All posts by Polly Hadden-Paton

Finally, after a somewhat slow start, summer is creeping up on us. The air is feeling warmer and the sun is starting to shine…how is it almost June already!?

Suddenly we have festivals, garden parties, holidays and sporting events upon us; we need to look our best and make sure these are all firmly in our diaries. That’s where we can help you. From sorting invites, organising transport or sourcing the perfect hat, to booking an emergency blow dry at your home, let us make things run smoothly for you.

Perhaps you are going away and need your beloved pet looked after in your own home, by someone trustworthy? Let us know and we will get it sorted.

Maybe you’re gathering a group of friends for an epic weekend at Wilderness or day out at Ascot? Let us know and we’ll organise transport and make sure you ride home in comfort.

Need a last minute escape but not sure where to go? We will give you some enticing options.

Even the small things like checking you in for your flights; nothing is too big or too small, so just drop us a line.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Love,

Polly and The Team x x

London’s leading editorial and celebrity beauty concierge service, Beautii offers the best make-up artists, hairdressers, manicurists and beauty experts straight to your home, office, hotel, wedding or event.

Why go to a makeup counter or blow-dry bar when it can come to you? From bouncy blow dries and glamorous up-dos, to natural or special occasion makeup, contouring, or the latest nail trends; the highly skilled artists will achieve any desired look using a kit stocked with premium skincare, haircare and luxury makeup for an A- list worthy, flawless finish.

The carefully selected team of hair and makeup artists have been personally vetted and selected by industry insiders and experts at its sister company and leading editorial agency Carol Hayes Management and work regularly on photo shoots, Fashion Week, red carpet events and with London’s top hotels and luxury fashion brands.

Beautii are offering YNAPA newsletter readers 10% off your entire order with discount code: youneedapa10
https://beautii.co/
@beautii.co

XECO Wines is a contemporary dry sherry brand crafted by three friends, Polly, Beanie and Alexa.   Their years of combined experience in various aspects of the wine trade led them to found XECO in a bid to encourage more to drink and enjoy sherry.

XECO offers two beautiful expressions. XECO Fino is refreshingly zesty and dry, boasting extremely low sugar content. Enjoy it straight up, ice cold, as an alternative aperitif. Alternatively, mix it with tonic water and a dash of Pink Grapefruit syrup to create a tasty spritz, move over Aperol.

For a sumptuous, nutty and richer style, XECO Amontillado is the perfect accompaniment with cold meats and saltier foods.

XECO are offering YNAPA newsletter readers 25% off your entire order with discount code: XECO25

www.xecowines.com
@xecowines

Discover the hot British bridesmaid brand, Maids to Measure. Dresses that range from classic to contemporary and everything in between, for the discerning bride and her maids, who want choice without compromise.

Pop in to their Chelsea boutique or for the ultimate bridesmaid experience make an appointment with a stylist and browse with bubbles!

Maids To Measure are offering YNAPA newsletter readers 15% off your entire order with discount code: MtoM15

www.maidstomeasure.com
@maidstomeasure

Dr Tamsin Hayward aka ‘The Wrinkle Doctor’ is a practising GP & Cosmetic Doctor operating from her clinic in Fulham. She specialises in botox & filler injectables and also treats all manner of bumps & blemishes as well as spider veins on the legs and broken veins on the face. Tamsin is renowned for taking time with each client, her gentle injection technique & and achieving natural results.

The Wrinkle Doctor is offering YNAPA newsletter readers 20% off your first cosmetic injectables treatment if you mention YNAPA on booking.

Please note this is not to be used in conjunction with any offer introductory offer.

www.thewrinkledoctor.co.uk

Maria Mekhael is a freelance designer and illustrator who specialises in bespoke event stationary, (including formal invitations, orders of service, maps, menu design and illustrated websites).  She works closely from start to finish with clients to understand the creative style required and capture unique elements of an event and theme.

Perfect if you are looking for custom-made stationary for an upcoming sizzling summer celebration, or need a special gift (she also takes on a small number of personal commissions, e.g. Nursery Art & Notecards).

Maria Mekhael Design is offering YNAPA newsletter readers 20% off your entire order with discount code: #YNAPA20

www.mariamekhaeldesign.com
@maria.mekhael.design

It’s amazing how much pain women can bear in the name of fashion. We’ve all crammed our feet into pumps that threaten to turn our toes into mulch, all the time convincing ourselves the shoes just need to be “broken in”. It’s like the fairy tale all over again, the step-sister refusing to accept the shoe doesn’t fit.

