Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Busy homemaking day

I often wonder what some people think when they say things like "but you're just a homemaker, must be nice to stay at home and relax". HA!

While we do have the benefit of being in our home and surrounded by our things all day long, and if we're feeling unwell, we can lay down for a few minutes etc......homemaking is NOT exactly an easy job.  Ask any housewife or stay at home mom, matter of fact the term Stay at Home Mom kind of irks me in a way, it makes what we do seem so miniscule.  But that is a whole other post and a whole other can of worms.

I start my days at 5:30am and don't end them until 10pm.

I'm not sitting around doing nothing, matter of fact I always have something going on, something to do, something to clean, something to tidy up.  There are days that I end up not doing everything that needs to be done because there just aren't enough hours in the day.  And these are the summer days, when school time comes around add in school work on top of every other task.

But though my words above may give the impression that I'm complaining, I am really not.  See, I grew up surrounded by wonderful women who always taught me about housework, who instilled in me a joy for being a homemaker, for wanting to take care of my family, for making cute things for the home, cooking and even appreciating cleaning because it's not just a chore....it's about providing for your family and since I don't have a job outside the home, this is MY job and by golly I will do it right and take pleasure in it.

I strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman.  It's not easy, oh boy is it not easy, but I think it's definitely something to strive for.

So I had a busy homemaking day, just how I like it :)

Starting with breakfast which for me was just a yogurt this time

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and while I ate breakfast and drank my coffee, I painted my nails a bright neon orange, just because :)

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piles and piles of laundry were washed and hung out to dry, and removed and ironed and folded etc.

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bread for dinner was set on the counter to rise

Homemade Hamburger Buns

and boy was it good. There is nothing like homemade and if you're having burgers, take the time to make yourself some homemade buns, you won't regret it

Homemade Hamburger Buns

while the laundry dried and the dishes washed in the dishwasher, I sat down for a few minutes to post some recipes on the food blog, like this one for Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

and this one for Country Club Chicken, which you HAVE to try

Country Club Chicken

after vacuuming and sweeping and while the kids ate lunch, I quickly traced some embroidery patterns onto some kitchen towels I am making

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aren't they adorable? You can download the pattern from Alicia at Posie gets Cozy, right here.

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while stepping outside to gather the laundry from the line, this cloud caught my attention, it looks like a kitty to me

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dinner time rolled out pretty fast and before I knew it, I was back in the kitchen fixing burgers

Herb & Cheese Stuffed Burgers

these are fantastic, check out the Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burgers recipe on Full Bellies, Happy Kids :) And they go perfectly with those homemade buns :)

Herb & Cheese Stuffed Burgers

dinner dishes done, kitchen cleaned up and swept, showers taken and the day is coming to an end

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another full day of homemaking, another day of smiles on my family's faces and another quick prayer thrown up thanking God for his blessings

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but my day wasn't over, because there was still laundry to fold and put away, and that I did, sitting in my pj's, on my comfy bed, watching my show on TV.

I guess what I'm trying to convey is that homemaking chores don't need to be boring.  You don't HAVE to sit there folding laundry staring at nothing.  If you have a laptop, do what I do, find a cute movie or a show on Netflix or Hulu or whatever, and watch it while you iron, fold, put away laundry.

Turn on the radio to some music while you vacuum or sweep or mop....dance, sing, who cares if someone sees you.

Go outside to hang laundry, but take a moment to breathe in the fresh air, listen to the birds, look up at the sky and see the stunning clouds or the cars driving by.

Do the dishes, pray, think, ponder.

Everything you do, do it with pleasure, do it with a smile on your face and you'll notice that you will start enjoying it more.

Cleaning toilets?  Be thankful you HAVE a toilet to clean.
Washing floors?  Be thankful you HAVE a wooden floor and not dirt to step on.
Dusting all the knick knacks?  Be thankful you HAVE so many cute things in your home.
Tripping over kid's toys?  Be thankful you HAVE kids, be thankful you HAVE toys to trip over for far too soon there will be none.

Just be thankful...I think that's the key.  :)

I leave you with a question.  What kind of a homemaker are you?  A Happy Homemaker?  Or a rebellious frustrated homemaker who is still struggling with enjoying the daily chores?

God Bless,

23 comments:

Unknown said...

olá Sandra,uma ame a tempo inteiro como nós temos sempre que fazer. beijos

NITA said...

My Mom was a stay at home Mom and yes she worked hard too & told me often she could be out there working so we could get the finer things in life but she chose to be there with a smiling face when we came home from school...Thanks for being a caring Mom...

Anita Philipps said...

I LOVE this post. You said perfectly what I am working on being....a happy, humble homemaker. I'm going to share this.

Stacey Nicole said...

