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Welcome New Matches!

3/16/2023

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If you have found us because you or your partner have recently matched at Iowa for training, congratulations! We are thrilled to welcome you to the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and Iowa Medical Partners. We are a nonprofit organization run by and for the spouses and partners of medical, dental, and DNP students and trainees. Our primary purpose is to provide a sense of community and camaraderie for those in similar phases of life, and we have resources and events for everyone. We hope you'll join us for the upcoming year once you make your move, and we look forward to meeting you!

If you will be new to the area and, like most of us, find yourself with lots of questions about this upcoming move or transition, please read on!


What is Iowa City like? 
The Iowa City area is the type of town where you am sure to run into someone you know everywhere you go. There is a great scene of local shops and cafes to explore. Throughout the summer and fall, countless festivals and community events fill up the calendar. Even the holiday season is sprinkled with magic to help ease us into the long Iowa winters (but even these are relatively mild, compared to some places!). The libraries in the area are unparalleled. We think you are going to find this area to be a great place to live!

What resources are available for transitioning to life in Iowa City?
We highly recommend getting on top of your to do list early because it is easy to put things off once your spouse has started residency, fellowship, or other training. The housing market is hot and provides options that are affordable - Tundi Brady with Urban Acres is a great resource to help you decide if you should rent or buy and GreenState Credit Union has great lending options for UIHC trainees. Take care of getting your disability insurance (and life insurance if you have kids) as soon as possible! Those companies can be really picky with who they will cover, so get that done as soon as you can! Nathan Brooks with 25 Financial can provide you advice to get the best coverage that is adequate for someone who has invested so many years of their life toward education and training. And finally you will need to get your car insurance pretty soon once you move here (and home insurance to qualify for your mortgage) - I highly recommend reaching out to Nanci Kohl with State Farm. And of course, join IMP! Our group is here to provide support, activities and a group of friends to help make the best of these years. 

Where should we live?
There are a few different neighborhoods where medical trainees and their families typically choose to live, depending on their priorities and property availability. Here are some descriptions from IMP members who live in each area:
West Iowa City:
Living in University Heights or west Iowa City (especially those living east of Mormon Trek Blvd) will place you the closest to the hospital and the football stadium.  Many residents and fellows who live in this area walk or bike to work. The schools on the west side are great, and parks and trails like Willow Creek, Kiwanis and Clear Creek Trail are perfect for a run, a picnic or a play date. It's a quick drive from the west side to get out of town or to jump on the highway up to I-80. Traffic is light except on home football game days and Walmart and Aldi are close, while Hy-Vee and Trader Joe's are less than a 10 minute drive.
East Iowa City:
The East Side is approximately 2-4 miles east of the hospital and about 15 minutes from the Coralville Mall and shopping area; 20 minutes from North Liberty. In this area, you tend to get a bit more house and yard for the price, with newer builds being more common than other neighborhoods, but we’re still very close to several parks and grocery store choices. We have two University of Iowa clinic locations (Dodge Street and Scott Blvd) with some of IMP’s favorite providers. Some favorites in our area include Dodge Street Coffeehouse, Tot Time every weekday morning at Mercer Park gym, Music Together classes at Preucil, and the close proximity to the adorable towns of Solon and West Branch. Favorite restaurants over here include Blackstone, Wig and Pen East, 2 Dogs Pub, and Rapid Creek Cidery. Hopping down to the South Side of town is easy if you’re heading to Big Grove Iowa City, Starbucks, Hatchet Jack’s, or consignment shopping at Stuff Etc.,Crowded Closet, or Kidworks.
Coralville:
Coralville is a great location in the middle of the corridor. You are only minutes from the mall, Costco, Target, consignment stores and many grocery store options. The Iowa River Landing is located in Coralville which includes Trader Joe’s, great dining and shopping, and the IRL UIHC Clinic. Additionally, going to downtown Iowa City or North Liberty is very convenient. Driving to UIHC is approximately 15 minutes (which is mostly due to the 25 mile per hour speed limits); however, you may be able to live along the Research Park Cambus route and avoid driving all together (free to all!). The Coralville Library is a favorite weekly spot for storytimes.
North Liberty:
Many medical families choose to live in North Liberty. There are wonderful schools and neighborhoods filled with friends, and it is very geared towards families. There are many parks like Centennial, Quail Ridge, Beaver Kreek, and Penn Meadows, some fun local restaurants, and the best ice cream around is from a North Liberty joint, Heyn’s. There’s also a pumpkin patch open daily in the fall, and there are many trails and easy access to both I-80 and 380, which makes going anywhere in the greater Iowa City area a breeze. There are a lot of fun events too, from storytime at the library to the big Barbecue and Blues festival that are all held locally. 

How do we survive the midwestern winter?
If you are coming from a warmer climate, you may be dreading the winter in Iowa, but it’s not so bad if you’re prepared. Luckily, since training mostly begins in the summer, you’ll have several months to acquire the supplies you need. Everyone in your family will need warm winter coats, gloves, hats, and warm, waterproof shoes. If you have a car, especially one that will be parked outside, it’s best to keep an ice scraper and an emergency blanket inside. If you’re planning to live in a house (rather than an apartment building), you’ll also need a snow shovel and salt to de-ice the driveway and walkways. This is especially true if you’ll be buying a home, but most rental houses require you to do the snow and ice removal yourself, too. 

What about the weather during the rest of the year?
Now, winter aside, most of the year in Iowa the weather is quite nice, though it can vary widely. The most pleasant months, weather-wise, are usually May through October. Sometimes spring-like weather begins in March or April, but winter usually makes a comeback sometime before we’re in the clear in May. The summers are generally relatively mild, with just a bit of humidity and the occasional heat wave in July or August. Mostly, though, late spring, summer, and most of fall are lovely months to spend doing lots of outdoor activities. We do get quite a bit of rain most springs, so you’ll want rain jackets and umbrellas, especially if parking and walking for work at UIHC.

What is the best way for my spouse or partner to commute to the hospital? Where can they park?
We might as well share the ugly truth - parking can be a challenge around UIHC! The parking options include lots that are within walking distance, as well as some lots that require a Cambus ride. My best advice is to get on whichever waitlist is available to you as soon as possible (Arena is our favorite, or Lot 43 if you are lucky enough to have that option). Each resident's parking situation depends on their specific program. You will hopefully have a card that gives you night and weekend access to the ramps, as well as a few free hours for the ramp each month. The good news is, for those who choose to live outside of walking distance, the actual drive time of the commute won't be very bad, no matter what part of town you live in!

I have (or will have) young children. What kinds of childcare options are available?
        If you, like many IMP members, have children under 5, are expecting, or plan to have children during your time in Iowa City, you’ll be happy to know that there are several different options for childcare. Before getting into those, we want to offer the most important piece of advice if you’ll need childcare starting this year: APPLY EARLY! Most preschools and daycares in the area fill their spots quite a while in advance, so call and send emails ASAP if you know you will need care for your kiddos soon.
        For working parents and/or those with children under the age of 3, there are some great options for full time daycare, ranging from reputable in-home programs to larger centers. There are also smaller centers for those who want structure but with a more family-like vibe. For parents looking for part-time care for one or more of their children, some of the smaller daycares (and certainly most in-home ones) allow attendance just a few days a week or half-day options. This is great for parents who may not work full time but would like their kids to get some socialization (and a little time away!). 
        Many daycares have space for kids up until Kindergarten age, but for those with 3-5 year-olds, Iowa City also has several reputable private preschool programs, ranging from church-based to Montessori and others in between. Check out the Preschool Guide put out by the Iowa City Moms blog if your child is (or will be) in this age range: https://iowacity.momcollective.com/2022/02/20/iowa-city-preschool-guide-2022/
        Another great option for those with kids in the 4-5 year old range is the public Pre-K program offered by the Iowa City Community School District. Check that out here: 


I have (or will have) school age children. What are the schools like in the Iowa City area?
        There are a lot of wonderful choices for families with school-age children. For those with kids in the 4-5 year-old range, Iowa offers free, half-day pre-K. If that works for your family, it’s a wonderful public service to take advantage of. Check that out here: https://www.iowacityschools.org/Preschool
        For K-12 kids, the Iowa City Community School District covers Iowa City, parts of Coralville and some of North Liberty and Hills. You can find their current attendance map for elementary schools here. https://www.iowacityschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=39065&dataid=90162&FileName=Elementary%20School%20Boundaries%20-%20Approved%2011-27-18.pdf 
         Here’s a quote about the schools from one of our own: “My kids and I have loved the schools and teachers here. I really appreciate the individualized attention they receive despite being in large classrooms. My experience has been similar to my overall experience in Iowa City: warm and inviting.”  -Andrea Wilson, IMP Secretary

What options are in the area for gyms or fitness classes?
The University of Iowa Campus and Recreation Center (CRWC) is fantastic! It's an award-winning facility with a big rock wall, an indoor track, an Olympic-size pool as well as the best recreation pool (complete with lazy river), and super fun group fitness classes. Residents can get a reduced-price membership if they sign up and go to one of the many University of Iowa fitness facilities at least 4 times each month. I recommend this! There are also a lot of smaller gym options in the community if the CRWC isn't convenient (and the family membership is kind of expensive). For those with children, a couple local gyms have kid care (sadly, not very many) and there's a local Fit4Mom group that is a great way to exercise with your stroller-age kids in tow." 

What other things are there to do in Iowa City? Iowa City is a college town, so there are actually lots of options for all kinds of interests, and the surrounding areas have a lot to offer, as well. Here’s just a brief list, but you can always reach out to IMP members once you’re here to learn more!
Food - Iowa City and Coralville have lots of great restaurants, including fancier spots for date nights, family-friendly lunch or dinner places, great brunch, and breweries with outdoor seating. There’s lots of great takeout as well!
Nightlife - Downtown Iowa City is always popular during the school year, and not all spots are completely filled with undergrads. Check out bars like Roxxy or the rooftop at Vue. During the warmer months, there are outdoor events downtown (and at other spots in the area) almost every weekend, so there’s always something to do, whether you have friends or family visiting or just want to get out and about on your own!
Outdoor Recreation - Iowa City and the surrounding suburbs and towns are awesome for getting outdoors when the weather is nice. There are lots of great running, walking and hiking trails, water sports on Coralville Lake or Lake Macbride, and the parks and playgrounds are amazing!
Sports - People love all kinds of sports in Iowa City. Besides cheering on the Hawkeyes, there are pickup games you can join where new people are always welcome.
Seasonal Activities - The summer and fall are especially great times to check out places like Wilson’s Orchard, Colony Pumpkin Patch, Sass Farms, Kroul Farms. Some of these offer pick-your-own produce from June through November, and all are great for families or just adults!

We know there is so much to think about when moving to a brand new city, and you’ll likely have additional questions. IMP is truly a fantastic resource for getting questions answered and for finding a community once you are here. In the meantime, though, The Iowa City Moms blog is a great resource for info about all things Iowa City, so check out this post for more helpful tips about moving here:  
​
https://iowacity.momcollective.com/2022/04/04/moving-to-iowa-city-the-ultimate-guide-2/

Wishing you the best, and we hope to meet you soon!

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Welcome to Iowa City!

3/15/2022

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Welcome to Iowa City and the University of Iowa!

Everyone has their reasons for moving here -- whether it’s the amazing academic programs, the opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, or an aversion to living near a beach, we are glad you’re here!

For me and my family, we moved here for a sandwich. Well, that’s mostly true. About three years ago now, I traveled to Iowa City to attend an equating workshop at the University (an enthralling story for another time). My hotel was in downtown Iowa City and every night I would walk the pedestrian mall and find a new place to eat. On my final night, I sat on the patio at the downtown restaurant Nodo, eating a ham and mango sandwich with sweet potato fries and garlic aeoli, when the lights all around me turned on and the downtown lit up into a magical, historical, cultural, masterpiece. I immediately called my husband and told him, “I’m no longer worried about applying to residencies. If there are other places like Iowa City in this country, I’m going to be so happy to end up there... also, you have got to try this sandwich”.

Two years later, we were accepted to the Family Medicine Residency at the University of Iowa, bought a house, and made our way here! My husband had never been to Iowa City, let alone the Midwest, and we had purchased our house sight unseen, so I felt a lot of pressure as we arrived. We knew the program and people involved were amazing, but would the city (and the sandwich!) live up to my memory? I am happy to report that a day later we were back sitting on that same patio outside of Nodo, eating a ham and mango sandwich, and giving each other the classic single nod that says “We did it. This is the place.”

That perfect moment was interrupted by my toddler throwing his sandwich on the ground to try to feed a bird, but it felt perfect, nonetheless.

As an outsider to Iowa and the Midwest in general, I want to share a few things that I have discovered and loved in the almost year since I’ve been here:
  1. Iowa Medical Partners (IMP). Starting with a shoutout to IMP! We did not know a single person at the residency when we moved here. In fact, we did not know a single person in the state of Iowa. IMP has multiple activities every month ranging from playdates for kids to adult-only outings. Take advantage! We have met so many wonderful people and there was no better way to immediately feel like part of the community and learn about all the fun things to do in the area.
  2. “Iowa Nice” is real! Yes, you’re still going to get tailgated, but you’re also going to have people in front of you in the grocery line ask if you’d like to set your stuff in their cart so you don’t have to hold it all while you wait in line. With the exception of the internet providers (because…internet providers…), even every phone call with a utility company has been so overly nice that I am taken aback at how genuine the people here are when I hang up.
  3. The food is SO GOOD. Let me add the caveat that when you ask for “where” is good to eat, you also need to ask for “what” is good to eat. For example, you need the ham and mango sandwich at Nodo. You need the butternut squash ravioli at Basta. And although I have never recommended pancakes at a restaurant before, you need the pancakes at The Encounter Café.
  4. There is so much to do! My go-to for finding activities has been Facebook Events. I can honestly say that between just looking for local activities and the IMP activities, we’ve had something to do nearly every weekend since we moved here. Here are a few of my favorite places:
    •  Wilson’s Orchard – a beautiful farm with a small shop, restaurant, and activities year-round ranging from strawberry picking, to cider tasting, to ice skating.
    • The Amana Colonies – unique German heritage colonies with incredible shopping and festivals and events year round. Even if you just go walk around, you won't be disappointed.
    •  Kalona – a city about 25 minutes from Iowa City with a large Amish population. Visit the Golden Delight Bakery, the Kalona Creamery, and then head to main street to hit up the chocolate shop, coffee shop, and amazing antique stores.
    • Iowa Children’s Museum – if you have kids, you can pay for a single day entry, and if you like it, apply it to the cost of an annual pass at the end of your stay. Our annual pass has paid for itself a hundred times over and we love to drop in and play!
    • Pedestrian Mall – there is always something to do at the pedestrian mall. Hit up the shops, get some ice cream or a boba, attend one of the many festivals, or just take in the history and art. When the weather is warm, it’s everyone’s favorite season – Patio Season! You’ll have plenty of options to eat outdoors and take in the city’s vibe.
    • Outdoor Galore – it’s hard for me to pick one place to mention here. There are parks, nature trails, playgrounds, splash pads, and so much more! Do a quick google search for what’s near you and start exploring!
  5. The City of Literature – Iowa City was the third-ever UNESCO City of Literature and the first in the Americas. We (I now say “we” when talking about Iowa City – didn’t take long!) take our literature seriously and host the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. You can follow the Literary Walk downtown and see pieces of history stamped into the sidewalk that recognize internationally recognized writers with ties to Iowa City. The public library system is also incredible and is another great place to look for events!
I’ll stop now before I hit the stage where I’m just ranting. We love it here and we hope you do to! If you ever want to get a coffee, have a playdate with me and my rambunctious toddler, or just get some recommendations, please feel free to reach out! I hope to see you at the next IMP event!

Best,
Brooke Dresden
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To Renovate or Not? By Tundi Brady

10/27/2021

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Picture
As a realtor, the questions people most frequently ask of me are “What renovations are worth doing to my home? Will the renovations add value to my home? And will I get my money back when I sell?” 
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I wish there was an easy, definitive answer to these questions. HGTV makes it look so simple! But the answers are often based on many variables and each home is different, so it takes realtors doing the research and doing the math to find the answer regarding renovation payoff.  As an example, I work with someone who flips homes for a living, and we evaluate and reject about 5-10 homes that are dated and in need of refurbishing for every one that we find would actually be worth taking on to turn a profit.
But here is the good news - there are updates and things you can do to impact the future sale of your home positively. And the even better news is that a lot of these things are not expensive and relatively simple, however they can make your home stand out so it sells quickly and well.

