In your wildest dreams, if money were no object, what "household help"

[Michelle in MO]

would you employ? I know this sounds stupid, but I think about this from time to time.

If money were no object, I would love to hire the following:

1. Housekeeper - For every day! I would love to be relieved from chores. It would be ideal if the housekeeper could cook as well!

2. Cook--Just in case Housekeeper in #1 above can't cook!

3. Math/science tutor - especially for my two older daughters, as they're starting to tackle these harder subjects!

4. Gardener -- I love beautiful flowers and well-tended gardens; I just hate to do it myself!

Anyone else want to try?

:D

[nancypants]

I would just have a housekeeper. I like all those other things (well, no matter what kind of money we have, we will outsource math in high school... um, because we love our kids! LOL) and they are only burdensome when combined with the daily keeping of the house. But I suppose that will even get easier once my kids are older. Still don't think I'd argue with having a housekeeper though! :D

[Jennifer in MI]

1. Housekeeper. She would keep up the house - laundry, bathrooms, kitchen, etc.

2. Cook (preferably one experienced in healthy cooking!). I LOVE to cook, but I really don't like to HAVE to cook. Make sense? So, on the days I want to cook, she'd get the day off, but the housekeeper would still need to be around so I could make all the mess without having to clean up!

3. Tutors in everything. I'd still do the read alouds and discussions, but I'd love for them to have the BEST teachers around in their respective subjects. You know, the ones who would teach them to love a subject, not just teach them so that they learn it. KWIM?

4. A live-in nanny. She would be around when I need to run errands so that the weekends could truly be family time. She would also be around for the occasional evening when dh and I need a sitter.

5. A handyman. You know - for all the odd jobs I need done around the house. It would help if he were good looking!!:D

6. A cabana boy. Of course, this would mean that I'd have a pool and a never ending supply of drinks and umbrella straws! LOL

I think that's it!!

[percytruffle]

...I would employ a cook/nutritionist who would prepare really healthy meals, and clean up after them! lol. I actually like to cook, but I know I would eat better if someone else was making the choices. I loathe cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. Sometimes the dc have that task, but as they have gotten older they have other responsibilities like work or homework for college courses. I expect less of them at this season in their lives.

I would also employ a personal trainer to get me moving!

Then, someone to vacuum the cat hair off the floors every other day and clean the bathrooms at least twice weekly. Also, someone to bathe my dog would be great. I can handle all the other stuff.;)

Wow, I'm feeling immensely spoiled!

[percytruffle]

Ah yes, how could I have forgotten my cabana boy!;)

[Kris]

Compared to the other answers, this one is boring, but I'd just like to have a dishwasher -- one that works when I tell it to and doesn't have an attitude. :-)

[nuthouse]

1. chef
2. a personnal shopper
3. a tax attorney
4. a chauffer

I hate to cook, shop, fill in forms, and drive. I'd rather have dental surgery than do these things; and I have! :eek:

[OnTheBrink]

I'd hire someone to do laundry, clean bathrooms and take out trash, as well as maintain the yard.

I like to cook.

[Sue G in PA]

than a housekeeper to come 2x per month. I would consider a cook b/c I hate to cook (love to bake, hate to cook) and dh, although he likes to cook and does well, is often too tired. Oh, and I would definitely have a babysitter on retainer so dh and I could go on a date at least 2x each month.

Ah....I can dream, can't I?

[nancypants]

Oh, I forgot, I would hire a personal trainer, a masseuse, a professional organizer (who maybe did a quarterly check up) and a painter to come in every once in a while and patch all the scratches and touch up the walls! LOL (Boys can be very rough on walls!)

[Dawn E]

A housekeeper to deep clean my house on a regular basis and a part-time nanny to take care of the baby while I teach and to provide weekly date nights for dh and I. Ahhhh....dreams. :D

[percytruffle]

Masseuse, what an excellent idea. I think I need one of these too. My list has gotten rather, um, long.

[DIY-DY]

would you employ? I know this sounds stupid, but I think about this from time to time.

If money were no object... Anyone else want to try?

