Happy Holidays!

The new website is launched, and now it is off to the next project.  We are still busy working out a few of the glitches, if you are having any issues with your account be sure to let the office know so we can pass it  along to our web designers.  

Sitters: We are busy planning our Holiday event! We plan to have a bunch of food and drinks, fun games and prizes. We are tentatively planning to hold the event at the Student Union on Ohio State's campus so that all sitters can have easy access to the venue. We will be holding the holiday party on Sunday January 15th.  We hope all the sitters can make it out and help us celebrate! Be sure to check your email for an Evite! 

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! 

Morgan

11.21.11

The long awaited arrival for the new site is finally coming to end. No really. This time its actually happening. TONIGHT!!  We are really excited, and hope all of you are as well.  We are cranking the Christmas tunes, I’m sipping on a non fat latte compliments of my Starbucks gift card

 (Thanks Amanda, another perk of interning.)  The office is full of decorations that are putting me everyone in the office in the Holiday spirit! 

[candy tray that we are devouring]

[best candles ever, scent: winter wonderland]

Happy Thanksgiving, we hope everyone has a great Holiday Season! 

New website!

We are launching the new site TONIGHT! The phone is ringing off the hook. We are trying to figure out all the glitches before it goes live.  Crazy town in the office, check back Monday with more intern updates!

xx

Morgan 

Holiday Season!

I’m back in the office on this lovely Monday.  We are in full-holiday mode. How is it mid-November already? It’s crazy how time flies.  We are up to the usual weekly routine. Amanda had amazing salad creations for lunch at the office today, and I have been munching on left over Halloween candy in between working.

But, in more important news, we have a few exciting things coming up. The Holiday issue of our newsletter is going to be sent out very soon, keep your eyes out for that.  Erin, another office intern, created a fun and informative letter, we hope you enjoy!  Also, we are SO close to launching the new website.  It could be as soon as Monday and we could not be more excited! We will be sending out an email with all the new information, and some tips for using the new site, and all the new features.  We are also finishing Amanda’s press kit, we are hoping SMS will be featured in upcoming issues of your favorite magazines!
Hope everyone has a great week!  

Intern life!

SMS is growing so quickly! When I started this blog back in June, it was only Amanda and I in the office.  Now, 5 months later we have grown to three interns.  It makes everything run so smoothly and the never ending to-do lists seem to get accomplished much faster.  It will be great to have the extra brain power for the upcoming holidays. 

Speaking of holidays, Amanda made each of us the cutest Halloween baskets with these amazing candles 

(we are all somewhat obsessed with candles in general) and delicious, practically sinful, sugar cookies. She has made intern life pretty great!

Be sure to check back on Monday,  we plan to feature more small local businesses. 

Morgan 

Blue Ring Residential services!

We have been in luck over the past few weeks with the weather, but alas, the dreary days of Ohio are upon us.  For me, this means hibernation in a big cozy sweater with my Starbucks and laptop until the sun peaks out in March. 

This weather brings with it loads of fallen leaves, probably some leaking water and standard year to year maintenance on your home and yard.  Keep in mind that Blue Ring Residential Services provides a full circle of services for your home.  They also have a 24 hour emergency number which could be very helpful this upcoming winter! Some of their services include:

Landscaping

Restoration & Maintenance

Lawn Care

Water Damage Repair

Mold Remediation

Air Duct Cleaning

Home Organizing

And much more.

Be sure to check out their website for more information!

http://www.blueringresidential.com/blue-ring-residential-services-lewis-center-oh.php

10.12.11

Last week I blogged about our non-profit launch party that took place at Thompson Park.  As I said earlier, the event was a great success and we wanted to give a special thanks to all of those who came out to support us.  When we were cleaning up from the launch party, Amanda noticed this cute pumpkin that was painted by Lexi Niekamp. We love seeing our logo hand painted on this festive decoration.  Thanks Lexi!

More exciting things are happening in the office this week.  We have a third intern joining the team, Erin Barker will be working with us.  We are excited to have more room to delegate, especially with the Holidays right around the corner.  There will be more posts about that in the next couple weeks, maybe even a little photo of the office crew.  Hope everyone has a great Wedneday! 

10.5.11

 With the craziness that has spiraling around the office the last few months, today feels like a relatively calm day in the office.  With the all staff meeting behind us as well as the success of our launch party on Sunday, today seems relaxing.  I’m sure this amazing weather is adding to that.  Our next big project is gearing up for the busy Holiday season, and hopefully launching our new site as soon as possible!

