Growing up at an attempt to teach us good housekeeping skills, my mother would have a 15 minute clean up each night and we all would have to drop whatever we were doing and join in – for just 15 minutes. It was either the kitchen or a gathering room (in which case we would throw all the junk in the middle of the room before we began). We kind of liked it. It was a game to see how fast we could put things away. I saw these 15 minute hour glass timers at CB2 and think they would be perfect for a family activity like ours.

One time I tried to have this 15 minute clean up with Jared and just as we started the clock, he said that he had to go to the bathroom. He stayed in there for 14 minutes. I was so mad. Jared of course thought it was sooooo funny.