Labor Day Weekend is upon us once again, the unofficial end of summer. I love autumn, but I’m not ready for summer to end just yet.
Time flies by too quickly … I know I say this all the time, but it’s true! I truly believe that the busier you are, the faster times goes by and this summer proves it (for me anyway).
I was so excited when the weather warmed up last May. I had so many things I wanted to do: Continue reading
June is here !! The school year is winding down (or has already ended) … your summer schedule is about to begin. Have you already planned your vacation or getaway? Have you made plans for your pets while you are away?
In order to fully relax and enjoy yourself while you are away, you need to know that your furry family members are lovingly being taken care of. Let’s face it, they are not just pets, they’re family … like a child or grandchild. I believe they have feelings and emotions, just like us. Evidence of this can be seen by their excitement when we arrive home at the end of the day. They lavish us with affection. They snuggle with us if we’re sad or feeling sick. They love us as much as we love them, you can see it expressed in their eyes. Furry children, just like their human counterparts, need TLC.
At Tracy Helps You, we love all kinds of animals and we take pet care seriously. We think your pet should feel pampered, like they are on their own stress free ‘stay-cation’ while you are gone. We’re not talking about a trip to the local boarding kennel. Let us take care of them for you. We will come to your home to visit them … spend time playing with them or taking them for a nice walk, above and beyond the basics of food, water and ‘bladder relief’. Just let us know how many daily visits you would like for them to have.
If you prefer, we can also stay in your home while you are away. In addition to caring for your pets, we can take care of some of your routine household chores for you … bring in the mail and newspaper; water your garden and/or houseplants, curb service on garbage day, etc. Having someone ‘home’ everyday will give you peace of mind knowing that your home is secure and that your pets are safe.
As you know from a previous blog post, we purchased a used travel trailer last month. That post detailed all that happened, but to sum it up, we were deceived and bought a camper that had several issues. We spent the month of May and many $$ to get it ready for safe travels … everything isn’t perfect, but we repaired what we felt were the most important items.
This weekend we are embarking on our Maiden Voyage with it 🙂
We picked it up from the RV repair place on Thursday, and I have been getting all our camping gear transferred from our old pop-up camper to the new one. It’s been a lot of work, but also a lot of fun setting up house in our new (to us) home away from home.
We have been watching lots of You Tube videos to learn how everything works. We’ve (well I have) read the owners manual cover to cover. We have camped for many years, but never in a camper.
We have to learn how to:
I’m hoping for a wonderful weekend filled with fun memories of this first camping trip in our new camper. And I’m hoping that these new fun memories will replace my first disappointing ones & help me to regain the excitement I had when we first decided we were going to buy a camper with a bathroom – a definite upgrade from our pop-up.
Summer is almost here … It’s Memorial Day Weekend – the unofficial start of summer. Summer has the reputation of being unscheduled and carefree, but it’s not – well, not really.
During the month of May, you start getting invitations to many parties and celebrations. Between graduation parties, bridal or baby showers and weddings, the calendar fills up quickly.
All this celebrating is fun, but it can be a lot of work too.
Having a party sounds like fun, right? It can be, but it all starts with the planning. Personally, I love planning, but not everyone does. We can help you plan your event or plan it for you (with your guidance in decision making, of course). Everything from choosing the date and theme, to cleaning up afterward … you can just let us know what you want help with.
Maybe you aren’t hosting an event, but you’ve been invited to numerous parties. We can go shopping for the gifts you want to give and wrap them for you.
Or you were the honored guest at the party, and you received many wonderful gifts. We all know the old saying “it’s the thought that counts”. Perhaps some weren’t so wonderful … they were the wrong size or color … not your style … you just plain didn’t like them. We’ll return or exchange them for you.
Labor Day weekend is upon us. I know I’m not alone when I sit here shaking my head, thinking “where did the time go? Summer just flew by !!
Although there are still a few weeks before Autumn officially begins, Labor Day Weekend is (for all practical purposes anyway) the unofficial end of summer. Many families celebrate this long holiday weekend by taking a road trip.
Traveling by car has many advantages for families … especially those with young children 🙂
~ AAA has reported that the price of gas hasn’t been this low since 2004. Spending less at the pump puts more $$ in the vacation budget — sounds like an advantage to me.
~ Your kids are in familiar surroundings … in their own car seat, have their own toys, their favorite snacks, etc.
~ You can take as many breaks as needed – when you need them. You can get out to stretch your legs or sooth a cranky child.
~ You choose meal times and where to eat.