:D

Since you asked... *grin*

I want a Hedgekeeper. Seriously. I'd love to have thick, healthy English manor-style hedgerows instead of fencing for our creek and livestock. But... well, that's a LOT of work, and I'm, well, I'd say I'm overworked, but I'm lazy and don't have the ability to keep a philodendron alive, let alone maintain hedges that'll contain animals.

And then I want Jennifer's cabana boy. Or one of his buddies. I'm not picky, now that I've got a Hedgekeeper. :D

[Liz CA]

would you employ? I know this sounds stupid, but I think about this from time to time.

If money were no object, I would love to hire the following:

1. Housekeeper - For every day! I would love to be relieved from chores. It would be ideal if the housekeeper could cook as well!

2. Cook--Just in case Housekeeper in #1 above can't cook!

3. Math/science tutor - especially for my two older daughters, as they're starting to tackle these harder subjects!

4. Gardener -- I love beautiful flowers and well-tended gardens; I just hate to do it myself!

Anyone else want to try?

:D

nt

[Eliana]

I'd like someone to come in once a week to clean. I like things to be orderly, but I don't dust often enough, and I have a bad back so bending over to scrub out the tub, for example, is unpleasant.

I don't like the idea of more help than that... I don't want another adult as part of our household, and I *like* having our family take care of itself.

I know, I'm weird! :)

Eliana

[Michelle in MO]

5. A handyman. You know - for all the odd jobs I need done around the house. It would help if he were good looking!!:D



have things that break around the house, and my dh, although he has many talents, fixing things isn't one of them!

[Cadam]

I would hire

1. Housecleaner to come daily to do everything from organizing my closets to dishes and laundry.

2. A really good chef to prepare super yummy but mostly ;) healthy food and do all of the grocery shopping.

3. An older teen to come play with my littles a few times a week

4. A seamstress to teach me to sew better and to keep my girls in cute cotton play dresses.

5. Personal trainer


Everyone has to have dreams right?

Editing to add music teachers for the kids and myself - I'm not the cabana boy type

[Kris]

A lot of extroverts here. I wouldn't want that many people in my house. ;-)

[RoughCollie]

I would get a housekeeper and a yard man/handyman. Both would work full-time, have lots of experience, and not have criminal records. If they needed helpers, I'd hire helpers for them to supervise.

[Stacy in NJ]

..................

[Colleen]

I had a friend do some cleaning once every other week during my difficult pregnancies and recoveries. On the one hand, it was a help at that time of my life. On the other, I generally prefer to do housecleaning myself since I think I do the best job.;) Which is not to say I'd turn down a deep cleaning once a month. That would be helpful. Beyond that, though, I would rather just deal with things myself (or have my family work on it) than pay someone else. And I definitely wouldn't go for live-in help. That's what my husband grew up with and it is so-o-o-o not comfortable to me.

[Janet in WA]

I think I'm going to go in a different direction than most of you...

The first professional I'd employ would be an interior designer. I'm really tired of the results of my lack of skill/interest in that area. Close behind that would be a landscape designer and gardener. Again, I'd love to have a beautiful outdoor space, but dh and I are not going to be the ones to make that happen. Finally, I'd like to have a personal shopper. I like nice things, but hate shopping for them.

[Jennifer in MI]

A lot of extroverts here. I wouldn't want that many people in my house. ;-)

See - that's the other thing - they'd have to be invisible. And, I'd want them to live here. As long as we're dreaming, they can be available 24/7 - right? And that'd mean that my house would be big enough to hold them all - in the west wing, of course.

[Janet in WA]

I'd like a professional chef, too. Definitely. I'd gladly clean the bathrooms while the chef prepared dinner.

[j.griff]

If money was no option I'd go for the works, nanny for the kids to keep them entertained while I worked with one at a time, a private tutor to take over the subjects I'm not great at, a butler, a maid, a cook (or would the butler do the cooking?), even chauffer for the kids, a coach for the kids for whatever sport they want to learn, a gardener, a handy man (so dh could concentrate on his work-love: cars), and any other useful help. ;D

[Quiver0f10]

Housekeeper, cook and art and music tutors.

