chores

Posted on August 27, 2026August 26, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Well, it took the third week of school, but I’m starting to feel like I’m in a groove, I know most of my students’ names, and we’ve moved on from the “first days of school” stuff into our curriculum.

Since it’s the last Thursday of the month, I’m linking up with Patty for Monthly Musings.

This month’s topic is…cleaning and life hacks.

1. Are you good at managing the weekly laundry at your house or do you need help? Share tips…

I think we’re pretty good at managing our laundry. The kids each do about a load a week, and I often just throw my laundry in with one of the kids’ laundry; Trav does his own. That being said, as I type this, Hadley has clean clothes from last week in her basket that she never put away, and now she has a huge pile of dirty clothes. ugh

I will say that the “delay wash” feature is a lifesaver. Sometimes, I will put a load in at night, and delay the start until the morning. Then, I will put the clothes in the dryer when I wake up. Or, even more often, I will put in a load in the morning, delay start, and then put the clothes in the dryer when I get home from school.

2. Best tips for containing the kitchen dishes chaos.

I typically cook, and Trav usually cleans up after dinner. The kids put their dishes away, and help a bit too.

A year or so ago, I finally “subscribed” to Amy’s method of running the dishwasher often. We used to run it a couple times a week, and now I run it about four times even if it’s not totally full. Honestly, this also helps when putting away the dishes because there’s not as much to put away…so it’s less of a dreaded task.

3. What grocery items do you always have on hand to make a quick meal?

I typically have ingredients for tacos and spaghetti if we need something quickly.

4. Best tips for saving money on groceries.

Ugh – groceries are so expensive. I do think it helps to do Kroger pick up because I’m not tempted in the store. Sometimes I don’t like stocking up on things because we don’t have a ton of space, but if I see a deal on certain items, like when my K-cups half price, I will buy a few extras and find a place to store them.

I do get on the Kroger app and download coupons that are typically automatically applied.

5. Cleaning service. DIY or is house cleaning overrated?

We’ve had a cleaning service twice a month for many years…and it’s truly the best “gift” to ourselves. That being said, we just found a new cleaner, and her crew did a “deep clean” for the first time…and wow! my house has never looked so good. It was the best feeling to have such a clean space again.

6. Favorite cleaning products?

Truth be told, I’m not the cleaner in the family…I tidy up and Travis is more of a cleaner. That being said, I always have Mrs. Meyer’s products on hand.

And, we have to have the dry Swiffer on hand because of how much Homer sheds.

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

Not necessarily, but let me know any recommedations you have.

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

For us, what works best is to tidy up every night. We tend to do laundry on the weekends, but we really don’t have a ton of laundry. I always want the house “reset,” especially the kids’ rooms on Sunday. I like to start off with the clean slate on Mondays.

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

Meal planning and prep doesn’t overwhelm me, but it’s my least favorite chore. If I could have a chef, that would really help me out. haha

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

Not to be too repetitive, but I definitely excel at tidying up. I just can’t go to bed unless things are put in their place. I even did that when the kids were little. Even though I knew they’d with the same toys as soon as they woke up, I still put things away before bed.

Of course, I don’t mind if a few things are out if we need them the next morning, but overall, I like pillows on the couch, blankets folded, dishes out of the sink, the kids’ things in their rooms, etc.

I also think I excel at getting a plan and making sure everyone is on the same page. The kids’ sharing a car pretty much means that most days we have to have a plan…and sometimes that plan is that I get home from school ASAP because both kids need a car for workouts or work.

Anyway, when I saw this topic, I wasn’t sure what I’d have to add to it since cleaning isn’t really my specialty, but I guess I do a few things right 😉

I can’t wait to read what others have to share…as I’m always looking for tips.

Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on January 14, 2026January 14, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Well, January is chugging right along.

It’s already the second Wednesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for the first Let’s Look of 2026.

The first topic of the year is …things we outsource without regret.

Groceries:

I immediately thought about how helpful it is that I do grocery pick up and delivery.

The number one thing I outsource is groceries. I’ve done grocery pick up for probably twelve years now, and I can’t even remember what it’s like to be at the store for hours. Of course, it still takes me time to meal plan, make a list, and order, but it’s so nice pulling up and having my order placed in my car. Trav or myself still end up going to Kroger at some point in the week for a few things, so oftentimes, that’s when I pick up produce that I’m picky about or anything we’ve forgotten. I find that now I enjoy shopping a bit more when I do have to go into the store. I also enjoy shopping other stores like Trader Joe’s and Aldi because I don’t really have a list or a plan when I go there.

