ROUND MOUNTAIN, Texas (KXAN) - A flash mob broke out at a wedding in the Hill Country town of Round Mountain during a maid of honors speech.

My wife Bethany Blankenship (who is the American Sign Language signer that starts the video with her speech) had been planning the flash mob for about three months, said Chris Blankenship.

Blankenship sent in the video using our ReportIt feature, saying the couple got legally hitched in New York because the two women couldnt do that in Texas.

However, they did come back to the Lone Star state to celebrate at Three Points Ranch, only a few miles outside of Marble Falls.

After being together for about 12 years, Adrienne Sneed and Claudia Secor-Watkins finally tied the knot.

It didnt come without some courage, however.

Adrienne also had only recently come out to her dad about a year ago when the two decided to get married, said Blankenship. He struggled with the issue for a while but ended up accepting her because they [the couple] are so happy together.

Blankenship adds an interesting detail about the flash mob organized by his wife, who is an ASL interpreter at Austin Community College: My wife chose signs that reinforced homosexual equality.

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Flash mob hits up Hill Country wedding

Miami Beach Commercial Cleaning | Coconut Grove Maid Services Call 786-547-2958
Miami Beach Commercial Cleaning | Coconut Grove Maid Services Call 786-547-2958 or visit http://www.spotlessmiami.com/

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Maid service, cleaning service, apartment cleaning and janitorial service are terms more modernly describing a specialized outside service, providing a specific service to individuals, businesses, fraternal clubs and associations as well a home.

These services may be different, than what is generally thought to be the historically prevalent services performed by a maid and these services may be provided by both male and/or female individuals.

In current descriptive, "maid" is a female employed in domestic service. Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in affluent homes and profitable businesses, today a maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as a household domestic-help employee. Maids perform typical domestic chores such as cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning, grocery shopping, walking the family dog, and tending to the household children.

In the Western world, comparatively few households can afford live-in domestic help employees, in lieu of this affordability, the alternative, generally termed as a maid service is utilized as a periodic cleaner. In developing nations, differences found within income and social status between different socio-economic classes, lesser educated women, with less opportunity are believed to provide a labor source for domestic work.

Maids, per se, perform typical domestic chores such as cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, walking the family dog and taking care of children. In many places in some poor countries, maids often take on the role of a nurse in taking care of the elderly and people with disabilities. It is believed that many employers of maids require the individual to wear a uniform, of the traditional style.

Socio-economic opportunities, not being confined to any specific global location, may allow cleaning services to perform 'cleaning' as their source of business as a service.

Utilizing a maid service may be considered due to a number of personal factors, including but not limited to geographical location, social standing, lack of personal time, lack of experience.

Historically, utilizing a maid service was thought to be affordable only to the affluent, these services though, have become increasingly common in many developed cultures, partly because of the rise in dual-income families.

A maid service may be more expensive than simply hiring a part-time maid, but it offers a number of advantages. Usually the service will provide not only someone to do the cleaning, but also all of the necessary cleaning supplies. Also, as a bona fide employer, the service is responsible for withholding Social Security and other income taxes. Third, a service is insured and often bonded, so it can be held accountable if something is stolen or missing.

Janitorial service often refers to the use of a cleaning service for businesses rather than just residential. The advantages to using a janitorial service are the same as using a maid service for residential above. Janitorial services in the United States employe thousands of workers from all parts of the world.

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Maid service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Government is reworking the system of sending Indian domestic helps abroad to work with diplomats even as the controversy over the maltreatment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade became murkier with India saying the US embassy had given visas to the husband and two children of the absconding maid despite being told that she was wanted by a Delhi court.

The family boarded an Air India flight for New York on December 10, just two days before Dr. Khobragade was arrested and strip searched.

New Delhi also sought to shift Dr. Khobragade to Indias Permanent Mission in UN where she will get full diplomatic immunity. The attempt to move her has been made against the backdrop of the US claiming that officials working in consulates get immunity only for acts done in their line of work. This has raised fear of the possibility of the diplomat being harassed again.

Ms. Richard's family was given US visas even though New Delhi had been regularly petitioning the Americans to trace her after she went missing in June. There was also a court case against the maid after the Khobragade family complained that she had absconded with her diplomatic passport. The court subsequently issued a warrant against her and this fact was also brought to the notice of the US authorities yet her family was given a visa.

