In the sea of “I’m so blessed” Facebook Updates, aspirational healthy living/organizational/design/cooking/food blogs, and food-styled Instagram photos out there, there is no shortage of fodder to make you feel like you should be doing more, dressing better, and generally being more fabulous. While I’m definitely huge proponent for trying to live your best life, I also think it’s nice to keep it real around here too! So here are some confessions for ya:
1. OOTDs In Real Life
While I think it is super fun to document Outfits of the Day on Instagram during the week
I rarely document them on the weekends because every possible waking hour I can spend in an outfit equivalent to THIS feels like a win!
Here, let me breakdown this fine fashion – American River CrossFit hoodie // Hot Pink Mossimo Tank Top // Lululemon Still Pants covered in dog hair.
2. The Kitchen — In Real Life
Last Friday I mentioned that Garrett, Buster + I were having a dance party in my kitchen. (Buster is a very accomplished ballroom dancer, didn’t you know?) An overwhelming amount of people mentioned my crazy-clean kitchen counter tops.
That, my friends, was just a coincidence. Remember, I cook A LOT. Most of the time I am fighting an uphill battle against this:
And the closest thing we have to a dishwasher is Garrett.
3. Paleo Perfection — except in the garage!
So I’ve let you walk through what’s in my pantry before:
And I’m pretty open about what my fridge looks like:
I’m just a real Paleo Angel, eh? But wait until you see the shelf in my garage of things I just can’t let go:
Rye Chips! Wheat Flour! And Cereal???? OH MY. What gives? I’m glad you asked. It’s football season, and I’ve been known to make a damn good Chex Mix. Sometimes you just gotta off-road! And the flour? Well, I guess it’s just my food-hoarding tendency. I haven’t used it in forever but something about chucking it just feels wasteful. So now it just lives in my garage not being used. Waste of SPACE, let me tell you. The rice is for the dog!
No house is perfect.
4. My Workout Clothes Smell Like FUNK
Will you still be my friend?
I’ve washed and then dried all of my workout clothes. Apparently this is problematic (especially the drying part.) Most of these are fairly new and they still kind of smell like gym floor. It is so super duper nasty and I am on the hunt for a solution that will work for my high efficiency washer (Do you have one? Weigh in!) Manda said hang drying cures the stink, so I’m trying that. If that doesn’t work, I’m getting some Sport Wash.
Regardless, um…GROSS. It really *is* time for some new duds.
5. I am an Organizational Jekyll + Hyde
(or Heckyll + Jyde if you are Teresa Guidice, but that is neither here nor there.)
Some of my bathroom cabinets are very pleasingly organized. We have talked about this before, I like me some organized drawers.
But others, just continue to be FULL O’ CRAP (neatly stacked upon other crap.)
The thing is: one only has so much time to care. And right now, I just can’t get to jazzed up about whether or not my stash of Bath & Body Works Antibacterial Hand Soaps are organized pleasingly by season.
THE HORROR.
6. My Suitcase From Colorado Is Only *Technically* Unpacked
I’m not a total heathen, I’ve taken the clothing out of the suitcase. I just, uh…haven’t actually put it away and it is all sitting on the guest bedroom bed. Whoops.
This is real life, folks!
So tell me…anything you would like to confess?
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Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
No confession (it’s just too early for that), but if you put vinegar in your wash with your gym clothes (or in the rinse thingy), it will get the stink out.
I always do that with my clothes… I did all my laundry, I folded it, but it’s still hanging out all over the bed. Oops 🙂
I love this! it’s like when I read “shit girls says” and I just laugh and laugh and laugh because it’s so damn true (in most cases!).
I assume the suitcase from Colorado is only technically unpacked because you are coming back, yes?
Yes please. 🙂
Here’s a little tip for stinky clothes: add a couple tablespoons of plain white vinegar to your washing machine and you will have no odor left. Stinkiness means there’s bacteria left over from regular washing, the vinegar kills that without doing any harm to your clothes, unlike bleach. I always add a little vinegar when I wash my workout clothes and they are odor free!
Ok, so tell me where/when you add the vinegar. We have a high efficiency washer so I can’t add anything once it starts, or directly into the washer because there is barely any liquid. Do I mix it in with the detergent. WHAAAAAT IS THE SECRET? 🙂
I have a high efficiency washer too. I just put a few splashes in the same compartment as the detergent. Don’t worry about overdoing it, the vinegar won’t hurt the clothes and they won’t smell like vinegar. I hope this works for you!
YAY! Ok I’m trying it next time!!!
I cannot unpack promptly to save my life. Takes me days and I travel A LOT. Serious secret I-live-alone-who-will know behavior!
Yep. I just leave it in the guest bedroom and close the door. It’s as good as put away! 🙂
You mentioned the rice is for the dog – are you making his food? We are getting kind of tired of spending $100+ a month on super healthy dog food so I was thinking about trying to make him some. I don’t want to feed him junk, but the five months into puppy-parenting, the price tag is starting to make me think twice.
He has a super sensitive tummy so we are making his food using a combo of beef, rice and vegetables (and some appropriate supplements.) It’s been A LOT of trial and error (he’s sensitive to chicken, pork is a NO) so while we have found something that works, we certainly aren’t saving any money doing it. So far we are spending probably about $120 a month on his food (he’s a 35lb dog). There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to home cooking, but I am really happy with it. I’d definitely recommend it, but it does take time and $$.
