House Cleaning

     Its been a while since I posted anything on this blog - my apologies.  Our helper went back to her home town for a 2 week home leave, and my husband and I were left on our own to take care of the house, the twins and the 2 yorkies.  I have to admit, I have become so reliant on our helper, Becca.  She cares for the twins like as if they were her own, she cleans the house very well, cooks, irons the clothes, the works.  So you can just imagine the state I was in when there was only a few days left before her departure for a well-deserved vacation. 

     I am totally clueless in the kitchen.  Oh I can bake ~ cookies, muffins, cupcakes, easy stuff.  But cooking?  I can fry an egg, sure.  But that's it.  So, the only solution I can think of for this dilemma was to ask Becca to cook the twins' favorite soups a day or two before she flies off.  I read in a blog by the Soup Chick that you can actually freeze the soups and they should be good for 3 months (non cream soups will keep for 6 months).  That article was a beacon of hope :)  Thank you so much Soup Chick!! 

     Dilemma#1 - check!  (Hubby and I had take-out, natch!)

     My husband was retrenched late last year and has not been successful in finding another job.  The worldwide economic crisis didn't help and his age plays a factor as well.  He's in a semi-retired state as we speak - which is still ok since I'm still gainfully employed.  Timing's actually good - while Becca's away, he can take care of the house.  But then, he has 2 slipped discs that pretty much hampers his movements.  Solution to Dilemma #2?  I will drive the kids to school in the morning, go to the office, then pick them up during lunch time, buy lunch, then continue to work from home in the afternoon.  Thankfully, my manager agreed to this set-up (God bless him).

     So I mentioned the hubby's slipped discs, right?  That just means that he can't really do much cleaning around the house.  So I saw myself changing into my house clothes the moment I arrive, dock in my PC, check emails and then I grab the mop & the duster.  I find myself appreciating these products that helped me clean the house, quickly and efficiently.

3M High Performance Microfibre Mop - It just captures the dust, hair (pet and human), and dirt so effectively.  All our windows are open the whole day, so even if you mop (wet) the day before, you'll still gather so much dust the day after. 

Magiclean Handy Duster - love this!  I have a set in my office as well.  You can see the dust disappear after one swipe.  Lovely! 

Terra Care Marble & Terrazo Floor Cleaner - Ad this with water, mop your marble flooring, let it dry and see your floor shine in no time.  I think they've changed the brand name to Mr Muscle.

    

And the crème de la crème (for me anyway) - even though I'm totally clueless in the kitchen, I do know how to keep it clean.  And Mr. Muscle Kitchen Cleaner is my go to product.  It's sssooo good in getting rid of oil and grease build up on your kitchen tiles, counter, stove top, sink, the works!  Spray it on, let it sit if the scum is too much, wipe it off with a sponge or a cloth, and voilà!  Good as new!!  The only downside here is that it really doesn't smell so nice, as in.  But hey, it works!

    

     And so we managed to survive 2 weeks without killing each other (haha), none of us starved to death, we didn't get sick (that happened after Becca came back, go figure!), and the kids still managed to participate in their school's year end concert!  Woohoo!

     I'm not complaining about the work, mind you.  It was good to see myself sweating from the house work, and I lost 2 Kg!  But I just want to say this - I have so much respect for those working mothers who do not have any helpers at all.  It's really a huge feat - amazing, they are.  And a shout out to the domestic helpers.  People don't realize it, but so much is entrusted on these remarkable people. 

     As for me, I stayed in bed the whole day when Becca came back.  I was back to being a lazy bugger.