photo credit: @gaellemarcel
I stole this blog post idea from Engie, who blogged about this earlier this year. I love sharing – and learning – random things about people.
… go to the office/place of work?
Well, I haven’t been to the office in 40+ days, but I USUALLY go to the office four days a week (I work four 10-hour days). As you might recall, I used to be 75% remote (three days at home, one in the office) ever since we returned from full-time remote work after the pandemic. I had hoped to keep this schedule forever until we were all ordered to RTO (return to office) earlier this year with basically ZERO flexibility to work from home now. It sucks. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy going to the office occasionally, but most of the people that I work with are NOT in my office, so I am on Teams calls most days and I only have a cubicle, so the office setup is not ideal for me to begin with. And not having any flexibility to work from home in a job that is absolutely doable from home for any reason other than natural disasters is wild to me in 2025.
… text your best friend? Your parents? Your siblings? Your children?
My BFF and I usually text daily. Even though she’s not local to me, it makes me feel like she is. I also text my parents almost daily. We have a family WhatsApp group (which includes my parents, my sister, my BIL, and my cousin and his wife), and it’s very heavily used. We like to be in touch with each other. We also have a smaller family WhatsApp group, which just includes my parents, my sister, and me. I usually also text my sister a couple of times a week, although a lot of our communication goes through both family chat groups. I do not have children.
… vacuum the floor? Clean the shower? Completely replace the litter?
I vacuum the floor once a week. I probably could do it more often, but I don’t. It’s a weekend chore for me. Since we don’t have pets, it doesn’t get that dirty.
I don’t clean the shower on a regular schedule, but our shower has glass doors, so I regularly (a few times per week) use glass cleaner and a squeegee. I also rinse down the shower walls after showering. I actually scrub the tile on the floor maybe once a month.
Sadly, I don’t have any pets and live vicariously through all of you who have pets (although I am not sad I don’t have to deal with litter boxes).
… read a book?
It varies. I have phases where I read daily, but I have to admit that I’ve been in a reading slump this year. I am hoping to change that again soon, because I love reading and it helps me get out of my own head.
… go “shopping”?
If we’re talking about “grocery shopping”, I go once a week. I used to be on a bi-weekly schedule during the pandemic, which I loved, but I have changed back to a weekly grocery run. I am very mission-oriented and rarely go “shopping” just to look around. I usually have a list and go straight for the items on my list. (I hate when stores reorganize their shelves and move stuff around, because I write my list out according to the store layout. Tell me, you do that, too!)
How often do you do these things?
I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2025
Links to the Participants List. Happy Writing!
NGS
November 10, 2025 at 1:57 pmI go to the office five days a week. It’s *possible* for me to work from home a day a week, but I really do need to be in my office to meet with students and hold drop-in office hours.
I text my best friend weekly and my sister as infrequently as I can!
I’m always reading a book (usually two or three!).
Birchie
November 10, 2025 at 2:15 pmYes! Let’s do this!
– Work from office! Never!!! I was remote from March 13, 2020 to Oct 31, 2025 and now I don’t work at all!!! Wheeeee!!!
– Text – Hubs gets a few texts a day, everyone is in as needed/infrequent.
– Vacuum & clean shower – weekly
– Read a book – a little bit most days
– Go shopping – I hit the grocery store a few times a week
Elisabeth
November 10, 2025 at 2:26 pm– Work from office! Never. I haven’t worked on-site in years. I work part-time from home. Sometimes I WISH I had an office space off-site to create some separation between work and home.
– Text: my husband every day, my best friend almost every day, some family member probably once/week.
– Vacuum & clean shower – I tend to vacuum some surface daily; I hate cleaning the shower and just do it whenever it gets to the point of desperation.
– Read a book – almost every day.
– Go shopping – I go to a grocery store an average of 3x/week, I’d say.
coco
November 10, 2025 at 2:35 pmfun!
1. I go at 4-5 times a week with flexibility.
2. weekly
3. never as we have someone who works at home
4. daily, even if it’s just few min
5. groceries weekly, others infrequently. I prefer online shopping than in person
Tobia | craftaliciousme
November 10, 2025 at 2:45 pmWhat a fun post idea. I could steal that too but instead I drop some quick answers:
1 – never. I am self-employed and do what I want. But I occasionally visit clients offices and I usually enjoy the change of scenery.
2 – not as often. weekly? but not always. I rarely text with my best friend. We set monthly dates and just check in a day prior if we are still set.
3 – vaccuming: daily in the kitchen, weekly all rooms, shower: well I am aiming for every two weeks but its a rather new development
4 – daily, during the night when insomnia hits, in the mornings, at night, maybe during lunch
5 – when ever I need something or have the car to do some bigger shoping
Nicole MacPherson
November 10, 2025 at 2:56 pmI don’t really work, so I guess my answer is N/A to number one. Unless you mean my home office to write, then I would say four days a week.
I text friends several times a week and some of them I text more than once a day. My husband and I text if we are in different places and I need to ask him a question. My kids, one of them lives with us so I text him only when I’m travelling or if I have a question and he’s at work. My other son, I probably text him once or twice a week.
