Tag Archives: NYC

From Lockdown to Getaway

Let’s dream of our post-Covid travel bucket list!

As we enter the New Year with high hopes of a happier and healthier summer awaiting us, we couldn’t wait any longer to daydream and discuss our next vacation for once the pandemic is eventually under control.

So until we can feel the sand between our toes again, dust off our passports and squeeze ourselves into the swimsuits that still have the tags on from last year’s shopping spree, we decided on practicing a little preparation meets opportunity! We want to talk places, prices, and portions!

We caught up with our jet-setting Wonder Woman, British American Household Staffing CEO/Founder Anita Rogers, who was more than happy to share her travel tips and wish list resorts for 2021.

Anita, where will be the first place you will be flying off to when it’s safe to travel again?

To Greece! There is no country like it, the Aegean glitters like diamonds on a deep azure water, like the quote from Homer’s Odyssey: “There is a land called Crete, in the midst of the wine-dark sea, a fair, rich land, begirt with water, and therein are many men, past counting, and ninety cities.”

The Aman resort in Porto Heli, very close to Spetses, which is the island I go to often, is absolutely exquisite.

Which resort do you visit again and again ~ and why?

Il Sereno Lago di Como – Torno, Italy. It is pure luxury and tradition right on Lake Como. I got most of my operatic vocal training in Italy and performed there for many years so I adore Il Sereno Lago di Como. As a business owner I often fly to Lago di Como for a break to recharge my batteries and sometimes I join clients, either art collectors or those who want their villas staffed. I love Italy and Italian traditions so it’s a favourite of mine.

What travel tips do you swear by that might surprise people?

Our BAHS resident estate management consultant Kristen Reyes shared a piece of business advice and she’s never wrong! She said to only ever charter yachts and to only ever purchase a jet! Apparently, yachts depreciate in value but private jets are safer if you are in control of their maintenance.

I’ve also held on to the advice from a fashion designer friend of mine who said, roll, do not fold your clothes when packing. And he was right! It frees up so much space in your bag and it also minimises wrinkling! I was also advised once when travelling by yacht to push the furniture against my wardrobe in my suite. When you travel overnight, the waves and wind can suddenly become very high and all the wardrobe doors start swinging open which doesn’t make for a peaceful night’s sleep!

As a gallery owner (Anita Rogers Gallery is based in Soho NY and represents both primary and secondary artists), I know from personal experience that it’s always best to visit historical sites and museums etc, very early, very late, or when people eat! I always go to attractions at lunchtime as there’s less people since most tourists on city break trips head to lunch. So this way you get the most popular places all to yourself!

Another one of our wonderful clients told me that she Googles ‘where do chefs eat in…’ whatever place she is in. It’s such a great idea and the restaurants that you find are amazing because they’re the chosen ones by those Michelin star culinary chefs! That’s how I discovered Bob Bob Ricard in London and Providence in LA.

View the full interview on BAHS.com 

Nurture Creativity: At-Home Activities for Children

As families settle into the new year, with the holidays behind us and summer still months away, it is a great time to encourage children to explore their creativity at home. Sit down with your child and ask them if there are any new skills they’d like to try or ideas they’d like to pursue; with plenty of time at home and more virtual options than ever, it could be the time to learn an instrument, pick up a second language, or add more creative play to each day.

View our recommendations, from story time to outdoor play to digital museums, on the BAHS blog. 

Start the Year Off Right with a Properly Staffed Home

As we enter 2021, many families are reassessing their home staffing needs. The pandemic has changed the way we do nearly everything, including staffing and household structuring. What worked pre-COVID may no longer be suitable with changes in schedule, location, and lifestyle.

Here at British American Household Staffing, we have experienced a huge increase in families searching for specific types of staff as of late, particularly childcare and learning support, newborn specialists, housekeepers, chefs, and temporary/travel staff. We understand our clients’ needs are changing rapidly and we are working hard to meet growing demand. We have top quality staff in every state in the U.S., as well as across Europe, the U.K., and Switzerland. For families who are uncertain what type of staff is right for them at the moment, we offer home assessments and property visits.

For those expecting pandemic babies, please rest assured that we work only with the highest quality maternity specialists, both British and non-British, and many are ready to begin working immediately. However, we are experiencing unprecedented demand, particularly for newborn care, so we recommend starting your search as early in the pregnancy as possible.

As always, we’re here to assist with all your household staffing and educator needs during this challenging time.

View full post on www.bahs.com.

Happy, Healthy & Nutritious New Year!

From the British American Household Staffing blog

by Roxanne Carrion

It’s that time of year again where we set goals and goodwill resolutions in the name of a clean slate as January 1st arrives.

While we reach for more leftovers and loosen our belts after an indulgent festive period, chances are it’s not just Christmas, but Covid pounds you’re dealing with on the scales!

