Usually someone who cooks two meals and prepares dinner (a third) is not the same person who cleans. That requires a good deal of time and different skills. You'd also might be prepared to determine whether that person would be required to serve as well. Sometimes a freelance chef can fill this role. Also be prepared to decide who will shop and/or how ordering will be handled. Often people who cook want to select their own ingredients which involves shopping time and transportation.

I'd speak to a domestic agency in your area for best advice on expectations and who can provide bonded, skilled candidates. Be prepared to answer questions about languages and specific duties you want covered.

Often friends know and can recommend cleaning help -- that's easier. References are usually provided in writing then checked by telephone.

What you are asking is domestic help, specifically a housekeeper. You need to decide if you want to find someone long term, do it above board, pay all taxes etc. I am not sayng that you won't but many do not.

Unless you are willing to all the paper work necessary to have help (payroll, taxes, insurance etc.) you need a service to take care of it all. Most people we know use a service for the paper work. (I always did it myself.) But then, I still do my own taxes.

If you know anyone in the community, ask. Ask the 'well to do' families with young children. Many people we know have help for the house, both for housekeeping and child care. I think you said that your SO is a physician. Have him ask his female (men have stay at home wives that may or may not have help) colleagues in higher paid specialty or other higher paid women with young children what they do. Most probably have some help and they can steer you toward a direction in your own community.

This has been my personal experience. I always hired my nanny full time even though I did not need quite as many hours. I did not want someone to go onto a new job that gave them more hours. One nanny who had a great reference did not consider our job because I only needed someone 40 hours, not the typical 50 hours per week for many nanny jobs. (most people work 5 days per week and you need time to commute.)

You need to figure out what the reasonable hour/salary is. Currently, the going rate for domestic help in Seattle, WA is about $15 to $25/hour. This is their livelihood. You need to respect that and always keep that in perspective. For example, I paid all necessary taxes because they will need their social security in their old age. I paid a certain amount toward their medical insurance.

Another things is you need to figure out what type of person you want. A mother with school aged kids needing extra money will not be available before and after school, for example. A retired person needing extra money may work for you.

I suggest that you read some books regarding how to hire, set benefits etc for a nanny. There is a lot of things to learn about how to have domestic help.

We always did the background search through a service.
Our last nanny was hired through Craigslist. Most people I know hire help through Craigslist or use an agency or through a referral. (One family no longer needs the help, they help her find a new job) This is typical because the help does become a part of your extended family.

I listed what was required of the job. I interviewed a few applicants and hired someone that we thought was the best fit. She had experience so we called and checked on references.

She stayed more than 4 years with us.

FWIW, when my parents were needing help at home at the end of their lives, we hired some people through a community referral which worked out great. However, we needed some fill-in time when the regular help was not available. That was through an agency. That was not so good. It was not terrible but not great.

We have a cleaner, not a housekeeper, but found her through a reference at our church.

I looked in the mirror! LOL

Sorry, I know you're serious, but I couldn't resist :)

If you want that much cooking, then I think you are talking a live in housekeeper and at least another maid to come in for half day cleaning. A housekeeper/home supervisor/cook commands a pretty good wage. I'm in a low wage area of the country, and 50K would be about right for that here. In a more expensive are of the country, you might be talking 80K. But you are talking someone to keep the house organized and running, from dealing with the lawn service, to the shopping for essentials and even some accounting to keep track of the expenses and upkeep.

I would let an employment agency do the initial screening for you and only talk to several finalists to see if you mesh together. You will be spending a good deal of time around each other, and it's important that you get on and both be flexible about the job and it's requirements.

Or, you might consider taking a couple of culinary classes so that you can do that kitchen of yours justice. :) You might find that you enjoy creating something special in those beautiful surroundings. You showed such attention to the details of combining the colors and materials, and frankly, that is a great deal of cooking. It's merely composing something artistic that also has a flavor component. I think if you looked at it like that, you could find a way to have it be a creative outlet for you now that the house is finished.

@lavender lass.... LMAO!! I was going to say the same thing!!

I wish I could help, but good luck with your search! (no harm intended with the above chuckle.. hubby and I just finished a similar conversation. house cleaning not done cause I joined him on a car hunt! no work done today! told him he should know better than to date the houskeeper!!)

