Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The Homemaker who isn't HOME

How to be a homemaker
when you're not home:


It's not about whether you stay home
or whether you work,
it's about having a HEART to nurture your loved ones
in a home sweet home.

(This image used from Etsy)

This is for the wives, moms, and all the sweet girls! Snuggle up with a fluffy pillow for a few because I want to share a bit of my heart and some tips too!

Are you a home-MAKER?
A homemaker is someone who makes a house a home
with beauty in the details and peace in the heart,
it's that simple.


I want to focus on the working girls today
, providing some tips to make it easier to create a home when you work! I am a wife and mom who works as a home school teacher at home. However, in the recent past I was a girl who worked outside the home. I managed a little health club in our town working long {lots of extra!!} hours! I can relate to the insanity of honestly having zero time to even think about the silly details of life like "what colors coordinated best with the table setting I was preparing for guests...who cares!...just set the table."
Yes, I GET it.

Women wear lots of hats...
(Image used from Google)


Whether you're a Mom, or a Wife, or simply a Sweet Girl, women undoubtedly carry a strong influence over the tone of the household. We should guard this fact with respect, never abusing it or neglecting it. Take it as a treasure in our hands and find ways to utilize the opportunity to create beauty and peace within our homes.



Beauty is in the DETAILS (part 1)

and peace is in the HEART (part 2)




PART ONE: Beauty is in the Details


~ Right before your shower or your bedtime routine do a quick house sparkle. You just need 10 minutes. Run through the house with a pretty woven basket and put all loose clutter in the basket. Keep a big duster in the basket and as you're moving along quickly dust the highly visible tops of furniture. Take a mini vacuum and vacuum the entry quickly. Scrub your kitchen sink and polish it with a dishcloth.

~ When you come home from work don't set all your stuff in the doorway. Delegate a special spot in the house for your purse/briefcase, coat, keys, etc and PUT THEM away OUT OF SIGHT as soon as you get home! This mentally prepares you for HOME and you don't have reminders of work staring at you.

~ Light a mildly scented candle in the winter or spray some Febreze freshener in the Summer. Don't use the candles in warmer months. It makes the air feel too heavy.

~ Only start a 2nd load of laundry if your 1st load is completely finished and put away. (I'm talking to ME here!)

~If you are desperately short on time on a consistent basis you should buy small rectangle laundry baskets. When you fold your laundry sort the newly folded clothes in different baskets. Then set the baskets in your closets and use clothes right out of the basket. This saves a super busy girl the extra step of putting everything away!

~ So you work 100 hours a week and home decorating is something you only see in magazines. That's okay. Buy some cut flowers at the grocery store and set them center of your table.
And actually, in a busy household LESS IS MORE with home decor. Don't over do the accessories. It is just more stuff to clean. Find a cozy lamp and a stack of pretty books and maybe add a favorite thing or two to your rooms.

~Clean is the best decor for a beautiful home! If you can't keep what you have clean, please don't buy more.



Obviously, this list is just a start to creating beauty in your home sweet home.

Next up...

Part Two: Peace is in the heart

~ If you're stressed or frazzled seriously lock yourself in the bathroom for 60 seconds and take 10 deep breaths s.l.o.w.l.y. Really. This helps. Don't flight around the house sharing your agony with the household.

~ Absolutely cook in bulk! This is a huge time saver that will calm your spirit. Make your meals on the weekend. Make a stack of sandwiches and cut up veggies. Seal it all in Tupperware and have them ready in the fridge! If you don't like to cook, use a Meal Prep kitchen near you. (I will be doing a post on this in the near future!)

~ Use a planner and take an hour each Sunday (or your day off) to think ahead through the week.

~ Books. Yes. Even if you're not reading them you should put an exciting Summer novel on the nightstand or stand a worn classic proudly by the fireplace. It will bring peace. Books just do that. Think library.

~ Calm your anxious heart. Take a few minutes a day to pray or dig into the Word. Bible verses are soothing and comforting for all hearts.

~ Refuse negative thoughts. A depressed and down spirit smothers the entire household with a heaviness that is difficult to lift. Think of your thankful list to help fight off negativity.

~ Create a quiet place. I would even say no to soft music. You are out in the clamor of the world all day. Quiet your home sweet home. Save the music for the weekend. Turn all loud distractions off when the family is home together at night. Allow your mind to rest. Quiet peace is good...just a reminder to our generation. ;)


A place of beauty and peace
(Image from country living)

Remember, you have the power to create
a haven,
or a hell,
or just a half-hearted home.


What have you chosen?

As women, we have the responsibility to build a retreat within our walls for each member who abides there. Please don't take that duty lightly. Our children will have forever memories of the house we made for them. Our husbands value a truly feminine woman who will create beauty with her hands and spread peace with her heart, making a home sweet home.

SO. Go tomorrow,
leave for work to use your sharp intellect in the world making a difference!
BUT. return tomorrow
and finish your work in the hearts of those who love you and trust you to make a house of beauty as a
home-MAKER.

26 comments:

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

That was a wonderful post....it takes so little time to make a huge difference...

cmcscraps said...

Hi I found you on There must be more to live then dishes and laundry and really enjoyed your post today. I am a fulltime working mom with 2 teens and someone who loves to keep a nice home, and craft. But working, house and kids do eat up what ever time is left more me. I do cook on weekends and it makes my weeks so much less stressful when it comes meal time. I am going to follow you and if you would like come by and visit sometime. www.cmcscrap.blogspot.com

Ruby Red Slippers said...

