That said, I will not sit idly by and accept my own home as done. I have visions of doing some decorating, but right now time is taken by other, more pressing things. Creating a home and keeping a home are two different things ~ both are important to one’s comfort and well-being. These days I’m concentrating on keeping.
Pre-prison Martha Stewart was sort of my hero. Well, maybe “hero” isn’t the right word. More like inspiration. I wanted to be a homemaker extraordinaire and she was a good reference. Watching her old show, Martha Stewart Living, was always calming for me. The opening theme song was so gentle, and so was Martha’s way. Her new show is way too hyper and so uninspired and frankly I can’t stand listening to her talk without a script. Martha Stewart pretty much let me down.
I like a gentle approach to facing the huge task that is homekeeping. I found it in a book called Home Comforts. In fact, I might have learned about the book on Martha’s old show. It’s a big, fat book that covers everything homekeeping.
Why am I telling you all this? I can’t really say for sure. I do know the month of January started off horrifically for me and I needed some serious grounding. I wanted to escape all the buzzy stuff in my head and was stuck in a gear that just wasn’t working for me. I didn’t know if I should immerse myself in my business, in my personal life, or just run away from both.
I came to a conclusion that my house had become chaotic. It wasn’t out of control by any means, but there was stuff everywhere, not organized, and I’m embarrassed to say a little dirty. I also realized that when my house is in disarray I can’t function properly. That’s when I decided to pull out Home Comforts and get inspired about tackling the homefront. Not in a big, thunderous way, but in a calm, quiet, methodical way. Something I could ease into and keep motivated with, like the old Martha would do.
Since picking up the book and easing into a routine I’ve begun to feel much better. Being surrounded by tidiness and cleanliness inspires me to maintain that level. It also grants me complete attention to other things I want to do, like my crafty work, without the nagging feeling that I should be dusting or scrubbing or other such thing.
If you’re anything like me you sometimes feel out of sorts and don’t really know why. Try getting into a cleaning routine in your house. Home Comforts is a great book to get you started and a wonderful resource for all of your homekeeping questions. When your home is in order, neat and clean, you’d be surprised how relaxed you feel. When you get into a routine it doesn’t take much to maintain the order and cleanliness.
Trust me, sitting down to read a magazine is much more enjoyable when there aren’t big, old lint clumps all over your rug. You’ll be apt to cook a more elaborate meal if your kitchen is tidy and clean. When the master bathroom smells lemony fresh imagine how free you’ll feel in the adjoining bedroom. (I can’t believe I said that, except it’s true!)
Make the most of your home and keep it well.
(I haven’t been compensated to endorse the book Home Comforts. My recommendation comes straight from the heart. If the author or publishers wish to thank me for the glowing review they can feel free to send cookies. After eating them I will promptly clean up the crumbs.)
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Auntie B's Wax 