not this cute anymore!
A while back, my friends and I started a merry maids club. We are moms with young kids who don't really like to clean our own houses, but we love getting together and chatting while our kids play. We decided we might as well do something productive while we chat.. so we clean. Once a week (although it's been pretty crazy with our summer vacation schedules) we get together for about an hour or two or three to clean one of our homes. We bring cleaning supplies, a CD player and let the kids play while we scrub base boards and mop floors. This past week was my week and let me tell you, my bathrooms have never been so sparkling! You know a true friend when she gets down and scrubs your mildewy bathtub (especially when she's 8 months pregnant!) Thanks Natalie and Jane! I'm so glad we were all wearing black tees for our professional photo. Ben snapped this picture after a couple hours of cleaning. We were sweaty, hungry and squished in my bathroom. I hadn't showered in 4 days and didn't have on a brazier (but don't you worry, I was wearing my pearl earrings.) Thanks for coming over and cleaning my toilets, ladies! Can't wait 'til next time!If you live in Vegas and want to join us, we need more members.. We definitely want enough to do a month rotation... If the month has a fifth week, we were thinking about doing a service cleaning project for someone else who needs it. If you are interested, let us know! I believe there's enough of us to have 2 rotating groups.. So don't be shy.. We'll wipe out your dirty pantry if you'll wipe ours!
If you don't live in Vegas, that's too bad. You can't be part of our cool club. But you can always start your own. It doesn't have to be a cleaning group.. we originally started it as a "project" club.. to do unfinished things that you just don't ever get around to doing. [For us, this happens to include scrubbing baseboards.] But the possibilities are endless... gardening, sewing, organizing the garage, etc. If it needs to be done, you might as well have a GOOD time doing it, right? Right.
For more WFMW check out Shannon's blog.
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31 comments:
You ladies are brilliant! I'd love to be considered one of your 'service' projects sometime. :)
I LOVE this idea and want to start my own group! Any pointers?
You look mighty fine in your pearl earrings! Love you!
pointers.. let's see.
chose friends who you feel comfortable around.. enough to prance around with a bra, etc. Because let's face it-- you're never going to look "pretty" when you get get together to clean.
Also.. make sure your kids play well together because it's better when you're not dealing with fighting and crying..
I think small numbers is good because that means your own house gets cleaned more often. But if you had enough people, it might be a good idea to keep the kids at one house while the rest of the ladies clean another.. in a few weeks, I am going to be painting my new house and it will probably be best to have the kids somewhere else, ya know?
And like a said, it's not just to clean. Be creative.
We picked a weekday morning and go for about 2 hours. I always look forward to it.. and when others are coming to YOUR house, you kind of have to clean to prepare for the deep stuff, and that's always a good thing.
Good luck, Beck! Tell me how it goes!
Obviously I meant "withOUT a bra" not with one.. we don't prance around in just our bras and panties.
First - very fun idea!
But second, please tell more about "in a couple of weeks I'll be painting my new house". I know you had been looking - is something final? Sam
we're having major house buying drama, but I will let you know when it's final...
that is a good idea. I also don't like to clean, especially baseboards. Do you have to clean without a bra or is that optional?
Absolutely NO bras allowed. If you want to wear one, you are going to have to start another kind of group and not associate with ours.
Hey I was just talking about this with you yesterday. I didn't know you were serious about an addition to your group, I thought you were just being polite. You know I'm in!
Do you care if I steal your picture for my blog? I know you already emailed it to me, but you've already cutened it up with a border and everything, and I'm just much too lazy for that. :-) We have been playing all morning with all of Vaughn's amazing new toys that we stole from you. I really love the blocks and puzzles. Vaughn does too, obviously, but I'm having just as much fun as him.
Go for it, Jane. You've already taken all our toys and puzzles. You might as well steal the picture too.
What a great idea, if I could get passed everyone seeing what a slob I can be. It would make cleaning much more fun.
Umm, yeah...another reason why I lived by YOU!
Brilliant idea (Bravo to Natalie and her creativity)! I love that you manage to find ways to be a good mom/wife AND still socialize with friends!
