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by Robin
I’ve been struggling with blogging lately. There was a time I truly enjoyed it. I was excited to share ideas. I love sharing! I love ideas!
But, I’ve been feeling differently lately. Part of it is my life stage – I am a working mom, with 2 young kids, plus I am a caregiver for an aging parent. I am sandwiched and my plate is full. The time (and energy) to blog is scarce.
But also, something’s changed about blogging. It feels less about sharing and more about competition. It feels like there’s an expectation of perfection. Photos with perfect light balance in perfect on trend rooms with perfect children with no ketchup on their faces. My life doesn’t look like that – is it still worth sharing at all?
Also, sharing a single tip that works for a real mom is no longer seems enough. It’s got to be: “THE BEST 57 tips that will change your life (…# 5 will astound you!)”. Ugh. I don’t even have the energy to read all that, let alone write it.
I just can’t do it. I’m far from perfect and to be honest, I think if I pretend to be it does other real moms a disservice. “How does she do it? Why can’t I be that perfect with everything? Am I the only one?”
So. Here’s me being braver than I normally am. Here’s just one tip. It won’t change your life, not even close, but it’s real and doable. Here’s my unedited photos of it too.
So finally, the tip:
The best time to clean your fridge is… when you can’t wait any longer before going for groceries. That baby’s empty. If someone doesn’t shop, supper tonight will be margarine on jarred red peppers with a baking soda sauce.
When it’s this empty, it’s just plain easier to shift the few measly
containers around while you drag out the shelves and wash them in a sink
of warm soapy water.
I’ve also found it’s also best to do this while your spouse goes out to the store for the fresh groceries. They will return to a clean fridge and will resent it less that you got to stay in your warm home with the kids, while they braved the elements and grumpy shoppers at the store.
I also find I feel less guilty about not being the one to go shopping. So a bunch of wins there.
There you go, one simple tip.
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Robin and Ed are a DIY-loving couple with over 25 years of design and build experience. Also, Robin is a Nutritionist and former Registered Dietitian and Ed is an award-winning Business Educator. We share strategies for living a rich life on a DIY budget: creative money-savvy ideas for a stylish home, healthy meals and family fun. Our work has been published in the pages of Do It Yourself, Farmhouse Style and Better Homes & Gardens magazines.
Great tips. Been doing the same thing with my fridge for years. Taught my daughter to do the same. I'm really interested in this baking soda sauce, by the way…tee hee!
Recipe to come! 😜 Thanks for your comment, Candi!
Hello! Great blog. Great tip to clean your fridge before going to grocery. I am going to follow your advice next time when I am cleaning mine. Best regards!
Glad to help, Pearl!
Hello Robin! I just found your blog by chance and really enjoyed the common sense here. Both about the fridge (thanks for the motivation) and about being real regarding blogging. True and integral! – Geri
Thanks so much, Geri! That's exactly what I aim for. 🙂
Thanks for your helpful tips. You two are so cute and awesome for helping us <3
Thanks, Alison! We love your comment. 🙂
Hi Robin! Thank you for this tip, it is useful for me too! I appreciate these kind on one-tip-posts. The 57-amazing-things-to-do-lists are boring… One can do only one thing at a time 🙂 Have a nice spring!
You're so sweet to take the time to say so, Nina! 🙂
Nice post… I blog too and sometimes I just have NO LOVE for it. I tend to have bursts where I will do a whole bunch and schedule them in advance so if I am not feeling it for a while… no one really notices.
And guess what… this reminds me that I need to clean my fridge – so… thanks!!
Scheduled posts, huh, Michelle? Sounds like a very good plan – much better than mine of complete silence for months. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Very nice post! I hate when we have to clean refrigerators from our clients! I would love to make it easier! Thanks for the post! Greets, Isle Of Dogs Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
Great idea! It's much easier to clean out your fridge when it's not as full. That way you don't have to worry about things going bad while you're cleaning.
Exactly! Thanks for your comment, Lauren. 🙂
Who honestly has time to read all of those anyways. I'm an older mother of 3, 2 of which are grown and out of house, youngest is 13. I'd rather see a real home, than one of those you know they don't clean or work on themselves. Found cleaning out fridge before store to be easiest. Throw out unused icky food before you put the good fresh in. If not done before, guess what usually doesn't get done, not good but hey it's real life.
We think alike, Dana! Thanks for your comment! 🙂