One is to keep it well maintained and clean. Buyers at every price point much prefer a home they can move right into without needing to anticipate starting off homeownership with a slew of repair projects. Homes in good condition sell faster and for more. Having a home in pristinely cleaned condition when listing it for sale is also important. Besides giving a good first impression, it also tells buyers a home has been well cared for.
A second is to pay attention to the exterior. Mulch is a fantastic and affordable way to give your garden polish. Keeping bushes and trees neatly trimmed, adding shrubs if your yard looks bare, and placing a bright potted plant and fresh doormat at your entry go a long way in giving a home good curb appeal. 

A third is to refresh your interior in simple ways like painting walls with the latest trending neutral shades or switching out dated drawer pulls with newer styles. Updated light fixtures and plumbing fixtures can also renew an older home. All these strategies communicate to buyers that a home is cared for and make it easy for buyers to imagine themselves living there. 
Larger renovations certainly can add value to your home. And if making a change to your home will allow you to enjoy it more, that is an important enough reason to just do it. Chances are if you would prefer a renovation to your home, others would too. But determining if those renovations will pay you back beyond your investment takes some analysis and are great questions to ask your realtor. 

Tundi Brady is the Iowa Medical Partner Realtor Sponsor and a Medical Partner Alum. She is always happy to help IMP members with their real estate needs.
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Iowa City Trails

8/2/2021

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I think my favorite thing about Iowa City and the surrounding areas are all the amazing trails. It is amazing how interconnected they all are and well maintained. I have never lived in a city that was as bike friendly. Therefore one of our biggest summer activities has been exploring new and old trails. 

I recently went down a Google rabbit hole and realized that I have only scratched the surface on all of the trails. So this past weekend me and my family checked out the Hoover Trail in Solon. The trail was new and so smooth. The fields and scenery were gorgeous, and we had perfect weather. It was a great start to the weekend. You could also easily make a pit stop at Dan and Debbie's creamery which if you haven’t been is definitely something to put on the list. 

 If you want to learn more about all the trails in Iowa City and the surrounding area, here are some resources that have helped me in the past.

https://www.iowa-city.org/weblink/0/doc/1512414/Electronic.aspx
https://www.iowa-city.org/weblink/0/edoc/1969490/covidpark%20and%20trail%20winter%20snow%20clearing%20map.pdf
https://bikeiowacity.com/maps/
https://www.coralville.org/294/Trails
http://worldofbikes.com/wob-route-recommendations/mountain-bike-routes/

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4th of July

6/19/2021

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I am so excited to do something more than hearing a couple fireworks shoot off in the far distance of my home this year for Fourth of July. Day dreaming of cook outs, fireworks, and everything that screams the 4th had me wondering what events are going on this year. Here is what I have found
 
  1. 4thFest
    • When: July 3 – 4
    • Where: S.T. Morrison Park, Coralville
    • Highlights: 5k run/walk, food, free concert, parade, free family activities, fireworks
    • More info: https://www.coralville.org/310/4thFest​​
  2. Bourbon & Blues 
    1. When: July 2-5
    2. Where: Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery, Swisher, IA
    3. Highlights: Free music, expanded stages to downtown Swisher
    4. More info: https://cedarridgewhiskey.com/1687-2/
  3. Iowa City Jazz fest
    1. When: July 2-3
    2. Where: Downtown Iowa City
    3. Highlights: Live jazz performances, food
    4. More info: https://summerofthearts.org/sota-events/iowa-city-jazz-festival/
  4. Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival
    1. When: June 14-July 4
    2. Where: Cedar Rapids
    3. Highlights: 70 events leading up to the largest fireworks show in Iowa.
    4. More info: https://www.freedomfestival.com/
 
If I missed any other events going on in the area please leave them in the comments!
 
Happy Fourth of July!
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Financial Wellness for Dummies (aka me)

4/27/2021

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I know banking, investing, insurance, etc. is all very important stuff, but I have always struggled and had very little interest digging into the details. Bobby Scott, from Partner Wealth Planning, helped break down some of this during the IMP Financial Wellness session. Here are the top 3 takeaways I learned from his session.

  1. Identify how you feel about your debt.
    1. Debt isn’t necessarily a bad thing to have, but if you are losing sleep over it you need to think about how carrying this debt affects your overall mindset. In that case, you may want to prioritize working to get that debt down rather than putting your money in other areas.
  2. Refinancing loan considerations
    1. If you are like us, our medical school interest rate is higher than we’d like. We are considering refinancing, but one thing we need to consider before doing so is are we willing to have the risk with refinancing. When loans come from the government if something would happen to the person carrying that debt, the loan would be forgiven. If we would refinance with a private business for a smaller interest rate the partner would be held responsible for the debt. Food for thought in our consideration.
  3. How to prioritize?
    1. Do I invest and chip away at debt at a slower pace or do I tackle my debt in an aggressive manner? One place to start is to look at the interest rate on your debt and your potential investment. Does one out weigh the other? That may be an easy starting point to help make those decisions. 
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BONUS: While in IMP, Reach out to Bobby Scott for your financial related topics for no charge. If you have any questions about these or other related topics, don't hesitate to reach out to Bobby. There is no charge for his services while in training, so we hope you take advantage of the offer! Bobby can be reached
 
I am very much a beginner when it comes to all this so these bite size facts were tangible things I felt like I could understand and actually have actionable items. Again, for any questions and advice contact Bobby Scott from Partner Wealth Planning.
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Happy Match

3/13/2021

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The anticipation to match day is a such an exciting, scary, anxiety educing experience. During a pandemic it’s a whole other story. I remember being so excited for all of the match day festivities. Then the world turned upside down right as Match was approaching last year. We came up with alternative ways to celebrate, so it was still very special. Although I know Match will not be celebrated as expected, I hope everyone participating has a very special experience.
 
The days after Match reality sets in and your mind may be racing through a thousand questions, and a never ending to-do-list begins. Do we rent or buy? What part of town should we live in? How do I make friends in a new city during a pandemic? How do I stay connected to the friends I’m leaving? What will my partners hours be? I had all these questions after my husband matched into the Otolaryngology program at UIHC. Luckily, my husband shared with me info he received about Iowa Medical Partners (IMP). Initially seemed like a potential way to meet some people but I didn’t realize the community that IMP really has created which helped alleviate some of these anxieties once we arrived and answer many of these questions.
 
If you just matched, you are probably wrestling with some of those questions I mentioned above, specifically on the city and neighborhoods. Here is some info from some fellow IMP members.
 
The Neighborhoods:
  • West Iowa City
    • Living in University Heights or west Iowa City (especially those living east of Mormon Trek Blvd) will place you the closest to the hospital and the football stadium.  Many residents and fellows who live in this area walk or bike to work. The schools on the west side are great (we love Horn Elementary) and parks and trails like Willow Creek, Kiwanis and Clear Creek Trail are perfect for a run, a picnic or a play date. It's a quick drive from the west side to get out of town or to jump on the highway up to I-80. Traffic is light except on home football game days and Walmart and Aldi's are close while Hy-Vee and Trader Joe's are less than a 10 minute drive. – Allison Cascio
  • East Iowa City
    • The East Side is between approximately two and four miles east of the hospital and about 15 minutes from the Coralville Mall and shopping area; 20 minutes from North Liberty. In this area, you tend to get a bit more house and yard for the price, with newer builds being more common than other neighborhoods, but we’re still very close to several parks and grocery store choices. We have two new University of Iowa clinic locations (Dodge Street and Scott Blvd) with some of IMP’s favorite providers. Some favorites in our area include Dodge Street Coffeehouse, Tot Time every weekday morning at Mercer Park gym, Music Together classes at Preucil, and the close proximity to the adorable towns of Solon and West Branch. Favorite restaurants over here include Blackstone, Wig and Pen East, 2 Dogs Pub, and Rapid Creek Cidery. Hopping down to the South Side of town is easy if you’re heading to Big Grove Iowa City, the new Starbucks, Hatchet Jack’s, and consignment shopping at Stuff Etc., Crowded Closet and Kidworks. – Molly Sherwood
  • Coralville
    • Coralville is a great location in the middle of the creative corridor. You are only minutes from the mall, Costco, Target, consignment stores and many grocery store options. The Iowa River Landing is located in Coralville which includes Trader Joes, great dining and shopping, and the IRL UIHC Clinic. Additionally, going to downtown Iowa City or North Liberty is very convenient. Driving to UIHC is approximately 15 minutes (which is mostly due to the 25 mile per hour speed limits); however, you may be able to live along the Research Park Cambus route and avoid driving all together (free to all!). The Coralville Library is one of my favorite weekly spots for storytimes. I also love the walking trails in our city and the community events throughout the year. I feel safe and connected living here. – Megan Pai, President 
  • North Liberty
    • Many medical families choose to live in North Liberty. There are wonderful schools and neighborhoods filled with friends, and it is very geared towards families. There are many parks like Centennial, Quail Ridge, Beaver Kreek, and Penn Meadows, some fun local restaurants, and the best ice cream around is from a North Liberty joint, Heyn’s. We also have a pumpkin patch in our town that we go to almost daily in the fall, and there are many trails and easy access to both I-80 and 380, which makes going anywhere in the greater Iowa City area a breeze. There are a lot of fun events too, from storytime at the library to the big Barbecue and Blues festival that are all held locally. We love the community here! - Shannon Squires
Although I have not been able to explore as much as I would have liked due to COVID, over the last year here are some of the favorite places.
 
My Favorite Restaurants so far…
  • Big Grove Brewery
  • Tribute
  • Exotic India
  • Sushiya
  • Blue Elephant
  • Java House
  • Walker Homestead
  • Bread Garden
  • Saint Burch
 
Other Places…
  • Coralville Lake
  • Kent State Park
  • Terry Trueblood
  • Amana Colonies
  • Cedar Rapids Czech Village & NewBo City Market
  • Iowa City Library
  • Pedestrian Mall
 
If you are looking for trusted recommendations? Our group’s sponsors can help you in finding and adjusting to your new home. Tundy Brady with Urban Acres can help you find your future home (even if you are unable to travel). Green State Credit Union can help you with local banking and securing a mortgage, including a Doc Loan. Bobby Scott with Partner Wealth is here to answer any questions related to your unique financial sitation. Nanci Kohl with State Farm can help you determine your insurance needs. 
 
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to IMP! You can join IMP here, and once you do, you can join our Facebook group. Congratulations on your Match! 
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Home Cleanse Day 4: Organize

10/14/2020

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Home Cleanse Day 4: Organize

You may have already started this while you were purging, but what the heck, I wanted to keep the blog post strategy “organized” too. If you’re like me, you binged watched Get Organized with The Home Edit on Netflix. It was awesome, but not always super attainable for folks who can’t spend hundreds of dollars on clear plastic containers. Also, they didn’t emphasize the purge enough, in my opinion. Go back and read my post from Day 2 to make sure you’ve eliminated all that you can.

Your goal will be this: have a *place* for everything. Ideally, in a box or container of some sort. This makes it easier to consistently return items to their place and to seriously evaluate whether you have room for new items when the desire hits. You can use shoeboxes (lids too), moving boxes, old mismatched Tupperware or bins. As we discussed in the purging post, don’t go run out and buy new containers the day of your purge. If you think you do need containers because you don’t have enough at home, sit on this thought for a few days and ensure you really need them and can’t actually just purge a bit more or relocate some items. Some previously occupied bins may become freed up as you complete your purge, too.

Once you’ve determined you do indeed need a new container, and your budget allows, go for it. If you can afford to be picky, clear containers are always preferred so that you can see what you have. If your budget does not allow, join your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook (mentioned in yesterday’s donation post) and make a post asking for boxes and containers. You will be surprised with how generous the community can be.

Common visible places that you may want to create:

  • A small drop zone for keys, mail, wallet, and your spouse’s pager. Ideally, this is out of sight, but that is usually rare for most folks. Make sure it’s very close to your door or else it won’t be used.
  • A pretty container for the items that live next to your sinks (in the bathroom, this may be soap, lotion, and a room spray; in the kitchen, this may be hand soap, dish soap, sponge, and your all-purpose cleaner if you use it daily for your countertops).
  • Bins as-needed for children’s toys that you have elected to keep in sight (Melissa and Doug wooden crates are great for this). This is only for toys that genuinely need to be contained, like legos, not a pile of 20 vehicles. Display four or five current favorite vehicles, and put the rest out of “rotation” in storage or get rid of them.

Common hidden places that you may want to create:
  • A small drop zone for mail and bills to be handled (visit the purge post section on papers when considering this).
  • A box of stationery (thank you notes and birthday/baby/wedding cards that you stock up on from Home Goods or Trader Joe’s… or is that just me)
  • Storage bins for Tupperware, snacks, spices, nuts/dried fruits, etc if you think you can keep up with it
  • Medicine/first aid bins
  • Bins for your regularly used toiletries under your sink
  • Low-sided containers for makeup and jewelry (there are some awesome stackable jewelry kits at The Container Store if you’re ready for a splurge).
  • Cleaning product bins (I recommend one for under the sink, one for above the washing machine, and one for the garage).
  • Backstock boxes (if you truly need a backstock area). This may include one for guest and travel toiletries, cleaning supplies, food, paper towels and toilet paper. However, there is no need to create these spaces if you don’t truly need them.
  • Shoe storage. Ugh. I hate dealing with shoe storage, but it’s a necessary evil. We keep our in-season shoes in the coat closet, and out-of-season shoes in bedroom closets. I have made an exception and put one basket out and visible for my kids’ shoes (two pairs for each kid) so they are more likely to put them away by themselves.
  • Large storage bins for your basement storage. In my basement, we have the following storage bins:
    • One for each family member’s sentimentals
    • Three bins of kids clothes in soon-to-be-used sizes
    • One bin of baby items (bottles, swaddles, toys, etc.)
    • Three bins of Christmas décor
    • One bin of non-Christmas holiday décor
    • One bin for currently unused home décor that I 100% intend to use in our next home
    • One bin for summer toys to live in the winter
    • Smaller bin for pictures
    • Smaller bin for party supplies
    • Smaller bins (4) for craft supplies (I’m a crafter; you may not need this at all)
  • A box that lives in the corner of your closet for you to dump future items that you decide to purge.

A few of my favorite tips

In no particular order, for your consideration:

  • Organizing items in rainbow order (like The Home Edit does) is surprisingly pleasing. I think it is most useful in two spaces: in your closet, and for children’s books. Once making this change in your closet, it is easy to maintain because you see easily where a recently used/washed item fits back in. I was worried when I hung my husband’s navy hoodie next to his navy polo instead of with his other hoodies and sweatshirts, but it actually has helped him really assess his whole wardrobe and he wears a much bigger variety of his clothes now. In terms of the children’s book suggestion, I think it helps them more easily find books they like and return them during clean-up time.
  • Aim to hang as many clothing items in your closet as possible. This lets you see what you have most readily, and depending on your closet size and quantity of clothes, you may be able to get rid of your dresser entirely (in this case, you'll need a couple shelves and sets of containers in your closet for items that can't be hung).
  • It is your choice whether you choose to display all seasons of clothes in your closets/drawers. I made a goal to purge enough that I could comfortably display all seasons, but I could see how that would be annoying to some people to have a bunch of things in their closet that they won’t be wearing for six months. Choose what works for you, but if you do choose to keep your out of season items out of sight, don’t let it become an excuse for keeping more than you need.
  • If you have to have paper towels and toilet paper in a visible spot (I do, because my laundry room is also my main floor bathroom), display them unwrapped. It’s surprisingly pretty.
  • Beautiful pantry pictures are super trendy right now, but consider how active you will truly be in moving items out of their bags, etc, and into a new bin. You may totally embrace this and do it when you get home from the store every time, and you might not. Again, make sure you choose something that fits in to your lifestyle. I suggest starting out small by getting two or three bins for your pantry to hold your bags of fruits/nuts, small snacks, etc. Also consider choosing some produce savers to keep in your fridge, if you think you’ll be good about washing and moving your produce into them when you come home from the store (otherwise, you never will). I did really enjoy moving some of my lesser used dry items (beans, grains, pasta) into large mason jars. They can be super cheap at garage sales, and I scored a ton for 50 cents each at the Crowded Closet thrift shop in Iowa City.