~ You could go “old school” for the weekend … unplug (give your electronic device their own vacation). You could use an atlas to map out your route. If you happen to miss a turn off along the way, just say “we’re taking the scenic route”.
~ Continuing with the “old school” theme, you can play games like “I Spy”, or sing songs together, color / work in puzzle books, or play the license plate game, etc. Have light-hearted conversations … use this time to re-connect with each other without electronic distractions.
~ Take time to make unplanned stops … pull over to the see kitschy things like “the world’s largest ball of yarn” 🙂
(Photo Credit to Getty Images)
One being observing the actual holiday …
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day and commemorates all men and women, who have died in military service for the United States. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day and it is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season. (from timeanddate.com)
Another being the beginning of summertime activities …
The school term is drawing to a close, the weather is getting warmer, it stays light longer in the evenings. Everyone wants to spend more time outdoors after being cooped up over the long Chicago winter.
Signs of summer are popping up all over:
It seems like a large part of summer is about relaxing & enjoying fun, leisurely activities. Of course, in today’s busy 24/7 world it’s not always easy to find free-time to rest and relax. That’s where Tracy Helps You comes in … having a personal assistant take care of some of your to-do list tasks frees up your time to do what you want to do, as well as, taking care of the things you have to do.
1) ADVERTISING ~ Have good signage that makes it easy for potential customers to find you. Make sure to place signs where people can see them coming from all directions. Put a sign decorated with colorful balloons / flags / streamers at the foot of your driveway. Remember to take them down after your sale ends. Also, hang a sign on your local grocery store bulletin board and create a free ad on Craigslist.
2) BE PREPARED ~ Be prepared to start very early. If possible, have everything set up and ready to go the night before. Customers may be at your house before your official start time, especially if you advertised well ∧∧∧ 🙂
3) ORGANIZATION ~ Try to organize your sale tables into departments … tools, toys, books, clothes, jewelry, kitchenware … etc. Try to lay everything out on a table, many people don’t like digging through boxes under tables. If possible, try to “display” items … for example, if you are selling dishes, display a place setting showing each piece in the set. For jewelry, display each piece in a separate compartment (not tangled up) or to show earrings, hang them on a piece of screen.
4) PRICING ~ Have everything priced ahead of time. Many customers will ask for a lower price, be prepared to haggle. Remember, everyone is looking for a bargain … so don’t expect to get the price a store would charge. Also, while you are pricing, try to wipe off / clean everything (no one wants to look at dusty or dirty items).
5) AMBIANCE ~ Have some fun, upbeat music playing in the background (you want to be able to have a conversation). If at all possible, have some of your sale items displayed in a shady area (maybe under a portable gazebo / tent). If it’s hot & humid, have a fan going to create a breeze 🙂
6) CHECK-OUT ~ Have your check-out area in an obvious place … a patio table with an umbrella set up for shade would be great. Have it near an outlet with an extension cord, so people can make sure their item works before purchasing (most garage sales have a NO RETURNS policy). Have an assortment on batteries on hand too.
7) CORRECT CHANGE ~ Have plenty of singles and coins to make change. It seems like everyone wants to pay with a twenty dollar bill and the singles can run out fast.
8) BAGS ~ Have plenty of bags or boxes (save them from shopping) for your customers to carry their treasures (purchases) home. If you are selling furniture or large pieces, have some rope or twine available for them to tie the trunk down or secure it on the roof of their car.
9) REFRESHMENTS ~ Have some candy or cookies for sale at your check-out area … have some water bottles on ice, too. Nothing is better on a hot summer day !
10) SECURITY ~ Sadly, this is something you need to be aware of. Pay attention when a large group of customers come together (especially with kids). One may ask questions to distract you, while their friend steals something … I speak from personal experience 🙁 Also, don’t put their payment in with your money until you have made their change … they could say they gave you a 20 dollar bill when they really gave you a 10 (again, personal experience). If possible, have another family member run the sale with you, or maybe ask a friend to keep you company for the day.
11) BONUS TIP ~ Offer some FREE items … little trinkets or small toys (stuffed animals or McD’s happy meal toys). Keep your FREE box at your check-out area and place a couple signs on your tables advertising a “free gift” with your purchase. Who doesn’t LOVE getting something for FREE ?
Time sure does fly … it flies really fast. It is already the last week of August. Many schools have started classes, but for the students and the parents, it still feels like summer. Somehow, school just doesn’t seem real until after Labor Day Weekend.
Labor Day Weekend is like the unofficial end of summer. Even though summer doesn’t technically end until September 23rd, when the Autumnal Equinox ushers in Fall. For all intents and purposes, Labor Day is the last big “Hurrah” of summer. The carefree days of summer are being replaced with schedules and routines.
