I Hate to Clean My House: 32 Things I Would Rather Be Doing

I hate to clean my house. Or anyone else's house for that matter. I hate to clean in general. You may be thinking that hate is a strong word, but that's how I feel. And what is the point of cleaning for hours when you have kids anyway? They just come along and mess it up! Although I like the look of a clean house, I just don't want to be the one that has to clean it! There are so many other valuable things, both to me, to my family and to society that I could do instead of cleaning my house. And here's a list of them:

1) Kiss my husband: Hmmm, much more valuable (and fun) for our relationship.

2) Give my husband a back rub: Good for the body and the soul.

3) Grocery Shop: I love the feeling of bringing home fresh, nutritious food for my family. Especially when the cupboards get a bit low, and they meet me at the door to see what surprises and goodies I brought home.

4) Cut and Organize Coupons: This is a MUST before I go to the grocery store. I cut and keep my coupons organized so I can...

5) Save Money for my Family: Saving money at the grocery store by using coupons and watching for sales means more money left from the grocery budget to do something fun instead of giving our money to the store owner. I also bargain shop whenever possible at other places that save money, like Ocean State Job Lot, The Christmas Tree Shop, Walgreen's, Walmart, Target, etc.

6) Bake: I enjoy baking for my family and having the house filled with the aroma of just baked goodies.

7) Do the laundry: I enjoy doing the laundry and knowing my family will have clean, fresh smelling clothes.

8) Go out to eat: I can sometimes treat for lunch or dinner depending on how much money I save on groceries that week. Sharing a meal in a new and exciting environment breaks us out of a rut so we can enjoy family (or couple) time together.

9) Have a glass of wine with my husband: Wine is relaxing, and we have some very intimate conversations over a glass of wine together.

10) Going on a romantic picnic with my husband: the fresh outside air always makes the food taste better, and the experience more romantic, especially at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts!.

11) Hug and Talk with my Children: My children are teens now and soon will be off on their own. I won't have the chance for a daily hug in the future, so I want to make the chance now, as often as I can ( without freaking them out!) The house will always be here. The children will not.

12) Roast marshmallows in the fire pit in the backyard with my teenaged daughter. The smell of the campfire brings us both back to our days of summer camping at a nearby campground. I bought the fire pit so we could share those memories, and roasted marshmallows whenever we want!

13) Rent a movie and watch it with my twin daughters. Sometimes it seems as though there's never enough positive bonding time between moms and daughters unless we make time for it.

14) Walk on the beach: There's something so relaxing and rejuvenating about walking on a beach, any time of year. It's good for the soul, especially spent with the one you love.

15) Take a hike: Same as the beach, being out in the woods, alone, or with a companion, brings one back to nature and is good not only for the soul but the body as well.

16) Take nature pictures: Taking a walk or drive specifically for the purpose of taking pictures is a good way to lose oneself for a period, noticing things in the world such as a spider web, a beautiful tree, etc. that you may not have noticed otherwise. And capturing it on film or digitally preserves that observance forever.

17) Scrapbook: I love to take pictures of my family, vacations, places we have visited, etc. and put them creatively into pages that memorialize the people or experience in a special way for people to enjoy for years to come. When I am done, I feel as though I have spent my time creating something that cannot be destroyed as easily as a recently cleaned house.

18) Walk the dog: Again this is an experience that is good for the soul, and body and gives you and the dog a bonding experience. Not only can the exercise help a person lose weight but it can also help lower blood pressure. Walking in a neighborhood, or in the woods with a dog gives one a chance to notice things they don't normally notice when driving by.

19) Play Frisbee or ball with a dog. Another way to get fresh air, burn a few calories and increase the bonding experience between a person and their dog.

20) Dance: Dancing to a Zumba or workout CD does wonder for improving my moral and can help trim my waistline. I often do this in my living room. It's a better and more fun workout than cleaning.

21) Do a crossword puzzle: They say the way to keep Alzheimer's at bay is to continually use your mind. This is one way to do that.

22) Go to a self- improvement seminar: Again, improving my mind, and possibly my attitude to help myself become the best person I can be...and maybe convince me that cleaning my house is not so bad.

23) Plan our next vacation: By planning out vacations well in advance we have found we can save money and be more organized. This is much more fun than cleaning and has a monetary value to it as well.

24) Go on a day trip: Day trips are wonderful and can give a break from a regular routine, especially when bringing along my husband or a friend.

25) Have lunch with a friend: This can be good for both me and my friend...a chance to reconnect and relax with good food, or even just a cup of coffee.

26) Volunteer: Giving of oneself unselfishly is always a good idea. Fundraising, helping with a charity event, donating items that can help others are all ways to help the less fortunate. And it is often more appreciated than cleaning anyway.

27) Visit the elderly: There was an elderly woman in my neighborhood when my son was a baby and he and I went for weekly trips to visit her. She appreciated it so much and all 3 of us enjoyed our time together.

28) Write a hub on HubPages: I have gotten almost addicted to HubPages and writing hubs now. It makes me feel as though someone out there is listening to my voice.

29) Write a poem: Writing poetry is a very creative outlet for me to express my innermost thoughts, and helps bring a feeling of contentment and peace when the poem is completed.

30) Write in my blessings journal: This always helps me to feel gratitude toward our creator for all that He has blessed me with. Since I started a blessings journal years ago, writing in it keeps me humble, and grateful.

31) Write a letter that is appreciated: For a few years I have written letters to Soldiers serving overseas in the military through an organization called Soldier's Angels. I also write to my aunt who's in a convalescent home across the country in California. The recipients of the letters all seem grateful.

32) Read a good book: Books can take me places while staying put geographically. I love to read, especially self-improvement and self-help books, always trying to improve my mind and motivation.

After reading this hub over, I think maybe I should read a book about how to get motivated to clean my house!!!

Update: Since I wrote this, I have discovered a new tool that makes my house much cleaner and is fun to use. It's the Swiffer. You have probably seen the ads for it on television. Well, let me tell you, whoever invented this is a genius. It picks up dust and dirt quickly, and when I use it after I vacuum, it always amazes me how much dirt and dust is still on my floors! I have used both the regular Swiffer and also the Swiffer WetJet, but like the original product the best because I can use dry cleaning cloths on it, and then when I want to wash my floor quickly, I can use wet cleaning cloths. Swiffer products are the most fun things that I have discovered about cleaning in the past ten years!