The kids are back at school today which is slightly bittersweet. Of course we love them being home and celebrating the holidays together. We love the sleeping in and lazy days, the game playing and game watching.
But you know what having four kids at home all day does to a kitchen?
It keeps it in perpetual disarray. Food left out. Crumbs on the table. So many dishes.
Washing dishes used to be a point of marital contention and then one day I decided I didn’t hate doing them anymore. I’m slightly particular when it comes to loading the dishwasher (I can’t believe I’m one of those people!) and I have a system for hand washing dishes that makes it quick and mindless (utensils first, medium sized items next, save the worst for last). I’ve found in marriage that if you take the things you care the most about and stopĀ worrying about fairness, things get much easier. And it leaves me with a clean kitchen, so that’s totally worth it.
I’m all about making the everyday more beautiful and since I have to do dishes on a regular basis, I might as well make the experience enjoyable.
At the kitchen sink are simple pleasures like good smelling soap, a fresh, neutral sponge and favorite dish towel. Seriously, these things make my day happier.
Right now, when you sign up for Grove and place your first order of $20 youāll get this Fresh Start offer for free:
- Free Mrs. Meyerās hand soap
- Free Mrs. Meyerās dish soap
- Free Mrs. Meyerās lotion
- Free Grove Collaborative Cleaning Caddy
- Free Grove Collaborative Walnut Scrubber Sponges
- Free shipping
IĀ had been eyeing Grove for over a year – always thinking about ordering but never pullingĀ the trigger.
And then last fallĀ I just couldn’t resist the Mrs. Meyer’s Iowa Pine scent that was part of the free gift and jumped in.
Coming up with what to buy for $20 was easier than I expected. I was surprised to see that the things we regularly use in our household are available at comparable or even lower prices and it saves me a trip to Target (which, honestly is a money trap for me so reducing the amount of trips there is a good thing!)
Here’s what is on my perpetual reorder list:
walnut scrubber sponges I’m a born and raised sponge user. Some people are grossed out by them, but they work so well to wipe counters and scrub dishes. I throw them in the dishwasher every once in a while and am not shy about tossing them once they look dingy and start in on that nasty dirty sponge smell.
mrs. meyer’s hand soap I like a matching set of hand soap and dish soap and don’t mind switching up the scent. This time of year, I’m going with Lemon Verbena for its fresh scent and pretty green packaging.
dr. bonner’s all-one toothpasteĀ What originally caught my eye was the graphic packaging. What’s keeping us using it is the natural ingredients and interesting anise flavor. It comes in peppermint and cinnamon, too.
tom’s toothpaste How do my kids go through so much toothpaste? I have no clue.
bubble up dish brush set This simple dish brush set is a new essential for my dish-doing. The simple natural wood/white porcelain combination means I’m happy to let it sit out on the counter. I like having a little dish to rest the brush in and let it dry out when not in use. And while in use, it works!
seventh generation laundry soapĀ We’re a family with sensitive skin so this free and clear laundry soap is our go-to.
accure cleansing towelettes Confession: I bought these for our nearly-teenage son to do my partĀ at preserving his soft baby skin. Will these keep teenage breakouts away? I don’t know. But it’s worth a shot.
The great thing about Grove is that I’m not stuck with any of these items and can always order more, less, try new products or keep to a regular order. They make it super easy.
Want to give it a try?
When you click over to Grove, youāll be asked a few questions and your cart will auto-fill with $20 worth of products.Ā Go ahead and take their suggestions or browse your favorite brands or household items and choose your own (but I’m going to highly suggest that bubble up brush).
To receive the FREE Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap, dish soap, lotion, scrubber sponges and caddy, your order needs to be a minimum of $20.
I hope you find Grove to be a helpful service that saves you time, money and keeps you happy when you’re doing daily household things like dishes and laundry and brushing your teeth. #simplepleasures
Click over to GroveĀ to learn more + claim your gift!
*Please note that Grove currently does not ship to Canada, Hawaii, or Alaska
*I am happy to be a GroveĀ affiliate
So I was at target and picked up a bottle of glass cleaner ( mrs. Meyers ……… ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
I couldnāt wait to get my order. Lolš
Love to try them. Thanks
Yay! Iād love the free set and be able to try Grove.
