Category: Newsletters

Jan 13 2020

January 2020

 A New Year. A New Decade.

At this point in the month I am sure you have written down your goals for the year. The things you aim to accomplish, how you are going to accomplish them, and why these are your goals. All of these things are CRUCIAL to the start of a new year. They are the things that you do to ensure that you start the year on the right foot.

So I invite you to think about the goals you have set for yourself.

Think about what you wrote down or what you told people your resolution is.

We are thirteen days in.. how have you held up so far?

Maybe you have a thirteen-day streak of absolutely killing it or maybe you’ve missed a few days!

Either way, you’re doing great! Just by SETTING those goals you are acknowledging the things in your life that you want to achieve. This is the biggest step, being aware of what you want out of your life.

If the start of a new decade has reminded us of anything, it is that life is short. Spend your time doing the things that you WANT to do. That doesn’t mean give up on your responsibilities, instead, find a way to mesh the things that empty your gas tank with things that fuel it.

When you are able to be confident and happy in everything that you do you will begin to see serious changes in your life. Things that felt like chores will become fun tasks and the things you looked forward to will be 10x greater.

Nobody is stopping you from accomplishing those 2020 goals except yourself. The hardest part is writing them down. You’ve already written them down! Now CRUSH THEM!

Things that will help you accomplish your goals in 2020:

  • Create an accountability chart!
    • I found this website that sends you a whole bunch of free habit tracker checklists! I personally have found this to be very helpful because it is a way for me to visually view what I want to accomplish every day.
  • Buddy system!
    • When you share your goals with someone else you can help to hold each other accountable.
  • Plan meals ahead of time!
    • This may seem like a simple one, but knowing what you are going to eat at the end of a long day is HUGE! Not only does it save time and a headache, but it can also help you save money! You are more likely to go out to eat if you can’t think of what you want to make.
  • Put clean the house on our chore list!
    • Take cleaning the house off of your to-do list. Spend more time crushing all those goals you’ve set while you spend time in a clean fresh home. If you aren’t already on our client list? Fill out your quote request here.
  • Reflect at the end of each week!
    • This is huge! Maybe you had an awesome week or a not so great one. Either way, taking the time to think about what made things work or not work will help you in the long run. Here are some prompts I personally like to answer:
      • I feel…
      • I learned…
      • I celebrate…
      • What do I want to do the same or differently next week…
We at Absolutely Clean are excited for you to crush your goals this year and decade! We hope that we can be apart of helping you do just that!
Nov 10 2019

November. November. November.

So, we meet again! The leaves have begun to fall, we’ve already experienced our first snow and it feels like bedtime around 5 p.m.

I am just going to cut to the chase, you don’t want to get home from work and clean. It is pitch black outside. Your kids are begging for dinner, your favorite tv show is on tonight or maybe you just want to crack open a bottle of wine. You may be reading these things thinking, oh wow, that sounds simply amazing. It doesn’t have to just SOUND amazing, it can BE amazing! But time is running out! Our schedules are filling up and you need to click HERE right now!

Now that you have filled out your quote request to get your house on the schedule, scroll down to see what fun things we have to share this month!

Recently, we worked with Linn Area Credit Union to collect supplies for teachers! We are so excited to be partnering with them again! As most of you know it gets awfully frigid here and some don’t have the proper clothing to handle the weather. We are partnering with Linn Area to collect NEW scarves, mittens, gloves, and socks for Cedar Rapids area students! We will have a collection box in our office if you would like to drop any off at 712 J Ave. If we already clean your home or office? Let us know you have donations to make and we will pick it up at our next clean! Together we can continue to make a difference in our community!

 

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake
Ingredients:
  • 24oz. cream cheese; softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 c. pumpkin
  • 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 3 tbsp. flour; sifted
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
Pecan Topping:
  • 1 c. pecans; chopped
  • 1 c. brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp. softened butter
Crust:
  • 1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 6 tbsp. butter; melted
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs, sugar andcinnamon.  Stir in the melted butter.  Firmly press crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inchspring-form pan.  Bake the crust for 6 minutes and remove fromthe oven.
  2. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy; beat in sugars, vanilla andpumpkin pie spice.
  3. Add the eggs 1 at a time; lightly beat until just combined.  Lightly beat in the pumpkin and then, the flour.  Don’t over-beat!
  4. Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared crust.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Begin preparing pecan topping around 10 minutes before timergoes off.
  5. Prepare the topping by combining the pecans, brown sugar and butter.  Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.  Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
  6. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in with the door closed for an additional 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Cover cheesecake and refrigerate in the pan overnight before.

