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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Let's Look ·

Let’s Look: THINGS WE OUTSOURCE WITHOUT REGRET


Happy happy Wednesday, friends!

Erika and I are so excited to begin a brand new year of LET’S LOOK with you!

If you don’t know what this is, once a month, the two of us do a little link up where we “look” at different aspects of our lives (and then if you blog, you share and link up too!).  We have been doing this little linky party for years now, and it’s always one of my favorite posts each month because most of the topics are YOUR suggestions!

Alrighty, just as a reminder, here’s what we “looked at” in 2025 (all your suggestions!)…

In January, we looked at LOW LEVEL GOALS FOR 2025.

In February, we looked at HOW WE WORK ON OUR MARRIAGE.

In March, we looked at HOW WE RESET FOR THE WEEK ON SUNDAYS.

In April, we looked at MAINTAINING FRIENDSHIPS.

In May, we looked at OUR WELLNESS ROUTINES.

In June, we looked at OUR TRAVEL BUCKET LIST.

In July, we looked at THINGS I’VE CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT.

In August, we looked at JUGGLING FAMILY SCHEDULES.

In September, we looked at MANAGING TEENAGE LIFE.

In October, we looked at THINGS WE’VE SAID NO TO RECENTLY.

In November, I was in Budapest and skipped 😉 .

In December, we looked at BEST/WORST GIFTS WE’VE RECEIVED.

We asked you guys to give us prompts for 2026 and here are the ones we landed on…

…which means that today, we are LOOKING AT THINGS WE OUTSOURCE WITHOUT REGRET.

Yes and amen.

This was most certainly a prompt suggested by you ladies, and I loved it!

I double checked with Andrew, and I *think* I got ’em all.

I love outsourcing because it helps EVERYONE!  It helps you accomplish things in your life without having to mess with/fuss with/work on/actually do the “thing”, and it helps THEM.  They get compensated for doing something they love/are good at doing/have a passion for/need to do for work.  I am a travel agent, I AM SOMEONE’S “OUTSOURCE” EVERY DAY!   So many of my clients want to go on vacation but they just do not have the time, the energy, the desire to build/plan their vacation.  Their outsourcing of the travel planning benefits me and my team.  It works beautifully for everyone.

If you have guilt about outsourcing, let me encourage you to remember that when you do, you are allowing someone (like me!) to work on something I’m passionate about and earn a living at the same time all while YOU get to enjoy the fruits of my labor.  It’s a total win, win.

Here are the things I outsource without regret…

#1: HOUSECLEANING

When I told Andrew that I wanted to start a business, I told him the only way I could make it happen was to have someone come help with the housecleaning.  We have used the same lovely woman for almost 14 years now, and I am so grateful for her.  We are a pretty neat and tidy crew, but it is so nice to know that someone else is dusting, mopping, really scrubbing those bathrooms, and making sure our house gets a weekly once over.

#2: DRIVERS

Years ago, I realized I needed fewer babysitters in my life and more “drivers”.  With four kids and only two parents, Andrew and I just couldn’t be everywhere all the time.  We started paying some amazing high school girls (neighbors) to help us drive our kids from A to B.  They picked them up at home and dropped them at a practice or sometimes, they would pick them up from practice and bring them home (or to meet us wherever we were with other kids).  We just needed more hands on deck carting kids to “all the things”.  Now though, our kids are turning into drivers themselves which has been a total game changer.  That being said, just yesterday, Ashby had a doctors appointment and Andrew was at work and Kensington was still at school, so another high school friend picked Mades up from school and brought her home (just in time for Ashby and me to get home).  Amazing.

#3: EXTERIOR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Andrew and I love to decorate the inside of our house, but we hung up our ladders and stopped decorating the exterior of our home about 16 years ago.  We have used the same amazing fireman each year (over three different houses) to come put our exterior lights up.

