Spring Cleaning

Issue 134, featuring an interview with Grace Curley

Welcome to The Girl’s Guide! I’m glad you’re here! Every other Friday, I interview an interesting woman, share a little something about whatever topic pops into my head, and break down the latest news at the intersection of pop culture and politics. Thanks for reading!

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Interview with Grace Curley

Today’s interview is Grace Curley, host of The Grace Curley Show and a columnist for The Spectator! Grace is based in Boston. You can follow her on X and Instagram!

What does your life look like right now?

My life is a balance of radio, writing and being a mom. For both my radio show and columns, I’m typically researching political content and finding ways to make it entertaining for the audience. I consume a lot of articles, news programs and try to keep up to date on trending videos or stories circulating social media.

I’m also a mom of an almost two-year-old daughter so my days include as many walks, books and snacks as humanly possible. I am very lucky that my parents and siblings live nearby and we don’t take it for granted. I’m always grabbing breakfast with my dad or popping over to see my nieces and nephew.

How did your childhood or college years influence your interest in media?

I always knew I loved entertaining people. Whether it was telling my family a story at the dinner table or performing in a high school production of Beauty and the Beast, nothing makes me happier than making people laugh. I majored in theatre at Providence College and also hosted a weekend radio show. The show was all about pop culture news. In that early Saturday morning time slot, I realized how much I loved the medium of talk radio.

What’s your advice to a college student who wants to get involved in news or commentary?

My advice would be… don’t expect things to happen overnight. It is easy to look at your career role models and assume they’ve always been a big name. But whenever I do some digging into some of my inspirations, I always am humbled to learn just how long they’ve been at it.

For example, an anchor with a hit show on Fox did not get his or her big break two months after starting their career. The people I look up to have often been at it for years — even decades — before getting their flowers.

Amazing opportunities do happen, but they don’t happen by accident. They happen after consistently showing up, having a good attitude and exhibiting a bit of patience. If you are a hard worker and a decent person, people will figure it out. But you need to give people time to figure it out.

What's the best book you've read recently?

I read The Wedding People and loved it! The narrator was kind of miserable but in a funny, endearing way. I am currently reading the Lioness of Boston which is a novel about the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner. So far it is the perfect book to read before bed. (I like to read things that help me fall asleep so I avoid thrillers etc.)

What's a life lesson you've learned in the past few years?

A life lesson I’ve learned is that everything comes in waves. I try not to get too up or too down based off of anything happening career-wise. By that I mean, if everyone is calling and I’m getting asked to do TV hits — I enjoy the high. But when there is a lull and my life is quiet — I enjoy that too. For too long I felt as though success was linear but as my life changes and my priorities shift I’m starting to understand that there is beauty in the ebbs and flows.

I’ve also learned that different people have different ideas of success. If I can enjoy my work, have a sense of accomplishment in what I’m doing and also enjoy quality time with my family then I am succeeding.

Spring Cleaning

Well… summer might be almost here, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to do a little spring cleaning! I don’t know why, but I have had such an urge to do a true spring cleaning this year and dust and wipe parts of my house I’ve forgotten existed. I’ve also been purging our stuff, because I’ve realized I cannot hold onto every single kid item that ever comes into our house! I am definitely NOT the most organized person, but here are a few tips I’ve come up with this year, plus some great tips from you readers!

Keep a stash of extra organizers (boxes, bins, drawer dividers).

I never know when the mood will strike me to reorganize a spot in my house. By the time I make it to the store to buy bins and shelves — it might be too late! I actually think it’s good to have a stash of unused organization items. I pick up items like clear bins when I find them at the thrift store and keep them in our guest bedroom closet if I don’t have immediate use for them. This habit has come in handy many times, but of course, then you have to figure out a way to organize your organizers. Friend of the ‘stack Audrey Conklin says she recently reorganized her closets and cabinets and was amazed by how much space she actually had – she recommends organizers like these stackable clothes storage baskets, metal stacking shelves, and clear open-front storage bins.

Have an extra trash can or two that can move with you.

I have a cute wastebasket I keep near my main entryway and a larger, lidless trash that moves around wherever I need it. Both cans can be stashed away when company comes. The little wastebasket is great for throwing away junk mail when I walk in the door, or I move it with me as I do tasks like clipping tags off of new clothes. The larger trash can may not be #aesthetic, but then again, neither are our messes. The big trash can tends to live near the baby’s high chair where I can just chuck uneaten food into it!

Eliminate all duplicate items.