Last, but certainly not least, our November winner! After each cleanwe ask that you write a review so that we can continue to serve you better! At Absolutely Clean we are always looking to grow and better ourselves. We don’t know if we make mistakes unless you let us know! We also don’t know if we did the best clean ever unless you let us know! (Although, every time we clean we aim for it to be our best ever.) Each month we pick one of our clients from the reviews we have received and send out a special little gift!

This month the winner is Michelle B! Thank you for your continued support. We value you as a client and truly enjoy leaving you with an Absolutely Clean home!

That’s all for today folks! Don’t forget to schedule your cleans for the holiday season so you can spend more time doing the things you love with the people you love.

 

Sep 23 2019

This months focus:
FAMILY & ROUTINE 

Did you know that this is the last week of summer? Yep, it’s here. Leaves are starting to change, the weather is cooling down and our schedules are getting even busier. There are two things that we at Absolutely Clean are focusing on this month: family and routine. If these two topics aren’t at the forefront of your mind it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life.

THINGS TO HELP GET INTO A ROUTINE:

Eat breakfast. Every morning. It is the simplest thing you can do to help kick off a healthy lifestyle. Even if you are not super hungry, grab a granola bar! This gives your mind and body the energy it needs.

Read every day. This can seem daunting to people but this doesn’t mean that you have to read for hours at a time! Start off slow, read for thirty minutes while you eat your breakfast. This helps keep your mind engaged and is a great way to improve your mental state.

Turn off electronics an hour before bed. This is a hard one, I will admit I struggle with it. The days that I am successful though, I find myself getting a great nights sleep and ready to tackle the next day. Not only does the blue light from our devices keep us awake but it also keeps our minds stimulated. Shutting these devices off helps us to relax and gives our mind a break after a long day.

FAMILY SHOULD BE YOUR PRIORITY: 

As the season gets busier it is easy to push aside those that we love the most. But, do you remember how fast the summer went by? That is going to happen over and over again and the next thing you know you’ve missed out on so much. Put your phone down, don’t over schedule yourself, and remember to have fun. Don’t wait until something happens to realize how short life is! This is where we come into play. Don’t let cleaning the house be one of the things that keep you away from your family and doing the things you love. Not only do we love to clean, but we do a great job too!

SUBMIT A QUOTE REQUEST TODAY!

 

LOCAL BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS

First of all, we all know what happens when the school year gets started again. Germs begin to mix and slowly but surely flu season creeps upon us. This year, we at Absolutely Clean aren’t going to let the flu stop us. Thanks to Clark’s Pharmacy, they will be coming to our office to provide flu shots for our staff. We love supporting local businesses and are so happy to partner with Clark’s to try and beat the flu! Don’t forget to get your flu shot and when you do? Go to Clark’s Pharmacy & Gifts on 1946 42nd street.

The second business we are excited to start partnering is with Jacob at Cleanwash. Jacob is helping us help YOU get sparkly windows! Tired of looking out your windows and seeing dirt that you can’t get from the inside? Call 319-377-4404 and we will help you get an appointment to get those sparkly windows!
 

 

 

Last but certainly not least, our winner of the month! Each month we compile all the reviews we have received that our clients submit after their clean is complete. One lucky winner is selected and given a gift as our thank you for helping us give you the best service.

The September winner is… LAURA G! Your gift will be arriving in the mail soon! We appreciate you and the kind words you write about our stuff. Thank you for your continued support and for being a great client.

We are going to continue working with businesses around town and finding more ways to help our community. If you would like to work with us please email us at grace@absolutelyclean.org

 

Aug 06 2019

DRUMROLL PLEASE!!

We have been selected for a third time by

the Corridor Business Journal to attend the

2019 Coolest Places To Work award banquet!

In order to be nominated for this award, our employees filled out an anonymous survey. They answered questions regarding employment at Absolutely Clean and why they feel we are the coolest place to work. We are so thankful for our employees and it means the world to us that what was written about Absolutely Clean granted us this nomination!

We love doing fun things for our employees and work hard to take care of each and every one of them anyway that we can. We are always listening and working together to make Absolutely Clean the coolest place to work.

In the summer, this means FREE ICE CREAM!

We not only look for ways to make our employees happy but also to help spread the word about other local small businesses in the community. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate a great summer than with Moo Moo’s Ice Cream!

