Which Would You Rather Wednesday
Today’s question goes along with my post from last week about how I have a house cleaner who’s going to be coming every other week. Having someone clean my toilets has always been a dream of mine. I don’t know that it’s the ULTIMATE dream, but it’s definitely a dream. Along with a personal chef, a personal masseuse, and someone who would wash my hair, give me a scalp massage, and style my hair every day. If I was rich, I would be AWESOME for this economy. I’d employ lots of people. I’d have the workings of a small town in my own home. SO! The question today is:
Which would you rather have at your disposal for five years:
A house cleaner/maid
A personal masseuse
A personal chef
A personal secretary
I’m debating between the house cleaner/maid and the chef. It’s not that I don’t cook well, it’s just that I’m thinking about what would free up more of my time. As much as it pains me to not be able to pick a personal masseuse (because would that EVER get old? Daily massages? I don’t think so.), I just don’t think a personal masseuse would be better than a personal maid or a personal chef. Though, as a blogger and someone with an online business, a personal secretary wouldn’t be too shabby either. I hate to make this choice, but I think I’m going to have to go with a personal maid chef maid chef maid chef maid chef. That’s my final answer.
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March 31st, 2010 at 12:13 am
WOW! Starting tomorrow I’ve got a woman who will be coming in every other week to help with the deep cleaning around my house, too! I’d love to have her come every week, but it’s hard enough for me to justify it as a stay-at-home mom. Right now I’m hurriedly doing laundry and straightening up, and trying to keep myself for cleaning the house before she gets here…
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:14 am
I was thinking that it might be hard for me not to go ahead and do something like vacuum if the floor is really dirty. That’s where a maid would come in handy, who would just keep things clean all the time…
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March 31st, 2010 at 2:40 am
this was a no-brainer for me: personal chef! With a chef, one could eat well and healthy all the time.
(the only option that might have given me pause, were it present, is a personal chauffeur…but I think I’d go chef even then.)
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:08 am
You know, I almost put down personal chauffeur as an option, but I didn’t think it would be appealing. Darn!
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Savvyverseandwit Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 10:24 am
I would have totally gone for the driver!
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March 31st, 2010 at 3:14 am
I’d take the “personal chef” in a heartbeat. I never really enjoyed cooking, but do it grudgingly.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:13 am
HA! I do housework grudgingly as well.
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March 31st, 2010 at 3:57 am
Cooking is a form of therapy for me, but the housecleaning? Bring it on baby! I hate cleaning the house (except that it provides hours of audio book listening) and without that task on my list I would have so much more time to read!
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:10 am
House cleaning isn’t my favorite either. But I think I spend more time cooking, especially when I have the time because I like to make so many things from scratch.
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March 31st, 2010 at 4:34 am
Cleaner! I told hubby yesterday that I would pay any amount of money for someone to clean the bathrooms. I HATE that job. Which I have to do today or the toilet is going to protest.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:11 am
HA! Cleaning the bathrooms is my least favorite thing to do in the house, but it’s the area I like to be the cleanest. My hatred of cleaning it usually wins.
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March 31st, 2010 at 4:35 am
Btw, you should have added personal assistant to the list. My friend wants someone to run around with her taking notes and running errands. I wouldn’t mind that either.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:13 am
Since it’s early, I edited personal secretary to personal secretary/assistant.
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March 31st, 2010 at 6:20 am
I think I would pick a chef. I don’t really enjoy cooking that much and we are trying to eat healthier. I’d love to have someone think up what to cook and also stay within the guidelines of healthy eating. I’ve had a cleaning service before and while it is nice, I’de still pick the chef.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:39 am
I think for me, my repertoire, while not too shabby, isn’t as great as a chef’s. So you’re right, I could be all, Make me a healthy dinner! And bam! a heathly dinner would be made! (I’d be much nicer, though)
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March 31st, 2010 at 6:23 am
Absolutely the cleaner/maid! I am organized so don’t need the secretary, am a picky eater so don’t want the chef, and about the masseuse…hmmmm. I think I just hate cleaning more than I need a massage
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:40 am
Ahh…but with you’re own chef, you could be all, I hate tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, olives, and coconut. Don’t ever use those ingredients. It would be your way, right away, at Helen’s House now!