We are also welcoming more interns into the office in the next coming weeks, it will be exciting to have more people in the office, and more help with all the paperwork!

Check back later for more updates!

Morgan

9.26.11

Today I got into the office a little bit later than normal, I was sitting for a family all morning and ended up running a little late.  We are still busy filing all the paperwork from the meeting and updating the social media sites.  We are also getting ready for the Bexley Shop Hop that is coming up on November 5^th.  SMS will be providing sitters for the event. 

We are also really excited in the office today because the launch of our sister organization, Simply Friends Forever is this Sunday! We have no idea where the time has gone, but October 2^nd is right around the corner! We have so much fun stuff planned for the kids and great auction items for the adults.  Face painting, pumpkin painting and warm apple cider to say a few!  Amanda and the crew of planners have been working on making this event fabulous for several months.  We are excited to finally celebrate the beginning of a very successful nonprofit organization! Keep your fingers crossed that the weather is nice for our event and be sure to join us and bring family and friends! It is located at Thompson Park, 5600 Thompson Rd Gahanna, OH 43230.

9.19.11

  The rainy weather today made it so hard to get out of bed this morning.  But, I did arrive, and have been busy updating all of our records from the meeting yesterday!

 The meeting went smoothly and there were no major issues.  It was fun to have everyone get together in one place and put faces with names. I have been filing their paperwork and updating their schedules, so it was nice to meet them in person.  

 We also took a group photo that Amanda uploaded onto the SMS Facebook page.  Everyone should check it out. Although there are a bunch of girls missing because of conflicts, it gives you a general idea all the SMS girls!

This week we are just busy getting everything updated from the meeting, hiring new staff for Fall and Winter Quarter, and hopefully sending off a few press kits in the near future!

Lets hope this weather turns around, because I’m not ready for the dreary days of winter just yet.

Still hoping to meet everyone at the Simply Friends Forever Launch Party!  October 2^nd 3-5pm.  Join us for face painting, pumpkin decorating, warm cider and tons of awesome auction items!

Check back next week!

Morgan

9.12.11

Normally the office is pretty busy and we somehow manage to fit in a blog post right before we head out for the night. This past week was crazy and I totally forgot to post about the day. Today has been even crazier.  So many sits being requested,  the new website is ALMOST ready to launch, the meeting is happening Sunday, the Simply Friends Forever launch party, etc etc.  The list does NOT end.  Amanda is referring to it as Crazy Town in here. I have to agree with her on this one.  SO just a reminder.

THIS SUNDAY: Sep 18^th is the mandatory sitter meeting at 4PM

The Simply Friends Forever Launch Party is October October 2 from 3-5! I am on the events committee and we are busy planning some fun events for the kids and some great auction item for the adults.  We are looking forward to a great turnout.  Be sure to bring family and friends out to help support this amazing organization. 

Ok. I am off to staple 100 packets together for the sitter meeting.  I will blog again after the meeting!

Happy Monday J

Morgan

8.29.11

Hello!

I’m blogging from home tonight.  Tomorrow there is a bunch of stuff going on and my computer time will probably be limited. 

This week has been so crazy busy.  I moved out of my campus house, into a new house, one street away.  I never knew how much junk I had accumulated over the last two years.  But that is over and done, Thank God.

Tomorrow, Amanda and I are meeting at her office, running a few errands, and then its off to Starbucks! I am tagging along with her on my first interview session for potential sitters.  It will be an interesting experience, and I hope to learn a lot.

SO this post is short and sweet but just wanted to update everyone on this weeks happenings in the Intern World.  I will update the Blog later in the week!

I hope everyone had a great Monday! 

8.22.11

This week flew by, Thursday was our committee party for Simply Friends Forever.  A big Thank You to everyone who came out. It was amazing to have all the committee members under one roof discussing such a great cause. 

Friday and Saturday I was busy sitting for a few different families, and today, I am back in the office getting ready for another week of craziness. 

We just mailed out another weeks worth of Birthday Cards for our SMS kids, we hope they are enjoying receiving them in the mail.

We are still working hard to fill after school nanny positions.  Anyone who is looking to nanny should set up an interview with Amanda.  Interviews are taking place on August 30^th at 4 and September 16^th. 