Sounds like you need a live-in. are you in the tristate area? I can recommend an agency that I used.

I found the woman who cleans our house every other week through craigslist. One thing to consider is ... What do you mean by "a few hours" each day? If you can write down what you think the schedule would be that will help you figure out if you are looking for a cleaner who can cook, or a cook who is willing to clean.

Have you thought about a meal service for lunches and dinners, and a more frequent cleaning service? You might find that easier to manage because you can find a chef/cook who fits YOUR food preferences and a cleaning person whose schedule aligns with your needs. You would still have to be responsible for breakfast, but it might be easier to get the main meals you really want (and breakfast is the easiest thing to cook).

rococogurl we were thinking about doing a separate chef and cleaning person and may still do that but thought it would be easier if we could find a general purpose housekeeper.

Thanks kaismom. I'm pretty much looking for someone from like 10 AM to 1 PM or thereabouts so maybe a mom w/ kids looking for a part time job would be perfect. I put an ad on Craigslist and hopefully we'll get some replies to that.

LOL lavender_lass and Bon22

GreenDesigns, maybe I will think about it. I have tried to cook in the past and I just don't find it fun. Besides, I'm remodeling our FL house right now so that's been my creative outlet lately!

dietitian we are in PA. My fiance doesn't want a live in though.

I have no need for (ok, I need . . . want, but could never spend for) this type of service, but a quick google search turned up 4 agencies that specialize in this, one specifically located in Bala Cynwyd, PA. HouseholdStaffing.com (PA), Royal Domestic, Crassford Management, and Al Martino Agency.

I know people have had great luck just posting on Craig's List or other online listings, but I like the idea of a service that takes care of all the background checks and takes responsibility for experience and training of someone that is going to have such free reign in my home. Especially if I can't get a direct recommendation from a close friend or family member.

Good luck in your search!

Thanks controlfreakecs I will check those out!

Beagles- Don't try cooking...try baking. You can't really mess up chocolate chip cookies. Just put a little less flour than it says to, on the package of Nestle's chocolate chips...maybe 1/8 cup less. That way, they won't be tough. If they're too short (soft) they'll still taste good! :)

I do occasionally make cookies LL. Well, to be more accurate, I make cookie dough. And eat it out of the bowl and never actually make the cookies. I have a kitchenaid mixer so it is very easy to just mix the stuff in.

It's not that I can't cook, b/c I probably could if I tried. I don't want to. I don't find it fun. Plus, the way my job is set up, I work from home as much as I want to whenever I want to. I enjoy my job more than I enjoy baking/cooking and if I am spending time cooking or baking or whatever, then it is directly taking time away that I could spend working.

You know, Beagles, your kitchen is so pretty that you could probably set up a schedule and get some of us to come in and cook for you. :)

I would ask everyone you in the area and post a small notice at church. If you know a nanny or cleaning person, ask them because they likely have friends in the same line of work.

I have also noticed that my facebook friends often post "does anyone know of someone looking for part time work...(with description of what you need). This works great because personal referrals, from people you actually know, are golden.

OP can you tell me if your stove has red knobs? Thanks.

When my wife passed away unexpectedly I had four young sons and was hopelessly out of my depth taking care of everything. I needed someone immediately to help keep the house under control until I could pull myself back together - I called my parish office and they found someone for me who was able to come the next day.

She was a saint.

I definitely recommend working through your church office.

Doc

I only have a cleaning lady, bi-weekly. She doesn't cook for me or anything. I found her through church. I interviewed 3 ladies from church and 2 that advertised on CraigsList. Then I chose the one I felt worked out best.

Area Culinary Schools! They must have students looking for work.

Also,google for "personal chef" with your city. I knew someone who ran a business like this and it was great. She was very flexible to what people wanted/needed.

Good Luck!

I would have someone cook for me if I could afford it. I'm a very good cook, but like Beagles, I do not find it fun at all anymore. I don't get it when people say, I love to cook!!! The exception is baking, which is fun and the best part is eating raw dough/batter. I've also made countless batches of chocolate-chip cookie dough, only to slowly eat it all raw. Yes, I know, bad things are supposed to happen to you when you do that. So far, so good.