[Michelle in MO]

I would get a housekeeper and a yard man/handyman. Both would work full-time, have lots of experience, and not have criminal records. If they needed helpers, I'd hire helpers for them to supervise.

the inside of our house. After he prolonged the job an extra two weeks (we paid by the job, fortunately, not by the hour!) and he finally finished up, we checked his criminal record. He had one! Not terribly serious stuff, but it was there. Freaky! :eek:

[beansprouts]

Compared to the other answers, this one is boring, but I'd just like to have a dishwasher -- one that works when I tell it to and doesn't have an attitude. :-)

Yup! If I could just find someone to do dishes and laundry I'd have it made. I would even settle for just laundry...

[Call Me Cordelia]

A lot of extroverts here. I wouldn't want that many people in my house. ;-)

I"ll put my order in for what the others have, but they'll have to work when I'm not here and have no need for interaction/direction/etc... from me. ;)

[Michelle in MO]

And I definitely wouldn't go for live-in help. That's what my husband grew up with and it is so-o-o-o not comfortable to me.


Can't blame you for that one---that would be creepy! ;)

[Tutor]

Someone who would teach me to clean my own house properly and efficiently. Once I was a better everyday maintainer, I would just like to have someone come once every month or two for more deep cleaning.

I like to do things like laundry, cooking, and gardening. Although someone to mow the grass would be nice. Neither dh or I likes to mow.

[RoughCollie]

As I understand it, butlers don't cook. They supervise the household help, not including the cook who supervises herself and her kitchen staff. Now you may be able find a cooking butler, but don't count on it if you want one who has been to a school of butlery.

If you work it right, you'll just have to supervise the cook and the butler and the head gardener (if you have one), and they can supervise everyone else. Unless you like supervising, of course. I don't.

Also, since money is no object, we'd have to move -- all those extra people wouldn't fit into my house.

If money was no option I'd go for the works, nanny for the kids to keep them entertained while I worked with one at a time, a private tutor to take over the subjects I'm not great at, a butler, a maid, a cook (or would the butler do the cooking?), even chauffer for the kids, a coach for the kids for whatever sport they want to learn, a gardener, a handy man (so dh could concentrate on his work-love: cars), and any other useful help. ;D

[Michelle in MO]

If money was no option I'd go for the works, nanny for the kids to keep them entertained while I worked with one at a time, a private tutor to take over the subjects I'm not great at, a butler, a maid, a cook (or would the butler do the cooking?), even chauffer for the kids, a coach for the kids for whatever sport they want to learn, a gardener, a handy man (so dh could concentrate on his work-love: cars), and any other useful help. ;D


Why not go for broke? After all, money is not an object! I like some of the other ideas, too----they wouldn't need any direction from me, but would just intuitively "know" what needs to be done, plus if they could be as "invisible" as possible! Maybe that's why all those old British movies show the help as silently gliding in and out of rooms, performing their assigned jobs.

[Mekanamom]

Just a weekly cleaning service (so the kids and I could be out of the house and let them do their thing without bothering them), a weekly yard service, pool service, maybe a personal trainer who would come to my home gym, and I would LOVE to have an occasional driver. (Well really, I would prefer a really good public transit).

Possibly a chef working in his/her own kitchen that would stop by to deliver meals.

I'm with those of you not liking that many people in the house all the time. I could do the weekly cleaning service, though. ;) And all the other help would be mostly outside anyway.

[Lorna]

Jeeves :D

Seriously though, my mother-in-law has an ex-Gurkha as a valet. He looks after her every need. He really is the most amazing man and can turn his hand to anything. He is patient, hard-working, resourceful and totally wasted in his job (I shouldn't say that but Gurkha's go through so much to get where they are).
Anyway, if there is another one of him on this Earth and I was really rich and with no morals, this is who I would choose.

[Kris]

See - that's the other thing - they'd have to be invisible. And, I'd want them to live here. As long as we're dreaming, they can be available 24/7 - right? And that'd mean that my house would be big enough to hold them all - in the west wing, of course.


Might as well go for the gold! :D

[sdWTMer]

LOL makes me think of Legally Blonde. Ha!