#4: OUTSIDE THINGS

Andrew loves to work out in our yard.  He plant all of our seasonal flowers, he mulches, he is always analyzing trees that need to be removed (outsourced) and planting new sod.  We outsource though the actual mowing and edging of our grass, the weed and pest control companies come and spray as needed, and we have a company come and spray for mosquitoes too.

#5: IRONING

Oh heavens, this gets outsourced.  My Aunt Pam LOVES to iron.  It’s her favorite “home chore” to do.  God bless her, I do not iron, and Andrew doesn’t like to iron, so if any of our clothes need to be ironed, they go to the dry cleaners.

#6: DOG GROOMING

As much as I love my pups, I am not good about staying on top of their bathing and brushing routines.  My dogs all have long hair that gets matted, and I just am not cut out for combing through that.  We have a lovely dog groomer who comes over and bathes, trims and grooms our dogs twice a month.

#7: POOL CLEANING

We gave up fighting our pool and brought in the professionals.  Once a week, our chemicals get checked/adjusted and our pool gets cleaned.  There is no way we could keep it that clear, clean and tidy…and stay married.

#8: POST OFFICE, RETURNS, ETC

I am outsourcing this less and less now that I have extra help at my house (hello, teenagers), but if I have a bunch of things that need to get shipped out (for work, I often send gifts/packages to clients) and/or items that need to be returned or exchanged, I will happily outsource this task.  There are so many teenagers in my neighborhood looking for places to drive and money in their pockets.  It’s a blessing for both of us.

#9: TUTORS

I’m not sure how I graduated high school and yet couldn’t pass it again to save my life.  How is that possible?  My kids’ homework and class load is above my pay grade.  When necessary, we outsource tutors.  Heaven help my kids if I start working on their AP Physics homework.

#10: WINDOW CLEANING

A few times a year, we have a company come in and clean all of our exterior windows.  They have ladders and special equipment to get the windows waaaaay up high nice and clean.  Andrew and I would break our necks trying to do that ourselves.

Now, those are the things I do outsource.  Here are the things I WISH I had outsourced…

#1: Someone to do all of our laundry.  And put it away.

#2: Someone to handle every detail surrounding my Christmas cards.  They have to pick the date (after the painstaking task of navigating through our family calendar), select our clothes, wrangle my family into said clothes, make my family smile and pretend to be enjoying the experience, order the actual cards, address, stamp, stuff and mail them.

#3: Someone to take my dogs out 400 times a day to potty.

#4: Someone to change all the sheets each week and remake the beds.

#5: Someone to empty the suitcases after a trip, do all of the laundry, and put the suitcases (and laundry) away.

#6: Someone to read alllllllll of the school emails.

#7: Someone to wait for me at the doctors office so that I can just walk in, be seen and leave (they can go early, fill out that pesky paperwork and sit in the cold room in a paper gown until I arrive when the doctor comes in 😉 ).

And those are the things I outsource (or wish I could outsource!) without regret.  Now, it’s  YOUR TURN!  I want to know what you outsource!  Please comment and share below!

Next time on Let’s Look, we are going to look at WAYS WE’VE TURNED INTO OUR PARENTS.  (My parents should probably skip that post…)

If you blogged along with us today, please make sure you link up below.

Today, I am also sharing a little WELLNESS WEDNESDAY…the topic is SOLITUDE.

I’m off for today and will be taking tomorrow off as well.  I will see you all back here though on FRIDAY!

Have the best day! xx

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Comments

  2. Becky says

    We have a landscaper who does our spring and fall cleanup. We have pest control spray our lawn. Otherwise, everything else is my husband and myself!

  4. Susan K. says

    I think everyone would love the podcast, A Day In Her Life with Elie Rineck. Every episode asks this question along with so many other valuable ideas of how we “do our lives.”

  5. Heather Stanton says

    I always outsource a ride to and from the airport. I tried in my younger years to park, unload suitcases, carryons, kids, tickets, parking tickets. My kids are older now so…maybe I could pull it off? Not even an option. I love the pull up to the gate, help with the luggage out of the car. I could be mad at my past self for not doing it earlier!

