The combo works in Disney films….

One of my favorite mantras: Life is too short for a clean house.

The only problem, it’s not a forever statement. I could be reported to CPA or a Department of Health Agency but I wouldn’t let it get that far. After awhile, the dust, grime and clutter make me bonkers and I’m forced to clean, reluctantly.

An even bigger motivator: we have guests for dinner. My kids know this trigger well if they catch me in the act of vacuuming the family room.

“Who’s coming over?” Guests can get you to check off the things waiting on your to-do list forever, especially hanging a picture.

On a pretty sunny day, I ran into my friend and neighbor at my mailbox. I told her I was avoiding cleaning. “I went for a walk. I had to get out to enjoy the weather.”

“Me too!” she agreed with me. Ok conversation so far.

“Well, I also just don’t want to clean. I just don’t!”

“On such a nice day, you can open the windows while you clean,” she suggested. I wanted to like this suggestion but I wasn’t buying it.

“Look, the new neighbors want to check out our WHOLE house so they can get ideas for their house. Do you know how many piles are in my bedroom?!?”

“You’ll get your spring cleaning done! You’ll be so happy!”

“I can’t clean up three-year-old piles in twelve hours.” I was channeling one of my teenage sons. Justification after justification spewed out of me as if I was sixteen again. I had all the answers. If I were my friend, I think I would have smacked me by now. She was really trying to make the best of an unpleasant task and I wasn’t having any of it.

She all but said, “You’ll  feel like a PRINCESS!”  That statement might have had a shot.  Except for the fact I did all the cleaning myself, just so I could enjoy that feeling of sparkle and organization. I never cleaned hoping to feel like royalty.

A few hours into scrubbing, I am up to my elbows in rubber gloves, I had that “a ha” moment. Geez, what a Negative Nellie! My friend was only trying to convince me to “love” cleaning, look at the bright and sparkly side like a singing Disney Princess.  Think of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.  They both cleaned and became a princess in the end.

Well, she was right. I felt a lot better in my clean, clean house. I needed to practice what I’ve been trying to blog about for the last two months: the power of positive thinking. It works.

P.S.  I’m still waiting for that singing Disney Princess thingy.