Fun items to consider 
Remember, this is only for when you’ve taken some time to confirm you need them and/or they will bring you joy, and for when your budget allows:
​
  • Clear organizers for craft products
  • Small lazy susans for your spices and baking products
  • Separators for your pans and bakeware (you can place them vertically or horizontally depending on your space)
  • Jewelry organizers (preferably the little velvety ones with a square spot for every piece)
  • Mesh toy bags to hold sets of toys rather than having to keep boxes for everything
  • Paper towel holder
  • Glass spray bottle for your most frequently used all-purpose product (this may be worth storing in sight, on the counter)
  • Specialized holiday storage bins like those for wreaths, lights, ornaments, and wrapping paper
  • For when you’re really all-in and you know you’ll keep up with it, you can do the full kitchen splurge and get clear containers for everything. If you want to start smaller, begin with mason jars from thrift stores (I prefer wide mouth mason jars), move to just a couple clear bins, and then to produce keepers before going all-out.
 
Sign up for a time to have some donations brought to the Shelter House if you so choose. Please sign up before Oct 23rd. We will come get them from your door Oct 25th and 26th. The link also has a list of eligible items, as does yesterday’s blog post and our FB event. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444A4AD2FA2FF2-shelter
 
Tomorrow, we’re on to cleaning!
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Home Cleanse Day 3: Donate

10/14/2020

3 Comments

 

Home Cleanse Day 3: Donate

Now that you have tons of boxes in your garage of things to get rid of, get rid of them quickly before you or a family member dig back into them and second guess yourself. I’m going to cover our philanthropy event to donate items to The Shelter House, and then walk through some local sale, consignment and donation options.

The Shelter House IMP Event Pickup
I ask that you first consider which of those items might be suitable for donation to The Shelter House in Iowa City and sign up for a time slot to have them picked up from your front porch. You can sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444A4AD2FA2FF2-shelter

We also have an IMP Facebook event and Evite floating around where you can find the above link, and post about how your process is going!

The items that The Shelter House has requested most recently include:

CLOTHING
  • Jackets
  • Rain jackets
  • Gloves
  • Hoodies and sweatshirts
  • Men’s/Women’s sweatpants
  • Leggings
  • T-shirts
  • Flannel shirts
  • Tennis shoes
  • Jeans sizes 30-38
  • White socks
  • Boxers and underwear (new only)

OTHER SUPPLIES
  • Umbrellas
  • Adult backpacks
  • Wash cloths
  • Towels
  • Body wash
  • Shaving cream/razors
  • Travel size shampoo/conditioner
  • Twin size sheets/blankets
  • Pillows
  • Chapstick
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Toilet paper
  • Can openers


Selling 

Nothing novel here. Craigslist or Facebook marketplace if you want to sell items. Consider resale items that require shipping (like Ebay or various clothing shops) only if you are tech savvy enough to actually follow through with it. Be selective about how many items you try to sell, as it’s a lot of logistics to field inquiries, set up pickup times, mail things, etc. You don’t want to burn out and have random stuff sitting in your garage that still needs to be sold.

Consignment

I love Stuff Etc. They have locations in Iowa City and Coralville. You can walk in and open a consignment account whenever you’d like (though they do not accept consignment on Sundays). Note that both locations have a separate consignor area with its own entrance doors, so don’t go to their regular checkout. Currently (October 2020), they allow you to consign one tub of items a day, and up to five large items that don’t fit in the tub. The tub is theirs – you move your stuff into their tubs and head out. Because of the influx of business they’re getting, they will look through your items quickly with you as you or they fill up your tub.

Every time I have gone lately, both locations have had a wait for an empty tub to be available. In the Iowa City location, the wait tends to be around 15-20 mins, and they let you wander the store and call you over the speaker when it’s your turn. The Coralville location is much busier; the wait tends to be more like 30-60 mins, and you can’t leave your spot in line, so prepare accordingly. 

At Stuff, your account makes money when your item is sold. You can check your account balance online once you open an account. This is also true for KidWorks, a kids consignment shop on the south side. KidWorks also has a partner shop right behind it, HouseWorks (for home items). I have not consigned with them yet, but it could be worth a stop if you have too much to dump at Stuff. The Second Act is over near the KidWorks, HouseWorks, and Iowa City Stuff location, and is an adult clothing consignment shop. I am not familiar with their consigning process, but it could be worth a stop while you are in the direction (all on the south side, near Terry Trueblood, Big Grove, and the Waterfront Hy-Vee).

Once Upon A Child (children's clothing and toys) and Plato's Closet (adult/juniors clothing), both in Coralville, though they are more selective in the items they choose.

Please comment on this blog post if you know of any more consignment options that I have missed.

Donate

For items that don’t seem suitable for The Shelter House, consider donating at one of several Goodwill locations, or the Crowded Closet thrift shop right next to the Iowa City Stuff Etc location. Some things are better off in your trash, and that’s ok, too. Better to get them out of your house than hang on to the guilt of not being able to repurpose absolutely everything.
​
Iowa City also has a great Buy Nothing group presence on Facebook. There are various groups for each neighborhood, so join one and enjoy! Someone literally gave away a gallon of milk on my Buy Nothing group yesterday. There are sometimes hidden gems in there too, like nice furniture or a Kitchen Aid stand mixer (that I didn't dibs fast enough... ugh). 
 
Tomorrow we’re back to some fun stuff… organizing! Get all your empty bins and boxes out and ready! 
3 Comments

Home Cleanse Day 5: Clean

10/14/2020

2 Comments

 

Home Cleanse Day 5: Clean

I’m excited about this one because this is the newest home maintenance component that I’ve jumped into. Our dear friend Kelsey Sprowell told me to follow @gocleanco on Instagram, and I spent hours watching her videos and audibly gasping alone in bed. Go do that right now.

Let me add, I’m not really a clean freak. I’ve always said I can tidy all day but I hate to clean. Still, though, my eye notices tiny spots and corners that aren’t clean, and then I think about them and they make me frustrated. So, I needed to get better about cleaning. And I really didn’t know how to start. My mother was not really a clean-as-you-go person. She would clean in fits and spurts, so there were days where it was far from orderly. She also had the habit, as many of us do, of avoiding a cleaning task once it got too dirty and gross, which only made it worse (this is where gloves come to the rescue). One time, mushrooms grew the bathroom tile next to the bathtub. Legit mushrooms. Two of them. I have a picture. Another trait she handed down to me is the tendency to focus on a “project”, like organizing some bizarre out-of-sight storage shelf in the garage, and neglecting to do the regular upkeep like put my dishes in the dishwasher. I’m still working on that.

I feel very proud of my space and relaxed when my home is truly clean. I want to achieve this regularly. Let’s do it together.

I drafted this post largely based on my recent learnings from gocleanco, and also had a few friends review who I think are innately better at cleaning than I am, to make sure we cover all the bases.

Let’s start with recommended cleaning items. Don’t throw away everything you have that isn’t these items, but maybe consider moving in this direction as you use up what you have. Streamline the number of cleaning products you have, again, in favor of simplicity and tidiness. I have some Amazon links here so you can see what I'm talking about, but check the grocery store or Wal-Mart/Target first because some of these items are pricey on Amazon right now.
​
Solid materials
  • Brooms (one for in your home, one for outside)
  • Vacuum with a brush attachment (here is the recommended list from gocleanco)
  • Mop (This is what gocleanco recommends, and I plan to get it eventually, but honestly, I like to just use a rag and make my way through on hands and knees. Swiffers are popular and certainly a viable option, but I don’t love how expensive their replacement cleaner is, and I honestly don’t love their floor cleaners because they leave a residue. Steam mops are wonderful but not ok for wood floors.)
  • Duster (I grew up with a reusable one where you just tap the dust off outside, but many people love the disposable Swiffer one)
  • Gloves (I prefer medical gloves, but cleaning gloves from the store are fine too)
  • Scrubbing brushes (a small one, and a larger one. In my new deep cleaning journey I realized that toothbrushes do not do the job, because the bristles don’t stick out beyond the plastic head so you can never quite get in to a corner)
  • Toilet brush
  • Pail for your cleaning concoctions, if your mop doesn’t come with one
  • Optional: Squeegee for your windows
  • Optional: Small dust buster for little messes, or to vacuum your sweeping pile

Textiles
  • Paper towels
  • Microfiber cloths, or if you’re like me and you hate how they feel on your fingers, rags are fine
  • Optional: Coffee filters for wiping windows and mirrors – they don’t leave little fuzzies like paper towels do (a trick I learned working in food service)

Cleaning products
  • A non-toxic all-purpose cleaner you enjoy for countertops and simple messes. My favorite is Mrs. Meyers basil scent. A homemade combination of water, white vinegar, and a citrus essential oil or blend such as thieves oil is also a great choice.
  • Bar Keepers Friend (liquid preferred over powder because its less of a hassle; for sinks, tubs, and even wall scuffs)
  • Easy-Off (for ovens and stovetop)
  • Weimans stainless steel products (for stainless steel appliances)
  • Mr Clean (for cutting greasy areas; I prefer their “Clean Freak” spray product)
  • Bona (for hardwoods – I’m obsessed)
  • Dawn Dish Soap (the classic blue one. They also have a fun spray type now)
  • Windex (for windows, mirrors, screens)
  • Liquid bleach (they make splashless options that are a little thicker, which I prefer)
  • Tide powdered laundry detergent (this will make your laundry machine way less grimy than a liquid detergent, and it’s recommended as a main cleaning agent for nearly all of gocleanco’s recipes. Tide+hot water and you’re good to go. It is also the ONLY product that is safe to mix with bleach if needed).
  • White vinegar
  • Optional: Magic Erasers (white cast iron and wall scuffs)
  • Optional: Dreft stain remover spray
  • Optional: Toilet tablets

On to your major cleaning spaces. I’ll do a quick recap of the stuff you are probably already cleaning and should keep cleaning, and the gross stuff you haven’t been paying attention to. Some true clean freaks may criticize the infrequency at which I have some of these tasks, but I'm trying to make this attainable for even us dirty savages.

For your “regular upkeep” items, I recommend setting a timer and going to town, at least until you get yourself into the habit. For my home, 15 minutes covers the upstairs (bedrooms and bathrooms), 20 for the main level (kitchen, living room, play room), and 10 for the basement (play room). Most days, it’s less than this, especially if I’m keeping up regularly. 

For your “every one to two weeks” items, try to think of a time when you are generally available, like Sunday afternoons while you’re having lazy family time. If you have kids, I firmly believe in letting them see you clean so that they don’t associate it with something cumbersome and mysterious. It’s a part of the day like everything else.

For your “every one to two months” items, try to block off special time for yourself to accomplish this. Put on a playlist, clean with your sneakers on (my mom always said that having shoes on keeps you motivated), and go to town. If you have kids, this is a job for naptime or screentime, or you can ask your partner to take them to the park if they are home.


General Home
Regular upkeep
  • Tidy all of your newly purged and organized items
  • Fluff pillows, folding and draping throw blankets
  • Make beds
  • Sweep floors and wipe small messes
  • Light a candle daily for all the feels
  • Water houseplants as they require
Every 1-2 weeks
  • Floors (I prefer Bona, but gocleanco says you can use the Tide+hot water mixture of 1/2 tsp tide with 4 cups of hot water)
  • Vacuum carpets, sprinkle baking soda before vacuuming to freshen up if desired
  • Light fixtures with Windex
  • Windows, TV screen, mirrors with Windex
  • Wash linens including bed sheets, throw blankets, hand towels
Every 1-2 months
  • Door tracks with Mr. Clean
  • Walls and light switches with Tide powder and hot water (1/2 tsp tide with 4 cups of hot water); liquid Barkeepers Friend or Magic Eraser for big scuffs
  • Baseboards, window sills, doors, door frames and handrails with above Tide mixture
  • Wipe down toys with above Tide mixture
  • Blinds (dust and wipe with above Tide mixture)
  • Trash cans (bleach)
  • Throw pillows (remove cover if possible) and bed pillows by soaking in your tub with Tide. Many of these are surprisingly machine washable on the gentle setting, so take a look at your tags
  • Remove couch cushions and vacuum furniture

Kitchen/Dining
Regular upkeep
  • Keeping up with dishes
  • Countertops and tables
  • Transferring purchased food into containers if appropriate
Every 1-2 weeks
  • Stovetop with Bar Keepers Friend first; then Easy Off for anything still stuck on
  • Inside microwave (1c water +2tbsp white vinegar in a bowl. Microwave 3 to 5 mins. Wipe out.)
  • Bar Keepers Friend for your sink and drain; throw a few slices of frozen lemons in your disposal and grind away. A splash of bleach down the disposal isn’t a bad idea, either, if you’re noticing a smell.
  • Stainless steel appliances including your range hood with Weimans stainless steel products (after getting any grime off)
Every 1-2 months
  • Oven interior with Easy-Off; racks can soak in your tub overnight in hot water and a few dishwasher tabs, then a bit of scrubbing the next day
  • Fridge and pantry interior using powdered Tide and hot water (1/2 tsp tide with 4 cups of hot water; 4 tsp bleach if you’d like as well)
  • Cabinet surfaces, tops, and handles using the above Tide mixture
  • Chairs and chair legs, table legs using above Tide mixture
  • Range hood vent (yes, this comes out, look it up)
  • Dishwasher (you have a filter in there, take it out and rinse it. Then, pour ½ c bleach in the bottom of your dishwasher and run a hot cycle. No foaming cleaning products or else you will have suds halfway down your hall. Speaking from experience.)
  • Backsplash, first with Mr. Clean to cut grease, then Windex for shine
 
Bathrooms
Regular upkeep
  • Wipe toothpaste drips and rogue hairs
  • Hang/replace towels as-needed
  • Declutter countertop
Every 1-2 weeks
  • Toilet with Bar Keepers Friend (after you’ve used your toilet brush, you can let it sit over the toilet to drip/air dry and use the seat to hold it down; this prevents buildup of mold on your brush)
  • Bath with Bar Keepers Friend
  • Counters with powdered Tide and hot water (1/2 tsp tide with 4 cups of hot water; 4 tsp bleach if you’d like as well – recommended in bathrooms)
  • Add toothbrush holder to your next dishwasher load
  • Tiles and shower doors by spraying vinegar and a drop of Dawn dish soap; let sit; squeegee. Polish with Windex.
Every 1-2 months
  • Replace toilet tablets in the toilet basin (be mindful to choose a product that is nontoxic if you have dogs or children who may touch the water)
  • Polish towel racks and toilet paper holder with Windex
  • Vacuum ceiling fan cover
  • Cabinet surfaces, tops, and handles using above Tide mixture
  • Showerhead by filling a Ziploc with vinegar and water in a plastic bag and using a rubber band to tie it on, let sit
  • Tile grout with Tide and hot water as above, slightly increasing the quantity of bleach if needed. Use your little scrubber brush.

Laundry Room
I recommend aiming to have one “laundry day” a week. It is exhausting to constantly have various loads in rotation and have clothes to fold every day. I realize I sound gross saying this – but resist the urge to throw everything straight into the dirty clothes pile. Unless it’s dirty, smelly, or overly stretched out, give it another wear or two. This will greatly reduce your laundry burden. Also, simply reducing your total number of clothes as you did in the purge phase reduces the load (pun intended). If you stick to this plan, there is no “regular upkeep” section, other than spot cleaning any big clothing stains that pop up (by the way, I love Dreft stain remover spray for all clothing stains, not just baby clothes).

