by Kara | Apr 28, 2021 | Gifts
Mom’s have a tough job, and we should be letting them know how appreciated they are every day of the year—not just on Mother’s Day. Showing your mom that you love and appreciate them doesn’t have to be expensive, just heartfelt. Here are just a few ways to show your appreciation for the moms in your life.
[Related: 5 Ways Moms Can Treat Themselves (While Supporting Local Businesses) – Food Edition]
Pick Out a Thoughtful Gift
Rather than buying your mom a gift card for Mother’s Day, consider gifting a more thoughtful present. Research local shops and companies that could use your support this year, or check out our Local Seattle Mother’s Day Gift Guide for ideas spanning from candle-making kits to houseplants and more.
Plan a Visit
There’s nothing mothers enjoy more than spending quality time with their children. In fact, one recent study shows that 82 percent of surveyed moms would rather connect with their children for Mother’s Day than receive a gift. Schedule a visit with the mom in your life and catch up over lunch or a coffee. If you’re unable to see them at the moment, talk with your mom to start planning an in-person trip to visit in the future.
Call or Video Call
A lot of us are big fans of texting. It’s simple, to the point, and takes seconds. With an added GIF or emoji or two, texts can speak volumes. As true as this might be, phone or video calls can mean a lot to mothers everywhere. Have a conversation in real time—you might be surprised at how much comfort and joy you get from hearing your mom’s voice instead of seeing a text alert.
[Related: Pepper’s Personal Assistants Seattle Local Holiday Gift Guide]
Send Her Flowers
You can’t go wrong with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Flowers have been proven to reduce stress and increase happiness, and are a wonderful, uplifting addition to any household. Customize a bouquet online to be delivered straight to your mom’s doorstep, or stop by your local florist or farmer’s market to pick up a colorful bunch yourself and celebrate all that your mother does.
Assemble a Photo Album
With online sites and services such as Shutterfly and Amazon Print, ordering physical copies of the photos on your phone has never been easier. This Mother’s Day gift your mom a photo album full of special memories she can look at again and again.
If you want to think outside of the box, these sites typically have options for custom mugs, mouse pads, and other photo gifts so you’re sure to find the perfect fit.
Give Her the Gift of Pepper’s
Gifting your mom a personal assistant service is a wonderfully thoughtful way to show your appreciation this Mother’s Day. Pepper’s Personal Assistants can help with grocery shopping, meal prep, bill pay, running errands and more to give your mom the time she needs to focus on herself and relax. We offers two service options, so you can choose what you think would be most helpful for your mom.
[Related: All About Pepper’s Personal Assistants—and How We Can Help]
Contact us today and let us help you show your mom just how much she means this Mother’s Day, and every day of the year.
by Kara | Apr 19, 2021 | Gifts, Small Business
Pepper’s Personal Assistants is excited to deliver great content that will help you celebrate the moms in your life, or even inspire some ideas on how to treat yourself. The Pacific Northwest is chock-full of amazing, creative, and delicious gifts and experiences, so let’s get started! From gorgeous ferns and succulents to tasty coffee and chocolate (and lots in between), here is our 2021 local gift guide for Mother’s Day.
Plant Shop (Capitol Hill)
Surrounding yourself with houseplants has been proven to increase productivity, calm nerves, and boost good moods. The past year was a tough one, so these healing benefits may be needed now more than ever.
Forego getting your mom a bouquet of flowers this year in place of a luscious, living plant from Capitol Hill’s Plant Shop. Order online from their selection of in-stock plants for pickup or free local delivery, or opt for a gift card and let Mom choose.
Indi Chocolate (Pike Place Market)
Who doesn’t love chocolate? Rather than picking up some bars from the grocery store, look into supporting a local chocolate shop. Indi Chocolate, located in Pike Place Market, specializes in small batch, single origin dark chocolate, and even hosts virtual and in-store classes. If chocolate isn’t your mom’s favorite thing, Indi Chocolate also makes tasty spice rubs, teas, mixology kits, bath and body products, and coffee—so you’re certain to find a great gift for Mother’s Day.
Elm Candle Bar (Capitol Hill)
Nothing says luxury like a scented candle. Elm Candle Bar in Capitol Hill is a new candle store that specializes in allowing you to pour and customize your own soy candles in-store. Book a reservation for you and your favorite mom, or order a DIY candle-making kit to bring the sweet-smelling experience to your home—or your Zoom hangout!
[Related: Pepper’s Personal Assistants Seattle Local Holiday Gift Guide 2020]
Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, Ravenna, Seward Park)
A book is an amazing gift—one that can open up the reader to other worlds, new knowledge, and adventure. Pass on a favorite read to the mom in your life, or if you’re not quite sure her taste, give a gift card so she can find her own escape between the pages.
