checking chores off the list with taskrabbit.

October 11, 2016

checking chores off the list with TaskRabbit | reading my tea leaves

This post is sponsored by TaskRabbit, an online service matching freelance labor with individual demand.

Painting the nursery that we’ve been rearranging to accommodate two kids has been high on my list of things to do this fall. The flat white walls that we always knew were problematic revealed themselves to be even more filthy than we’d realized after we started shifting things around. Two years worth of tiny fingerprints streaked the surfaces—not to mention our moving furniture revealed streaks and stains that we hadn’t been able to see before. Without a painted surface that was washable, my scrubbing was in vain and I was hankering for a fresh start in anticipation of welcoming another kid into the room. When TaskRabbit reached out to ask if I would use their service and share the experience in this space, I knew immediately that painting the nursery was the task I wanted someone else to check off my list. checking chores off the list with TaskRabbit | reading my tea leaves

A bit of background: TaskRabbit is an online service that helps match customers’ needs for household chore completion with someone who’s able to get the job done. The service pairs freelance laborers—fixers, painters, cleaners, movers, et cetera—to the folks looking to hire them. Through the TaskRabbit website or app, customers can hire experienced professionals to work on specific household projects ranging from putting together furniture, to hanging artwork, to making repairs, to rearranging a room, to washing the windows, or cleaning behind the refrigerator. You name it, and you can probably hire a TaskRabbit Tasker to do it. Maybe best of all, Taskers are trained and vetted by the company and regardless of the task, the service includes the TaskRabbit Trust & Safety, a one million dollar insurance guarantee against damage.
checking chores off the list with TaskRabbit | reading my tea leaves

On the day of our scheduled task, our Tasker, Denis, arrived promptly and worked throughout the day to the get the nursery into order. A rental for who knows how many decades, this attic room has seen its fair share of repairs over the years and none of them have been approached with a particular attention to detail. Walls with four different textures, woodwork with unknowable layers of paint, and more painted over telephone wires than you could shake a fist at, were some of the issues that Denis approached pragmatically and professionally, and yes, with an attention to detail. While he was’t hired to fix half a century of neglect to the space, he was able to make simple improvements—patching rough spots, filling nail holes, unearthing ugly wires from the baseboards—that freshened the space and created a clean and crisp canvas.checking chores off the list with TaskRabbit | reading my tea leaves

It’s a truism that tackling projects of this sort in a small, city space can be complicated. There’s the physical space to consider—moving furniture out of one room, of course means cramming into the only other one. And there’s the question of supplies. We don’t have much room to stash a lot of equipment, but buying new for a single project feels wasteful from a thrift and trash perspective. Add a pregnancy and a toddler to the mix and you can understand my delight at the idea that we could hire someone else to tackle the project for us and to bring the supplies to do it.
checking chores off the list with TaskRabbit | reading my tea leavesWe chose the paint, a very subtle shade of white with pink and brown undertones: Benjamin Moore’s Natura Paint in Calm OC-22. To make sure it was washable, I opted for an eggshell finish. For the trim I had Denis use Benjamin Moore’s Natura in Simply White OC-117 in semi-gloss. The result isn’t shocking, but it’s definitely calming. Which is, of course, exactly what the little space needed to begin with.checking chores off the list with TaskRabbit | reading my tea leaves

And maybe more importantly, the experience itself was calming. I’m the first to admit that I like doing things myself. A childhood spent watching my own mom and dad make repairs to our ancient house instilled in me a pretty strong do-it-yourself ethos. But I don’t have a power drill in this tiny apartment for hanging a tiny coat rack securely. I don’t have a long-handled paint roller or paint tray to make quick work of a big job. I don’t have the experience of having completed nearly 100 jobs in other peoples’ homes in less than a year. Denis? Whelp. He did have those things. And he got this job done in a single day so we could have everything back in order before bedtime. I’m not afraid to admit that that felt pretty great.checking chores off the list with TaskRabbit | reading my tea leaves

As we continue to ready the space for two, it’s such a comfort to know we’re starting with a fresh coat of paint. The better news? If there’s a task that you want to hire TaskRabbit to complete in your home, you can use the code TEALEAVES to get $25 off any task. Good through October 31, 2016.

