Hired Help: Who do You Hire?

Some folks wouldn't think twice about catering a party of eight.  Others spend days cooking for their own wedding (along with their Mum and all available aunts, and willing grooms). 

I am always curious to know what hired help people are willing to fork over their hard-earned cash to acquire.

Some people haven't cleaned a toilet in years, whilst others are fundamentally opposed to anyone else cleaning their house.  But not their gutters.  And don't get me started on the topic of nannies.  My best friend is a nanny and she's amazing, but some would rather die self-righteous than farm out their kids to hired help or a day care.  

So, I would like to confess who I hire and who I don't.  It isn't a very sexy list, but then again, I'm hoping you'll share your secrets with me too!

Some Hired Help Facts about Me:

1. I clean my own house.  All of it, routinely.
2. I don't do windows.  Twice a year I hire a crew to clean my windows inside and out.  Clean windows make our world beautiful.
3. We do all our own cooking and eat out about once a month.  I miss fancy restaurants, but I have my own Take Home Chef, so I can't complain.  Most days I eat better at home! We buy some prepared foods, like sushi and deli salads, but not much else.  We both go for business lunches, so don't miss it too much.
4. I do all my own baking and buy a bakery cake only once or twice a year if I really don't have time to bake.
   A cake I made for dinner guests last week, using this amazing recipe, which I've made again and again (recipe from New York "Baked" bakery owner Matt Lewis).  I know, I need a cake stand!
   
   
   
5. We live in Canada and gets lots of snow. We shovel it all (or rather David does!).
6. I haven't cleaned my car in a couple of years.  I now have it professionally cleaned twice a year.   I always did it myself but after moving to the house, it suffered neglect.  Now it looks good as new!
   
7. I love my dry cleaner, but now I launder and iron my own shirts and blouses and cotton pants.  I still dry clean dress pants and fine sweaters and blouses.  I send all winter coats out once a year for dry cleaning.  Duvets and wool blankets go about once a year as well.
8. I have never hired a caterer, but I would like to.  I have attended catered parties and loved the interesting food, the handsome waiters in white, and visiting the (relaxed) host and hostess.
9. I like to buy expensive shoes and have them re-soled or re-heeled as needed.  I have a good shoe guy.
   
10. I do my own painting, but did hire a company to paint my kitchen/living/dining rooms as the area was too large to do myself and David hates to paint.  Hey, I work full-time.
11. I do my own investing.  We have a financial advisor who we pay for occasional advice. Otherwise, I do it myself.  It can be exhausting doing this analysis and tracking, and I'm thinking of outsourcing this to someone really good (hey, I have a blog to write!).  I don't trust these guys and I know quite a lot about investing, so I will be a demanding client.
12. I can change a tire, if called upon, but I don't change my oil.
13. We do all our own gardening and landscaping.  Because we can.  And we like it.  We do hire people to prune our large trees but do the small stuff ourselves.  And we've hired a guy to power rake the front lawn.  David is good at this stuff and does most of it.  As far as gardening is concerned, I choose the plants and where they go and do most of the weeding. David waters them.
14. We don't have a GPS and don't want one.  I can read a map just fine.
    
15. I don't have an iPhone, nor a Blackberry, and rarely use my cell phone.  I hate paying for this technology and I prefer to be unreachable.  And since I am either at home or at the office, who needs more? Parents and popular people, I suppose.
16. But I have an expensive iMac and all the best computer gear.  I like computing to be low maintenance, so good gear helps.  But I will not hire Geek Squad if I can do it myself. Hence, I know more about computers than I ever wanted to. I hate them.
17. I have had my carpets professionally cleaned but have also rented a steam cleaner and did it myself. 
18. I have made jam and relish and pickles, but only made one pie crust in my life. It turned out pretty good, but why bother?  I can buy frozen crusts at a bakery nearby and you wouldn't know it wasn't homemade.
    What's your favorite Hired Help?
    
    
    
    Top photo:  Source unknown, Second photo by me, Bottom two photos:  Annabelle Breakey