This one is hard, especially for those of us who have hoarder tendencies. I absolutely HATE throwing things away — and sometimes even Goodwill doesn’t want my junk. But when I decide to keep an item “just in case I need it,” I normally end up forgetting I have it and buying an extra one anyway. Fail! I’ve realized that a good rule of thumb for me is to eliminate all duplicate items. My daughter doesn’t need two backpacks. I don’t need two nearly identical curling irons. My son does not need 7,000 onesies (okay, I exaggerate, but that’s how many it feels like to me when I’m doing laundry). If you have two of something, get rid of the lower-quality one. You’ll feel lighter, I promise.

Those are my tips! Keep reading to see what readers had to share.

Find a method for your madness… If you’re new to home organizing or wanting to keep on top of daily chores without feeling overwhelmed, the FLY Lady Method is a great starting point! I use it more sporadically — I grew up with a mom who implemented it so it’s kind of ingrained in my habits. If I see something piling up, my inner voice says “Clean that hot spot!!!” And then if the dishes or laundry are stocking up, I remind myself that I can accomplish soooo much more in 15 minutes than I think, especially if I stay undistracted.

In each room, work top to bottom, outward in. Don’t spend energy running individual things to different rooms — make piles so you can move multiple things at once (and it helps with not getting sidetracked!). - Christine McDonald

Go paperless… Scan your mail/receipts/flyers instead of hoarding them! I use JotNot!! Which also encrypts everything and makes it easy to convert to PDF/JPEG/etc and share it! I think the notes app has a similar feature now too. - Kayla Panchak

Out of sight, out of mind… Corral the clutter! Buy bins, baskets, boxes, whatever. Changed my life tbh. I usually get little woven baskets from home goods or target to put art supplies/charge cords etc. in. I also have a storage ottoman I found on Amazon we keep all the kids’ toys in. - Elizabeth Conner

Edit your closet… Donate clothes! If you don’t have a car, most donation places pick up for free. - Reagan Reese

Get that sink shining… Use baking soda for cleaning your sink instead of Barkeeper’s Friend!! Cheaper, non-toxic, and you probably already have it on hand. Just sprinkle it dry on the sink and then scrub with a damp sponge. The abrasive works best if it’s not too wet. - Carmel Richardson

Teamwork makes the dream work… Thinking of organization — it’s simple but one way my husband and I stay organized with our calendar is to have a shared Google calendar for anything that we are doing together, or things that we both need awareness of (i.e. Kids doctor appointments). All details including address is stored here. I even use this method for Facebook marketplace pickups I ask him to do for me! -Aimee Garden (Evie’s note: Nick and I do this too!)

Mess be gone… My little plastic pot scrapers are life savers, both for cleaning dishes and for the kitchen counters and table! - Katrina Hutchins

Be a systemic thinker… The key to organizing is to have things in such a way that they are easy to keep organized. If you’re having to revamp a shelf/drawer every week, it’s not that you or your family are just hopelessly messy, you probably are just using a flawed organization system. For instance, you might be organizing your dresses in such a way that a certain one simply has to be placed at the bottom of the stack, which is certainly going to end badly when you’re putting things away in a hurry. - Sarah Weaver

You can decant… Buy in bulk and decant! I like putting grains like quinoa and oats in big glass jars so they’re easier to display in my small apartment and easier to access than the big Costco bags they came in. - Addalai Bouchoc (Evie’s note: I do this — it also keeps everything fresh AND keeps out mice and insects!)

The Haps

The New York Times Cancels Sheath Dresses

Fashion forward? More like fashion backward. The New York Times’ fashion advice columnist recently answered the question “Can I Wear a Sheath Dress Without Looking Like a MAGA Woman?” Assuming a real reader did indeed write in with this question — things are looking pretty bleak when a simple closet staple is becoming a victim of polarized politics. Read Natalie Sandoval’s column at The Daily Caller for the full breakdown.

Here are more links to what I’m reading and listening to lately:

• The Bizarre Scandal Threatening the Youngkin Legacy (The American Conservative): Spencer Neale examines the state of the state in Virginia.

• Shedding light: House Democrat urges brightness standards for ‘absurdly bright’ headlights (Washington Examiner): Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and the redditors she champions are right. The headlights are too damn bright.

• Taste The Rainbow, Ditch The Toxins: The Next Generation of Food Coloring Is Here (Evie Magazine): Andrea Mew writes about why the snacks you loved as a kid were probably bad for you — and how innovation will allow us to enjoy yummy, appealing snacks, guilt-free.

• The Man Behind Butterworth’s ft. Bart Hutchins (Moment of Truth): My husband Nick interviews Chef Bart Hutchins about his philosophy of food!

Ask Evie

Have a question you want me to answer in the newsletter? Click this link to send your question anonymously! You can read my most recent Ask Evie column, about friendships and political differences, by clicking here.