  6. Allison says

    Love these, outsourcing is so wildly helpful! Amen to wishing someone could come weekly and wash all sheets and make all beds lol! We have outsourced house cleaning for about 10 years and it is worth every single penny. I would seriously cut cable before cutting that!

    • Mary says

      This is the one thing we outsource! House cleaning. We have the sweetest woman come and she does change the sheets!! I’m so grateful.

  7. Jeanie H says

    Our cleaning lady changes the sheets on the beds and puts new sheets on and remakes them. She also does any laundry that has stacked up although we rarely have any because I usually start a load after dinner. Your dogs must be the cleanest dogs in McKinney! Twice a month!!

  8. Bonnie Butler says

    Amen to allllll the school emails! How did our parents survive without all this extra communication back in the day?! Ha ha

      • Mary says

        You can! I hired a certified drivers ed teacher from AAA to specifically take my kids out to drive. They knew how to drive around our town but I would specify where I wanted them to drive – ex. Through downtown, on the thruway from Pt A to Pt B. It was great!

      • Susan says

        We all pay for lessons, and/or to play, sports and music, why not add driving – which is the most important!
        Our instructor met us at our house and then took our daughter driving on the streets of our town for the first time (I had previously been teaching her in a parking lot and then up on the school campus). Later, he took her on the highway for the first time. He also taught her some amazing way to parallel park, our neighbors even comment on how well she does.

    • Carole says

      We did this and it was the best thing ever! We got our daughter started in parking lots and then some back streets for a while, then hired Thompson Driving School. Worth every penny and we get a discount on insurance for her having gone through their program!

    • Patty Anderson says

      Yes! Our girls all went through a program called Masterdrive, and it was amazing. A few years later after a rollover on a blizzardy day, they gifted a refresher session with my daughter (who was a passenger in the car) so she’d get her confidence back. Worth every penny!

  11. Sarah says

    Love this!! Getting someone to clean my house bi-weekly has been a total game changer. Best money I spend every month!

  12. JoAnne L says

    A couple of years ago, I created an email account for just my kiddos’ school correspondence, etc. Every email that goes to that account I know is school related and will need my attention.

  14. Angela P says

    For Laundry try Poplin… It’s a game changer for us. I use them about every two weeks and they clean and fold all of your laundry. Such a time saver!

  15. Katie says

    We outsourced our lawn care a few years ago and haven’t looked back! We both work full time jobs, we have 2 kiddos playing travel baseball and softball and honestly when i was ready to finally relax and lay in the pool my husband would feel like he had to mow! So amazing to come home and it just be DONE!

  16. Angela says

    Give me all the outsourcing of Christmas cards!!! There’s something so therapeutic to me about addressing them and marking them off the card list. My mom has me do all of hers and the I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been “invited” to a friend’s house and ended up addressing their cards as well. Anything you need addressed or handwritten, send it my way!

  17. Kim says

    I outsource house cleaning 100% with no regret. Best thing ever. AND we have a poop scoop service for our 4 dogs. They come once a week to do a big cleanup and its worth every scent and cent 😉

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I keep telling Andrew Shull that we need to outsource that too! Can YOU please tell him?!

  18. Patty Anderson says

    This doesn’t really affect you, but we hired a teenager who lives two doors down to do our snow shoveling. Could we still do it? Sure. But Eli loves making extra cash and we love not having to think about it. He also helped us the past summer remove rocks from a flower bed that was put in by the previous owner so we could put in rubber mulch/glue. Great guy who is open to whatever we need. He’s a senior and will be leaving for college in the fall, and I’m already dreading his departure!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      YES! I love supporting these kids! My own kids now get paid to do things for neighbors, and it’s so nice to see a) my neighbors cared for and b) my kids being responsible/doing manual labor/earning money. I love this!