Also, I’m now going on my second year subscription of Kroger delivery, and it’s been so helpful. I typically use it two to three times a month if I need to have a few things to start the week or make Sunday dinner. Other times, I schedule a mid-week delivery to get us to the weekend.

House cleaning:

Another thing we outsource is having the house cleaned. We have someone clean the house every other week which is such a treat. While it does take some effort to pick up to prep the house to be cleaned, there’s no better feeling than coming home to a clean house.

Yard work:

We used to have someone mow the grass, but now we have Hayden. haha!

Homer:

Trav (& sometimes the rest of us) walk him, but if he needs a bath and a trim, we take him to a groomer.

Teens:

I’m currently outsourcing my teen drivers to run a few errands for me, including Kroger and Target pick ups. Hadley is really good at this, and Hayden has been helpful going to pick up food we’ve ordered for lunch or dinner.

School work…mostly math:

Speaking of teens, we’re thankful to have a few hands on deck to help with math if/when needed. It’s the one subject I literally haven’t been able to help the kids with since 4th grade…& Trav knows when to step away too. Haha

Christmas cards:

One thing I don’t outsource but think of doing every year is when I order Christmas cards, it would be nice if they could be addressed and sent straight from the source. It just seems like an added expense that I don’t feel like paying in the already expensive month of December. If you have any tips/tricks for cutting down on the time it takes to address envelopes, please let me know!

Well, today is my birthday, and I’m off to school to spend it with a hundred teens! haha

I know it will be a great day.

Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives – January 2025

Posted on January 13, 2025January 12, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Well, our three week break (two planned, one thanks to Mother Nature!) apparently continues. Due to many neighborhood roads not being plowed and other conditions, school has been called off again. This time, we are having an NTI day which means students will have assignments online.

It’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting the first Share Our Lives link up of 2025 with some of my favorite bloggers.

We’re starting the year off fresh talking about..saving time on chores.

Well, let me tell you ….it’s not asking your teens to help! haha

Cleaning and picking up are ongoing chores in our house. I have to admit that Trav is the cleaner, and I’m the tidier. Cleaning has never been my skill set, but the one chore, if I had to do it, would be dusting. I don’t mind doing that.

We are blessed to have a wonderful house cleaner who comes twice a month, so honestly, we don’t do a lot of cleaning in between. We do have Homer hair to keep up with, and Trav loves to use the Swiffer for that.

I always go to bed with a tidy house. I’ve always done that, but that especially became a priority when the kids were little. They had lots of toys in our living room and of course would get them out as soon as they got up. I still always put the toys in the corner, in baskets, etc. just to have a fresh start to the morning.

I typically do laundry only on the weekend, and we don’t do many loads. Travis takes care of himself. Hayden usually has the most clothes to wash due to his running. I tend to not have as much, and I usually toss my things in with Hadley’s dirty clothes. When the clothes are finished, I take them out of the basket and lay them flat/in piles on the kids’ beds and they put them away. I’ve been doing the kids’ laundry separately for years…even when they didn’t have as much. I still have to to lay the clothes out for them to put away, but I don’t have to sort them between family members.

I make sure the bathrooms have cleaning supplies to “clean as we go” for daily needs. I’d like the think the kids would wipe our their bathroom sink if there’s too much toothpaste if I leave a tub of Clorox wipes under their sink!

On Sundays, we “reset.” I let the kids have clothes on their floor, for example, but on Sunday, their rooms get picked up. Papers get thrown away, desks get tidied up, Chromebooks get charged for school and so on.

In the summer, a big chore is mowing the lawn. For years, we had a service mow, but for the past couple of summers, Trav and Hayden have split the duties. I’m in charge of watering the flowers in the spring and summer. Hadley helps with that as well.

I usually unload the dishwasher just out of convenience. I’m often in the kitchen getting ready to cook dinner and will unload our dishwasher. Of course, Trav does that too and the kids help occasionally.

Not chores, but we shared cleaning hacks in a Not Just a Mom post in 2023.

I’d love to have any ideas you have for saving time on chores.

Next month, our topic is tips for falling asleep. I have quite the formula for sleep…but I will save those thoughts for next month.

Have a great Monday.