Yesterday, we focused on the must-have gifts for the women in your life; today it’s all about the men! Ms. Henley has curated the best of the best for the guy you love!
Give the gift of organization! We love Pine Cone Homes charging station that combines functionality and style.
Converse has taken their classic sneaker to the next level with these Chuck Taylor All Stars. It’s the dressed up sneaker you’ll approve of!
Nothing sexier than a man in a perfectly fitting sweater! We adore this timeless half-zip pullover by Polo Ralph Lauren. Paired with the Chuck Taylor All Stars and your guy becomes a style monster!
Plaid is all the rage these days! An easy way for your man to stay on trend is to incorporate plaid into his accessories. We love this pop of color on the Timex Expedition.
A monogrammed beer holder with bottle opener, by Cathy’s Concepts, makes for the perfect gift for your beer lover or home brewing fan!
Have a gift you think should be included on Ms. Henley’s list? Tweet us at @henleyco or IG @MsHenleyCo and use the hashtag #mshenleymusthaves
Henley Co. clients Lauren & Keaton were featured today on Exquisite Weddings Magazine! We adored working with this beautiful, Canadian couple on their destination wedding in La Jolla!
La Jolla Real Wedding: Lauren & Keaton
Lauren & Keaton’s love story began in 2011, while Keaton, a professional hockey player in the NHL, returned home to Kelowna, British Columbia during the off-season. Shortly thereafter, he met a quiet, dark-haired beauty named Lauren; an equestrian show jumper. It wasn’t long before Keaton was “conveniently” showing up at Lauren’s work. Later that Summer, Keaton returned to Florida for his season with the Florida Panthers. Lauren soon followed.
In 2012, Keaton was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, and their love affair with Southern California soon began. Although hockey eventually took Keaton to Winnipeg to play with the Jets, he and Lauren visited California often to reconnect with the landscape and friends they had come to love.
With the help of her wedding planner, Nicole Matthews of The Henley Co., Lauren soon selected The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California as the venue for the wedding weekend. Overlooking the world-famous Torrey Pines Golf Course and the Pacific Ocean, the Lodge at Torrey Pines is the ultimate location for an outdoor wedding that could combine the rustic features of Canada with the breathtaking landscape of San Diego County.
Lauren and Keaton wanted a wedding that was rustic yet elegant, with touches of gold, white and light pink as highlights throughout the design elements. Being lovers of the outdoors, they opted to let the beauty of the view on the Arroyo Terrace (location of the ceremony) to be the focus, with beautiful accents provided by Camellia Wedding Flowers. When you host a reception for Canadian guests, the evening would not be complete without serving poutine, a Canadian delicacy that consists of french fries, gravy and cheese curd. The guests enjoyed a late night snack of poutine and sliders, which were welcomed after the dinner and dancing.
Welcome to Playground Chatter! Our blog series, where we get to profile and chat with some of the most interesting people in town! Sure, we could ask about all their fancy business stuff but since we are fun monsters, we want to know how they spend their spare time on the playground of life!
Today, we get to introduce you to our rock star intern, Lychelle!!
What is your grown up job? I’m a senior at High Tech High International, and an intern at The Henley Co!. Soon, I’ll be a first year student at Sonoma State University.
Tell us where you spent your childhood years. Is there one year you remember most? I spent my childhood sitting by a campfire in many national parks, biking around on different trails leading to secret ponds only us kids knew about. I spent my childhood swimming in pools and oceans, always in the sun keeping my skin nice and tan. My most memorable experience as a child was when I went to Costa Rica while I was in the 3rd grade. It was my first vacation to a Spanish speaking country, and I could not have been more excited. We enjoyed crazy excursions like zip-lining, surfing, and going to a natural hot springs. This was the highlight of my elementary years.
Favorite part of the playground to hang out in? I loved playing on the swing set, it was an activity that I could do alone but also with others.
Lunch pail, brown bag or did you buy lunch? I was/still am a lunch pail kind of gal. But I did get hot lunch occasionally.
What would be your ideal recess today? I would love to have recess during my school day where I could go outside for 15 minutes to just lay down on the grass, close my eyes and breath in the fresh air. It would give me a little break from the worries and stress of school/life.
If I deemed you Playground Monitor for the next 15 minutes, how would you rally your employees? What activity would everyone participate in? I would choose a game like red light green light or sharks and minnows, two classic games that are fun and easy to manage with a large group.
