowledge in a thing and turn it into a business? 

This is what starting a Garden Coach business feels like. ::Pictured here elation and bit of madness, the good kind like the mad hatter holding my booklet about consulting on kitchen gardens via Gardenary's Garden Coach Society training::

Are you struggling to get through the idea of providing a consult? I feel like I'm "not doing it right... yet” and today just looking up "consultation" makes me see that you are asking to be paid for your time to hear a persons needs and help identify a plan of attack" That's it! When you are used to talking about a subject you like and willing to offer help to those that have that dreamy eyed "wish I could grow stuff/do that thing you are doing" you know you are in the right spot.

Though I am cheating this week a little and on consult #2 (we will call her B) with just friends and have not pressed send on an email to my contact list (which is a different beast in and of it self and I am not sure I should use old work contacts), I am realizing that even these friends are close to doing the thing but something is stopping each of them! B has seeds and starts even that she grew from seed that desperately need out of their container. Simply knowing I was coming over for the consult she cleaned up so much oversized debris in her yard for recycling and tackled some of the other yard issues that she had been putting off. She also expressed her love for the questionnaire because it connected her more to the process. She was excited and though it will be a DIY renters special, I can see how even if I just left her with the 3ish plants per season to focus on and how to care for them, she was so happy about the experience. She even loved my specialty which is discussing/using free or found things for that extra personal/rustic touch. 

Converting VCF to CSV files on a Mac for free, for real, no downloads or upsells.

Converting VCF to CSV files on a Mac for free, for real, no downloads or upsells.

 Whether you know it or not, you are coming along with me to this business starting adventure.  Many MANY of us love the Apple products and though it comes with a lot of great things, converting files back out of it can be a challenge. 

Here is the way that I was able to convert my VCF to CSV files for free, on my Mac, for real, no downloads or upsells. Caveat is that you have to have a gmail account. I mean if you do not have GMAIL yet... what are you even doing! 

Export your iPhone contacts card on your computer using https://www.icloud.com.  

Log into your account and go to your contacts app and click on the setting button in the lower left hand corner. Select the Export vCard option. Know what it is named and where it is downloaded to. 

Next log into your Gmail account. And find your Contacts app in your Google apps button those 9 dots in the upper right by your photo. 

Find your Contact app it will look something like this below. 

Import your contacts, which they accept iPhone VCF (vCard) files as contact lists! 

The VCF file converts to CSV file when you go to export it out from there! 

You may be wondering, Katrina, why in the heck would I even need to do that? Well I will tell you. You will want all of you contacts in your CRM. More on the importance on a Client Retention Manager later!

I am a Garden Coach

I am a Garden Coach.

I want to remove your fear of failure and the amount of confusion you may have around growing food. Focusing on food that you already enjoy eating, incorporating what works locally to the Denver Metro surrounding suburbs, and to be more connected to your community and yourself. You will be able to enjoy your Kitchen Garden with confidence.

I am offering Kitchen Garden consults. These are 1 hour in person with a virtual follow up. This will cover the basic consult with a pre-consult questionnaire. In person I will help identify a plan of attack for your particular needs of where you are thinking of having your kitchen garden and what you would like to plant. I will create quick design with measurements. We will talk strategy for the follow up. This is where you decide if you would like to purchase a design and installation of the kitchen raised bed garden and even a planting plan.  My specialty is using free or found things for that extra rustic / personal touch. So let me know now if there is anything you dreamed of being in the garden.  

Whether or not you decide to have me design a planting plan will be up to you for this additional service. This includes a detailed design based on your preferences out of some set options that work well in your space in the garden and in the state.   

Dairy Free (Vegan*) Ranch Dressing Homemade

Dairy Free (Vegan*) Ranch Dressing Homemade

Dairy Free (Vegan*) Ranch Dressing Homemade

What 

• 1/4 cup almond milk (or more for desired consistency)
• 1/2 cup mayo (or Vegan mayo*)
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill or 2 teaspoon dried dill (or to taste)
• 1 crushed garlic clove or 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• Some chopped fresh scallions / chives or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder  
• A pinch of Himalayan salt and some pepper   

How to

1. Whisk Whisk  Whisk all ingredients together until everything is well combined
2. It can last a week or more. Store in fridge in air tight container
   

You will never believe what I did with a tomato!

What to do with extra tomatoes? 

You will never believe what I did with a tomato! 

 Tomato Facials!

There are a lot of classics out there of ways you eat these delicious fruits. If you have never grown your own tomato it might be hard to classify them as fruit in your brain. But once you get that taste.... oh so very good. I digress... this is not about eating tomatoes. No not this time. This time I am WEARING my tomato. You see? 