I both vacuum the floor and clean the shower almost every day. The floors get really dirty with Rex.
I read a book every day.
I shop for regular groceries once a week, and Costco every 2-3 weeks. As for other shopping, it’s maybe a couple of times a year!
Joyce
November 10, 2025 at 3:24 pm1. I work in the ICU so 100% in “the office”. 5 days, 44 hours a week.
2. I text my husband multiple times a day; siblings and children also. we have group text threads going.
3. since my husband retired he vacuums….so I have to do a thorough job once a month if I can stand it that long lol. The shower is exactly what Elisabeth said. I LOLed at that one.
4. I read every day on breaks, at lunch, and before bed. I read more on weekends.
5. Shopping is the same as you. Groceries are once a week. If I need to actually “GO” shopping I make a beeline towards the item and get out as quickly as possible.
J
November 10, 2025 at 4:16 pmLOL, that photo made me think the person was on the toilet. Sorry.
1. I have worked 100% from home since 2006. I had a scare last year where they were going to make us come into the office, even though we had never been there, and it’s at least an hour each way, and like you, we would have been on Teams, our people don’t work in this location. Thankfully people rebelled, so still working from home. I’m sorry that you are stuck doing this, it’s stupid.
2. I text people if I have something to tell them or ask them, so that one varies a lot.
3. Team Elisabeth.
4. I read a physical book at bed time. I listen to books on my morning walks and while cooking. I recently discovered that I can listen to a book while I do my strength training, and THAT boring task just got 50% better.
5. I go shopping almost every day. Working from home means I don’t see people, and I like to get out. Also, I hate having to plan ahead. I used to be fine with it, made a menu, did the shopping on the weekend. And if I didn’t work from home, I would go back to that.
I hope you can get back to reading. I go through phases where I can’t concentrate, usually if something difficult is going on. Then reading doesn’t appeal to me. Perhaps that’s where you are?
Tierney
November 10, 2025 at 4:24 pm1. 100% in-office although a few clinic days will have scattered telehealth appointments. I don’t really like telehealth- it always feels slightly awkward. Also, a lot of what I do depends on the physical exam so it can be challenging. But telehealth is great for a talk-only folllow-up.
2. I don’t have a regular texting pattern. My husband and I a few times a week, same with most friends. My family will send a flurry of nieces/nephews photos at times, but it’s very sporadic.
3. Our very un-smart vacumn robot goes around once a week. In general, we’re a weekly chore type of couple
4. I’ve been reading more after a pretty low-reading-for-fun Summer. Just finished Heart the Lover for Wednesday’s book club and I loved it, but I’m a sucker for Lily King
5. Maybe twice a week? One of my work sites is in a shopping center with a grocery store, so that makes it very easy
Lindsay
November 10, 2025 at 5:35 pmI go into the office 2 days a week as required by our RTO plan. I used to think I’d add on a day, but now that the puppy is at home, so am I!
Texting is my preferred form of communication. I text my close friends 4-5 days a week, even if it’s just a hello or a quick “I know you’re out there in the world.”
We vacuum on weekends unless there’s a disaster. Same with the bathrooms!
I read a bit every day, but more on weekends.
I am not a shopper, but my daughter is. I’d say I end up in a store 2-3 times a month.
Melissa
November 10, 2025 at 6:29 pm1. I’ve worked remotely since I started doing this job. The only time I worked in the office was when our new Finance Manager started work, so I spent two weeks in the office training her.
2. I text people as needed, so it is sporadic. For some, we have group chats. I actually don’t text that much.
3. I do a quick vacuum through the whole house once a week and every month a thorough vacuum under everything as well. Shower once a week, but we all squidgy the glass before we hop out of the shower every time.
Martha
November 10, 2025 at 7:24 pm-I’m currently retired, no office for me these days.
-My best friend and my children and I generally text daily.
-I clean the floors, bathrooms and kitchen thoroughly the day after I watch my grandkids each week.
-I currently can’t see to read until I have eye surgery. I like to read a book a day, but of course that depends on my schedule.
– I usually go to the grocery store twice a week. Other than that I really dislike shopping and don’t do it unless I absolutely have to.
Ernie
November 10, 2025 at 7:54 pm1. I run a daycare in my home, so some days I wish I had an office I could commute to. Kidding. I’m always at home.
2. My folks don’t have cell phones. I call them or pop in and visit them a few times a week. They’re walking distance. I text Coach multiple times a day, usually we are talking about who is driving who where after school and can you get this at the store. Older kids – they text me at varying frequencies depending on in college or in busy job or in high school.
3. the floor gets vacuumed once a week and the kitchen floor swept a bit more often depending. Our shower gets cleaned about every other week.
4. I read for a few minutes before I fall asleep at night. More in the summer or when I’m traveling and can relax. No daycare.
5. I do Costco every other week and usually groceries every week, but I’m test piloting a program where Coach does the groceries once a week. Hmm. time will tell if he catches on to my sinister plan. ;)
Anthea
November 10, 2025 at 9:19 pmThis is such a fun post!
1.) 1 day a week – I live far from the office (moved a few years ago). We spend around 4+ hours driving in total per day in office otherwise I’d do more days.
