Okay, sometimes I just like to blog about what is on my mind. Today it is on the magic of a clean house.
Last summer Ryan (baby brother that is 20 years younger and just got married last year) made a stupid comment that had the Council of the Sisters and all Honorary Members in an uproar. The e-mails and comments went on for weeks. Basically, silly little Ryan eluded to the fact that women should not have housekeepers as that was part of "their job". So you can imagine the uproar! Even his own cute little wife was disgusted with him!
Now, by way of excuse for Ryan--he is still a chauvinist in training. Now Ry Ry, don't take that personally; picture it like a Jedi-in-training, where the result could go either way. You may learn or you may go to the dark side. My other baby brother, who is 10 years my junior, has been married for a few years and I think has successfully completed his training. He has passed the test and has made it to the "right side". I am sure his wife will agree but I am sure she will also agree that it took some time and training. No worry, the Council of the Sisters is always willing to help (like it or not little bros).
Well, I personally would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have housekeepers weekly(or even monthly) When I get my bills paid that is my plan!!! I do indulge and have them once or twice a year, spring and fall, and last week I had them come. (Yes, I admit, I did have BUNKO that day at my house).
Well ladies, picture this. You simply leave a key under your mat, go to work all day, and come home to a SPARKLING CLEAN HOUSE! Well worth the cost. They do everything from baseboards to shutters, bed making, sheet changing, etc. etc. It did cost me a little more than usual this time---I can only imagine their disgust as they went downstairs and said "Esa cerco adabado su el sotano!!!!" (that pig finished her basement!).
Jim swears he heard a chorus of angels singing as he came through the front door that day. I think he may be right.
It's not that I want to be an unorganized pig. I was born that way. I am not lazy. I am constantly working on this house. But I inherited the "When in Wonder and in Doubt, Run in Circles Scream and Shout" gene that everyone has in my family to some degree. (except Valerie). I dream of always having a clean house and being organized. It is my #1 goal at all times. But it never happens.
Now I have to say that many of the women in my neighborhood use the housekeepers on a regular basis. And of course they are the women whose homes are always perfect, kids are always clean and perfect, they are always patient and loving with their children, work with their children on homework, read to them nightly, never have cavities, have perfect hair, etc. etc Oh wait, never mind, I just described everyone in my neighborhood, even the ones who clean their own houses. (I am just being funny here. I love every one of my neighbors - they are the most incredible women I have ever met!) Do I ever feel like they are any less for not cleaning their houses? Of course not! I give them a silent "You Go Girl!!" as I see the little purple van at their homes. I think every woman should have the luxury of a housekeeper. Why should we have to do THAT when we do all the rest?? I can't even believe the difference in makes in the home atmosphere.
When they come we try and stay on top of it....We are still in Home Heaven now as we enjoy the fruits of the labors. Laborers. Fruits. Whatever.
Cute sis-in-law recently lived in China for 3 months and had the luxury of a housekeeper who did meals,cleaning, etc. 3 days a week!!! (for only $50 a month). Wow. I know she is probably in withdrawal right now. As am I!
Now, I dare you to post your opinions on housekeepers.
Would my husband support me having a housekeeper? You bet!!
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2026
1 month ago
10 comments:
Hear Hear for the Housekeepers of the world! It is so worth it to me to have them come every other week. In fact tomorrow is my favorite day! House Cleaner Day! I agree with Jim, when I walk in the house I swear I hear the angels singing. I believe that some men don't truly appreciate all that we wives and mothers do. It is impossible to keep up with the housework and laundry, and dinner, and homework, grocery shopping, and "Pillow Talk" and I'm sure there is more I'm forgetting and still try to find time to read a book or play on the computer (update the blog and facebook). So my husband has learned that to keep me and the rest of us happy, we keep the house cleaner. It is in our own personal family proclamation.
