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Shannon's avatar

We can only have one type of pickle-things open in the fridge at one time. If it's black olives then it's black olives until they're gone. Pickled beets, cucumber pickles, pickled beans, caperberries....whatever - if it's a pickle type thing you finish the jar before choosing the next pickle thing and so on.

I only put away my laundry on Sundays. If husby does laundry Monday, it sits on my dresser until Sunday.

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Melissa Urban's avatar

Shannon. What if you want pickled onions AND pickled jalapenos on your shredded buffalo chicken salad??? This rule would not work in my house 😂 But I love your laundry rule! That screams "efficiency."

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Shannon's avatar

You've obviously been paid to say this by Big Condiment. Because otherwise where does it stop. If I allow unlimited pickle items then we also have to allow 6 different jams (all with less than an inch in the bottom), 4 sauces, 7 salad dressings and we end up with an entire fridge stuffed full of condiments and NO FOOD. I stand by Pickle Law.

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Shannon's avatar

My weirdest habit is that I lick the rim of my teacup before the first sip. Only tea. A little "thloop" and then first sip. I tried stopping once I noticed it but then I paid less attention and it was back so now I'm just....a tea cup licker.

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Melissa Urban's avatar

Maybe it's to judge how hot the tea is? That's what you can tell people if they call you a weirdo tea licker 😂

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Shannon's avatar

Maybe - but then why do I not do it to coffee? We will just have to live with never knowing the why.

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Lynn's avatar

I'm so happy to hear someone else plans efficient chores around the house!! I do the same thing even with unloading the dishwasher!!!

Does anyone else organize her groceries as she is putting them on the counter at checkout? Always have and always will!

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Melissa Urban's avatar

YES OF COURSE. Unloading the dishwasher goes left to right in terms of where things are in my kitchen. Unloading groceries goes far side left (pantry), far side right (beverages, close side left (freezer), close side center/right (fridge).

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Kai  Pope's avatar

It’s why I always do self checkout even with a full cart. No one can pack my groceries the correct way!

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Michael Easter's avatar

These are wonderful. I can identify with 5 and 8.

Related: Audio text messages kill me. It’s so much faster to read! (And people who leave them tend to meander).

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Melissa Urban's avatar

My sister loves to leave me 4 minute long voice memos. I have never told her that I just read the transcripts. (Thank god Apple provides those!)

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Mandy's avatar

This is probably my favorite article ever! I needed the lighthearted take this week.

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Melissa Urban's avatar

It was really fun to write too! XO

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Carol Ann Rydahl's avatar

#2 what about unbuckling the seat belt AND turning off any audio -music, podcast, etc. to parallel park. And similar

thing - if need to look at directions/lost - all audio must be off to think!

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Melissa Urban's avatar

This makes complete sense. I can handle talking and music, which means I must be Super Advanced

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Kara Wood's avatar

The trash can routine is completely necessary. I’m also secretly terrified week after week that the trash people (and machines) will reject my can if it is even the slightest bit open at the top. I worry about what that would mean for the following week. (It’s already overflowing—where would I go from there?) I visualize having to go to the town dump with stinky trash in my car. I breathe a sigh of relief when I roll up after the workday and see that it’s empty.

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Melissa Urban's avatar

I am also so anxious if my lid is at ALL raised because the can is overly full. Brandon points out our neighbor’s cans, which are piled a foot above the rim for recycling, but I remain unconvinced. Also once they DID skip recycling and I spent an hour breaking down every piece of cardboard into 6” pieces so I could fit another week’s boxes inside 😂

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Kara Wood's avatar

😱

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Kris Jackson's avatar

You two would be abjectly horrified by how people set out their trash and recycling. It’s mass chaos. We don’t have a truck to lift the bins - two guys are on every truck.

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Kara Wood's avatar

We recently had our community in an uproar because the county changed the trash contract and now there is zero recycling pick up and all trash must fit in an issued can. It was a very stressful transition haha. However, it does prevent chaos.

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Kris Jackson's avatar

Wow! Here they pile random crap - and I mean seriously random house things - in the RECYCLING bin - broken screens, bikes, frying pans - and when I walk the dog past I think, “does NO ONE read the notices from the recycling department?” People just do. not. care.

