Posts filed under 'service'
Nanny Connections has some great new programs that we thought our fellow busy Wisconsin moms in the Madison, Milwaukee and Fox Valley areas would want to know about. Check out how they can help:
It’s back to school time and you know what that means… room mom duty, soccer practice, parent teacher conference (… without the kids… ugh!).
Or, maybe you’ve got season tickets to the Badgers or Packers—and don’t want to miss a game.
Nanny Connections can step in and guarantee you’ve got child care coverage, so you don’t have to miss a big game, or an important school or social event. Nanny Connections does makes it easy—they match your needs with appropriately experienced nannies. Nanny Connections does initial interviews, evaluations, and reference checks; and completes various other background checks—whew! That’s half the headache of finding a good sitter or nanny!
The fee schedule is pretty easy to follow:
Option #1: Purchase a membership to Nanny Connections for one year for access to our pre-screened pool of On Call Nannies. Yearly Membership Fee: $150.00. Each time you need an On Call Nanny, the fee is $15.00.
Option #2: You can also forgo the $150 membership fee and pay $25 each time you need an On Call Nanny. (A credit card is required to be on file.)
Nannies are paid the same day in cash usually ranging from $10-12 per hour. A four-hour minimum pay is required for on call services.
We’ve told you about Nanny Connections services in the past (from houshold managers, and housekeepers, to dedicate childcare professionals) but love to share updates on businesses masterminded BY moms, FOR moms. Our kudos to founder, president, and director of placement Tiffanie Kinder, the mompreneur extraordinaire who brainstormed this great company!
— Mama Kate
August 27th, 2009
We know the drill. Have a kid or two, feel lumpy and soft. You want to exercise, but where do you find the time or an affordable class or gym?
A couple of years ago, we both started training with Dustin Maher through his MamaTone group fitness classes for moms. We can’t say enough about the experience—particularly the fact that it’s great to work out with gals of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels who know what you’re going through. Dustin’s created a fun and supportive community atmosphere in his MamaTone fitness classes at Supreme Health club, and it’s fantastic to have a workout that is geared toward women’s bodies and getting us mommies back in shape fast. We’ve come to believe that we deserve to carve out time for focused exercise, as it makes us feel and look better, and helps us cope with and de-stress from the everyday aspects of momhood. That’s good stuff.
Together with the gals at Bean Sprouts cafe, we’ve created a monthly mommy chat. It’s an opportunity to gather, grow your community of moms, and talk about topics that are of interest to you. This month’s Coffee Talk, at Bean Sprouts, is loaded with inspiration and tips to make getting into shape easy. Dustin will teach 5 body-transforming
exercises you can easily do at home—whether watching the kids in the yard or Oprah on TV. He’ll also advise on exercises to avoid (yes mamas, it’s crunches!), and share nutrition tips on the top metabolism-boosting foods you can eat. You may have heard of Dustin; his fitness advice has been featured on local news casts for NBC, ABC, and CBS, as well as on Wisconsin Public Radio. He’s also founder of Fit Fun Bootcamps, and has recently launched a series of workout videos.
To learn more about Dustin Maher, his workouts and fitness philosophy, visit dustinmaherfitness.com/about-2/. Be sure to visit his site for more details on attending a MamaTone class free, and receiving a free fitness-related gift from Dustin (sign up for his newsletter). On his site, you’ll also be inspired by some amazing body transformations from some of his clients, and appreciate all the fitness and nutrition advice he offers.
Kids are welcome! They can play while we moms enjoy a complimentary cuppa joe and catch up on getting fit. Stay for lunch afterward, and gnosh on Bean Sprouts delish and healthy eats.
No more excuses — we’ll see you at Coffee Talk!
Date: Tuesday, August 18
Time: 10am-11am
FREE! Bring the kids.
Location: Bean Sprouts cafe, 6719 Frank Lloyd Wright Avenue, Suite 101, Middleton, WI 53562. 608.826.6YUM.
— Mama Kate + Mama Jen
August 9th, 2009
Tiffanie Kinder, the brains behind Wisconsin based Nanny Connections and Babysitter Connections has done it again! She has found new and innovative ways to help working parents, parents who need a break, and parents who are re-entering the workforce.
Nanny Connections itself is based on you, the parent, being able to select from a pool of experienced and qualified pre-screened Nannies that can help you with your children. Just to clarify, this is absolutely not limited to someone who essentially lives with you ala Sound of Music — although you can do that. It can also be that you need a particular time covered here and there . Nanny Connections absolutely helps the family that needs part time help as well!
Babysitter Connections is part of Nanny Connections and is more for the parent that wants someone on call to cover the occasional things that come up in our lives–work, deadlines, fun with a friend, date night— but doesn’t need someone with all of the experience of a Nanny.
Right now, Nanny Connections has two new offerings that really help you get everything covered! “Sick and Emergency Back Up Childcare” and “Oncall Services” from their hand selected pool of qualified Nannies.