Moo Moo’s Ice Cream Trucks are the newest edition to the community and you won’t want to miss out! They serve all Iowa Made Ice Cream and really put a strong emphasis on supporting other local small businesses and dairy farmers in Iowa. This family-owned business is sure to put a smile on your face and satisfy your sweet tooth.

Want to see what kind of yummy treats they sell? Click Here! Already drooling and wondering when you can get your hands on some ice cream? They’ll be at Absolutely Clean (712 J Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA) every Thursday! Check our Facebook & Instagram for times the day of!


As most of you know every August we collect school supplies for the upcoming school year. This year, we are excited to help out by donating our supplies to Linn Area Credit Union. Linn Area used to be a bank for teachers and as a way to continue that support they have a teacher store! Teachers spend so much of their own money to make sure that the children in their classrooms have all they need to be successful. This year, we want to help out these teachers and to do that we need your help!

Drop off NEW school supplies at our office 712 J Ave NE or leave it out with a note during your clean and we will bring it back for you!

Items needed:
(NEW ONLY)

  • #2 Pencils (sharpened or unsharpened)
  • Colored Pencils
  • Pencil Boxes
  • Spiral Notebooks
  • Dry Erase Markers
  • Markers
  • Scissors
  • Glue (bottled and sticks)
  • Facial Tissues

Read more ...

Jul 03 2019

Hello, Friends!

Wow! July! Already? Can you believe that?

It feels like just yesterday we were all complaining about the cold brutal winter and now we are over this heat wave (or at least I am)!

I know it can be easy to get caught up in the long hot days and the desire to complete your summer bucket list. But, it’s so important that you don’t forget to take a second and just breathe.

In fact, let’s do it together, right now. 

I want you to take a deep five-second breath, breathe in through your nose and release your breath through your mouth. As you release, let go of all the things that make you tense and stressed.

Inhale

1….2…..3….4…..5….

Exhale

1….2…..3….4…..5….

 

See? Not so bad, was it? In fact, you’re probably surprised at how good you feel after doing something SO simple!

Doing something to calm your mind and to reflect is so important in our fast-paced lives. Time is so important and in order to fully appreciate your time you have to remember to appreciate yourself and all that surrounds you.

This is why we at Absolutely Clean like to take the time every month to do one of our favorite activities, Flower Power. Flower Power is our way to take a step back and appreciate all that we do for each other.

At the end of the month, each employee anonymously turns in a piece of paper with the name of a co-worker written on it.

The co-workers that are chosen are seen as those that exemplify these important things:

They are leaders and model mentors. They are someone who makes everyone FEEL like they are number one and so much more.

These employees not only exemplify the things above but also always have a smile on their face, are always excited to continue growing and learning and most importantly, represent our company values.

It is because of them that Absolutely Clean truly blooms.

They truly walk the talk.

Once an employee is chosen, we take about 30 minutes before the start of a day and all get into a circle. The chosen employee is given an empty vase and each and every co-worker takes their turn to pick a flower and tell them what they love about them, why they are thankful for them and more.

These mornings often end in hugs, happy tears, laughter and helps to create the strong bond we share at Absolutely Clean.

 

Now that you know what Flower Power means to us, we at Absolutely Clean have a challenge for you!

Grab a flower from the garden or maybe a bouquet from the store and gift it to someone who has helped you or made you feel important!

It may feel awkward at first but this simple act will be sure to make not only their whole day but their whole week!

Take a photo of you doing so and tag Absolutely Clean either on Facebook or Instagram and be entered to WIN….

DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!!!

A gift card to Scooters, an Absolutely Clean coffee mug and my personal favorite,

Shaklee Scour Off. (Seriously, that stuff can handle ANYTHING!)

If you share and tag us on both platforms you’ll get two entries!

(Sharing on your story counts)

Comment and tag 3 friends on our posts on either platform and get another entry!

That is THREE possible chances to win a great bundle of prizes!

All for doing something kind!

What are you waiting for?! Go pick some flowers!

 

Time In a Bottle

image

The mission of Time in a Bottle INC, is to provide precious “time” to parents that are dealing with the hope and care of their children becoming survivors. There many ways to help, donate your time, become a sponsor to one of our events, or Flock a Friend! Follow the Link to find out more!

Click Here to Donate

NEWSLETTER

Be sure to sign up for Absolutely Clean's Newsletters! Be updated on the latest news, special events, monthly charities, and ways for you to WIN FREE stuff!! Stay connected with Absolutely Clean and learn all the great ways we help give you back your time!

CLICK HERE to Subscribe to our newsletter
winner_daisybadge-m