This post was sponsored by TaskRabbit. Benjamin Moore provided the paint. All opinions are my own. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that support original editorial content on Reading My Tea Leaves.

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31 Comments

  • Reply Ninna Kiel Nielsen October 11, 2016 at 10:31 am

    Hi Erin. I just love your home and your approach to simplicity. Very beautiful!

    This is definitely not meant as a criticism, but I have to make a warning about the little blanket with the pom-poms! In Denmark we are warned about having this decoration on clothes and anything, which can come close to a baby, since they can choke on them, when they get into the periode of chewing on everything. So please be aware!

    I wish you and your charming family all the best!
    Ninna, Denmark

    1
    • Reply Erin Boyle October 11, 2016 at 10:36 am

      Hi Ninna, Thanks for your concern. Scale is difficult to see (and parental attentiveness impossible), but rest assured the pompoms are quite large and very sturdy. It’d be unlikely that these would cause a choking hazard, but we’ll of course be watchful.

      1
  • Reply Trish O October 11, 2016 at 10:48 am

    I have used Natura paint in eggshell finish in my kids room for a while. It has cleaned very well. I think you will like it. I also like the finish. It is a warm glow. I have a very old house and it makes a lovely finish.

    Great service. It is often hard to find people to do these smaller projects.

    1
    • Reply Erin Boyle October 11, 2016 at 1:24 pm

      Agreed! Makes things so bright!

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  • Reply Boston Gemmie October 11, 2016 at 1:20 pm

    WAIT! HOLD ON!!! 2????!!!! Did I miss a post about another wee one??? OMGoodness! Please share!
    BTW beautiful updates!

    1
    • Reply Erin Boyle October 11, 2016 at 1:24 pm

      Ha! I never did an official post per se, but I started sharing news back in August! Another little bug expected in January!

      1
  • Reply Maureen October 11, 2016 at 2:01 pm

    I love TaskRabbit! I’m also in Brooklyn and I’ve used taskers for painting, mounting curtains and shelves, moving an old sofa to the curb, cleaning and even bringing bags of donations (which had been sitting around for months) to Housing Works.
    Most of this was scheduled and done days (even hours) before house guests arrived. Yep, my last minute heroes. Plus, it’s a woman owned company.

    1
  • Reply Lissa October 11, 2016 at 2:22 pm

    This is like having a husband with the knowledge, enthusiasm and time to fix stuff 🙂

    1
  • Reply becca October 11, 2016 at 3:03 pm

    Two babies?!? Congratulations!

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    • Reply Erin Boyle October 11, 2016 at 3:05 pm

      Thank you!

      1
  • Reply colleen October 11, 2016 at 3:55 pm

    where is the blanket from? i love it!

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    • Reply Erin Boyle October 11, 2016 at 3:58 pm

      Thank you! It was a very beautiful gift for our little-one-to-be from Anna of Misha and Puff! More of their blankets, right here!

      1
  • Reply Krissy October 11, 2016 at 4:08 pm

    Looks gorgeous! I just love your blog and find it so inspiring! Thank you so much 🙂

    May I ask where your adorable stuffed animals are from? I think my little girl would love them. Thanks!

    1
    • Reply Erin Boyle October 11, 2016 at 4:14 pm

      These were both gifts for Faye! The teddy is a Steif Charly bear like this one. The bunny is a very well-loved hand-me-down from our dear friends in France. It’s made by a company called Moulin Roty. It looks similar to this one.

      1
  • Reply Stephanie October 11, 2016 at 4:29 pm

    TaskRabbit sounds amazing! I love the fact that everyone is vetted and you’re insured against damage so you don’t have to worry. Denis also sounds pretty fab – it would take me so so long to do all of that and I’d make so much mess in the process haha

    1
    • Reply Erin Boyle October 11, 2016 at 4:35 pm

      We had a great experience!