What rules did you learn on the playground that you still utilize today? Listening to the rules and knowing people’s boundaries
When does time disappear for you? When I’m with the people I love, hanging out at the beach, walking my dog, playing tennis, or watching my favorite program.
What is your authentic intention (that thing that you really, really want to do or accomplish?) What are you doing to get there? As of now I am trying to maintain a positive mindset while I am transitioning out of high school and into college. I am doing so by thinking positively and surrounding myself with uplifting people who love and support me with everything that I do.
In her book Permission: Stop Competing & Start Creating the Life You Want to Live, Nicole Matthews, Founder of The Henley Company, talks about giving yourself permission to design your best life. Which area of your life needs a little more attention? What are you willing to give yourself permission to do? I need to focus more on living in the now rather than worrying and feeling anxious about the future. I have been known to get too worked up about the unknowns of the future and have allowed the fear to stop me from enjoying the current moment. I try and think of this quote I read online “worrying won’t stop bad stuff from happening, it just keeps you from enjoying the good.” I need to give myself permission to let go of the anxiety and worries of what the future has to offer and enjoy the now.
Define happiness in less than 140 characters. Happiness is being able to love and let others love you.
Grab your colored chalk and write a motto on the asphalt of the playground for all the kids to see. What’s your message? Everything will be okay.
What will you do from this day forward to design your life to better incorporate more recess? (Pinky Swear). I will make sure that I am aware of my mind and body and know when I need a break. I will not be afraid to take that few minute break to clear my mind and body. In the end it will help me be more productive and give me the clarity I need to take on whatever I have thrown my way.
Thanks Lychelle! We are happy to have you on the Henley Co. team! We adore you and wish you the best on the playground of life!
One of my favorite hobbies is cooking. Anytime I put on my apron, I feel like I’m putting on a super power cape! I am a self-taught cook that has loved the art of cooking since I was in middle school. I use recipes as a rough road map but prefer creating dishes with my own imagination and creativity.
I recently came across a recipe for Balsamic and Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and it was received with rave reviews by my family. I actually tweaked the recipe to replace the marjoram with cumin because it paired better with our southwestern meal.
Even if you think you don’t like cauliflower, I think you would agree this recipe is a fan favorite! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
2. Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper. Roast on a large rimmed baking sheet until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Welcome to Playground Chatter! Our new blog series, where we get to profile and chat with some of the best executives in town! Sure, we could ask about all their fancy business stuff but since we are fun monsters, we want to know how they spend their spare time on the playground of life!
Your nickname? Dang, don’t have one – although I have been “affectionately” called many things from my team – mostly including a reference to my Lucy Ricardo moments or the multiple times I may have tripped, spilled or goofed.
What is your grown up job? Director of Sales & Marketing for La Valencia Hotel.
Tell us where you spent your childhood years. Is there one year you remember most? I grew up in Wilmington, DE, no one year but just the summers which seemed always long and lazy. I lived next to a park and tennis courts and we bounced around the courts all day long, feeling so grown up and part of the crowd – my best friend and I, with our respective crushes on Bjorn Borg [me] and Jimmy Connors [ my girlfriend].
Favorite part of the playground to hang out in? Kick ball ally
Lunch pail, brown bag or did you buy lunch? Always the brown bag – envied the lunch buyers!
What would be your ideal recess today? I swing between me on a chaise lounge with a book or a blend of activities that challenge [ like a hard hike, spin class, bootcamp ] but still has moments in between motions to bond with friends. This happens all the time, steep wind-sucking climbs and then breathtaking beauty to share, killer spin but a song comes on we all get to sing, giggles on our mats as we grunt between ab crunches.
Does your company encourage recess for their employees? Absolutely, hospitality is built around a happy welcome – personal happiness in our staff carries through and touches our guests, definitely one of our human truths of connecting through shared stories.
If I deemed you Playground Monitor for the next 15 minutes, how would you rally your employees? What activity would everyone participate in? Laughter yoga – getting all differing staff to open their arms, stretch, break down any resistance to being silly and do a little laughter yoga.
What rules did you learn on the playground that you still utilize today? Rule #1, if you don’t try to do something you will always sit on the sideline and watch. You aren’t always invited to play, so you need to self invite and get in the game.
