A Little Help Goes A Long Way

Of all the things I’ve learned in 2015, the most powerful piece was something a few dear friends told me; “Get some help around the house. You can’t do it all.” It was always followed by; “Even if you don’t have work, you need time to have absolutely no responsibilities.” This sounded like something out of a dream. Back then, I constantly felt as if having free time without kids was a sin of some sort. It somehow made me feel like I was cheating at life. “You should be doing something!” that inner voice would shout at me. Eventually, I started taking the advice of my girls. Prioritizing of course. I booked more help around the house and did only what I could fit in.

So when TaskRabbit reached out and asked if I wanted to try their services, I said yes. By all intents and purposes, this has been something I have been eagerly working on for the past year; letting go of power. etc Recently, I had a poor experience with another service, so I was more excited than usual to put them to the test. Somehow, I wanted to prove to myself that services like these truly do come in handy, and that it doesn’t take knowing your sister’s best friend’s cousin’s handyman or house cleaner to get it done. Just intelligent, reliable, responsible, and handy people.

For our particular task, we hired Dave to paint River and Oak’s room. A task Peter and I have been discussing for over a year; we just never found the time or the right person to do it. The great thing about Dave was learning a bit more about him beyond the task. What I found is that most of their taskers have professions, passions, and talents beyond the tasks they do. They’re diverse individuals with really interesting backgrounds. For them, working with TaskRabbit provides flexibility. It also provides the opportunity to help others and earn extra money. For example: Dave, our elite tasker, works as a marine engineer / naval architect on boats. Fascinating right?

I ran through the color choice with Dave, and with his professional opinion, I was certain that a grey semi-gloss was best for their room. He was able to give me tips on how to upkeep and what was best, because he’s truly seen it all. (200 + tasks to be specific) To my surprise, he also came completely prepared, and later that week, he was responsive and accommodating when we inquired about another task in the future.

While Dave painted, I answered emails and shot some other blog photos, and even left for coffee! He had and “old friend” demeanor. I won’t lie, the rave reviews in the  TaskRabbit app helped a ton too.

By the time he was finished, I had gotten on and completed a conference call, images, emails, drafted a post! More importantly, I wasn’t tired or bothered when the task was finished. I was able to just say goodbye and move along with my day.

With the new paint color, Peter and I were itching to change things up in their room even more! We’re so excited about how it turned out. The color is calming, and the space looks so much larger.

Have you ever used a service like this before? What was your experience? I am feeling so relieved that finally, there is one that actually lives up to it’s promotions!

+ If you’re interested in trying TaskRabbit, enjoy $15 off any task until 1/15/16 with the code: YVETTE

P.S TaskRabbit can also help you book a tasker to help organize, go grocery shopping, last minute Christmas shopping, check anything off your to-do list, clean your apartment, and even, wait in line for tickets! Also, their taskers are vigorously checked, ensuring safety and reliable service.

(Top five images by Juli Teitler for LaTonya Yvette. This post is in partnership with TaskRabbit, a company that I whole heartedly believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands that support LaTonya Yvette)