7 Spring Time Staycations

Hello everyone! Its that time of year again! The snow is dwindling, the skies are blue more often, and you are finally starting to get a bit of a tan. What better way to welcome spring time, than explore your own backyard? So here is my personal list of things to do when I need to shake the cold winter blues!

1 - Go fishing.

My personal favorite spot is on the shore of Upper Lake Mary. There you can take a breath of fresh air and maybe catch dinner. Its a short 15 minute drive east of town and is filled to the brim with pike (which are very delicious deep fried in a Bisquick batter).

A few quick tips:

Get your fishing license! Wal-Mart, Big Five, and AZ Game and Fish can provide this for you. I get mine at Wal-Mart for a whopping $15 and its good for a year! The fine is NOT worth it!! Bring a lawn chair and a grocery bag for your trash. Visit the Lake Mary Country store for snacks and bait. The folks running the store are very nice people!

2 - Be a tourist in your own town.

I like to go out and browse all the downtown shops. but too often I go to Target or Chili's and totally overlook all the great dining and retail we have here. So grab a cup of coffee and get out on the town!

As of right now I would have to say that my favorite downtown eatery is Aloha Hawaiian BBQ. I high recommend the Chicken Katsu Combo plate. DELISH! Which reminds me, I think I have dinner decided for tonight...

When it comes to shopping downtown, I can do damage. But my go to store is the Seasoned Chef. I like to go browse all the cool gadgets and tools for the kitchen since cooking is my favorite thing to do. Its hard to not buy EVERYTHING!

3 - Take a hike.

I mean, come on!

Who wouldn't want to see this view in person??

Whether you're a novice or a very experienced hiker, there are trails EVERYWHERE! I personally love to hike in Sedona. There is a trail, called the Airport loop Trail, that goes around the airport and allows you to see all of Sedona from way up high. Its a fairly easy hike, about 3.25 miles and ends where it begins; which makes life easy on us "directionally challenged folks." So if you're anything like me, don't hike alone, bring a TON of water, some snacks, and a camera.

When you're done hiking stop in to the New York Bagels & Deli and get yourself some pizza! I promise you will not be disappointed.

4 - Clean out your closet.

Now, I know this one sounds insane, but hear me out. Now that winter is coming to a close, its the perfect time to go through your closet and make room for summer clothes. You've gone all winter without wearing that jacket waaaaaay in the back of your closet, and you'll probably never wear it again. So why not donate it? There are many places to donate in Flagstaff and they are always in need. My grandmother introduced me to the Cedar Closet years ago, its a great place to donate and it directly benefits the town you live in. There is always easily accessible and familiar Goodwill, and its on either side of town, so there's no excuse! We can't forget the others here in town like the Salvation Army, Savers, St. Vincent dePaul, and Hodgepodge. So get out there and donate. It'll give you warm fuzzies and help out so many others in our town.

I'll make this easy for you...

Cedar Closet

2919 N. West St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(928) 779-3029

Goodwill

963 W Route 66 #100

Flagstaff, Az 86001

(928) 774-4737

OR

2225 N Steves Blvd.

Flagstaff, Az 86004

(928) 526-8157

 

Salvation Army

507 N Humphreys

Flagstaff, Az 86001

(928) 774-1403

OR

2229 E Cedar Ave

Flagstaff, Az 86004

(928) 774- 5061

 

Savers

5060 N US Highway 89

Flagstaff, Az 86004

 

St. Vincent dePaul

2113 N East St

Flagstaff, Az 86004

(928)779-4353

 

Hodgepodge

2340 E Route 66

Flagstaff, Az 86004

(928) 213-5775

 

 

 

5 - Go see an outdoor festival.  

Springtime in Flagstaff, bring beautiful temperatures, wind and sunshine. So why not get out there and enjoy it! A great way to get out is go to all the festivals in Flag.

In May you can find a kite festival at Foxglenn Park, and there's a Strutt Your Mutt Event in Buffalo Park. June brings us concerts, chili cook offs, and music. A quick way to find out about all of the city's events go to the City of Flagstaff Official Website. They update their calendar regularly. Another great resource is the Daily Sun.

6 - METEOR CRATER

Seriously. Its a once in a lifetime thing to go see this. It may not be the most amusing thing to do in Flagstaff, but it is very memorable. I remember going there as a kid and thinking "wooooow its a big hole in the ground wooooo..." But its it mind blowing. its a lot bigger than a hole in the ground, don't trust my younger version of me. You need high power binoculars to see the truck in the bottom of this. You can't see it with the naked eye. Its HUGE. It was caused by a piece of an asteriod colliding with the Earth at near 26,000 mile per hour. Its 2 miles around and 550 feet deep. The prices are decent, and its not too far east of town.  Here's a link to the website for more info.

