easy

Four important reasons Hire A Housewife asks for a list

Leave a list? Nobody has ever asked me to leave a list before!
We hear you, and we understand.
But there is a good reason that we ask for a list from you. That reason is likely the same reason you hired us.
We are different. We are different because we know all of you are different.

Giveaway Instructions (Ends 10/30!)

Good Afternoon!

I'm incredibly excited by the response we've received for this giveaway so far. Thank you for your enthusiasm!

There has been some confusion on HOW to enter the giveaway for one month of free housekeeping. I wanted to write a quick post and make sure everyone had the chance to get in on the drawing!

To make sure you are entered for the grand prize:

     Click on this link... 
Win One Month of Free Housekeeping!

That link will take you to a form that looks like this:

Fill it out and hit SUBMIT at the bottom!

That's it! You're in!

To make sure you are entered for second prize:

     Share that link with your friends and ask them to enter your name in the box that asks how       they heard about the contest!
That box will look like this:

It's that easy!


Ways to share...

     *Share a post from Hire A Housewife on your wall
     *Invite your friends to the Facebook Event : CLICK HERE
     *Email the link to your friends who might want to join. 
          They do not have to be on Facebook!
     
Note: Sharing does NOT enter you in the giveaway. You MUST fill out the form!

Thank you and have a blessed day!



More than just cleaning...

I've always said I do more than just cleaning, but every now and again I like to take a moment and SHOW you the possibilities...

This is a photo of the outside of my apartment from about a month ago when I started planting flowers in the beds down the side of the house...



This is a photo when I had that bed planted and was trying to decide what to do with the barren mess closer to the left side of the photo.


This is what it looks like now. There are some close-ups of the blooms below. 
The whole area will be blooming with pink and red roses before the summer is over, 
and they will continue to come back every year!

A few hours of work
Two trips to the home improvement store
30 bricks (Sale price .58 each)
12 bags of rock (Sale price $2 each)
  1 roll of weed block ($9)
  4 new rose bushes ($14 each)
  2 transplanted rose bushes that aren't taking off yet (free)

I did the work and my landlord split the costs with me.
Overall I'm pretty happy with it! I love pulling into my driveway and seeing blooming flowers!


These are the flowers my youngest gave me for Mother's Day, planted around a small ornamental tree that my son is growing from a cutting off of a tree in my mom's yard!


The roses in the front are called Double Knockout Roses. Almost impossible to kill, easy to care for, and absolutely gorgeous!



Here is the newly planted Double Knockout Rose Bush just a week after planting.


The blooms are beautiful!


The red foliage on these plants is new growth. These bushes can grow to three feet 
wide and high if now pruned back periodically.

Have an idea for your yard but no time to execute it? How about a yard and some time, but no ideas?
No problem... you can Hire A Housewife for that too!


Bring joy to your home in just 15 minutes a day

What horrible, nasty, exhausting, awful things might you be willing to endure if you thought that the end result would bring something good into your life? REALLY... Think about this!


I don't know about you, but I didn't think childbirth was that fun. At least none of mine were! But, you know, I kinda liked that ending part where they handed me a baby!

What about exercise? Well, if I could quit the second I felt too tired and still get the benefits... but I can't... so that goes in the "not fun" category as well. Now, 70lbs lighter than when I started, I'm pretty happy with the benefits.

Today my pastor posted a picture of himself in our church dumpster after he had to go in to look for something thrown away by accident! Unplanned dumpster diving? Yuck! But what was lost has been recovered. :-)

(Thanks for some inspiration Pastor Chuck!)

But what if I told you that if you were willing to endure something that is likely not as bad as any of those things for a small amount of time... it could drastically improve your home? I'm serious.




You have one of those in your home, right? Just about everyone does. If not, you likely have something similar. Microwave timer, cell phone timer, neighborhood dog that barks every five minutes? Surely everyone has something...

What if I told you that this timer could solve a large portion of your clutter problems?

It can.

And it doesn't have to be difficult either. Are you ready for this amazing, mind-blowing plan?

Pick a spot in your home that has been overwhelmed with clutter. Maybe it is a bookshelf. Maybe it is a closet. Maybe you have an entire guest room full of stuff that you have been intending to deal with "later."

Set your timer for 15 minutes.

Get to work.

What!?! There is no magic involved? There is no secret trick?

No. You actually have to go through it and decide to trash, recycle, donate, or keep everything you touch. But don't get discouraged, because while thinking about that mess, you might have forgotten something.

You only set the timer for 15 minutes.

So what are you supposed to do when it goes off? Whatever you want. Drop what you are cleaning/organizing/sorting and walk away. Don't touch it again today.

I know that your initial reaction is going to be, "But Kindall, how is that going to help?" I know you are already rolling your eyes about this plan. I know that the amount of work that needs to be done in the space you were thinking about is enormous compared to the amount of time I told you to spend there. Think about it like this... at the end of a week, at 15 minutes a day, how much time have you spent on your problem?

Almost two full hours.

