Lucy Leyva

The Early Bird Phenomenon

A notable trend seen this year is the early onset of holiday shopping, with some consumers beginning their spree as early as September. A survey reveals that 45% of consumers typically start their holiday shopping in November, while 26% start in October, marking a shift from the trends observed in 2022. This early-bird tendency extends beyond shopping to home preparations as well. Prescott Maid to Order recognizes this trend, offering early-bird cleaning and organizing services to help you check off “home cleaning” from your holiday to-do list well in advance.

Budgeting Amid Inflation

Budgeting for the 2023 holiday season brings its share of challenges because of prevailing inflation and other economic factors. Despite these hurdles, consumers remain undeterred, with a popular budget range of $500-$1,000 earmarked for holiday spending. Prescott Maid to Order provides flexible service packages catering to various budget brackets, ensuring that a clean, welcoming home doesn’t come at the expense of your holiday budget.

Guest-Ready Homes

A significant part of holiday preparations involves ensuring your home is ready to welcome guests. From tightening loose screws to fixing misaligned door gaskets, minor home repairs are crucial to create a welcoming ambiance2. Prescott Maid to Order’s comprehensive cleaning and minor repair services ensure your home is ready for guests, allowing you to focus on creating cherished holiday memories.

The 2023 Decor Narrative

The holiday season of 2023 sees a penchant for outdoor Christmas decor and cozy, inviting indoor themes. As you adorn your home following the latest decor trends, Prescott Maid to Order’s meticulous cleaning services provide the pristine backdrop for your festive decorations to shine.

A Structured Approach

Holiday preparations can be overwhelming without a structured approach. A well-curated checklist acts as a guide, easing the process of tackling various tasks such as decorations and shopping for gifts. Prescott Maid to Order’s professional organizing services align with this structured approach, meticulously addressing each item on your holiday preparation checklist.

The holiday season is a time of joy, love and cherished memories. Prescott Maid to Order is committed to ensuring your home mirrors this festive spirit, offering immaculate cleanliness, organization and readiness for all the heartwarming moments that the season brings. QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Lucy Leyva is the owner of Prescott Maid to Order.

The importance of ensuring a clean space as fall begins cannot be brushed under the carpet. According to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans, on average, spend a staggering 90% of their time indoors. As the mercury drops, this number may further inch upwards. Cleaning and decluttering during fall, hence, can dramatically cut down on indoor pollutants, ensuring the air we breathe during the chilly months is as pure as it can be. This is essential, as indoor air, surprisingly, can have pollutant levels 2 to 5 times higher than the air outside.

But the benefits are not just about physical health; they extend to our mental well-being, too. A study in the “Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin” underscored the relationship between our living environment and our mental state. Participants who described their homes as “cluttered” or filled with “unfinished projects” showed signs of elevated stress and fatigue. Conversely, those with homes they considered “restful” or “restorative” exhibited better mood and reduced stress.

In wrapping up, as we gear up for the cozier seasons, let’s remember that fall cleaning is more than an optional task. It’s an opportunity. An opportunity to refresh our living spaces, to safeguard our health, and to set the stage for a serene, rejuvenating winter. With the falling leaves outside, let’s ensure the falling dust inside is swept away, making way for a season of warmth, both literally and metaphorically. QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Lucy Leyva is the owner of Prescott Maid to Order.

The Impact of a Clean Home on Learning

Who would have thought that a spick-and-span home could be the silent catalyst for academic triumphs? That’s exactly what studies have shown. When children grow up in a clean and organized household, it’s like laying a foundation for their academic growth. Distractions fade, and the books in front of them become portals to knowledge and imagination.

At Indiana University, curious researchers unearthed something fascinating. Living in a clean environment (for adults and children alike) was linked with being more active and healthy. This is especially relevant to children, who find in a hygienic environment a supportive ally for their overall physical well-being.

And it’s not just the body that benefits but the mind as well. A study tucked away in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin uncovered that tidy homes correlate with lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. For a child, a serene and clean home can be a nurturing cradle, a place where studying isn’t a chore, but a joyful exploration.

Preventing Illness and Allergies

Now, think of those innocent faces heading back to school, where they’re not just learning and playing but also interacting with a world full of germs and allergens. Here again, a clean home steps up to the plate. Regular cleaning and care can cast away the nasty bugs that cause illnesses, keeping doctor visits and school absences at bay.

A paper by the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology even lays out how a home free from dust, mold and pet dander can ease allergies in children. Easier breathing and a healthier living environment? Now that’s what every child deserves.

Encouraging Responsibility and Routine

A clean home wears many hats. It’s not just about avoiding germs or feeling comfy; it’s a teacher in its own right. It instills essential values and habits. Getting a child involved in maintaining a clean home is like building a roadmap to responsibility.

University of Minnesota researchers spell it out clearly. Engaging children in household chores sets them on a path toward strong relationships, academic success and even astonishing careers later on.