7 - Just breathe.

Sometimes its hard to say no to the hustle and bustle. But sometimes its easy to say YES to relaxation and quiet. The holidays are over and you've finally begun to recover. So go grab your favorite book, you latest crocheting project, or just a really good movie. Then sit down and breathe.

Top 10 Flagstaff Favorite Local Restaurants

Question: "What's one of the best things to do in Flagstaff?"

Answer: "Eat"

One of the best things about living in our (quiet) mountain town is the food. So whether your roots in Flagstaff go back generations or you just got here, here is our list of local favorite eateries around town (in no particular order):

1. Granny's Closet
218 South Milton Road 
http://www.grannys-closet.com/site/

A place where everyone can eat, Granny's offers great food with a little bit of Flagstaff history and flair. It's the perfect place for any occassion : dates, out with friends, or just watching the game. Their super juicy and tender steak and prime rib are to die for. Don't for get to grab one of Granny's infamous homemade pies.

2. Salsa Brava
2220 East Route 66
www.salsabravaflagstaff.com

Salsa Brava is perfect place to forget your troubles and just eat good food. Thanks to their salsa bar, they were voted "Best Salsa" by the Arizona Daily Sun. This Mexican food is the best you can get in Flagstaff! Salsa Brava has also been featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri on the Food Network.

3. Mike and Ronda's The Place
West: 21 S Milton Rd

East: 3518 East Route 66
Facebook page

Move over Denny's. Hop away IHOP. Mike and Ronda's is really the only breakfast "place" to be. The Place has large serving sizes and hometown feel food, making this a local favorite locals, visitors, and students alike.

4. Taverna Greek Grill
2420 S Woodlands Village
http://www.tavernagreekgrill.com

Only a couple years old, Taverna has become a hot spot for locals to kick back and have a nice Greek meal. Wait until the music kicks in and your waiters are dancing around the restaurant and the bartenders are blowing fire. Don't let this distract you from the fantastic reverse happy hour that starts at 8 and goes until close. Opa!

5.. Josephine's Modern American Bistro
503 North Humphreys Street 
www.josephinesrestaurant.com

Here in Flagstaff, everything is more kicked back and casual. Josephine's allows us to eat good food in a fine dining atomosphere at a casual price. Their sandwhiches are excellent and you'll never have to see your glass empty. Check out their wine selection too!

6. Big Foot BBQ
120 N. Leroux In the Basement Marketplace, Old Town Shops
http://www.bigfootbbq.com

Big Foot BBQ is the best place to get BBQ in town. Located in a quirky spot in the Basement Marketplace downtown, the folks at Big Foot know how to give you your fill of all the tasty goodness BBQ has to offer at great prices. You can even buy their sauce and take it home with you.

7. Diablo Burger
120 n. leroux st, flagstaff
www.diabloburger.com/

Diablo burger is all about local, so everything is always fresh. This cash only establishment has the Flagstaff values of locality and their food reflects their high standard of where their food comes from. What most call a "hippie" mentality, I say, would a hippie eat a cheeseburger?

8. Dara Thai
14 S San Francisco St

What would a food list be with out some Asian food? While the Chinese or Japanese places around town are mostly decent, Thai food -- specifically from Dara Thai -- is the best place in town. The staff always greets you as a friend and makes sure your food is cooked to perfection. Don't pass this place up if you're looking for a great Asian restaurant.

9. Beaver Street Brewery & The Lumberyard Brewery

Beaver Street: 11 S. Beaver

The Lumberyard: 5 S. San Francisco

http://beaverstreetbrewery.com

http://www.lumberyardbrewingcompany.com



Putting two restaurants on one number is probably cheating, but hear me out. These two breweries are owned by the same couple; though they're sister breweries, they have very distinctive styles and food. Both are fantastic places to grab a beer (it is a brewery afterall) and Beaver Street has the best wood fire pizzas Flagstaff has to offer. The Lumberyard has great wings. Pick either one and you won't be disappointed.

10. Mama Burger

991 North Fort Valley Road  

www.themamaburger.com

Mama Burger is the best place to get your old fashioned burger fix. From milkshakes to burgers, their menu has a variety. They just recently moved to a bigger establishment on the way to SnowBowl, but don't worry, they took their great recipe's and good service with them. Ooohhh mama.