I Love this, Lisa!

This was very inspiring-I need to come back and read it again-It is the little things that make the difference,and even your idea of keeping the duster in the basket as you pick up at night-that was great!
I love making my house a home-and more ideas the better...
LOVED this!

Abby Killam said...

This is probably my BIGGEST weakness... I give EVERYTHING and more to my demanding job- fighting the good fight for my little kiddos... but I come home and I am done. I don't want to do anything more because I have given it all away. That isn't fair to my husband or my little pets. I need to save some of that energy to be happy, helpful and present when I get home (no matter what time that is)...
Thanks for the reminder... I will keep working on this one

Unknown said...

This post is so inspiring I'm gonna link to you from my blog today. You're a gem.
-Jillian

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Lisa, I really, REALLY needed this today. Thanks! Life for me has been a crazy ride lately, and this is a comfort. I am going to take you up on your suggestions. I think it will be a big help.

XO,

Sheila :-)

Nancy at EmbroideryIt.com said...

What a beautiful post. I am just starting my own podcast about Making Our Home a Haven. I just think this is really important for women, families, and for marriages.
Blessings,
Nancy

Kelly Miller said...

I am very blessed to have a husband who is my equal and who pulls 50 percent of the home-weight. When I was exhausted on Valentine's day and had still more work to do, he sat down and helped write out Valentines and hung a heart banner and baked heart shaped cookies with the kids.

A woman's "place" isn't always to make the home. Sometimes, it's to create, accept, and encourage the environment in which "home" flourishes -- no matter who "makes" it.

Annikke said...

This was a wonderful post and a much needed one for me today! Thank you!

kTb said...

okay so I'm an at home and works IN the home and I love, Love, LOVE the tip about not starting a 2nd load of laundry until the first one is put away!!
So often I get overloaded with basket after basket of clean laundry that needs to be folded and put away or ironed because I let is set too long and will no longer be doing that.
Even if it means I get one or two loads done at a time, I will put away (or iron) BEFORE I start that 2nd load!!
I also like the tip about being stressed or frazzled and going off to be by myself to keep the calm while I destress.
VERY GOOD STUFF!!!

sarahgrace said...

What a GREAT post, Lisa! Thanks for sharing!
I will be doing a "house sparkle" just before I hop into the shower today. :-)

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Kirsty said...

What a beautiful post! Thank you so much for taking the time to post it.

I wish I could make a bumper sticker of this

"~Clean is the best decor for a beautiful home! If you can't keep what you have clean, please don't buy more."

Oh AMEN SISTAH. I know so many people for whom this is such a problem. It is almost as if they buy more to avoid cleaning or in the hopes that that extra thing will somehow bring order out of chaos. So many people clutter up their homes with organizing books/equipment/containers...

Thanks again. I love your blog!

Ellen said...

such a nice post!

Its So Very Cheri said...

Hey Lisa-
There is a reason I haven't been around--I have been really busy.

I just wanted to let you know that I have moved my blog to my new site www.itssoverycheri.com
I need to ask you, to please go over and RE-SIGN up to follow me over there. Google won't let you take your Followers with you so you are no longer getting my info in your reader, unless you have gone over and signed up. Sorry if you have already done so, I am trying to go back and forth between both blogs as well as my new e-mail and my old e-mail.
I have lots of fun things going on over at the new blog, so I hope you will hop on over and check it all out.

I also have a new give-a-way starting tomorrow.
Cheri www.itssoverycheri.com

Tracy: said...

These are some good words of wisdom..RICH! Thanks!! : )

Mary Ellen said...

Love this post! I'm a working home keeper (work full-time outside of the home). But I also treasure the time I spend making our home a haven and nurturing those who reside within its walls.

Blessings,

Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

Fresh blooms and scented candles are total miracle works. Fabulous post!

'Becca said...

Thank you so much for this post! I work full-time outside the home and often find myself staying up late to do my home-making, but it's so important to MY sense of home and comfort (even without thinking of my family!) that it's worth it. Also, I do enjoy doing concrete tasks that visibly accomplish something (at least until the kid wakes up!) as a change of pace from my job, which is very abstract and long-term.

It's a funny feeling reading all the WFMW posts from at-home moms and picking up great advice for tasks I have to manage, too--so often, people act as if "home-makers" and "working women" are two separate categories with nothing in common, but really we do a lot of the same things.

Melissa Miller said...

Lisa you are so right! This post is perfect and wonderful. :)

Lynn said...

Love, love, love this post, Lisa. I wish every woman everywhere could read it. You have said it so well :)

Konstance said...

My favorite part: Clean is the best decor for a beautiful home! If you can't keep what you have clean, please don't buy more.

Now if only every woman would come read this :)

Tracey said...

What a wonderfully written post! I love the emphasis on having peace in your heart; without that, it's difficult to have peace in your home.

Miller Racing Family said...

Wonderful post. Thanks for the mommy pick me up!

Barbara Jean said...

Lisa,
Love this post!!

Now, to learn to do it.
You'd think by 61 I would know how, but God is still working on me. =)

blessings

barbara jean

Messages For Mothers Day said...
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