by Kara | May 29, 2020 | Parenting
As we wrap up the month of May, or as we like to call it “Month of Moms,” and we head into sunnier days, there are sure to bring up phrases like “I’m bored!” So we have put together this list of things to keep the kids busy while staying at home to hopefully provide you a chance to sit and clear your mind for a minute.
There are so many enjoyable activities to help keep kids occupied – and you don’t even have to leave home to do it. Many of these ideas are virtual, and some may require a walk or a fun adventure, but whatever it is, it will be sure not to disappoint.
Kong Academy
A fantastic idea to start with is Kong Academy. Kong is providing resources to create a Sidewalk Adventure with Sensory Integration Sidewalks. A sensory integration sidewalk (SIS) is a path that is designed to give interactive prompts for the participants to receive, organize, and use the information to play and move in a structured way. It is also a fun way to teach a variety of subjects such as science, literacy, and mathematics! You can download the guide to learn more about the Sidewalk Adventure. Make sure to take photos and share them with your friends. Kong is also hosting Virtual Summer Camps for kids of all ages, as well as Private Virtual Instruction, that provides a unique approach to helping people of all ages grow physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Little Hands Creations Sewing Class
You can also keep the little hands busy by enrolling your child in a Little Hands Creations Sewing Class. Think of all the fun your child will have when they learn how to do sewing activities such as Finger Knitting, Loom Knitting, or Machine Sewing. Little Hands Creations also offers private lessons to teach children how to sew by hand or machine, quilting, and more. Perhaps you want to take part in DIY crafts as well; you can shop for DIY instructions and projects. Imagine all the holiday gifts you can have done before the end of Summer!
FrogLegs Cooking School
Host a party for your kids while they learn how to bake/cook fun recipes. You can book a virtual party or class for your kids at a FrogLegs Cooking School, where they will learn how to make fun cupcakes such as unicorns and Harry Potter. Let the kids make dinner with the Proper Pasta Class (feeds FOUR!) or a Deluxe Party Kit, which includes recipes for both dinner and dessert. You can choose to pick up your ingredients or have kits made per party goer. Perhaps you just want a fun change of pace and would like to order food to-go, FrogLegs also offers meals-to-go and meal kits that your whole family will love.
Moon Paper Tent
Moonpaper Tent is a fun, creative, and magical experience for kids of all ages. Hosting a variety of experiences that spark the imaginative process & cultivate personal creativity, Moonpaper Tent offers workshops and classes that teach subjects in creative drama, art and craft-work, storytelling, and magical realism. Currently, they are renting magical party trunks that include curated dress-up for your family (adults included), a craft activity, a treasure box to hide, fresh ideas and games, and a zoom call! This should keep your kids entertained for a few hours. You can also send personalized happy and magical mail to your kids along with some fun trinkets from the Fairy Store, or you can order custom treasures, such as a crown or party favors! Whatever you choose to do, it will surely put a smile on your kids’ faces!
Outschool
Has your child said they want to learn about something new lately, or maybe you want to encourage them to discover a new hobby? Outschool has over 15,000+ classes on a variety of topics led by qualified teachers. Learn from home for as low as $5/class, and the options are endless. Your kids can learn anything from drawing, dancing to yoga, hobby farms, and specialties like special effects makeup and forensic science.
We are sure your kids will love these activities. While we aren’t sure it will keep your kids quiet long enough for you to finish your cup of hot coffee, we do think that they will thank you for investing in their education and extracurricular activities. All the meanwhile, more than anything, we hope you can get a little break.
by Kara | May 26, 2020 | Organizational
Since the outbreak of coronavirus, many states are being encouraged to shelter in place and practice social distancing. Events such as prom, graduation and Senior trips are being cancelled to keep everyone safe — but this doesn’t mean we have to forgo celebrating. If you live with a grad who has had to give up the long-revered tradition of walking on stage and receiving their diploma, you can still find many ways to show your appreciation and pride while staying home.
Have a DIY Graduation Photoshoot
You might miss taking candids of your grad as they walk the stage, but why not take this opportunity to set up some special graduation photos around your home or yard?
