This past long weekend was beautifully spent doing so many fun things, but that means Monday/Tuesday is extra busy with chores like laundry, grocery shopping, and cleaning out the fridge. Most people would classify these tasks as mundane, but over the years I've found a few products and hacks that make the household chores just a little easier.
If you're needing a bit of motivation to organize a room, head to the grocery store, or finish all the laundry, keep reading for some of my favorite ideas, tips, and products.
The Grocery Store
Previously, I always viewed the grocery store as a daunting place. So many options, so many people . . . so easy to spend way over your budget on nonessentials. I've pretty much nailed down my grocery store routine over the past 3 years so here's what I do:
- make my weekly meal plan before even going to the grocery store or farmer's market. I know a lot of people just pick up what looks then create meals - but I like to go into a store with a plan so I don't over shop or over spend.
- use the Notes app on my phone and keep a list of the dinners with their corresponding days just to keep it simple. If I need a recipe for that dinner I'll link it and then reference it throughout the week.
- knowing what I'm making for dinner allows me to take stock of what I already have in my organized pantry and what I need from the store so I don't have to make multiple trips to the store or buy too much of something
- this one is superficial and silly, but it brings a little bit of joy – have cute and functional totes for my groceries. I love canvas totes – can never get enough of them! - and bringing them to the grocery stores makes me feel like I'm in France or Italy shopping for the week instead of my neighborhood Publix.
I've rounded up a few cute totes below in case you're in the market :)
This is my exact dinner list/grocery list for this week in my Notes app. I also like to keep a running list in another Note of dinner ideas and recipes we like.
Laundry
To be fair laundry is one of my favorite tasks. I don't have to do a ton of it with just Lee and I in the house, but even two people laundry can get out of hand pretty fast. So instead of putting it off or ignoring the growing pile here's what I do:
- use small amounts of lovely, quality detergent. I use The Laundress detergent for special washes like delicates, wool and cashmere, sheets and towels, and denim. It makes such a big difference in not just my laundry attitude but also how well our clothes get cleaned.
- dedicate one day to do it all. Again, with a family of 6 that might be tricky, but I like designating my Fridays to be laundry days and getting it all done in one go.
- follow a process every time I do laundry: sort, stain remove, soak, wash, hang to dry, finish in the dryer, fold, put away
Cleaning out the Fridge
For some reason if I don't clean out my fridge often it starts to smell in the kitchen and I'm not a big fan of subtle food smells in the kitchen unless I've just been cooking. So it's important for me to keep my kitchen clean, including the fridge.
If you're interested in more of an organizational process, this post does a deep dive into what I use, how I organize, when I do it, etc.