MyConciergePlus

It's Saturday Morning...

2009-10-24T10:19:00.000-04:00

In our house Saturday morning means many things
1) sleeping in - thank goodness for the small pleasures
2) coffee, whole wheat challah (YUM!) and the morning paper
3) then homework...AARGH!

Do you find yourself the homework police? Sometimes I dread weekends just because I know it is full of homework. The kids do some each night but the weekends are reserved for the projects, book reports, review for tests, etc. Most weekends it goes almost smoothly but sometimes I just feel lke a tyrant. Sit down, focus, get it done. I know it's not fun but it's your job so suck it up. Those are the conversations in our house.

Well talk about delegating - this is one of those tasks I would not mind delegating. I hate to be such a meanie. I wish I could be mellow about it but the work has got to get done and I prefer to get it out of the way immediately so it doesn't hang over heads for the rest of the weekend. I also hate to leave things to the last minute. I find it stressful. I prefer to get the work done as it comes in because you never know what else pops up.

Life always seems to throw extra things our way and we can't always get it done in the way we want or on time. So when life throws one too many things at you or you would just rather be doing something more fun (like supervising homework?) Remember to give us your list and we'll take care of the rest.

www.myconciergeplus.com

My Favorite Night of the Month

2009-10-13T23:23:00.000-04:00

My favorite night of the month is my "Gourmet" night. Every month for the last 10 1/2 years a group of some of my closest friends and I have gotten together. We cook on a theme and get together to talk, eat, drink and laugh. I cherish these nights more than almost anything.

We are all so busy in our day to day lives with our families, work both in and out of our homes, after school activities, and general life that it is quite amazing that each month we still come together. Tonight a reporter from the Suburban joined us. It was interesting to hear everyone's perspective on the longevity of the group and our commitment to it. It all boiled down to one thing - Frienship- in the truest sense of the word. We are all there for one another no matter what. We have stood by each other through - lack of sleep with newborns, the terrible two's, choosing elemntary schools, the onset of the preteen years, now high schools. We have supported each other through pregnancies, miscarriages, some family deaths, and soon we begin planning bar/bat mitzot. It is amazing to me how this group has grown into my second family. We help each other out and care for and support one another.

It has reminded me once again how truly blessed I am.

Help I am stressed by blogging

2009-10-03T09:44:00.000-04:00

OMG I just sat down to RELAX and write a very long overdue entry on my blog. Innocently sitting on my couch in my pjs on a lazy rainy October morning only to discover that according to the site I have never posted a blog. But I have I said to myself. I can see it on my site and link to it. Hmm.. I wonder why it doesn't exist when it does. I go to help (because we know contacting a human to ask a question is impossible) and I finally find a link to help. However it asks me to log in which is the root of the problem because I have forgotten my password. In my frustration I forget that it is written down somewhere. I am too busy trying to hurl my laptop through the window. Okay Andrea, deep breaths, you can do this. You run a business, manage a household and most days keep somewhat sane. Yet this is driving me CRAZY. Help! I am overrun with passwords and logins. I need a password, log in Techno Smart Person to keep me in working order. As I shriek and groan in frustration, my husband (always the rational and calm one) says ok calm down and make a list of all the accounts and passwords and key it into your blackberry. So there it is easy as pie my blackberry once again is my saviour. Who knew that this one small hand held device could save me and my sanity in so many ways. I love my blackberry.

So my next item on my to do list is to add this list to my blackberry. It sounds simple and easy yet my to do list is HUGE. It took a month to sit and write this. However, I do know that if I carve out 10 minutes today to make that list next time I go to blog, log in and online shop it will go faster.

Sometimes poeple ask me when I get own list done. It is the same for me as everyone else balancing work and life. Some days it flows easily and then there are moments like I just had. These AAARGH moments reinforce my belief and the My Concierge Plus motto that we all need to focus on what we do best and let others do the rest. I need to focus on my family and work and let the techies handle all the rest and then I can enjoy a relaxing Saturday!

School has started... Help!!!!

2009-09-02T15:16:00.000-04:00

Well school has started. The kids are back in class, the suitcases are put away for the summer and lunches have to be made. If your life is anything like mine it is HECTIC. Each day is a juggle of work, homework, housework, cooking and driving. No wonder I fall into bed each night exhausted. Luckily, I have help. I have the excellent team members of My Concierge Plus who help me and all our satisfied clients. I have a supportive family and friends.

So many people I meet say they are so overwhelmed and would love to use our services but are reluctant. Some feel bad about delegating what they see is their family responsibility, some feel they SHOULD be able to do it all and feel guilty because they can't.

Well I truly belive that we should all FOCUS ON WHAT WE DO BEST and let others handle the rest. I am a horroible bookkeeper and now delegate it all to my bookkeper. Since I relinquished control my books are up to date, billing is up to date and I get paid.

So how about we start the new school year off not with a sigh of how am I going to get it all done but with a new resolve and permission to delegate the tasks we hate to do, don't have time for or that take us away from our leisure and family time. Just remember we all need help! So with that being said ....
Give us your list and we'll take care of the rest...

www.myconciergeplus.com

July 1st - Montreal's moving day

2009-06-10T22:32:00.001-04:00

I am just sitting here and thinking about how quickly time flies. We are almost half way through June and closing in on July 1st. July 1st is THE moving day here in Montreal, Quebec. There is so much to thing of and organize. You might ask where do I even start? Well first thing is to contact a reputable moving company for an estimate. But buyers beware: the closer to July 1st the more expensive the move. After the movers come the other details like: do I need to paint, are there any handyman jobs I need help with, are my closets well designed or do they need additional shelving/hanging units, should I move everything or purge? The next step is packing and unpacking, very tiring jobs. Where do i get hold of boxes and tissue? The SAQs will sometimes give out boxes. The best bet is going out on recycling day to the stores in your neighborhood there are boxes to spare keft by the curb. A word of advice packing in newspaper is MESSY! Pack more smaller boxes: they are easier to load & unload and you feel a sense of accomplishment with each box you unpack. Next I want to come into a clean house/apartment.

Now what if you work full time or have a family to care for. How will I get it all done in time? Well hiring a company like My Concierge Plus (www.myconciergeplus.com) is extremely beneficial. We can organize your move from movers to unpacking and turning your new house/apartment into a home.

Recently we organized a move for a client. We took care of:
1) booking the movers
2) unpacking, organizing and putting everything away
3) hiring the painters and overseeing their work
4) planning and installing built ins for the closet
5) cleaning the apartment before the move

This is just one of the many ways we can help you reduce your stress. Remember to give us your list and will take care of the rest!

www.myconciergeplus.com

My Concierge Plus Blogs!

2009-06-09T21:05:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,
The other Saturday morning my bberry buzzed and someone called asking if Tina, our home organizer, was free to work that weekend. Well within half an hour they had set an appointment for the next dday to begin decluttering! She called on Monday to rave about 1) My Concierge Plus' quick response time 2) Tina's efficiency and willingness to go the extra mile. Well, that to me was a winning combination. The client then remarked how life altering the experience was. She said why don't people give this as a gift. How many scented candles, picture frames, or coffee mugs does a person need? I of course agree. I gave myself and my family the gift of organization last fall. It has so drastically changed our house and our lives for the better. We can find things. We enjoy spending time in our home because it is not chaos. So the next time you need a gift for someone who has everything, someone whose life is busy with work and/or family give them something useful give them the gift of home organization with Tina from My Concierge Plus. www.myconciergeplus.com