It’s Saturday morning.

It’s been a long week.

Translation: I’m cleaning today.

But first!  I need to say good morning to my cup of coffee, my laptop, Barbie and a Fashion Fairy Tale Easy Reader, dress up shoes that should not be on the table in the first place, a broken slinky and a pink knit snake named Hissy that are all about to be trudged back upstairs to the playroom in a moment here.

Get Motivated

When it comes to getting motivated to clean house, getting dressed to clean is an amazing trick.

If you know it’s time to clean but you just ain’t feeling it – get out of your frump clothes (but… but… ) and get into your “uniform”.

Whether it’s a pink tank top, pink tutu skirt or a pink lacy maids costume that would otherwise come out only on October 31st – so be it. Whatever floats your toy boat. Just put that toy boat back in the bin with the other bathtub toys when you’re done.

Get Dressed

My summer uniform happens to be a pair of cotton shorts, a tank top, a bra (booo!) and my sneakers – but it could be whatever you feel most comfortable and most productive in.

I think this is actually part of an old FlyLady tip I read a long time ago; to get dressed from head to toe when it’s time to get to work.

I’ve got one pair of sneakers dedicated as “Inside Sneaks.”  A retired pair of running shoes I no longer wear anywhere but inside with the exception of blowing some bubbles in the driveway or taking out the compost.

It’s the sneakers and the bra that do the trick for me. Without them it’s just me and “the girls” (not talking about my kids here) hanging out (hanging low) and we have no motivation to do much beyond unloading the dishwasher and maybe closing all the cupboard doors I left open.

Maybe.

With sneakers on, it’s much more likely to turn into something NEAT for me too.  Remember that study done on those housekeepers who were told their work can be considered exercise?  The housekeepers who were told this bit of information had significant changes in body composition as compared the control group who were told nothing.   Intention makes a difference.

Get Moving

There’s something magical about getting dressed to do anything. Getting dressed to go to work, to exercise, to go trick or treating. With the right clothes on, you’re that much more likely to be accomplish something and feel great when it’s done.

OK gang, I don’t know about you, but I’ve got toys and shoes and yoga mats that need putting away, floors to be swept, NEAT calories to be burned. Get your uniform on and it’s get moving – just please don’t make a mess of that costume bin while you’re digging yours out.