Sunday, October 11, 2009

On being a homemaker

Once you start a blog, you are faced with the inevitable problem of finding something to blog about. For me, this often means feeling like I need to constantly come up with some new idea, re-do some furniture, or create something amazing. I can get so caught up in doing these “important” projects for the blog, that I have zero desire to tackle the very unglamorous day-to-day chores of housekeeping. After four straight Saturdays spent away from home, those unglamorous chores piled up to the point that ignoring them was no longer an option. So, I spent this Saturday playing housekeeper, and I learned some lessons about what is really important when it comes to making a house a home. Care to tag along?





















Mmmm, freshly washed and ironed clothes! I admit to dreading doing the ironing. There is really no way to rush this job. But, there is something satisfying about standing in a sunny window, methodically making something wrinkled look fresh and new. I don’t take enough time in my week to just be still, but ironing forces me to just be for awhile, and I think that is a very good thing.















Do you put off ironing because it’s such a pain to get out the ironing board? I started laying a folded towel on my kitchen counter instead. It saves me wrangling with the heavy board and motivates me to iron a little more often.

















Yay, for floors made fresh by a vacuum and scrub! I was so excited about these floors when they first went in, but now I’m so used to seeing them, that I forget how nice it is to have them. Spending a little time making them gleam like new, reminds me to appreciate my beautifully remodeled kitchen.


Crumb-free counters! I like to wipe mine down with a few sprays of vinegar water and a swipe with a microfiber cloth. Clean and green!
















Nothing is as comfy as a fresh bed with clean sheets!




















A few squirts of a lovely lavender spray make climbing into bed even more relaxing. It’s going to be hard to wake up early on Monday after a nice weekend of sleeping in a little!
















I have a dust allergy, so I should really take the time to dust everything more often. Saturday I took the time to dust every room, wipe down every surface, and clean every mirror and glass. The house is so fresh and sparkly!
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Just when I was starting to feel disappointed that I wouldn’t have time for any projects, because I had taken so much time cleaning, my sweet husband announced he was taking me out for dinner. Over a lovely meal at a new restaurant, he told me how much he appreciates everything I do to make our house a home. He thanked me for all the meals I cook, for keeping things neat, and for making the house, “look nice.” Y’all, I just about melted! It took these kind words from my dear husband to remind me that the little chores I think of as mundane tasks are just as important as the big projects. My husband is just as impressed by a clean house as he is by a huge room makeover. He’s just as thankful for a homemade dinner as he is for stylish décor (let’s be honest – he’s probably more thankful for the dinner!).
So, if like me, you sometimes feel like you have to do all this amazing stuff so you can blog about it, or have a beautiful house, or be a good homemaker, remember who you’re doing all of this for in the first place! As awesome as you all are, you don’t live in my house – Brad does. Take some time to do the little things that don’t seem that important, maybe even blog about some perfectly ordinary aspect of keeping house – because I bet those ordinary little things are appreciated more than you know!


<3
Hattie

11 comments:

Michelle said...

Hattie, I know what you mean! but you know what's silly? Having been living with my parents for so long, I really truly miss the mundane chores and keeping my home clean and cozy. Your post made me even more excited to get back in that role.

Now, these microfiber towels? Are they new? I've read about them twice today and was wondering what they were...

Tammy said...

thanks for putting it all back into perspective. It is the family afterall- not the projects that are important.

Dixie said...

I need a productive weekend like yours! I did get the living room all clean and shiney this weekend! Hey... It's a start!

Bunny Jean said...

I can't decide if I like writing blogs or just reading other people's blogs.

Either way, I find that I need to spend some time finishing all my projects... so I can blog about them! (hopeless)

I wrote a post the other day on how I am feeling overwhelmed as a new blogger. Definatly a love-hate relationship at this point.

Tracy said...

i had the exact same conundrum this weekend. i had lots of ideas of projects that i wanted to tackle b/c it's been so long since i've had a free weekend, but i spent a huge chunk of my time on laundry and cleaning, so i was really feeling bummed. thanks for such an encouraging post- it came just at the right time. xo!

Christen said...

LOVE the no-ironing-board needed tip!

Hattie said...

Michelle,

Microfiber cloths have been around long enough that I spotted them at the Dollar Tree last week. They are just super absorbent cloths, with sort of a static thing going on that helps attract and lock in dirt. You can wash them and use them over and over. I think some of them are even supposed to resist bacteria.They work best if you don’t put them in the dryer. I even saw a microfiber duster at the Dollar Tree! I need to go back and get one so I can stop spending so much on Swiffer dusters.

<3
Hatti

Tracy's mom said...

Hattie, isn't it awesome to have a husband that appreciates the "little things"? I think I'm a real nerd because I have the opposite problem in that I always want to have the house clean before I can relax and do the fun projects like scrapbooking, etc. Therefore, few projects get done!

Tracy's mom said...

Hattie, Isn't it awesome to have an encouraging husband? I think I must be a nerd because I always feel like the house has to be clean in order for me to start a project such as scrapbooking or such. I am also a little weird in that I actually do enjoy those daily, mundane tasks. I won't go so far as to say I enjoy scrubbing the toilets :), but I generally love keeping house.

Unknown said...

*STANDING OVATION*

This is one of those "hush-hush" topics around blogs, but I think it's just as important to dust furniture as it is to paint it. Thanks

trish said...

This is a fabulous post! It goes directly to the heart of being a homemaker. Some times I get intimidated by all the beautiful projects and makeovers that are going on and I am doing little bits here and there. But truly my heart is in my home, freshly painted and with finger prints. :o)
Happy New Year!
Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne