Monthly Musings (August, 2026)

 

It's a bonus blog post day! I forgot about this one and wanted to participate in it, because I love the theme. 

1. Are you good at managing the weekly laundry at your house, or do you need help? Share tips if you're good at this. Well, I only do my laundry, and I only have to do it once a week. This is vastly different from when I had four kids running around underfoot. My biggest tip in those days was to complete one full load of laundry everyday; by doing that, I was able to stay on top of it all.

2. Best tips for containing the kitchen dishes and chaos? I clean as I go! I put things up fairly quickly, and rarely go to bed with a messy kitchen. I save the dishwasher for all the smaller things and wash the larger things by hand. 

3. What grocery items do you always have on hand to make a quick meal? Feel free to share the recipe. I almost always have some sort of meat and side on hand to make a quick meal. Often times, Jonah will grill and I'll do the sides. I like to keep the ingredients on hand for soups that I love in the fall.

4. Best tips for saving money on groceries? I shop online! I definitely spend more money in the store than I do when I order online. Most of you know that I joined Walmart + when I started working full time again; it's worth the $100 a year it costs to have them delivered.

5. Cleaning service...DIY or is house cleaning overrated? I have always done this myself, but I have friends who outsource for this. I had my house deep cleaned the weekend that Chris died; Trish is a pro at this and she got busy to help me since so many people kept coming over. 

6. Favorite cleaning products? Mrs. Meyer's all purpose cleaner is my favorite! I love buying their seasonal scents. I can't wait until the fall ones come out again! I also keep on hand glass cleaner (not the Windex brand, but a foam spray), 409, Pledge, Comet, and plenty of dusters. I also use old towels to clean with; I don't buy paper towels.

7. Do you use "green" products in your house? Since mine have been around forever, I'll say no, maybe with the exception of the Mrs. Meyer's.

8. Do you schedule certain tasks for certain days of the week? I really don't; but I need to house vacuumed every other day. We take turns. Cleaning happens on the weekends nowadays, though, whereas I used to do this every Monday and Friday.

9. What is the most overwhelming part of your week that you need help with right now? I need help with the vacuuming. They're not my dogs, so it shouldn't be my problem, but somehow it always ends up being me who does the majority of the vacuuming. I'm rolling my eyes. The dog hair is ridiculous.

10. What part of your week do you think you excel at? I excel at keeping things picked up; my house always appears to be clean, even if it's not. 

These were fun! Here's the link party where you can join in if you want. See you back here tomorrow! 

Jen