Free with a $20 purchase.
Tried to get free gift, site would not come up!
Uh oh! Try the link again …
Hi, Emily,
How do you like your faucet? Is it easy to change the flow without changing water temperature?
Thank you !
Curious where the wire sink tray (is that even what it’s called?!) is from? I have a large deep sink, too, and haven’t found an efficient way to keep the dishes from scratching the bottom. That item looks like it could work.
Thanks!
We order the sink tray from Amazon. You’ll just want to search for the size that works best for your sink. We had one in our previous house with a porcelain sink and it absolutely saves the bottom of the sink!
Shoot! I just missed the offer!
Signed up last night! Looking forward to trying new things!
Thanks for the link! I can’t wait to try out this service and these products :)
I DID AND I CANT WAIT UNTIL IT ARRIVES! THNX!
Love your coffee chat videos! I’ve been a member of Grove for a year now. I love their Lemongrass Wipes, the Method spearmint toilet bowl cleaner and especially love the sponges. I am definitely a sponge girl. I just keep them rinsed out and throw them in the dishwasher once a week or more often if needed. I also bought two of their dish brushes. One for dishes, the other for veggies…yes, I tagged them so I wouldn’t get them mixed up! Love getting my monthly order and you can always skip a month or delay it if you don’t need anything.
The unequal division of power thing…not an issue for me. My husband enjoys doing the laundry and does it better than I do. I do the cooking and I wash dishes because I enjoy it but he is better at loading the dishwasher and he likes to put the items away. When I do Christmas or other holiday baking, he comes into the kitchen periodically and washes what I’ve placed in the sink and dries it and gets it ready for me to use again. After 25 years, we have a certain rhythm to our sharing of duties around the house and it works.
I love your reply, on how you and your husband clean together.
Do the sponges work as well as the yellow sponges with green scrubber on one side? I love sponges. My daughter gets so grossed out. š
I really like the sponges. The yellow/green ones are more industrial (they scratch my silverware!) so I like that these are a little less abrasive, but still get the job done. And I like that they are neutral :)
Did you talk about sharing the chores or did it just happen? After 22 years itās like pulled by teeth to get help from others in the house. I wish it would just happen. It would just be nice if they could clean up after themselves. Lol
It’s always a conversation. But I think a big part for our family was me just recognizing that I can not impose my own desires on others – that never works for anyone! So I took over dishes and just decided not to grumble. I do have the kids unload the dishwasher and load their own dishes (when they remember!), but it’s just one of those things that I have to hold on to lightly or it will drive me crazy.
I also love this reply ā¤ļø
Thanks for the link! I signed up and can’t wait to try these products. The prices were better than the store where I usually pass them up because they are more expensive than other cleaners.
I just placed an order! I’m excited!! Two questions…… 1) Is the VIP status a monthly auto-ship program? If not, what does that mean? 2) Is your sink a double or single bowl? And where did you get it? We are looking for one to go with our formica countertops and I think I would like to try a single bowl this time.
I love reading your blog! Keep up the good work!
If you go to the FAQ page on Grove they answer all the questions about the VIP status and what that means.
As for the sink, we have a single bowl (my preference) and bought it on Amazon. Here is a post with the links: https://jonesdesigncompany.com/our-house/kitchen-makeover-phase-one-design-direction-progress/
I’m so excited about this. I have never heard of this company before. Is there a code I should use to get the free set? I’m trying to checkout and I’m not seeing the items being free. I must be doing something wrong.
Thanks :)
Just make sure you click through from the link at the bottom and they should auto-populate in your cart!
Love this! Would you share where I could snag a few of those darling striped dish towels?
Sure! They are in my shop! https://goods.jonesdesigncompany.com/collections/bathroom/products/indigo-fouta-towel
Oops, I meant the black + white striped pretty please ?
I have never been a part of a collaborative but I think you have me hooked. I just signed up and ordered today.
Wow – thanks for sharing! I had never heard of Grove before but I was very impressed with the selection and prices. Looking forward to my first shipment!
