Best of the Mid-Peninsula: Erin's Cheat Sheet of Go To People and Places

by Erin posted to Home | 5,587 views

Erin’s cheat sheet to the best of our great town of Burlingame and the surrounding neighborhoods of the “mid-pen” including Hillsborough and San Mateo. These people are passionate about what they do. All recommended because they have great work ethic and great people, plus strong bent towar... More »

COMPUTER GENIUS: Bill Schmelzer

billscurry@yahoo.com (415) 385-8426

Bill is a local Burlingamer and knows everything about how to make your computer go - be it home or office. He saved me a great expense by rebuilding my crashed computer and salvaging all of the information on it. It's like new. Plus he showed me great time savers and tips on making it work better.

DRY CLEANING DELIVERY: Purpletie.com

100% Perc-free cleaning environment, along with the first carbon neutral fleet and production process in the industry...all at prices that are the same or lower than most traditional cleaners!

purpletie.com  |  Saved from Erin

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I found this service when looking for a GREEN dry cleaner and then was psyched to find it is not expensive and they pick up and drop off. With 3 clicks I can schedule a same day pickup at my convenience. Easy! Check out their coupon at the bottom.

Linda: I have been using purpletie for years! Love purpletie!

PARTY RENTALS: Stuart Rental Company

Complete source for party equipment rentals. Table rentals, tent rentals, chair rentals, & much more. Owned and run by two local dads. Great customer service and attention to detail.

stuartrental.com

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Even when hosting a special occasion dinner or baby shower, we have to get creative with space. A rented table with their beautiful linens, flatware & glassware makes a party in our yard beautiful.

FLORAL DESIGN: Pocket of Posies

Amazing floral design that will enhance your home, special event or party. Custom wreaths, outdoor planters and window boxes, indoor orchid arrangements and centerpieces, and fresh cut flower arrangements. Phone: (650) 888-7517

facebook.com

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You will not believe what Taryn and Michele, two local moms, can do. Everything from weddings all the way down to one planter on your front porch that makes all the difference. Their centerpieces and custom wreaths are my favorites.

ORGANIC CARPET CLEANERS: NaturellClean

Organic carpet cleaner offers organic carpet cleaning services at affordable prices. 800-468-3971.

All organic and childsafe cleaners. Best part is that it dries very quickly so you don't have to wait too long to walk on it. We have used them for years and we always have the same guy, so I feel very comfortable.

Alexa: I have already booked an appt to get my couches cleaned -- this referral came in the knick of time! thanks and I will let you know how it goes.

CARPET CLEANING: Simonian Rugs

939 North Amphlett Blvd. San Mateo, Ca 94401 • (650) 343-0929

simonianrugs.com

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Simonian does a great job with area rugs that they regular carpet service can't clean because they are too old, fragile or thin. Very friendly people too.

Rawson: They also do amazing repairs on Persian rugs, and will give estimates too.

Alexa: We just used them this summer to clean all of our area rugs. They pick up, deal with the hassle of removing carpets from under furniture then bring it all back into place once it has ben cleaned.

SEAMSTRESS: Sara Blustein

I met Sara, a local mom, through the BMC. Specializes in pillows, window treatments, bedding, as well as clothes. She came highly recommended. You can reach her on her cell: 773-355-1032 or email

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And wow did she come through, making an amazing cloak for my son's Halloween costume. It was the wrong length (because I gave the wrong measurement) and she redid the hem free of charge. Extremely nice, on time and on budget. Love.

Larissa: Does Sara hem jeans and attach the original hem?

Katie: I've used Sara several times...love her!!

AUTO REPAIR: Burlingame Collision Center

123 California Dr., Burlingame, CA 94010 (650) 375-0600. Don runs this place. He is honest and does great work.

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I brought my car in so that he could fix it while I was out of town. I had two toddlers + luggage in the car and was about to call a cab to the airport. Without hesitation, he jumped in and drove us over himself. Talk about friendly service!

WINDOW CLEANERS: Ricardo of Pro Cleaning

650-444-1292

He is great and very responsive.

CONTRACTOR: Efrem Construction Co.

AMAZING. Completely blown away. Great at what they do and GOOD PEOPLE. They are great with both entire house builds or a small project. Efrem can be reached at: (650) 222-2565 or efremconstruction@yahoo.com

Detailed, organized, ahead of schedule, and saved us money too many times to count. Here’s the kicker: years after we finished our project, he will still come over to help me with any house problem (unrelated to project) at often refuses to charge!

REAL ESTATE AGENT: C&H Realty

Two awesome local moms, Catherine and Hope, who are passionate about real estate and specialize in only Hillsborough, Burlingame and San Mateo.

These women are amazing. Their collective background includes: 40 years in real estate, Harvard MBA, consulting, JD from USC, Phi Beta Kappa at UCLA. More importantly, they love our area and know the market inside and out.

ELECTRICIAN: Tony the Electrician

Cell: 650-207-5791

Met Tony through Efrem. Knows his stuff and very flexible on timing.