Before you put this plan into place, how much time had you spent on that problem in the last month?

Imagine, tackling project after project in just 15 minutes a day until your house is clutter-free?

Now, is it likely that you can keep your entire home clean with just 15 minutes of work a day? Probably not. But so often, it isn't the daily housework that gets us bogged down. It is the clutter that has built up over time, or the boxes that were all moved in at once and never opened again that make us sign when we catch a glimpse of them.

So, if I am running a business that specializes in organizing and cleaning, among other things, why would I tell you this instead of just telling you to hire us and let us handle it for you?

I shared this because what I care about most is bringing JOY into your home. Of course we will come in and clean and organize and do anything you'd like done! But I want you to know that, even if hiring help is out of budget for you right now, there is hope! 

Given the right tools, you can do this!
Today, the right tool is this...


 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
 Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7


Run Your Own Business? 5 Reasons You Should Call Hire A Housewife!

While it goes without saying that everyone would love to have a little more JOY in their lives... 

Organization
     You can never be too organized. Whether you are completely neat and tidy right down to the last labeled tote or you have an "I know where it is, I just have to find it" kind of system... having an outside eye come in and show you what you could be doing better it always going to be helpful. Sometimes letting someone else deal with it for you for a couple of hours gives you the break you need to re-energize!

We Can Be Tax Deductible
     That's right. Having someone come in and clean your home before your Mary Kay or Tupperware party or reorganize your office can be written off at the end of the year as a business expense. Who couldn't use a bit of a tax break coupled with the calm and focus that come with a clean and organized workspace!
     This doesn't just apply to an actual office either. We organize inventory, run errands, or... if you are really just too dedicated to your work to get to it yourself, we will even organize your Pinterest boards... I don't think that one is tax deductible though. ;-)

Small Businesses Help Each Other
     Hire A Housewife's growth over the last few months has completely surprised me... but it hasn't surprised God a bit. He knew how excited people would be about a company who wants to bring JOY into the lives of people every day! One of the things we will have very soon (Hopefully in August) is a company newsletter. Full of positive, uplifting information and tips, there will also be some space for advertising. I am excited to be able to offer these spaces to those who also support Hire A Housewife through using our services first!
     Small business promotion is a side project of mine. Sometimes I just donate my services to failing businesses in an effort to help get them on the right track. I have a lot of great ideas for small business promotion and cross promotion between businesses. Even if you aren't a current customer, stay connected with us to make sure you know when opportunities arise... they will!

Connections
     In business and in life, it is often said that success is "all about who you know." The more connections you have, the more potential you have to reach future customers. For me, I know that the most important "Who I know" is Jesus... and the ways that God has constantly and consistently put all of us in the lives of others at just the right time for one reason or another has been mind-blowing. Whether you are a Christian business owner who is relying on God to make those connections for you, or you would like to know some business owners who are... this is a connection you need! 

You Need Us!
     We know better than anyone how difficult running your own business can be! Never-ending to-do lists, long hours, meals on the go... give us a chance to bring JOY into your daily life and your business! This isn't just about the physical work that needs done, but it's also the positive attitude and and extension of grace that we bring with us.

Give us a try... you won't be disappointed!

Getting Rid of Lime Scale and Rust

Does this look familiar? 



There are three products that will take it off almost immediately... 
and they aren't the ones you are thinking about already! Better yet... they are under $3 each!



 Bar Keeper's Friend comes in a powder at most local stores. Get the surface wet, sprinkle this on and then use a wash cloth to wipe it off. It is that easy. There is a downside to this. Because it is a powder, it is really hard to spread on a vertical surface, like your shower door. Their website says that there is a liquid version... but I have yet to find it anywhere except online. 




This is "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner. This should only be used in a VERY well ventilated space or with a mask of some sort. Squirt this on the shower door and watch the lime scale run off. There is also an occasional "smoke" that rises from the product while it is working. I haven't figured out why it does this yet. This works great, but make sure that you wear gloves as it tends to irritate the skin, and don't inhale! It will leave you feeling breathless and coughing. 


This is my favorite of the three products. I call it "Lysol Black." It just sounds awesome, right?
This is the ONLY type of Lysol toilet bowl cleaner that will work. It has to be in the black bottle specially marked with "Lime & Rust Remover." This goes on more thickly than "The Works" and isn't as breathtaking if you accidentally forget to flip on the bathroom fan while you are using it. Still, don't use it without gloves. You will likely need to spread it on with a scrub brush or a wash cloth, but you will not have to do any actual scrubbing.



That's all it takes to clean your shower door and make it look almost like new!







Choosing Joy...


I'd like to say that choosing joy is easy.

It's not.

I'd love to be able to tell people that there is 
a pressure point or a yoga pose 
that will bring it to them peace and joy. 

There isn't. 

I'd like to tell you that choosing to feel joy inside your heart 
when your heart feels like it is breaking into a million pieces is simple.

How could it be?


What I can tell you is this...

Having true JOY inside of you comes from knowing the One who created true joy.


May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13


How's that for an introduction to this blog?