The people I knew who had housekeepers in that sense all lived out around Bryn Mawr. (Where I went to grad school.) In that area there was more demand, so more people in the field. Also, they could get someone to take the bus out from the city there.

Where I live in Doylestown it's Merry Maids, or local services (usually one person running a half dozen women) for cleaning. I don't know anyone who has a cook, except live in au pairs who make lunch for the kids.

Why not eat out? Just learn to make coffee for breakfast.

My best suggestion is ask your neighbors who they use. That's where I got my cleaning lady.

My cleaning lady came via my sister, who had been using her for several years, based on a recommendation from a friend of hers. the woman has never had to advertise and keeps a full calendar.

Cooking and cleaning are two different skill sets: You might be better off to have someone come clean a couple days a week, and have a personal chef who cooks in your kitchen or theirs.

You do need to decide who does the shopping, menu planning, etc. because that's a huge time sink. In some cities there are a sort of "meals on wheels" but a bit more on the gourmet side ... they prepare and chill or freeze a week's worth of meals and deliver them. It's not cheap, but it's less expensive than a personal chef.

http://dreamdinners.com/main.php?page=home is a Phoenix company

http://www.thumbtack.com/az/phoenix/chef/personal-chef-tastebuds Is a phoenix personal chef ... but he's not a live-in one.

LOL Poohpup, I would be on board with that. Anyone who wants to sign up to cook, let me know :)

dilly_ny and doc8404 we don't belong to a church. I guess we could call the closest church to us and see if they have any leads or allow job postings...

oceangirl67, no it is a Miele. Does this disqualify me from hiring help? Is no one going to want to be my housekeeper now, LOL :(

beekeeperswife I found two people who do the chef service and we may still go that route and have them do dinners at least. I just thought it would be nice to have one person who did everything. May not be possible or the best route to get the best food though...

linelle, LOL, I've been eating raw cookie dough, brownie batter and cake batter for 20+ years now and I am still alive. I almost always have a bowl of batter or cookie dough in my fridge. My ex used to call it my "bacteria bowl."

biochem101 we don't want to eat out. It is not very healthy. We want homecooked meals w/ all organic ingredients. We just don't want to make them! We also don't really have a lot of neighbors.The number of houses in our development is restricted and there are only 4 lots built on and they are large lots on acreage so it's not like just going up and ringing the neighbor's doorbell. We did ask our one neighbor next door who we met and she does her own cleaning.

Thanks for the links lazygardens. We would need someone to specifically cook for us, not just a general delivery-of-meals b/c I'm very picky about foods I like and since DF is picky about ingredients and organic. But there are two people we found who customize the menus and come to the house to cook a week, or two weeks or a month worth of food at a time. It seems like that might be a better option but that leaves me to do breakfast (and maybe lunch) every day, which I didn't really want.

I think cookie dough is fine, as long as the eggs are okay to eat raw. Same thing with eggnog...so it's nice if you can get eggs locally, from someone you trust.

Seems like everyone would like to have someone cook for them...at least once in a while. I love to bake and cook, most of the time, but when it's nice outside (like this weekend) and I'm in the garden all day...I wouldn't mind a meal all ready to eat, when I come in :)

My house is too messy to have a housekeeper over.

You may have to do breakfast on your own---I'll teach you how to make toast with jam on it. And if you master that, we can work on boiling water for tea. The advanced class includes the plugging in and making of ....are you ready? coffee.

I'm not sure you are ready for cold cereal yet.

;)

LOL beekeeperswife, we have an instant hot, a K-cup maker and a breville one-touch tea maker so I have coffee and tea taken care of. I don't boil water though- that would require stove use!

I can do toast- no stove or oven required! I just like having pancakes, waffles, etc. for breakfast.

ROFL!

Great suggestions!

You may also want to check family- or individual-based catering services. I know a couple who had (and still have) a catering business but did what you describe for a well-off family for a year or two.

BTW, if I wanted to, I probably could do the "whatever number of hours" consulting but I find cooking to be a totally diferent experience than being stuck in front of the computer for 24 hours. It is the last part of housekeeping I'd outsource b/c it is the only creative one, IMHO, not counting gardening. I entertain myself by learning new cuisines and trying new recipes.

Not that I am trying to make you change your mind, LOL