“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and – SNAP – the job’s a game!” – Mary Poppins
Chris takes Mack to a couple classes on Friday mornings, so while Vivian naps I have a two blissful and quiet hours to myself. In my fantasy world, I’d use this time to take a leisurely bubble bath followed by a warm cup of homemade chai on the balcony. In the real world, I use this time to clean the house from top to bottom. Spending the only two hours I have to myself a week scrubbing toilets and mopping floors sounds so depressing and pathetic, I know, but anyone with kids knows that its impossible to clean when they’re up and around. So, I recently made the very conscious decision to enjoy these two precious hours, regardless of how I spent them.
My mom recently gave the kids a copy of “Mary Poppins” to watch in the car. It quickly became their new favorite movie, and whenever we drive around town I find myself humming along to the familiar tunes. There is something so sweet and simple about the movie – I wish a sequel had been made! A couple weeks ago I started singing “A Spoonful of Sugar” to Evie and Mack while tidying up their toy room and for the first time they actually helped. At that precise moment, I realized that I needed to apply the same mentality to my weekly house cleaning.
Now, as soon as Chris and Mack take off for the morning, I put on comfy clothes, throw my hair into a messy ponytail, stick my iPod into my bra and get to work. Thanks to the Dance Cardio station on Pandora, I turn the whole morning into a calorie-burning work-out and I actually, honesty, genuinely have fun. Like, a lot of fun!
It turns out that changing my expectations and approach makes all the difference. The best part is that the house is clean just in time for the weekend – I can relax and enjoy time with my precious family.
Looking for some green cleaning inspiration? Take a look at my simple and economical homemade cleaners:
All purpose spray (I use this to clean floors, countertops, inside the refrigerator, etc): https://homemademothering.com/2010/06/the-homemade-way-to-clean-the-floor.html
Bathroom: https://homemademothering.com/2009/06/the-homemade-way-to-clean-the-loo.html
Glass & Mirrors: https://homemademothering.com/2011/03/the-homemade-way-to-clean-glass-and-mirrors.html
Dusting Spray: https://homemademothering.com/2009/11/the-homemade-way-to-dust-furniture.html
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I love this!! Great attitude. And Mary Poppins is adorable 🙂