Except it does at Sante + Wade. Here every woman is Cinderella and everyone is invited to the ball!

The brand was created to challenge the perceptions that tall women shouldn’t wear heels, or that wider fitting shoes couldn’t look feminine. Their premium collection is all about inclusivity, targeting women who have found it almost impossible to find design-led shoes to fit their lifestyle. The styles are for every occasion, with a lively mix of colours, textures and prints. Lovingly designed in London and made in Portugal, they guarantee comfort without compromising style.

Sante + Wade are offering YNAPA newsletter readers 15% off your entire order if you register on their website

www.santewade.com

London’s brightest new millinery star, Camilla Rose, specialises in beautiful, sculptural handmade hats and headpieces for every occasion. Founder and creative director Camilla Robertson, designs and hand crafts her striking hats and headpieces from her studio in Fulham. Camilla’s knowledge of textiles and interior design are predominant in her work, in which she explores architectural shapes, forms and textures.  Alongside her seasonal collections, which can be customised, Camilla also offers bespoke commissions, bridal headpieces and has a range of her hats exclusively for hire.

Camilla Rose Millinery is offering YNAPA newsletter readers 10% off your entire order (for purchases only, not available against hire) with discount code: YOUNEEDAPA10

www.camillarose.co.uk
@camillarosemillinery

Does the pressure of Christmas send you into a great decline? The thought of all of those presents to source and wrap, those cards to sign and send, the house to decorate, the food to produce, not forgetting the constant demand from the kids to be kept entertained – it’s a lot! So we don’t blame you if it all seems a bit much. But we are here to help.

Think of us are your Christmas elves. Book us in now to take care of every last festive detail, because no errand or request is too much. From arranging Christmas hampers for every Headmaster in the land, to compiling the Christmas card address book spreadsheet of your dreams, to finding the best Christmas crackers on the market, to standing in line at the Apple store so you don’t have to – we will go above and beyond to make it the most seamless and stress free December you’ve ever had.

From Christmas chaos to Christmas calm. Just. Like. That.

Below are a just a few of our favourite festive finds, which we hope help.

With love,

Polly & The Team

Count down the days to Christmas in style this year. We love these handmade wooden advent calendars from Fortnum and Mason. Keep the kids guessing by hiding personalised surprises and treats behind the doors so that no December morning is the same. And as the traditions of Christmas are often the best bits, the fact that it can be used year after year means it is an investment you can afford – or at least we like to think so!

www.fortnumandmason.com

The Wolseley Christmas Hamper

Last year’s launch of ‘The Wolseley Collection’ was a revelation and thankfully for the second year running, The Wolseley have continued creating the most divine hampers. And they certainly deliver on everything you could possibly want a sleek black woven wicker basket to be loaded with.

Bring The Wolseley magic into your home this Christmas. Their Christmas Hamper is filled with an assortment of hand-picked items, with everything needed to celebrate, including confectionery, jams, loose leaf teas, silver-plated accessories, the finest tipples, festive fare and a ‘Breakfast for Two at The Wolseley’ gift card.

www.thewolseley.com/product-category/christmas-gifting/

Debonnaire Luggage Tag – Stocking Fillers!

TAG A FRIEND. Debonnaire’s beautiful leather luggage tags make the perfect stocking fillers. They come in a rainbow of colours, and any number of letters can be stamped on to make them a personalised gift from the gods. Family and friends planning winter sun in the new year will love you for stepping up their luggage game, and for helping them to find their bags faster too.

https://taggedbydebonnaire.com/shop/create-a-tag/

Nancy and Betty Studio are our absolute fave when it comes to luxury Christmas stationery – which as you know already, is something us PA’s get our kicks from! From wrapping paper, to gift tags, to sticky tape and ribbon, they are the destination of choice for many of our Christmas essentials. And what we REALLY LOVE are their handmade crackers, made in their Kent workshop, and containing the best jokes and fillers around. They claim to be the best Christmas crackers in England, and considering they are stocked in Harrods, Liberty, Selfridges and Fortnums, they probably aren’t too far wrong.
www.nancyandbetty.com

Columbia Creative’s DIY Wreath Making

We like to think the more homemade you can make your Christmas, the better. And putting together your own wreath is a sure way to get you into the festive mood. We love the look of Columbia Creative’s luxury large wreath making workshop (on Monday 3rd December – tickets still available!). This year they are hosting a pop-up Christmas studio in Shoreditch on Quaker Street, in the hope of inspiring both your creativity and festive spirit, so make sure to get yourself down there (BYOB is encouraged) and make your front door a talking point this year.

http://columbiacreative.co.uk/christmas2018/

Flower and Press Luxury Florist

And if you choose to leave the wreath making to the pro’s, then the team at Flower and Press are excellent. They are green fingered ninja’s when it comes to natural free-flowing designs, and will be able to transform the entrance to your home into something really quite special. But don’t just take our word for it.

https://www.flowerandpress.com/

Cement your place in the Christmas party line up of best-evers, by getting someone else in to do it all for you. Caiger & Co are a London based catering company, guaranteed to leave your guests full until the new year with their endless platters of beautiful and bespoke food.