Every 1-2 weeks
  • Laundry weekly with powdered Tide (Free & Clear if you or your family has sensitive skin)
  • Windex exterior of washer and dryer
  • It gets dustier in here than in other rooms; consider a quick once-over with your vacuum hose while you’re doing your carpets

Every 1-2 months
  • Vacuum lint trap of dryer
  • Clean sink with Barkeepers Friend (if you have one)
  • In washing machines, most of the spots to dump in your liquid bleach, fabric softener, and detergent can be removed. If it’s super nasty, let it soak in hot water with a generous glug of bleach in it. Otherwise, use your scrubber brush w/ bleach to scrub the area.
  • Front loading machines: that rubber seal is NASTY and it always has standing water in it. Dump in straight bleach and scrub with a scrub brush. From now on, leave the door open at all times to air out.
  • Front loading machines; You also have a filter somewhere down lower on your machine. Wear gloves or you will never have the guts to accomplish this. Remove the cover and you will see a little black hose. Remove the cap and empty the water into a bowl. It will smell. Then twist off the filter cap, wipe it out, and bleach that thing. Re-seal the hose and filter tightly. Gocleanco has a great tutorial on this in Instagram stories.
  • Top loading machines: you may not have a rubber seal. If not, just wipe it all down, and thank your lucky stars. If there’s a cap in the middle for fabric softener, dislodge it and let it sit in super hot water with a bit of bleach to loosen it up, then scrub clean with a scrub brush and return

Special emphasis goes to a few areas that I totally neglected until recently. That includes window tracks, blinds, wall vents (vacuum those), filters for washing machines, dishwashers, and oven hood vents. My backsplash is dark and therefore very easy to neglect. Baseboards are also underattended. Some of these may be true for you, and if they are, you should look up some satisfying before-and-after tutorials.

As I mentioned earlier in this series, I truly believe that once your home contains only items you need and love, cleaning can be simple and even joyful. I hope you find the same thing.

I also wanted to make space in these posts to account for a concern that I had in the beginning of this process, and you may have as well. I was concerned that I would lose the warmth in my home by emptying it too much, and that I wouldn’t be able to “decorate” like I like and switch out different pieces of décor… basically… I wouldn’t be able to buy stuff, which I like to do, TBH. Let’s be real here.

Here are three remedies that have completely changed my perspective on this.
  1. Candles. I am slowly working through all the candles I already had, and then when they’re gone, I’ll enjoy grabbing a new one at the store as I need it. Plus, I’m really loving using a candle daily to make my home feel warm. (My favorite splurge: Voluspa)
  2. Greens and flowers. I am taking better care of my houseplants and have added a couple more to the mix (folks on my Buy Nothing group on Facebook give away little plants all the time). I also buy some at Trader Joe’s every now and then. I will cut greens from around my house and neighborhood to beef up the Trader Joe’s arrangements and make them look super big and glamorous! (My favorite splurges: flowers from Willow and Stock on the Northside, a bouquet delivery from Farmgirl Flowers, or a dried arrangement from Roxanne's Dried Flowers)
  3. Create a swap-out décor spot. For me, this is a rectangular wire basket that I hang vertically on my wall (kind of like this, but all wire; I've seen some cute bamboo ones, too). It is always there, and I can swap out décor and plop it on the basket for display as often as I’d like without ever getting out a hammer. I rotate several different décor pieces through here based on the season, and it gives me the freedom to mix things up without cluttering my space or busting out the toolbox.

This is the last day of our blog post series. I hope you enjoyed this process, and that you will revisit it in the future when you start to feel restless in your home, as will inevitably happen to all of us even after a successful home cleanse. Please send along ideas for more posts, if you felt that something was left unsaid.

Let’s actively discuss our projects and progress with each other in the Facebook event page. Don’t forget to sign up for a time to have any donations to the Shelter House picked up from your porch On Oct 25th or Oct 26th. Please sign up by Oct 23rd. The link has a list of eligible items. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444A4AD2FA2FF2-shelter
 
Thank you for joining me!
2 Comments

Home Cleanse Day 2: Purge

10/14/2020

2 Comments

 

Home Cleanse Day 2: Purge

Today is the day. You’re going to purge. Maybe you’re going to tear through and forget to eat, sleep or go to the bathroom. Maybe you’re more of the slow and steady type and you need some breaks to catch your breath. Who cares. Just get it done the way it works for you. 

I want to acknowledge that I understand you are busy. My spouse is home infrequently (sound familiar to you?), I have two kids and a full-time job. My goals are basically to work, cook, tame children, poke around on Instagram, purge things, and do crafts in my basement. Your list probably looks different from mine. But, if you decide to care about this, I am optimistic you can find some time, at least in the short term. If my cleaning/purging task is something I can do with my kids helping me (and I use the word “helping” very loosely), I try to do it then. Otherwise, I do it during a conference call or after the kids are asleep. If you truly don’t have time for this right now, I totally believe you. You don’t need to justify why now is not the time. That is OKAY. Everyone has their own goals and needs. You probably do other awesome things I don’t do, like go for runs or read books. I finally stopped pretending that I read books. PSA to all my friends: I don’t read books.

I’ve organized this by category, but choose the order that is right for you. It goes without saying that this is what works for me and my family’s lifestyle, but you may have your own preferences and exceptions that you should respect and incorporate to make this work for you. This is intended for all family sizes, with or without children. 

Clothing and linens 

For some reason, this seems to be the easiest place to start. If the clothing seems too daunting, start with your linen closet. Dump it all out and consider what categories belong in this closet. For me, it’s towels, sheets, blankets, and medicine.
 

First, consider the number of people in your household and how often you do laundry to calculate the ideal number of bath, hand, and wash towels. Beach towels can be one towel per person. Anything beyond that number can go. If space allows, a few “gym” or “trash” towels can be here in a separate spot. If space doesn’t allow but you really want to keep some trash towels, consider keeping some rags/trash towels where you store your cleaning products or in your garage.
 

Sheets should be one to two sets per bed. I keep one spare twin set to lay on little makeshift beds for kids and visitors if needed, but that’s our only extra pair. Blankets are your decision based on the temperature variations in your home throughout the year, but take a good hard look at which ones you are really using and which ones just get pulled out every couple years, which no one would miss or ask about if they were gone. 

Anything that is gross, stained, or needs mending, fix it now or fix it never. If you aren’t going to fix it this weekend, you never will and it will just clutter your thoughts and your to-do list. Get it out of here. And there are good places to donate this type of stuff, so you don’t have to feel like you might as well keep it just so it doesn’t go to the landfill. 

Clothing is specific to your day-to-day life, so think about what you (and your family members) tend to wear over the course of a couple weeks in a cold and warm season. Keep this frame of mind as you review. Here are my suggestions for assessing clothing items. 
  1. As discussed yesterday, remember to pull everything out and throw it on your floor or bed for review, piece by piece. 
  2. Review by subcategory and think about how many options you need for each subcategory. Long sleeve dress tops, long sleeve casual tops, sweaters and jackets, short sleeve dress tops, t-shirts, etc. I realize I wear t-shirts for both sleep and… not sleep… so I keep about 10. I have just a few cardigans/jackets (navy, white, black, and a workout-ish one). Figure out your needs and numbers and work backwards from there. 
  3. Consider the practicality of the items you have. I had an epiphany and realized that I NEVER put my three-year-old in any of the buttoned pants that he has because… hello… potty training. Bye to those. Same for hooded baby items – I never put them in those because I thought they’d strangle themselves during naps or in the car seat (I have anxiety, ok?). Even though I bought some of them new and some of them were very nice gifts – see ya. 
  4. Do you have any clothes that give you a negative thought when you see them? (examples include: “I hate that that doesn’t fit me anymore”, “Ugh, I shouldn’t have wasted my money on that, I still haven’t even worn it”, “Someone just gave me that, I really should try to wear it…”, or even “I wore that during a super terrible day that I remember every time I see this piece”) Get rid of those items. Free yourself. On the flip side, some clothes are only retained because of good memories even if they aren’t worn. If it is really special enough, ask yourself if it deserves a spot in your sentimental bin in your basement. It can live there, otherwise it can go. Examples of these types of items for our family include my husband’s favorite old t-shirt that was super gross but still sentimental for him, my kids’ baptism outfits, and a t-shirt I bought in Kenya on our honeymoon that no longer fits. 
  5. Be selective about what you choose to keep that doesn’t currently fit or have a practical use in your life. You know your body and your goals, so take some time to reflect on what is realistic for you in this phase of your life. As for children’s clothing, this can be trickier since they grow like weeds, so consider what space you have in storage and the true worth (worth in many ways – refer to yesterday’s post about that) of the item. 
  6. Put all the “not sure” items in a box (yes, only one “not sure” box. If you need more than one box, you’re not getting rid of enough stuff). Write the date for six months from now on that box, and put it away. If you haven’t reopened it to dig something out by then, the whole box can go. 
  7. For all clothing that lives on a hanger, hang it up the “wrong” way (with the hook pointing towards you rather than away). Notice what is still facing the wrong way two months from now. Those can go (or be very closely scrutinized if the weather was the only thing keeping you from wearing this item). Also, keep only a handful more hangers than you need. If you have 20 extra hangers, you’ll be surprised how quickly you fill them. 

Bathroom and toiletries 

This one can be super satisfying and relatively quick. We’re talking about makeup, lotions, hair care, shaving needs, feminine products and perfumes. This area also houses a couple random items for our family like jewelry cleaner, electric razors and haircutting tools. 
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Put aside a spot or container that will be your backstock area. This is where your extra toothbrushes, shampoos, razors, etc can go. This is not an opportunity to go shop and populate your backstock. It’s just a way to process the things you already have. Moving forward, I suggest buying things just as you need them, and buying in bulk only when an excellent deal comes along or if you have a very specific favorite item that is hard to come by.
 

Then, you need your “keep”, “trash”, and “donate” area. The donate area in this section is generally very small, but you can always offer some gently used items to a friend or a buy-nothing/freecycle group, and unopened little travel toiletries are great to donate. 

Beauty products and lotions can go if you haven’t used them in the past six months. Same goes for those situations where you always reach for Lotion #1 over Lotion #2. If you love Lotion #2, it can move to your backstock, but that’s it. Lotion #3 does not exist in your brain. Bye. Oh, and don’t forget to really scrutinize nail polishes. This usually gets overlooked. 
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For sanitary purposes, some makeup and personal care  items are only recommended to be used for a certain length of time. I try to be mindful of these guidelines, but it really isn’t practical to replace your makeup as often as is recommended. In the interest of practicality, take mental stock of some things you love and need to keep but which are getting old. You can work towards replacing them as your budget allows, and even start a list through this process if you’d like.

Regarding travel toiletries and little hotel shampoos, get rid of most of those (these can be donated!). I recommend keeping two “sets” of little items like this. One is for guests, and one is for our own travel. Each of them lives in a little zipper bag. For me, it includes travel size shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, laundry detergent, baby shampoo, diaper rash cream, makeup remover, and a little sewing kit.
 

If you are lucky enough to have a guest bathroom or kids’ bathroom with some under sink storage, you can consider keeping your backstock and travel toiletry kits here. Then, the area under your personal sink has only the things you frequently reach for. Bathroom countertop space is VERY valuable. Only something that you use every single day should be on here, and really, not even then. For us, it’s just hand soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Keeping these items in a very accessible drawer is just fine, too.
 

Kitchen 

This actually isn’t as terrible as it may seem. The worst part is your junk drawer. You can save that for last. 

I find the “take everything out” rule very hard to follow in the kitchen, so I bend it a bit. I generally only take out categories that have lots of “things” like small appliances, utensils, spices, and Tupperware. Your glassware and plates should be easy enough to view where they are. 

This is an opportunity to assess how many of an item you really need. Even coffee mugs. I have a hard time seeing a situation where you need more than six or eight. If there’s a circumstance where you might need ten or twelve, that circumstance will likely happen only once a year or once every several years, so it’s probably not worth the space it’s taking up. Cutlery can be a set of eight or twelve, and that’s it. Beyond that, plastic cutlery for entertaining is just fine. This “how much do I really need” question is never more important than when taking a look at your Tupperware. And for the love of God, if it doesn’t have a lid or it’s stained orange, say goodbye (though a caveat here is saving a few that are missing a lid in case they help you organize small items later). 

Let’s take some time to thank the workhorses that you use frequently. A big nonstick pan, a 9x13 baking dish, a coffee maker, a crock pot. Thanks, buddies. Now, let’s take a hard look at the stuff you have that only serves one purpose. The ravioli maker, ice cream maker, fondue pot, sushi roller. If this has a special place in your family and you really use it, keep it. Otherwise, it’s taking up space that your workhorse items deserve.
 

Entertainment items like big platters and ice buckets, assuming you truly use them often enough (at least two times a year AND it gives you the warm and fuzzies to use them), can be stored in your kitchen if space allows, but in your basement in a fairly accessible box is a good alternative. Same for flower vases and candles. 

Sentimental kitchen items are very significant for some families. If it is incredibly important to you to keep full sets of china, try to work towards acquiring a china cabinet or buffet that can be on display in a dining area and out of your day-to-day use area. In my case, I had about 10 items that were sentimental but never used, including four little teensy wine glasses I used to sip water from as a kid to be fancy, one cereal bowl of my grandmother’s, and a couple wine glasses from our favorite wineries. I opted to move these into my sentimental storage in my basement. 

Back to the junk drawer. I have no specific advice here except to dive in when you’re already on a roll and you’re ready to throw things away. The ultimate goal is actually to eliminate the junk drawer, but if you can’t do that, turn it into a drawer that contains items that you are likely to use often. For me, it includes a tape measure, various types of tape, pens, a notepad, and screwdrivers (scissors would be here too, but they are in my knife drawer). Importantly, think about what you look in the junk drawer for. If you can’t think of a situation where you would actually need an old bread bag tie, toss the 10 that you’ve been randomly storing. You don’t need to save everything just because “some day it may come in handy”. 

As in the bathroom, the countertop is prime real estate. Only your daily use items that would be cumbersome to put away every day should live here. I advocate for no knife blocks and no utensil holders on the counter. The countertop looks much tidier without them. Consider a flat knife storage block that goes in a drawer. If you are lucky enough to have a big pantry that can accommodate your microwave, move it in there. My countertop includes olive oil, butter (yes, we’re a room temperature butter family, and I will fight you on this), the coffee maker, microwave, and toaster oven. 

Now that you have the hang of this, you should apply some intense scrutiny to your spices and food. These items should come out of your fridge and pantry and sit on your countertops while you assess the situation. Expired and unused items can go, of course. Assess your potential need for a backstock area, which you may or may not need depending on your cooking habits. If you do need a backstock area, assess whether there is room in your kitchen for it, or if it needs to be in a fairly accessible storage space. 

Toys

If this section does not apply to you, please have a little party for yourself in your quiet, orderly home that has lovely furniture with sharp edges and outlet plugs without plug protectors. However, if you frequently want to burn everything in your home, read on, because it means you have toys. 

I should say that I have very young kids, so my toy philosophy has evolved with this consideration. Your kids may be older and/or have different needs, so consider what’s right for you. 

A few things I realized that helped me purge a bunch of toys: 
  • My kids don’t play with toys that are out of their sight. The exception is “special” items that they aren’t allowed to do without me (like craft kits, boxes of beads, marbles). 
  • On that note, “special” items are way more special when they are put away in a place where only the adult can access them. The excitement builds when you offer to go get one of them, and I find that they play with that item longer than if they walked past it every day.
  • There’s a difference between toys they touch because they’re there, and toys they actually enjoy. An example here would be a box of cars, train tracks, musical instruments, etc., that they seem to just dump out and peruse before moving on. 

I eliminated broken toys, toys I haven’t seen them reach for in the past month, and toys that they only touch because they are there but that don’t seem to truly entertain them. Of the toys that are keep-able, they can go in one of four places: 1) on display in your play space(s), 2) out of your toy rotation (to be circled back out every 3-4 months, and in the meantime stored in the basement or a closet somewhere), 3) in your “special” place that only mom/dad/babysitter can access, and 4) in ONE box in storage of “toys to grow into”. One box. No more. 

I emptied all areas that had toys that were out of sight and categorized them as above. I tried my very best to eliminate all containers and bins that keep the kids from seeing their toys. This allowed me to sell a whole wooden trunk and free up a bunch of bins for other things like cleaning products that I just purged and reorganized! Some items had to stay in a box (e.g., duplos, magnetiles). When I feel like my budget allows, I will eventually replace those with clear bins. 