We are on the hunt for a box or folder for this press kit.  The last ones we ordered were definitely not as they appeared on the website.  So we are back to square one. Our box is out there somewhere, we just need to find it.

That’s all for now, be sure to check back throughout the week for updates! 

8.15.11

We are busy busy busy here at the office today. 

We are sending out our weekly birthday announcements and updating all the sites, as usual.

The press kit is coming along, piece by piece. It has been quite the process, but we are getting excited to finish it!

We are also putting together some last minute details for our upcoming meetings: 

This Thursday, Aug 18^th at 7:00 pm is the Committee Party for Simply Friends Forever. We will be discussing the upcoming Launch Party and ways to become involved in this amazing organization!

We also have our Mandatory Sitters Meeting, on September 18^th at 4pm.  This is right around the corner, which is hard to believe, where did the summer go? Time needs to slow down. I’m not ready for school to start!

Also, So many after school positions have come through that we are trying to fill! If anyone is interested in filling one of these positions be sure to give Amanda a call at 614- 743- 4745. 

We also just received our event cards for Simple Friends Forever, these will be a great help in spreading the word about our upcoming events! 

In the upcoming months The intern Blog will be featuring small business.  This week, we are featuring Blue Ring Residential Services.  The owner, Ryan Hosein, is a new client of Sitting Made Simple.  

Ryan started Blue Ring in 2010 and has been in the green industry for the last nine years! His service provides everything from landscaping to environmental services, home organization and handyman services. 

Be sure to check out there website at http://www.blueringresidential.com/index.html or contact them directly for more information!  614-633-6770.

8.11.11

            I am back in the office after a really relaxing vacation in Michigan.  It was just what I needed and the weather could not have been better.  We spent the afternoons in the lake and nights by the campfire.

             Now I am back in Columbus for the rest of the summer, which means back to interning. Today I went through some old Nanny and Sitter files.   I updated and organized the paperwork making everything easy to access.   Out with the old and in with the new!

            After that, Amanda and I went through a long checklist of Sitters who need to respond to our invitation for the Mandatory Sitter Meeting that is taking place on September 18^th at 4pm.  Sometimes I feel like Facebook is more of a hassle then a help.  But I guess it is the best way to communicate with people quickly. 

            The rest of the day will be finishing up odds and ends before the weekend, and updating our Blog and Twitter. 

            I hope everyone had a great week.  I am looking forward to the weekend, but I will be back in the office on Monday so check back for more SMS updates!

And I almost forgot! Amanda ordered new business cards a few weeks ago, and we finally received them in the mail.  We think the new and improved cards look fab!

8.1.11

Today we have a bunch of stuff on our plate, as usual.  But some exciting things got finished over the weekend.  SMS's new business cards are ordered and on their way. They look GREAT and we are really excited about them! Amanda put an order in for sample boxes that will hold all of her press kit info. We ordered a few different styles, so we are eagerly awaiting their arrival.  Now we just have to finish all the pieces that go inside.  The whole thing is coming right along, pictures are the next thing on the list.  After that, we will be well on our way to finishing that project.  

         The website is also on its way to being completed, only a few more weeks until scheduling and confirming sits becomes a WHOLE lot easier.  That is beyond exciting.  Especially for me (as a sitter) confirming sits on my phone will be so convenient.  

         Today I am updating our social media, sending out email blasts, working on the press kit and some other odds and ends.

         I am going to Michigan tomorrow for a week long vacation.  I am so excited to get out of this heat, and away from summer school.  It has been interfering with my summertime plans way too much! I’ll be back updating the Blog when I return! I hope everyone is having a great summer! 

7.29.11

I will just start off by saying that I am so happy to be inside, it is so unbelievably hot out today.   My little corner side desk is looking pretty appealing right about now.  And on another note, TGIF, it’s been a long week. 

            Today we are revamping our SMS business cards, updating social media (obviously) and sending out the weekly birthday cards to all our summer babies, (even though most of them aren’t babies anymore.)

            Last night Amanda had a meeting with the New Albany Business Connections women at Tailfeathers boutique in New Albany.  Owner, Katharine Butler Elliott, is always a gracious host, with wine waiting upon arrival!

            Amanda had an amazing time with these women and got loads of inspiration.  She also got some great ideas for her press kit from the trendy and innovative Brenda Khoury, owner of Small Helpings, who we previously featured on our intern Blog a few weeks ago.