In the Background as a Silent Supporter

So, as children head back to classrooms and playing fields, let’s tip our hats to the humble, clean home. It’s there in the background, fostering concentration, soothing stress and even shielding against illnesses. And when children are asked to chip in, it becomes a wise old mentor, shaping young minds and hearts. Perhaps it’s time for all parents to invest a little more in keeping the home clean, ensuring it continues to be the silent supporter as the school year unfolds. QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Lucy Leyva is the owner of Prescott Maid to Order.

Nicole R. Keith, Ph.D., et al., “Is Cleanliness Next to Godliness: Cleanliness Predicts Physical Health,” Indiana University, 2010.

Saxbe, Darby E., and Rena Repetti, “No Place Like Home: Home Tours Correlate with Daily Patterns of Mood and Cortisol,” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2010.

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, “Allergies in Children,” ACAAI Public Website, 2021.

Rossmann, Marilyn M., “The Impact of Encouraging Children’s Contributions to Household Work,” University of Minnesota, 2002.

Clean

No one ever wants to come home from a beautiful, relaxing and fun vacation to a mess. A dirty house is no one’s idea of “welcome home.” It’s not necessary to perform a spring-cleaning ritual before you leave, but every room should be addressed. Before you leave, clean sinks and toilets, vacuum – and definitely clean out the fridge and toss out any food that could spoil.

Take Out the Trash

Of course taking out the trash is also a part of cleaning, but sometimes “out of sight is out of mind.” Make sure you don’t clean out the fridge only to leave spoiling food breeding in a dark can somewhere in your kitchen. Forgetting to take out the trash could mean returning home to ghastly odors and uninvited pests.

Double-Check the Washer/Dryer

In your last-minute efforts to get everything in order, don’t overlook the washer and dryer. Before you lock the door behind you, check to make sure you’re not leaving a load of wet clothes in the washer or dryer. Mildew is no one’s friend.

Check Fire Hazards

Don’t leave the house without unplugging electronics like your computer, router, TVs and any countertop appliances that don’t need to be on while you’re gone. Not only will you lower the risk of potential electrical fires, but you will also save money on energy costs.

Put Lights on Timers

Whether your home has a smart lighting system or not, one of the easiest steps to deter a break-in is by using lighting. Use your smart lighting app or plug-in timers throughout your home to vary the lighting every day you are away. Putting your lights on timers so that they turn off and turn on various times of the day will make it look like people are actually home.

Have a Friend Keep an Eye Out

Let a trusted neighbor know when you’ll be gone and when you’re returning. Make sure they have your number and the number of an emergency contact. If they are willing, have them collect any packages that get delivered on your doorstep and pick up papers and ads left by your door. Items left too long by your door or in the driveway announce your absence.

A bonded and insured company like Maid to Order can be hired to check on your property for extended trips and come in prior to your return to do a “freshen up” clean.

With a little effort and a little planning, you can go on vacation confident that you have left your Prescott home safe and secure and ready for your return. If you would like, Prescott Maid to Order can help you get ready to relax and check cleaning off your list of things to do. QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Lucy Leyva is the owner of Prescott Maid to Order.

Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, who started Mother’s Day celebrations, also filed a lawsuit to stop the over-commercialization of Mother’s Day. She lost her fight. Anna had hoped for a day of reflection and quiet prayer by families, thanking God for all that mothers had done. During and following the Civil War, she made a concerted effort to foster friendship and community between the mothers on both sides of the war. She started a committee in 1868, which established the first glimmer of today›s holiday, “Mother’s Friendship Day.”

President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation declaring Mother’s Day an official holiday on May 9, 1914.

Early Mother’s Day celebrations were in Greece. The Greeks would have spring celebrations in honor of Rhea, the goddess of fertility, motherhood and generation.

Mother’s Day is the busiest restaurant day of the year!

More calls are made on Mother’s Day than any other day – 122 million calls are made on the second Sunday of May every year.

In 2022, more than $31 billion was spent on Mother’s Day.

Though celebrated on different days, Mother’s Day is celebrated all over the world.

The average age for a first-time mother in the United States hit 30 for the first time.

Grandmothers are also celebrated on Mother’s Day. Let’s hear it for grandmas!

Many of the sweaters worn by Mr. Rogers on the popular television show, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” were actually knit by his real mother.

The nickname “Mom” comes from babies. The sound “Ma” is one of the first sounds babies make, that is why in almost every language, Mother starts with the letter “M.”

Carnations are the special flower for Mother’s Day and Mother’s Day is the third biggest selling holiday for flowers.

Mothers are at the very heart of society. As we approach this valuable holiday, lets turn our hearts to those we love. We look forward to giving of our time and tokens of appreciation for the people who have mothered us, whether it is our own mom, sister, friend, aunt or grandma.

Do something special for the ones you love. We offer gift certificates to take some of the work off of your mom’s shoulders.

Prescott Maid to Order would like to wish all the moms and those who have stepped in to fill that role in one capacity or another a very happy Mother’s Day. QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Lucy Leyva is the owner of Prescott Maid to Order.