Every spring, I look forward to giving my home a fresh start. That means cleaning it from top to bottom, shredding stacks of papers that have piled up, and getting rid of all that old, unused stuff taking up much needed space. I love the result. It feels  great have a sparkling, neat place to come home to. There is just one problem: I hate the actual cleaning part. But there are ways the chore can actually be more enjoyable -- and not just for you. Here are 6 ways to make spring cleaning fun for the whole family.

I'm going to say something a bit shocking, so you may want to sit down for this. I have a baffling obsession. I love cleaning my bathroom.

You read that correctly -- I love cleaning my bathroom. That chore everyone supposedly hates! No, I haven't recently suffered a concussion. I enjoy the whole thing -- swabbing the toilet bowl, scrubbing the tub, making my tile sparkle. I actually look forward to it. Here's why.

While staying at a good friend's house a couple of weeks ago, we were getting ready to turn in for the night, so I went to put my empty wine glass empty glass of water in the sink. I noticed there were a few more dishes in there left over from dinner -- and I wasn't sure what to do about them.

You see, I'm one of those people who has absolutely no problem leaving dirty dishes piled in the sink until the next morning, but I know not everyone is able to go to bed without tidying up. To be polite, I asked her whether she wanted me to load the dishwasher, and to my delight, she laughed and rolled her eyes.

It turns out she's just like me and thinks there are more important things in life than having a perfectly clean house.

Well, I don't know if it's because I sent a text message that she'd missed some spots, or if it's because she's dealing with some personal problems, but my housekeeper has up and disappeared.

After the first week of panic, and the second when the realization hit that I was going to have to locate a mop, the dust has settled (so to speak), and I found out something pretty shocking about myself.

For the most part, I'd say my house is pretty clean and organized. I detest clutter, have an addiction to Swiffering my floors, and am fortunate enough to have some help come in and do the heavy cleaning a couple of times a month. It's important to me that my house be comfortable and inviting, and to me that means clean.

My minivan however ... oh what a different story that is. Attempting to keep that thing clean is one of my greatest failures in life ... or at least the most evident. There are crumbs in the crevices, trash that seemingly grows itself in the back row, and fingerprints and some strange film covering my windows most days. No matter how hard I try -- and implore my kids to try -- I open that handy automatic sliding door and unveil a den of chaos and uncleanliness. It's embarrassing to say the least.

So that's why when I heard about the latest feature Honda is offering in its new minivans, I was blown away. It's almost as good as a self-cleaning car.

This is a sponsored post by Scrubbing Bubbles.

Hi! It’s Mindy here, from Scrubbing Bubbles. I know that busy moms have to make time for so many important things during the course of the day -- and that cleaning the bathroom doesn't always make it to the top of the priority list! I’m here to show you how you can keep the bathrooms in your home clean in minutes a day, with just a little bit of prep. These are my secrets for bathroom touch-up cleaning!

There is a funny sign that keeps getting passed around Facebook again and again that says, "A clean house is the sign of a wasted life." Every time I see it, I laugh. Of course, it's funny because it's real. Cleaning a house really is a tremendous waste of time. 

Whenever I start to clean my house, I always think of the other things I could be doing -- writing, reading, playing with my kids -- and I get resentful. With only 24 hours in the day and at least seven of those taken by sleep, the last thing I want to do with my few hours of time is clean a house.

You know those people with those picture perfect homes that are always spotlessly clean without a speck of dirt on the ground? Yeah. Those people. I hate them. I know I am not alone. There have been essays written "in praise of filth." I wouldn't go that far. But I will say viva la clutter!

Our Chore BoardI just thought I'd tell you about our new chore system, because it's actually WORKING and working very well, I might add! If you're a parent, you know that with growing kids, the "systems" we put into place become outgrown, almost as fast as they outgrow their clothing! We have to keep up! Let me explain ...