About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
Cleaning House
silver spoons canada
(Jun.14.10)
I'd love to tell you that my secret to keeping a spotless house is one fancy gadget. But actually, my secret is that my house is one giant dust bunny (whom we now call Fred).
Every now and again, I get the inspiration to clean. Not just tidy up (which is a constant job for any mother, whether she has help or not), but CLEAN.
A few weeks ago I got it in my head that I would tackle the kitchen; disinfect the heck out of that beast and make the white cupboards, well, white again. My husband took my eldest to karate lessons, which left me with that other beast -- my tantrummy, demanding, willful two-year-old. Here's how it went down:
Step One: Put on show of choice for your child. (This year, that would be Ni Hao Kai Lan.)
Step Two: Pray it holds her interest as you head to your cleaning room of choice and don THE GLOVES (which happen to be exquisitely thick lavender ones from Williams Sonoma that they don't even show online, but trust me, they are the best and should you be near a WS, go in and get yourself a pair, $17).
Step Three: Take everything off the countertops. Breathe a sigh as you imagine more cupboard space in your future.
Step Four: Go to the basement to make the necessary bleach/water concoction. Tell your wannabe-eco-self that it's only once or twice a year, so get over it already! Hope child doesn't see you going up the stairs without her.
Step Five: Start the bleach action. Feel like SuperMom (it's the gloves, and maybe the fumes) until small child walks into kitchen demanding that you play with her.
Step Six: Offer the adjacent room to small child as a sacrifice. Know that when you are done getting your kitchen looking the way you want, you will have at least one other room to clean.
Step Seven: Crayons/magnets/cat food out from under fridge? Check. 
Random Cheerios scraped off cabinets? Check. Black Sharpie marker drawings removed from appliances? Check. Feel a brief sense of accomplishment as you admire your handy work.
Step Eight: Turn to see Dante's seventh layer of hell as your two-year-old stares you smugly in the face. She's clearly proud of her accomplishment too.
How do you get your house clean these days?