             So, that has been our afternoon, we are busy piecing together the press kit, along with returning emails, and making phone calls. The list is never ending really!

7.25.11

It’s Monday! The weekend flew by, as usual.   Now it’s time to get back to work.  We are sending out birthday cards to all our SMS kids who are one year older this week.  Hopefully it will be a nice surprise, who doesn’t love receiving mail? We are also busy creating events on our Social Media sites and trying to maneuver through the confusing Facebook world.  I didn’t know there were so many different options for one simple task.  What’s a girl gotta do to create an event and invite some friends? Apparently a lot.  Amanda and I are not exactly tech savvy but we manage, somehow. 

            Our big project for today is creating a rough draft for Amanda’s press kit.  We are doing some research and trying to pull it all together. 

On another note, Amanda is obsessed with magazines and saves all of them for me to read, I have a stack sitting next to me.  It’s tempting to catch up on all the celebrity gossip that has happened as of late.  But that will have to wait.

7.15.11

After a brief hiatus from posting, (Summer is officially in full swing) the intern blog is back in action!
We are making lists and checking them off! The to-do list today involves plenty of paper work, finishing some birthday announcements, Twitter updates, and Facebook posts.   Thank God Amanda picked up a few Starbuck's iced coffees to help us crank through some of this work, a little caffeine boost should do the trick!

We just booked our Calendar's for the committee meeting on August 18th,  and the Nonprofit (Simply Friends Forever) launch party that is coming up later next month on August 25th.  Stay tuned for updates in the upcoming weeks, we have so much exciting stuff coming up towards the end of summer! 

Also, Amanda and I have been chatting about the new updates on the website.  There are so many changes that will make scheduling and confirming sits so easy! I'm really excited for all the updates and I'm sure all of you are to.

Keep in mind that our SMS mandatory meeting for sitters is closely approaching. Sunday, September, 18th.  Be sure to stay tuned, we will announce the location in the coming weeks. 

Im off to finish checking things off this list! 

I hope everyone is having a great summer, 

Morgan 

6.24.11

This week on the intern blog I am writing from home.  I took the week off from interning to visit family in my home town of St.Louis.  It has been so relaxing, and the weather has been great! This past few months has been super busy with school and work and it is always nice to have some time off.   Now, down to business.  This week, Sitting Made Simple is featuring a business that is aimed at helping busy parents on the go.  Are you getting stuck in a rut when it comes to being creative with your kids meals? Its often hard to give your kids nutritious meals that are also delicious.   We have just the solution! Small Helpings was started in 2009 by Brenda Khoury.  Her focus is to give busy moms on the go a weekly meal plan that is healthy and geared towards your kids!  For only $9/month, you can receive customized weekly meal plans, easy recipes and shopping lists. Small Helpings has even gone international and their meal plans can be accessed all over the world! The website has great tips on everything from picky eaters, to potty training, food nutrition and eating out.  Signing up is a breeze, simply go to www.smallhelpings.com, click the "Lets Get Started" box in the middle of the page.  We hope you find this as useful as we did!  Don't forget what a great gift this would be at baby showers!

Be sure to check back next week with more updates and helpful tips.  I am off to take my puppy for a swim! Have a great weekend!

Morgan

First Post!

Interning at Sitting Made Simple

Hello World! Sitting Made Simple has been expanding at a rapid pace. In order to keep up with the growing demand for expanded social networking, we have decided to start a blog! Morgan will be interning over the next year, and is going to keep this blog updated along the way.  We hope you will follow as we document a day in the life of a sitter and intern.  We will update the blog with information about our expanding services, our non-profit launching this fall and our updated website that should be completed in July! 

Day 1: 6.14.11

First day of interning is in full swing!  It was a bit of a challenge navigating the New Albany roads and after a brief detour I finally arrived.  I was greeted by Amanda's three hyper pups, after a brief introduction to Theodore, Sammy, and Zoey it was off to work.  We started the day off with a recap of the days plan.  I started to research some blog options, update our facebook and twitter accounts.  Amanda came up with some creative ideas for birthday presents for all the SMS children.  Those of you with a birthday coming up, get excited for your gift in the mail! Check back to our blog in a few days,  there will be a new post on an upcoming business that has started here in Ohio to help those busy moms on the go!