Need LIGHT Housekeeping Help, Any Suggestions?

Hi M.... My house keeper is so sweet and young and energetic. She cleans my house when ever I call her too. So you can decide every two weeks once a month every week what ever works for you. Her prices are so great (my house is 5000sq ft it cost me 75.00 when she comes) She is very very good. If you want her number email me and I can get it to you.... Good Luck

This woman I met at my son's school- she is awesome and VERY detailed. Yvonne Heakins- ###-###-#### or email: ____@____.com

Keeping up with a house with little ones can be difficult, and sometimes overwhelming and frustrating. I know how you are feeling. I don't have any cleaning person suggestions, but I do have some other thoughts for you.
First, take a look at your home and your "stuff". Do you have an organized way of keeping it together? Do you have too much stuff? Take some time and seriously look at what you have and what you really really need and what you just want because it makes your life easier or more pleasing.
Next....be gentle on yourself. You are a mom of 2 busy young children. What expectations are you placing on yourself? Do you think your house should be perfect? We all want our homes to be pleasing to the eye, safe, and when it's organized and free of clutter and grime - it really does provide better chi (energy) for our home, family, and our own mind. But have you really sat down and thought about what part of daily housekeeping you can let go of? Can it be done once a week? Your 2 yr old can even learn how to do his part. He probably will need help and lots of positive encouragement, but little ones love to help when it's not forced and seems like fun. You know that song, "CLEAN UP CLEAN UP EVERYBODY EVERYWHERE, CLEAN UP CLEAN UP, EVERYBODY DO THEIR SHARE"?
As a mom of 4, my home is far from magazine perfect, but I have found that once we let go of the idea of perfection, understand what is really important as far as a clean home, and setting up a system that works for you will really decrease your stress about a "dirty" house.
If you can't find a great housecleaning service at a good price now, then here are a few suggestions.

Enlist the help of your girlfriends. I've heard of cleaning parties. Once a month, friends get together with their mops and brooms (and human and environmentally friendly cleaning products:) and clean on of the friends house. If all the kids come, designate one room, or outside for them to play and one adult supervises.
OR...however often you and a freind or two can, swap days for errands, organizing, or just getting some things done. Let one of your friend watch your children for a few hours while you do what you need or want to do, and then you return the favor.
If you can pay for an ongoing housecleaner, then maybe a one time consultation with a professional home organizer might benefit you too, or in lieu of a house cleaner. The professional organizer can really help you learn or see things in a different way that will help keeping home tidy much easier.
OR...set up a system for yourself. Time yourself to 30-60 minutes a day of cleaning/organizing. Everyday, or every other day tackle another job. One day you clean the windows and floors. The next day you vacume and dust. One day you clean the bathrooms. One day you go through paperwork/bills/mail etc. But set your timer to just that amount of time...then forget about it for the rest of the day, so you can do what you really need and want to do...be completely present for your family, have time for yourself, and husband, friends, community....
Also, even though you aren't stressing about cleaning after your hour a day:), it is a good idea to take 20 min or so after the kiddos are asleep to do a quick pick up, put a load of laundry in the wash,and get ready for the next morning. I don't know if this sounds too structured for you or not. Even though I like things clean and organized, I'm not a structured person at all and prefer to go with the flow of things. BUT...I have had to learn to embrace chaos, embrace imperfection, AND set up a cleaning organizing system that works for our family. It is still in updating and improving stages, but when I tackle the house stuff first in a limited amount of time, I have the time to move through the rest of my day less stressed, focusing on what really matters...and having my headstone read, "HAD THE CLEANEST HOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD", is not what really matters to me:)
Much good energy to you for a happy healthy and loving home.

In peace,
A.
mom of 4, Birth and Parenting Mentor
www.birthingfromwithin.com

Check out www.flylady.net Her systems might really help you find peace in your own life like it did for me. Routines really help, and little bits at a time. It really helps me keep my house clean and keep routines and have a healthy attitude towards it all. Less really is more. It is SO much easier to keep my house clean and organized and the pick up the toys, etc, because we don't have a ton of stuff. Also enlist the help of your children.

My 3 year old takes his hamper full of clean clothes from the laundry room and puts them away into the labeled (with pictures and words) baskets. He also puts away the silverware and empties his own dishes out of the dishwasher into his little cupboard. He also puts his dirty dishes into the dishwasher and has been doing most of this since he was about 2 1/2. It takes time to teach, but it helps me out in the end, plus it's teaching him an important life skill and the value of responsibility and pitching in.