In another twist to the tale, Ms. Richards husband had filed a case in July demanding the Government locate his wife but he withdrew the petition later. There was no confirmation of reports that her father works with the US Embassy.

India is demanding the diplomat be allowed to return home and all charges against her dropped. Unlike two previous cases, this was the first time the US Government had filed criminal charges.

Taking the cue from this case, the Government is now accelerating a proposal pending with the Union Finance Ministry to designate Indian domestic helps working abroad as government servants on contract in order not to fall foul of minimum wages laws in developed countries. The Ministry of External Affairs had moved the proposal after the case of another Indian diplomat hit the headlines in 2011.

Under the pool system, a fixed number of domestic helps are available and their services are called upon by diplomats according to need. If this is coupled with short-term Government contacts, most of the issues that bedevil Indian diplomats will be sorted out they will not be held personally culpable in case of a contractual dispute and the contract system will take care of the minimum wages issue.

India has refuted the contention that security of the US Embassy had been compromised with the removal of concrete barricades. The police picket and the usual complement of the diplomatic security force still keeps tabs on the security around the embassy.

As for narrowed parking space around the embassy, this was a reciprocal gesture after the reserved parking slot opposite the Indian Embassy in Washington was converted into a general parking lot.

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India reworking system of sending Indian domestic helps to missions

CleanConnectCO Find a Cleaning Company and Local Maid Services Intro 2014
Find Insured Bonded Cleaning Companies and Maid Services for all your Cleaning Task : Floor Cleaning, Carpet Cleaning, Household Cleaning, After Party Clea...

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Many buyers in Vail buy their property intending to generate some cash flow by short terming the property out when they are not here. Some properties have front desks and operate as full blown hotels, providing maid service and other hotel-like services. These properties are viewed by lenders as condo-tels, meaning condominiums that operate like a hotel.

In other cases, owners either make their own rental and management arrangements through a management company or go it on their own via sites like http://www.vrbo.com (which stands for vacation rental by owner, and I understand was started by a guy over in Breckenridge).

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which fund the majority of the mortgages in the U.S., do not like to lend on condominiums that condone or encourage short-term rental activity. The reason for this has always been rather foggy, but its the rule, and these days theres little getting around the rules.

While properties such as the Charter in Beaver Creek or the Lodge at Vail are obvious condo-tel properties, if a lender plans to sell a loan to Fannie or Freddie, then he has to make very sure the property is not going to be deemed a condo-tel after the loan is closed. This means that lenders must make considerable inquiries to the HOA and research the property online to see if there is short-term rental activity in the building. Lenders do this many ways they may Google the address to see if a rental listing pops up, call a local management company to see if they can book a stay there or search sites such as http://www.vrbo.com to try and find a unit for rent in the building.

This has resulted in many local condo complexes being deemed off limits for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans. When this happens, owners and buyers will have to get what is known as a portfolio loan (one that is not sold to Fannie or Freddie).

The first problem is there are very few lenders that want to hold a loan on their books for the next 30 years, and if they do, then they cant realistically lock a rate in for 30 years because they dont have access to raising money to lend via selling an investor a 30-year fixed rate bond. In many cases they are lending depositors money out, or money they borrowed for shorter terms by leveraging their assets with the Federal Reserve Bank.

In addition, these loans do not have a backstop of a mortgage insurance company or the federal government. If the bank takes a bath, then they lose their own money. Not surprisingly, the above issues actually make banks more cautious about what they loan, for how much, how long and to whom.

This means that loans for condo-tel properties generally require a larger down payment (generally 25 percent) and wont be a long-term fixed rate. The term of the loan can be for 30 years, but the rate will generally be fixed for five to seven years and adjust annually thereafter.

Chris Neuswanger is a mortgage loan originator with Macro Financial Group in Avon and may be reached at 970-748-0342. He welcomes mortgage related inquiries from readers.

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Vail Daily column: Financing a condo-tel purchase can be challenging

Program puts women through six months of financial and life lessons, mental health counseling and social counseling. The aim: teach them to care for themselves.

Adrian Deon Dawkins spent decades relying on men in her life, taking care of her children and never learning how or even why to care for herself.