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Kara Wood's avatar

Ok that is really stressful. I still have guilt about not recycling anymore but I can’t drive to the dump every week so the county can save on their contract.

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Kris Jackson's avatar

From what I’ve heard, the plastic companies sold us on recycling so they could sell us more plastic. I do my level best to recycle, but I sometimes? Eh. My BIL doesn’t “believe” in recycling, which blows my mind.

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Christina Andrews's avatar

Every night when I lay my head down, I close my eyes and say “thank you for today”

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Michele Campbell's avatar

100% make my bed every night at bedtime. I can't get into a rumpled bed. Can't. And when you live in a 3 story house, you have to organize your order of operations so you're being your most efficient self at every level of the house. If I end up on the third level and I've left something important on the first level and I have to go down to get it, I consider that an epic fail in the efficiency department. I do a round of applause for myself when I've mastered the list of tasks in my head and it's gone smoothly! Win!

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Kai  Pope's avatar

I wish I would’ve known the secret to parallel parking was unbuckling my seatbelt! 🤦🏻 definitely going to give it a try.

And if you aren’t doing one thing while also doing 3 other things….how are you even living?

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Melissa Urban's avatar

I mean, it can't hurt, Kai!

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Sara Trojanowski's avatar

Oh I love these and share so many in common along with the efficient chores which I don’t think I even realized I did until reading this! Haha! I don’t do voicemails but I can’t have it listing a number either, so deleted they go! And the parallel parking/seat belt scenario made me giggle because I can totally see myself doing that!

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Melissa Urban's avatar

I really should delete my voicemails but the number doesn't stress me out. It's almost a point of satisfaction at this point 😂

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Melanie Davis's avatar

#4 all day every day

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Melissa Urban's avatar

👏👏👏

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Daniela Weiner's avatar

Well I am glad to learn I am not the only one who has to unbuckle before parallel parking. I can also only get in my parking lot if I approach it from a left angle (and therefore must cut through a parking lot for a store to get to the alley where my parking spot is)

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Melissa Urban's avatar

Hahahaha I so rarely parallel park on the driver’s side so I’m actually not sure how good I am!! (But I’m praying SLC hosts a parallel parking competition like Portland did because I’m IN.)

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Kris Jackson's avatar

I used to be really intent upon the fact that ALL TRASHCANS in the house must be emptied Thursday night for trash day on Friday. Now, since it’s just me, sometimes I only put my trash and recycling on the curb every other week!! And the bins are STILL not full. Oh, and the trash can goes next to the mailbox and the recycling can goes on the other side of the driveway. I like to make it “easier” for the people to see which is which (you know, if the GIANT YELLOW RECYCLING BIN isn’t obvious enough).

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Melissa Urban's avatar

You are playing with fire Kris. What if you have a heavy garbage week? This is too much risk for me

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Kris Jackson's avatar

I like to live dangerously. 😂

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Charley Merritt's avatar

We make a wish when the clock numbers are all the same! My son shouts it out anytime we’re in the car and he sees the time roll over.

And writing MUST be perfect for me too. I just ordered a box of 48 mechanical pencil eraser refills because when I take notes for school, I go through basically a whole eraser every day because it must look exactly right. It’s not *good* writing per se, but it is *perfect* writing for my liking.

I’m sure I have many other things that I can’t think of right now, because I have a super fun combination of anxiety, ADHD, and perfectionism 😭😂

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Melissa Urban's avatar

Mechanical pencils are such a good idea! I am also super picky about writing utensils. Fine point only (not super fine, those hurt my ears,

I cannot explain that further), and the tip needs to flow and also be firm.

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Kris Jackson's avatar

Isn’t it funny how particular we are about our pens?? I bought a Zebra and refills, and I love a nice, flowy, medium point. Very inky. Very luscious. I used to love blue ink, but now I only do black.

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Sarah's avatar

I also leave the last sip of all drinks. This stems from when I was young and my parents used to make tea in a pot with loose tea leaves. The last bit was always a bit gritty so you didn’t drink it. But now I do that with all drinks.

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Melissa Urban's avatar

This is smart! I have no logical reason. 😂

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