A Day in the Life

Here at the office, we CSRs answer the phones, help customers with questions, and send tech's out on jobs. (It's harder than it sounds, people, trust us). But what most people don't realize is exactly what CSRs do. What is in the CSR job descripton?

I won't bore you with the details, because the job description is a full 1 1/2" 3-ring binder with Sections A-Z of material our expert CSRs master. There's a lot that goes into this job and we're more than just a voice waiting for your call on the other side of the line.

We man the schedule, make sure the most emergent calls are taken care of first (sorry, drippy faucets...exploding toilets kind of win), and then we call you (the customer) and make sure we get the tech there on time.

Our customers are like this after talking to us
(at least we like to think so)

Have you ever been cheery at 8 a.m.? I'm not the greatest morning person but being an expert CSR requires me to help you not worry, which means I need to be happy. And that can be hard, but a day at the CSR office is always a happy one, even when we woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

No Grumpy Bear's here!

So how exactly do we get to this cheery, helpful, expert status of CSR? We review our job description and reflect on our mission statement while we file away the paperwork and think about that jump in the air our customers do after talking to us.

My personal favorite part of my job? Helping you with your problems. It's in our mission statement, and Marty does a fantastic job of hiring and training people who can take it seriously.

What is our mission statement?

"Lifting others up with life changing solutions to their burdens"

 A big part of that is being a good customer service representative and knowing both our customers and our company.

It doesn't stop there. Marty allows us to help with our marketing department. Who better to know how and who to market to than those who know the customer best? Tech's get to know you, but they're so busy working on the plumbing it's hard to get to know them like we can. Believe it or not, we do talk about how amazing our customers are at our company meetings.

Which we end in a company jump.

 The people behind the phone really care about your problems. We're not here to just pass the buck and make a paycheck. But, if you're shy (admittedly, we can be a bit too bubbly sometimes...), you can always fill out a Service Request form on our website here and we'll give you a call the next morning and help you out.

Don't forget to "like" us on Facebook!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hello everyone! We hope you had a great Superbowl Sunday! Did anyone make the Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls? Let us know what you thought if you did! This week we're focusing on goal planning, since this is around the time many people have given up on their New Year's Resolutions. How are you doing with yours?


Have a Wish List


Running a functional company takes a lot of effort, and here at Mortensen Custom Plumbing we enjoy helping our employees and our customers achieve their goals. That's why we ask on every call if there is a "wish list" you'd like to fulfill at some point for your home. Visit us here for more details.

One thing that we have our new employees do is fill out 30 things they want to Do, 30 things they want to Be, and 30 things they want to Have.
Dr. Richard Harris of BusinessExpertsWebinars.com wrote this about the Do-Be-Have goal setting:

BE focused. This is a state of “BE-ing”. Without focus your future, whether it is for today, tomorrow, next week or next year is foggy.

DO target. Targetting requires action or “DO-ing”. A target is specific and often has associated time commitments. In business a target is often stated as something that is set so that all efforts can be made to achieve that on the way to goal i.e. a target is a short-term specific step on the way to a longer-term goal. Sales targets are commonly set in business.

HAVE a goal. The end result. Something to be achieved. BEING focussed and DOING targetting lead to HAVE-ing that goal.

Pretty wise words, Dr. Harris.

So once you set your sight on a goal, how do you achieve it? This is where most people get stuck.

Step it up & backtrack

Goal achievement is difficult. What you do is "backtrack' which means you evaluate your circumstances and then write out a to-do list leading up to your goal. There are several technological resources that can help. See the links at the bottom for them.

After you have your to-do list, there you go. Just work your way down it and adjust accordingly. Remember, just because there is a setback doesn't mean you should quit entirely. It means you need to adjust your to do list to get over the obstacle and succeed.

 Measuring Success

A lot of people set deadlines for their goals ("I want to lose 30 lbs in 3 months") and measure success that way. I see deadlines as a good way to have motivation, but success is measured by how much is done within a certain amount of time, rather than if you "made" your deadline.

If you only lost 15 lbs in 3 months, celebrate that you're 15 lbs lighter and can adjust your to-do list to lose more weight and reach your ultimate goal of losing a total of 30 lbs.

Visit our website to find discounts!

Links:

43 Things

How to make a Vision Board

Mint.com for financial tracking

My Life List

Lifetick

Changes around the office & Superbowl

Hello all!

We hope you're staying warm in the cold winter weather. Just bundle up and it'll all be over soon. And by soon, we mean May...