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March 31st, 2010 at 6:48 am
Wow, it has been so long since I’ve been to your blog it thinks I am a first time visitor! Ack! I REALLY need to get on my Reader more often. Yikes.
Okay, I chose personal masseuse because I need massages about once a week for my fibromyalgia, but since I can’t cook anything but toast I could also be persuaded to get a personal chef. I’d eat a lot healthier! I don’t mind cleaning. In fact, I’ll come clean someone’s house if they’d give me a free massage/home-cooked meal in return.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:41 am
Oh, Rebecca, I’d totally trade you cleaning services for cooking services. We’d be quite the team!
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March 31st, 2010 at 7:15 am
Oh this is the hardest one yet I think! I would love a personal chef but I think I will choose maid because really, if I can make more mess and not have to clean maybe cooking would be more fun! heh
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:42 am
TRUE! You could dirty up the kitchen the maid would just clean up after you…hmm…
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March 31st, 2010 at 7:17 am
I agree with Sandy. The only positive part about house cleaning is the extra audio book listening time. If I could never clean again that would be great. I actually enjoy cooking (probably because I’m new to it), but the masseuse is tempting too.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:43 am
I need to get a better stereo system, because as small as my house is, I can’t hear the radio from one room to the other. And it’s a fairly open design! Come to think of it, maybe I need my ears checked. LOL
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March 31st, 2010 at 7:41 am
Personal maid who would also do my hair for me. Seriously, I would double her salary. Triple it if she wants to thread my eyebrows as well.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:44 am
I like that. You’d have a clean house and a tingly scalp all at the same time.
As for the eyebrow thing, I WISH I had eyebrows that needed threading. At this point, my eyebrows get colored so you can actually SEE them.
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March 31st, 2010 at 7:46 am
Definitely a personal maid/housekeeper. I already have a personal chef, my hubby. He does a darned good job, too! Tonight for dinner: his famous Jamaican jerk chicken served over coconut milk rice. YUM!
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:45 am
AAAHH!! You cheater! You can’t marry an amazing man AND have a maid! LOL. I had a boyfriend who was a great cook, and sometimes I think back wistfully to those days. LOL
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March 31st, 2010 at 7:52 am
I have to go with the masseuse. A daily massage would be awesome! As for all the other things, I’m a bit of a freak and actually love both cooking and cleaning. I don’t think I could stand to watch someone else clean my house.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:46 am
Thank you, Kimmy! I’ve been dying for someone to give the answer that I WISH I could give.
And as far as watching someone else clean your house, I agree, it’s weird. And awkward. But I think I could get over it. The hard part would be not trying to pitch in. LOL
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March 31st, 2010 at 8:20 am
I’d take the chef. I just don’t enjoy cooking that much, and other people’s food always tastes better than mine! Until summer comes with garden producing, then I can make good stuff.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:47 am
OMG so true about other people’s food tasting better than your own! Though I do have a few things that I think I make the best (like brownies and cakes and tortillas).
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March 31st, 2010 at 9:07 am
Chef, chef, chef. I hate cooking, and I feel guilty to have someone cleaning up around me, so I think chef would definitely be best for me.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:48 am
I would definitely feel less weird about someone cooking for me as opposed to someone cleaning up around me. But yeah, I’m totally with you on the chef!
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March 31st, 2010 at 9:57 am
Definitely the chef! I like cooking but the TIME it takes. Also, I don’t care about having a messy house so the cleaner would be irrelevant. Hard choice btw the chef and masseuse though!
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 3:16 pm
I know! The TIME! Especially if you make a lot of stuff from scratch like I do. I mean, it’s not *too* time consuming, but it kinda is.
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March 31st, 2010 at 9:58 am
I voted for chef. I’d be a lot healthier for sure!
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Haha! Yeah, I’d be all, can you make me breakfast, lunch, dinner, and lots of snacks? Like cut up carrots! Delicious! But I am lazy.
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March 31st, 2010 at 10:24 am
I think I luck out…my hubby does more of the cleaning than I do, so I’m going with chef.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Oh, you definitely lucked out. I totally should have married someone like that!
