August Newlsetter 2020

Staying Sane During COVID

It seems like we are all getting just a bit stir crazy.

As this was all beginning, very few of us thought about the mental and emotional toll that being locked down could cause. Now, it’s coming home to roost.

Domestic violence is up. Substance abuse is up, and in a more benign category, the “COVID-15” weight gain seems to be a real thing.

So, what do we do to stay sane in this crazy environment? We tried to do some heavy lifting for you and came up with some great suggestions and resources.

For starters, organizing your life can lower your stress and give a sense of control over our environment. That’s why we are offering some great organization tips in this month’s newsletter. We have a wonderful partner that can assist as well….read on for details.

The ADAA has published a list of solid ideas to cope with the isolation and frustration that this quarantine brings on. It includes organizing for sure, but also some tools that we can all use during this time. Their thoughts can be found here.

Our favorite (and less clinical) list comes from the folks at Blue Zones. They came up with 50 ways to stay sane and we love it. It adds an element of structure, as well as some new ideas to cope with all of this. You can find their creative article here.

In short, you aren’t alone if you are feeling angry, frustrated, and/or helpless during these crazy times. As always, we are here to make your lives easier, at least as far as having a clean home goes.

We continue to operate safely and efficiently, so if you haven’t started your service back up with us yet, we are standing by when you are ready.

Thanks to all of you for being great clients and partners, stay safe, and know we are here for you when you need us.

Colorado Labor Stats

With all the data we are constantly being fed, sometimes it’s hard to understand what is real and what is not.

Colorado unemployment and our labor situation is no exception.

We recently wrote about Colorado running ahead of the rest of the country in terms of recovery from the pandemic.

At face value the numbers look good. July unemployment dropped to 7.4%, good enough for the 15th lowest in the nation. This is a nice drop from the 10.6% we were showing in June.

Where it gets dicey is in how we are adding jobs back. From the DBJ article:

“While Colorado’s unemployment rate sits well below the national July average of 10.2%, however, it is not replacing jobs lost from the pandemic at the same rate. With the state having so far gained back just 134,200 of the 342,300 nonfarm payroll jobs it lost between February and April, its recovery rate sits at 39.2%, below the nation’s 41.9% average.”

“Part of the mismatch in unemployment and job-recovery statistics stems from the fact that Colorado had so many jobs and such a low unemployment rate before the pandemic struck.”

The full DBJ article can be found here.

The Colorado Sun also did a good article dissecting what is going on in our labor market and that can be found here.

Let’s hope for a speedy continued recovery.

Is it Hot in Here?

We are on fire, literally and figuratively.

With wildfires burning and creating haze, we also get to endure what is shaping up to be the second hottest summer on record, at least in terms of days over 90.

This week, we topped that number for the 15th straight day (good for the 8th longest streak ever), and the 65th day over 90.

Those 65 days represent the second highest number of days ever, trailing only 2012 with 73 days over that mark.

The longest streak of 90-degree days is 24, set in 2008 and 2012.

On top of it all, we are now officially in drought conditions, with fire bans in effect and very little precipitation.

So yes, it is EXTREMELY hot “in here” these days.

We hope you are staying cool during these times. The good news is that there may be a little rain coming as we inch into September.

A full recap of our crazy summer weather can be found here, courtesy of the folks at Denver 7.

For those of you looking ahead to a cooler time, the old reliable Farmer’s Almanac seems to think we will have a cold and snowy winter.

Something to look forward to!

Saving Our Restaurants 

They aren’t dead yet, but they are not faring well during COVID.

The Independent Restaurant Coalition has determined that 85% of independent restaurants could be closed in six months.

And while take-out and delivery are helping, fine and casual dining establishments are down 85% and 65% respectively.

That is a staggering number and one that gave us pause.

It appears there may be relief in sight.

5280 Magazine ran a piece on the RESTAURANT act, which we had never heard of.

The program provides $120B in grants to independent restaurants, and specifically targets businesses owned by women, minorities and veterans.

The first 14 days of funding would be available only to the smallest establishments, those with less than 1.5MM in annual revenue.

The bipartisan bill has not yet been passed and the industry is asking our support.

So, if you are passionate about the Denver dining scene and your local watering holes, now is a great time to get involved.

You can contact your congressperson here to make your case.

Getting Organized

One of the hardest parts about COVID is the feeling of having no control over the situation we are in.

Psychologists will tell you that while we don’t control much in our environment, the sense of control can go a long way in reducing our stress.

One of the ways to do that is to take control of your space, and with many of us working from home now, it gets cluttered up even faster.

Enter organizational tactics, from de-cluttering our desks to sorting through our e-mail inboxes. “Being organized helps with a sense of control,” says Ari Meisel, entrepreneur, organization guru and founder of Less Doing, More Living, who focuses on optimizing, automating, and outsourcing daily tasks to reduce stress. “We all need some control in our lives in order to stay motivated.”

Here are some resources to help you do just that. MyMove has a good starter list here.

Good Morning America did a nice piece on organizing as well, and that can be found here.

Finally, for those of you too busy to tackle this stuff yourselves we have the perfect solution. Our friend Allison Welch at As You Wish, is an expert at this.

She has a team of people at the ready to make your lives better, and she can be found here.

Monthly Award Winners

Our monthly award winners for July were Sandra Vidales, Aurora Dominguez, Cecilia Reyes, Josefina Quinonez and Maria Zapata.

In the Team Leader ranks, it was Socorro Ibarra and Laura Varela.

We are very proud of our winners, and of all the folks that are in and out of your homes each week.

We continue to be grateful to you for allowing us into your homes.

Please join me in congratulating our best performers for the month of July.

Queen Bee Corner

by Angela

These days being constantly informed of current events is a downer. But there is optimism.  I hear it when I text daily schedule confirmations to our clients.

Bravo to those of you who are parents suddenly coping with homeschooling and home offices, added to a schedule and house already at capacity on a good day. How you keep your sense of humor intact is nothing short of amazing.

From other clients I hear about a cooking mania revisited, books long unread being opened, new movies discovered, a new language, new family connections. There is mention of never before online opportunities like art shows, concerts, museum and city tours.

We are nothing if not resilient and resourceful as a society. Just keep repeating, we will get through this.

Bee