Last week, we said goodbye to our CSR Sarah, who started in September of 2010. Sarah left Flagstaff last Friday for her new adventures in Tucson! It makes us sad to know we won't be seeing her every day, but we're thrilled that she was able to help many of you with your plumbing problems. She's a bright little ray of sunshine, so she's fitting in just right in sunny Tucson.

Good luck to you Sarah in all your endeavors!

With Sarah's exit came the opportunity for another Flagstaff local to have the chance at being an expert CSR. Amber started last Wednesday and has spent the last week getting acclimated to her position (and doing great at it.) Should you call, don't forget to welcome Amber to our little Mortensen Custom Plumbing family!

Welcome, Amber!



One thing I know Marty and Clay are ready for is the Superbowl! Okay, I am too... in fact, I'm so excited I'll share a little recipe I came across and love to make for Superbowl parties! These aren't for the novice football watcher, since they're so tasty you'll eat them throughout the whole game. Enjoy and don't say I didn't warn you!

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls (a.k.a. Crack Bread)

Printable recipe

Click here to find out where I found this wonder

1 unsliced loaf of (round is preferable) sourdough bread

8-12 oz cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
3 oz bag Oscar Mayer Real Bacon bits
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Using a sharp bread knife cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust.

2. Place slices of cheese in between cuts. Sprinkle bacon bits on bread, making sure to get in between cuts.

3. Mix together butter and Ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread.

4. Wrap in foil the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Unwrap when done.

6. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

No Superbowl required, just a ton of people, or one big appetite.

Enough about food, that's making me hungry. Did you know that we have a Facebook now? Click here to get a super sweet deal. Don't forget to "like" us!

Hope everyone has a great week and we'll see you next Wednesday! Stay warm out there!

Prepare for cold weather now.

                 Frozen pipes last winter caused havoc in Flagstaff. Homes, business and schools that were not prepared for the cold snap were faced with an emergency situation.

                According to Insurance industry experts, the average homeowner insurance claim for water damage and freezing is nearly $6,000 (most are must higher, like the picture below), making frozen pipes one of the most costly problems facing homeowners every winter. Come wintertime, homeowners can take precautions to keep the pipes intact and avoid pouring thousands of dollars into home repairs.

               I'm not a Physicologist, but this is what I see from the outside looking into these situations. Homeowners will plan every detail of a holiday trip when they’re headed out of town, but they often don’t think to prepare to prevent their pipes from freezing. Even in the early fall, there are measures you should take to protect your home from water damage when a cold snap hits.

What Can Flagstaff Homeowners do to Protect Their Property?

· If you suspect problems this winter have a professional ensure your plumbing system is designed correctly now, before cold weather hits. Pipes in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls are extremely vulnerable to freezing.

· Have an easy turning main water disconnect valve inside your home. Know where it is and how to use it. Outdoor water valves are buried deep in the ground, required special tools to operate, can be difficult to turn and are often covered by thick snow and ice in an emergency.

· Keep bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors open during a cold spell to let warm air circulate around the pipes.

· Seal any leaks in your home, attic, basement or crawlspace that might allow cold air inside where pipes are located.

            If your home had has problems in past winters and only the minimal repairs were made you can expect it to happen again. (It's sad, but true.) It is similar to a doctor that only treats the symptom, but not the sickness. Use a plumber who can look at the larger picture. Permanent solutions solve the problem completely so it will never reoccur, even when colder weather is in the forecast.”

                    Mortensen Custom Plumbing helps their customers year-round to prevent frozen pipes during cold temperatures. Proactive homeowners can call Mortensen Custom Plumbing at 928-774-HELP(4357) to schedule an inspection of their plumbing system. Their expert technicians can find problems before they start and offer permanent solutions with warranties that extend for years, not just days. For more information visit www.MortensenCustomPlumbing.com

Want you never wanted to know about your septic system.

You can not beat the rural lifestyle.
The howling coyotes, the bugling elk and the "black and white cats" . Another commonality that homes outside of the city limits have is a septic system.
We would rather not think about it. So most of us do not, until you come home from a 3 week vacation and find that washing a batch of clothes forces few a decades worth of filth to make comeback though your drains onto your floor. It's not a pretty picture.
No problem. We help people with their septic systems everyday. We can even stop by and monitor your system twice a year so you never have to relive the another septic system nightmare.
Even if your drains are working good today and you just want to confess that taking care of your septic system has slipped your mind for the past 13 and half years, that okay too. We can still help. Just give us a call at 928-774-4357 (HELP) or visit us on the web at www.mortensencustomplumbing.com.