Local bookstores like Third Place Books (with locations in Lake Forest Park, Ravenna, and Seward Park) have endless options for new and gently used books, planners, arts and craft sets, and other creative gifts that would make a perfect Mother’s Day present.
Left Bank Wine Bar (South Park)
Sometimes after a long day of running around, a nice glass of wine is just what the doctor ordered. Treat your mom a delicious local bottle from Left Bank, a wine bar and bottle shop dedicated to making natural wine more accessible (and affordable). Check out their online shop or sign Mom up for their monthly subscription service. Can’t choose? The folks at Left Bank are happy to curate 4, 6, and 12 bottle selections for you.
Penelope and the Beauty Bar (Downtown)
This Mother’s Day, embrace the idea of self-care in the form of massages, skincare, facials, and more with Penelope and the Beauty Bar. This luxury spa located in the heart of downtown offers countless ways to unwind and relax. From their high-end beauty and skincare products to their spa service packages and gift certificates, you’ll be sure to find something your mom (and you) can feel great about.
[Related: All About Pepper’s Personal Assistants—and How We Can Help]
Pepper’s Personal Assistants
If your mom is like most of us, she wishes she had a few extra hours in the day. That’s why signing her up for our Task Assistant package is one of the greatest gifts you can give this Mother’s Day. Pepper’s Personal Assistants’ Task Assistant package provides 5 hours with a dedicated personal assistant a week. Help your mom cross off her to-do list and give her more time to focus on herself. Contact us today to find out more!
Regardless of how you celebrate Mother’s Day this year, whether it’s together or over a video, the most important thing is to show your love and appreciation for all of their hard work.
Happy Mother’s Day!
by Kara | Mar 31, 2021 | Health, Home, Parenting
When it comes to home life and the relationships within, stress can be an incredibly damaging element. Our anxiety levels peak, our reactivity tends to rise in direct alignment. We can become snappy, short-tempered, and even aggressive, which is both confusing and upsetting for those around us. Left unchecked, this pattern can lead to long-term communication breakdown.
This is a 3-minute read and a wealth of compassion. If you don’t have the time, we understand, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, and we will make sure you get the bullet points.
How We Operate
None of us operate at our very best when we feel under pressure. Realistically, stress is an unavoidable fact of home life that we cannot always prevent. However, there are many powerful ways to overcome its hold on our emotional balance to take better care of the relationships we care about most. Thankfully—this article is here to help!
Your natural stress response might be to avoid talking about what’s happening. However, the opposite is necessary if you want to stay connected in your household relationships. Whether it’s with a partner, family member, or roommate, an open line of conversation is necessary for all parties to feel safe and honest about their feelings. Without honesty, family bonds are threatened.
Make The Time
When home chores and family responsibilities mount up, our relationship focus can begin to dwindle. We lurch distractedly from one day to the next while telling ourselves we will eventually find time to talk. However, we must create specific times to connect to allow space to communicate effectively. Regular conversational check-ins will soon lead to ‘home-team success.
Talking about how stress makes you feel at a time when you feel calm can be enlightening for others. Set aside quality time to talk through how it feels when you’re overwhelmed. Discuss what would be helpful to you. Perhaps you prefer not to have solutions thrown at you. You might just need a listening ear. Or maybe physical reassurance, such as a hug, would be beneficial.
Communication is Teamwork
Communication is fundamental to teamwork—a family is a team, after all. Therefore, make the crucial effort to ensure you each feel heard. When you’re talking about a problem, particularly if it’s one within the home, make sure you each have space to talk. Resist the urge to interrupt when others are voicing their feelings. You might be surprised at what you learn about them.
Ensure that you allow space within your home routine or work schedule for great communication practices. Tackling a stress-loaded issue while you’re getting ready for work one morning is not going to lead to positive results. Most likely, you’ll lead your day feeling agitated and unclear about what’s happening. Choose regular time slots that suit you both to talk freely.
Put Away Distraction
There is nothing more deflating than opening up to someone before witnessing them glance down at a notification on their phone. This toxic habit can stop a great conversation dead in its tracks. Set aside those digital vices and turn to face one another. Grab some coffee to share and get comfortable. Calmer environments lead to better home communication.
Most importantly—acknowledge consciously that home communication may not always go to plan. Stress can sneak up on us. We might fail to initiate a difficult conversation at an appropriate time or say something we later regret. You are wonderfully human, and the process of relationship-building is ongoing. Be forgiving with yourself and others. You’ve got this!
by Kara | Mar 31, 2021 | Home, Laundry, Organizational
With the change of season comes a reset of home life, and when we talk about spring cleaning, the question on everyone’s mind is: Where to begin?
This is our four-week guide on efficiently checking every nook and cranny off your list and who to call if you don’t have the time. Pro Tip: Start saving those Amazon boxes now for donations, repair, and storage.