2.) I text my parents and sister a couple of times a week. Every Friday but also during the week.
3.) I try vacuum 2x a week. We don’t have pets so sometimes 1x a week.
4.) Most days I’ll read – even if it is just a few pages.
5.) We shop for a few days at a time so instead of a weekly shop we’ll go 3 – 4 times a week.
Michelle G.
November 11, 2025 at 4:44 am1. I live on a ranch, so no need to go to an office. Yay!
2. I text my husband and my family a lot. It’s so convenient!
3. I vacuum at least once a week, but at certain times of year, I have to vacuum our entryway more than once a day. Mud!
4. I read a little every day. I’m a slow reader. I love audiobooks, which I listen to for about an hour each day.
5. I shop once a week, usually the day after the weekly ad comes out at my local store. I get all the good deals! And yes, I do organize my list by the store’s layout!
Jenny
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 amOoh, I was dreading the housekeeping questions, ha ha. To all of them- not as often as I should, and not on a regular schedule. Oops.
I work in person 5 days a week- for obvious reasons, my job can’t be done remotely.
Grocery shopping- one big shop a week and one or two other times that I stop in at the store to get extra items.
I read every day! That’s probably why I don’t have time to vacuum : )
Lisa's Yarns
November 11, 2025 at 6:40 amI gotto the office 3 days/week when I’m not traveling for work. Work travel counts as days in the office, so I would say most months I’m in the office 6 days total maybe?
I don’t have a regular cadence for texting my parents – I text them most often on the weekend when I have pics of the kids to share while we are out and about. I don’t really have a best friend right now… I have a lot of friends but not one that I consider my bestest friend. I am in a whatsapp group chat w/ friends and I usually post a comment every 1-3 days.
I do not vacuum or do anything cleaning, generally speaking. Phil has agreed to clean our house since he refuses to hire a housecleaner. We currently have one that was gifted to us from coworkers and I am hoping he decides it’s worth the expense. He tends to sweep the floors in the kitchen as needed, which is about a daily occurence.
I read every day. It’s like breathing to me – it happens without me even thinking about doing it. It’s just so ingrained in me!
I shop intermittently. Phil does our weekly grocery shop on Sat mornings while I take the boys to do something (we usually go to the library). I will grab things during the week as needed if we run out of something or if something was out of stock when he was grocery shopping.
I probably/maybe come off as a lazy wife… but we take a divide and conquer approach when it comes to things like grocery shopping. It’s more pleasant for him to shop alone than to take a child along with him. And the cleaning decision is a real pain point. I wish he would agree to hire cleaners. He is out of the house for 10+ hours 4-5 days/week and our weekends are quite full. I think paying for a cleaner is completely justified but he is stubborn about this!
Suzanne
November 11, 2025 at 9:07 amMy paid work is next to non-existent so I guess never. But I do spend a ton of my time in my home office daily, writing or trying to write or not writing.
I text or email my mom daily, I have a friend I text with multiple times per day, and my husband and I text throughout the day. Most other friends I talk to several times a week or once a week, but the venue (text, phone, in person) varies.
I vacuum multiple times per week. My cat sheds so much! There is fur everywhere! EVERYWHERE!
I read every day, but sometimes reading is listening to an audiobook.
Let’s see. I go grocery shopping at least once a week. Once a month or so I might go wander around some shops, picking things up that I want and then (usually) putting them down before I leave. There’s usually a Costco run every 6-8 weeks, more if I can swing it, and a trip to Pet Smart every two or three weeks. I try to avoid Target if at all possible, but I probably end up there a couple times a month.
Stephany
November 11, 2025 at 4:29 pm1) I am fully remote and there’s not even an office to go to, so never!
2) I text my mom daily, my brother a few times a week, and my best friends a few times a week.
3) Vacuum once a week… clean the shower once a month
4) I read every day!
5) Grocery shopping is once a week
Tanja Jordan
November 18, 2025 at 5:59 am– going to the office each and every day, and I love it – I wouldn’t be a good WFH employee (I think)
– my BFF gets bombarded with texts and daily emails – it’s a ‘lifeline’ for me
– with two dogs, one of them being a long coated German Shepherd, I have to vacuum at least once a day; the shower will get a deep clean once a week (or so)
– On my fourth book of the year, wish I would be more persistent with reading
– grocery shopping obviously happens multiple times a week (living in walking distance to a discounter store is helpful) but shopping-shopping gets less important by the day for me.
Anne
November 30, 2025 at 8:31 amLate to the party, but love the questions, so here you go:
1. Depends on the week. During the semester, 2-4 days in office with one precious WFH day.
2. Parents – daily. Brother – nearly daily. I don’t have a BFF, but do text one friend (from among several) probably once/day, on average.
3. Vacuuming – every couple of weeks, but swiffering, every 2-3 days. I only have 2 braided rugs, no pets, and don’t wear shoes in the house, so don’t have to vacuum as much as I did before (once/week).
4. Every day. I have 2 audiobooks at all times (non-fiction and fiction), 1 e-book for bedtime reading, and usually 1 print book.
5. Every couple of weeks. It’s just me, and I don’t eat a lot, so there you go. :)