First off is “Sick and Emergency Back up Childcare.” This is a fantastic way for companies to help their employees when work needs to be done, but usual childcare plans fall through due to an illness or scheduling conflict. If you own a company or work for a company that you think this may be a useful benefit for, Nanny Connections can help you! Nanny Connections would completely run this aspect of the corporate benefit. The employee utilising the service would pay a small fee while the corporation would cover the rest. Talk about a benefit that goes both ways!
The “On-call Service” is equally fantastic and such a stress reliever for those of us who know what it can be like to have all the pieces fall just right so that you can have childcare coverage when you need it. Buy a membership to Nanny Connections for a year for access to a pre-screened pool of babysitters –then—whammo!— whenever you need a babysitter, Nanny Connections does all the legwork for you. You call and tell them what time-frame(s) you need covered etc and that’s it!! Their skilled coordinators will do the rest! Never again have to wait to accept that all important interview to see if you can find childcare, not be sure if you can make a business dinner or a fun night that has come up! The Yearly Membership Fee: $150.00. Each time you need a nanny, you pay $15.00. You can also forgoe the $150 membership fee and pay $25 each time you need a nanny. Nannies are paid the same day in cash ranging from $10-12 per hour. How fantastic is that? What a lifesaver ! There are so many childcare needs that don’t always come with a lot of time for planning and coordinating to get the time covered!!
Have a Sitter/Nanny? Check.
Mama Jen
April 29th, 2009
Recieve your mail online? Yes, it is possible with Earth Class Mail.
Maybe you have personal mail needs that this could solve…paperless, available to you while traveling etc.
Or maybe— just maybe, you’d like your small business to have a Park Avenue address in NY!! Earth Class Mail lets you choose street names with that certain panache that will reflect so well on your business. “Street Cred!” Imagine handing out your business card at a mixer somewhere in the middle of America with that business adress on it!
You could also escape to a nice getaway, say, at a beach house on the Gulf—and not miss that important letter you are waiting on…
There are endless possibilities with this amazing tool that solves so many snail mail issues in this “on the go” portable world!!! Now that has some MomAppeal!! Thanks for sending this my way Mama Jess!
Mama Jen
February 26th, 2009
As the school year approaches and normal life takes effect after all the sun-soaked summer days we have enjoyed, how do you regularly prepare for healthy dinners when your energy is low, you may not be feeling well, and you are running your kids from here to there and everywhere? The Dinner Spin is here to save the day!
We wrote before about the ultra-helpful, Oprah approved, Six o’clock Scramble, but there is a new kid on the block—Janis Bowers’ Dinner Spin, a wonderful website where you can receive a weekly menu of healthy dinners AND a grocery list. Nice!
The healthy recipes Janis prepares helped her husband significantly reduce his cholesterol and the whole family get regular healthy dinners and avoid fast food pitfalls. Now you can have at it too!
The website also includes freezer recipes to help you prepare for a busy time, cooking tips, holiday or special occasion recipes, side dishes and a forum where you can chat about your forays into cooking.
You can try the recipe for free for two weeks and after that you can subscribe for 3 months for $21, 6 months for $36, or 12 months for $48. Not bad at all!
Happy Cooking!
Mama Jen
August 25th, 2008
My husband and I have been spoiled with the most amazing cousin who lived in town and was available to watch and love our daughter when we needed to get out on a date or run errands etc…we were so happy for her graduation and subsequent move out of town, but then there we were…no babysitter to call…
I found a few here and there, but nobody has been reliable, or near like our Anna—those of you with amazing people who watch your children will know what I mean…the bar has been raised!
Now, how do I go about finding this person since my informal searches have left me frustrated and feeling like I will never find one…I’ve come home from a date night only to be up cleaning for two hours after a baking experiment occurred in my kitchen, had no-shows, found my daughter up and running around at 10:30, people who are impossible to reach or inspire a call back from…fun…lots of fun.
Enter Babysitter Connections from Tiffany Kinder, who also runs the phenomenal Nanny Connections . Nanny Connections is a must stop if you are looking to get in touch with outstanding, pre-screened nannies , but I had no idea there was this amazing Babysitter Connections available to those of us who need a sitter, but not a more fully scheduled nanny. By the way, I have met one of the nannies who came from Nanny Connections since she works for my friend. I didn’t know that she was the nanny for a while because I thought she was a family member! That is how unbelievable she is!
So I decided to give Babysitter Connections a whirl!
There is a small fee required to access information on available sitters that includes their reference contact information, picture, personal contact information, background check, wage desired, experience and little bio.
Wooohooo! Unbelievable…I am babysitter shopping!! I have heard back from most of the girls I have emailed this week and will begin some face-to-face meetings tomorrow. I am giddy over the fact that I may have someone I can call, rely upon, and trust with my little one soon. Thank you Babysitter Connections for such a phenomenal service for Wisconsin and what looks like is beginning to reach out farther than that!!