  19. Lisa Elliott says

    We have a wonderful woman who cleans our house, but she is having a hard time with scheduling right now. I hold my breath wondering if she can come because I hate (and don’t have time) to clean house!! I work full-time, am going to school full-time, plus many other things plus I’m 67 years old (finally going to graduate from college in May of 2027!!). We also outsource cleaning our windows – usually once a year. I wish I had hired help when our twins were born 39 years ago. If I had it to do over, I would have had someone come in once or twice a week to spend the night . . . so I could get some sleep. For 10 straight weeks, I lived on very very limited sleep. https://lisa-musingsofamiddle-agedmom.blogspot.com/

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Oh my goodness, YOU ARE SO INSPIRATIONAL! Wow! Lisa, GOOD FOR YOU! I am so inspired by your comment today. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation. Amazing. xx

  20. Susan P Fitzpatrick says

    We outsource for yardwork. I love our yard guy who mows and trims trees when we need it. We have a big yard so we greatly appreciate him! As for my house, I love cleaning it myself (with the exception of grout and showers). It’s just very therapeutic for me.

  21. Lisa N says

    This type of post is what brings me back day after day! I love all the ways you outsource, but then you go the extra mile, and give us a laugh in the end! And I love your success, and that you continually share your life with others❤️

  22. sandi says

    I don’t outsource much, but around 2018/2019 I started ordering my groceries for pick up which was a game changer with four busy kids. As the kids started to drive, they would pick up groceries for me. Now with only two at home full time, I’m starting to lose my drivers. We were always big on life skills… laundry, dishes, and things like that. Starting kids doing their own laundry around 10-12 years old was another big change that freed up a lot of my time. All four learned to cut grass and cook a few meals. When they were younger I stayed at home full time but if I would have worked I am sure more things would have been outsourced!

  23. Maquelle says

    Wish I could outsource dinners during the week. Just have it ready on the stove warm when we walk in especially when we had late after school activities.

    • Ashley Rae Vaughan says

      OMG YES! I say this all the time. We’ve tried the meal kit services but there’s still preparation involved. Sigh.

  24. Arika Sprecker says

    You have Aunt Pam, I have Aunt Sue. She loved to iron (and was so good at it). Years ago she started a side business out of her home. She was a stay-at-home mom and neighborhood friends would drop off clothes to be ironed. She loved doing it and earned fun money on the side. You make great points about guilt – by letting these things go, you are helping someone else. We outsourced lawn mowing this year and it’s been the best decision. Weekend time is precious and we got so much of it back. Fun post, thanks for sharing!

  25. Stacey M Mieske says

    I recently have started having my retired sister mow my lawn (several acres) best $30 I have ever spent.

  26. Denise says

    I wish I could outsource meal planning, grocery ordering and cooking dinners!
    I do not enjoy any of these tasks and am too busy with work and sports to make time for them. I’ve asked a few friends who love cooking if I could pay them for a couple prepped meals each week, but I’ve yet to convince them how serious I am about this offer!
    Your meal plans and recipes certainly help, but I still have get the groceries and cook the darn meals LOL

  27. Amanda says

    This makes me realize I definitely need to outsource! I don’t outsource anything lol

    Call it middle child syndrome.

    The main thing I’d love to outsource is the house cleaning. I can pick up and like y’all, we’re fairly neat, but those baseboards and toilets….

  28. Julia says

    Years ago, I stopped doing family portraits for Christmas cards and just use photos from our vacations – it saved the headache of picking out the dates, outfits, etc. and gets to spotlight us doing something we love – traveling! (Brooke and Whitney just helped us on our recent Caribbean cruise)

    Also, I have our cleaning lady strip our beds and remake them with clean sheets when she comes once a week! It’s one of my most dreaded chores and so I’ve outsourced it!

  30. Brooke says

    I wonder if the woman you pay to clean your house would be willing to change the sheets on the beds as well for extra money. That is how it is done in my house. It is so nice getting into nice clean sheets that someone else handled. The cleaning service we use also washes the sheets and towels. Outsourcing really can be great for everyone involved.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I’ve never asked because it feels like an undertaking (the beds are already made when she arrives because we all make them in the morning). It might be a huge game changer for me though. I feel like all we do is wash sheets!

