Keeping It Clean and Would You Rather . . . ? (Not Just A Mom/10 on the 10th)

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Okay, I am so late today! I was going to post this afternoon but time got away from me and then I was out this evening. So I'm technically in just under the wire for this Monday.

This month the theme of the Not Just A Mom Link-up is our Favorite Cleaning Hacks. I wish I could say my favorite is to have a cleaning fairy that does it all for me, because cleaning isn't my favorite thing to do. But we all like having a clean place, and cleaning fairies are hard to come by. I don't think I've got anything really earth-shattering to offer, but I have had years of experience in trying to run a relatively clean house with as little back-breaking labor as possible, so here are a few tips that I've tried (often unsuccessfully) to put into practice.

1. Everybody Pitches In - Because there are no cleaning fairies, everyone that lives in the house should help keep the house running. Chores don't have to be divvied up exactly equally but every member of the family should share the responsibility. Which leads to the next tip . . .

2. Train Kids to Do It - After all, they'll need to run their own households someday, so it's really planning for the future! I think I did a better job of this in some areas than others, and by the time my kids were in their late teens I realized I had assumed they knew how to do things that I hadn't actually taught them. Or maybe they were playing me so I'd do it―that's entirely possible. Anyway, teach kids how to do age-appropriate tasks and give them responsibility for them. My kids generally did all their own laundry starting at age thirteen. They were supposed to keep their bathroom clean (reality check: they really didn't) and they were responsible for their own rooms.  

3. Strengths and Limits - Did you know that not everyone feels the same abhorrence or indifference towards certain cleaning jobs? It's true. I prefer drying dishes to washing, and my husband doesn't mind washing. I actually don't mind cleaning toilets, but cleaning the shower floor and drain can make me throw up. I don't mind mopping, sweeping, or vacuuming, but I will not empty the vacuum canister―that's my husband's job. So I recommend trading off chores so that hopefully no one has to do something that they find completely loathsome.

4. Clean As You Go - I've never been really good at this, but when I do it, it's so helpful. Saves a lot of trouble if you wipe kitchen countertops as you work, sweep daily instead of waiting till the dust bunnies jump at you, give the bathroom mirror a quick swipe every couple of days instead of waiting till it's covered with toothpaste spots (how does it get there? I'm not blowing raspberries while I brush my teeth).

5. Clean While Distracted - It can be helpful to have a little list of chores that can be done in five minutes here and there, or chores that you can do while on the phone. I've also started doing some of my household tasks while listening to podcasts. Makes time go by faster.

6. Less Stuff = Easier to Keep Clean - Boy, I wish I'd taken this seriously when I was a young mom. It would have made my life SO much easier. We don't need ALL the things. Neither do our kids. But I liked the things and had a hard time limiting how many things we had and as a result, it was an uphill battle to keep the things corralled and organized and the house looking neat. If I could have a life skills do-over, this might be it. Limit your stuff.

Well, I don't know how enlightening that was, but I'm going to move on to a lighter topic now. Today also happens to be the 10th,  and on the 10th of each month, Marsha In the Middle asks ten questions for us to answer. Short answer or more! This month we're looking at some fun spring-themed choices. Would you rather . . . ?

Would you rather wear clothes made of feathers or clothes made of flower petals? I think flower petals would be more comfortable.

Would you rather listen to birds chirping or frogs croaking? Oh definitely birds! Although I do love hearing the spring peepers!

Would you rather vacation on a remote yet tropical beach or near a thriving city? Much harder to answer . . . I think I'd rather vacation at a remote beach.

Would you rather have Peeps in your Easter/holiday basket or jellybeans? I'm not a fan of either, but I'll go with jellybeans.

Would you rather spend a day planting seeds or a day at the beach? No contest! A day at the beach! I'm so not a gardener.

Would you rather grow green grass or grass of a color of your choosing? I believe grass should be green.

Would you rather wear sandals with socks or sandals with hosiery? Eew. Neither is attractive in my opinion, but I guess with hosiery.

Would you rather have flowers for fingers or flowers for toes? Hmm, maybe fingers?

Would you rather do the chicken dance or the bunny hop? I'm more comfortable with the chicken dance.

Would you rather be a caterpillar or a tadpole? Ick. I think a caterpillar, because I'd rather turn into a butterfly than turn into a frog.

This post will be linked at Marsha In the Middle for April 10 on the 10th.

This post will be linked up with the Not Just A Mom Link-up hosted by Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne, Lauren, and Sarah.

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