To simply deliver what is expected is not customer service.  That is the privilege of collecting a paycheck. What I expect and what you can expect from all of us at StoryTeller is to over-deliver, to consistently exceed expectations and most importantly to be one step ahead of our clients expectations.  It’s the reason our clients come back to us again and again and why we continue to earn their business.

Some principles that are part of our fabric of doing business:

• Respond quickly with enthusiasm, energy and creativity
• Stay in front; offer ideas and solutions before our clients think of them
• Provide relentless attention to detail
• Add unexpected value
• Allow no surprises
• Commit to our clients success
• Demonstrate a total can-do attitude
• Deliver MORE than is expected

Now, more than ever, with all of the Social Media outlets today, customer service has never been more important.  Both good and negative experiences are shared exponentially.  As the saying goes,  ”if you don’t take care of your customer… someone else will”.

Here’s our FAVORITE product:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU_mAoY07jo

• Perplexus Puzzle challenges you to guide a ball through a mind-boggling 3-D labyrinth to reach the finish point. It’s fun for everyone, whether you’re 8 or 58.

• Star Wars Force Trainer is perfect for any Star Wars fan: just “use the force” to levitate a sphere up and down the chamber      through 15 levels of Jedi mind training.
• LEGO Mindstorms NXT: Use LEGOs and programming technology to create your own robot!  This is sure to be an even bigger hit with adults than it is with kids.

• Zenith: This stacking game requires plenty of strategy, and includes two double-sided game boards for four challenging ways to play.
• Perplexors: It’s just as important to exercise your brain as it is your body, and these engrossing deductive logic puzzles will do just that.

Well, I’m bound and determined to not join in the race for busiest mom.  From internet shopping (for both groceries and gifts) to teenage manpower, I’m taking advantage of all the help I can get!

I have slowly reached this level of zen as I’m fully realizing that my kids are growing up fast (too fast) and that I don’t want to wish away these awesome and precious family moments. Here’s how I’ve learned to keep holiday stress to a minimum:

• Delegate Chores:
  • All holiday decorating is done together as a family or it won’t be done at all. From the outside hanging of lights to the inside primping and grooming, everyone is responsible for their share. If we lived in a perfect world, we’d accomplish assigned tasks together while humming Christmas songs. In my imperfect world, we decorated the tree to the roar of the Vikings game, but nevertheless, the tree is done and it looks as serene as I feel on the inside.
• Buy Services:
  • With all the hoopla and entertaining of Christmas, my cleaning people come weekly to minimize my stress and keep the home looking festive and clean.
  • All my groceries are ordered online, keeping my trips to the grocery store few and far between.
  • My kids were asked to write down their few favorite Christmas gift wishes, and luckily, most could be ordered online and are currently awaiting wrapping (another shared task between my husband and me).
• Keep my Perfectionist Expectations to a Minimum:
  • In order to get every family member to chip in time and effort, my biggest job is to not have an agenda about what the outcome has to look like. My Christmas tree is decorated to the nines with more ornaments than I personally prefer, but I’ve learned to keep my comments to myself. “WOW, this is the prettiest tree I’ve ever seen,” I say instead.
  • The Christmas cookies my son and daughter baked (from scratch) and decorated with mounds of frosting are probably close to uneatable, but the festive food coloring and the mounds of laughter are captured in my heart and on film  (And lucky for me, Coborns Delivers has a great selection of Christmas cookies which will add to our homemade assortment).

And though you won’t find me complaining about the stresses of the holiday season, you may find me bent over the dessert table at the next social gathering, scrambling for just one more homemade cookie NOT made by my offspring!

If you feel the same as I do, there are some great geography toys out there that may interest you:

• “Where in the World?” game helps kids learn about different countries’ flags, populations, currencies, languages, religions and economies.  A helpful feature is its design, which allows younger and older children to play at the same time.
• For kids who are serious about geography, you may want to invest in MindWare’s brand new interactive “Smart Globe 3,” which teaches kids about different countries’ people, weather and currency.  It can be updated online, keeping information current even as situations change around the world.
• Kids who are learning about the United States would enjoy “United States Bingo.”  It’s a fast-paced game that teaches kids about American regions, states, landmarks and industries.

One thing I try to do at home is to bring up geography in normal, daily conversations with my kids.  When a foreign country comes up, I think about potential connections between the people we know and the nation being discussed.  Maybe someone mentions Japan.  Since I lived there many years ago as an exchange student, I’ll talk to my kids about the families with whom I stayed, say a phrase or two in Japanese, and mention my favorite Japanese food.  If I’m not as knowledgeable about a country, we might hop online, research the country, and see what interesting facts we can discover.  Maybe we’ll discuss the native animals that live in that country or talk about its climate.

In our increasingly international world, it’s only going to benefit your children if they develop a large world view and an interest in what’s out there.  You can make the different countries of the world come to life during day-to-day conversations, by playing fun and interesting games and by being personally interested in the world yourself!

• Try a Screen: Screens are a great way to separate spaces and are very versatile since they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In addition to their functionality, they also are a great decor piece.
• Hang it from the Ceiling: Sheer fabric suspended from the ceiling works great, especially in bedroom and dining room areas. It can work great for creating a cover for a closet, and is a nice way to give the illusion of separation while also creating a beautiful design piece.
• Utilize Shelving: Tall, open, free standing shelves work great for storage, displaying treasured items and adding a bit of separation to a room. The key with these pieces is to make sure to display things that look good from both sides.
• A Tall Order: A high-back sofa serves as a good room divider too.