Feel free to take a peek before you sign up. You can see which sitters are in your area and/or are available at a specific time prior to joining. You just don’t have their contact information until you pay the small fee to have access. Helping parents be successful in their sitter hunt??? Now, that has MomAppeal!!!
Whichever you are looking for, Babysitter Connections and Nanny Connections are sure to give you a HUGE leg up!!!!!
Mama Jen
July 24th, 2008
The most important skin cream you can use is SUNSCREEN! The sunny time of year is here or approaching, depending where you live, and the Environmental Working Group conducted the first-ever study on the efficacy and safety of sunscreens out on the market.. Those found to be effective and safe might as well be considered samples from the “Fountain of Youth.”
EWG stepped up because, “After 29 years of debate, the government has failed to set mandatory sunscreen safety standards. In August 2007 FDA proposed first-ever UVA standards for sunscreen, but the rules are not yet finalized. In the meantime, companies are free to make claims about product quality.” Scary!
To see how your sunscreen stacks up, which is healthiest and most effective, visit EWG’s Skin Deep. While you’re there, check out any of your products for their safety as well as this handy-dandy parents’ buying guide. Parenthood is so busy that it is wonderful that this site has sussed out the good, bad and the ugly for us! I love this site!
Mama Jen
April 21st, 2008
My inner Martha Stewart is making a rare appearance these days before she goes back into her usual hibernation….I am organizing a family cookbook!
My husband’s side of our family put together a wonderful family cookbook that each family member can go to when looking for their family’s favorite recipes etc…I loved the idea and wanted to do it for my side of our family.
I found a phenomenal site called Heritage Cookbook. Even Oprah likes it…
The best part of being able to make and publish your family cookbook with this site is that everyone you want to contribute can enter their recipes on their own. You simply sign up, add your desired contributors, and an email is sent to them to invite them to join in on your cookbook adventure! This saves the cookbook organizer from needing to decipher family penmanship and enter in all the recipes. Ugghh…the horror!
Make your own cookbook if you are a “culinary queen,” gift a collection of your family recipes to your mom for mother’s day, or make a cookbook to sell and donate the proceeds to charity! Actually 5% of your purchases to this company go to charity. Also, they only print on FSC approved paper so Heritage Cookbook.com has that great green thing going for them! Great great stuff!
The customer service here is top-notch. When you email Susan Love, the creator of this site a question or comment, she gets right back to you with whatever information you need! That is so valuable!
Enjoy!
Mama Jen
April 8th, 2008
A while back, the catalog for Twilite Moon came to my house and I have been looking at their website ever since.
They have the most amazing selection of stylish items for mom, dad and baby. The items tend to be quite modern, though they do have some traditional items as well. Look at this amazing dresser for a child’s room. There is also a funky low piece that could be great for storing toys. If you are looking for your child’s furniture to be art, these are the ticket… You can customize what the accent drawer color is too! Maybe these should be in your room…so chic!
And GASP!! Sexy Nursing Bras??? They found ‘em…How’d they do that??
They also have a selection of accessories for safety and many practical items as well, such as the Sleepsack which I used and loved for my daughter—keeps little babies warm and covered without the fear of having them sleeping with loose blankets. In our experience, loose blankets never stayed on a sleeping baby, AND I was afraid about the blankets covering her face…the Sleepsack solves both problems.
At Twilite Moon, they put together a wonderful section to help you find gifts for every kind of child and family.
Twilite moon is one of those baby boutiques that makes moms drool—-and that has MomAppeal!
Mama Jen
March 4th, 2008
Lori Pope, a fellow mom came up with an idea that will help unclutter your home, and give your kids the chance to try many different toys—a Toy rental company called Baby Plays—lots of choices and opportunities to continuously refresh your child’s playtime. No more fear that you spent money on a toy for your child which may be as interesting to them as your dusty treadmill is to you.
All of the toys stocked are kid approved, organized by age appropriateness, sanitized and loaded with fresh batteries before they reach your door. Pope specifically chooses toys that are easy to clean, so you can rest your germ fears on this one!
“Families generally keep the toys for one month and then send them back in the box they came in, using a postage-paid return label the company includes with each shipment. Most parents know that’s long enough for little kids to exhaust their interest.
But it’s no big deal if the little one wants to hang on to a couple of toys for several months, Pope said. Parents can just exchange the toys they don’t want, and new toys are shipped out as the old ones are returned.” (AOL Money and Finance)
Don’t worry that you will be receiving really worn items either…anything that is more than “gently worn” is donated to needy families who are nominated by Baby Plays customers.
Each shipment of toys is lead tested—wooohoo! Also, toys with small parts, or that are not easy to clean are avoided. Fantastic!
Lori Pope also mentions that this is a great way for grandparents to have some great toys on hand and change it up every now and again. So smart and full of MomAppeal!!!
Happy Toy Renting and great job Lori! Mama Jen
February 11th, 2008
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