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SavvyVerseWit Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 3:29 pm
He used to cook more too, but he doesn’t have time and neither do I, except on the weekends. I really like to bake…that’s my thing. I can imagine how great it would be to write up a menu for the week and see all the lovely food creations I’ve always wanted to try magically appear at my table! AH, that would be wonderful.
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March 31st, 2010 at 11:36 am
For once an easy one for me–I hate to clean. I love to cook and I would totally have time for the secretarial things if I didn’t have to clean. Now if you would have put having someone wash my hair, massage my head and style my hair every day THAT would have been a tough choice!
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 3:18 pm
AAHH!! I was totally going to offer that as a choice but didn’t think that would be very appealing. Curses!
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March 31st, 2010 at 12:15 pm
I hope someday you can stimulate the economy by employing all of these people! I’m really torn between the maid and the chef. A personal chef would have dinner waiting for me when I return home and can take the time to make me healthy food so I look good. But I really hate cleaning…
I won’t make a decision.
What is your online business? Can’t wait to hear about it during our dinner during BEA (yes, I invited myself to join you and Tyler and the other guests)
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 3:21 pm
At the rate things are going, you’ll be stimulating the economy before me. LOL.
My online business is TLC Book Tours. And you were already included in the dinner during BEA. Don’t you love it how I didn’t even ask if you WANTED to come? Because I want to hear FROM YOUR MOUTH about meeting Pioneer Woman.
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March 31st, 2010 at 1:13 pm
I’d definitely opt for the housekeeper! If I ever get rich……
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Let’s get rich together! Would be fun!
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March 31st, 2010 at 3:13 pm
The chef would actually make more sense for me. I like cooking, but after a 10-11 hour work day (counting my commute time) I just don’t feel inspired to do it often enough!
But I voted for the maid/cleaner because that actually would free up more time.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 3:21 pm
OMG you’re so right! I come home and I’m like, Cereal sounds delicious! LOL
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March 31st, 2010 at 3:54 pm
I’m going with maid. I love to cook and it’s kind of my meditative time, so I wouldn’t want to take that away. Cleaning on the other hand? Pass that off. Pass it off now. Can I just outsource it?
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Cooking’s your meditative time? Interesting. If I didn’t have such a small house (i.e. if my refrigerator didn’t butt up to my TV), I’d listen to audio books. Alas.
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March 31st, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Without question: Housecleaner!
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 7:29 pm
I like your decisiveness!
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March 31st, 2010 at 6:05 pm
A house keeper/cleaner whose job description would include cooking. I don’t mind cooking and a massage is a treat . I could use a secretary but she would never understand my system. But cleaning is never going to be something I want or mind doing. NEVER. NEVER and NEVER
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 7:30 pm
LOL. You’d never be tempted to get down on the ground and scrub your floor alongside the house cleaner?
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March 31st, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Maid, hands down. I hate to clean. HATE it.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Ahaha!! Tell us how you really feel!
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March 31st, 2010 at 9:42 pm
I need a personal assistant! That’s actually one of my dreams. I’m terrible at scheduling stuff and making phone calls.
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trish Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 9:47 pm
You could have a personal assistant go grocery shopping for you, run those pesky errands…it would be FANTASTIC.
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March 31st, 2010 at 11:35 pm
I am shocked more people would want a clean house over a massage!
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trish Reply:
April 1st, 2010 at 8:05 am
LOL!!!
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April 1st, 2010 at 6:33 am
I love cooking and can handle secretarial duties. My hubby will give me a massage if I ask for one, which I rarely do. But what I need is a maid since neither of us wants to clean house after a long day at work!! I keep begging to have a cleaning service come in on Mother’s Day and get everything all sparkly for me, but unfortunately, there are no funds for that. Guess I’ll be scrubbing the toilets myself for the next umpteen years.
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trish Reply:
April 1st, 2010 at 8:05 am
Wow, you have almost all of the bases covered! Maybe when the kids are older you’ll get a clean house as a Mother’s Day gift.