Have your grad deck themselves out in their cap and gown, add some props for personalization (new college pennon, sports equipment, or even your family dog!), and snap some photos next to your beautiful garden or the wall of childhood photos in your home. Send these photos out to be printed and framed, and give to friends and family to commemorate this accomplishment.
Plan a Virtual Celebration
Invite your friends and family to celebrate with you and your grad over video chat! Although seeing everyone in person would be preferable, we’re fortunate enough to have the technology to see and talk with people from all corners of the world during this time. Some of the most popular virtual communication apps are Zoom, Skype, Facebook Messenger Rooms, and Google Hangouts. Ask everyone to come with their favorite stories or memories of your grad growing up, and prepare for the tears with some Kleenex!
[Related: Tips to Get Organized This Spring]
Create a Photo Slideshow or Video Tribute
The years of hard work haven’t gone unnoticed — and neither have the awkward haircuts, cute faces, and questionable outfits! Collect photos or videos of your grad from early childhood to now, and ask friends and family to contribute as well. Put together a slideshow of them growing up with easy-to-use apps such as Google Photos, PicPlayPost, VivaVideo, and iMovie. A slideshow would be great to share during a virtual celebration as well!
Decorate Your Home and Yard
Show off your grad by decorating your home and yard for the neighbors to see! Commission personalized banners or signs to place in your yard, decorate your front door with future college banners, balloon arches, and blown up photos of your grad, and fill the house with streamers. Making their environment look exciting and different (even if it’s a bit over the top) will show them that it isn’t just another normal day staying home — it’s their graduation!
Organize a Social Distancing Graduation Parade
One fun way to celebrate your grad is to organize a social distancing drive-by parade. Invite friends, family, and neighbors to drive by your house at a certain time while you and your grad hang out or barbecue in the front yard. They can slow down, honk their horns, blast some music, and partake in a “parade” to celebrate your grad’s big day from a safe distance.
Support Local Businesses
During this time, a lot of smaller, local businesses are really struggling to stay afloat. Why not support some of these businesses that could contribute to your at-home celebration? Hotcakes is currently offering pickup and delivery of their delicious cakes and cookies, and Trophy Cupcakes is selling DIY cupcake kits.
As far as flowers and plants go, Stadium Flowers offers a wide variety of graduation bouquets and leis, the Seattle Flower Lady has same-day delivery, and Capitol Hill’s The Plant Shop has pickup and delivery options for their indoor plants and cacti (with 20% off online orders!).
To help you decorate, the Red Balloon Company, Champion Party Supply, and McNamara Signs have you covered with balloons, signs, banners, and more for curbside pickup and delivery.
Make Future Plans
During this unsure time, there’s one thing we can count on: This won’t last forever. Start brainstorming ideas with your grad about what their ideal non-social-distancing graduation party would look like. Then once this pandemic passes, you can plan for a larger celebration with less restrictions.
Feeling overwhelmed? Along with household management, Pepper’s Personal Assistants helps its clients with party planning by grocery shopping, setting up decorations, and tidying around the house in preparation for guests. Contact Pepper’s Personal Assistants today to find out more about how we can help!
by Kara | May 22, 2020 | Parenting
If you are like many of us, you may be feeling the itch to want to try something new, especially when it comes to what you’re putting on the dinner table each night. That’s why we have put together a list of restaurants recommended by the Pepper’s Personal Assistant team that the moms in your life will love. Mix it up by trying a local restaurant offering takeout and/or delivery. Here are the top restaurants recommended by our team!
Who says you can’t have a fine dining experience while at home? Canlis is everything you need this week to ensure you’re feeling the exciting adventures the big city brings. Personal assistant, Lisa, gives Canlis a high recommendation. Right now during the stay at home offer, Canlis is offering takeout at a fraction of the cost of their typical menu. Not only can you order family meals such as ribeyes, meatloaf, vegetarian enchiladas, and buttermilk fried chicken, you can also order wine bottles, beer, and cocktails to go. When you think that is all you need for a fun friday night, don’t forget the entertainment is supplied also! You can join the Canlis livestream for live piano music, bingo, and shopping to support and benefit a local charity. If you are one who loves to do the cooking, but you’re not a fan of the shopping and meal planning, you can order the Community Support Agriculture box through the Canlis website, which features amazing dinner supplies from local farmers. The cherry on top of all of this? The dinners and the box are delivered to your door!
