Ying Yu Jade
May 2007 Blog
Everything is unpacked, but not put away. Some different items, mostly jade pendants that are all different and beautiful carved jadeite bangle bracelets. It is very time consuming to photograph each item because jade is translucent and to get the details, the photo has to be really sharp. Getting each item on the web site takes a lot of time. One of my neighbors has a web design business and he charges $100 an hour to make changes for his clients, adding photos, taking photos of sold items off, and adding to shopping carts. A business like mine has almost all one-of-a-kind items, and that's one of the reasons I charge a restocking fee if something is exchanged or returned. Sometimes I waive it or reduce it, depending on the customer and circumstances, for example if a customers exchanges something for a significantly more expensive piece. So, be sure to figure out your bangle size before you buy. There are links on almost every page to"how to measure for a bangle". I don't charge the restocking fee just to make extra money! The business truly loses money on every exchange or return and I have to pass on the costs somewhere. Let me know if you have questions, comments or concerns about this policy. May 31, 2007
I'm unpacking the new shipment, six boxes full of jade goodies! As I sell bangles, I'll replace them with some of the new ones. Watch for very discounted Daily Specials the next few days so I can sell the old, make room for the new! May 29, 2007
I've received quite a few emails from people waiting to find out what's in the new shipment! Tracking shows it has been sitting in Orlando all weekend, so I hope to get it tomorrow. Half of my order is jade rollers and gua sha tools, and I finally got a large carved dragon teapot and I keep my fingers crossed nothing broke during shipment. I ordered 50 carved jadeite bangles, and smooth jadeite bangles, and am looking forward to seeing them! As are some of you! I hope they arrive tomorrow so I can get some of them on the web site before we leave for our vacation June 5. May 28, 2007
We watched the ambulance take one of our neighbors to the hospital, and when I wondered out loud what happened to her, my husband suggested that maybe she got a new PC and was setting it up with windows Vista and had a heart attack or stroke from all the frustration! It turns out it wasn't anything serious with her, thankfully. But it has been so difficult getting all my business programs running the way they are supposed to. The "customer" functions work fine and were never affected, but the administration programs aren't all compatible with Vista. If this is the best it will be, I am very disappointed with my new Dell PC. Serenity now...ommmmm. May 27, 2007
I received all the components
for my new desktop PC today, and we are working to get the new PC set
up. The most difficult part will probably be transferring the files and
installing all the software programs I use for business, including the
web site software. We'll make the "big change over" during the
weekend, and there should be no interruption in getting orders processed.
Please send us an email if you have any problems or concerns. May
23, 2007
An interesting fact about jade bangle size is that the width of the bangle also determines the size you can wear. If you can wear a 55mm jade bangle with a standard width of 12mm, you can probably wear a 54mm bangle that's more slender, like my 9mm bangle. The reason is that the more slender it is, the easier it goes on. Conversely, if you want a wider bangle, like some of the carved jadeite bangles, you might need a larger size. If I want to wear one of the 16+mm "cuff styles" I need to wear 56-57mm because it is more difficult to get a wider jade bangle over the hand. But it looks and feels like a smaller size when it's on. May 17, 2007
I changed my jade bangle today, you can see what I changed to here. How do you know when it's time to change to another jade bangle? Sometimes you simply want to wear a different jade bangle. Other times, it starts to bother you, feel uncomfortable. That means your body qi has changed and another color or pattern of jade might be more beneficial to your health. My bangle, the kiss of hong, felt "hot". And when I did my weight lifting at the fitness center, I felt weak, couldn't lift the weight I usually do, and I felt weak for a few workouts. It occurred to me perhaps I wasn't wearing the right kind of jade. When I put on the jade bangle in the photo, I felt stronger, and was able to lift my usual weight. I also felt less tired today. I've been needing a power nap in the afternoon for the last couple of weeks, and today I have much more energy. How do you know what is the right kind of jade for you? When you look at jade bangles and one really appeals to you, that's the energy you need. May 16, 2007
The new postage increase is not only more expensive for all of us, but makes shipping more time consuming because it requires the dimensions of each package to determine the size, and if the size is larger than what is considered as "standard", there's an additional charge. I have to say my jaw dropped when I shipped two cans of tea that would normally be a two pound priority mail package but the box was a larger box and the shipping charge didn't cover the actual cost I needed to pay to ship it. The shipping was as much as a can of tea! So, instead of speedily getting an order shipped, it takes longer because I also need to determine size, and then if it's something larger than a bangle or pendant, what I have to ship it in so that I don't pay more for shipping than what the customer's shipping charge was. This will be fun (not!). May 15, 2007
I
think the Mother's Day sales crunch is over. If it hasn't been ordered by now,
it probably won't arrive in time for Mother's Day unless it goes by Express mail,
and that's just luck if it makes it considering the terrible service through the
USPS. I'm leaving early Friday morning to visit my mother in Ohio for the weekend
and will return Monday, and will stay at the farm with Mom. I have three brothers
and their families who live nearby and we get together to visit, and I spend most
of my time cooking and cleaning up! But it's fun visiting with everyone and cooking
the family favorites and comfort foods. The best part of the trip will be coming
home on Monday.. Tom and I are so happy we moved from Ohio to Florida, and this
truly feels like "home" to us here. Best wishes to you all for a happy
weekend.
