The Suck

Destroying toys on the area rug
When you’re adulting, it really is all about the small things in life.  Now that I have an animal that lives in our house, I have a new level of appreciation for the relief and calm that a clean house can bring to one’s mind.  Despite having hardwoods downstairs, the amount of dirt, dust, dander, hair that collects on our large area rug in the living room is obscene.  At 32 lbs, Bowie is now half the size that he will be when he’s full grown and even with a short coat, hair streams off of him.  He also likes to collect grass, dirt clods, and sticks and bring them into the house.

Big Bowie
Bryan and I both travel for work and my last international trip ended at the exact hour that Bryan’s five day trip started.  I was jet lagged and exhausted, then immediately jumped into a puppy filled weekend.  My free time is eaten up by dog park visits, regular park visit, dog play dates, dog sitting for our neighbors, trips out to the barn to restock Mae’s supplements and check that the poor girl is still sweating in the Texas heat.  Because of all the time the horses spend outside in the summer, her mane and coat are sun bleached and she’s undergoing her second cycle of shedding.

I come home sweaty, itchy from fire ant bites from the park, mosquito bites popping up everywhere, and covered from head to toe in both horse and dog hair.  Jumping into the shower after a long, hot, and humid day outside is one of the simple joys of summertime.  It is unfortunate that I can’t throw my house into the shower or take a power washer to the downstairs.  Instead, before I left for London, I bought a new, professional grade vacuum cleaner.  This one specifically.  And it SUCKS in a really good way.  It’s disgusting and incredibly satisfying to look at the full canister after every vacuum session (which is Every Damn Day) and see the amount of dirt and dust that’s collected over a 24 hour period.

And now my area rug is finally clean!  And dirt and bug-free!  It’s actually fluffy again and looks like when I first bought it three years ago.  It is a very grown up thing to attribute one’s sanity to a vacuum cleaner but I’ll take those little wins these days.


*Note, I am not being sponsored by Shark for this post. It's just a damn good vacuum

Comments

  1. Isn't it weird the things we get excited about as we get more mature? (I was going to say older, but that's too depressing!)

    I need a good vacuum in my life... Hmmmmm.

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  2. I remember the days when we had dogs (before kids). Man....we could've had two more pets with all the fur I collected in the vacuum! Totally can relate when you said that you wish you can put the house in the shower:D
    PS Next time we're up for a new vacuum, totally checking out that Shark one. My SIL keeps saying how amazing her Dyson is, but I'm not paying that much for a vacuum!

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    1. I feel like the Dyson is overhyped and also super heavy. Check it out - you can go to Bed Bath & Beyond

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  3. Yes! I bought myself a Shark this past Black Friday & I flippin love vacuuming. Nash has short hair too but he sheds so much. It's so disgustingly satisfying to vacuum.

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  4. You got me a souvenir in London, right?! ;-)

    I love a good vacuum. We have a Dyson and it's really sad how much I enjoy using it. Being an adult makes you excited about weird things.

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    1. You are so right. I'm going to continue this theme about talking about the dumb adult things that make me happy because it really is about the very small things in life. There is really nothing like coming back to a clean house with fresh laundry

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  5. Oh my gosh. I couldn't stop laughing while reading this post because I could relate in so many ways because for me when I'm tired and have to deal with dog messes it's so sad and deflating but there are definitely funny moments when I just laugh it off. I have definitely wanted to throw my home in the shower! And a good vacuum cleaner is a lifesaver. I have two - a full standing one and a hand held one and I literally run the hand held every day because I can't stand the little specs of dirt that gets trekked in the house. And I scrub my carpet too after all our guest dogs leave. I love how fresh and clean it feels and smells afterwards :)

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    1. Jane - I completely feel your pain. What do you use to scrub the carpet? I would get a steam mop but we have laminate in our rental instead of real hardwoods

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  6. I can understand the feeling of wanting to put your home through a shower! I have one cat, but she sheds like we have 10...so our vacuum is definitely an important part of our family! :)

    http://roadesque.com

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    1. I'm absolutely mental about it... we'll see how long my cleanliness fanaticism lasts

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  7. I have one small pet, but she can unleash rafts of fur in a day or two. I have absolutely no idea where it comes from....luckily it clumps together so I can make things look better without vacuuming every day. :)

    At least the cuteness of pets make up for all the gross parts.

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    1. My fear is that the shedding will double as he doubles in size.. I know it's my reality and I'm going to have to just face it

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  8. I finally caved this year and got a biweekly house cleaner. BEST CHOICE EVER, especially for the summer when I'm so, so busy

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