Many people celebrate this holiday with outdoor picnics and parades. The American flag is proudly flown and/or displayed.
The actual reason we celebrate Labor Day is because in 1894, a national holiday was created to honor American workers. It gave workers an official day off (in most industries). During the late 1800’s, most workers were made to work 12-hour shifts; 7 days a week in deplorable conditions just to make a meager living. Numerous demonstrations were held to try to improve working conditions and how employees were treated. Labor unions staged strikes – many riots broke out all over the country. It was a dark time in our country’s history.
In modern day America, generally speaking, most employees enjoy healthy working conditions, an 8-hour shift, a 5-day work week, a guaranteed minimum wage and some type of benefits. The American workplace is a far cry from perfect, but it has definitely come a long way.
What do birthdays, graduations, weddings, and babies all have in common? They all are celebrated with a party !! Spring and Summer are filled with fun parties to celebrate a graduation, a baby shower, a wedding, a confirmation, a birthday, an anniversary, and family reunions ~ just to name a few (okay – more than a few). Our calendars fill up fast with party invitations.
Throwing a party is a lot of work … picking the best date, making the guest list, getting the invitations sent out (digitally or by snail mail), planning the menu, house cleaning, shopping, cooking and preparation, decorating, and of course, the clean-up. Like I said, it’s a lot of work ~ fun work ~ but work none the less.
I love throwing parties … I love the planning … I love being the hostess, but I also love the moment, after all the clean-up is finished that I get to sit down and put my feet up 🙂 It is such a good feeling !
Tracy Helps You can get you to the “put your feet up and relax” stage of hosting a party sooner. Let us be your assistant hostess. We can help with any stage of your party. We can do the shopping for you, or help with the decorating. We can be the “kitchen help” during the party. We can keep the trays of food full, top off the bowls of chips and dip. We can stay ahead of all the dirty dishes that come with hosting a party. An extra pair of hands definitely makes the work easier 🙂
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you actually had time to enjoy visiting and catching up with your friends and family, knowing that everything was running smoothly “behind the scenes”? Plus, after you’ve said your good byes to your last guest, imagine the feeling of walking into a clean kitchen … as opposed to a pile of dirty dishes to do and bags of trash to take out.
The month of September is a transitional type of month for me. The weather often is reminiscent of summer, but the schedule definitely says it is time to get back to a more normal (sometimes hectic) routine. It’s a bittersweet time of year for me. While I love the carefree nature of the summer, being the creature of habit that I am, I also crave the structure of a routine. That being said, I’m sure I’m not alone (at least, I hope I’m not alone) in finding the right balance between being busy but not too busy … it’s not as easy as it sounds. I also know from experience that I need to schedule in some “me time”. Taking a little time for myself every now and then gives me a little break, rejuvenates and refreshes me.
For the last few years, I’ve been attending a women’s conference in St. Louis in mid September with one of my best friends. It’s a wonderful atmosphere where I enjoy some “me time”. It helps me get focused on what’s important in my life and try to let go of what’s not. It helps me sort out the activities that are beneficial from those that are time wasters. Over the years, I have learned that my time is a valuable commodity and I want to be wise in how I spend it.
After the conference, we meet up with my wonderful husband at a (previously chosen) campground somewhere between home and St. Louis. He spoils us by having our pop-up camper and the whole campsite set up before we arrive. We give him a call when we are about an hour away and he makes us a delicious hot dinner … yep, He’s a keeper !!
We generally just chill out and relax around the campfire after dinner (we may or may not share a bottle of wine). The next day we like to hike on the trails or take a nice bike ride. We have fun playing games, reading a good book, or working a jigsaw puzzle. We also love a nice nap (don’t judge). It’s nice to just enjoy the great outdoors and not be tied to a regimented schedule just yet.
Don’t get me wrong; being a planner and organizer by nature, I know for a fact that I function much better with a structured routine. They don’t call them lazy summer days for nothing 🙂
When we get home from this weekend away, I feel refreshed and rested. I’m ready to get back into the faster pace of the daily grind. I do realize that I am blessed to be able to take the time off to enjoy this type of weekend. One reason is that my children are now grown. The other is that I own my own business, which has many perks. One of my favorite perks is scheduling my own time.
My hope is that you can find some time (even if just a few hours) to relax, unwind and enjoy some “me time”, before the fall schedule truly takes hold.
As always, remember to contact Tracy Helps You if we can do anything to help free up some time for you 🙂