Décor
 

This one is fun because it has a big impact. You’ll go room by room here. Start by standing in whichever room you want to do first and take a look around. What pieces jump out at you as things that you love? Those definitely have to stay. But we need to make sure your eye focuses on them, which means getting rid of the stuff that you have just to “fill” the space. I bought a fake lavender plant as a décor piece a couple years ago to have something on my mantle. This is the type of thing that you can let go of during this phase of your purge. 

The goal is to only present items in your home that you love or that are there out of necessity. Don’t be afraid to remove items that will leave a space feeling “bare”. You may find in the following days that it doesn’t feel as bare as you originally thought. Leave it wide open, and only fill it if you stumble across something new that you truly love and can afford. You will be able to purchase it guilt-free and enjoy it in your home. There is NO urgency to do this. It is simply “permission” to say yes to something special without cluttering your home. 

Resist the urge to immediately buy items to store your things. Sit on this for a few days and really scrutinize what it is you are trying to store. You may be able to pare it down more . Additional containers may become freed up as you complete your purge. Wait until you are certain that you are ready to have a new storage item, and when you have that certainty, you can enjoy the freedom of getting something new without the guilt. We’ll talk more in the organizing post about storing your stuff. 

Papers 

We live in the twenty-first century. You can sign up for electronic bills. Do that. You can save your tax returns on your computer. Do that, too.

Here’s a list of the papers I have opted to keep for our family, and it all fits in one little collapsible file folder that sits in a closet. 

  • Identifications: birth certificates, social security cards, passports, and I opted to keep kids’ hospital birth records so we have record of their blood type. 
  • Insurance: home, auto, and personal articles policy statements. Only the most recent, and even these, you can probably keep electronically. 
  • Tax documents: from the last three years. This honestly isn’t necessary, but I do it because… I don’t know. Old habits die hard. There have been times when I’ve wanted to glance at my past years’ W-2. 
  • Home rental/ownership information: some stuff we signed when we bought our house that I figure I should keep, and our property tax statement from the most recent year. If you rent, your rental agreement and a copy of your move-in checklist can go here. 
  • Doctor things: anything related to your spouse’s licensure. 
  • Medical documents: there are a few medical considerations specific to our family that make me want to keep some paper documentation to show to new doctors while waiting for medical records to transfer after moving, etc, because medical record transfer can take forever. This may or may not be relevant to you. 

I keep one file folder accessible in my desk called “current”. This includes some items that I need to deal with but haven’t yet, like a wedding invite that has a registry link that I need to visit, or confirmation that I paid for something recently in case I need to provide proof. Revisit this folder every couple months and trash, file, or deal with the items inside.
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You don’t need to keep appliance manuals, we have Google and YouTube now. Your sentimental papers like cards and letters need to be considered in the sentimental category and stored separately – on to that now. 

Sentimentals 

Have you been given items from parents or other family members that they saved for you? What portion of those items do you really value and enjoy? After my grandfather passed, my dad went through his stuff and made a box for me. Going through it the first time was wonderful. That process was special. In reality, though, only a few of those items actually triggered true joy and nostalgia for me. Those are the ones worth keeping. The same goes for the several bins my mom had saved over the years from my childhood. It has been reduced to things that bring up fond memories for me. 

In terms of retaining items for the purposes of handing them down one day, I try to keep these items limited, because I realize my children will establish their own fondness of things in our home independent of me. For example, growing up, I always remember a tiny ceramic Christmas décor piece. It was about 5 inches around and depicted a Christmas tree lot with tiny people looking for a tree and tiny little lights that didn’t even work. I love that thing. My parents don’t remember what the heck it is. 

When I went through our sentimentals recently, I reduced it to one bin per person. I have one smaller bin that includes pictures, and that is separate from this general sentimental bin. This sentimental bin for each person includes just a sampling of childhood artwork and writing samples, report cards, achievement awards, trophies, sentimental t-shirts, and some do-dads that bring back memories. For me, that includes some little pieces of jewelry gifted to me as a child, and a key chain collection I used to treasure as a kid. My husband’s sentimentals also fit neatly into one bin. My kids each have a bin which is mostly empty and I add to it occasionally. Right now, it has their ultrasounds, birth footprints, some artwork, their baptism outfits, their first Halloween outfits, and the little crowns they wore for their first birthdays. 

Wrapping up

A personal philosophy I want to share - you can get rid of an item even if there's nothing "wrong" with it or if it is occasionally still used just because it's there. This is something my husband and I debated for a while, but I think he has moved into my camp here. Sometimes I would have things in a box to consign that he would see and say "there's nothing wrong with this" or "the kids still play with this". In response to his first comment - he may be right, but if it is not useful enough for our family, I don't want it taking up space in my daily life. If there's nothing wrong with it, it is a great item to consign or sell. In response to his second comment, there are MANY toys that my kids would briefly play with if I deliberately presented them. This doesn't mean we need them. You can use your discretion here, I'm sure you know which toys your kids would ask about if they were gone and which they wouldn't. 

By now, you hopefully have a garage full of things you’re ready to kiss goodbye. Awesome! While the juices are still flowing, try to plan some time to apply these same techniques to some smaller categories that I didn’t mention here. This could include: 
  • Books and DVDs 
  • Lawncare/outdoor items 
  • Board games
  • Fitness items
  • Gift wrapping supplies
  • Craft supplies
  • Party supplies
  • Other hobby categories
  • Cleaning supplies (but maybe wait until our cleaning post on Day 5)

Take ALL of the pictures. Post them on our IMP event page and share about your most satisfying moments and favorite hacks! Tomorrow, we’ll review options for selling, consigning or donating your items. 

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Home Cleanse Day 1: Motivate

10/12/2020

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Home Cleanse Day 1: Motivate


This year, spending more time at home, especially with winter approaching, necessitates creating a space that brings you peace and comfort. Cue the PROJECTS! This doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can be gratifying and freeing. Here’s the plan for this blog post series. Check in every day for a new guide to spur your progress, and then sign up for a time slot for some of your no-longer-needed items to be picked up from your porch and donated to The Shelter House.

  1. Motivate – I’m going to make you want to do this. Starting TODAY.
  2. Purge – Tips for processing your items.
  3. Donate – Ideas for locally selling, consigning, and donating through IMP’s Shelter House pickup and elsewhere.
  4. Organize – A place for everything and everything in its place.
  5. Clean – The stuff you know you need to do, and the stuff you didn’t know you need to do.

​After making many attempts over the years to clear out the clutter, I never felt like I quite got there. Thanks to pregnancy nesting, (aka the only good thing about pregnancy), I’ve fully embraced a complete home purge in the past couple weeks, and only had to stop when my husband put his foot down and said I need to stop selling furniture that we still use. 

Along the way I donated and sold MANY items that are perfectly useful to other families. Isn’t it convenient that we can turn this into a philanthropy event! I’m going to make you want to purge, accomplish the purge, DONATE the most useful items (without leaving your home, because you’ll sign up for a time and we’ll come get it from your porch – more on that later), and then organize, clean, and maintain.

I want to emphasize that though I give occasional examples related to children’s toys and clothes, this is in no way targeted exclusively to families with children. I have tried to keep discussion of toys and kids clothes fairly separate so you can skip on by if it doesn’t apply to you. Now, let's get on with it. 

Do you ever “finish” cleaning up and take a look around only to feel that your house still looks cluttered? Me too. There are multiple reasons for this. First of all, YOU HAVE TOO MANY THINGS. I don’t know you and I don’t know your house but I am sure you have too many things. Secondly, you have too many things you don’t care about, which retracts from your motivation to care for them. This seems to be especially common in medical families like us, where, during the many moves and living within the margins of a training salary, we have accepted cheap items or hand-me-downs from family that we don’t truly love. Thirdly, you haven’t had time to optimize your space, but with enough motivation, you will want to make time.

Here are some concepts that I have mulled over and feel are important to accept. Accepting these principles has helped me get rid of things and also choose not to buy more things that I didn’t need. Am I an expert on this? No. But I did read a lot of Marie Kondo, The Home Edit, and endless minimalist and housekeeping blogs, and I write ~ScIeNce~ for a living so I know how to be REALLY entertaining and not dry at all (just kidding, science is not entertaining, except to me and probably your spouse). In no particular order:
  • Release yourself of any obligation to keep an item you don’t love and need. This is a derivative of Marie Kondo’s “thank it and let it go”. You can be thankful for a gift you received at the time and still say goodbye to it. The giver felt the joy of giving it to you, you felt the love of receiving a gift, and now let’s move the heck on. Better to say goodbye than to think about how you don’t love the item and you “should” keep it every time you see it. Same for items that you bought fairly recently but realistically don't use. It's bringing guilt into your life, and guilt is a burdensome feeling. It is also completely self-inflicted. The guilt is a "you" problem. I give you permission to let it go.

  • Too many of ANY item is unnecessary. You do not live in a third world country where there is true scarcity and things cannot be replaced. For clothes, think about the circumstance under which you would wear an item. It’s time to pick a sweater – are you always choosing sweater A over sweater B, even if you like sweater B “just fine” and you bought it recently and… and… and…? Yes? Then goodbye, sweater B. For toiletries, do you always reach for one lotion over another? Out it goes. There really is no reason for more than one sheet set per bed, but two is allowable. More than that… not necessary. This concept even applies to sentimentals. I had a box of sentimental Christmas items that my mom used to display and she ended up giving them to me (cue guilt, see above). I kept two or three of them because they give me good feels when I see them. The rest? Out. The. Door. Same for your own (and dare I say… your children’s) childhood pictures and schoolwork – keep a few report cards, pictures, and writing samples to bring up those good feels. Fifty variations of them taking up space? No thanks.

  • When sorting through items, take them all out of their space, and only put back in what you are keeping. Do not leave them in their space and only take out what you are eliminating. It is much more impactful to see all your crap in a pile, and selectively re-introduce only what you truly need and like.

  • Evaluate an item’s worth in many ways. Firstly, of course, its monetary cost to you (assuming it is an item you either need or are likely to need to replace shortly after discarding it). Also, though, the cost to your storage space, the cost in your time to clean and maintain it, and honestly, the space it occupies in your brain. I had five bins of baby clothes. Even though I have another on the way and they would probably use some, the amount of space they took up, the weight on my shoulders of holding on to a ton of crap, and the inexpensive cost to replace them helped me ditch more than half of them. Let’s be real, children’s clothes on consignment aren’t that expensive, and you’re always going to be gifted new clothes and make a few new clothing purchases for a new baby.

  • Realize how valuable your time is. That pile of toy cars your kids dump out every day just for the sake of dumping out adds one minute to your cleaning schedule that you could use doing something else. Your time is valuable. Save your time. Also apply this logic to the time investments you make in your purging/organizing/cleaning. If a four-hour closet purge reduces your overall laundry burden, saves you time shopping for things you didn’t need, and creates more breathing room (which translates to joy, which translates to energy, which translates to making time for things you love), those four hours are time well spent.

Tomorrow, I’ll post concrete suggestions for working through it all, section by section. If you can’t wait and you’re feeling the itch NOW, don’t wait. Capitalize on your motivation. You may go through this full cycle several times before really feeling satisfied. Once you are satisfied, though, your house will be much easier to keep up and actually a pleasure to tidy and clean.

I am crossing my fingers that this project will spur lots of chatter on our blog, Facebook invite page, and everywhere else. Please liberally comment with updates and suggestions! 

If you already know you’re “in”, sign up to have some of your items donated to The Shelter House. We will pick up your donations from your doorstep. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444A4AD2FA2FF2-shelter

While you anxiously await tomorrow's post, why don't you visit some favorite inspirational folks on their blogs and Instagram? 

The Home Edit BLOG and INSTAGRAM 
Marie Kondo BLOG and INSTAGRAM 
Real Simple SITE and INSTAGRAM
Go Clean Co INSTAGRAM 
Julie Blanner BLOG and INSTAGRAM
​Allie Casazza BLOG and INSTAGRAM
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Meet the IMP Officers

8/13/2020

1 Comment

 
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We met some of our fellow IMP members at the welcome brunch and hope to meet each person at upcoming events this year. We hope you will think of IMP officers as a resource for any of your IMP- or community-related questions. We share something in common that brings us together and makes us feel like we know you already – we know the unique challenges of residency life, and we want you to know we are here to support you through this special but difficult phase of the medical journey. Now, you can get to know us too!
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​Megan Pai, President
Hometown: Arlington, TX (between Dallas and Fort Worth)
Moved here from: El Paso, TX
Partner’s specialty: Cardiothoracic surgery, year 5 of 8 (we are in the middle of his two research years)
Favorite local meal: Exotic India in Coralville
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Every morning I make myself a latte with my Aeropress, and every evening I do a yoga class with Fightmaster Yoga 
Goals for officer position this year: I view the pandemic as an opportunity to re-evaluate the events and functions of IMP and consider what could be different to better meet the needs of the group. I am totally open to mixing traditions up and trying new activities that will allow us to stay connected while
staying safe. Do not hesitate to share your ideas!
Contact Megan or Facebook or at megan_sodowsky@yahoo.com

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Ceric Keck, Vice President
Hometown: La Motte, IA
Moved here from: My husband and I both went to undergrad and school here at Iowa, then he did his surgical residency here and now is starting his plastics fellowship, so we’ve both now lived in Iowa City longer than our hometowns.
Partner’s specialty: Fellowship, year 1 of 3, and year 8 of 11(+??) post-med school.
Favorite local meal: Tofu Bahn Mi and soft pretzel from Big Grove
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: We got a canoe this year and have been taking family canoe trips which has been really fun. We’ve also been going on lots of local hikes and bike rides. Staying active and being outside has always helped me keep my sanity.
Goals for officer position this year: Trying to keep some connections to local businesses for future sponsorships and collaborations post-pandemic. Also, trying to help out the other positions where I’m able.
Contact Ceric on Facebook or at cerichaas@gmail.com



R
eem Almusa, Playgroup
Hometown: I was born in the states and moved to Amman Jordan when I was in fifth grade. I grew up there and got married, then moved back to the states.
Partner’s specialty: Just finished gastroenterology and started first year as staff
Favorite local meal: Masala (Indian restaurant downtown) lamb biryani and butter chicken
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: FaceTime with adults, walking on different paths, gardening.
Goals for officer position this year: Trying to keep up the fun and imagination with playgroup.
Contact Reem on Facebook




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​Katelyn
Campbell
, Children’s Activities
Hometown: Fruit Heights, UT
Moved here from: Richmond, VA
Partner’s specialty: Oral surgery, year 3 of 4
Favorite local meal: Anything from Oasis, wings with sweet potato fries from The Vine… and Arby’s!
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Girlfriends to vent and talk to so I don’t feel like I’m a crazy person. Steam showers and face masks locked in the bathroom all by myself.
Goals for officer position this year: I hope I can create events that can give people something exciting to do for their kids.
Contact Katelyn on Facebook






Julia Allison (Alli) Cascio, Entertainment Club
Hometown: Lubbock, TX
Moved here from: Elmburst, IL
Partner’s specialty: Allergy/Immunology, year 1 of 2
Favorite local meal: 30Hop, or Big Grove’s poke bowl
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Marco Polo! My garden (pulling weeds), sprinklers, cornhole, my bike, Coralville Lake
Goals for officer position this year: To be more inclusive and aware of what members value
Contact Alli on Facebook






Elizabeth Clute, Book Club
Hometown: Redwood Falls, MN
Moved here from: Sioux Falls, SD
Partner’s specialty: Anesthesiology, year 3 of 4
Favorite local meal: Red’s Alehouse prime rib dip and chorizo queso
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Lots of long walks at night and more FaceTime calls with friends and family than before.
Goals for officer position this year: Picking fun reads with the help of other members and encouraging participation even if you don’t want to read the book!
Contact Elizabeth on Facebook or at eclute3@gmail.com