Dawkins, then Adrian Deon Mitchell, was valedictorian of the class of 1978 at Evans High School, with a scholarship offer from Bethune-Cookman College. That smart, hard-working, ambitious student already was a teen mother and pregnant again, and she abandoned her own dreams within a month of graduation. Her mother insisted she marry the father. He insisted she not pursue college but stay with the family, find a job and raise the kids.

And that was that. Over the next few decades, Dawkins' husband left her and two other men came and went. She went on and off welfare. She committed welfare fraud and served 90 days in jail, because she received checks after she got a job. She watched her two sons and two daughters grow up and leave, while her own dreams never returned.

So when the last man left her two years ago, and she realized that even her own children weren't in any position to help her, she hit bottom. Though still working a minimum-wage, part-time job as a motel maid, she found herself essentially homeless, penniless and hopeless.

"I was messed up," said Dawkins, who is now 53.

Enter Jewish Family Services of Orlando and its Family Stabilization Program. For six years, the Winter Park human services non-profit agency has focused on turning around the lives of people such as Dawkins. The program puts them through six months of financial and life lessons, mental health counseling and social counseling. The aim: teach them to care for themselves.

"We were tired of putting band aids on people that came in," explained Susan Weissmann, FJS Orlando's clinical director.

With assistance from experts at other nonprofits, JFS Orlando set up classes, teaching consumer debt management, financial literacy, employment and life planning. It covered simple things like how to read a pay stub or how to shop for food, to more complex things such as how to assess insurance needs or budget to pay bills and save money, all at no charge to the clients. The one-on-one counseling sessions with JFS Orlando therapists get people to care about themselves.

The agency works with people who are employed yet earning only 50 to 80 percent of the federal poverty level. They go through a six-month program, then JFS Orlando follows up with them six months later and again a year later. This year, the program has worked with 70 clients, down a little from 2012 because of a drop in outside contributions. Weissmann said 80 percent get on their feet, often for the first time.

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ORLANDO SENTINEL FAMILY FUND Jewish Family Services helps women achieve independence

We are The Maids, the only professional housekeeping company for residential cleaning services throughout the country that specializes exclusively in cleaning for health. Our deep cleaning system, products and extensive industry experience lets us make your house cleaner and healthier than ever before, providing a safer environment than any residential cleaning service. Our 22-Step Healthy Touch Deep Cleaning System, along with our four-person cleaning teams, environmentally preferred products, state-of-the-art equipment and unique cleaning process provide customers an affordable line of unmatchable home cleaning services. The Maids is the best cleaning team in the residential house cleaning industry.

Our exclusive 22-Step Healthy Touch Deep Cleaning System used by The Maids house cleaners ensures the cleaning of virtually every surface, in every room of your home, on every visit. Our housekeeping process removes more contaminants and allergens than conventional cleaning techniques, which is especially beneficial to allergy and asthma sufferers.

We dont just move dirtwe remove it! Unlike others who use typical cleaning tools dust wands and dust mops that spread dirt from one place to another, we provide environmentally friendly cleaning services that not only clean your house on the surface, but deep down as well. The Maids attention to detail is what homeowners love.

Customers of our professional cleaning services often cite a lack of time as their main reason for needing house cleaning. If you are feeling time-starved, stressed, and without enough hours in the day to get your house cleaner, let the friendly The Maids housekeepers do your cleaning. There's no better choice than The Maids the most thorough house cleaners in the industry. Do not waityour very own four-person cleaning team is ready to dust, vacuum and detail clean every room of your home.

Contact us today with any questions about our professional cleaning services.

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Committed to Green Cleaning for health.

Maid Brigade takes green cleaning very seriously. So much so that, even if we never perform our miraculous house cleaning service in your home, we want you to be aware of the hidden risks associated with typical house cleaning services. Of course, wed love to clean for you! (Hint, hint.) Just the same, we believe all consumers should be able to make informed decisions about the house cleaning chemicals brought into your home, for your familys sake. Thats why we launched our Consumer Health Advocacy initiative to bring you these convenient, helpful videos, infographics, e-guides, Maries Blog and now, Clean Green Talk radio show co-hosted by renowned green cleaning coach Leslie Reichert and our own Consumer Health Advocate, Marie Stegner.

Maid Brigade is the only cleaning service that offers Green Clean Certified maid service. Green Clean Certified is better for your health and better for the environment. Maid Brigade offers green cleaning to protect our customers and employees from the health risks associated with traditional house cleaning products and methods used by typical house cleaning services.

