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A few of our favourite things? about Victoria We feel truly blessed to be living on this little piece of paradise called Vancouver Island. We?ve been living here for almost 5 years and still have to pinch ourselves every year around this time when we see crocuses, tulips and daffodils poking up through the soil. We moved here for the quality of life, for us, but mostly for our children. Clean air and water, safe streets, little traffic, good bike lanes, beautiful beaches, parks, trails, good schools and fantastic weather. So here are just a few of the wonderful discoveries and our favourite things: Restaurants CanoeClub ? always great food but love mostly love sitting on the patio on hot? summer evenings Bubby Rose?s Bakery ? best baked goods in Victoria Wildfire Bakery ? also has the best baked goods in Victoria and even better bread Willy?s Bakery and Caf? ? great eggs benny. And just a nice place to hang out (had the Eggs Benny there again today – mmm it was nice) Mo:Le ? great food (breakfast/lunch) reminds us a lot of Queen St West in Toronto. Cycling & Hiking Our whole family cycles and we spend a lot of time riding. My husband commutes to work via bike (26K round trip). Victoria has some of the better bike lanes, but the pearl is the Galloping Goose trail which runs from the Sooke Potholes to Downtown Victoria and up to Sydney. You can find one of us on some section of the Goose most weekends. The Victoria area also has some great mountain biking trails – so I?m told.? We never got into mountain biking so I can?t say from personal experience. We used to hike around one or both of the Thetis lakes (upper and lower) almost every weekend. Still get out there about once a month. It?s tranquility and beauty is soothing. Mt Work is a nice hike. Suitable for the whole family. You?…

We were asked recently by a client to help them find and evaluate assisted living facilites in the Victoria BC area for their elderly parents. Obviously not an easy task if you don’t live in Victoria. Even harder if you’re in another time zone, have a full-time job and/or an immediate family to care for. We discovered that while there are many assisted living facilites in Victoria, some of them are regsitered with the BC Ministry of Health Services (all publicly subsidized and private-pay assisted living operators in British Columbia must register). Currently there are only 16 such facilities that are registered with the government of BC. We have created a convenient, and free, Google Map of all 16 of these facilities to enable you to see what part of the city they are in and the surrounding facilities and services that are within walking distance of each facility. If you would like more information about any of these facilities or have questions about their surroundings please don’t hesitate to contact us or call (250) 508-7761.…

A new & positive trend seems to be emerging even in this changing economy. We have been getting several new clients from Alberta and the US that have vacation condos in Victoria. They visit about once a month and have engaged Victoria Concierge for a number of services both while they are in town and when the condo is vacant. Services including: Stocking the condo with their favourite things (groceries, liquor, flowers and the like) so they’re all set when they arrive and don’t need to make that dreaded trip to the supermarket so there’s milk for the coffee in the morning. Making reservations at their favourite restaurants and booking tickets for the symphony, ballet (Coppelia this weekend), concerts and even the Salmon Kings Arranging for contractors to do work, managnig their access to the unit and monitorign/reporting on progress. Picking them up at the airport Having their vehicles serviced while they are away And of course our Natural Condo Cleaning while they are away, so the condo is fresh and clean when they arrive. If this sounds like something you would enjoy, please contact us.…

Here are a few of the tasks we’re working on for clients this week: Scheduling and appointment setting (doctors, spas, dog grooming) Travel & car rental bookings Restaurant reservations Arranging domestic services (maids & a gardener) Sending out schedule reminders General purchases (Costco & online) Preping condo for owner’s arrival Product research (appliances) Home purchase research / attending open houses for a client relocating to Victoria We invite you to challenge us with a task. Think of how much more productive you will be when you delegate those lower level tasks so you can focus on the big picture.…