[3littlekeets]

I want someone to do laundry and read bedtime stories to me....preferably in a James Earl Jones voice, LOL

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Masseuse. Definitely. Full-time, on call. Six days a week.

[GVA]

I really don't mind cooking and am fine with the academics, but housework and yardwork are YUK!

[Cadam]

Jeeves :D

Seriously though, my mother-in-law has an ex-Gurkha as a valet. He looks after her every need. He really is the most amazing man and can turn his hand to anything. He is patient, hard-working, resourceful and totally wasted in his job (I shouldn't say that but Gurkha's go through so much to get where they are).
Anyway, if there is another one of him on this Earth and I was really rich and with no morals, this is who I would choose.

A what? I even looked it up but Wikipedia basically says they are warriors from India. That doesn't quite seem to go with this post. Why would you have to have no morals to have one?

[Karin]

Housecleaner, ironer, window washer, someone to clean my kitchen after every meal. There's still plenty of other work to keep me swamped!

[Kris]

Why would you have to have no morals to have one?

I wanted to ask the same question -- but imagining the answer was too much fun. :D

[elegantlion]

housekeeper for general cleaning and laundry
my own dh as my handyman, for all those "to do's" he never has time for
weekly masuesse (sp?) for all three of us
yard man
pool boy (oh, we'd have to get a pool first ;))
dog walker once a day (or maybe now I'd have time for that)
chef - I'd retire from the kitchen

[strider]

A gardener, a housekeeper, a private music instructor, and a private Spanish instructor. I have employed all of these people here and there as the budget allows on a supplemental basis--if money were no object, I would have each and every one of them EVERY DAY. Whew!:D

[mcconnellboys]

Nah, I don't want to try. I'd say you're dream's just about perfect. How about a full time personal secretary/trip organizer, too?

Regena

[Remudamom]

I would hire a loper. They saddle and warm up horses so that the trainer just has to hop on and go.

Someone to clean the bathrooms would be nice.

[sdWTMer]

I would have the little lady like the one in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" -- cooking, cleaning and helping with the kidlets. And of course, a gardener and a car guy would be a close 2nd! :D

[sdWTMer]

I wanted to give you a ding and disapprove of your message, cause you are soooooo not lazy. :confused:

:D

[sdWTMer]

I agree with this statement with Jennifer in MI

[sdWTMer]

Oh yeah, add that to my list! I'm terrible at interior decorating! Yuck!

[Plaid Dad]

A driver, hands down.

After that, a housekeeper.

[Mrs. Readsalot]

Dh has promised when the house is paid for (16 months from now - yes I am counting) we can get a housekeeper.
Interior decorator - I have no clue how to decorate, I go for comfort over style.
Window Washer we have a road in front and in back of use the windows always need washing and I hate doing it.
weeder - I love to garden, but hate to weed
we do have a lawn cutting service as part of our association fees. Basically this just saves dh work as I never did grass cutting on weed wacking.

[Jill, OK]

1. Algebra tutor.

2. Once a month cleaning lady (deep stuff)

3. Babysitter that could take the kids *out* of the house once in a while, and also just do regular babysitting. (Don't have anyone right now, and while my two oldest are great for short stints with the youngers, I'd really be able to *relax* with a babysitter).

Honestly, if money were no object...I'd build myself a little cabin out in my back woods, lol. Er--I mean, 'office', ahem. ;o)

[Jill, OK]

A cabana boy...a handyman...YES!

LOL...I won't be greedy; just to be economical...let's say, a cabana handy man. ;o)

[Jill, OK]

1. Algebra tutor.

2. Once a month cleaning lady (deep stuff)

3. Babysitter that could take the kids *out* of the house once in a while, and also just do regular babysitting. (Don't have anyone right now, and while my two oldest are great for short stints with the youngers, I'd really be able to *relax* with a babysitter).

Honestly, if money were no object...I'd build myself a little cabin out in my back woods, lol. Er--I mean, 'office', ahem. ;o)

That's it.

[PiCO]

Here's my list:

1. Alice (from the Brady Bunch- a housekeeper.)
2. Personal secretary
3. Personal Trainer/masseuse
4. Tutor/Nanny
5. Cook- for all meals every day. I like to cook, but it would be nice not to have to.

