Summer – A Caring Nanny

June 13, 2019 Blog By admin No Comments

Happy Camper!

It’s summer time which means it’s the perfect time to leave the electronics at home, explore the beautiful outdoors and create camping memories the kids sure won’t forget. Here are a few camping do’s to keep in mind when camping with the kiddos. We’ve also listed a few of our favorite places to camp in Arizona.
Camping Tips:
– Test Run: It’s not a bad idea to do a “test run” in your backyard prior to going on a camping trip. This will give the kiddos and you an idea of what it will be like sleeping in a tent.
– Washing Station/Wipes: It’s a must that you will get dirty camping – it’s so fun exploring in nature for worms, pinecones, fishing, etc. Although at the end of the day, it’s nice to take the dirt away. Bring lots of antibacterial wipes or set up a washing station with a bucket of soap and water.
– Entertainment: Bring along some extra fun things for the kids such as bubbles, squirt guns, coloring books, binoculars, magnifying glass and card games.
– Night Time Safety: Campsites are extremely dark at night and can be scary for kiddos but you can make it fun by bringing headlamps, flashlights, book lights and lanterns.
Family Camping Sites in Arizona:
– Woods Canyon Lake: Woods Canyon is 30 miles east of Payson and a 2 hour drive from Phoenix. You can fish, rent a boat at Woods Canyon Lake and they even have a little market to get supplies/ice cream. Check out more information or reserve your camping spot here.
– Lo Lo Mai Springs: Lo Lo Mai is located between Cottonwood and Sedona. It’s located on the creek and offers restrooms/showers, swimming pool, spa and playground. They also have a little market to get supplies. Check out this fun camp site here.
– Flagstaff KOA: If you are more of a “glamping” kind of family this is the place for you! You can rent tents/cabins, they have WiFi, Cable TV, bathrooms/showers, bicycle rentals and a cafe that serves breakfast every morning. You can get more information about Flagstaff KOA here.
We hope you found the above useful as camping with family is a lot of fun! Relax and enjoy making outdoor memories with your family.
Happy Camping ~
Caring Nannies

Tags: A Caring Nanny, camping, Caring Nannies, Family, glamping, Nanny, Scottsdale, Summer

5 Great Reasons to Hire a Summer Nanny for your Children

1. A refreshing change of pace-letting kids be kids

Children today have hectic schedules, and the summer heat is a natural cue to slow down, give them time to swim, dream, think, read, draw, paint, devise science experiments and fun learning games. They are in large groups of 20-30 children all year. This is an opportunity for a time to develop creative skills, have some alone time to think, be with siblings, and just enjoy being home. They’ll be more productive next fall after a real break.

2. A time to be creative-

Our nannies do more than supervise your children. They can plan and implement daily curriculum, monitor your child’s development and plan fun games and activities throughout the day.

3. A wider perspective- A nanny can take children to museums, the zoo, as well as field trips to the candy factory, fire station, crime labs, get them involved in the local library reading program, help them write and illustrate their own books, create and record their own music, make movies, write a neighborhood newspaper, grocery shop and cook dinner, or take diving lessons. It’s a gift to allow them to be bored for a while and have to come up with ideas, or to set up an intriguing ‘play station’ that draws them in, like playing hospital. Your goal is for them to play for long periods without too much involvement from adults.

4.Nannies are there for the whole family

A nanny can take an older child to a sports camp, but allow them to be home the rest of the day. During down time, she can keep up with the laundry, shopping and dinner preparation, or organize the pantry, so when parents come home at the end of the day, they can relax knowing that the day’s most pressing needs have been met.

5.Why Caring Nannies rather than an on-line site?

Our screening process is thorough and meticulous and we only take 7% of candidates who apply to us. We are very selective and have higher requirements than online sites.

Caring Nannies is offering a one time Summer Nanny Discount of $100 off the Summer Placement Fee if you start interviewing before May 31.