PLUMBER: Brian McMahon Plumbing

(650) 218-6100 or mcmahonplumbing@sbcglobal.net. Local guy, low key, will "swing by" at any time (usually when you need a plumber you need one NOW). Licensed, bonded, insured, etc. Oh, and he's Irish to boot!

On more than one occasion we have had a plumbing issue that as it turned out was just a matter of cleaning out a hidden part or something. Didn't charge me for his visit. Who does that? Another local gem.

HEATING / AC / DUCT CLEANING: Ron Melrose Service

650 364 4010 or ronmelrose@aol.com. Does all heating, air, and ventilation work. In addition to duct cleaning, water heaters, humidifiers, and electronic air cleaners. Get your ducts cleaned out!

Ron is awesome. He is honest, gives a fair price, gives the right advice even if it means "no job" for him (i.e your old unit is still okay). He has done a bunch of work for us and is a great guy.

GO TO BABY GIFTS: Canopy Cards

Local mom Jen Parker founded this company that makes baby thank you notes with jest, baby gift bits, and the most adorable baby love letters.

Who said baby gift thank you notes had to be boring? Jen has a way with words and a love for letterpress paper. She makes a very unique baby gift and it comes in adorable packaging. Check out her site, you will love her stuff.

BEST MOMS COMMUNITY: Burlingame Mothers' Club

The BMC provides mothers of children from birth through age five with support, information, friendship, and community. Non profit; $50 annual dues.

I was on the board of this amazing group several years ago. It's a truly amazing community, resource, and a place where I met lifelong friends. Great way to learn more about our city and all it has to offer.

PILATES: Scoop Studio Pilates / San Mateo CA

Scoop Studio is an inviting, fully equipped Pilates studio offering private, semi-private, and small group classes in downtown San Mateo, California.

So great at what she does. Molly has a wealth of knowledge about physiology as well as pilates. Plus she is a local mom. Plus she has come in before on a Saturday night to see a friend who desperately needed help with her back.Nice!

WORKOUT: San Mateo Team Elite

Individuals from varying backgrounds and degrees of athleticism bounded by a passion for fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. We push each other and ourselves "to be our best" and have fun doing it!

If you want a great workout that is fun, challenging, team oriented and most importantly NEVER BORING, give this a try! Don't get scared away by the pictures, if I can do it, anyone can. Run by a local dad!

GROCERY DELIVERY: San Mateo | WholeFoodsMarket.com

I find it to be endlessly frustrating how much time grocery shopping takes, esp with kids in tow. Our Whole Foods delivers! Contact Christine.Larsen@wholefoods.com or 650-358-6900. Christine has great customer service and personal touch.

wholefoodsmarket.com

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This is an amazing service that I have been using since it first started. I email a list to Christine each week and she totally takes care of us, including bringing groceries to our KITCHEN. I don't know what I'd do without her. Huge time savings.

Katie: I LOVE Christine, totally worth it!

BEST OUTDOOR SEATING: Urban Bistro

270 Lortron Avenue, Burlingame, CA 94010 650-347-7687 http://www.sfsoupco.com

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Owned and run by a local mom and dad, Urban Bistro is great for an easy meal on the patio. Lots of organic options, VERY kid friendly, always see friends there!

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Erin asks: I'd love more ideas! Please add 'em here:

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Larissa gave a compliment THIS IS HELPFUL:

 My favorite go-to local list on Skinnyscoop - thanks for hooking me up with your peeps!

SkinnyScoop Team added:

 Erin thinks Stuart Rentals is fantastic. Find out why when you take advantage of this exclusive offer: Enjoy $50 off (or 20% off orders over $500) on an order placed before Dec 1. Just use the code SMBSS1110.

SKINNYSCOOP PERK! Stuart Rental Company

stuartrental.com

The Stuart Rental Company is your complete source for party equipment rentals. Table rentals, tent rentals, chair rentals, & much more in San Jose and the Bay Area.

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Donna Wills Colson added:

 This is the ONLY locally owned and operated sports training center for kids. The facility is sparkling clean and we have outstanding coaches for children 3 and older. We also offer fantastic adult leagues! It is a great FAMILY place!

Burlingamer Indoor Soccer, Futsal, and Softball Training

burlingamer.com

The Burlingamer is an indoor soccer and sports training center located on Rollins Road in Burlingame. We host leagues for youth and adults, childrens' clinics age 3 and up, classes, camps, birthday parties, corporate events, and drop-in play.

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SkinnyScoop Team added:

 Erin loves PurpleTie - and you should too! Find out why when you take advantage of this exclusive offer: Enjoy $20 off your next order through the end of December when you mention 'SkinnyScoop'. Cannot be combined with any other PurpleTie offers.

*SKINNYSCOOP PERK!* Save $20 at PurpleTie

purpletie.com

PurpleTie @HOME is your easiest solution for taking care of all your dry cleaning and laundry! Our on-demand order process lets you schedule your pick-up and delivery on any weekday evening that works best for you.

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