This week I started the Maytag, Messes and Meals series here on my blog. Since then, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I go about my responsibilities and work at having a right heart while doing them. Yes, I must work at that!
To be honest, this week when I attacked our PILE of dirty clothes after being gone for nearly a week, I started to moan inwardly. Then the Spirit of God brought to my mind how thankful I could be that I was now home and able to do laundry. Oh, that changed my attitude!!
There are simple methods we can employ to make all the work we do in the home sweeter and even easier. I’ve tried to be mindful this week about what those strategies are. Here’s my list that is truly helpful to me. I hope it helps you, too!
Ina Garten wrote this in one of her cookbooks regarding home ~
A good home should gather you up in his arms like a warm cashmere blanket, soothe your hurt feelings, and prepare you to go back out into that big bad world tomorrow all ready to fight the dragons.”
Refreshing your heart, HOME, and life have been my passion and inspiration here on my blog since 2008. I have LOVED being a homemaker for 42 years, and I am passionate about making my home inviting, organized and comfortable. It’s far from perfect, and I often drop the ball when it comes to home management. It takes intentionality, discipline, work and a whole lot of inspiration sprinkled in to keep me motivated! It’s not about perfection, but the spirit of welcome. I find that when my home gets disorganized or dirty, I don’t feel at home here, so how can I feel ready to welcome others inside my doors?! It’s then that I know it’s time to get things in hand!
While I was blessed to have great training ground from my own parents regarding cleaning and organizing while growing up, I realize that not every woman had that advantage, or perhaps it was there, but she was distracted by her education or simply a lack of interest. Now that she has a home of her own, she feels unequipped or frustrated because all the homemaking tasks are hard, or maybe even seem impossible. How can she ever figure out menu planning and grocery shopping so mealtime can be easier? How can her home ever get organized? What are the best ways to keep a home clean and tidy? She doesn’t know, and she feels embarrassed to seek out help.
I was blessed to have a mother who was home most all of my growing up years. I remember her presence in our home and what a warmth and security it created for me. When she wasn’t there, things just weren’t right. She created the cozy atmosphere, set the tone, kept things running smoothly and made it lovely.
A woman that has to work outside the home can do all those things; it will just take much more energy and effort. Some who ARE home struggle with loving it. It seems more like a cruel taskmaster that is breathing down their necks. Indeed, there is always something that needs our attention! But how do we deal with those responsibilities with joy, rather than dread?
I had also had my time in the Word and prayer, and my husband and I had also been guests on a podcast before 10:00! I was thankful that these things were done, because the rest of the day was also full of responsibilities. Not every day is as busy or productive and “My life is not about checking off boxes!” (I say to myself each day!).
My life is driven by my relationship with the Lord. I desire He direct my steps each day so that I can live my life for His glory. But God is a god of order and beauty, so that motivates me to live out each day in the same way. I don’t want to be driven by the constant demand of household chores and duties, but I desire to be the Keeper of my home so that it runs smoothly and efficiently.
In my years of homemaking, I have learned that the most adequate way to keep that happening is by having a daily routine. Most every bullet at the top of this post is done every single day of the week. I could do most of those things half asleep simply because it’s part of my daily routine.
Getting my day organized by doing the same things every day keeps my meals prepped, my laundry clean and the house in order. Here are some of the other things that I do every single day:
Put away my clothes when changing.
Clean up the kitchen after each meal.
Clear off any clutter from the kitchen counter.
Wipe down the stove top after cooking.
Spray the fridge, microwave and kitchen trash can with window spray.
Empty the trash.
Do one load of laundry.
Fold and put away the laundry as soon as possible after it’s dried.
Empty the litter box.
Sweep the floor.
Clean the main bathroom.
Straighten up the living areas (family room, living room).
The picture of my family room at the top of this post is my view while I’m writing. I did nothing to this room when I came in here today, and we use this room every day. It stays neat and clean, thanks to my daily routines. Without that, things would be a mess!
What do you need to add to your daily routine in order to be more effective as the keeper of your home? Make an evaluation of your “problem areas” then make a routine that will keep things in check. I’ve heard Whitney say many times that she has a routine for each day of the week – a day for laundry, a day for watering the plants, etc. That’s also helpful!
If I can give you suggestions or help, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments, or feel free to email me. My email address is in my contact page.
Here are some other cleaning posts (done in our previous home) that might spur you on to do some deep cleaning.
Sometimes it’s the simplest changes or additions that bring the greatest blessings! I’m starting a new series, Easy Does it, that I’ll feature every now and then of easy things that have made life better or a little easier in my home.
Let’s get started!
After being gifted a bushel of cucumbers, I decided to try my hand at 14-Day Pickles (wish me luck!). I attempted to gather all my ingredients, except I couldn’t find pickling salt on any store shelves! While I was on the search for the missing salt to make my first round of homemade pickles, my husband came across this Mrs. Wages 1 Step Pickling brine. It only takes 5 minutes to cut up the cucumbers and slide them into a clean jar! You let them set overnight and they’re ready to eat!
The result? They are delicious! The package costs a couple of dollars and makes one quart jar of pickles. They offer several different kinds of pickles and also salsa! If you’re not into canning but enjoy a good pickle, you need to try these! No canning is necessary. They’ll keep in your fridge a week. They do all the work and you get to take the credit! Five minutes work and eight hours to wait is it. That’s lots easier than my 14-day recipe!!
Mrs. Wages Pickling Brine makes making homemade pickles 5-Minutes of easy prep!
I’m laughing at my caption…it sounds like a commercial! But hey, they really are good!
2. It’s amazing to me how long I’ve had some of the items I use daily. Age does that, I hear! I’ve had a basket that I have used on my patio for probably more than 30 years. It’s super sturdy and is great as a tray for outside entertaining I usually set it in the middle of the patio table and keep a centerpiece on it, but I also use it to serve beverages and desserts. Recently I looked at it and realized that it had seen better days. I couldn’t get rid of it because the bones of the basket are still in great shape! So, I went to the utility shed and found a can of black spray paint…just the thing to give it new life! A few coats of paint and a couple hours later and it looked brand new!
That was easy!
Sooo much better!
3. Our outside back door rug also got my recent attention one day this week. Its cute little bicycle print had worn off of the surface, leaving just the bristles and dirt. Not long after, I was in Hobby Lobby and found their Spring decor marked down 75% off! They had all kinds of outdoor rugs to choose from! The one I found was only $5! It’s bright colors are perfect for the back porch and the design is still in season! It brightened up the doorway so much! That’s was a simple back porch improvement!
Liza approves, too!!
4. One morning this week when getting coffee cream out of the fridge, I noticed an area on a shelf that needed to be wiped off. An hour later the entire fridge had been completely emptied, shelves taken out, washed and returned to their places. Been there? When I returned the vegetables and fruits to their drawers, I thought how much better it would be to put something instead of paper towel there to catch the drips from berries and veggies. I had already placed two vinyl place mats on the bottom shelves and decided that would do the trick in the drawers, too! During my next trip to The Dollar Tree, I purchased two more vinyl place mats, cut them to the size of the drawer and placed them at the bottom where the drips will be easily wiped off simply by removing the place mat. The perk is that they’re colorful and pretty! That will be easier to keep clean!
These were four little ideas/changes that were so easy and made me smile this week! Is there one that inspired you?
Refresh yourself by being part of a solid Bible preaching church this weekned!
RefreshHer 