I don't think everyone has the ability to make friends like you do- and to say you just need to start your own group is the same as saying, "just climb Mt. Everest on your lunch break"
I can't help but like you- because you're real, always happy, and completely hilarious. But sometimes it's hard reading your blog when I feel like your life is perfect. Not all of us have it that good. I want to be more like you, but part of me thinks that if I lived by you, I wouldn't want to hang out with you because you're so perfect.
Dear Anonymous-
Thanks for commenting...I think. I wish you would have left a name, blog link or picture of yourself because how are we supposed to have a 'real' discussion when I have no idea who you are or where you're coming from? (actually, I know exactly where you're coming from.. or at least where you live and that you visit my blog more than once a day- so that tells me something about you and that you like me more than you're willing to admit.) How do you like living in Fort Collins, CO? I think it's on the top ten list of best places to live. I am sure the summer weather is treating you and your family well.
I think I will address the making friends comment and "you're too perfect for me to hang out with" in a post of it's own, rather than in a comment tab. But I just wanted to say that I appreciate you saying something-- even if it wasn't exactly nice. I am not going to take offense to it because I think you have the best of intentions. But just so you know, I am trying really hard to be real. And I am not stressing or not whether you actually GET ME because it's probably not even possible. I have NEVER tried to portray myself as perfect and for you to assume that I am (or that ANYONE is) is perfect is... immature.
You can chose not to come to my blog if it bothers you. I would hope that you would eventually feel comfortable (with yourself) to come back, join in the discussion as yourself, and try to see things from another perspective. I believe if all the labels were dropped, we would see that we both have weaknesses and strengths. In fact, I am sure we would realize that we actually have a lot in common.
..until then.
Great idea Natalie!! I need help with projects at my house. It's always a mess, too bad I live up North.
Sounds like a lot of fun!
That is a fantastic idea!! I have wanted to do something like that but didn't dare ask anyone and I guess Australia is too far from Las Vegas! Maybe I now I dare... Happy Cleaning!!!
Janet,
Another bright, fun idea with you writing about it even though it's someone else's idea. You did give Natalie credit and that is so "you". Your description and the comments from other young Mother's are fun to read. Spice up the life of someone in the older generation. Love, Bev
PS:
If anonymous only knew you they would eat their words! I used to live in Ft. Collins, a nice place but why stay anonymous.
Bev
Man Janet, Get real. Hardy har har. This post is so funny to me - I am glad I/you can find humor in the slobby greasy days.
Apparently Annon. didn't read your "101 reasons why my life sucks" post. EVERYONE has bad days. You just choose not to share those, and I admire that. I on the other hand freely share the good, and bad.
I really think this is a fun idea. I could never go braless though, they are TOO BIG! I HATE IT! Maybe just my sisters will go in on this, I'll ask. Love you Janet!! Thanks for letting me read your blog.
Forget "101 Reasons why my life sucks" what about my 2 year old driving my car and almost crashing it in a busy post office parking lot. That has PERFECT" written all over it.
Bev- I'm so glad you're home! I look forward to our phone call tonight.. can't wait to hear about your trip!
That's funny that people think you are perfect. I guess that's a compliment. But no worries I know the truth. You are awesome, friendly, outgoing, and creative. If those things make you seem perfect than there must be a lot of perfect people out there.
What a great idea! I'll have to start a group here in Vernal!
Nat
that's a really fun idea... the only problem is i think i would clean my house before the girls arrived... my house can get embarrassingly messy! do you guys have ground rules?! i don't know if i would want to do someone else's toilets!
Janet great Idea! Mandy, forget it! I'm not coming to clean your house ;) So, I am excited to start something like this. Thanks for sharing this idea. I really like you.
Kelly
That is a fabulous idea! I'm going to start my own group! I hate cleaning my house by myself!
What an excellent idea.
Blessings,
Kim
Excellent idea! Wish I lived in Vegas!
You've got it all. Good idea. Holy anonymous?! Way to tackle that comment.
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