This is a 3-minute read and a month full of activities. If you don’t have the time, we understand, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, and we will make sure you get the spring cleaning bullet points.
Week One
Dust Everything
From top to bottom, start in the corners of the ceiling with either a broom or vacuum attachment to reach those pesky cobwebs hiding in your kitchen, living room, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
Then to the drapes, either launder them yourself or have them dry cleaned because, depending on how old they are, they have been collecting dust for years.
Now to shelves and tabletops, not forgetting your books and other decorative knick-knacks while adding anything for donation to the donation box.
Finally, the floors, vacuum, mop, wax, and shine because what goes up must come down, and this task will no doubt leave debris.
Clean Your Electronics
With a damp microfiber cleaning cloth, wipe down all the surfaces of remote controls, phones, both mobile and landlines, tablets, and computers. As some of the most touched items in the home, they are also the least clean.
Week Two
Sort Through Your Shoes
Open toe season is right around the corner, meaning the snow boots and wellies can be stored away, and any older shoes that need repair should be taken to the cobbler.
Clean Winter Bedding
Wash your couch covers, pillowcases, and any other linens used around the house to keep cozy, and take your winter coats to the dry cleaner.
Store Winter Items
As the weather begins to warm, the amount and weight of our clothing start to lighten. Begin boxing sweaters, coats, scarves, gloves, and woolen socks. Don’t forget to check the under-bed storage boxes. Is there anything to sell, donate, or consign?
Week Three
Declutter Your Medicine Cabinet
Believe it or not, cosmetics and medicines expire, and now is an excellent time to weed through them. Get rid of liquid makeup over three months old and powdered makeup that is over a year old. Remembering to be cautious if you have children or pets and where possible dispose of your expired medicines at your local pharmacy. Do not flush them.
Toss Bathroom Clutter
Take everything out of the bathroom linen closet, cabinets, bathtub, and shower. Wash all towels, rugs, and bath mats. Wipe down all surfaces before returning the items and sort those for trash, donation, or consignment.
Week Four
Clean Your Appliances
Take a microfiber cloth with some baking soda, vinegar, and salt as a natural cleaning solution to the oven, microwave, kitchen aid, and toaster oven, anything you cook with, including their plugs, tops, bottoms, sides, and accessories that came with them.
Clean Out Your Fridge and Cabinets
Pull everything out of your fridge and freezer, including the shelves, racks, and storage bins. Bulky things like this we have found best to wash in the bathtub.
Toss any old or unused, spoiled, or expired food items.
Use a cooler to keep things frozen and cool while you work to avoid spoiling.
Run your icecube trays through the dishwasher.
Wipe down insides and out before putting everything back in.
This is also an excellent time to check the kitchen cabinets for any other food that can be thrown out.
And Done
One month full of responsible spring cleaning activities complete. Now when the April showers begin to clear and the May flowers bloom, your home will be ready. Or you could just call someone:
Peppers Personal Assistants
206-228-5768
We’ll take care of it.
by Kara | Mar 5, 2021 | Home, Laundry, Organizational, Outsourcing
Some tasks only need to be done once or twice a year. In this new world of work-life balance from home, we forget to do them because work became life.
Below are our top five things to mark off your list this March to get the work done to only experience life.
This is a 3-minute read; if you do not have the time, we understand; follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, and we will make sure you get the bullet points.
1: Pull Everything off the Shelf
We put things on the shelf at work because they are good ideas but not the right time to execute. In contrast, we place items up on the shelf at home to celebrate them as done, accomplished, complete, or simply forget about them. March is a great time to clear everything from your home shelves, dust, and sort through to decide what stays and what goes.
2: Un-Box it
Life is one Amazon box after the other. Combined, all of these boxes fill our recycle bin to capacity. What do you do? Do you pay for the extra bin, or do you stack the cardboard in your garage until the next dump run? No! Donate it.
Give Back Box provides vendor services to retailers and charities, giving each cardboard box a second life to help people in need. Receive a box, unpack it, then fill it with the unwanted household items down from the shelf: clothing, shoes, etc., and make a significant difference in the life of another person.
3: Flip your mattress
In the world of foam mattresses, the question is to flip or not to flip, and our advice is to consult the manufacturer when in doubt. Most foam mattresses on the market today: Casper, Purple, Lucid, are not made for flipping; however, you can rotate them, remove the zippered cover, wash it and return it for fresher night sleep.
4: Wash and sort all linens
While washing the mattress cover and pulling things down from the shelf, now is also an excellent time to wash all your linens, and we mean all, even the ones at the very back or bottom of the closet or shelf.
5: Get Help
March can be a lot of work…Why not let us take care of it?
Find your personal assistant