How funny that as I write my housekeeper comments - my bi-weekly housekeepers (used to be weekly but with kids in school I feel a little guilty) are here and the angels are singing as well as my heart! Esp since I have the new RS presidency visiting me this afternoon. My siblings are evenly separated by cleanliness & and belive me, we all came that way. 3are anal, 3 are 'normal', 3 are slobs. I consider myself normal - which means that I too Natalie was born a slob, dream of being anal & have to put so much more effort into my dream of analness! Housekeepers are as necessary to that dream as a Washer & Dryer.
I dream of a clean house. I dream of housekeepers. I have posted my housecleaning woes too many times in my blog and everyone else's too many times so I do it again here. Suffice it to say, I need a housekeeper and would do anything to have one. Once a week would do nicely. One time I had the same housekeepers as Nat the day of a party (best day of my life). When I came home I found them dusting my blinds (in a cloud of dust and coughing). I was torn between thrilled and embarrassed. When I paid them I said, "I'll bet you've never cleaned a house this dirty" And they laughed and said "oh yes" I said, was my house really bad? They laughed and said, "oh yes". I'm hoping they didn't speak english.
Love it Natalie! I am in withdrawal, but oddly enough they kind of taught me how to clean too. I guess I have the disease where I think of cleaning as a one-time-event when I should be thinking of it as a continual process...or more like a never-ending-nightmare. Someday I will have a twice a month housekeeper. That seems perfect for me. Being gone at work and having the house cleaned is the BEST!
I know I should not covet my (many) neighbor's senoritas--but I can't help myself whenever I see their sweet blue vans in so many of their driveways.
Alas, I fear it will never happen...hopefully one of these days I'll be able to talk El Cheapo...I mean...El Jefe into it.
Well, we all know the answer to your last question on your post for me....however, Natalie, every we get together at your house I always think about how clean and organized you keep it, so I was surprised to read that you feel you aren't a clean/organized person.
Someday, when I'm a little older, and we have a couple kids, I hope this conversation with come up again. I'll be curious to see how things change...or don't.
Just for Ryan's sake though, he does help me clean a lot.
Great news everyone! Every morning I wake up with this annoying, stupid thing I have to do. Its called going to work. To put it like Hagard the Horrible. You feel like you push a rock up a hill get it to the top, go home, then wake up the next day with it at your doorstep.
Well things have changed!
I just found this service called "WorkerBees." Right now they go to my work once a week and do my job. It is SO nice! They clock in, do my tasks for the day and I can then go out and do what really matters. Do you know what it feels like to be able to get up and just do whatever, knowing your duties are being taken care of? WorkerBees keep up on all my tasks and leave a sprig of mint on my chair. Doesn't get much better than that. I don't see how I, or anyone of the history of the world has ever lived without one! I mean, life is too short to work.
:)
GOOD ONE RYAN! Everyone is going to think you are referring to the PIONEER comment about Amy's comment. But I better set them straight!
Alright, Ryan has sufficiently irked me enough to comment. You've done it again. Congrats.
If my ONLY job as a mother was to clean, and it was 8-5 with a nice hour-long lunch break all to myself, and I got to go home and do whatever I wanted for the rest of the night, with weekends off, then SIGN ME UP!! And don't forget the PAY and the job-well-done praise. OH! AND the fun adult interaction with coworkers/friends. That would seriously be the easiest job ever. That WOULD be lame to get someone to cover that once in awhile.
But you seem to be confusing "mother" with "janitor." Imagine adding 5 or 6 or TEN other full-time jobs to your making little stuffed animal duties, or whatever it is you do (snap!), and then stay there without any uninterrupted personal breaks 24/7. You're on call at all times. You are the breakfast, lunch and dinner chef, you're the delivery driver, you're the school teacher, you're self-esteem coach, you're the spiritual leader, you're the LOVE PROVIDER, etc, etc. Now clean up everyone else's non-stop messes and do everyone else's laundry on top of that. Wake up in the night and clean up vomit. Break up fights. Do the bills. Work in the yard. Entertain. WORK WEEKENDS. ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. No sick days. No vacation days.
Enjoy!
Yeah, we're pretty lazy if we want a little help with the most tedious of all of our jobs. You're SO not getting a high-five the next time I see you.
Amen Mandi!!!!!!!!!!!
Post a Comment