I was so incredibly excited to see a post on using a tomato as a facial cleaner. Tomato facials? I actually had run out of a face wash that I am glad to be done with. I am trying to use up all of my "old me" products before buying replacements. Old me did not read ingredients on soaps etc. I knew how to do it for food but did not step into the world of soap yet.  I like the idea of all these face masks too you see in the world but not only are the ingredients suspect (just google face mask lawsuits) but then there is the waste aspect. I am trying to reduce waste anywhere I can. Reduce toxins. Reduce pores! So at home facials I knew I could do. I was already doing at home hair masks. 

Can you believe my joy when I saw TOMATO FACIALS. I HAVE TOMATOES! Like too many. Huge harvest before a frost. Which also means really tiny cherry size tomatoes even though they are supposed to get to full fist or larger size. Also I have a lot of tomatoes that are getting a little too ripe to use in all recipes and those are great for tomato facials too! So all of these green tomatoes will ripen in the kitchen. The redder the tomato the better to use for this project.

Look, I am not a doctor. And I can not guarantee any results or reactions. However, how often have you just grabbed whatever from the store trusting only the marketing layer without reading the ingredients. My 15 mins were up mins ago. I let it go a little long but it is still good. My skin is tight and glowing. It makes me feel cleaner than any facial soap I have ever used. My acne feels calmed. I know you know what I mean. There is definitely a difference between angry acne and calmed acne.  

Recipe: 

Tomato (ripened - overripe)

Face (don't forget the neck. I also do top of chest too for those little bumps)

Cut in half. Rub all over face neck and problem areas. I kept layering on the juice rubbing it all in.

Let stand / sit fo 15 Mins of your time

Rinse off with a Cool or Warm Wet Washcloth 

Benefits of a tomato facial as per google:

tomato facials Reduce oil

tomato facials Act as an astringent

tomato facials Reduce pores and black heads

tomato facials Reduce sun burn

tomato facials Reduce so much more

Why does this tomato facial work? 

Tomatoes are loaded with so many good natural things. Tomatos are  a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. Other plant compounds: 

• "Lycopene. A red pigment and antioxidant, lycopene has been extensively studied for its beneficial health effects (11Trusted Source).
• Beta carotene. An antioxidant that often gives foods a yellow or orange hue, beta carotene is converted into vitamin A in your body.
• Naringenin. Found in tomato skin, this flavonoid has been shown to decrease inflammation and protect against various diseases in mice (12Trusted Source).
• Chlorogenic acid. A powerful antioxidant compound, chlorogenic acid may lower blood pressure in people with elevated levels (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source)."

Tomato facials for the win! Catch you on the tomato side.

Apple Cider Vinager as conditioner for your hair

APPLE CIDER VINEAGER RINSE

Look I am not even going to apologize for yelling. I am that excited about it. I CAN NOT STOP TOUCHING MY HAIR. I also have been making others touch my hair. Please touch my hair.

FULL ok I can be done yelling Disclosure

My hair has not seen a "traditional" conditioner in years. Neither a super well known  shampoo. I try to only wash it once a week and if I do only the roots. My hair almost reaches my butt. I understand that the shorter your hair is and the different types of hair all need their own style of maintenance. I am sharing what works for me and if you have a similar situation it may work for you. When my products run out (on anything in the home) I try to ask myself. What is it that I am using and do I need to be using it or can we try something else. It is important to get out of the habit of just refilling the thing you used up without asking these questions. For me I use a certain brand of body wash shampoo just for washing my hair. I like how it makes my roots feel and love the Orange Cream smell. Then nothing. No conditioner.

I have tried a mayo wrap with a brand I was trying to use up. It was good. It made me feel like I did a thing with things I already had in my home and that was loverly (r on purpose...say it like in My Fair Lady).  The beauty of that recipe was it was no recipe. Just put mayo on hair, leave under a hair cap (plastic bag) and eventually rinse out. It was good.

But (gosh I want to yell with excitement) this was GREAT. Do you have Apple Cider Vinegar? Water? A thing to put them in ? I use an old Shampoo or soap bottle ( too nice to throw away) from my Costco size product (less waste, better value).  This is the kind that has that industrial size hand pump on it (think the size of coffee shop flavor pump for your ... coffee).  I have seen people use spray bottles. I am hear to tell you I think that use of those is over rated and a lot of work. But to you.


Recipe.
Make sure the Apple Cider Vinegar is shaken up. If it is the good real stuff there will be sediment on the bottom.

3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup water

Repeat a few times if you want a larger batch to live in your shower.  (I did three)

Wash hair as usual. Pump directly into hair soaking it. Leave in Apple cider vinegar whilst continuing to wash thyself. Rinse.

When hair is dry.... touch repeatedly.

Donate books to jail.

Are you in flux of books and have decided to "Tidy Up" and find that you just do not need these books but still have love for them and want them to find a good home? Here are a few different way you can donate your books to jail.

https://www.swopbehindbars.org/books-in-jail/



If you are thinking about the reference books you no longer need or never used you would be surprised that they are in high need! Here are some other book types that top the list for needed most in jails etc.

https://prisonbookprogram.org/donatesection/donate-books/top-book-requests/