Monday Motivation - Homemaking

I recently joined a group called 'The Vintage Housewife'. It's all about embracing the lifestyle associated with women from the 1950's era. For me, being a vintage housewife isn't about slaving in the kitchen or tottering beneath a heavy armload of laundry. It's about cultivating a lifestyle of grace, friendliness, manners, efficiency, style, and nurturing my family. These are all adjectives that come to mind when I think of a 1950's wife/mom.

Years ago, I read a book by Emily Barnes called MORE HOURS IN YOUR DAY. I'd always been a fairly organized person, but for me, cleaning sometimes meant I shoved things behind closed doors to make the 'surface' look tidy. And the underlying mess hidden within the walls of my house mirrored the tangled mess my life had become.

As I read Mrs. Barnes' book, I began a method of gaining control. For me, I absolutely love making lists and Things To Do cards. I bought some index cards and a box to store them. I labeled the dividers into Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-Annual, Annual, Storage, and Recipes. A specific task was written on the card and placed behind the appropriate label. Here is a sample of my Weekly Task Cards.

MONDAY
-Change bed linens

-Laundry

10:00 Moms Who Care Prayer Group

TUESDAY

-Ironing

1:00 Prayer with Kelly

WEDNESDAY

-vacuuming

-dusting

-wash floors

7:30 Home Fellowship

THURSDAY

-grocery shopping

-baking

-water plants

FRIDAY

-banking
-paperwork for business (submit orders)

SATURDAY

-menu plan
-make ahead meals

SUNDAY

The Lord's Day

Enjoy Fellowship

10:30 - 12:30 Church

12:30 - 2:30  Lunch!

My boys each had their own list of chores which had to be completed Saturday morning before they could go and play with their friends. Hubby took care of the outside of the house and any repairs needed. Obviously, when he was away on deployment the outside of the house fell to me, but I didn't mind because when he was home he often helped with my 'inside' chores. And he brought me coffee in bed, which he still does to this day if he's up before me. How I love that man!

Over the years the list has been revised. Most of our clothes don't require ironing, so that has become of thing of the past and I no longer sell Tupperware, so I don't have to submit orders. Please note: This does not preclude me from continuing to buy Tupperware. *snicker*  I'm also retired so I'm home all the time, which makes it easy to get my household tasks done in a more leisurely fashion.

However, homemaking and the vintage lifestyle is so much more than cleaning and daily tasks. It about creating a safe haven for your family. A place where they know they can relax and find peace after a hard day of work or school. Homemaking is a loving act of service. I'm telling my family they have value in my life and they are important to me.