I think it’s safe to say that 2020 has been more shaken and stirred than a James Bond movie. Those bursting diary planners we once carried littered with scribbled plans for lunches, classes, appointments and meetings are now thrown into a junk drawer since the abandoned pages became increasingly less inked.

Our comforting rituals and social interactions have now been on hiatus longer than the promised Friends reunion.

Our appetite for life seems to have been replaced with an appetite for several servings and midnight snacks thanks to such a stressful and emotionally charged year.

The ever mentioned social distance rule we’re constantly reminded to keep has also regrettably made its way between us and our diets!

That’s right. I’ve spent 2020 socially distancing my way from the morning healthy Nutribullet juices, my power walks around the park and the hot yoga classes I’d attend with friends.

 

Read the full post on www.bahs.com

BAHS Blog: Last Minute Gifts for Everyone on Your List

It’s been a busy year for all of us and many of us haven’t had the time to find the perfect gifts for everyone on our lists. The team here at British American Household Staffing has put together our choices for thoughtful last minute gifts that are sure to be a success, whether in person or over Zoom! Happy Holidays!

Cameo is a service that allows you to create personalized videos from celebrities, athletes, and other entertainers. With a huge range, from Santa and Buddy the Elf impersonators for children to singers like LeAnn Rimes and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz to NFL star Brett Favre, there is sure to be something for everyone in your life. Prices range from $25 to $1,000+ depending on the celebrity; many videos are complete in less than 24 hours and delivered straight to the recipient’s mailbox.

MasterClass has a holiday special offering 2 for 1 memberships at the moment; the site offers a huge variety of streaming classes led by experts in their chosen fields. Courses include cooking with Gordon Ramsey, creativity and leadership with Anna Wintour, and acting with Natalie Portman.

 

Read the full list on www.bahs.com 

BAHS Blog: Make This Season Special with a Private Chef

As restaurants close down and we spend more time than ever at home, many families are choosing to hire private chefs, either on a permanent or seasonal basis, to make meal time a little more special. Whether you’re planning a cold weather staycation or are looking for restaurant quality meals daily in your own home, we can assist. We have chefs across the U.S. and internationally and many are ready and willing to relocate. We still have a limited number of chefs with holiday availability; contact us today to hire the chef that’s right for you.

What is a Private Chef? 

A personal or private chef is hired on either a part or full-time basis by a family or single person. According to the American Personal & Private Chef Association,

“A private chef is employed by one individual or family full time, and often lives in, preparing up to three meals per day. A personal chef serves several clients, usually one per day.”

A private chef will hold a degree from a reputable culinary school and will typically have a minimum of four years experience in a domestic setting. Their main responsibility is to prepare meals for an individual or family. They may live-in with the family to provide on-call service or plan weekly meals according to a set schedule. A common schedule for a private chef is to work mid-morning to evening in the home preparing lunch, dinner and breakfast for the next day. They will also be essential in planning any events in the home.

Read the full post on www.bahs.com.

Hiring Household Staff During the Pandemic

Written by Roxanne Carrion

I think we can all agree that 2020 will be well and truly the year that we all take a well earned deep breath! It will also be the year that forced us to reassess our lives amidst the chaos of what we could and could not control. It broke work commitments, projects, deadlines and family get-togethers. However, perhaps once the dust has settled, this year may be actually remembered as the making of us rather than the breaking of us. The year that took away our comfort, our freedom, our variety, but in return, gave us back the seclusion and space to explore new directions.

When our GPS discovers a problem up ahead, it simply re-routes to get us to where we are going. At British American Household Staffing we pride ourselves on being a navigation that can re-route you when lost or struggling to get to where you need to be.

At British American Household Staffing we make it our priority to find the silver lining in the cloud that has disrupted so many lives this year. Being one step ahead of the unpredictable nature of life, we have developed an impressive roster of reliable, responsible, and recommended staff to service your household at this crucial time more than ever.

View full post on www.bahs.com

Mark Webber: Material Guy

Mark Webber: Material Guy

Making sculptural works from an array of mixed media

by Kelly Velocci

Mark Webber Anita Rogers Gallery Hamptons Cottages and Gardens
Mark Webber practices two very different kinds of work. His vocation: custom cabinetry fabricated for high-end Hamptons homes. His avocation: sculptures made with Hydrocal, a plaster-like material, and a mélange of found objects from construction sites and other sources. Although these two endeavors are vastly disparate, both are rooted in the art of fabrication. “There’s a craftsmanship aspect to cabinetmaking, whereas sculpture requires you to be more creative,” says Webber, a Connecticut native and longtime resident of Sag Harbor. “Sculpture does not have an inherent purpose, like a cabinet does. I have to think about different things when I’m making either one.”

