You probably already have one. But if you don’t, put it on your list to Santa.

A few weeks ago, I bought myself one of those speaker things you plug your iPod into so I can sing and dance while I make dinner. I mean, that IS why they exist, right?

That baby lives in my kitchen, right next to the stove. And it has changed my life.

Pre-iPod speaker thingee, that hour between getting home at 5:00 and getting dinner on the table typically went like this:

5:00: Try to unpack both our lunch bags.

5:03: Ask Jax if he has to pee. Hang out with him in the bathroom while he pulls things out of drawers.

5:05: Beg Jax to hurry up and pee so I can get my 1,000 chores started.

5:10: Unload the dishwasher so I can…

5:15: Reload it with all the dirty dishes from breakfast that are cluttering up the sink, so that I can…

5:20: Cook a meal that most likely my toddler–who is emptying out the entire utensil drawer as I fuss with the dishes–will refuse to eat.

5:21: Step on a fork in my bare feet. Try not to curse loudly in front of Jax.

5:23: Kick a spatula across the floor.

5:25: Pour a glass of wine and attempt to cook dinner while sitting down.

By 5:30, I’ve probably stepped on or tripped over or kicked across the floor a minimum of 3 to 5 kitchen utensils.

Post-iPod speaker thingee:

Same drill as above–but with music. Which means singing and dancing instead of cursing. Dancing around scattered utensils is actually a pretty decent workout, by the way.

Adding music to that hectic hour has been a little change with a huge impact. Jax and I laugh more than we used to. This is usually because we are dancing–which, if you know me, is kind of a big deal, and certainly a reason to laugh!

He will dance to anything, that child. However, his current favorite song, “No Light, No Light” by Florence and the Machine, is not my idea of a dancy song. But we try!

(Then my husband comes home around 5:40, and we stop dancing. I’m not letting anyone with an iPhone camera handy ever see me dance.)