Tutta Bella comes highly recommended by personal assistant, Peggy, and is a great meal choice for those with kids at home! Tutta Bella’s pizzas are made under strict guidelines and certifications that prove that the pizza you’re eating is authentic, so it comes fresh and full of flavors. Add a delicious salad to your order and indulge in one of the Italian desserts offered- bon appetit! Various locations to choose from including: Issaquah, Columbia City, Wallingford, South Lake Union, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Seattle.
Envision this, you’re sitting on your patio eating a surf and turf meal or perhaps you’re enjoying sushi with a glass of chilled white wine, prepared by gourmet chefs from Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar in Bellevue. The family menu at Seastar is offered twice a week (Wednesdays & Saturdays) and allows you to enjoy dinner for four at home at an affordable price, which includes menu items such as pasta, salmon, or bbq entrees, all meals come with a salad, entree and dessert and all hand delivered to your car by gloved and masked Seastar crewmembers! Although it is a seafood restaurant, our CEO, Kara, loves their filet mignon. There is something for everyone when ordering from Seastar.
Enjoy and treat your mom to delicious and freshly caught oysters and clams for the seafood lover moms in your life. Pepper’s employees, Peggy and Sarah, love and recommend Hama Hama Oysters when the craving hits for fresh shellfish. Hama Hama offers different varieties of oysters, perfect for eating raw, grilled or however you like! You can choose shucked or in shell as well as sampler packs and fresh clams. Hama Hama offers deliveries or in person pick ups if you feel like taking a scenic drive to the Olympic Peninsula (35846 N. US HWY 101, Liliwaup 98555)
Last, but certainly not least.. DESSERTS! Finish off your week with an amazing dessert from one of the amazing bakeries or restaurants Seattle has to offer. Our Personal Assistant’s had a hard time picking just one, so we want to give you our top 3! Recommended by multiple employees, we can’t get enough of the Emerald City dessert places such as Tres Lecheria located at 2315 N 45th Street in Seattle or have it delivered to your home Monday through Saturday. Tres Lecheria crafts Tres Leches cake to keep your sweet tooth satisifed during quarantine.
Hot Cakes has a special twist on logistics right now during the stay at home orders and offers delivery of their desserts through the site Birthday’s Don’t Stop. Pickups are located once a week at the Capitol Hill location. Just pick the desserts you like online, prepay, pick-up and then enjoy!
Sign up for a Goody Box Membership through The Pastry Project, Goody Box supporters will get a box delivered that is filled with student-made freshly baked pastries once a month. These Goody Boxes showcase new skills and recipes students learn throughout training. Between sessions, Goody Boxes may contain pastries from our hiring partners, take and bake items, be an online class, or Pastry Project kits for you to make delicious pastries at home! So now you can eat dessert and feel good about the people you are helping with every delicious bite.
All of these suggestions given are with the moms in your life in mind. Things that may be a special treat, a gourmet dinner, or special drink for the hard days work she’s been putting in. We are certain they will love these ideas and maybe they will even share a bite or two with you as well as a thank you!
by Kara | May 16, 2020 | Parenting
These months of quarantine have been different in more ways than one. Staying home has required us to dine at home a little more than usual and let’s not even talk about all the dishes that pile up from all of these meals! That’s why we want to talk about how you can treat yourself or the mothers in your life as we continue to celebrate A Month for Moms.
This week we are giving you 5 ways to treat yourself that support local small businesses. These tips will not only make your week easier and more simplified, but they’re also a way to add a bit of fun!
- Whether your eating style is keto, vegan, Mediterranean, etc. or whether you prefer delicious international cuisine such as Indian or Thai food, Performance Kitchen (formerly Eat Local) is the place for you. These meals are nutritiously prepared for you so that you don’t have to do the planning, shopping, and cooking. The meals are crafted locally in the Seattle area and can be picked up at locations around town or delivered to your door. To make this even better, you get 5% off your meals when you use the code PepperPersonal5. Although we are an affiliate, we love this product and we are confident you will love the convenience and taste of these meals!