Webber graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from SUNY Purchase in 1980, but soon shifted his focus to cabinetmaking to make a living. Around five years ago, however, he decided to “acknowledge my creativity again” and began experimenting with sculpture. He started working on wooden forms before transitioning to plaster and, more recently, Hydrocal, which he casts or shapes with hand tools, such as spatulas and knives. “All those years as a cabinetmaker gave me a solid base from which to start making sculpture,” Webber says. “It was like my springboard back into fine arts.” He has lately been pushing the boundaries of his pieces further, incorporating found objects— steel scraps, bricks, rubber—in order to bring a sense of tension and balance or create “an interesting compositional relationship.”

 

View PDF of full article
View on Cottages & Gardens website

Insider: Nannies who have coronavirus antibodies are in high demand

Anita Rogers quoted in Insider article:

As more parents return to work, families have to make touch choices about childcare. 

After months of balancing jobs and childcare — without school, daycare or private caregivers — parents across the US are now making tough childcare choices as cities reopen. Employed parents need childcare in order to work, but bringing a nanny into the home also means bringing in additional exposure to the coronavirus.

That’s why some parents are taking extra precautionary measures, which may mean paying a premium rate. Some families are looking to hire nannies who have already had the disease, but it’s not a guarantee of higher pay, said Anita Rogers, CEO and founder of British American Household Staffing, an agency that places caregivers in both the UK and the US. Hiring someone who tests positive is by no means a foolproof plan either, since it’s still unknown whether people who have recovered from COVID- 19 can get reinfected.

Other families are having nannies who test negative move in with them and aren’t allowing them to leave until there is a vaccine, Rogers said. For that, nannies may be able to command higher salaries.

“This kind of intense time away from home has sparked requests for a higher compensation from the nannies,” Rogers said.

Some families are requiring frequent testing to ensure that the caregiver is and remains healthy, an extra measure some caregivers can charge more for, said Katie Provinziano, managing director of Westside Nannies — a Los Angeles childcare agency. Provinziano said that nannies who are willing to get tested frequently can get about 10% more than the average rate. On average, nannies in Los Angeles make between $25 and $35 an hour, she said.

 

View full article on Insider.com

James Scott Films Streaming This Summer

James Scott Films Streaming This Summer

James Scott’s Summer Streaming continues with the following schedule:

July 6 – 12: The Great Ice Cream Robbery (1971) 40 mins
July 13 – 19: Coilin and Platonida (1976)  80 mins
July 20 – 26: Nightcleaners (1975) 90 mins
July 27 – August 2: ’36 to ’77  (1978) 85 mins
August 3 – 9: Fragments (2019) 43 mins

To view any of the films in the summer’s rotating schedule, go to https://vimeo.com/404435215/27ac239848.

In The Great Ice Cream Robbery (1971), which was proposed to the Arts Council as a two-screen film, the idea was to mirror the language and philosophy of Oldenburg towards temporality and ephemerality in the nature of the work: happenings, soft materials, impermanence. With two 16mm projectors and separate sound systems, its form of presentation would insure the potential of change every time the film was shown. Sadly, it meant that over the years, the film was rarely screened except by risk-averse and totally dedicated curators. Now for the first time in the digital age, it is actually possible to see this as a two-screen presentation as close as possible to how it was originally intended to be seen. We suggest using headphones or a stereo sound system for viewing.

As we were editing The Great Ice Cream Robbery, I also started to work with my friend Marc Karlin on a political documentary about janitors (mostly immigrant women of colour and Irish women) who worked through the night, cleaning office buildings. Little did we realize that we had embarked on a five-year project. We were joined by Humphry Trevelyan and Mary Kelly and called ourselves the Berwick Street Film Collective. Nightcleaners came out in 1975 at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

After the intensity of Nightcleaners, I wanted to move to a completely different kind of film and in 1975 began Coilin and Platonida for German television. This was to be a silent narrative film set in a remote part of Ireland at the turn of the century and based on a Russian short story by Leskov. I had come across the story in Walter Benjamin’s essay on storytelling. This essay very much influenced my filmic approach using 8mm refilmed to 16mm. I found local non-professionals to play the parts as well as using my two young children.

Upon completing Coilin and Platonida, Marc drew me back once more into the Nightcleaners story.  It had been a struggle without an end. The victory strike at the Ministry of Defense had come too late to be included in ‘Part 1’ and so the new film, ‘36 to ‘77 (1978) was to take this victory, and through the eyes of Myrtle, one of the janitors, look back on the campaign and reflect on how it had changed her life.

We end up with my last film Fragments, which in some ways connects to the first art film with David Hockney, Love’s Presentation. Fragments is a film about the painter Derek Boshier preparing for a new exhibition. Both Love’s Presentation and Fragments are films about process, but separated by over 50 years. Derek and David first met at the Royal College of Art and remain friends to this day. Both started as ‘pop’ artists and then followed very different trajectories.

Fragments was completed at the end of last year and premiered in January 2020 at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

– James Scott

Visit james-scott.com/