Their menus are always seasonal and completely tailored to your event, so if you are after something a bit special for your Christmas drinks then we couldn’t recommend them more highly.

And what we also love is their drop off catering and ‘fill the freezer’ private dining service, absolutely perfect for those unexpected guests over the festive period.

A snippet from their Christmas Canapé Menu, as follows:

Caramelised ham hock and clove croquettes
Chestnut and turkey scotch egg with spiced plum ketchup
Crab beignets with spiced apple chutney
Smoked venison yorkshire puddings with creme fraiche and a cranberry reduction
Moorish free range guinea-fowl kebabs with cinnamon yoghurt
Pickled pear and stilton tarts
Gin and tonic cured salmon, beetroot and caraway jam in charcoal cups
…we could go on, but we’re hungry, and we’re drooling, so we probably shouldn’t.

https://caigerandcocatering.co.uk/

With any luck, the glorious heatwave that has taken hold this Summer will continue to do its thing for a few more weeks, and for many of you, out of office mode is likely to remain switched on for a while longer. But, and please forgive me for the somewhat ghastly reminder, Summer won’t last forever… and come September, real life and the chaotic headspace that comes with it will need to be addressed.

But don’t let the potential mayhem of a new season get the better of you. Instead, take advantage of Autumn and the new beginnings that a new time of year inherently represents. We couldn’t think of a better time for you to reorganise your office, your home and your life. And remember, this is our bread and butter – this is what we do, and we are here to help!

Getting the kids backs to school with all of the right kit? Sure. Addressing the overwhelming post mountain that piled up over the summer. No problem. Getting your summer wardrobe packed away and swapping it for the woolly delights of winter. Fine by us. Wanting to book yourself in for some much needed spa time but don’t know where to look? We know a few places.

And who says the end of summer means the end to all holiday fun? Soon it will be October half term and dare I say it Christmas, and for both we have some great winter sun and luxury ski recommendations for you to whisk yourself off to.

So, all hands on deck this Autumn….who’s with us?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Love,

Polly & The Team x x

Patch

Urban Jungles, delivered.

Put simply, Patch is helping Londoners bring nature into their homes. Their mission is to hep you discover the best plants for your indoor or outdoor space, deliver them to your door AND help you look after them.

Gone are the days of having to travel to the city’s far reaches to find a garden centre and then not knowing what on earth you should be buying when you get there.

Patch is an online paradise for anyone wanting to give their urban space a makeover with ease.

And what we really love about Patch is how they go the extra mile to make sure that the urban gardener within you is fully equipped with all of the know how’s. From their Patch Plant Parenting Course videos to their plant rescue service, they help to nurture the plant parent within you, leaving you to nurture that Yucca Elephantipes and that Euphorbia Abyssinica of yours.

PATCH are offering YNAPA newsletter readers 10% off your entire order with discount code: youneedapa10

www.patch.garden
@patchplants

Tots Too

With over 16 years of experience in family travel, Tots Too know that every family is different, so all of their holidays are tailor-made so that they are just right. Every one of their properties is carefully selected and well suited for families of all ages, so whether you have a babe in arms, energetic youngsters or restless teens, they will create a perfect holiday with a full concierge service that the whole family can enjoy.

An example of one of their family holiday hotspots is Ibiza. Often better associated with nightclubs and being the party capital of Europe, once you delve into the island’s rich history and explore its stunning coastline and treasure trove of stylish hotels; you will find it to be a perfect destination for a family holiday. So if you are planning to catch the end of the sunshine for October half term, then Ibiza should be on your list.

And it may be the hottest summer since 1976, but we are already thinking about winter breaks and ski holidays in particular. Tots Too have some exciting new properties from El Lodge in Spain to Chalet RoyAlp Hôtel & Spa in the Swiss Alps, both perfect for families looking for snow and fabulous accommodation.

