We confess, although we're usually ready to clean as soon as March 1st approaches, we just haven't felt like it this year. If you have little ones around the house, you know it's hard enough keeping things at a decent level of clean, let alone deep cleaning. Sometimes a little inspiration helps:

• Choose some special, energizing music to play really loud while you clean. Here are five picks from Holly Becker via her Real Simple blog

• If you're overwhelmed at the idea of spring cleaning, just try to think about a few spots that, if cleaned, would make you feel refreshed. Over at Simple Mom they're tackling just five hot spots (like paper clutter or kids' stuff).

• Something like cleaning the fridge is necessary, but also a large task you might not have time for with little ones around. Tip Nut tells you how to break it up into ten minute intervals a day until it's done. We deep clean our whole kitchen like this a few times a year and it really works.

• Either buy some new cleaning supplies that look fun to use or give yourself a reward for when you accomplish something. It might be fresh flowers in that room, hanging up new homemade bunting, or spritzing a splurge air freshener. Putting on that finishing touch and admiring your work will be satisfying- you know it will! Another idea is to take the family out to dinner at a favorite restaurant after a family cleaning day.

• Choose a number of things you will throw out (or give away) - it's that simple. The author of Amy's Finer Things decided to get rid of 730 items in one year. For your spring cleaning, you can decide on a much smaller number and be done with it.

(Image: Flickr user Alan Cleaver licensed for use under Creative Commons)