Thanks for sharing! I’m looking forward to trying the products. How often do you have to replace your brush on the bubble up dish brush set?
I’ve been using my first brush for a little over a month and just replaced it this week with a new one.
I loved what you said about dishes and fairness. The “unequal division of labor” used to be my sticking point in marriage. I always felt like a put-upon martyr until I realized one thing: we’re a team! Not everyone on a team does the same thing but they all work toward the same goal. I started to notice all the things my husband does at work and around the house that I don’t want to do–getting the oil changed in the cars, fixing the computer, yard work, home repairs (or more often, calling people to do them),filling the water softener with salt, shoveling snow, etc. etc. Just thought I’d share my aha moment.
Here also. Married 38 years and have yet to take out the trash, mow the yard or clean the barn. In turn the house is always clean, the dishes done and dinner made. Works for me. He washes and dries the laundry, I put it away
So excited to get my first order!! Thanks for sharing an awesome gift with purchase! I would have to say as a stay at home mom, I love these types of perks that come with my ‘job’!!
Love Mrs. Meyer’s and that cute gray top in your picture. Can you please share where that shirt is from?
The shirt is my go-to right now. It is from Gap and on sale right now: http://rstyle.me/~9qCHe
Thank you!
I’m giving it a try! All too often I do my grocery shopping and forget things like hand soap and toothpaste. Hopefully, this will keep us in stock!
I noticed your comment about using Seventh Generation due to your family’s sensitive skin. What do you use for drying? Have you found a free and clear dryer sheet you like? We deal with major static cling when I don’t use traditional dryer sheets but I hate the chemicals and irritation. I would love to find another alternative.
We don’t use dryer sheets … I’m not all that great at laundry :)
You don’t like Bounce Free, or haven’t tried it? I have super-sensitive dry skin, with thin-skinned palms due to cortisone use for eczema, and I have relied on Bounce Free for decades.
We put about a 1/4 C vinegar mixed with water in the softener cup of our washing machine and quit using dryer sheets. The vinegar really helps soften and reduces static cling. I’ve also heard that the felted wool balls in the dryer are a good alternative but haven’t tried that yet.
You could try using Wool Dryer balls too – they are natural and really work! https://www.grove.co/catalog/product/wool-dryer-balls/?attrsrc=&attrpg=catalog
THANK SO MUCH, EMILY, FOR SHARING THIS WITH US!!!! WE ALL NEED TO BE MORE HEALTH-CONSCIOUS AND CARING ABOUT OUR WORLD!!
We have used Bounce Free and Clear dryer sheets for years and are happy with them, although I must admit I haven’t gone searching for another unscented alternative. I really don’t like added scents in my laundry.
This was a response to Jayme and landed in the wrong spot. Oops!
Does this require anything having to be ordered afterwards? For instance having something shipped on a regular basis one gets locked into?
You sign up for a monthly subscription to receive your regular deliveries. It is free for 60 days and you can cancel at anytime.
Thank you! I have heard of this before, but the freebies weren’t ones I was interested in, until now. Just signed up and can’t wait. With five young children, I need all the deliveries I can get! Plus, I think cleaning will be more enjoyable with good products that look and smell nice.
Wow, thanks!! Just signed up. I’ve been looking for a a stain remover and they offer one I’m excited to try!
Thanks for introducing us to Grove. I purchased products and so excited to get my free gift. Thanks for sharing!
I just signed up, thanks!
Yes! Just signed up! Thanks Emily!
Yay! Enjoy!
Already placed my order. Thank you for introduction the Grove. Super excited to receive my first order.
Excited to try out the items. My husband and I have been working out the kinks of shared household chores. Thank you for sharing.
Yeah! I have been wanting to try Grove for so long…finally took the plunge! Thanks for the gentle push…and freebies! :)
Wondering about your dish towels…do they have a hanging loop?? (Yours are often pictured laying on the counter so I can’t tell??).
No hanging loop. We have a towel rack that I hang them on – I’ll do a full kitchen tour soon and include the towel situation.
I had no idea about Grove and I’m definitely going to try it now. So many awesome things in one place and it looks like the prices are reasonable too. Thanks for sharing this!