GETTING OUR HOUSE CLEAN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

I’ve been asked a lot about push presents over the course of my Friday Q&A series and I’ve always answered that I didn’t ask for or receive one, but as I sat down to write this post I realized that’s not entirely true. You may recall I spent the two months leading up to Teddy’s due date moving into our house and painting and/or wallpapering various rooms as my personal version of nesting. Will was commuting into the city every day, my parents were still at A Better Chance, and so I was more or less a solo woman on a mission during the week. When Will asked if there was anything he could do to help without, you know, quitting his job, I decided that actually yes, there was: he could book a cleaning service to come do all the dusting, scrubbing, and vacuuming I was too exhausted to tackle myself after my various painting projects were complete. And so Merry Maids sent over three angels on earth who made everything from our bathrooms to our baseboards literally glisten just a week before Teddy made his debut. So it wasn’t a push present in the traditional sense perhaps, but it was absolutely the greatest gift as a tired soon-to-be first-time mom. Truly I’d be hard-pressed to think of a more practical and therefore universally appreciated gift for anyone who’s short on time or energy!

When I clean…

…vs. when Merry Maids cleans ✨

When Merry Maids reached out about working together this winter, you honestly would have thought I’d won the lottery. (Seriously, have you ever tried to clean the house with a one-year-old and a dog at your heels, both of whom have decided they’re terrified of the vacuum cleaner?) Merry Maids now provides masks and gloves for their employees to wear while cleaning, which made me feel even better about having them help get our home in gear for the holidays. Every time they’ve come to clean our house, we all remark that it’s the best the house has ever looked — the kitchen and bathrooms are pristine, there’s not a speck of dirt or dust on the baseboards or the stairs, and the floors are practically gleaming. This time they even scrubbed down Teddy’s highchair which was a gift I didn’t know I needed. ??

Merry Maids recently started offering organizing services as well so it’s worth giving them a call for dusting and decluttering! Whether you’re preparing to host a small number of guests or just need help cleaning up after Christmas with your immediate family, I will say from personal experience that absolutely no one cleans or tidies with greater attention to detail than Merry Maids. If you’re looking to reduce your own stress this time of year or to make life a little easier for someone you love, I can’t recommend them more enthusiastically!

P.S. If you know a teacher or healthcare worker whose home could use a little extra love this holiday season, my friend Julia and I are each giving away two Merry Maids cleaning services! You can nominate someone on my Instagram here and on Julia’s Instagram here.

*This post is sponsored by Merry Maids. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Design Darling!