When does time disappear for you? Talk about your hobbies. I have often said that I need longer days – more time to work, more time to play, more time to laze…….the waking part of the 24 hour day just zips by me. My current loves are being at the beach with my yellow lab Elvis Costello, pure joy and totally in the moment. My week is always revolving around how I can fit a Bikram yoga class in or connect with my spin gals whom I adore. I am an ex pastry chef so any chance I get to bake for friends and family = joy. I have had a great time doing some hikes such as part of the Appalachian Trail with my sister, and rim to rim day hike of the Grand Canyon – as well as the great San Diego trails with friends. I really need to plan events that I can challenge myself and train for, I love the anticipation as much as the event. When “at rest”, the true love for me is the hobby of quiet time, being with my husband and sweet dog, and a book – that is the most wonderful feeling.
What is one area of your life where you need more recess? Travel 🙂 life is so full, I wish that I could stop and have a month to travel to faraway places……just need more time!
What is your authentic intention (that thing that you really, really want to do or accomplish?) What are you doing to get there? Hard to explain, my most expansive goal is to harness creative talents, ideas & thoughts and use that energy to leave a mark of who I am, my own personal legacies – with work success, or with a friend that I can be more open to, a team that I can mentor. Each day I write a sentence at the top of my to do list – “set my intentions”. This grounds me, my list needs to be the tasks of work I have promised to complete, connections I need to make, projects that are due or just inspire – but at the start of every day I need to set my intention to dive in with a fearless heart, no matter what the list. A few years ago when I needed to prepare for a professional challenge, instead of spending hours memorizing data I tripped across a TED talk with Shawn Achor on the Happiness Advantage. I immediately connected, bought the book and dove into what I knew all along – the power of positive thought /psychology. It dialed back my core knee jerk mantra of work harder work more hours to reach my goal, and pointed me in the direction of connect more, be more grateful, spend more time on social connections – it redirected my path and altered my course. Now my goal has flipped to being more present in practicing the Happiness Advantage, and what I find? It brings me more success……even when I don’t finish the list, I just get up the next day and do it again.
What can you do to design your life to better incorporate more recess? (Pinky Swear). The best way for me right now, is to continue to balance hours of work vs. work hours…………….finish work and treat my personal commitments as very important appointments. We live by our meeting schedules some days, I schedule my life happiness appointments – workout and yoga class schedules, dates with my loves , my friends…………you need to commit not to break appointments with yourself. We started the playground chat talking about the concept of time, how it disappears – to capture it with playtime, get it on the schedule as unbreakable. It’s fun!
In Chapter 2 of my book, Permission: Stop Competing & Start Creating the Life You Want to Live, I ask the question, “What is keeping you locked up?” You may think your life is chugging along without much interruption but I would challenge you to think about the story you are telling yourself that doesn’t allow you the permission to design your best life. Perhaps it stems from childhood, or an ex telling you that you are less than, or comparing yourself to every Photoshopped woman in magazines.
Embarrassingly, I held onto something that happened to me in high school for over 20 years. It all stems from my self-doubt about my prom date asking me out of charity versus out of desire. I share my lack of self-esteem for all to read in Chapter 2. It wasn’t until I met my prom date at our 20th reunion that I was able to silence the tape in my head about not being good enough. Twenty years of telling myself I was less than and a charity case crept into all of my future relationships with men. I had allowed myself to craft a story that was untrue and to live in a place of feeling like a bridesmaid and never a bride. Take it from me, that has been exhausting.
What I’ve come to learn is that usually the crazy story we are telling ourselves is far from reality, but until we face the demon head on (in my case, admitting to my prom date that I thought he took me out of charity and being shot down by his reality) it paralyzes us from being authentic and soulfully happy.
If you are reading this article, it’s more than likely between the hours of 9-5 and you are sitting at your desk (which is owned by the company), reading this on your computer (which the company provides) and taking a “break” from your “demanding” work (which the company pays you to do). From the outside, you look busy because your eyes are aimed at the screen. This should make your manager happy. The reality is that this virtual “smoke break” will not be just the standard 15-minute break from your workload. Instead, it will morph into 2.09 hours per 8-hour workday, not including your lunch break or allocated break time, according to American Online and Survey.com [1] That’s 2.09 hours PER employee. Now multiply that by the number of employees you see in your immediate eyesight and you realize that there is a whole lot of nothing being done each day. The research by American Online and Survey.com has shined a bright light on the fact that employees are wasting twice as much time as their employers think they are wasting. And to really add salt to the employer’s wounds, Salary.com ran the numbers and found over $750 Billion (yes, with a B!) is spent on salaries (translation= compensation for actual work) for work that was never performed. Who’s pulling a fast one on whom?
