Well,
Summer is now in full swing! Are you making the most of
these warm wonderful days and nights? It's easy to get
lost in the Summertime fun and forget all about those
pressing items on your to-do list. If you're looking to
maximize your beach time and minimize your errand
running, don't forget that we're here for you all Summer
long.
We
hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. As ever, it is
our goal to provide useful information and tips to help
you keep your life in balance, and to be on call for you
when you need help. We'd love to hear what you would
like to see in upcoming issues.
Stars
and Stripes Forever,
Ellen
Lovelace, Founder and President
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July Calendar |
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1
Canada Day
(Dominion Day)
Canada
Day is a celebration of nationalism and pride,
commemorating the date (July 1, 1867) when Canada became
self-governing. Did you know that Canada and the US
share the largest un-defended border in the world? Eh?
4
Independence Day
Independence
Day, the birthday of our country, celebrates the
freedoms and liberties for which our forefathers fought
and died. Today we remember the signing of the
Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, with
hotdogs, fireworks, apple pie, and water balloon fights.
Happy Birthday, America!
14
Bastille Day
Bastille
Day is a French national holiday, commemorating the
storming of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789, and
the start of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a
symbol of the King's dominance over his suffering
subjects, and the storming marked the end of the
monarchy and the beginning of the new Republic.
Celebrate in style this year, with a wedge of triple-
creme Brie and a great bottle of Sancerre!
Have
other dates this month that are important to you:
birthdays, anniversaries, etc.? Visit our
Forget Me
Not page on our website to learn how QCS can make
sure no important date ever goes forgotten again.
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Throw
a Block Party! |
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In
today's busy world, we often don't get the opportunity
to talk to our own neighbors.
Try reserving one day
of the year to mingle and get to know one
another. July 4th is the perfect
date!
Start
the day with a parade down your street. The
kids (young and old) can make floats out of their
wagons, bicycles and miniature motorized vehicles.
The adults can cheer them on and even award special
prizes to each participant. You can be creative
with the awards, such as "most creative use of
balloons", "most colorful", or "most
patriotic".
The festivities can continue
with a progressive BBQ. Each person opens their
home at a particular time and offers a snack or
cocktail, a few get together and host the main course,
and then a few more have dessert stations at their
homes. This requires a little pre-planning and
distribution of the house schedule, but is a lot of
fun! The entire neighborhood travels from house to
house for a brief stay and then it's on to the next
house.
To end the day, everyone loads up
into their vehicles and goes to watch the local
fireworks display. It's a great way to get to know one
another and to make lasting friendships with those who
live closest to you. Take the initiative, find a
neighbor to help, and send out letters to everyone on
your block outlining your plan. If only a few join
in the first year, keep the tradition going, it will
catch on.
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Nothing
can ruin a good BBQ faster than the invasion of
pests.
While you may not be able to keep them all
away, there are a few pointers to keep their appearance
at your party to a minimum.
- Plan
on serving food indoors and reserve the outdoors for
entertaining.
- Standing
water is a breeding location for mosquitos: drain
birdbaths, ponds, children's pools and water toys
prior to your event. You can refill them the day
of your event if needed.
- Store
leftovers in sealed containers and wipe the exterior
to remove excess sticky or sweet
residue.
- Keep
recycle and garbage containers away from the
crowd. Consider keeping these items around a
corner from the fun.
- Wash
all utensils and empty dishes ASAP.
- Stinging
insects are attracted to sweet smells. Avoid
scented candles and keep flowering plants a distance
from eating areas.
If
your yard tends to attract more persistent insects,
consider calling in a pest control professional before
your event. They can treat the area and offer
suggestions for ways to make your BBQ more
enjoyable.
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Meet
Our Newest Concierge! |
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We're
thrilled to announce the addition of our latest
concierge to join the team, Andrea Brooks.
Andrea
comes to us with a background in and passion for event
planning. Any and all aspects of events
(decorations, research, invitations, gift shopping, menu
planning, etc.) put her on cloud nine. Andrea
also enjoys the more simple errand running, because
she loves checking lots of things off of to-do lists!
Andrea
enjoys anything that she can do to help someone
else. She also loves tackling new
things she has never done before,
because she tries to live by Eleanor Roosevelt's
quote, "Do one thing every day that scares you."
We
welcome Andrea to the team and know that she will help
us serve our clients
well!
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