The flu season hit us hard this year, as it has millions of others around the globe. I am woefully behind on so many things, but I’m trying to allow myself some grace. The flu is no joke, especially when you have little kids and your husband (and incredible helper) is gone for phase one…
I’ve spent the last week doing everything I can to keep us as healthy as possible. I chased my kids around with Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. I diffused Thieves, opened windows, washed six loads of puke-y laundry on the “sanitize” cycle, fed my kids Zinc and Vitamin C supplements, and kept sippy cups topped off with Pedialyte and probiotics.
Then I got it. You know how they say it manifests differently in each person? I got a raging migraine. I have a history of migraines, so I know the signs and I know that the only thing that helps cut it off is Excedrin Migraine. But I waited too long to take the Excedrin, and I pushed myself to keep going and…yup, I crashed. To be fair, my daughter has had some life-threatening febrile seizures, so I was practically panicked trying to keep her from getting this flu. In the end, she got it the same time I did. It was a looooong night spent thanking God for 800mg Ibuprofen and my precious husband. He came home just in time and I don’t know how I would have muddled through that night without him!
All that to say, I’m now playing catch-up and it’s no surprise that I am anxious. We’re preparing to put our house on the market and we have so much to do! Before the flu hit, I was working diligently on developing small, daily habits that would help us keep the house ready for showing and also help me keep my sanity in the future. One of those habits is keeping the floors cleaner. 
If you’re anything like me, you start out cleaning one room. Then you notice a spot on the floor in the next room, so you absolutely must clean that too. The next thing you know, you’re sweaty and sore and you realize you have gone into a cleaning tizzy and suddenly you feel like you can’t stop until every floor is equally clean!
That’s not healthy for someone like me, and that’s not always feasible with small kids around. This attitude added so much stress to my life. It still does occasionally as I’m still (always) a work in progress. But this was the perfect opportunity for developing a healthy habit. (Shout out to HHHM!)
Enter the Dyson Stick Vacuum! (*insert dramatic intro music)
My husband got me one for Christmas and I was thrilled. I wasn’t 100% sure we needed two vacuums, but I was definitely willing to give it a try. I’m happy to say I have zero complaints.
Here are the pros (so far):
- Cordless
- Two different power levels
- Swivels on a dime
- Flattens out to fit under furniture
- Multiple attachment heads for crevices, upholstery, etc
- Easy to empty and clean out
- Charges quickly
I’m not usually a pink or purple gal, but I even love the color. It just looks cool.
The only possible con (other than price) is that if you use it continuously on the higher power option, the battery only lasts an average of 15 minutes.
BUT…I even turned that into a positive quality that helps me with my daily habits. Here’s what I mean:
This thing only has an average of 15 minutes of battery life. So every morning, after we eat breakfast and clear the table, I vacuum for an average of 15 minutes. I start with the area under the table, cleaning up any stray Cheerios lurking in the shadows. Then I progress to other areas of the house. One day I might do the living room, the next day I might do the kids rooms. Every day I can do a different area of the house. As a result, I’m keeping my floors clean without the pressure to clean the entire house all at once. I simply vacuum until the battery dies.
GENIUS. And so, so helpful for my mental health. I don’t feel anxious, I don’t stress over switching out hoses and tangling cords and hefting a giant, heavy vacuum around. I can do this with one arm and it does everything I need for a good surface clean. I’ll still rely on my other vacuum for deeper cleans, but in-between I’ve got the perfect quick, easy solution that helps ease my mind too.
No system is perfect, and there are still times I have to crawl around with Clorox wipes or a sponge to get globs of oatmeal off the floor. But this habit has truly helped in so many ways! I definitely recommend this vacuum and this habit.
Wishing you good (read: flu-free!) health and happiness,
Cassie
