Families View Vail Area as Vacation from the Economy

Babysitter and Household Services in High Demand for Vail Valley Visitors as Families Recharge

Vail, Colorado-Mom’s Best Friend Vail Sitters and Nannies has seen a remarkable jump in sitter and household staff bookings over last year's Vail Sitters high season. Despite economic woes across the United States, future visitors to the Vail area during the winter ski season are putting aside their worries to focus on rest and relaxation.
           "I have talked to so many families who are ready to forget all about what is happening on Wall Street, so they are filling their vacations with plans to rejuvinate," noted Jill Smirl, owner of Mom's Best Friend Vail / Beaver Creek. "Parents have been looking forward to having a worry-free vacation, and they are very excited to book their sitter, personal assistant, and chef services as they enjoy local skiing, spa visits, restaurants and shopping."
           Smirl purchased the locally owned Vail Sitters and nationally franchised Mom's Best Friend in September and has combined the best features of both companies. With Vail Sitters, she has tapped into the relationships with local resorts / hotels and the talent of local, experienced staff. Mom's Best Friend has offered her the variety of household services, along with the systems and processes to handle the large volume of screening, background checks, and bookings. This allows Smirl to book sitters, assistants and chefs for families as quickly as within a couple of hours, or months ahead of time.
           “My family and I came up for the Thanksgiving holiday and we're so excited to have Jill getting us great sitters for our four children," said Kathy Dupuy, president of Mom's Best Friend, Texas. "All of our friends who visit each year are also looking forward to the peace of mind and convenience that her service offers.”
            With the opening of the mountain this weekend, Smirl's last-minute emergency cell phone has been consistently ringing, and she doesn't expect things to slow down for months. Smirl officially launched her business earlier this month, but has a number of bookings well into 2009. She has also partnered with local charities Vail Valley Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and Vail Valley Charitable Fund to donate $25 of every annual membership to one of these three organizations.