For a 5% booking discount on your first holiday, mention You Need a PA at time of enquiry.

www.totstoo.com
sales@totstoo.com

Turo is the Airbnb for cars, and is the perfect alternative if you want to hire a car for a trip and skip the car rental counter, the paperwork and the queues. The beauty of Turo is that you can book a car from home or on the go, wherever and whenever you want it, and the kerbside drop-off and pick-up service makes for total convenience and time saving magic.

The process is pretty fool proof. Simply enter your travel dates and location (they have cars in 4500+ cities) and then choose from a selection of unique locally owned vehicles, for every occasion and every budget. Once booked, you meet the owner (often they can bring the car to you), walk around the car, show them your licence, grab the keys and set off into the sunset! And once you are finished with the car, simply fill up the fuel you used and arrange to meet the owner to hand it back. It really is that easy.

What we like the most is that it is an authentic way to get around. Aren’t hire cars all the same? The next time you need to get from A to B via C shake things up with a Beetle convertible, a Landrover Defender or maybe even a Porsche. What takes your fancy?

Check them out here:

https://turo.com

Design & Alter is a dedicated team of creative, highly experienced fitters, tailors and professionals with extensive knowledge in dressmaking and all types of tailoring. They have specialists with the skills required to tailor and alter complex fabrics – beading, embroidery, leather, fur, couture styles, always aiming to maintain the original finish, proportions and intended style of an item. This is particularly important with designer garments where any alteration should remain unnoticed – enhancing the fit by applying individual measurements – making the garment bespoke to the client.

Their Belief

‘Clothes should look and feel as if they are made for you.’

They are perfectionists. They believe there is little point in buying designer clothes unless they fit perfectly. Define your look, decide upon your signature pieces … then have them altered perfectly.

They are kindly offering a 15% discount on alteration and fitting charges to all YNAPA newsletter readers

martina@designandalter.com 
www.designandalter.com

With a winter that felt like it was going to go on forever, it would be no surprise if you’re feeling a little disorganised, overwhelmed and unready for the summer months ahead. Weddings, summer parties, Ascot, Wimbledon, end of exams, school holidays – I’m sure you all have a busy few months ahead of you, so now is the time to get organised – and we can help! 

If you haven’t got round to planning your summer holiday, are having a last minute house move, or need somewhere to get the perfect wedding outfit  – then get in touch, as we have some amazing recommendations for you and can help take your stresses away.

Tephi

So you want to stand out at this summer’s line up of weddings and cocktail parties but you’re having a wardrobe crisis.  And the fact that you have your go-to fallback option – ‘The Dress’ – on standby offers little relief to the situation, because quite honestly the thought of wearing it again fills you with dread. Well if that’s you, then womenswear label Tephi, the designer behind some truly beautiful feminine dresses, is the answer to all of your prayers.

With a studio based in SW7 and an online shop, there is the opportunity to get a ready-to-wear piece or book in for an appointment to create something completely bespoke. Tephi also offers a semi-bespoke service in which you can tweak her collection to suit you – from a different colour or a longer hemline, the options are endless.

Founder and Creative Director Francesca started the company in 2009, and has built a well-earned reputation ever since for women who want a go-to brand for elegance as well as originality.

So if Tephi wasn’t on your radar before, then make sure it is now.

After all, ‘The Dress’ definitely needs a day off.

www.tephi.co.uk

True Luxury Travel

We have told you about True Luxury Travel before, and there’s a reason we are telling you again – it’s because they are fantastic! We have used them for many of our clients holidays, all who have given incredibly positive feedback. They are clear with their pricing, go above and beyond and are a dream to work with. 

What Do They Do:

They make three key promises to their guests:

• To offer their guests actual expert advice from a team who have in-depth country knowledge, having lived and worked in many destinations as well as spending 6 weeks each year visiting their hotel collection.  

• A highly personal service from their team in the UK and on the ground in each country giving their guests 24hr support while they are travelling.

• A costing approach to their holiday which gives you full pricing transparency with line by line breakdowns, so you can see exactly where your money is being spent.   

YNAPA OFFER: 

For all first time booking’s, they would be delighted to include a 5% discount to welcome you to True Luxury Travel. 

Get in touch:

katie@trueluxury.travel

www.trueluxury.travel 

Siggi Hats

Summer truly is the season of the hat. With an abundance of special occasions to attend, including weddings and Royal Ascot, ladies all over the land will dress up to the nines and finish their look with a fabulous hat. Whether it’s something big, bright and bold, or understated and classically elegant, Siggi Hats has the hat for you.