Despite the temptations that surround us, there are strategies we can implement to prevent weight gain while enjoying the festivities:

• Eat a healthy breakfast. Be sure to start your day off with a nutritious breakfast—preferably one that includes protein and whole grains (such as peanut butter on whole wheat toast) as well as some fruit and dairy.  Be sure to eat healthy snacks throughout the day.  The last thing you want to do is arrive at a party feeling famished and then eat everything in sight.

• Carefully select food choices.  Think about what you want to “spend” your calories on.  Skip the “ho-hum” dishes and enjoy your favorites, considering which ones are healthier and keeping portion sizes in mind.  You may opt to skip gravy and other high-calorie condiments.  Remember that old habits die hard.  Are you truly hungry enough for seconds, or are you heading back for more just because that’s what you usually do?

• Watch the liquid calories. Eggnog, hot chocolate, peppermint mochas—there are plenty of high-calorie drinks to savor.  Unfortunately, researchers have found that they don’t make our stomachs feel full.  If we consumed the same number of calories in the form of a food instead of a drink, our stomachs would feel more satisfied.  Think of sweetened drinks as an occasional treat and be mindful of how many calories they contain.  Also, be wary of alcoholic drinks.  Not only do they increase your caloric intake, but they can also make you feel more uninhibited and therefore more likely to overeat.

• Don’t linger near the food.  Where are your feet?  If they’re near the buffet or in the kitchen, step away!  You’ll be more likely to graze if you’re close to the food, so socialize away from it if possible.  At buffets, try to choose a smaller plate if one is available.

• Think vegetarian.  Many parties will include dishes for vegetarian friends and family members.  Fruit and veggie-based dishes tend to be healthier and may be good choices.  Even if they’re relatively high in calories, they usually have more nutritional value.  One strategy is to fill up on fruits and vegetables and take only small tastes of the other dishes.

• Make time for exercise. Schedule time for exercising in your calendar and stick with it.  A busier schedule makes it harder to find time to work out, but get in what you can, where you can, even if it’s for only 10 or 20 minutes. Get in extra steps when possible by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking far away from the entrance of a store, and taking a walk over your lunch hour.  Start a new family tradition by inviting everyone to join you for a walk before dinner.

• Focus on people, not food.  In your mind, emphasize that the holidays are about reconnecting with friends and family, not about eating.  Pace yourself, eat slowly, and revel in good conversation.  Make it a goal to learn more about a coworker or have a meaningful conversation with an acquaintance.  Share what’s going on with you, enjoy chatting, and most importantly, have a wonderful time.

Don’t be too hard on yourself.  Do the best you can to eat healthfully, sneak in some exercise, and make healthy choices.  Keep all good things in moderation and have yourself a very merry holiday season.

We’ll deliver between 4 - 7 p.m. on weekdays, so you can pick up your groceries on the way home from work.  Orders placed by 10 a.m. can be picked up the same day - which means that you can order the ingredients you forgot for dinner and pick them up on your way home without having to run to the store!  Delivery will be free on any order of $25 or more.

For more information, click here.

• Match the bedding: If we have agreed on bedding, that is the best place to start choosing a wall color. Holding color samples up to a pillowcase or sham can be very helpful, as opposed to just choosing a color that looks good to a child in the store.
• Tell the child there is extra space in the garage.  “Take your blanket — and leave your cell phone on the counter.”
• Ask an associate: There is nothing like a professional to give an objective opinion and take the pressure off mom or dad. They also can act as a middle man, since most often, if it’s someone else’s idea, it’s fine (as long as it’s not the parent’s, right?). And likely, the associate will read between the lines and help steer the child in the direction of a good color choice!
• Try it out! It never hurts to get a trial size quart to go and put the child’s dream color on the wall. In the natural light of their room, even they will quickly see if it is not going to work out. And maybe you will realize that even if it’s not your top choice you can live with it…

It's bright. But is it right? We can both live with it -- for a while, anyway.

• Remember: It’s not your room! When decorating a room with a child involved, it’s important to pick your battles wisely. Perhaps you can convince your child to select the bedding you like more, or the furniture that will last a lifetime, and for the moment compromise on the wall color – knowing that in a few years they will grow tired of it. And you don’t have to sleep there anyway!

Wall color can always be changed…but letting your child have some say in their own space can change your child forever. Compromise can be a life lesson – for all of us.

• Extreme Dot-to-Dot Books - $15.95 for set of 2: We’ve mentioned these a lot lately, but it’s just because they’re so cool. Some of the puzzles have more than 1,400 dots to connect - which makes them great for kids and parents alike.
• Dizios - $19.95 : This is like dominos with a colorful twist, and is great for family time.  It might be the perfect family activity for that lull between the present-opening and dinner.
• Cook it in a Cup - $16.95 : This kit has more than 29 tasty recipes for miniature dishes, including lasagnas and fruit tarts.  What a great way to introduce kids to the joy of cooking - and come up with a delicious treat!
• Ultra Stomp Rocket - $14.95 : Kids will be learning about physics as they adjust their stomping to impact the rocket’s trajectory, but all they’ll be thinking about is how much fun they’re having sending a rocket more than 200 feet in the air.
• All Around the USA BrainBox - $14.95: This test of historical and geography knowledge and memory is a great way to learn about - or brush up on - United States trivia.  Perfect for family fun!