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.
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.
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."
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.
Apologies for the delay, I've been cruising on my yacht, The Aioli Breeze. We DO have five different jams, at least that many different chili crisps, and probably double that amount of salad dressings, and I see NOTHING wrong with that. It just means our doors are completely full of bottles and jars 😂
Oooh. That is so true! I started a rule (in my head of course) where we can only have items in the fridge for the people who live in the house. I used to buy items for when guests come over and the fridge became an overwhelming disaster on the regular. Now I only keep the stuff we eat on a regular basis. It’s so much easier! My husband would suffer greatly with your pickle rule. He loves pickled everything and he also likes all jams so he would be happy with the one pickle for one jam concept. A decluttered fridge is so much easier to manage though. I also stopped buying Costco sized everything. We don’t use a gigantic bottle of ranch in one year so why buy it at Costco? Anyway… I am thrilled that I have an entire shelf on the fridge door that’s all Whole30 compatible though. That’s my fridge win for 2025 🎉
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).
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!
Yes yes and YES. I even re-make my son's bed before he climbs in at night even though he keeps telling me he doesn't care. I CARE, even though I technically cannot feel his sheets in his bed. (Because I can, I really can.)
My husband takes on a task, and it's ONLY that task. As a result, he's done in lightening speed. 17 years - I feel a mixture of awe, envy, and disgust.
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.
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 😂
In my experience, it just takes ONE WEEK of overfilled recycle to create this PTSD. Old days of roommates and a REALLY full can - me out there at 11pm cutting down boxes, slipping cans & bottles into small spaces to make the lid close to closed... Maybe even a ninja trip to the neighbors can knowing they're asleep and will never see the additional items EEEKK
- Vs the EXHILARATING FREEDOM of only 2 of us now. NEVER NEAR overflowing the cans! We could get WILD and skip a recycling week and still make it!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There IS some shocking data that in many, or most, places, recycling is mostly a feel-good gesture and more expensive and less green than we are led to believe. But I'm not the one to say there is no Santa, we can all embrace whatever version of reality makes us feel best. And yes, I recycle
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).
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!
I contacted the phone company and had my VM completely disabled - there's no option to leave me a message. And I had them set it up so that it disconnects after 5 rings so that it can't just go on incessantly.
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)
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.)
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 😭😂
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.
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.
I have to rinse out my water bottle with fresh water then dump it out and refill it. It’s only ever had water in it and I cannot stop this rinse cycle before I refill it. However I am confident that this habit/ritual is paramount to the water quality. 🤣
Oh this gave me joy! Zeal for efficiency is a GOAL, and I imagine most of life would improve if I embraced this in organization and planning. I can't wait to try to parallel park like a pro (unbound lol) and I am glad to know my bed-making habits are like yours (the napping husband and my blanket-burrowing cat both play a part). You have the best commenting panel! We clearly love connection in our strangeness. Thank you!
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.
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 😂
Maybe - but then why do I not do it to coffee? We will just have to live with never knowing the why.
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.
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."
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.
Apologies for the delay, I've been cruising on my yacht, The Aioli Breeze. We DO have five different jams, at least that many different chili crisps, and probably double that amount of salad dressings, and I see NOTHING wrong with that. It just means our doors are completely full of bottles and jars 😂
Oooh. That is so true! I started a rule (in my head of course) where we can only have items in the fridge for the people who live in the house. I used to buy items for when guests come over and the fridge became an overwhelming disaster on the regular. Now I only keep the stuff we eat on a regular basis. It’s so much easier! My husband would suffer greatly with your pickle rule. He loves pickled everything and he also likes all jams so he would be happy with the one pickle for one jam concept. A decluttered fridge is so much easier to manage though. I also stopped buying Costco sized everything. We don’t use a gigantic bottle of ranch in one year so why buy it at Costco? Anyway… I am thrilled that I have an entire shelf on the fridge door that’s all Whole30 compatible though. That’s my fridge win for 2025 🎉
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!
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).
It’s why I always do self checkout even with a full cart. No one can pack my groceries the correct way!
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).
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!)
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!
Yes yes and YES. I even re-make my son's bed before he climbs in at night even though he keeps telling me he doesn't care. I CARE, even though I technically cannot feel his sheets in his bed. (Because I can, I really can.)
This is probably my favorite article ever! I needed the lighthearted take this week.
It was really fun to write too! XO
Every night when I lay my head down, I close my eyes and say “thank you for today”
What a beautiful ritual!
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?
I mean, it can't hurt, Kai!
My husband takes on a task, and it's ONLY that task. As a result, he's done in lightening speed. 17 years - I feel a mixture of awe, envy, and disgust.
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.
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 😂
😱
In my experience, it just takes ONE WEEK of overfilled recycle to create this PTSD. Old days of roommates and a REALLY full can - me out there at 11pm cutting down boxes, slipping cans & bottles into small spaces to make the lid close to closed... Maybe even a ninja trip to the neighbors can knowing they're asleep and will never see the additional items EEEKK
- Vs the EXHILARATING FREEDOM of only 2 of us now. NEVER NEAR overflowing the cans! We could get WILD and skip a recycling week and still make it!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There IS some shocking data that in many, or most, places, recycling is mostly a feel-good gesture and more expensive and less green than we are led to believe. But I'm not the one to say there is no Santa, we can all embrace whatever version of reality makes us feel best. And yes, I recycle
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).
You are playing with fire Kris. What if you have a heavy garbage week? This is too much risk for me
I like to live dangerously. 😂
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!
I contacted the phone company and had my VM completely disabled - there's no option to leave me a message. And I had them set it up so that it disconnects after 5 rings so that it can't just go on incessantly.
I really should delete my voicemails but the number doesn't stress me out. It's almost a point of satisfaction at this point 😂
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)
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.)
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 😭😂
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.
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.
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.
This is smart! I have no logical reason. 😂
I have to rinse out my water bottle with fresh water then dump it out and refill it. It’s only ever had water in it and I cannot stop this rinse cycle before I refill it. However I am confident that this habit/ritual is paramount to the water quality. 🤣
Oh this gave me joy! Zeal for efficiency is a GOAL, and I imagine most of life would improve if I embraced this in organization and planning. I can't wait to try to parallel park like a pro (unbound lol) and I am glad to know my bed-making habits are like yours (the napping husband and my blanket-burrowing cat both play a part). You have the best commenting panel! We clearly love connection in our strangeness. Thank you!
I feel like you SHOULD stay buckled when parallel parking! It's much safer, so please do not pick up this habit from me :) XO