and the winner is...

Having grown up in the Northeast I consider myself a fall festival aficionado. My husband however, is from the Houston, TX area and is still new to the autumn festivities. He loves the fall just as I do, but has yet to experience enough festivals to really adopt any discernment regarding their quality. In an effort to support his quest to find the "perfect" festival, I have allowed him to drag me to every festival within a 30 mile radius of us, and even one in New Hampshire this season. As you may suspect most were merely local gatherings, but one or two stood out.

And the one that I enjoyed most was the Nasbhoba Valley Winery Bluegrass & Blues Fall Festival. In true fall fest form it had a little something for everyone. Couples, families, dogs, everyone! Being at a winery there were wine tours, but there was even beer on tap. Seasonal brews were offered of course. There was apple picking, and face painting for the kids. You could get your cider donut or caramel apple fix. It was not the place to go if you're looking for local crafts. But, if you're just looking for a fun day with friends, your significant other, or your family (even the dog), complete with a picnic lunch and even some fun music, I would suggest it.

http://www.nashobawinery.com/orchard.aspx

let's get organized!

It's that time of year again. Time to put away those sundresses and shorts and pull out the wool sweaters, down jackets, hats and scarves. For so many people this is a task that they dread. Who wants to spend the time going through all of their clothes when they could be doing something so much more fun on a Saturday afternoon? I say, this task does not have to be as time consuming or as painful as you think. Here are a few tips for making your seasonal closet switch more efficient and maybe even fun!

1. Start with a good attitude. Look at it like you are going shopping. The best part is, the clothes are already yours!
2. Purge, purge, purge. Take this time to weed out both your summer and fall/winter wardrobes. You are already going through them anyway.
3. Get organized! Take this opportunity to put the clothes back into the closet organized by color groups. This will make getting dressed every morning easier and more fun.
   
4. Recruit a friend and do it together. Tomorrow or next week, you can tackle hers!
   
5. If you recruit a friend, maybe enjoy a glass of wine while you purge. It can't hurt.
6. Also, if you take the friend route, maybe even plan a clothing swap with a few friends and really kick the season off! This will be a great way to get rid of all of those clothes you just purged.

And if you just don't have the time, call us and we'll do it for you! Or we'll at least bring the wine, do it with you and make it more fun.

3rd times the charm

It's been awhile since I've actually baked cookies. I've baked pies, cupcakes, cakes, even some dinners. I cook often actually. But, it's been awhile since I've baked cookies. And these cookies proved to be a bit of a challenge.

While baking the My Concierge cookie of the month as gifts for some prospective clients, it occurred to me that perhaps I should bake them more often. It appears I had forgotten how to bake cookies. Likewise, they are peanut-butter chocolate chip, and dairy free so they were a bit difficult to get right. The first ones came out like little globs, with burnt bottoms. The second batch? Less glob like, still burnt. The third batch? Well, as you can see they are quite attractive. The one thing all three batches had in common though - boy were they TASTY!

How might My Concierge save me money?

That's an excellent question! It may seem counter-intuitive to expect a "personal concierge" to actually save you money, as it seems like a luxury service. However, taking the steps to insure that you are getting the best deal can be time consuming. And with the holidays approaching and household budgets tighter than years past, people are certainly looking for the best deals on gifts. A personal concierge can take care of the details for you.

While we are...

• scouring the internet and every store for the best deals
• hitting up the sales
• finding the coupon & free shipping deals
  
• finding the best deals on wrapping supplies
  
• purchasing
  
• wrapping
  
• shipping
• and more...
  

You will have the time to...

• stay at work and position yourself for a better year-end bonus or promotion
• save money because you won't buy out of convenience, while there is a better bargain that you just did not have the time to find
• relax, have peace of mind that we're handling it
• and best of all ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAYS!
  

My Concierge Launch Party

Thanks to everyone who came to the My Concierge launch party! It was a great time, complete with a harvest themed menu of roasted veggie soup, sausage and apple bites and more. There was even marshmallow roasting, the My Concierge caramel apple cocktail, pumpkin ales and mulled cider!

I hope everyone enjoys their gift bags, and their pups enjoy the homemade apple cinnamon dog treats. Chompers was quite dismayed as he was under the delusion that I had made an entire batch of dog treats just for him. He's spent the day pouting over it.

To see more photos of the festivities, check out the My Concierge facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112494&id=124886227695&saved#/pages/Newton-MA/My-Concierge/124886227695?ref=nf

Fall Signature Cocktail

I LOVE fall! What I love even more than fall is a fall festival. And even more than a fall festival, I love to host my own fall festival.

If you're like me, you enjoy a theme for your events. I enjoy going over the top with my themes, and this can be a challenge in the fall with beverages. Sure, we can be obvious and serve some tasty seasonal brews, but what about a signature cocktail? How do I make fall flavored drinks that don't taste like pumpkin? Because in my experience, pumpkin flavored drinks are not a hit. I actually like a pumpkin martini, but I have served them before and they did not receive rave reviews.

So, what is a fall loving, festival throwing hostess or host to do? Take a note from the team at My Concierge and feel free to serve our very own signature cocktail at your fall festival!

CHEERS!

MY CONCIERGE CARAMEL APPLE PUNCH
1 part bourbon
1/2 part butterscotch schnapps
1/2 part apple cider
1/2 part ginger ale

We find this to be quite tasty with or without ice!