I love this post (I have been working on a post about my being a SAHM, but cannot seem to get it together like I want), but especially the last part about being thankful for the things you may want to complain about. I find myself complaining about, say, the dishes (as I am the dishwasher) but then I realize we are blessed to have dirty dishes because that means we have food to eat. That being said, some days I do struggle to enjoy the daily chores. I would much rather have a messy house with toys scattered around because that means I have happy, busy kids, but when I step on a toy barefoot, well, I do get mad.

Sandra said...

Stacey, I think we are all allowed to be NOT so happy homemakers once in a while LOL Yes the chores get monotonous, yes stepping on toys over and over is a pain in the foot LOL....but overall, I think the attitude needs to be one of thankfulness and joy, so those little moments where we do not feel so joyful about our work do not over shadow everything else :)

Christine said...

Thanks for this, Sandra. You gave me some good things to think about today. I really struggle with motivation to get the housework done. I've never had anyone comment about my being home, though, so I've never had to defend it.

crowned4him said...

Thanks for sharing,I kind of lost my focus for a few days,still not sure what happened.After reading today post,it brought things back into view.

So back to work I go.

Mandi said...

I love your upbeat attitude and point of view :) I sometimes find myself going stir crazy from being home all the time. I also get easily overwhelmed with all the tasks that need to be completed around the house. I long for more hours in the day to relax and spend with my family.

Conny said...

after 6 years of having to work outside the home and then returning back to home, I can truly say I soooooooooooo appreciate being a homemaker. I took my first stint as a homemaker with my oldest 2 babies for granted - now I love every day!!!! :)

Jennifer said...

I love reading your blog. I appreciate the gratitude you approach every day. Some weeks I feel genuine gratitude for the chores but mostly I am tired and I have another thing to check off before going to bed. Keep sending your positivity though, I am hopeful I will catch it!

Amy said...

I so enjoyed my time at home....18 years. I have been back in the "working world" for 8 years now, but I'm counting the minutes until I'm home again. I LOVE being a homemaker...it's where my heart truly is.

Amy

Unknown said...

What an incredibly fantastic blog. So truthful :)

Carey's Farmhouse Kitchen said...

Great post Sandra, it took me a few years to feel this way but I do now. Even though I'm working part-time I still am a stay at home mom in my heart!

jolene's spot said...

Thanks Sandra. I can always come to your blog for encouragement and comfort and that is just what I needed today:)

Suellen Roley said...

I'm not a homemaker. But I work from home because I can't find an outside job. And I am grateful to have a home because I've been thisclose to homeless for 2-3 years now.

And my unemployment runs out next week. I'm stressed. When I'm stressed, I send resumes and apply for jobs like its going out of style. LOL

Sarah said...

I am a frustrated homemaker, lol! Having had to go back to work after hubs taking a cut in his wages I work part-time at my girls' school. So I am frustrated because I find it so tiring to do that and look after home.

BUT, I am so grateful to God, I have a job at my girls' school (though Chatterbox is moving onto high school in Sept), it is only part-time, I can walk to my job, the people I work with on the whole are lovely and it is a fun place to work. PLUS, being only part-time I still get a bit of time to do the housey things I love to do.

One day, just one day, maybe we will be able to manage on one wage again, and then bliss!

You inspire me to be a better homemaker. Hugs xxxx

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post! Being at home with 3 young children can sometimes be hard, especially at the moment while my husband is away in the Middle East on business but its always a good reminder to be thankful for all that we have.....I am blessed in so many ways and you've reminded me of that!

Anna said...

This is my dream! I So want to be a happy homemaker some day.

Tammy ~ Country Girl at Home ~ said...

Sandra,

I am SO thankful to be home with my kids and have raised all of them. I am thankful. Of course, there are days when it does seem so mundane, but I truly do stop and consider the blessings and again I'm SO thankful. I wouldn't trade it for working ANYWHERE!

Thanks for such a sweet and uplifting post! Love your sky pics (again)! :)

Tammy

Lois Christensen said...

Beautiful post! I loved all the recipes you shared and am going to check them out soon! I love how you explained what you do all day!

Margo said...

Just reading this post calmed and gave me joy for my day. It's too easy to take the privilege of being at home with my kids for granted. Thank you.

Liz said...

Love this post! My mom was a stay at home mom and it wasn't until I became a mom myself did I realize the sacrifices she made for us kids and what all we went without. We ate a lot of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (yuck) and my mom would whip out her sewing machine to make us clothes. We didn't realize it at the time, but what she did was really special. My relationship with my mother can be complicated, but I will always love and respect her especially for what she did for us growing up. I hope to do the same for my kids.

Unknown said...

There is no greater joy than watching your children grow and learn, especially when you are the one teaching them. Staying at home to raise your children is indeed a very rewarding experience. Many parents would love to leave the daily grind of full time work in order to raise their own children. Consider these points to help you make your decision.

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