It’s not even Halloween, so you might think it’s a bit early to be thinking of the holidays — but, as business owners know, we have to gear up early.  “Got Errands?”  in New Jersey  is now introducing an easy, yet extremely thoughtful option for anyone on your list who is overworked, frazzled, disorganized — or just, plain tired:  Gift Certificates from “Got Errands?”

Maggie Kamin’s clever little certificates will allow you to buy pre-paid hours from “Got Errands?” or, should you prefer, a complete pre-paid service.  Some ideas that will delight the recipient might include, for example:

• Dinner for 4 at your home – Preparation, Service and Clean-up included
• Better yet:  have “Got Errands?” shop for the groceries and put them away — and then prepare and serve dinner!
• Organize all the closets in the Master Bedroom
• Best idea:  Treat yourself.  Have all your holiday shopping done by Maggie and her staff at “Got Errands?” of New Jersey.

For those of you in the NY metro /northern New Jersey areas who are in a position to take advantage of the real estate opportunities available during the economic downturn, I have a way to save you time, energy and effort.  House hunting can be a tremendous drain on your time.  Realtors, ever more desperate in these times, can send you on wild-goose chases, as you find yourself looking at properties that do not remotely resemble your parameters.

Instead of wasting your own time — waste mine!   Seriously: Time is a scarce commodity — but you can buy it inexpensively.

Just give me the specifics of the kind of property you would like, your location preferences, all your requirements — and a time and address to meet your realtor.  I can scout out the property ahead of time. You need only look at listings that really do fit what you are looking for.  You can work, party and tend to your life, while I sweat the small stuff for you!

Contact Maggie at http://www.goterrandsusa.com

… just a thought on this beautiful July 4th weekend!

If  I’m not there to tend your grill for you, please  follow these safety tips:

1. When a grease fire flares up, don’t pour water on it to control it: Baking soda, a bucket of sand or a fire extinguisher work best.

Why not water?  The water heats up in a flash because of the extremely high temperature of the grease, causing the water to vaporize on contact. The vapor then expands about 1000 times the liquid volume, and it now holds grease particles within it. Now the grease is spread over a larger area and the rate of combustion increases exponentially. The result is a flash of heat and light and energy – a sort of nuclear grease explosion.

2. Don’t rely on your sense of smell or a visual check to determine if food is done. A thermometer is the only reliable way to insure no harmful bacteria have survived the cooking process.

3. Never leave your grill alone: For safety’s sake, this much is obvious. But a corollary is: Always have everything you need close at hand. You don’t want to run into the house to get the spatula or seasoning. You could get distracted once inside – and, barring a fire, you can still wind up overcooking the food.

Stay tuned for tips on keeping the grill clean and keeping your cool when food starts to burn…

Stressful times? Need cash?

Go through your closets and prepare four piles:
1. Throw away
2. Give away / donate
3. May be worth something to someone

Then call me. I’ll do the rest.

I’ll organize your closets for you.

I’ll get rid of what you don’t want.

I’ll bring the items you wish to donate  to Goodwill or wherever you designate.
Here comes the “money in your pocket” part….
I’ll divvy up the last pile into three more piles:

For consignment shop
Sell on eBay
For garage sale

Then I’ll bring the first pile to a consignment shop — and you’ll get the cash when they sell.

I’ll help you list appropriate  items on eBay for you.
And I’ll help you organize and hold a garage sale for the rest.

You’ll find yourself with beautifully organized closets — AND extra cash!

Mother’s Day Gift

Get Mom a Gift Certificate at GotErrandsUSA.com for a family dinner prepared and served by me — GotErrands’s owner.

Got Errands of northern NJ - no-stress, no-work, at home dinner

I will clean up every last crumb after dinner — and can even upgrade the gift by adding grocery shopping and delivery to the service.

If you wish, you can embellish the gift by making it a package of two or three dinners (or more)  – or even a  dozen: “Dinner of the Month.”  I’ll come to your house once a month for the next year — on a day of your or your spouse’s choosing (with only 24 hours’ notice each month) — and shop, cook dinner, serve and clean up.  Now that’s gotta be one of the best gifts any overworked, overscheduled, overstressed mom or spouse has ever received!

Visit Got Errands USA for contact info, details and other services.

Happy Mother’s Day! — Maggie

By the end of the month it will be time to start up your grills and barbeques!  If you want to relax at your backyard, poolside parties, instead of sweating over the grill, think about enlisting some help.

GotErrandsUSA.com features  — arguably   –  the most expert grill and barbeque chef in Northern New Jersey.

As of May 1, 2009, Got Errands USA will begin offering Wake-Up Service to preferred customers for a small fee.

Maggie’s company, Got Errands USA, provides time management and concierge services to individuals and families, whose busy schedules prevent them from completing everything on their To Do Lists each day.  By insuring they are not late for appointments, and making sure they wake up at the appointed time, Maggie can help them be on time all the time.

The swine flu outbreak can be an opportunity…

An opportunity?!?

In a sense, yes. It’s springtime – and what better time to embark upon spring cleaning.  Not just swine flu – but any flu, most contagions, allergens and pollutants — can be contained and controlled by careful and meticulous cleaning. especially if you use a HEPA filter.

Not enough time to do even the regular tasks on your “to do” list — before you add “spring cleaning”? You can try using one of the services in your area, such as GotErrandsUSA.com in Northern New Jersey.