on September 23, 2006 at Central Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas. The reception immediately followed across the street at the Omni Hotel. Leaving the wedding in a trail of streamers, Chris and Melanie caught a carriage ride to the capital. They honeymooned on Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. Congratulations, Melanie! 
Thank you to all of you who encouraged your nanny to attend our annual Nanny Appreciation event. We would also like to thank those of you who nominated your nannies for Nanny of the Year and who wrote nanny messages. These messages meant so much to your nanny. We look forward to seeing you again next year! 
Congratulations to Heather Anderson who received a complimentary 4 hour period with Mom's Best Friend's professional organizer. Heather referred a client who hired a permanent nanny. Refer your friends who need a permanent nanny and you may have our professional organizer at your house too! 
Dallas Temporary
Nanny
Jennifer
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Seasons Greetings from MBF!
[ TOP ] The Holidays are Here! Drawing for $50 Gift Certificate for Feedback Annual MBF Nanny Christmas Party is December 14 at 6:30pm Congratulations to Melanie Travis, Director of Permanent Placements!
Dallas Nanny Appreciation Event 2006 was a Huge Success
[ TOP ] 12/14/06: Annual Nanny Christmas Party 12/22-12/26/06: MBF Offices Closed 01/01/07: MBF Offices Closed 01/15/07: MLK Day- School Holiday! 02/14/07: Valentine's Day- Book your caregiver early!
[ TOP ] We are so thankful to each of you for sending your friends to MBF. [ TOP ]
[ TOP ] Many of our clients have businesses and talents of their own that we feel are of interest to you. This quarter we are featuring several MBF clients who are also published authors. In addition to excellent and relevant reading material, they will make great stocking stuffers this holiday season! Babyproofing Your Marriage “Am I supposed to gush over what a fine job he did emptying the dishwasher? What does he want, a gold star?” - Leslie, married 8 years, 3 kids No one wants to say it, but everyone knows it’s true: having babies and parenting small children can be pretty tough on a marriage. Are you and your spouse enduring the inevitable challenges of early parenthood? Do you see things differently now that you have kids? Do you think you’re the only ones going through it? Then Babyproofing Your Marriage is the book for you. Three wives, mothers and friends, Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O’Neill and Julia Stone have written a funny, thought-provoking, no-holds barred account of the impact parenthood has on marriage. Fueled by their own first-hand experiences and conversations with hundreds of men and women, the authors reveal that the struggle to balance marriage and family is nearly universal. Everyone is going through the same thing. With candor and empathy, Babyproofing Your Marriage explores both sides of the post-baby relationship divide, and offers simple but effective ways husbands and wives can bridge the gap and reconnect with one another -- so that having children doesn’t mean sacrificing being a couple. Be sure to watch their TV appearances on January 23rd on the NBC Today Show and January 24th on Fox & Friends and ABC News Now.
Comeback Moms Comeback Moms is a practical, commonsense approach to career planning for all mothers. Monica Samuels and J.C. Conklin offer advice on how to keep one foot in the professional pool, when and if it's best to go back to school, setting realistic expectations when re-entering an old career, helping your children adjust when you do go back, and rebalancing the marital power when a spouse leaves or re-enters the work force. Many women want to return to the work they love after having children and this book lays the groundwork for your comeback long before you leave a job. It's all here in an invaluable guide for every woman who wants it all. For more information and to purchase Comeback Moms please click here. "You can't fall into the trap of thinking you have to do it all or can do it all. You have to take advantage of opportunities when they're offered." -Ann Richards, former Governor of Texas [ TOP ] By Kim Winblood, MBF Dallas President Q: “What should I do for my nanny for Christmas (ie. what is typical)? If you have questions you would like to ask Kim or any of our panel of industry experts, please send them to leslie.chambliss@mbfagency.com. [ TOP ] Tax Tips from Breedlove & Associates: Ask the Tax Expert By Stephanie Breedlove, founder of Austin-based Breedlove & Associates, Q:As a household employer, are there any tax breaks I can take advantage of? A:Yes, there are two tax breaks available to houshold employers – but they are only available to you if you filed quarterly tax returns to the state and IRS. If you have not been paying legally in 2006 and you’d like to get caught up, call us and we can walk you through the process (this is a very common occurrence since most people want to do the right thing and just get busy and forget). Once you’re caught up and compliant, you’ll be able to take advantage of the Child or Dependent Care Tax Credit. If you have one dependent, you’ll save $600; if you have two or more dependents, you’ll save $1,200. Looking forward to 2007, you should see if the company you or your spouse works for provides a Dependent Care Account (a.k.a. Flexible Spending Account). This tax break typically saves houshold employers between $2,000 and $2,300 per year. Please note: in order to take advantage of the Dependent Care Account for 2007, you’ll need to check with your company’s HR department soon (Most companies are having their 2007 enrollment period right now; if you don’t sign up now, you may not be able to enroll again until the 2008 tax year). If managed correctly, the tax breaks for employers can offset – sometimes exceed – the tax costs. That means you can actually gain money by paying legally! Plus, your employee will get access to important benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment Insurance, Earned Income Credit, and credit for bank loans. Paying legally not only helps you avoid very expensive visits from the tax man, it can also be financially advantageous to you andyour employee. Call us at 1-888-273-3356 or visit us online at www.breedlove-online.com. As a client of MBF Agency, we’re happy to provide a complimentary consultation to help you maximize your tax breaks this year and get you set up for 2007. Founded in 1992 — by household employers for household employers — Breedlove & Associates has served more than 10,000 clients and processed more than $1 billion in household payroll. By focusing on the unique needs of household employers, Breedlove & Associates’ expertise and efficiency has been recognized in The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, Business Week and SmartMoney.com. For more information or a free phone consultation compliments of MBF, call 1-888-273-3356 or [ TOP ] Organizing Tips from Living Order: By Lorie Marrero, Chief Executive Organizer of LivingOrder®, Central Texas' leading team of Professional Organizers since 2000, serving both Austin and San Antonio.
Get your house in shape with The Clutter Diet!We at LivingOrder® have just announced our new, innovative system for helping people get organized online! The Clutter Diet gives members many tools and resources, including a weekly plan of organizing assignments that will cover your entire house over time. The Clutter Diet is the perfect way to help your nanny manager or assistant manage virtually all aspects of your household! It includes our exclusive “Household Systems Workbook” for planning your housekeeping, maintenance, and administration. Take a look at www.clutterdiet.com for more information. Are you ready for holiday guests?This time of year many of us are hosting guests for the holidays. It’s time to perk up the guest room and make it a beautiful, hospitable place for your friends and family. We are happy to provide our Guest Room Checklist to MBF Agency friends and clients to help you prepare for this wonderful time of year. Click this link to get your free copy! http://www.clutterdiet.com/handouts/TCD_Guest_Room_Checklist.pdf LivingOrder provides hands-on services to organize your home and set up systems that you and your household staff can maintain. Give us a call at 512-301-2426 for a free consultation, and visit our website at www.livingorder.com. [ TOP] To Unsubscribe from the Client Newsletter or for questions regarding
any of the content, please email leslie.chambliss@mbfagency.com.
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the nation’s leader in tax & payroll services for household employers