What Caring Nannies offers–
Some see us as only a nanny agency, but we send out Baby Nurses, Newborn Specialists, Sleep Trainers, Mother’s Helpers, Nanny/Managers, Post-surgery Assistance, Housekeepers, Executive Housekeepers, Chefs, Personal Assistants, Estate Managers, Couples, Butlers, Event Care, Party Childcare, Wedding Childcare, Corporate Backup Care and more! Candidates can be Live-in or out, Full or Part Time or Temporary.

Don’t Let The Flexible Spending Account Window Pass You By

From our friends at Breedlove and Associates . . .
The Flexible Spending Account Window

Summertime is upon us. Since more babies are born in the summer than any other season, it’s a good time to share a very simple tip that can save new parents up to $1,700.

The Situation

A couple gave birth to a baby boy on July 3, 2011. In mid-July, they began searching for a nanny so the mom could go back to work after Labor Day. With about 2 weeks to spare, they found the perfect nanny.

When the mom went back to work, she learned that they had missed out on a major tax break.

break.

The Law

Families with childcare expenses are entitled to tax breaks to help offset some of the costs of care. (There is no income restriction on the childcare tax breaks so everyone qualifies — as long as the children are under age 13 and both spouses are working, looking for work or full-time students).

The most lucrative childcare tax break is the Dependent Care Account (commonly called a “Flexible Spending Account” or “FSA”). FSAs are federal tax breaks offered through business employers as an benefit to their employees. If either one of the spouses has access to an FSA through their company, the family will be able to pay for up to $5,000 of childcare expenses using pre-tax dollars. That means the family has no taxes on that portion of their income,

which will save them between $2,100 and $2,300 per year, depending on their marginal tax rate.

Enrollment in the FSA is limited to once a year (most companies offer open enrollment in the fall for the subsequent tax year). However, there is a 30-day window after a “life-changing event” (i.e. birth of a child) when the family can enroll immediately — allowing them to take advantage of this tax break during the current tax year.

When families don’t have access to a Flexible Spending Account (or miss the 30-day window enrollment opportunity), they can utilize the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit when they file their federal income tax return. This tax credit allows families to itemize up to $3,000 per child per year (maximum of $6,000 per year). After the 20-35% tax credit is applied to those expenses, most families will save $600 per year if they have one child and $1,200 per year if they have 2 or more children.

The Outcome

Because the family missed the 30-day window for life-changing events, they were not able to enroll in their FSA program for the 2011 tax year, and therefore, missed out on $2,300 in savings.
Instead, they had to settle for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit using Form 2441 when they filed their federal income tax return. The tax credit saved them $600 in 2011.
The difference between the two tax breaks for this family was $1,700 ($2,300 – $600). That $1,700 in extra tax breaks would have paid for a lot of diapers!

How It Could Have Been Avoided

Unfortunately, this story is extremely common. As first-time parents become first-time employers, there is a lot of new information to process. During this busy stage of life, families need expert guidance and support throughout the nanny search and hiring process. Without it, oversights, mistakes and missed opportunities happen regularly — especially in the tedious and complex world of household employment tax and labor law.

As a remedy, Breedlove offers a New Employer Orientation free of charge. This 10-minute no-pressure, no-obligation phone call allows a Breedlove household employment expert to assess the family’s unique situation and provide expert guidance on all the tax and labor law issues that will come into play for them. Whether they decide to use their “nanny tax” service or not, this guidance will likely save thousands of dollars and dozens of hours.

888-BREEDLOVE (888-273-3356)

www.myBreedlove.com

Tags: Babies, Breedlove and Associates, Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, Childcare Tax Breaks, Dependent Care Account, Dual Income Families, Federal Income Tax Return, Flexible Spending Accounts, Form 2441, Going Back To Work, Nannies, Payroll and Taxes, Savings For New Parents, Summer, Tax Credits, The Perfect Nanny

Happy Camper!

5 Great Reasons to Hire a Summer Nanny for your Children

Don’t Let The Flexible Spending Account Window Pass You By

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