Now before the employees start muzzling me for exposing the dirty little secret, it’s important to take a look at why they are spending so much time sitting at their desks without actually producing any relevant work for their employers. Given the current economic climate, it’s easy to justify the feeling of burnout most employees are experiencing and the overwhelming inability to manage work / life balance.
53% of employees would opt for a personal assistant rather than a personal trainer. [2]
Only 14% of Americans take two weeks or more at a time for vacation. The average American spends more time in the bathroom than on vacation. [3]
88% of employees say they have a hard time juggling work and life. [4]
70% of working fathers and working mothers report they don’t have enough time for their children. [5]
64% of Americans report that time pressures on working families are getting worse, not better. [6]
Work is inevitable but does it mean we have to give up our personal life for the sake of a paycheck? Not at all. It just means that employers should recognize that work / life balance is a huge motivator for employees. So if you can’t beat ‘em, why not join ‘em? A corporate concierge program can bring sanity to an otherwise scattered workplace filled with unsuspecting managers overseeing unproductive workers.
Texas Instruments is a perfect example of a company that understands happy, stress-free employees make for profitable champions for the business. According to the Texas Instruments website, in 2010, their concierge program served more than 2,900 U.S. employees and fulfilled more than 8,000 requests. They also expanded on-site services, providing 1,276 employees an opportunity to save a trip away from the work site during business hours. [7]
Implementing a corporate concierge program equates to:
The ability to retain and recruit quality talent
A far more productive and engaged workforce
A reduction in absenteeism
A lower level of stress within the workplace
Corporate concierge programs can be operated either virtually, with employees having access to the concierge through email or a dedicated website, or on-site, where employees can interact with the concierge in a face-to-face engagement. The concierge is retained to provide a solution to the employee’s work/life balance problem.
Frequent requests include:
travel coordination
errand running,
household management
personal shopping
personal assistance and
event planning
Imagine stopping by the concierge desk in the morning on your way into work with a request for designing and planning tonight’s dinner party; only to leave the office 8 hours later armed with the necessary groceries, a customized cd for background music, a paired wine selection and personalized favors for each guest. A corporate concierge becomes the one-stop solution for the time strapped employees. Without a concierge, the employee must manage this to-do list from their own desk and their lunch hour is spent running the errands.
As the workforce begins to shift from retiring Baby Boomers to Generation X & Y prodigies, employers need to evolve. What worked “back in the day” in terms of designing a workplace is completely foreign to today’s up and comers. Gen X & Y demand instant gratification because they have grown up in a world of access.
Although this might seem extravagant to those over the age of 45, the “children are the future.” (cue Whitney Houston). I think this is what Darwin would call “survival of the fittest.” The strongest employee benefits package will become King of the Jungle. If you don’t make their life easier, I’m sure your competitor would be glad to invite them over. Now is the time to be a trailblazer and create a workplace that can be a place for a Gen X / Y’er to park themselves for a while because their work/life balance needs are met, versus just being a hop, skip and a jump on their resume.
Welcome to Playground Chatter! Our new blog series, where we get to profile and chat with some of the best executives in town! Sure, we could ask about all their fancy business stuff but since we are fun monsters, we want to know how they spend their spare time on the playground of life!
Your nickname? Admittedly some friends call me Princess, which I suppose is only slightly more impressive than Tony Bologny, the nickname I grew up with; which BTW, was sung and included the tag… Fat Macaroni.
What is your grown up job? I’m the proprietor of Bollotta Entertainment, but I’m still not sure what I’ll be doing WHEN I grow up.
How can we find you? Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.bollotta.1 Twitter: @AllottaB Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/abollotta/
Tell us where you spent your childhood years. Is there one year you remember most? I was raised in North Miami Beach, Florida, in a quiet middle class neighborhood. We were the only Italians on a street comprised of Jewish families, so I’ve suffered an identity crises my entire life. I still want to be Bar Mitzvah’d! I recall my happiest days being those BEFORE I entered grade school. I didn’t know I was fat then.