Use a 1/4 c of Borax Laundry Booster–super cheap and natural, along with detergent to get out smells. If it takes out poop and pee smells from my kids cloth diapers that were never washed right away, you can get body odors too. If you need to soak overnight, do so with no concern of fiber damage. Good luck.
Do you use it in a High Efficiency washer, by chance? I don’t add boosters to our laundry because I can’t figure out where to put them and I can’t add it directly in.
Unfortunately no. I put the detergent and powder both into the one entry point of my washer. Ive alsojust put the serving onto the clothes cause i gorget to put in the channel. You may want to try putting it into the wash with the clothing. It dissolves well. Or try soaking clothes in buckets first like I did with the diapers. I use on all our clothes because of refreshment it gives clothes. Good luck.
Excuse the iPad typing. Ayyaiyai.
I’ve used Borax in a HE machine, I just sprinkle it onto the clothes (yes, it was a front loader). It’s completely harmless to your machine.
I put the vinegar in the fabric softner compartment, Works great.
Heckyll and Jyde, was that so awesome or what?
Holly,
I am so super-impressed with your version of messy kitchen… I’ve been doing this clean eating gig for few weeks now (so lots of prepping/cooking as well) and my kitchen looks like a grenade went off in there… And that’s WITH a dishwasher! I am just wondering how you get by without even a drying rack?
I (and when I say I, I mean *we* because I do NOT do dishes alone) just try to be super disciplined about drying dishes and putting them away while washing. If I don’t, we would just be living in a sea of dishes and I’d go crazy.
I love this post like crazy!!!
LoL…I am glad someone is open enough to acknowledge the fact that a lot of people take pictures that are posed or not true to form. The un-paleo shelves remind me of the items I just can’t seem to throw away.
Hey! Great post, just recently found your site & I love it! I have the same problems with my workout clothes. I’ve found that a combination of Febreze Sport spray post wod, and adding downey unstoppables in-wash booster really helps my wod clothes not stink. For the in-wash booster I just add in 1/4-1/3 cap in with the clothes (we have a high efficiency washer too)before I start up the washer. I have found both at target for reasonable prices. The Febreze sport works well on dog odors too!
Hey Holly! I wanted to comment on your puppy dog post but didn’t get a chance to. I’m in the Sacramento area too and wanted to let you that the Sacramento SPCA has a toooon of wonderful resources for dog behavior and new dog owners. They have a free behavior helpline and classes for you and your pooch. Since he’s your only dog, its super important to socialize him with other dogs and people, and they have some great resources for that too.
In terms of the raw feeding debate, grain free food is the best to do if you’re gonna do kibble, but raw is obviously the best (if you can afford it, he’s a small dog and the amount of food is actually smaller, since its more nutritionally dense). There’s a web forum group called Capital City Feeders that share where the best/cheapest butchers and stores to get raw food is in the Sacramento area.
Hope this helps, shoot me an email if you have any more questions! Love your blog!
Vinegar works and so does baking soda (about 1/2 c. directly in the with the clothes).
However, do NOT do these together. You’ll have a grade-school volcano experiment in your washer! LOL.
I do one cycle of just rinse with the vinegar and one heavy duty wash with the detergent and baking soda. Works great for stank.
Hey Holly! I love your site, I was thinking about it on my drive today, how it’s almost like a novel the way you let us into your life, and I’m a sucker for getting attached to characters, so yea for you!
I’m a pastry chef (I went to school and everything!) One of the things we learned in school was to put flour in the freezer as soon as we got it in to kill any eggs of bugs that might have made their way in. Super gross I know, but legit. The flour should stay in the freezer for at least two weeks to kill all the little friends.
I bring this up because you’re storing yours in your garage and even if you never plan on using it again I don’t want you to get an infestation.
Sorry to be the bearer of nasty news.
I put in about 2 ounces of vinegar in the wash when I have a particularly stinky load. My youngest boy wets the bed (on occasion) and the vinegar takes the smell out. If the clothes still smell after the washer, I make sure to hang the clothes OUTSIDE to dry. Hanging them inside will not work – it’s the combination of sun/wind that will remove the smell. Good luck!!
YAY for the helpful laundry comments! I use soap nuts instead of detergent to wash my clothes because I’m sensitive to detergent, and sometimes use a bit of Oxyclean to get out stains… but I’ve been trying to figure how to get out the smell! I add lavender oil to my wash which does smell great, but can’t figure out how to actually kill those icky odors. I’m going to try the vinegar suggestion! I also have an “he” washer.
“Holla for rotisserie chicken” _>
And Buster is SO CUTE!! <3
Oh, by the way, Holly… do you know if there’s a way to subscribe to your posts’ follow up comments? Thanks! 🙂
YAY for the helpful laundry comments! I use soapnuts instead of detergent to wash my clothes because I’m sensitive to detergent, and sometimes use a bit of Oxyclean to get out stains… but I’ve been trying to figure how to get out the smell! I add lavender oil to my wash which does smell great, but can’t figure out how to actually kill those icky odors. I’m going to try the vinegar suggestion! I also have an “he” washer.
“Holla for rotisserie chicken” _>
And Buster is SO CUTE!! <3