That’s me ... throwing myself a little countertop chocolate milk party. It’s also evidence of my early need for fun and gratification—and chocolate. Always chocolate. This was my dad’s favorite picture of me. It was lost for years, and he would tell me wistfully how much he wished he and my mom could find it. When my siblings and I were cleaning out my parents’ home after they passed away (within months of each other), we discovered it. I thought about how happy that would have made my father—to see that grinning chocolately face. (This one's for you, Dad.) It also makes me think of the lost memories in my home. I want to make this photo my inspiration to uncover those hidden treasures. I really regret that it was only after my parents were gone that we dove into the deep clutter. They would have loved sharing the memories with us and they could have answered our many questions. So I am musing on what Rock Your Chores games I can come up with to go deep on clutter in 2019. I am hoping some of you will join me. (Like will you come to my house and help??!) I can say with confidence that most of what I’ll uncover is probably more trash than treasure. That’s pretty motivating too. Less trash. More chocolate. Sound like a plan? Curator of The Happy Childhood Museum Part of my personal clutter crisis is that I am holding on to artifacts from when our kids were young. Do they want these dusty relics of their upbringing? No—well, not in their own beautifully uncluttered adult homes, anyway. So I hold on. Can I finally part with soccer jerseys and science projects? If you have let go of this type of sentimental clutter, please give me a kind word of advice, as I aim to find the true treasures in our deep clutter time capsule. The Disney movies on VHS, you ask? No way. Those are staying. This lady is a sucker for the tramp. This fox needs her hound. This beauty ... OK, enough of that. You know that satisfying feeling you get when you create fresh neat rows of mowed grass? You don’t have to overthink it. You just proceed—row by row—until the job is done. I like to apply this strategy to systematically clean a messy room—to make the chore more fun. I call this game, “Mow the Lawn.” It keeps me from bouncing around and getting distracted. It also works great when you’re not sure where to even begin in places like cluttered closets and garages. (For me right now that's an oxymoron. Got some mowing to do!) How it works Start in one corner of the room or area. Decide which direction you’re going to mow through the mess. Proceed in rows, back and forth, until you’ve covered the entire room. Unlike mowing the lawn, you’ll have to leave the row to put items away but just return to where you left off and keep mowing along—until the job is in the bag. What I like about this game:
Girls can kick some grass When I was a kid, girls did not mow the lawn at our house. It wasn’t until I was a single mom with no manpower around that I ever yanked a starter cable. Somehow I made that sound a little dirty, and this is a clean blog about cleanliness, so don’t go there, OK?! Anyhoo, I remember how rewarding it felt to get the job done. Confession time: Now I have a handsome hubby who does the mowing. I could do it. I totally could. He knows that. But instead, I am a weirdo “mowing the lawn” in my kitchen. That’s me. I taught this make-chores-fun game to my 5-year-old granddaughter, and we mowed her messy bedroom in a matter of minutes. She happily sang, "mowing, mowing, mowing..." as we worked away. I recommend that for upping the fun and weirdo factor! Just to be clear, I never said I was good at chores. That's why I need these mind-altering games. They work for me, and my hope is they help others too. You could call this one "Musical Chores." To me, it's always been 'Rock Around the House." Clearly, I have a thing for rocks. So, let's set the stage: I look around my home and think, “What a freakin’ mess.” Disorder has been having a house party. But where to even start? For painful moments like these, I take it one song at a time. I grab my phone where I have an upbeat playlist at the ready. How it works Pick a room to start in, say the kitchen. Hit shuffle play on your playlist or favorite album. For the length of the first song, put away items and clean up as quickly as you can. When the song ends, stop what you’re doing and move quickly to the next closest room. Keep going room to room for as many rounds as needed. It’s actually pretty amazing what you can get done during a 3 to 4 minute song. On additional rounds, you can skip by rooms where you feel your work is done. What I like about this game:
Rock-it tips: If you have a particularly ambitious Rock Your Chores list, this is a great warm-up activity. Got kids? Pick music they love and take them along as you rock around the house. Productivity + family fun = best parent in the world. Move on. It's going to be OK. I'm guessing my type-A friends may have trouble leaving a half-scrubbed toilet when a song ends. That's the game. Keep moving even if it's out of your comfort zone. You'll make your way back soon enough. Or ... on second thought, make up your own rules. Stay and finish the job if that's what works for you. Your home. Your rules. HIT IT! Check out the Rock Your Chores Playlist. You'll be on your feet. You'll be having a good time. When did chores get so freakin' fun?! |
Hello!I am Margie Reece. I am here to help you rock your chores and have some fun doing it. Categories
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