May 10, 2007
I have written about my "forbidden love affair" with my merchandise, especially the jade bangles. But twice a year, Chinese New Year and my birthday, I let myself take bangle from the inventory. I sold the one I REALLY wanted to a customer in Hawaii, a small pretty green oval jadeite bangle, and I have a customer who regularly buys bangles and also wears my size, so she got one of my favorites, and I have a couple of the mossy ones, so I am considering the dragon green oval. I keep the bangles I'm not wearing in the rosewood display stands, but next month is the beginning of hurricane season and I will pack them in something I can easily take with me if we have to evacuate for a storm. May 8, 2007
This posting is morbid, so be warned in case you don't want to read it. My internet has been out intermittently since Thursday, so I've been doing some chores that don't involve YYJ business. It's a long story, but on Thursday I received the cremated remains of my father-in-law so I could send them to his daughter, and I've spent a lot of time thinking about how to ship them. But having them has made me do a lot of thinking about life and death, and all that is in between. My father died earlier this year so it brought my feelings of grief to the surface to deal with. The remains I have in the box are sealed in a container, so I am assuming that all people who are cremated have approximately the same amount of remains, which is about ten pounds. My father was more than six feet tall, and it is just mind boggling to think that there are only 10 pounds of remains. And of course, when I move the container, there is something thunking around inside. Anyway, it's disturbing to have them in my home and I want to get them shipped tomorrow, so they are packed. But I didn't feel comfortable just sending them, it seemed like the box needed something else for the journey. I gave them a Reiki blessing, then made an amulet with a dragonfly (transition), some jade and an opal heart, and some other gemstones. Jade is always comforting to me, I hope it will also keep the remains safe on their journey and comfort the family when they open the box. May 6, 2007
Today I sold a jade bangle that a previous customer had purchased and it didn't fit, then she exchanged it for another size. My policies state there is a restocking fee, and people want to know why they have to pay this. This exchange is one reason why. When I was polishing the bangle to get ready to ship, I felt a small crack on the surface. I checked it when I got it back, but it's easy to miss small damage.I can often find even small cracks when I get them ready to ship because I check them with a strong light, again, and polish them with a small cloth. If I had noticed the crack when it was returned, I would not have given the refund. So the restocking fee helps pay for my losses when customers return something they damaged without telling me, and I miss it. Restocking also means at least 30 minutes of getting the item relisted. Most of YYJ is one-of-a-kind, and very time consuming to relist and add to the system, and link everything up. I have an information page to help people find their size, so hopefully there doesn't have to be an exchange. May 3, 2007
A neighbor friend came to visit today, and shop for a gift for her daughter. Fortunately, I had just cleaned up my work room, so I could find everything I wanted to show her. We had jade bangles spread all over the floor. She had looked at the web site before she came over, but wanted to "see and feel" the jade bangles. She is also an energy practitioner and makes choices by "feeling" the energy. That's why I include a short energy description along with the measurement and "regular" description, because many people wear jade for health reasons, and want the energy that jade shares with body qi. Later this evening, I went to a friend's home to give her a Reiki treatment, and when I left, my jade bangle was glowing with all the energy that I transmitted. If you have every been curious about energy therapy, like Reiki, qi healing, jin shin jyutsu, I urge you to try it. And wear your jade when you get your treatment, it's good for the jade, too. May 3, 2007
The Calm Spirit / Ying Yu Jade May newsletter is available online now, click here. This month features Chinese medicine wellness information for spring regarding balance of body, mind and spirit. There is information about what kind of jade to wear this month if you wear jade for your health, and more, including the change in shipping charges because of USPS postal rate increases. Order before I change the shipping rates next week to save money! May is my favorite month of the year, and if you are reading this today, there is a special coupon to take $15 off the price of any smooth jadeite bangle bracelet item number starting with BB, regular price $300+. Use coupon code MAY1 on the order form when you check out. If you were born in May, it is auspicious to own and wear a classic green jade piece. Happy May! May 1, 2007
contact:calmspirit@calmspirit.net