Providing a beautiful selection of ready-made pieces or unique, bespoke creations, Siggi Hats are the perfect finishing touch for any ensemble. This season’s offerings include daring and different shapes in vibrant hues of orange, lime green, lemon yellow and ripest red, while timeless silhouettes in classic colour palettes are given a modern twist. All hats are trimmed exclusively by hand with delicate touches of flirty feathers, silken flowers and colourful butterflies featuring prominently among this season’s styles.

Stunning, stylish and sophisticated, Siggi Hats are certain to get you noticed this summer.

Siggi Hats

48 Fulham High Street

London SW6 3LQ

0207 736 2030

www.siggihats.co.uk

Beautii 

Are you looking for luxury blow dries, manicures, and more for a big event this summer? Introducing Beautii, London’s leading beauty concierge service. Known for working with VIP clients and the best make-up artists, hairstylists, manicurists and beauty experts in the industry, Beautii are the top choice for luxurious pampering delivered to your door.

From Ascot and Wimbledon to summer weddings and high profile events, wherever this summer takes you, Beautii offers the perfect solution for busy women (and men) seeking high-end make-overs, blow-dries, manicures, spray tans, massages, facials and more.

For a 5% discount on your first booking, give them a call on 0207 428 1870

www.beautii.co

Woman on a commuter train looking at her phone.

Are you an Office Oracle?

Blink. Blink. Blink.

Wednesday morning, tired eyes, catching the train to work…Are you feeling overwhelmed by lifemin but no time to tackle it? Fear not, as an Office Oracle could come to your rescue.

All small to medium businesses (SME’s) have one, the go-to team member who books business travel, fixes the printer, navigates the post room and aces the conference call system, trust me, I’ve been there. When I first started working in London as a PA, I was the Office Manager to a team of 10, private PA and business PA all at once. I had to learn pretty quickly how to be a chameleon and juggle all the varying requests, ensuring my boss’ day to day life ran as smoothly as possible, without a glitch. Once you have shown your capabilities, you are relied upon heavily by the rest of your team, putting out fires (sometimes literally!) left, right and centre.

In fact, new research from Trainline for Business shows that Office Oracles are so indispensable to their workplaces, that business owners believe they should be paid an extra £9k for their workplace know how, and are worth a massive £525m to UK businesses.

Over the years, I’ve learnt some handy tools and ways to streamline my job, which is why I eventually set up You Need a PA (YNAPA), a flexible pay-as-you-go service to make your life easier, more organised and take the weight off your shoulders. Everything and anything is possible.

We are on location, on the phone, on hand…24/7. Without technology, our job would not be possible. Whether it is to check a train time, book a holiday, organise a house move, make a reservation or deal with a crisis, we couldn’t live without it!

The influence of technology is so boundless and has transformed how we work, it means we can work and do our job remotely from anywhere in the world. Technology tools and apps help streamline our workload saving us hours every week. Trainline’s research reaffirms this, highlighting that a massive 86% of Office Oracles agree that desktop-based tools and apps help them to streamline their daily workload, saving them up to 9 and a half hours per week. I’m constantly looking for new, innovative and exciting apps and products to make us more efficient.

Here are some of the tools I’ve discovered along the way…
–       Keep your life in sync with Wunderlist to help with your action list – it is a task management tool which is simple, accessible, free and you can share the list with clients, friends and colleagues. The list of things we have to do on a daily basis is endless, so we find this a hugely helpful tool to stay on track.

–       Let your voice be heard with WhatsApp Voice Messaging which is an efficient, quick and easy way to instantly communicate with clients and colleagues. We are constantly on the move from client to client and find this option especially useful. It also avoids the misunderstandings and ambiguities that can come with texts and emails.

–       Dropbox is not a new kid on the block, but we love this online storage service – it allows you to store, share and sync all your files and folders in a secure place across multiple computers and devices at home and at work. We find this an exceptionally efficient way to store important client documents and share files between colleagues.

–       Not a super-whizz on graphic design, but need some help designing layouts for your social media posts, sales events, business presentations and more? Then Canva is an effortless way to create professional graphics quickly. We have used this app on a number of occasions from designing invites for a client to adding spark to our own social media posts.

–        Trainline for Business has a free desktop platform for booking and managing business rail travel. The dashboard makes it easy for bookers to compare and book multiple tickets, add and manage employees and set up a centralised payment system for visibility of all business rail travel in one place. Smart reporting tools support ongoing management of spend and average savings of 38% can be made for journeys booked in advance. For those on the go, you can set up a business profile in the Trainline app to split work and leisure travel and allocate a corporate card and work email address, separate to your personal account.

We really enjoyed working with Trainline for Business on this piece!