- Make dinner night extra fun with a family cooking class! Many companies are offering cooking classes via zoom right now, including our favorite: The Table Less Traveled. We mentioned this in our Mother’s Day gift ideas and we can’t get enough of it. You can experience Interactive cooking classes from chefs around the globe — in the comfort of your own kitchen! Make Eggplant Parmesan from a Tuscan chef, or Ravioli from gourmet chefs located in Capri, or maybe even Peruvian chicken stew straight from Peru. Is your mouth watering yet? These cooking classes are perfect for all ages and taste buds alike!
- Perhaps what you really need after all of this time at home is a nice glass of local Washington wine, a sparkling prosecco, a cold local brew, or to get fancy with a special handmade cocktail kit. This Seattle Alcohol Delivery & Pick Up guide will help you choose which libation you could be drinking on your couch tonight. Now the hardest part: making the decision on what to order!
- The Bean Box is a tour of the world’s best artisan coffees, delivered fresh to your doorstep, so start your day off right, or the middle of the day, or if you’re extra adventurous, maybe even start your dessert affogato style; whatever way you prefer, we’re not here to judge! The Bean Box is a nice gift idea that includes equal parts thoughtfulness and practicality. They even offer a special promotional rate made especially for all of us hunkered down at home.
- Picture this. The kids are in bed, you’re at home in your comfy clothes and all of a sudden you think of a warm chocolate chip cookie… one that you’re able to eat without the kids asking for a bite, and then you remember this post and you grab your phone and quickly order a cookie or three from Midnight Cookie Company. Perhaps you should get a side of ice cream to go with it, after all, it is your month and we are celebrating.
We hope you enjoy these tips as much as we enjoyed doing the research for them. We are so fortunate to have such fun, delicious, and local treats in our backyard that keep us fed and entertained even while quarantined!
by Kara | May 10, 2020 | Parenting
EDIT: Thank you to all who entered our Month for Moms giveaway! We were able to choose 3 winners who each received 5 hours of help from Pepper’s Personal Assistants. This giveaway is now closed, we appreciate your support!
Check out Pepper’s Personal Assistants Month for Moms FREE 5 hour package giveaway! What’s on your list that you can outsource? Pepper’s Personal Assistants would like to give you the gift of time and take care of it for you.
Ideas for remote and no contact tasks:
1. Calling vendors and service providers to see when they are opening and scheduling appointments before they are booked out too far.
2. Packaging up and returning all of those clothes bought online that didn’t work.
3. Grocery shopping and running errands.
4. Picking up your favorite take out dinner while you focus on work & family.
5. Researching new appliances or private school options for the Fall.
To be considered, fill out the quick form letting us know how we can help.
Unfortunately, due to the volume of requests and employee availability, we may not be able to assist everyone. Our goal is to respond within 24 business hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
- What can I expect if I’m selected?
- We will follow up with you via email to collect any additional information that will help us successfully complete your tasks. The personal assistant will spend up to five hours over the next 2 weeks helping you with your list.
- What if I’d like to nominate someone else?
- If you know of a mom that could benefit from our services please send them the form link to fill out.
- How does payment work?
- If we are making purchases on your behalf we will need you to pre-pay for those purchases via Paypal or Venmo. We will refund any balance after the purchase. We cannot make purchases over the amount you have prepaid. Our services are provided free of charge and we do not add any additional fees.
- What if I don’t want to use Venmo or Paypal?
- If you don’t want to use these options to provide prepayment we cannot make purchases on your behalf but we can still help. If you place an order for groceries online through your local grocery store and pre-pay, our assistant can then pick up the supplies and deliver it to your door.
- What if I don’t have the funds to pay for purchases?
- Can the personal assistant do work in my home?
- No, for everyone’s safety we are only able to do no contact porch dropoffs, errands, and remote work for non-clients.
- I’m not a mom, can I still receive support?
- Right now our focus is on moms and healthcare workers. If we have the bandwidth to support more people in need, we will do so. If you are someone in need of support during these times please complete the form, let us know you aren’t a mom or healthcare worker and we will let you know if we’re able to help.
- What locations are you providing services to?
- We are able to serve Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, and Kirkland.
- What if there is a service I need help with that isn’t listed on the form?
- Please fill in the task under “Other” on the form and we will accommodate if we are able.
