Roomba for the win

  1. Accept that your standards will never be the same again. It is impossible to keep a house clean with 3 dogs and a toddler. The toddler with the good snacks.
  2. We hired a housekeeper. Pros: your house will be amazing for 1.5-3days. Cons: expensive. Second week, house feels kinda gross. We did this for 3 months and decided it wasn’t worth the expense. I now understand why the Brady’s needed Alice, am I right?
  3. Tools! We have a hand held vacuum (Bissell Pet Hair Eraser), stick vac (Bissell Bolt Pet) , Kirby and a Roomba. The Roomba is a game changer. I didn’t think I would like it but I do. Clearly, this is cost prohibitive, and not everyone can have multiple cleaning devices. Decide what will work best for your situation and go from there. I like to invest in convenience. Everything is time or money. You decide which is more important.
  4. Mobile grooming! Yeah girl, no more bathing your dog. I work from home, so they pull up, take the dogs and bring them back in 1 at a time smelling delightful. We do this monthly. Bonus, cheaper than a traditional groomer and I’m supporting another family.
  5. Professional carpet/sofa cleaning. Since our son was diagnosed with asthma, we have this done every 3 months, but 6 months seemed reasonable before that. We splurge and get the ‘protectant’ and it’s worth every penny.
  6. Air filters- change these monthly. We also have an additional air purifier in the living area.
  7. My husband is in charge of laundry and dishes. I’m not saying I don’t do these things but he is in charge and ensures that it gets done without me having to ask or remind. We constantly read about “mental load” and this was a game changer for the cleanliness of our home and our marriage. When I went back to work at 4 months, I told my husband I simply couldn’t do these things anymore, that it was too much for me. He told me, “done” and he took over. He wanted to wash the dishes, for me.

My husband and I conduct our household together and it is the only way that it works. Every generation is a little bit different than the one before that. Our grandparents generation, the women raised the kids and the men worked (my maternal grandmother went to college and worked, go rockstar!). Our parents generation, the women worked and raised the kids and kept the house. Our generation is the one where women can “have it all.” But can we really? No. But we can have what we want. You want to have a career, have it. You want to have a family, have that too. But can you do both perfectly? No. You decide where you invest your time and effort and how much. Ask for help when you need help.

If you can afford to make your life easier, do that. Our children are young for such a short time. Spend as much time making memories as you can. Even if all you do is play in the park or the backyard.