      • Jen says

        We make the beds every day also, EXCEPT the day our cleaning lady comes!! It’s the best feeling leaving with unmade beds and coming home to nice freshly made beds and sheets! I highly recommend trying it!😂

  31. Mary Brown says

    Love this! With outsourcing house cleaning, are your kids’ cleaning chores limited to tidying up after themselves or do they also scrub bathrooms and help with deep cleaning?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      My rule is that if their rooms and bathrooms aren’t really darn clean (trash out, beds made, everything put away, dishes downstairs, etc), I let my sweet housekeeper to know to skip their rooms because they’ll be doing it themselves on Saturday. I don’t tolerate them being messy and sloppy and expecting someone else to clean it up (or just live in filth). I’ve only had to implement this “don’t clean their room today” thing a few times because it’s been super effective. I don’t mind if someone else dusts their shelves and runs a vacuum, but I want them to know how to keep their space clean without help.

  32. Marisa Tompkins says

    I pay my housecleaner who comes every other week to remake our beds with clean sheets. On house cleaning day we all strip our beds and start the wash in the morning and for $5-10 per bed her crew remakes them with the clean sheets in the dryer. Bonus you never have to fold sheets again!

  34. Abby says

    For the last few years, we’ve outsourced the New Years cards. Of course I have to schedule and plan the photos, but once we have them and pick a picture and make the card online, I pay the extra $$ to have the company address, stamp, and send. It has much SUCH a difference.
    Also, grocery pick up. I do not have time for the grocery store, I despise going into the grocery store. Just let me pull up and take my groceries home!

  35. Debbie Hibbert says

    I’ve been having help with my housework/laundry for several years now … so worth the money. But my favorite is grocery delivery (which includes, of course, the DREADED grocery shopping). I can’t imagine going back on that one!

  36. Cindy Shook says

    If I didn’t live in NC I would quit my job and come do numbers 1,4,and 5 for you! Those are my favorite chores to do!!!

  37. Karen says

    Wish I could afford some of these. Single 71 year old worked entire life as RN ( usually 2 jobs) but could never have the money to do what you do….your lifestyle. Sad to say. Even last vacation was 17 years ago.

  38. Jen Oneill says

    My cleaning person changes our sheet for us! Yes, I have to wash & fold, but it’s a GAME CHANGER! Maybe just ask if yours is willing? It’s worth a shot!

  39. Holly says

    Things we outsource beyond the usuals – Trash can cleaning once a month (scrub and power wash cans), dinner planning and prep when things are busy (we have a local provider who is fab), dog training, yard work and design, homework help, book list choices (our bookseller sends a book when I need one and…I just read it…)

    Things I need to let go of and outsource – Home to airport and airport to home transportation, auto detailing, interior design, trip planning 🙂

    Things I will outsource with the next kid – college counseling.

  40. Sam Campbell says

    We use a pooper scooper service. I have 2 large German Shepherds. It is so worth the charge each week! They even take the poop with them and dispose of it.

    • Lea Ansamaa says

      This is new to me – poop patrol. So your dogs poop to your own yard? Our dog never does that! He poops when we are walking him and then we pick the poop up ourselves and put to trash. Then he is at our yard when we come back. There are small trash cans all over the area. But I can´t imagine this situation where dogs poop on your own yard. 😀

  41. Molly Bretl says

    Who do you use for window cleaning and your pool maintenance? We need recs! Thank you for this!

  42. AliJ. says

    I would love to outsource many of my household chores! I think I can say that I outsource my some chores to my 91 year old Mom who lives with us. She is still very physically active, still drives, and goes to church twice a week. She knows my husband and I are busy working and very involved with our 17 year old daughter and her activities. So Mom does our laundry; empties the dishwasher every night; does our floors; and on empties our bathroom trashcans. If I asked her to do more, she would but I think she should not have to do anything given that she raised 4 kids and should enjoy her golden years but that is not her personality. I think if I could outsource my indoor Christmas decorating, I would. I have so much Christmas decor, and put up 5 trees. I would like someone who is creative to just come in and do it all for me.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Wow! I love that your mom is so active, willing and able to help. This helps you and keeps her out and about. I love this!

