I’m an easer-inner to the new year, but as I think about things like goals (or non-goals), plans, books I want to read, and new things I want to try (I’d love to find a just-for-fun hobby this year), you know what I do?
I clean.
I know, it sounds boring or tedious, but I’m telling you, my brain percolates better when I’m moving my body and doing something basic.
Sometimes, I go on a drive to think. Other times, it’s a long walk. For a new year, full of fresh starts and possibilities? It’s cleaning the house, baby.
Don’t get me wrong—I don’t love to clean. But I love having a clean house. A clean living space feels like permission to think deep and wide. My soul craves dusted shelves. My eyes better focus with clean kitchen counters. The lack of clutter and grime is a visual treat for me to think through the year ahead.
Want my shallow secret to making cleaning-while-thinking a treat and not a chore?
I use pretty-smelling cleaning products. I have super-heightened senses, so things like good music in the speakers, open windows to let in natural light, and sticky-free counters are a better treat than a day at the beach for me.
Clean smells, without the chemical ick and toxicity, are my favorite treat to making me actually want to clean my house.
Right-hand raised, my favorite smelling cleaning products are Mrs. Meyers—I’ve got their apple cider stuff going in the fall, the Iowa pine for Christmas, and basil for the summer. This time of year? I’m a big fan of honeysuckle.
So, I’ve got three fun things for you today: two new cleaning playlists, a way to get $40 in free cleaning stuff (including Mrs. Meyers), and a free short book of mine.
1. The best cleaning supplies
I use Grove Collaborative every month—it’s a subscription service for your pantry, where you can find fantastic deals (the best I’ve found) on healthy household products. They’ve got brands like Dr. Bronner’s, Acure, Seventh Generation, and of course, Mrs. Meyers.
I buy things I use already, but at better prices, and personalized so that I get our particular staples every month (or every other month) without me having to think about it.
I get my Moroccan Argan oil for my face, our toothpaste, our body soap, dish and laundry detergents, and vitamins here. I’ll also occasionally treat myself to their natural candles and lip balms, too, because they are heaven.
From January 3-8 (so, this week), Grove is giving $40 in cleaning supplies to all new customers! It includes:
Free Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap
Free Mrs. Meyer’s Dish Soap
Free Mrs. Meyer’s Lotion
Free Grove Collaborative Cleaning Caddy
Free Grove Collaborative Walnut Scrubber Sponges
Free Shipping
All you have to do is sign up for a new account, make your first order of at least $20, and your free gifts will be automatically added to your shopping cart.
(Also, that Mrs. Meyers lotion? Is completely brand new. You can’t get it anywhere else but Grove right now! I’ve wanted them to make a lotion for awhile now, so I’m stoked they’ve finally done it.)
For those of us who are already Grove users, click here, and you’ll get a free Mrs. Meyers hand soap added to your shopping cart! So nice of them.
2. Get-off-my-seat music
I love music, and cleaning music is a genre of its own, I think. I want motivating, dance-worthy, almost silly stuff I don’t always listen to. Here’s what I often listen to when I clean:
Of course, then there are those thinking-cleaning times—this is the beginning of the year for me. I don’t always want silly then. I need mental space to think as I scrub. Here’s what I listen to for that sort of cleaning:
My simple seven!
When you use my specific link to sign up for Grove, I’m also giving you a copy of my free short book, Simple Seven.
It’s a 35-page explanation of the first seven things I do when I’m feeling overwhelmed. These seven things are actually gifts to myself—basic, in-front-of-me things I do when I just need to hit pause and recollect my sanity.
Sign up for Grove using my link (here it is again, to make it easy for you), then let me know by adding your email below so I can send you my book:
I just love new years and fresh starts, and for whatever reason, clean sinks and counters make this time of year the cherry on top. And I’m grateful for companies like Mrs. Meyers, who make lovely-smelling, ethical products.
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