Rachel Cole, Spouses Out Socializing
Hometown: Newton, IA
Moved here from: Galesburg, IL at Knox College, but I’ve been in Iowa city since 2012 doing a graduate program in neuroscience.
Partner’s specialty: Pediatric neurology, year 4 of 5
Favorite local meal: The brussels sprouts appetizer dish from 30Hop, or Maestro’s Empanadas
Places or items that have restored her sanity during this challenging time: Our kitties! We adopted 2 kittens in December and they have been great company while I’ve been working from home.
Goals for officer position this year: I’m aiming to encourage members to join us even if their spouses aren’t available, and to make it a welcoming, comfortable experience
Contact Rachel on Facebook or at rachel.clark1@gmail.com



Megan Deere, Playgroup
Hometown: Winthrop, WA
Moved here from: Dallas, TX
Partner’s specialty: ENT, year 2 of 5
Favorite local meal: We don’t eat out very much, but I’ve had some delicious almond croissants from two different IC bakeries and would gladly eat those more frequently (edit to add: check out Deluxe bakery or Tip Top Cakes!)
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Walks at Squire Point – it’s so helpful for me and my toddler to be out in nature! Also library book pickup (Coralville and NL) have totally saved our sanity – we get 1-2 book hauls per week from both libraries!
Goals for officer position this year: My goal is to create fun activities for children and ways to connect with other families during this challenging time.
Contact Megan on Facebook





Nicole Porter
, Social Media
Hometown: Lyman, UT
Moved here from: Mesa, AZ
Partner’s specialty: Oral surgery, year 3 of 4
Favorite local meal: La Regia and Red Ginger
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Reading books, hanging out with friends and spending as much time outside as we can
Goals for officer position this year: My goal is to help you get excited to come to activities through social media.
Contact Nicole on Facebook








Lalana (Lala) Rogers, Treasurer
Hometown: Greater Seattle, WA
Partner’s specialty: 7 th year of MSTP, LAST year before residency!
Favorite local meal: The Vietnamese BBQ pork noodle bowl from the Ma and Pop restaurant Sun Cafe
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: I just became a Marco Polo fiend! Amazing to keep in touch with people. It’s hard for me to text now!
Goals for officer position this year: Get checks out on time, and help when I can.
Contact Lala on Facebook






Molly Sherwood, Philanthropy
Hometown: Eldersburg, MD (outside of Baltimore)
Moved here from: Richmond, VA
Partner’s specialty: Oral surgery, year 4 of 4
Favorite local meal: The falafel pita sandwich at Oasis, and any cocktails and apps from the Clinton Street Social Club
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Group video chats with friends (thanks to the Marco Polo app), gardening with my kids even though my littlest picks all the green tomatoes, frequent trips to Terry Trueblood and Fossil Gorge, our favorite areas to explore.
Goals for officer position this year: Make philanthropy opportunities accessible and rewarding to all members.
Contact Molly on Facebook or at mbr.sherwood@gmail.com




Kelsey Sprowell
, Member Outreach
Hometown: Fort Collins, CO
Moved here from: Denver, CO
Partner’s specialty: Anesthesia, year 3 of 4. He might do a fellowship afterwards, in which case we’ll be
here for a year or two longer.
Favorite local meal: Bread Garden veggie pizza – it’s unbelievably good, and only six bucks!
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Exercise, gardening, girlfriend group chats, wine!
Goals for officer position this year: This is the first year we’re experimenting with this position, and I’m nervous but very excited to take it on! If two people become friends because of something that I helped plan, it’ll be enough.
Contact Kelsey on Facebook




Shannon Squires
, Secretary
Hometown: North Pole, AK
Moved here from: Tuscon, AZ
Partner’s specialty: Pediatrics, year 3 of 3
Favorite local meal: Thai Spice and China Garden
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Our bikes! We love to go biking, there are a ton of great places for it around here.
Goals for officer position this year: Consistency (the most important aspect of being a good secretary!Thank you, Shannon!)
Contact Shannon on Facebook







Ashlee Wheeler
, Children’s Activities
Hometown: Mantua, UT
Moved here from: Grand Junction, CO
Partner’s specialty: Anesthesia, year 2 of 4
Favorite local meal: La Fiesta in North Liberty, La Tequila in Tiffin. Great shrimp fajitas at both places.
Places or items that have restored your sanity during this challenging time: Camping (Sugar Bottom was a fun spot), the garden, North Ridge Park
Goals for officer position this year: I want moms to get a little break from the norm, and have fun things for the kids to look forward to, and to socialize when we can (try to fill our always low tank for adult conversation), something we all really need this year!
Contact Ashlee on Facebook
1 Comment

IMP Platinum and Gold Sponsors

7/13/2020

4 Comments

 
As new members will find out, IMP offers many fun events and provides a support system for partners/spouses of very busy residents/fellows. We are able to provide so many opportunities while keeping membership dues low thanks to the partnerships we have created with our amazing sponsors. Typically our sponsors would have the chance to introduce themselves at the welcome brunch. Due to the change in logistics this year, I wanted to still provide them an opportunity to introduce themselves. All of our sponsors are willing to offer advice or a helping hand to any IMP member. Do not hesitate to reach out to them! 

First, a welcome message from Tundi Brady with Urban Acres: 
Additionally a welcome letter from Tundi is attached below. If you have any questions about renting, buying or selling a home, decorating your home, advice for local services, etc. - Tundi is a wealth of knowledge about the local community! Even if you did not use her as a realtor when moving to the area, do not be shy to reach out. When my heater went out on the coldest day of the year last winter, Tundi got me a list of amazing options to fix our heater ASAP! She is even a former member of IMP herself! Tundi can be reached at TundiBrady@urbanacres.com. 
mp_welcome_letter_2019_pdf__1_.pdf
File Size: 156 kb
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Next, a welcome message from Bobby Scott with Partner Wealth: 
Additionally a welcome letter from Bobby is attached below. If you have any questions about obtaining a new mortgage to buy a home, student loan repayment, physician-specific disability insurance, employer benefit enrollment, ROTH IRA's... basically anything regarding your financial situation, Bobby can help you out! Bobby has helped multiple IMP members with finding appropriate life and disability insurance policies, including myself! There is no charge for his services while in training, so do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. Bobby can be reached at bobby@partnerwealthplanning.com.
partner_wealth_welcome_letter.pdf
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Finally, Nanci Kohl with State Farm is here to give you advice regarding insurance. When I decided to add an umbrella policy to my auto insurance, I worked with Nanci to get new policies for my home and automobiles. She has been incredibly helpful and responsive whenever I have a question about my policies. Nanci would love to give any IMP members advice as you are deciding what you need for your insurance policies. Nanci can be reached at life@nancikohl.com. A welcome letter from Nanci is attached below. 
nanci_khol_state_farm.pdf
File Size: 619 kb
File Type: pdf
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There is never any pressure to use our sponsors. Nonetheless, they all come highly recommended by our officers and members that have used their services. I cannot emphasize it enough, they are here to be resources for you and would be happy to provide any advice no matter how big or small your questions might be. 

-Megan Pai
Iowa Medical Partners, President 
4 Comments

Diagnose your Financial Health Event Summary

5/15/2020

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​Last week our financial advisor sponsor, Bobby Scott, hosted a virtual event highlighting financial issues relevant to doctors in training. If you were unable to attend, but curious about what was discussed, this blog post is for you! I wrote up a summary of the topics he addressed along with some of the advice he offered. 
 
The most important issue to tackle is your financial habits. The habits you have now will follow you after training. What you do with $100 is the same as what you will do with $1000 from a percentage standpoint. While it might be hard to imagine how your lifestyle on a resident’s salary will transition to one on a practicing physician’s salary, the fact of the matter is the choices you make now are a good predictor of how you will handle your finances in the future. Consider what works best for you when making financial decisions. Do you need a strict budget to follow? Would it work better to ‘pay yourself first’ and have more flexibility? Furthermore, as evident in this moment in time, income is not always guaranteed.  What does your reserve of emergency cash look like? How can you work on building this amount to ensure you have something to live on if it was needed?
 
Next, plan to manage your risk. Our employer provides some life insurance, but you might want to consider if you need an additional plan. Specialty-specific disability insurance is especially important for the nature of our spouses’ jobs. If you need help finding the best fit, Bobby is able to offer advice from a conflict-free point-of-view as he does not get paid a commission by any outside companies for products, such as insurance. Additionally, as a physician family, consider a liability umbrella policy through your auto insurance. 
 
Debt management is an especially important factor for doctors in training considering the number of years that go into their education and training. High interest debt should always be knocked out first. It is worth considering if equity from your home should be used. Also, consider how to manage your federal and private student loans. You might qualify for public service loan forgiveness if you have federal loans. Finally, consider refinancing your loans as you should always be asking if your interest rate can be less. 
 
When you are coming to the end of your training, understanding the terms of your contract with your future employer will be very important. There is a very high chance you will change jobs within the first two years of employment. Even if it seems you have found your dream job, until you begin working it is hard to know if you have found the right fit for you and your family. Non-compete clauses and non-solicitation clauses will be especially important to consider. Additionally the termination clause and responsibility of tail coverage can result in a very expensive liability depending on the contract. Finally, considering how to structure a signing bonus is an important factor as it could impact your future tax bracket. 
 
The last topic discussed was how to invest your money. First focus on maxing out qualified plans. A ROTH IRA is a retirement savings account that residents should consider opening up and saving in now. You will lose this option after becoming a high income earner. Currently, you and your spouse can each contribute up to $6,000 annually into a ROTH IRA. If you have additional questions about investing, a third party advisor might help you make decisions to get the highest expected return for the lowest risk. 
 
Ultimately, the biggest return on investment is you and your spouse and focusing on your career(s). At the end of the day, no investments can make up for a life style that is not within your means. If you have any questions about these topics, or something that was not addressed, do not hesitate to reach out to Bobby (bobby@partnerwealthplanning.com or 319-512-3925)! There are no charges for his services while in training, so ask him advice get on track to meet your financial goals!

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What we should be watching and reading right now, according to IMP members

4/13/2020

1 Comment

 
We sent out a survey to learn about you and what’s been keeping you going. This is the first of a blog
post series presenting our results.
Stay tuned for most posts about residency life. For now, enjoy a nice scroll through our IMP member-
suggested shows and books.

What should I be binge watching?
Sorted by IMDB rating (out of 10). IMDB description provided.

Stranger Things (8.8) When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief and his friends must
confront terrifying supernatural forces in order to get him back.
The West Wing (8.8) Inside the lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House.
Marvelous Ms. Maisel (2 votes) (8.7) A housewife in the 1960s decides to become a stand-up comic.
WestWorld (8.7) Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in
which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.
Outlander (8.4) An English combat nurse from 1945 is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743.
Poldark (8.3) Ross Poldark returns home after American Revolutionary War and rebuilds his life with a
new business venture, making new enemies and finding a new love where he least expects it.
Schitt’s Creek (3 votes) (8.3) When rich video-store magnate Johnny Rose and his family suddenly find
themselves broke, they are forced to leave their pampered lives to regroup in Schitt's Creek.
The Witcher (8.3) Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where
people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Cheer (8.2) Follows the cheerleaders of Navarro College as they prepare for the biggest moment of their
lives.
The Walking Dead (8.2) Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins,
and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.
Altered Carbon (8.1) Set in a future where consciousness is digitized and stored, a prisoner returns to life
in a new body and must solve a mind-bending murder to win his freedom.
Gilmore Girls (8.1) A dramedy centering around the relationship between a thirty something single
mother and her teen daughter living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
You (7.8) A dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man goes to extreme measures to insert
himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by.
New Girl (7.7) After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with
three single men. Although they find her behavior very unusual, the men support her - most of the time.
Gray’s Anatomy (7.6) A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns
and their supervisors.
Madam Secretary (7.6) A political drama which looks into the life of the Secretary of State as she tries to
balance work with family.
The Masked Singer (6.3) A singing competition guessing game based on Korean format King of Mask
Singer. 12 celebrity performers wear costumes to conceal identities. One singer is eliminated each week
and unmasked. Small hints are given for the viewer guess along.
Love is Blind (6.0) Singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, have
signed up for a less conventional approach to modern dating.
Every Real Housewives franchise (4.8) A reality series that follows some of the most affluent women in
the country as they enjoy the lavish lifestyle that only Beverly Hills can provide. (Synopsis and rating
from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)

What should I be binge reading?
Sorted by GoodReads rating (out of 5). Google Books description provided.

Harry Potter (series) (4.74) Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with
a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Just Mercy (4.63) Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a
legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly
condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.
One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a
notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political
machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.
Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a
moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in
the pursuit of true justice.
The Nightingale (2 votes) (4.57) The Nightingale is a novel, written by Kristin Hannah and published in
2015. It tells the story of two sisters in France during World War II, and their struggle to survive and
resist the German occupation of France.
Becoming (4.56) In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama
invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on
the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work,
to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she
describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has
lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply
personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose
story inspires us to do the same.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (series) (4.52) Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother
gave her. One for every boy she ever loved. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and
say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day
her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
Where the Crawdads Sing (4.49) For years, rumors of the Marsh Girl have haunted Barkley Cove, a
quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead,
the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say.
Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding
friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and
loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a
new life--until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the
natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens
reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the
beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
Born a Crime: Stories from South African Childhood (4.46) Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid
South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a
white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years
in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years
of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a
government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s
tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and
embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (4.38) One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her
Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the
quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and
khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be
anything but. As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients; lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood
producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her
life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the
wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing
to Wendell. With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and
patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope
between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and
change.
Scythe (series) (4.36) Scythe is a 2016 young-adult novel by Neal Shusterman and is the first in the Arc of
a Scythe series. It is set in the far future, where death by natural causes has been virtually eliminated
thanks to advances in technology, and an advanced computer system known as the "Thunderhead&quote
controls society.
Small Great Things (4.34) Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with
more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only
to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white
supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies
with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the
nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a
result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but
gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning
strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her
family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward,
Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their
whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.
Shelter in Place (4.24) It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends
waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children
shopped together, and the manager at video game store tended to customers. Then the shooters
arrived. The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for
those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would
dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the
memory of huddling in a ladies room, helplessly clutching her cell phone--until she finally found a way
to pour her emotions into her art. But one person wasn't satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at
the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that
another conspirator is lying in wait--and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.
Katherine (4.19) Katherine is an epic novel of a love affair that changed history that of Katherine
Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the ancestors of most of the British royal family. Set in
the vibrant fourteenth century of Chaucer and the Black Death, the story features knights fighting in
battle, serfs struggling in poverty, and the magnificent Plantagenets Edward III, the Black Prince, and
Richard II who rule despotically over a court rotten with intrigue. Within this era of danger and romance,
John of Gaunt, the king s son, falls passionately in love with the already-married Katherine. Their affair
persists through decades of war, adultery, murder, loneliness, and redemption. Anya Seton's vivid
rendering of the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Lancaster makes Katherine an unmistakable classic.
My Lady Jane (4.09) Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger and caught up in
an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that's the least of Jane's problems.
She's about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.
Silent Patient (4.08) Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-
demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of
London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion
shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal
to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery
that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and
she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic
unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the
opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she
shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that
threatens to consume him....
What Alice Forgot (4.08) Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first
child. So imagine Alice's surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym)
and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over--she's getting
divorced, she has three kids, and she's actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost
decade, and find out whether it's possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out
why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she's become one of those super skinny moms with
really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and
whether it's possible to start over...
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (4.07) As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust
people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to
raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with
the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one
night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual
friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold. By the time
Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and
debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavys family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful
to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you won’t soon forget,
Bryn Greenwoods All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.
Middlesex (4.00) Spanning eight decades and chronicling the wild ride of a Greek-American family
through the vicissitudes of the twentieth century, Jeffrey Eugenides’ witty, exuberant novel on one level
tells a traditional story about three generations of a fantastic, absurd, lovable immigrant family --
blessed and cursed with generous doses of tragedy and high comedy. But there’s a provocative twist.
Cal, the narrator -- also Callie -- is a hermaphrodite. And the explanation for this takes us spooling back
in time, through a breathtaking review of the twentieth century, to 1922, when the Turks sacked Smyrna
and Callie’s grandparents fled for their lives. Back to a tiny village in Asia Minor where two lovers, and
one rare genetic mutation, set our narrator’s life in motion.
Three Women (3.70) In suburban Indiana we meet Lina, a homemaker and mother of two whose
marriage, after a decade, has lost its passion. Starved for affection, Lina battles daily panic attacks and,
after reconnecting with an old flame through social media, embarks on an affair that quickly becomes
all-consuming. In North Dakota we meet Maggie, a seventeen-year-old high school student who
allegedly has a clandestine physical relationship with her handsome, married English teacher; the
ensuing criminal trial will turn their quiet community upside down. Finally, in an exclusive enclave of the
Northeast, we meet Sloane—a gorgeous, successful, and refined restaurant owner—who is happily
married to a man who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women.
1 Comment

Hearts for Healthcare Workers and Essential Workers

3/30/2020

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As families of doctors, many of us have found ourselves facing the coronavirus pandemic with a partner on the frontlines. Our partners have taken a selfless oath to care for our community, and they are true heroes as we enter these unprecedented times. Iowa Medical Partners is full of gratitude and support for our spouses and partners along with the many, many other health care workers and essential workers keeping our communities functioning. 

