Many Hands Make Lighter Work!

Spring brings us warmer weather, fresh breezes, the rebirth of nature and – for some of us – the desire to deep clean our homes and spruce up our yards.

Everybody loves the idea of clearing out the dirt, dust, clutter and stuffiness after a long winter, but busy schedules and physical limitations can make it overwhelming at times. Here's how to put the "power of numbers" to work for you:

Declare a Family Cleanup Day. Use our Family Task Bash invitation and checklist to inform the whole family about the cleanup party and their specific assignments. Keep the party atmosphere going with upbeat music, snacks and special rewards. Making an event of it makes the work go faster and keeps whining to a minimum. Your job as organizer is to make sure all of the necessary supplies are purchased and in place the morning of the Bash.

If your nest is empty or health constraints limit you from doing chores, there are inexpensive alternatives to hiring professional help:

• Use Kid Power. A local scout troop or school club might be interested in making extra money by raking, mowing, other yard work. Older tweens and teens may be capable of painting and window washing on a first floor. Call your local middle school or high school, or see if your neighborhood has a teen bulletin board.
• Seek out Volunteers. For seniors, call your church, senior center or local chapter of the Interfaith Program for Older Adults. Many of these groups offer teams of volunteers to help you with heavy yardwork in spring and fall.
• Your local, county or state Department on Aging may be able to refer you to teams of corporate volunteers who would be available for yardwork or small "handyman" chores. Corporations like to provide these services as a way of giving back to their communities and demonstrating good corporate citizenship.