Let me preface this by saying cleaning is not my thing. 

As I stood amid the chaos of my living room, surrounded by the remnants of a winter spent hibernating, I knew it was time to face the music – or rather, the mess. Spring cleaning had arrived, and I was armed with nothing but two vacuum cleaners, a garbage bin, and a prayer.

My trusty sidekicks, were... well, let's just say they were "supervising" from their couch fort, where they were busy conducting an in-depth analysis of the latest Lego catalog. I, on the other hand, was tasked with the Herculean effort of sorting through the mountain of children's clothes and toys that had accumulated over the past year. 

As I delved into the depths of the toy boxes, I encountered a herd of plastic dinosaurs, a few stray socks, and what appeared to be a fossilized peanut butter and jelly sandwich (sans jelly). It was clear that the boys had been conducting their own brand of "science experiments" in the playroom.

Here are some tips and pointers for a successful spring cleaning for the reluctant cleaner:

1. Purge the toys: Be ruthless – if it's broken, outgrown or just plain annoying, it's time to say goodbye. Take the batteries out first–never know when you might need those guys.

2. Sort and categorize: Divide items into three piles: keep, donate and discard. Be honest with yourself – when was the last time you used that fondue set? How many air fryers does one need? 

3. Enlist the troops: Get the kids involved in the cleaning process. Not only will it teach them valuable life skills, but it'll also give you an extra set of hands (and a chance to sneak in some quality time). My boys are excellent with the sweeping and vacuuming. Jacob will even “feed” the vacuum if it looks hungry. 

4. Or don’t: Sometimes, a ruthless purge can only be done while the kids are away or asleep, lest they suddenly discover a latent passion for that broken toy under the couch, or regress and try to squeeze into that 18 month onesie. 

5. Take breaks: Spring cleaning can be physically and mentally exhausting. Be sure to take breaks, grab a snack, and recharge before diving back in; disregard this if you’re the type to not get back up once you sit down.

6. Celebrate your successes: When the dust settles (literally), take a step back and admire your handiwork. Doesn’t the house feel 10 pounds lighter? Fight the urge to replace everything you just got rid of. 

As I finished up the last of the cleaning, Jack and Jacob emerged from their Lego-induced coma, looking around at the newly tidy room with a mixture of confusion and delight.

"Wow, Mom, the room looks amazing!" Jack exclaimed.

"Yeah, but where's my favorite toy dinosaur?" Jacob asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

I smiled, knowing that the true test of my spring cleaning prowess would come when the boys realized that, yes, I had indeed thrown away the fossilized peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Sorry, buddy," I said with a grin. "Some things are just better left in the past."