Hearts for Healthcare Workers is a social initiative to show support for the people in our community that are keeping the rest of us safe. The way it works is very simple. Hang a heart in your window as an expression of your gratitude. Show your support for the people in our community that play an essential and important role in protecting us. 

If your family has created a window of hearts, please send in your pictures to iowamedicalpartners@gmail.org. We will be sharing them on our Instagram to help spread encouragement among our families. 

Lastly, thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the members of IMP and our partners who are essential in this fight. 

-Megan Pai
​
Iowa Medical Partners, President 

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​And the Match is…. UIHC!

3/19/2020

0 Comments

 
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Match Day is a time of celebration! Being the family of a doctor-in-training is not easy, but matching to residency is a great milestone which merits space for joy and anticipation. Due to the developments surrounding the COVID-19 virus, Match Days around the USA will not receive the celebrations they deserve. Even with social distancing, you deserve to recognize this moment and celebrate your next steps as a family. With all this uncertainty, I would like to offer as much help as possible as you transition to your new home in Iowa.  
 
Being a born and raised Texan, Iowa was never on my list of states I expected for my future. The match process is unlike securing a first job for most professions, and it can lead to unique twists in life. While I didn’t know it at the time, I am so grateful we matched to the UIHC. If you are not sure where to find Iowa City on a map, you are in for a surprise. Iowa City is a hidden gem for families! 
 
The Iowa City area is the type of town where I am sure to run into someone I know everywhere I go. There is a great scene of local shops and cafes to explore. Throughout the summer and fall, countless festivals and community events fill up the calendar. Even the holiday season is sprinkled with magic to help ease us into the long Iowa winters (but even these are relatively mild). The school districts provide a great education, regardless of the elementary school to which you are zoned. The libraries in the area are unparalleled. The housing market is hot and provides options that are affordable. 
 
Furthermore, you have the opportunity to join a community of other families enduring medical education. Iowa Medical Partners (IMP) is a group of the partners and spouses of medical and dental students, residents and fellows. We are an active group that provides many events each month including play groups, a children’s activity, an adults only event, a family event, a book club, and philanthropic events. Additionally, we have a private facebook group and an instagram account that provides a platform for members to connect. Whether you are looking for baby sitter recommendations, for date night suggestions, or for friends with whom to commiserate when your spouse is a captive of the hospital, IMP is here to help you thrive in your new home. 
 
So you matched to UIHC… now what? Here is a little input about the surrounding neighboorhoods that you might decide to claim as home:
 
West Iowa City: Living in University Heights or west Iowa City (especially those living east of Mormon Trek Blvd) will place you the closest to the hospital and the football stadium.  Many residents and fellows who live in this area walk or bike to work.  The schools on the west side are great (we love Horn Elementary) and parks and trails like Willow Creek, Kiwanis and Clear Creek Trail are perfect for a run, a picnic or a play date. It's a quick drive from the west side to get out of town or to jump on the highway up to I-80. Traffic is light except on home football game days and Walmart and Aldi's are close while Hy-Vee and Trader Joe's are less than a 10 minute drive. – Allison Cascio, Entertainment Club Chair
 
East Iowa City: The East Side is between approximately two and four miles east of the hospital and about 15 minutes from the Coralville Mall and shopping area; 20 minutes from North Liberty. In this area, you tend to get a bit more house and yard for the price, with newer builds being more common than other neighborhoods, but we’re still very close to several parks and grocery store choices. We have two new University of Iowa clinic locations (Dodge Street and Scott Blvd) with some of IMP’s favorite providers. Some favorites in our area include Dodge Street Coffeehouse, Tot Time every weekday morning at Mercer Park gym, Music Together classes at Preucil, and the close proximity to the adorable towns of Solon and West Branch. Favorite restaurants over here include Blackstone, Wig and Pen East, 2 Dogs Pub, and Rapid Creek Cidery. Hopping down to the South Side of town is easy if you’re heading to Big Grove Iowa City, the new Starbucks, Hatchet Jack’s, and consignment shopping at Stuff Etc., Crowded Closet and Kidworks. – Molly Sherwood, Philanthropy Chair 
 
Coralville: Coralville is a great location in the middle of the creative corridor. You are only minutes from the mall, Costco, Target, consignment stores and many grocery store options. The Iowa River Landing is located in Coralville which includes Trader Joes, great dining and shopping, and the IRL UIHC Clinic. Additionally, going to downtown Iowa City or North Liberty is very convenient. Driving to UIHC is approximately 15 minutes (which is mostly due to the 25 mile per hour speed limits); however, you may be able to live along the Research Park Cambus route and avoid driving all together (free to all!). The Coralville Library is one of my favorite weekly spots for storytimes. I also love the walking trails in our city and the community events throughout the year. I feel safe and connected living here. – Megan Pai, President 
 
North Liberty: Many medical families choose to live in North Liberty. There are wonderful schools and neighborhoods filled with friends, and it is very geared towards families. There are many parks like Centennial, Quail Ridge, Beaver Kreek, and Penn Meadows, some fun local restaurants, and the best ice cream around is from a North Liberty joint, Heyn’s. We also have a pumpkin patch in our town that we go to almost daily in the fall, and there are many trails and easy access to both I-80 and 380, which makes going anywhere in the greater Iowa City area a breeze. There are a lot of fun events too, from storytime at the library to the big Barbecue and Blues festival that are all held locally. We love the community here! - Shannon Squires, Secretary 
 
 
Looking for trusted recommendations? Our group’s sponsors can help you in finding and adjusting to your new home. Tundy Brady with Urban Acres can help you find your future home (even if you are unable to travel). Green State Credit Union can help you with local banking and securing a mortgage, including a Doc Loan. Bobby Scott with Partner Wealth is here to answer any questions related to your unique financial sitation. Nanci Kohl with State Farm can help you determine your insurance needs. 
 
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to IMP! You can join IMP here, and once you do, you can join our facebook group. Congratulations on your match! 
 
-Megan Pai
IMP President 

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Bronze Sponsors - Part 2

12/3/2019

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The second half of our Bronze Sponsors, as promised!
​Iowa Medical Partners is thankful for all the support we receive from our local community. Our bronze sponsors have donated items we use as raffles and prizes throughout the year. IMP officers have provided some input below about why they love these establishments. I encourage all our members to check out these businesses! You will not be disappointed!
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​Molly’s Cupcakes
Molly’s bakes some of the tastiest creations in Iowa City and has an adorable storefront complete with board games, comfy pillows and swing seating.  They are located in Iowa City and everything for sale is delicious.  A personal favorite and one of their more popular items is the Crème Brule cupcake.  They also have coffee, homemade ice cream, edible cookie dough, and will do special orders for events.  Any cupcake can also be made into a large cake size treat (I have ordered a Crème Brule cake more than once.) The employees are all spectacular and you can’t beat the flavors and fun environment!   - Bridget Campbell, SOS 2019

Coral Ridge Mall
The Coral Ridge Mall Carousel is wonderful fun for kids! My daughter loves it and would happily ride it for hours at a time if I could stay on it that long myself. One of our monthly highlights is going to Free Family Fridays where you can ride it for free, but be warned, once you let your kids go on it they’ll want to ride it again every single time you go to the mall!   -Shannon Squires, Social Media 2019

Coral Ridge Mall Ice Rink offers a fun-filled experience for the whole family. Our three year old has enjoyed his first attempts at skating. We have also enjoyed watching the Hawkeye hockey team play their games at the rink and watching other kids take skating lessons and perfect their acrobatics.   
​–Eric Dugdale, Web Manager 2019
Dumpling Darling
The quaintest little shop – if you have a crowd, be sure to order ahead and eat elsewhere! This Iowa City favorite began as a popular food truck and the demand was so great, they opened a brick and mortar restaurant. They have eco-friendly flatware and to-go containers (they even compost!!) and you can find something on the menu for everyone! Delicious Asian-fusion.  -Katelyn Sexton, Former Book Club Chair 2019
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Prairie Lights
Prairie Lights is a wonderful local bookstore located on Dubuque Street in downtown Iowa City. They offer a great selection of books for all ages and are more than happy to order anything not in stock. They have a children’s club that gives a discount on all children’s books, which–if your kids love books as much as mine—you can’t pass up. Prairie Lights also has frequent readings which often feature local authors, so keep your eyes open for their upcoming events!   -Ceric Keck, Secretary 2019

Raygun
To be honest, I didn’t realize how hard it would be to describe Raygun in words when I signed up for this; and also, that’s the kind of sentence that they’d put on one of their t-shirts. Raygun is the Midwest’s weird kitschy souvenir shop. They sell things that make you feel like you’re on the inside of the joke, but maybe the people around you aren’t. They’re funny and odd and very liberal; once you see the inside of their store (on the corner of Washington & Dubuque in downtown Iowa City), you’ll realize that you’ve been seeing their t-shirts and bumper stickers everywhere, but they hadn’t quite registered yet. Check it out, or visit their website, which is a good place to get lost for a while. (Fun tip: I like to leave one of their “Someone in Iowa Loves Me” stickers in the guest bedroom when friends and family comes to visit!)   
​-Kelsey Sprowell, Book Club 2019
Mellow Mushroom
Mellow Mushroom is located in Coralville in the Coral Ridge Mall.  It has a warm and friendly environment with delicious pizza!  They also make it easy for those with food sensitivities by offering gluten free crust on ALL of their pizzas, and prioritize allergy-safe procedures on any of their gluten-free pies.  They will cater your event and also offer online ordering for easy pick up!  If you happen to be a beer lover, they also have a plethora of delicious and unique beers ON TAP at this location.  They offer many fun events including: BINGO on Mondays 6-8 pm, KIDS EAT FREE Tuesdays starting at 5:30, TRIVIA Wednesdays 7:30, LIVE MUSIC Thursdays 8-10 pm, $2.50 pints Friday 7-10 pm.   - Bridget Campbell, SOS 2019
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Noodles and Co.
Noodles and Company, also known as Noodles World Kitchen, is a delicious and convenient spot for lunch or dinner!  Their menu embraces ingredients and dishes from all over the world and they have locations in both Iowa City and Coralville.  If you are searching for lighter fare or healthier options, the zoodle dishes are very popular.  They also have online ordering and easy pick up for those that need something quick and no waiting in line!   
​-Bridget Campbell, SOS 2019

Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee is the type of grocery store where there is a helpful smile in every aisle. Employees at Hy-Vee are always offering assistance and making themselves available to better your shopping experience. Whether it is too difficult to get out with the kids, winter has kicked up frightening conditions, or you just want to make life easy, Hy-Vee Aisles will make life so much simpler. Do your shopping online, select what time you want to pick up your groceries, or have their employees deliver your groceries directly to your house! Pick up is free with a minimum of a $30 purchase, and delivery is free if you join the $99 annual membership.  Hy-Vee Lantern Park Plaza donated some awesome coupon books for the swag bags this year!   
​-Megan Pai, Vice President 2019
Iowa City Public Library
In 2008, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Iowa City the world’s third City of Literature, recognizing the city’s creative programs and culture. As such, the public library here in town is an incredible resource and asset to Iowa City, serving its residents since 1896! The main library branch sits on the Pedestrian Mall across from Bread Garden Market, abutting South Linn Street. In addition to a collection of more than 266,000 items, the library has a large children’s section and play area, an accessible outdoor playground, several conference rooms, and frequent events. The library also services two remote drop boxes and a mobile Bookmobile, with several community stops per week. Check out more here.​    -Kelsey Sprowell, Book Club 2019
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Bronze Sponsors - Part 1

11/8/2019

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Iowa Medical Partners is thankful for all the support we receive from our local community. Our bronze sponsors have donated items we use as raffles and prizes throughout the year. IMP officers have provided some input below about why they love these establishments. I encourage all our members to check out these businesses! You will not be disappointed!
UI Safety Store
Whenever we need to make a big purchase such as a new car seat or stroller I always check here first! It is located on the lobby level of the Children’s Hospital and they sell a majority of the major brands for much cheaper than you can find online or in most stores! They also sell safety items such as helmets, light switch covers, etc. at a discounted price. Next time you’re at the hospital visiting your significant other I would suggest swinging in here and seeing what they offer!   -Lindsay Norvell, President 2019
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Iowa Book
If you’re new to Iowa and looking for a place to stock up on some Hawkeye gear, Iowa Book has you covered. They have great options for men, women, children, babies, and even pets. Anytime I’m looking to get my girls new Hawkeye gear for the upcoming sports’ seasons, this is my first stop. They also have a good selection of books, children’s books, and children’s toys (including some pretty neat Melissa & Doug stuff that my girls love).
​-Ceric Keck, Secretary 2019

Clinton Street Social Club
Clinton Street Social Club calls itself “Iowa City’s Premier Gastropub”, and they’re not wrong! Located on the 2nd and 3rd floors above Clinton Street, across from the Old Capitol lawn, the bar boasts handmade cocktails, live jazz, weekly specials and a great menu. Come for the drinks, but stay for the people-watching.   -Kelsey Sprowell, Book Club 2019
North Liberty Recreation Center
Our little small town has an amazing recreation system! They offer so many classes/activities for all the different ages. We love our pool pass in the summer and spend a lot of time at their indoor (and free) campsite in the winter months. For preschool ages the Tippi Toes dance and PeeWee are two of our favorites. My BIG tip for the activities is to know the registration dates as classes and swim lessons usually fill up within a day of opening registration. August, December, and April are usually the sign up months but check with the rec front desk and they will get you all the upcoming info!   -Lindsay Norvell, President 2019
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Core Fitness
I love Core Fitness! I started out as a volunteer in the child care (2 hours a week in the childcare for free membership!). I loved how the director was so flexible and easy to work with when I had sick kids, or had to be out of town. I love that Core has two locations so you can switch up the classes, and the child care, depending on what works best for your schedule. They have such a great variety of classes, and I love all the instructors! There are several of us who are instructors there from IMP! If you have any questions or want to join feel free to reach out!   -Lalana Rogers, Children’s Activities 2019

​The Java House
The Java House is a great little cafe with lots of personality and a homey feel. They're always ready to support local groups like ours and I never regret a trip to head over to support them. If you're looking for a great cup of coffee that is hand poured, a comfortable work location, a place to meet with friends for board games or just a lovely smelling lunch place, this is always a sure bet!
​-Allison Cascio, Entertainment Club 2019
​Film Scene
Not just a movie theater! It is a nonprofit with a mission to enhance cultural vitality in the area through the art and discussion of film. You’ll find the best popcorn in town as well as lots of really neat indie and documentary films.   -Katelyn Sexton, Former Book Club Chair 2019
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Oasis Falafel
The Falafel Joint! You can find their AMAZING hummus in all area HyVee stores, but it’s cheapest and freshest from their restaurant on the north side of downtown IC. Little known fact, they have the absolute best french fries in the area. (My recommendation is to get the north side special – fries at Oasis and a burger from George’s Bar down the street). Their falafel is amazing and so is their chicken shawarma and cabbage! I’ve never had anything bad here and the owner is a really nice guy. Support local!!! (Also a plug because they are friends, the owner’s wife has the cutest flower shop ever just across the street called Willow & Stock.)
​-Katelyn Sexton, Former Book Club Chair 2019

​Capanna Coffee & Gelato
This local coffee shop is a must-see on the list of Iowa destinations! Not only is their coffee fresh and delicious they also offer a huge selection of gelato that they make in house. If you or your significant other needs a quiet coffee shop to study (or escape) I would definitely suggest stopping here!! They have some yummy variations of the common drinks such as the Alpine Mocha and Turtle Mocha that are worth giving a try. -Lindsay Norvell, IMP President 2019
Note: This is only half of our Bronze Sponsors - the rest will be featured in the next blog post!
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Working While Married to a Doctor

10/18/2019

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I have moved three times, soon to be four, for my partner’s medical training. Keeping a job throughout has been a challenge, and I often questioned (and still do) my worth as a working professional when we always choose his career over mine. 