Favorite part of the playground to hang out in? The living room with the TV and my board games.
Lunch pail, brown bag or did you buy lunch? 50/50. I usually bought lunch, and boy I can still taste that salisbury stake. Our grade school offered a little incentive… if there was a red line drawn in with a marker, on the bottom of your lunch tray, you would get free dessert. I considered that much more fun than the PBJ or bologna (no relation to the NN) my mother would pack. Especially if it didn’t include (as it often did NOT) that tasty Little Debbie treat, I loved so!
What would be your ideal recess today? Anything not related to my hairline!!!!
Does your company encourage recess for their employees? No, my boss is a tyrant! Although he does advocate for life balance.
If I deemed you Playground Monitor for the next 15 minutes, how would you rally your employees? What activity would everyone participate in? We’d play Jacks. Why? It’s fun, and requires no physical strength whatsoever!!!!
What rules did you learn on the playground that you still utilize today? Fairness. Team play. Being last comes with absolutely no perks, so try not to be last.
When does time disappear for you? Talk about your hobbies. Other than answering emails? Playing Words with Friends or Scramble with Friends, listening to a Broadway score or sleeping. Time seems to slip by fastest when I’m engaged in the latter.
What is one area of your life where you need more recess? I need recess from my brain, which goes nonstop! It’s exhausting!!!
What is your authentic intention (that thing that you really, really want to do or accomplish?) What are you doing to get there? I guess to make people laugh. It’s my love and I continue to find ways to do it, albeit on or off stage! Are YOU laughing yet?
What can you do to design your life to better incorporate more recess? (Pinky Swear). I could stop working earlier in the evening, and stop taking responsibilities on that which should belong to others.
Welcome to our first, Playground Chatter! Our new blog series, where we get to profile and chat with some of the best executives in town! Sure, we could ask about all their fancy business stuff but since we are fun monsters, we want to know how they spend their spare time!
Meet our first Playground Monitor: Sharon Mintz, Owner of Organic Elements
What is your grown up job? I don’t know, I’ll decide when I grow up. Oh, you mean wedding florist :).
How can we find you? Facebook: organicelementsflorals Twitter: @organicelements Instagram: organicelements Pinterest: sdorganicelements Website: www.organicelements.com
1) Tell us where you spent your childhood years. Is there one year you remember most? I grew up in Los Angeles in the 80-90’s so the usual, Beverly Center, Century City, 3rd Street…
2) Favorite part of the playground to hang out in? Swings
3) Lunch pail, brown bag or did you buy lunch?
Tupperware (due to my mother’s hobbies) lunchbox.
4) What would be your ideal recess today?
Snorkeling on the beach with breaks of cold drinks and absolute silence to listen to only the waves.
5) Does your company encourage recess for their employees?
Yes, paid for field trips included.
6) If I deemed you Playground Monitor for the next 15 minutes, how would you rally your employees? What activity would everyone participate in?
Team cheer, all hands in and a quick baton race.
7) What rules did you learn on the playground that you still utilize today?
Fair is fair, be kind to everyone-you never know who will grow larger than you later in life, you have to join in the activity to have fun with the group… but you can still make up your own games and lead the charge.
8) When does time disappear for you?
Talk about your hobbies. Currently my time disappears making sure my children have plenty of time for recess themselves, my time will come again soon enough.
9) What is one area of your life where you need more recess?
Sleep. I work in my dreams. Though I love what I do, I need to dream further away.
10) What is your authentic intention (that thing that you really, really want to do or accomplish?) What are you doing to get there?
I have a first child, it’s about 10 now and it’s name is Organic Elements. I work, everyday to make sure it is happy and healthy, surrounded both those that make it so. Everyday I focus on how it can be smarter, stronger and more beautiful to all it touches.
11) What can you do to design your life to better incorporate more recess? (Pinky Swear).
Declare some days off (even a few per year), and mean it!
I’ve been spinning my globe trying to figure out where my travels will take me this year. So far Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Italy seem to be topping the list. We are Condé Nast Traveler evangelists, so when they give us their top 15 places to go in 2015, we pay attention!
What do you think of their list? Any places you would add? Our travel concierge are currently helping clients to get to far reaching places around the world. Where’s your next great adventure going to take you?