Check with the local college to see if you can put an ad up for what you need. There may be college students who are in need of some money, but won't charge as much as the professionals. Also, maybe try www.craigslist.com and put in an ad there. Just make sure your husband is home when you interview strangers from there.

You didn't say where you lived, but a woman from this site, Michelle used to come every couple of weeks to clean my house and she is great with light housekeeping. I will copy/paste her info. from the local business reviews:

House Cleaning

2 reviewsOwner: Michelle A

Phone: ###-###-####

41317 N.Arbor Ave.
Queen Creek, AZ 85240

Category: Cleaning & Housekeeping

I clean houses and business's
in the east valley. Average houses are about $70. One time cleanings are $100-$150. Give me a call to set up your cleaning ###-###-#### or email me @ ____@____.com.
thanks,Michelle

Hi M., I agree with the suggestions about downsizing and only keeping around what you need. ESPECIALLY the kids toys! I am queen of the pack rats and just recently have been able to start going thru and getting rid of things. It has made a huge difference in the way I FEEL when I'm home! And I work full time so I'm not a SAHM and I have 3 kids and a dog. My house is FAR from clean, but I am not embarrassed either if someone stops by. It's an ongoing process but I have a box I keep in the laundry room that is on the way to the garage and I just throw stuff in it as I come across it and then when it's full we take it to Good Will and start all over again! My boyfriend and I keep up with the kitchen pretty good and I clean the bathrooms (well, wipe them down) while the kids are in the tub. And everything else we sort of just take 10 minutes when we can and run the mop, dust a room or two, clean something here and there. We figure after working full time jobs and 3 active kids at home, those things are more important than if we dusted that day or not! I hope you can find some relief and don't be too hard on yourself! Good luck!!!

Hi M.,
My name is A. and I am the owner of Cleaning Wonders, a cleaning service company located in Scottsdale. We clean many houses in the area, once a week, twice a week, once a month, etc. If you would like, we could set up an appointment so I can see your home and give you an estimate. The minimum we charge is $45 and a lot can be done in that time. If you are interested, please call me at ###-###-####. You can also check our Service Magic web site at http://cleaningwonders.servicemagicpro.com/

Thanks, A.

We have a lady who works at the office. What area are you located in?

My next door neighbor cleans house on the side to be able to make ends meet. Her and her sister come together and they charge $40 an hour. They are very dependable, trustworthy and will basically do anything you ask of them.

Cat Margaritas
###-###-####

Try Susan. she is reliable and reasonable ###-###-####

HI,
I do house cleaning. If you would like to email me we can talk further about it. My name is on the moms business's if you would like to check it out. You can email me at ____@____.com forward to hearing from you.

Thanks, M. A

Join Flylady.net and use her to start small. I have heard so many success stories. Keep in mind you are a busy mom and your house is not going to be mega clean. Kitchen and bathrooms are the priorities. One thing that really helps keep things clean, which I am working on, is simplify. Get rid of stuff. rotate kids toys monthly, take stuff to resale shops, and I have learned not to save anything for them--they will choose not to like it. hope this help. enjoy the kids and keep the relationship first. Other advice is get the kids to play clean-up game. Check library for age scale on what is appropriate for each age. Hope this encourages you.

When I was on bed rest I had a woman come in she is very reliable and friendly.

Lupe ###-###-####

Stress that you only need a light cleaning.

Good Luck!
Heather

My mom hired a couple of teen girls to help me out. They were great. One would play with the kids while the other did the dishes and such. I paid them hourly for as long as I needed. are there any reliable teens that need to make money in your area your church?

Some teens that babysit will do light housekeeping too.

Put an ad out for a mother's helper and specify how much you are willing to pay.

I am a working mother of 4 kids. My husband is a Chef & is usually very busy during the holiday season so I don't get much help out of him during this time. I usually put my kids to bed about 8:30 this gives me time to do the cleaning. I do the mopping about twice a week & I vaccum everyday day. My dishes are done everyday after dinner. I do at least 1 to 2 loads of laundry at night or early morning. Bathrooms are done once a week. If you keep on top of your schedule the cleaning does not take long. I usually get to bed about 10:30 or 11 it really depends on what needs to be done. I also have one day I can just sit & read my book. When you are a working mother you have to be very organized especially with 4 kids. Thank goodness for my husband he does do homework with the kids & maintenance the pool. Good Luck!! It gets easier in time.