Maybe you work outside the home full-time, part-time, or maybe it’s not a part of your life right now – maybe you have children or you don’t, but chances are you’ve had to make a big sacrifice for your future to allow your spouse to pursue theirs.
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Sometimes, I struggle with my feelings about this sacrifice. Here are some questions I hear as a working “doctor’s wife” that raise my blood pressure, and probably yours too.
What did you do today? 
I work part-time as a medical writer and spend the rest of my time with our two young boys. My husband comes home, and, though he says it without judgement, when he asks me “so, what did you do today?” I tense up and try to dramatically list off all of the stuff I did so that he thinks I was busy and useful. It doesn’t help that I know he’s out there doing surgery while I’m sitting on a conference call and asking my toddler not to lick the floor.

Are you available tonight to finish this assignment? 
I have no idea if I’m available tonight to get back to work, because I have no idea if my husband is coming home to help me with the kids. Weekends? Same. I used to be the go-to person for plenty of tasks at work, but now, I can’t be, because no one knows if I will be able to commit. I hate to under-deliver.

What are your long-term career plans? 
I also have no idea what my long-term plans are. I can’t commit to my jobs for more than a few years because we will have to move. Another aspect of this is the realization that, likely, my family won’t need my income in a few years. So what does that mean for my contribution? Is it worth it? Is it appreciated? Should I just stop trying to have a career so I can stop feeling like I can’t give anything the attention it deserves?

The cable guy is coming tomorrow, can you wait for him?
Of course I can, because it has to be me. And when the kids are sick? Me. Sometimes this isn’t even posed as a question, it’s an assumption that I’ll be there. One time our son had some minor non-contagious ailment, and my husband told me I should take him to the doctor the next day. It tipped me over the edge. Easy for him to say – it doesn’t affect his schedule at all. I have to take off work, disrupt the baby’s naptime, and drag two wild savages to a room covered in a film of bacteria. Not to mention, “taking off work” doesn’t mean you work less. It means you finish the work another time. 

Worst of all – the absence of a question.
When we are out at an event related to my husband’s job, no one asks me what I do. Do they think I do nothing but wash scrubs and pack lunches? Or even worse, do they think I do have a job, but it’s not interesting enough to ask about?
Here’s what I need to hear, and you do too.

You are intelligent, you are needed, and your contribution to your family is valuable. 

I’m no expert at juggling everything that comes with being a working spouse of a resident or fellow, but here are some goals I’m working on:
  1. I consider what I need to do to feel valuable. Having a job, even if it isn’t always recognized among my peers or my husband’s social network, helps me feel useful. Feeling that way translates to a better mood all around, and that is recognized by my peers, spouse and kids. 
  2. I communicate my needs to my spouse (caveat: do not try to have this conversation when they just finished a 24-hr shift). In this same conversation, I ask him what his needs are. Words of encouragement and appreciation go a long way, especially when it’s easy to feel like we’re out on an island far away from family and old friends. We just downloaded a free app called “Love Nudge” – it’s based on the 5 Love Languages, and it sends us both notifications with suggestions for how to make our spouse feel loved that day based on our unique love preferences. 
  3. I focus on my friendships. Diving in to my friendships with my new Iowa City friends is so rewarding, and helps me to feel grounded and useful in this new place; like I serve a purpose even outside of my marriage, my children, my home and my job. I try to write down their important dates in my calendar, check in on them, and help them to feel comfortable sharing with me. I am intentional about opening up to them in return, because I need their support too.
  4. I take a moment to be thankful that I have a choice. How lucky are we that we are even questioning whether we should still be working? Many families need both spouses to work indefinitely. ​
I invite everyone to comment on this post and list your career and personal successes so that we can learn about your current and previous accomplishments. Let’s take a moment to learn about this part of each other’s past and send some much-needed words of appreciation. ​

- Molly Sherwood
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The Real Cost To Your Family: Relying On A Will Alone

9/27/2019

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Whenever the topic of estate planning comes up, people invariably mention creating a will. And with good reason—having a will is a foundational aspect of your estate plan.
 However, a will is only one small part of effective planning. In fact, if your plan consists of a will alone, you’re guaranteeing your family will have to go to court when you die. There’s a saying in the lawyer world of estate planning: “Where there’s a will, there’s a probate.” And it’s no laughing matter.
In our view, a primary goal of estate planning is to keep your family out of court and out of conflict no matter what happens to you. Yet with only a will in place, your plan can fall woefully short of that goal, leaving your loved ones—and yourself, if you become incapacitated —susceptible to getting stuck in an unnecessary, expensive, time-consuming, and public court process.
Here’s why having just a will is not enough:
A will offers no protection against incapacity
A will helps ensure your assets are properly distributed when you die. But it offers no protection if you become incapacitated and are unable to make decisions about your own medical, financial, and legal needs.

Should you become incapacitated with only a will in place, your family would have to petition the court to appoint a guardian or conservator to manage your affairs, which can be extremely costly, time consuming, and traumatic.
Your family must still go to court
While you may think having a will allows your loved ones to inherit your assets without court intervention, this is not true. For your assets to be legally transferred to your beneficiaries, your will must first pass through the court process called probate.

The probate process can be an extremely distressing for your loved ones. The proceedings can drag out over months or even years, and in most instances, your family will have to hire an attorney, generating hefty legal bills that can quickly drain your estate.

Moreover, probate is public, so anyone can find out the value and contents of your estate. They can also learn what and how much your family members inherit, making them tempting targets for frauds and scammers.

And if you think you can just pass on your assets using beneficiary designations to avoid all of this... well, that’s just asking for trouble. In fact, we plan to write a whole separate article on that topic in a future installment of this series.
A will doesn’t protect against creditors, lawsuits, or poor decisions
Passing on your assets using a will leaves those assets vulnerable to several potential threats. If your will distributes your assets to your beneficiaries outright, those assets are not only subject to claims made by a beneficiary’s creditors, they are also vulnerable to lawsuits and divorce settlements the beneficiary may be involved in.

And if assets left via a will pass to beneficiaries without any conditions, those assets are susceptible to the beneficiary’s own poor judgment. For instance, a sudden windfall of cash could cause serious problems for someone with poor money-management abilities and/or addiction issues.
Not all assets are covered by a will
Some assets can’t even be included in a will. For example, a will only covers assets or property owned solely in your name. It does not cover property co-owned by you with others listed as joint tenants, nor does a will cover assets that pass directly to a beneficiary by contract, such as a life insurance policy or retirement account.
Don’t let your plan fall short
Though a will is an integral part of your estate plan, a will is almost never enough by itself. Instead, wills are often combined with other planning vehicles, such as living trusts, to provide a level of protection devoid of any gaps or blind spots. And here’s the thing: If your plan is incomplete, it’s your family that suffers, having to clean it all up after you are gone.
​As your Personal Family Lawyer®, we will empower you to feel confident that you have the
right combination of planning solutions for your family’s unique circumstances. Schedule a
Family Wealth Planning Session with Hayoon today to get started.
Special thanks to IMP Member Hayoon Kane for writing this blog post.
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Manage your Risks - An insurance overview for Physician Families

9/10/2019

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I like the term “Risk Management” much better than the term “Insurance” don’t you? The word insurance comes with some serious baggage… and for good reason. The reason is two fold:
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  1. ​​People generally don’t like paying for something that doesn’t benefit them “in the now”.​​

  2. Insurance is a product. Products get pushed to people because the sellers get paid, and because of this people wonder if the recommendation is actually in their best interest or in the interest of the salesman!

Does this mean insurance is bad? Yes and no. As with any tool, it depends on how it’s used. Does an orthopedist recommend a knee replacement when in reality simply setting a fracture and casting will do? You see where I’m going with this? It’s not the tool, it’s how you use it!
When used correctly, insurance is an extremely cost effective way to manage your risks. The natural question then is: “Okay, Bobby. what are my risks?”.  In a nut-shell, your risks are likely:
  1. Someone sues you: Liability insurance is the tool here.
  2. You die (or your partner dies): Life insurance is the tool here.
  3. You become disabled: Disability insurance is the tool here.
So, do you need it? Answer the following question: “If any of the above happens to me, am I okay financially?”
LIABILITY INSURANCE: As a physician family, the likelihood of getting sued is higher. Why? Because your household makes a lot of money (or will someday)! Yes, you may not have much now, but if they think they have a case, they can garnish your future wages! The fix is fairly simple. Go get umbrella coverage on your home and auto policies. 
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LIFE INSURANCE: As a physician family, you very likely have a negative net worth and you might be in a heap of trouble if something happens to your spouse! Some student loans are often forgiven, but not all. Additionally, you’ve put quite a few years of your life “on hold” in hopes of a potentially higher household income. If this income disappears, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Saving for retirement, paying off your mortgage, paying for childcare should the primary caregiver pass away….All of these things are expensive and add up quickly. Term life insurance from a financially strong insurer can be a VERY cost effective way to mitigate the risk of death. The younger and healthier you are, the cheaper these policy premiums are. 

DISABILITY INSURANCE: In the same way that the death of a spouse would be financially devastating, so too would the disability of the primary breadwinner. Whether it’s repaying student loans, saving for retirement, paying off mortgage, or putting kids through college...all of these things require income. But not just any income, they require a PHYSICIANS INCOME! This is where “own occupation” long term disability insurance  (LTDI) comes into play. 
Without going too deep into the weeds, the vast majority of LTDI policies do NOT protect your specific specialty. Only a handful of carriers will pay you a disability benefit EVEN if you re-train specialties or end up flipping burgers at McDonald's. Imagine this scenario: You train to be an Orthopedic Surgeon and lose function in one of your extremities and can no longer perform surgery. You take a much lower paying faculty position teaching surgery at the university. Would you still want the income that should go with surgery? Of course you would! The disability you incurred forced lower income and reduced your debt repayment, retirement savings, and a host of other things. 
In closing, paying for insurance is likely the last thing a low paid resident or fellow wants to do. However, take advantage of your young age, good health and resident discounts! A few thousand dollars over the next few years is a small price to pay to protect the massive investment you and your family have made in pursuing the life of a physician family.
While I don’t sell insurance, please reach out to me (info@partnerwealth.com) and I’ll connect you to a local independent agent who will put your interests ahead of their own! ​
 Special thanks to our sponsor Bobby Scott, CFP® for writing this post! 
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Life Lessons From Celebrity Deaths on Updating Your Estate Plan

8/27/2019

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Two notable movie stars - Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Walker - provide a cautionary tale on the importance of keeping your estate plan and will up to date. In Hoffman’s case, his 2004 will had never been updated and he had two children after it was created. Walker’s 2001 will had also never been updated to reflect the many changes in his life.
Conducting an estate plan review whenever something major changes in your life - like a birth, death or divorce - is key to ensuring your will remains valid and that the people you love are taken care of in the way you intend. Here are some additional steps you can take to be sure your  estate plan remains valid:
Make it easy to find. It is not uncommon for people to file away a will and estate plan in a safety deposit box, which makes it inaccessible to family without a court order.
Make wise choices in executors. Not only should you name more than one person as executor - you will want backups if for some reason your primary choice cannot serve - you should also inform each person that you have chosen them to ensure their willingness to take on the job.
Avoid contradictions in your estate plan. Be sure that your will does not contradict your choices for beneficiaries of your retirement accounts, life insurance policy, etc.
Name guardians. If you have minor children, one of the most important functions of your will is to name a guardian. If that person cannot serve, you will need to have named a second choice for guardian to ensure the future of your children does not end up in the hands of a judge who doesn’t know you or the choices you might have made for them. We have a free report we can send you on six common mistakes parents make when naming guardians - mistakes you definitely want to avoid! Just contact our office for a free copy of this valuable report.
Beware of unintentional disinheritances. If you are remarried and have children from your first marriage you wish to provide for as well as your current spouse, you will want to make those provisions for them in your estate plan. If you wish to intentionally disinherit someone, you should specifically state your intentions in your will.
Get professional guidance. Wills and other estate planning documents downloaded from the Internet will not be tailored to the specific needs of your family. You should seek out the experience of a qualified attorney to help you avoid mistakes that could jeopardize your family’s financial future.
The best way to learn about protecting your family is to talk with us about a Family Wealth Planning Session, where we can identify the best strategies for you to provide for and protect the financial security of your loved ones. For more information, please visit www.hayoonkanelawfirm.com.
Special thanks to IMP member Hayoon Kane for writing this blog post.
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4 Critical Estate Planning Tasks to Complete Before Going on Vacation

7/31/2019

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Going on vacation entails lots of planning: packing luggage, buying plane tickets, making hotel reservations, and confirming rental vehicles. But one thing many people forget to do is plan for the worst. Traveling, especially in foreign destinations, means you’ll likely be at greater risk than usual for illness, injury, and even death.
In light of this reality, you must have a legally sound and updated estate plan in place before taking your next trip. If not, your loved ones can face a legal nightmare if something should happen to you while you’re away. The following are 5 critical estate planning tasks to take care of before departing.
1. Make sure your beneficiary designations are up-to-date
Some of your most valuable assets, like life insurance policies and retirement accounts, do not transfer via a will or trust. Instead, they have beneficiary designations that allow you to name the person (or persons) you’d like to inherit the asset upon your death. It’s vital you name a primary beneficiary and at least one alternate beneficiary in case the primary dies before you. Moreover, these designations must be regularly reviewed and updated, especially following major life events like marriage, divorce, and having children. ​
2. Create power of attorney documents
Outside of death, unforseen illness and injury can leave you incapacitated and unable to make critical decisions about your own well-being. Given this, you must grant someone the legal authority to make those decisions on your behalf through power of attorney. You need two such documents: medical power of attorney and financial durable power of attorney. Medical power of attorney gives the person of your choice the authority to make your healthcare decisions for you, while durable financial power of attorney gives someone the authority to manage your finances. As with beneficiary designations, these decision makers can change over time, so before you leave for vacation, be sure both documents are up to date.
3. Name guardians for your minor children
If you’re the parent of minor children, your most important planning task is to legally document guardians to care for your kids in the event of your death or incapacity. These are the people whom you trust to care for your children—and potentially raise them to adulthood—if something should happen to you. Given the monumental importance of this decision, we’ve created a comprehensive system called the Kids Protection Plan that guides you step-by-step through the process of creating the legal documents naming these guardians. You can get started with this process right now for free by visiting our user-friendly website. ​
4. Organize your digital assets
If you’re like most people, you probably have dozens of digital accounts like email, social media, cloud storage, and cryptocurrency. If these assets aren’t properly inventoried and accounted for, they’ll likely be lost forever if something happens to you. At minimum, you should write down the location and passwords for each account, and ensure someone you trust knows what to do with these digital assets in the event of your death or incapacity. To make this process easier, consider using LastPass or a similar service that stores and organizes your passwords.
Complete your vacation planning now
If you have a vacation planned, be sure to add these 4 items to your to-do list before leaving. And if you need help completing any of these tasks—or would simply like us to double check the plan you have in place—consult with us as your Personal Family Lawyer®. ​
We recommend you complete these tasks at least 8 weeks before you depart. However, if your trip is sooner than that, call and let us know you need a rush Family Wealth Planning Session, and we’ll do our best to fit you in as soon as possible. Contact us today to get started.
This article is a service of Hayoon Kane, Personal Family Lawyer®. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Family Wealth Planning Session™, during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge. In August, IMP members will get an additional $300 discount for estate planning. You can see more information here.
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