A staycation, according to The New York Times, is “a neologism used by those who prefer to unravel the mysteries of the world from the comfort of their living room couches.” We define it as a smart way to spend a week (or more) with your family while saving a little cash, recharing the batteries and finding some peace. Whether you choose a staycation in order to save a little money, avoid airports, or because it’s the meme du jour, Victoria Concierge can help you plan a staycation that’s worth writing home about. Here are a few tips to help plan your next staycation: 1. Don’t turn it into a reason to ‘get stuff done’ This is your vacation, a chance to relax, unwind & take-it-easy!? Don’t you dare start organizing the garage, cleaning out the eves troughs or washing the patio. That’s what we’re for. Call in a professional concierge to pamper you and your family, and do those chores so at the end of your week off, your home is clean and organized, and you are refreshed and happy! 2. Set a date Choose a start and end date for your staycation — otherwise, it could turn into another string of nights in from of the TV. So mark your calendar, and set a specific day when you (and your family) can officially start your staycation. 3. Set your staycation budget Chances are, one reason for planning a staycation in the current economic environment is to save a little money. If that’s the case, we have some good news for you: Victoria Concierge has staycation packages starting from $200 that will leave you with wonderful memories and cash to spare. 4. Personal Chef Men, want to gain some mega brownie points with your wife, girlfreind or fiance? Have our personal chef come in and prepare a quiet, romantic, scrumptious d…

One of the things I like most about the Concierge business is the variety. Never a dull moment as no client or project is ever alike. We have met so many interesting – and wonderful – people and have been tasked with many different and challenging requests. Here are a few random assignments we’ve had over the last year: Helped a client from Wisconsin keep with some custom furniture he was having made here in Victoria. Researched options for him to pay for the goods (at one point that involved handling $20K in cash which we don’t do – don’t ask) and have them delivered to Wisconsin. Provided relocation services to a couple moving here from Ottawa. We helped them find a home to lease for the two-years they planned to be here. We created a detailed report and a Google Map of restaurants, cafes, Doctors, Dentists, kick-boxing studios, doggy day care, pet grooming, recycling schedule Provided a variety of services for a couple from Missouri that was getting married in Victoria including; hosting and managing arrangements for their wedding party of 40 over a one-week period.? Some of the more enjoyable tasks were hosting the guests on a tour of Butchart Gardens complete with a picnic on the rose garden lawn, hosting a whale watching tour and finally a hike along the bluffs of Dallas road. We hosted the party at Spencer Castle for a week providing daily maid services and catering. Arranged a secret ‘engagement weekend’ in Vancouver for a young gentleman planning to propose to his fiance to be. This involved hotel bookings, dinner reservations with added touches (special table settings), a romantic evening cruise on Coal Harbour. Waiting in the hotel room on their return was a room covered in fresh rose petals with candlelight an…

Relocating is daunting and stressful at the best of times. When you’re relocating internationally or across the country, and with a family, it can be overwhelming. Between Chris and I, we’ve made 6 international moves, including our move from Toronto to Victoria in 2004. A few of the moves were years ago when we were both young & single, so they were pretty easy, fun actually. My first move was from Tokyo to Melbourne, Australia back in 1992. Coincidentally Chris was living in Melbourne at the same time but our paths didn’t cross until years later in Tokyo. One thing we have learned about big moves and relocating is that there are a million things to do, there’s not enough time to do them and it will all work out fine. Our last move was the most stressful and hopefully it was our last move. Here’s a snipit of how we spent our last day/night in Toronto (I’ll spare you the drama of the preceeding weeks of dealing with movers, packing, etc. etc.). Moving truck left with all our worldly possessions, save for a few clothes and an air mattress, that the 4 of us were going to sleep on that night Dropped the car off at the railway yard to be shipped via rail to Vancouver Dealing with the dog; walks, food and other dog stuff Went around to the neighbors for one last goodbye Took a taxi over to our friends place for dinner. By this time the kids are starting to melt down cause they’re tired, hungry and bored as they have no toys to play with – and I have a splitting headache. So, we have a wonderful dinner with our friends, then go back to our now empty house to spend our last night there (the house both of our children were born in). Did I mention that as of midnight we technically no longer own the home as the closing date is that day? We couldn’t get a…

Many of the services we provide are created based on customer demand. One such service we call “Romance Concierge”, was borne of a client request to create a romantic evening in which he planning to propose to his girlfriend. Tapping into a host of partners in Vancouver we created an enchanting engagement weekend for the young couple. Starting with a float plane from Victoria to Coal Harbour, a limo waited to whisk them to a candlelit dinner at The Cannery. From there it was a short walk down the pier to board Ripple Effect for a champagne cruise of English Bay. The evening was capped of in the honeymoon suite at the Fairmont downtown where the suite was covered with fresh rose petals, lit with candles and toasted with champagne. We’re happy to report that the couple is now happily engaged and planning their pending nuptials, with our help.…