Thousands of satisfied customers say that Maid Brigade is not a convenience, were a necessity! Most of our customers find that having Maid Brigade maid service every two weeks keeps their homes beautifully clean and healthy, minimizing the amount of time spent on cleaning between our visits. But, we also offer weekly, monthly and occasional home cleaning service whatever suits YOUR needs.

Hire Maid Brigade house cleaning services and your life will become less hectic, less stressful, safer and even a little more enjoyable. Maid Brigade customers trust our maid service to maintain a clean and healthy home through consistent, thorough and professional house cleaning service. We clean just like you would, if you had the time.

Maid Brigade frequently promotes specials for extra savings on cleaning services! These vary by location and time of year. To see cleaning services specials that are available in your area, use the Zip Code box above to find your local Maid Brigade page, then click on the Local Specials link found on the left to see what savings are available just for you!

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Housekeeping refers to the management of duties and chores involved in the running of a household. It is also used to refer to the money allocated for such use.[1] By extension, an office or organization, as well as the maintenance of computer storage systems.[2]

A housekeeper is a person employed to manage a household,[3] and the domestic staff. According to Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the housekeeper is second in command in the house and "except in large establishments, where there is a house steward, the housekeeper must consider herself as the immediate representative of her mistress".[4]

It includes activities such as housecleaning, that is, disposing of rubbish, cleaning dirty surfaces, dusting and vacuuming. It may also involve some outdoor chores, such as removing leaves from rain gutters, washing windows and sweeping doormats. The term housecleaning is often used also figuratively in politics and business, for the removal of unwanted personnel, methods or policies in an effort at reform or improvement.[5]

Housecleaning is done to make the home look better and be safer and easier to live in. Without housecleaning lime scale can build up on taps, mold grows in wet areas, bacterial action make the garbage disposal and toilet smell and cobwebs accumulate.[6] Tools used in housecleaning include vacuums, brooms, mops and sponges, together with cleaning products such as detergents, disinfectants and bleach.

Regular cleaning usually involves cleaning everything in sight. However, house cleaning may also involve cleaning hard to reach areas, moving furniture and cleaning things that are not in sight. This can include the inside of an oven, inside of a refrigerator, and moving appliances to get those hard to reach areas.

Disposal of rubbish is an important aspect of house cleaning. Plastic bags are designed and manufactured specifically for the collection of litter. Many are sized to fit common waste baskets and trash cans. Paper bags are made to carry aluminum cans, glass jars and other things although most people use plastic bins for glass since it could break and tear through the bag. Recycling is possible with some kinds of litter.[7]

Over time dust accumulates on household surfaces. As well as making the surfaces dirty, when dust is disturbed it can become suspended in the air, causing sneezing and breathing trouble. It can also transfer from furniture to clothing, making it unclean. Various tools have been invented for dust removal; Feather and lambs wool dusters, cotton and polyester dust cloths, furniture spray [3], disposable paper "dust cloths", dust mops for smooth floors and vacuum cleaners. Vacuum cleaners often have a variety of tools to enable them to remove not just from carpets and rugs, but from hard surfaces and upholstery.[8]

Examples of dirt or "soil" are detritus and common spills and stains that exists in the home. Equipment used with a cleaner might be a bucket and sponge. A modern tool is the spray bottle, but the scientific principle is the same.

Various household cleaning products have been developed to facilitate the removal of dust and dirt, for surface maintenance, and for disinfection.[9] Products are available in powder, liquid or spray form. The basic ingredients determine the type of cleaning tasks for which they are suitable. Some are packaged as general purpose cleaning materials whilst others are targeted at specific cleaning tasks such as drain clearing, oven cleaning, lime scale removal and polishing furniture. Household cleaning products provide aesthetic and hygiene benefits but are also associated with health risks for the users, and building occupants.[10] The US Department of Health and Human Services offers the public access to the Household Products Database. This database provides consumer information for over 4,000 products based on information provided by the manufacturer through the material safety data sheet.

Surfactants lower the surface tension of water, making it able to flow into smaller tiny cracks and crevices in soils making removal easier. Alkaline chemicals break down known soils such as grease and mud. Acids break down soils such as lime scale, soap scum, and stains of mustard, coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages. Some solvent-based products are flammable and some can dissolve paint and varnish. Disinfectants stop smell and stains caused by bacteria.

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Housekeeping - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia