Happy Kwanzaa

Happy Kwanzaa!!

Photo Courtesy of USPS.com

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!!

Photo Courtesy of USPS.com

Merry Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve!!

Please enjoy Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright 

Photo Courtesy of: USPS.com

All I Want for Christmas......is You

This is my husband, Bryan, and I's first Christmas as a married couple and unfortunately he is working and will not be home until Dec. 26. This is our life right now and we make do. Not ideal, but we make it work and I am lucky to be able to spend Christmas Eve with my in-laws and Christmas Day with my family. Of course I can't wait to see Bryan on the 26th. 

I leave you with a great video of The Roots, Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey and children singing All I Want for Christmas Is You with classroom instruments. 

Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey and the Roots

Photo Courtesy of: Rifle Paper Co.

Sandy Hook in Our Thoughts

Our thoughts are with the people and community of Sandy Hook. 

"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." - John Lennon

Photo Courtesy of: QuotingEccentricity

Snow Globes

During the holidays a common decoration people to use are snow globes. They also make great gifts too. The past several years I have seen a lot of elegant snow globes. Surprisingly I still don't have one, but I think I may get one this year if they go on sale.

Photo Courtesy of: Sumally and West Elm

Goodnight Nanny-Cam

Below is a poem that was in The New Yorker and that I thought  was hilarious. Hope you enjoy!

Goodnight Nanny-Cam
posted by Jen Nessel and Lizzy Ratner

In the great green-certified room
There was a smartphone
And a silver spoon
And a picture of—

A high-contrast, brain-stimulating black-and-white moon

And there was a musical concert by Baby Mozart

And high window guards
And French flash cards

And a fireplace safety gate
And toys without phthalate

And a sterilizer and bottle brush and bowl full of organic mush

And a bilingual nanny who was whispering “hush”

Goodnight room

Goodnight recycled baby wipes with no perfume

Goodnight high-contrast black-and-white moon

Goodnight baby monitor
And the nanny-cam

Goodnight French flash cards
Bonne nuit petit canard

Goodnight non-slip socks
And goodnight sustainable-wood blocks

Goodnight friends with unique, unusual names
And goodnight brain-development games

Goodnight digital archive of baby’s first years

And goodnight Doctors Karp, Leach, Ferber, and Sears

Goodnight wipes warmer and yoga mat, HEPA filter and sun hat,
Sunscreen, sunglasses, sleep sack, outlet cap, sleep coach, G &T coach, star charts, consumer reports,
Vitamin D, anything with Omega-3, French au pair, filtered air and—

Goodnight alpha parents everywhere.

Illustration by Kris Mukai.

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/shouts/2012/11/goodnight-nanny-cam.html#ixzz2Een5SXk8

Article and Photo Courtesy of: The New Yorker 

Happy Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah! If you celebrate Hanukkah, what do you do for Hanukkah? Do you celebrate with friends and/or family? 

Photo Courtesy of: Gathered Prayers

Remembering Pearl Harbor

Today marks the remembrance of Pearl Harbor that occurred on December 7, 1941. This is great day day like any other to remember, think about and thank our service men and women who serve our country and who have served our country.

Speaking of war or remembering, last night my husband, in-laws and I went to a very wonderful and moving exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston called: WAR / PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath. I highly recommend you go and see it. It is on display until February 3, 2013.

www.ecomodernconcierge.com

Photo Courtesy of: Naval History & Heritage Command

Tis the Season of Giving

This is the season where many people are in the giving spirit and do a lot more giving than usual. 

Common ways do give:

• Give your time and volunteer for various organizations
• Donate money to different charities
• Donate toys to various organizations that help children in need
• "Adopt" a child / family for the holidays
• In my case, a few weeks ago I cut my hair and donated it to Locks of Love

These are just a few ideas, but there is so much more you can do and it doesn't have to be just during the holidays, you can do it year round. 

In what ways to do you give either during the holidays or throughout the year?

www.ecomodernconcierge.com

Photo Courtesy of: INABA

The Holidays Have Begun

The holidays can be a very hectic time where you have a ton of things that need to be done. Eco-Modern Concierge is here to help you with your everyday needs. Below are some tasks that I can assist you with this holiday season and beyond. 

