Monthly Musings August 2026: Cleaning and Life Hacks

 

Hey there Besties! Thanks for your patience with me having to put the July Monthly Musings on pause. If you missed yesterday's post, I've linked it here and it explains a bit why I had to take a break in late July. This Monthly Musings comes at a perfect time, because I could use a little help in the cleaning and life hack area.

Be sure to check in with the other ladies who participate in Monthly Musings as I am sure they will have some Good tips too. I cannot wait to see what the other ladies share. Are you ready for Monthly Musings? I am!

1. Are you Good at managing the weekly laundry at your house or do you need help? Share tips if you are Good at this.

I would say that my management of the laundry really depends on what the week is looking like. This week, not so great. Between all of the travel we had and life events, my laundry is a combination of clean but not folded or dirty this week. I a not proud of it, but I am at least honest about it. I think folding laundry while watching Hallmark will be on the agenda this weekend.

I actually prefer to do laundry on a weeknight as opposed to the weekend. I feel like if I do laundry on a Monday or Tuesday, then I have clean clothes for the balance of the week and don't spend the weekend doing laundry...like I will this weekend!

2. Best ways for containing the kitchen and dishes chaos.

Running Daddy and I try to avoid what we call a "dish situation." Much like the  laundry, some weeks are Better than others. To control some of the dish chaos, I am more than ok with starting the dishwasher when it is only 80% the night before. I am also a really big fan of the wash delay feature. We use this a lot on the weekends to set the dishwasher to go off for after we take showers or in time to have clean dishes for dinner.

I also try to wipe down the counters in the morning before I leave for work. It only takes a few minutes and it is nice to come home to clean counters before I start making making dinner. 

3. What grocery items do you always have on hand to make a quick meal? Feel free to share the recipe.

My every day grocery staples list includes:

• Black beans
• Salad kits
• Frozen meatballs
• Italian chicken sausage
• Banza chickpea pasta
• Frozen shrimp

One of my fastest recipes using ingredients above is my chicken sausage with spinach and polenta. I can basically make this without the recipe now in about 20 minutes. This recipe has been in our rotation for years. Hockey Guy told me this summer that he wanted to learn how to make this, but then everything went sideways and we didn't get the chance for me to show him how to make this dish. I will make sure that we carve out some time during Thanksgiving or Christmas break for a little tutorial on this dish.

4. Best tips for saving money on groceries

I think one of the Best ways to save money on groceries is to have them delivered by a service like Walamrt +. I find with grocery delivery, I don't impluse shop as much. In addition, I can just check to see what I have on hand if I think I need something. That way I don't double buy or overbuy items. I had a tendency to do this shopping in store with things like eggs and olive oil. 

We also order our meat from Butcher Box once per month. If you ear organic or grassfed meat, the prices are very competative with the grocery stores and the quality is top notch. I rarely buy meat in the grocery store and this ensures that I always have protein options on hand to work dinners around. If you want to try Butcher Box, use my referral code and get free ground beef for life: https://www.butcherbox.com/discount/EGTB-0347-NTGF?referral

5. Cleaning serice, DIY or is cleaning overrated?

I am lucky to have a cleaning service come about twice per month to help me with deep cleaning. With our schedule and my health issues, deep cleaning gets pushed off the weekly schedule without help.

6. Favorite cleaning products?

I love the Mrs. Meyers and Method cleaning products. I particularly love the Mrs. Meyers seasonal scents. For fall, I love the acorn spice kitchen set. Right now I am finishing up the classic lavender and will move to rosemary for late summer. 

I also keep the Method wipes under the bathroom sink for quick wipe downs, especially for the bathroom sink. 

If you have white sinks, the cream cleanser from Mrs. Meyers is fantastic. I usually wipe it in the sink and then let it set for a bit while I clean the counters. Add water and wipe and the sink stains are removed and everything smells clean. 

I was using another daily shower cleaner for years and just went back to the Method one. I spray it after I get out of the shower to help control soap scum and mildew. The ylang ylang one smells amazing!

7. Do you try to use "green products" in your house?

I definitely do try to use more natural products like the ones I listed above. I am not perfect in this category but I do prefer to use these types of products when I can make that choice.

8. Do you schedule certain tasks for certain days of the week?

I don't have a hard and fast schedule for cleaning but I really only change sheets on a weekend and will run the Roomba on the weekends too when I remember. 

9. What is the most overwhelming part of your week that you think you need help with right now?

I probably need the most help with laundry and dinner timing due to work, traffic and walking our puppy. My life would probably be a lot easier if I meal prepped more on the weekends. I think even cutting up and bagging veggies on the weekend to use during the week would probably help. 

10. What part of your week do you excel at?

I am really Good at scheduling and grocery orders. 

Feel free to share your Best tips in the comments below or leave a question with what you need help with. Don't forget to consult the other writers below for their cleanind and life hacks too!

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