  43. Melysa says

    Someone does all my grocery shopping and all my Target runs. Cheaper for me to have someone do it, than me go and grab things I don’t need. Haha. Someone else does all our landscaping and pest control as well.

  44. April says

    We do several of these as well. For us, best one we have the same is the pool company cleaning, testing water, etc.
    Most random thing is that we have a company that cleans our outside trash cans. No more awful smell when we take the trash out or nasty flies, etc!

  45. Sheryl says

    My husband retired last September and I now outsource almost everything to him! It has been a game changer for us, and he’s more than happy to run errands instead of working! Cheers!

  46. Elizabeth L says

    Love this post! Its nice to know that not everyone is doing everything themselves either! We outsource cleaning (1x a month we have cleaners come in), weekly grass cutting and any fall or spring clean ups, snow plowing (here in cleveland this is a big one!), window / gutter cleaning, and any indoor repair or home improvement products! I think that might be it…I basically try to outsource anything I can lol

  47. Bre R says

    Yes to the housecleaning and dog grooming!

    I finally decided in my 30s to just suck it up and pay someone to do the “deep cleaning” of my house and it’s probably some of the best money I’ve ever spent.

    And dog grooming- nobody wants to see what my dogs would look like if I tried to groom them myself (2 poodle/doodle types so cutting is necessary)!

    Also if you ever find (or create) a service that can pack and unpack my suitcases for me before/after a trip- I’m all for it! Love to travel- hate the packing/unpacking!

  48. Allison Froment says

    I have a laundry business out of my home for clients just like you! I pick up, wash, dry, fold, sort by family member, and deliver. I’m thankful people outsource their laundry because it has been a great side hustle for me. I wish I could help you all the way from Indiana.

  49. Patty Anderson says

    Yes! Our girls all went through a program called Masterdrive, and it was amazing. A few years later after a rollover on a blizzardy day, they gifted a refresher session with my daughter (who was a passenger in the car) so she’d get her confidence back. Worth every penny!

  50. Leslie Wilcox says

    I outsource the weekly pool/spa maintenance too, as well as mowing, trimming, yard treatments and mosquito control. I’ve been doing a good job with the ants (so far) but may add that to my pest control this year. Things I want to outsource are basement and garage purge/cleaning, painting and power washing the concrete.

  51. Jill Peterson says

    Another thing that we have “outsourced” the last few years is TAXES. My hubby is a CPA, but things have gotten complicated, so we hired a company to do our taxes over the last few years. Along with that, house cleaning once a month, and yard fertilizing are the biggees. We’ve recently started grooming our own dogs because the expense was getting excessive.

  52. Dawn K says

    Amen amen amen on the doggie duties and the sheet changing! A coworker and I were just discussing what a luxury this would be! I love clean sheets and hate changing the bed. I outsource several things as well and also am someone else’s outsource – I love this post as it’s so fun to realize the things we outsource and the things we handle for others!!

  53. Lea Ansamaa says

    We just don´t go to the supermarket anymore – in fact we have not gone to grocery shop in five years. In Finland we have big supermarkets outside the town and we pay around 4 dollars for each time they pick up our staff from the store. Then we drive about 2 km to pick up our groceries from the markets back door. It is so helpful, I never ever want to go to the store anymore! But other stuff we do by ourselves – the kids have moved out so it´s just us and the dog and a small yard. And of cource lots of snow in North Finland! But i´s a good workout since our life is not busy at all anymore.

  54. Kourtney says

    I love this post and all the comments! I will say this year for Christmas Cards I used an online service to create my cards, uploaded my addresses and they mailed them for me. It wasn’t even that much more than buying the postage myself and saved a ton of time and they actually got there before Christmas (sometimes they do not when left to my own devices). I was like, why haven’t I done this before!

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