• Personal assistant / Lifestyle Management
• Organizing
• Eco Consulting
• Shopping
• Booking travel
• Much more

My company is based in Houston, TX, but I help people virtually as well. Just contact me Amy, info@ecomodernconcierge.com or 281 961 1914. 

www.ecomodernconcierge.com

Photo courtesy of: Cupcakes and Cashmere

Pinterest for iPad

So recently, while using Pinterest on my iPad I was having difficulty knowing how to "pin" things from websites using my iPad. There is the app for Pinterest, but it doesn't have the pin button on the top of your  url bar like you have on your computer. This website: http://bit.ly/wsjmyK was very helpful in figuring out  how to insert the pin button onto my iPad. It was easy breezy and I definitely recommend you using the step by step instructions.

Photo Courtesy of: apple.com

Organic Dog Treats

Like most dogs my dog LOVES treats. I try to make him organic dog treats when I have time and always make him organic cupcakes on his birthday.

Try this recipe that is simple and easy and that your dog is sure to love: http://www.all-natural-dog-treat.com/peanutbutterdogtreatrecipe.html

Recycle Wire Hangers

Recycle your old wire hangers at your local dry cleaner. Many people think that wire hangers are pesky and don't like to see them in their closets. Plus it can be a reminder of a Mommy Dearest moment.


www.ecomodernconcierge.com


Photo Courtesy of: katiemorton.com

Time Management

Time management can be a difficult thing for some to overcome. Practice these tips from Entrepreneur.com 


Practice the following techniques to become the master of your own time:

1. Carry a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week. This will help you understand how much you can get done during the course of a day and where your precious moments are going. You'll see how much time is actually spent producing results and how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.
2. Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work. Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts, conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep these appointments.
3. Plan to spend at least 50 percent of your time engaged in the thoughts, activities and conversations that produce most of your results.
4. Schedule time for interruptions. Plan time to be pulled away from what you're doing. Take, for instance, the concept of having "office hours." Isn't "office hours" another way of saying "planned interruptions?"
5. Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you complete your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.
6. Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. This will help you know what success looks like before you start. And it will also slow time down. Take five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If not, what was missing? How do you put what's missing in your next call or activity?
7. Put up a "Do not disturb" sign when you absolutely have to get work done.
8. Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up. Disconnect instant messaging. Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls.
9. Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these tools to generate business.
10. Remember that it's impossible to get everything done. Also remember that odds are good that 20 percent of your thoughts, conversations and activities produce 80 percent of your results.

Tips from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219553


Photo courtesy of: dailyapple.blogspot.com

Eco-Modern Concierge Social Media

Eco-Modern is trying to utilize social media on a more regular basis (hopefully). Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Feel free to ask questions or make comments.


Facebook: http://on.fb.me/wOFvZy
Twitter: http://bit.ly/ymuAxQ

Shelf Dividers

Some of my favorite shelf dividers to use are lucite or acrylic shelf dividers. They are sturdy and stylish. Use shelf dividers in your kitchen, office or your linen closet to keep areas nice and divided. This also helps you distinguish and exact place where things are supposed to go. You can find them right here: http://www.organize.com/acsheldiv.html 

www.ecomodernconcierge.com


Photo courtesy of: brides.com

Dog Parks in Houston

Dogs need to get out and play. Consider taking your dog to a dog park. It is a great thing to do for you and your pet. Be sure to bring your own biodegradable bags to clean up after them. 


Here is a list of dog parks in the Houston area: http://www.doggoes.com/parks/texas/houston 

Happy Lunar New Year!

Happy Lunar New Year! This is the year of the dragon. It is supposed to be a year full of success and happiness. It is supposedly a great year to get married and have children (lucky for me I am getting married this year!). The USPS has some awesome year of the dragon stamps available as seen above. Use them to send someone a letter in the mail.




Photo courtesy of: usps.com 

STOP SOPA/ PIPA

I am a supporter of stopping SOPA and PIPA. If I could figure out how than I would shut down my site for today, but it appears that I would be shutting down my website completely. 


There are many sites that many people use everyday that you will not be able to use like Craigslist  for today.


For more information please visit this google site: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/


Photo Courtesy of: www.google.com

January is Get Organized Month

January is get organized month. What are you doing to get organized? I decided it was finally time to organize all my photos. I received a ton of photo albums for Christmas, so I have been writing on the back of all of my photos and putting them in albums. When I see awesome deals on websites like Walgreens or Snapfish, I have been ordering all my digital photos that are on my computer. It takes a ton of time. I personally still LOVE 35mm cameras, but it is becoming expensive to develop the film. 


Photo courtesy of: www.thecamerasite.net