Spring has definitely Sprung

I heard from our daughter in Idaho today that it is SNOWING there! Not so in Texas ... at least for two weeks now. We did have a strangely late snow for one whole day in March and that was after some of the shrubs and trees had started putting on buds. We survived it though and it's now more like business as usual -- WARM. A good time for cleaning out one's garage (which we need to do in the worst way) or take care of touch up painting around the house (also something on my list) or just a plain old deep Spring cleaning. That means baseboards, pulling furniture away from the wall ... and might as well rearrange the contents of the room with those coaster-like slides while you're at it ... dust the ceiling fans, clean under, around and behind all things normally neglected; the treadmill, the television, the top of the fridge, the lint-y utility room and on it goes.

A friend of mine suggested Spring Cleaning is a hoax perpetuated on already overly busy women. I guess to keep us "off the streets and out of the pool halls" as my now deceased character of a father-in-law often joked. Who knows? But spring does inspire me to get up and DO more than any other season of the year. Perhaps with the greening of the trees and shrubs, and the first peek of the sun, I am motivated to think I can do it ... the days are longer.

If you however, still can't bring yourself to think about piling one more task on your shoulders, I hear and I understand. Give Clean Reflections a call. We can come only once or regularly ... whatever helps you the most. It's an easy number to remember too: 940-566-MAID! Happy spring to you!

Hearts and Flowers, Puppies and Kitties

We just passed a sweetheart's celebration ... Valentine's Day which I've always enjoyed. It's another opportunity to correspond with those dear friends we didn't get to at Christmas for one thing. And this year my sweetheart gets extra points for remembering to bring home a dozen long stemmed yellow roses with the sweetest card I think he's ever chosen for me.

Now that brings me to the house cleaning part. We all know that live flowers say "I love you" almost better than anything, but they do die and they drip in the process. I even resisted clipping off their stems of my beauties to draw more water because of the mess it makes while pulling them apart. Just keep in mind to place them on something that won't be harmed by damp babies breath buds or vase bottom. Pull out of the vase over the trash can when it's time to say goodbye to them and you're clean up will go much faster.

Other oddball things that go into the mix to create household dust would be: pet dander, soot from the fireplace and believe it or not dead skin cells (probably the biggest culprit) and of course just plain old dirt that seeps in when the door is opened or around windows not well sealed. Be sure to invest in placing a good scraper type fabric door mat at those well used entry doors. A good swipe of one's shoes over a mat goes a long way toward saving your floors from muddy scuffs.

I hope this helps. If you're still overwhelmed, give us a call. We're here to pitch in and help be it one time or on a regular basis. Our number is 940-566-MAID (6243). And all this applies to offices as well. My valentine to you!!

Dirt by any name is still Dirt

Isn't it fun to secretly gloat over someone else's dirt? I hate to admit that I enjoy seeing the cracks in someone's beautiful facade but it's a sad fact of life. We all try for that perfection whatever it is to each of us but alas no one will ever achieve it. In fact, I had a speaking coach suggest that when speaking before a group publicly to NOT look perfect ... allow an uneven hem, a turned collar or whatever so that audience members would focus on that imperfection rather than on my stumbles in speech. Crafty, but I can't say I allow that intentionally. It's the same with our homes. I like a picked up, clean house as much as the next housewife but don't get so picky that you can't truly live in your own home. Our dear Maids and night crews encounter just a few fortunately, but they do encounter those homeowners and building managers who appear to have attained masters' degrees in complaining. It's off-putting to say the least. So here in the wake of Thanksgiving ... while we still live in the grandest nation on earth, let's BE thankful we can hire someone to do what we don't have time nor inclination to do ourselves and give one another some slack. Call Clean Reflections if you're the current clean up person and are sick and tired of spending your time mopping up after all the others in your home or office. "We don't cut corners, we clean them!" Visit us online at www.cleanyoucansee.com anytime.

Aubergine, beautiful aubergine

Because I have my house cleaned every week, I can now focus on my achievements in the kitchen. I ordered a natural cookbook a few weeks ago having seen a segment on TV by the author. Because I want my husband and I to enter the 'golden years' in good health, I've been focusing more on organics and vegetables in cooking. Anyway, turns out the author is British. My roots are in Great Britain, in fact my grandparents landed here right off the boat, so I am grateful to the Brits for all they bring us. They do however, speak English a bit differently than do we. All measurements are in grams and liters ... so I Googled a conversion chart. Check, got that handled. Then flipping through the recipes I discovered some strange sounding food items. Ever hear of a "courgette"? Me neither. Back to Google. It's a zucchini; go figure. How about an "Aubergine" which I thought was a designer color. Well, it is that too, but it's an .... eggplant! That's a much prettier name than eggplant, isn't it?

More Maxine on Housework

I thought about cleaning the house. But then
I thought, "What's the house done for me lately?"
Y'know, what we do isn't rocket science ... although the janitorial industry in general is really coming of age in terms of science and technology. We now have the option of using robotic equipment, electrolized water to sanitize, fancier and fancier floor machines that will multi task with one pass over the floor; for example, put water down, scrub and suck it back into a tank all at once. It is pretty amazing if you focus on it a moment. Nonetheless, it isn't rocket science, as I said, but it does require some training and a mindset to do it consistently and correctly. I guess that's why I so love Maxine. She determined early on that she didn't like housework, wasn't going to do it and made no bones about it. And these days you shouldn't have to, especially if you are the chief cook and bottle washer, income provider and possibly Mom or Dad on top of all that. To you, the battle scarred, freeway stressed, microwave set, I bring Maxine for a moment of levity. Laugh along.








Enjoy this latest Maxine installment along with me and put your feet up.

Maxine on Dishwashing

I feel so blessed; I have a brand new dishwasher. After a good 25 year run, my faithful Kitchenaid conked out permanently. It screamed at us for a few final weeks while it did still wash but finally it coughed and died. I lived without one for awhile shopping for the perfect replacement -- which adversly affected our diet. We ate lots of sandwich dinners. It's hard to consider a full course hot meal on paper plates ... for me anyway. So when Maxine appeared with her support group idea; I totally related to her. Do you?

Call Us! We're good dusters

I attach the above photo remembering the attractive young couple who years ago called and hired us to clean their first new home on a regular basis. It's unusual for us to have newlyweds as customers so one day I was bold and asked why they had. The sweet young wife replied that during their premarital counseling at church, their wise counselor said to eliminate as many topics as possible that could be argument-starters. One of those was house cleaning! What a smart counselor and what a smart young couple. The house was never a subject over which they fought!