Jesse recently called me a “very unserious person” and this shocked me to my core, because I’m not sure anyone has ever given me a bigger compliment, and I thought I was boring and serious to a fault. It sent me careening deep into my own psyche to think about my perception of myself being so different to how others see me. It also made me think about what makes me happy, which then led me to deciding that I want to lean into the unserious part of myself in 2026.
I’m still workshopping the exact vision in my head but the overall energy I want to bring to 2026 is similar to what many people refer to as a “chaos goblin”, but with added whimsy and (non-destructive) insanity. Like... Gollum? But less cave freak and more party/playfulness?
I really need a Pinterest account and some people to help me build the vision board.
My 2026 vibe also includes liking what I like without shame. And no longer trying to prove I’m just like everyone else, but also not trying to prove I’m different and interesting. Just finally leaning into being me. Because I’ve been doing it way more lately, and the more I act like myself, the more joyfully stupid and appropriately “what the fuck are we even doing here?!” I feel. And I love love love that feeling.
I cannot believe we’re aware of our own existence and that we can experience love (???), and that instead of spending our time nurturing our home (and each other) with deep reverence, we’re building data centers.
On that note! This does not mean I will suddenly stop being Very Serious About Things That Require A Serious Attitude. Unfortunately for the fun™ fans, that part of me will never go away. What I’m going for here is a general sense of play and whimsy to carry me through The Horrors. The world is fucking bonkers right now, so I’m rising to the occasion and choosing to be a little bit bonkers too. Fuck it.
Oh wait: I also want to build lots of muscle this year. I want to get huge.
Anyway, we’re not here to talk about Whimsical Jacked Gollum Erica 2026. We’re here to talk about Towel Tuesday. Maybe the two are related. Idk.
Our previous house was too big for 2 people, and we occasionally had large groups of people stay with us. To make sure we were equipped for hosting, we over-indexed on many things, including beds, bedding, glassware, and towels.
This created a problem: When it’s almost impossible to run out of towels (and your towel laundry basket is as big as ours was), you can go a long time without realizing you need to wash them. The damp towels sitting at the bottom of the basket often sat there for weeks before getting washed. Weeks! Yuck.
And because it was so big, by the time the basket started to look full, it’d be 3+ large laundry loads worth. A full day (or more) of laundry. It was ridiculous.
However, as a certified housekeeping genius, I solved this problem in 2 ways:
Switch out the laundry basket for something smaller.
Find a way to remember to wash the towels more regularly.
My answer to Solution 2 was a mnemonic: Towel Tuesday.
If you would like to celebrate (yes, celebrate) Towel Tuesday with me, I have very kindly taken the time out of my day to lay out the rules below.
You don’t do Towel Tuesday, you celebrate Towel Tuesday. If you don’t know the difference, stop reading now and forget you even heard about Towel Tuesday.
Every Monday, say to your partner/friend/child/cat: “Guess what day it is tomorrow?” and regardless of whether they reply with “I’m not sure” or that it’s an important day (milestone birthday, wedding anniversary, September 11) you reply with an incredulous “um, no? It’s Towel Tuesday?!” and then act SUPER excited about Towel Tuesday. Bonus points if you ask them multiple times throughout the day if they’re excited about Towel Tuesday, and extra bonus points if you ask them so many times that they get angry at you.
If you have my number, send me a text wishing me a happy Towel Tuesday.
You’re allowed to start Towel Tuesday on Monday if the weather is better for hanging out the towels to dry. This also applies to Wednesdays, and every other day of the week. However if you’re not laundering your towels on Tuesday, you need to stand within earshot of your washing machine and say out loud “This week, I’m doing Towel Tuesday on [day]”. This is to avoid angering the mnemonic laundry day gods, who may curse you with bad sex for 5 years.
Wash your towels on Tuesdays! It’s fucking Towel Tuesday, not Towel Twhenever!
Never, ever, EVER ask why it’s Towel Tuesday and not Towel Thursday. (See point 4 re: angering the mnemonic laundry gods.) The alliteration is not the point and you should know better.
Where possible, dry towels on the line outside and not in a dryer. Your towels will be scratchy and crispy but they will feel more absorbent, which is the whole point. They will also smell better. However, dryers are acceptable when required (e.g. due to weather, laziness, humidity, or being North American).
If you can’t be fucked washing towels one week and you want to defer it, say (out loud – again, see earlier points about the mnemonic laundry gods) “hmm I think it’s actually Towel Tomorrow” each day until the day before you wash your towels.
Do not use fabric softener!!! It’s 2026!!!!!
Happy Towel Tuesday and thanks/sorry :)
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