[j.griff]

Ah, thanks. I'm getting my Howard's End confused with my Fresh Prince, ROFLOL. But yeh, I'd want a full staff- and I'd prefer to delegate all supervision to someone else, LOL. So- Nanny, Butler, Maid, Chef, Handyman, Gardener, Pool Boy, Stable Boy, Chauffer, and Masseuse. And any other helpers, LOL. And full security staff, animal trainer, etc. Of course this would mean we'd be living in a much larger house, we'd have to have room for all of those staff members. :D

[Natalieclare]

in addition to the housekeeper, chef, errand-runner, garderner, horse trainer and massuese, I would also hire a manicurist and an esthetician. I LOVE having a facial and my toes done. :p And I could do it every day.

My other fantasy is hiring a scientist to clone me (several times) so that *I* had enough time to do it all. It isn't that I don't like doing the work, it's that I don't like feeling like I am constantly pulled in so many directions by so many demands.

[PariSarah]

. . . a part-time live-in French-speaking nanny. She would spend mornings with the kids, just speaking French and playing with them, so that dh and I could both work in the mornings, when we are at our most productive. Then we could do our usual trade-off in the afternoons.

And I would have a handyman on standby. For peeling paint and broken hinges and replacing garbage disposals.

And, you know, a secretary (personal assistant?) would be really, really nice. "Dr. Sours, your mother's birthday is coming up. Which of these three cards would you like to send her? And she has five books on her amazon wish list--shall I order one for you?" "Dr. Sours, your bookshelves were getting a little out of order, so I've categorized everything by Library of Congress call numbers, except for the books you're currently using, which are arranged according to class or book for which they are being used." "Dr. Sours, I've discovered that President Blowhard, from Yale Divinity School, is attending your lecture tonight, so I've taken the liberty of having a new suit delivered for you."

[Kay in Cal]

My list would be---
1. Housekeeper
2. Personal assistant (to run errands, keep calendars up to date, deal with paperwork, shop, etc)
3. Masseuse
4. Gardener
5. Personal trainer

[Jean in Newcastle]

Definitely a personal secretary and I think I would like a librarian - someone who could manage our house full of books and get me new books ahead of when I really need them. And I'd like a scullery maid.

[WTMindy]

nutritionist/cook who would not only cook the meals but make sure they were the perfect balance of all the good stuff you are supposed to eat each week in creative delicious ways. And, someone to clean the bathrooms. And someone to speak fluent Spanish to my kids.

[Lorna]

A what? I even looked it up but Wikipedia basically says they are warriors from India. That doesn't quite seem to go with this post. Why would you have to have no morals to have one?

He came from a goat herding family in the Nepalese mountains and was picked from a huge number of people for his strengh and intelligence. The process of becoming a Gurkha (an elite part of the British Army) is way more challeging than getting into an Ivy League school. You could read 'Himalaya' by Michel Palin to find out more about how amazing these men are.
Later, he trained as a valet. He is supposed to only get clothes ready in the morning, be a driver and make sure their employer's day goes as smoothly as possible. In the hands of my mother-in-law, he vacuums every day; mows the lawn; cleans the entire house (seven beds and several reception rooms and a swimming pool), not only that he is asked to do silly things such as find organic porridge oats and drop them off at her brothers. She really just thinks of things for him to do whether they need done or not. I sometimes feel rather ashamed, knowing his intelligence and capabilities, and also knowing his very difficult upbringing when he is being ordered around in a disrespectful way.
On the other hand he would be my dream helper. He always anticipates one's needs. You look down to find your tea made exactly as you like it and the children fed and watered without you asking. What an incredible man he is!

[Lorna]

I wanted to ask the same question -- but imagining the answer was too much fun. :D
Yes, I can see that from the vagueness of my post, one could really wonder! :eek:

[Heather in the Kootenays]

Mine would be a Spanish speaking massage therapist/cook. Heaven!!!

[Just Me]

Housekeeper, for the obvious reasons - and she must do laundry!!

Nanny - So I could get over this guilt that I have about working part-time!!