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April 1st, 2010 at 8:31 am
Oh God hands down the cleaner/maid for me! I was sitting here dreaming of selling my house and contents and starting over elsewhere. I would take my books, yarn, and music, of course, but that’s it. Oh the husband and dog too I guess
Congrats on your house cleaner.
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trish Reply:
April 1st, 2010 at 8:36 am
LOL!! You know, when you move, it’s AHMAZING what you don’t miss while stuff is in boxes. So that might not be such a bad idea!
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April 1st, 2010 at 8:59 am
As much as I would love to have someone to deal with cleaning for me, I almost *need* a personal masseuse. My back is a total mess, and every time I go in for a massage they tell me I need to come more often, but that is EXPENSIVE. I recently told my husband that someday when we’re crazy rich the first thing I’m getting is a personal masseuse.
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trish Reply:
April 2nd, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Oh, yeah, massages are EXPENSIVE! I just think having a massage is the ultimate luxury, maybe because you can’t do it yourself. You know, you can clean your own house, so you could have a clean house by your own hands. But a massage? That’s something you need someone else to do for you.
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April 1st, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Definitely the housecleaner, especially if she would do the dishes! I don’t mind cooking but hate cleaning up afterward. I don’t need a personal secretary, and I don’t particularly like massages.
Oh, and could I have a makeup artist and hairstylist on standby for when I do have a (rare) date night with my husband?
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trish Reply:
April 2nd, 2010 at 6:29 pm
YOU DON’T LIKE MASSAGES?? You must be loco!
But having someone who’d just do the dishes would be awesome. And I’d definitely grant you the makeup artist and hairstylist on standby.
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April 1st, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Personal Chef, all the way. Oh how I love food, but I’d much rather clean than make a meal. If left to my own devices, I would just have a bowl of chips for dinner. This may have happened in the not so recent past. Good thing the hubby is around to make sure we have Real Meals.
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trish Reply:
April 2nd, 2010 at 6:31 pm
LOL. If left to my own devices, I’d either have cereal or pasta just about every night of the week. And I’m with you: I’d rather clean than make a meal. I mean, I enjoy cooking, but if I had the choice, I’d rather let someone else cook.
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April 1st, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Since I have rheumatoid arthritis and cleaning is a b—-, I’d definitely want a house cleaner. I love to cook so I can do without the chef, the masseuse would probably hurt me. lol.
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trish Reply:
April 2nd, 2010 at 6:31 pm
UGH! I wish I had the money to hire the housecleaner for you!
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April 1st, 2010 at 8:44 pm
House cleaner, hands down. And if we ever move again, it’s going to be to a smaller, one story house, because vacuuming on two levels is the pits.
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trish Reply:
April 2nd, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Dude, I’m so with you on the whole two story house thing. I grew up in a two story house, and I promised myself I would never live in another one again. Vacuuming stairs is the worst!
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April 2nd, 2010 at 11:04 am
I’m definitely about the house cleaner! I’m so lazy when it comes to cleaning house. Of course I know a big part of my problem is the clutter. I’m working on minimizing that these days, but I’d also prefer to read, blog, walk the dog, whatever…to clean.
Although, the personal chef did run a close second!
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trish Reply:
April 2nd, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I’d rather do just about anything other than clean, too! Maybe that’s why my house gets so messy.
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April 2nd, 2010 at 12:36 pm
That one was a cinch for me. Personal chef FOR SURE! I am so sick of figuring out food around here!
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trish Reply:
April 2nd, 2010 at 6:33 pm
SERIOUSLY! Every night, me: What do you want for dinner. Husband: I dunno. GAH! Could I get a little direction every once in a while?
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April 3rd, 2010 at 2:08 pm
You know chiropractor appointments are covered by most major insurance companies and it’s a LOT like massage. For the price of a co-pay it’s kinda worth it. LOL
I’d definitely go with the cleaning lady.
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April 9th, 2010 at 11:29 am
I am going with maid. I would love to have a chef, but I think it would ultimately just result in me gaining weight cause I’d eat so much of her deliciousness! I have a wonderful woman who comes everyone other week, but if I could have like an everyday kind of person? holy moly. Heaven. I’m kinda a slob and my husband cant stand it so it would be really fab.
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