      1
  • Reply Liv October 11, 2016 at 5:07 pm

    Oh my- I seriously cried a little when I read this. There is nothing like being a busy mom with littles and having someone else come in and finish a project with care. I would give Denis a hug and cookies! What a spectacular service! The room looks just lovely too.

    1
  • Reply wb October 12, 2016 at 1:14 am

    Glad you found such a gem. I went to the TaskRabbit website. I first got a message “good news! TaskRabbit is available in your area.” On the next screen, I got this message: “We’re sorry! There are currently no Taskers in your neighborhood.” Confusing UI, I must say.

    1
    • Reply Erin Boyle October 12, 2016 at 7:54 am

      Confusing! Sorry about that!

      1
  • Reply Laurence October 12, 2016 at 6:00 am

    As usual Erin this looks beautiful! I wish we had TaskRabbit in France!

    1
  • Reply Cynthia Craig October 12, 2016 at 7:54 am

    Hello..I love and read your posts ..and I think it was here that I found a suggestion for the best under cot storage box/container with drawers..to make camping even easier. In any case ..i followed the suggestion and ordered some for my niece..who loves them and would like to order more…and I cannot find my source.

    I am so hoping it was from you…as this is the place where i seem to find such good and useful answers..it would have been over a year ago…i have searched through your archives..without luck..but I guess I am just hoping that it was here..and that I have missed it.

    I realize this has nothing to do with today’s post..i am just getting desperate.

    In any case…thank you for your help if it was from you..and many thanks for the wonderful and helpful ways you begin so many of my days.

    Cynthia Craig
    u

    2
    • Reply Erin Boyle October 12, 2016 at 7:59 am

      Hi Cynthia,

      I’m a little stumped because I don’t have an under-the-bed storage container with drawers and I don’t *think* I ever recommended one! If you wanted to send a photo, I’d be happy to see if it triggers a memory! Good luck!

      1
  • Reply Cynthia Craig October 12, 2016 at 8:02 am

    O thanks..no this was for camping and it slipped perfectly under a cot…I really was not clear..I will see if I can get a picture..in any case ..they seem to be incredibly useful..and unmarked..

    Thanks again for your quick response.

    Cynthia

    1
    • Reply Erin Boyle October 12, 2016 at 8:27 am

      Hmm. Now I’m even more stumped! If you send a photo, I’ll see what I can figure out!

      2
  • Reply Elsa October 13, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    What a great online service! The nursery is coming along amazingly well! XO, Elsa

    2
  • Reply Cait October 13, 2016 at 9:56 pm

    My husband spent the weekend painting our kids’ bedroom, and since handyman/DIY tasks are pretty much his least favorite thing ever, I think I’ll be looking into TaskRabbit for the future. I offered to for some shelves we wanted to put up recently, but he insisted on doing it to save money even though he hates it…it’s always a trade-off but I am sure we will hire out next time!

    2
  • Reply Mary Kate October 17, 2016 at 10:48 am

    I am so on board for this and find it odd that I’m just hearing about it now! I used to be super cheap (back when I was broke, which is understandable) and insisted on doing everything myself, but after three self-moves I’ve decided that the time and frustration I save by letting other people do stuff (especially cleaning–I hate cleaning!) is definitely worth it. (Also, it helps that I’m no longer broke 🙂 Will definitely be using this service in the future.

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  • Reply Bridgit December 3, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    Hi Erin, I was curious how you made the little coat rack. Did you use semigloss or eggshell paint and how long was your board? Just trying to get our house oraganized before the holidays!

    2
    • Reply Erin Boyle December 4, 2016 at 11:06 am

      I used semigloss paint; same pain as I used on all the trim. I think the board is about 20 inches long! But the best part about making something yourself is being able to size it to fit your space!

      2
  • Reply lindsey September 23, 2017 at 5:22 pm

    Hi, beautiful room! Can you tell me where the mobile is from? Thank you!

    2
    • Reply ERIN BOYLE September 23, 2017 at 5:39 pm

      thanks! i made it!

      2

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