The Art of Homemaking
The simple art of homemaking means turning your house into a home. A calming, clean, safe place for yourself, your family, and guests. You want people including guests to feel welcome in your home. It doesn't need to look like a museum or something. A simple, cozy, warm, and welcoming home is fairly easy to accomplish. I have been a Homemaker for 27 years. I absolutely love creating a peaceful and beautiful home for my family. It takes a special person to take on the role of Homemaker. You have to be creative first of all. You will be in charge of deciding how to decorate your home with what you have on hand and how to use those items to create a beautiful, peaceful, cozy home. You will also need to be extremely organized. Without organization you will become overwhelmed very quickly. I will cover a Homemaking schedule in another blog post that will help you organize your time.
Taking care of Family
Taking care of your family should always be the first priority. For my husband, I always have a special room ( study) set up for him to relax and enjoy. I believe each spouse should have a place of their own to relax, read, etc. Children need to have fun and be children without all the nonsense that goes on in the world. They also need discipline and boundaries. It's our responsibility to raise respectful children, not the schools, churches, camps, etc. Homeschooling is a great way to know what your kids are being exposed to on a daily basis. I homeschooled our daughter and loved every minute of it. Our daughter was extremely creative when she was young and loved writing and art. Homeschooling allowed us the freedom to really encourage her creativity and watch it blossom and grow. After graduating High School at 15 she went to work as an entertainment writer and Junior Editor at a major entertainment company.
A good rule to follow in the family category is this: Spouse first ( they will still be with you once the kids are grown and on their own), then children. If you're a religious person the order will be God, Spouse, Children.
Clean Daily
Contrary to popular belief cleaning doesn't have to take all day. Clean as you go through the day. Always put stuff back where it belongs when you finish using it. Wash, dry, and put away dishes as you use them. Wipe down kitchen counters and table several times a day. Clean the bathroom every morning.
Cooking
I am the first one to admit that when I got married I had very little knowledge when it came to cooking. I was a big believer in takeout when I was single. My husband taught me how to cook some things but I mostly learned by visiting people and watching how they cooked and prepared weekly menus and grocery lists based on those menus to save money. Over the years I have learned how to prepare meals for very little money and I still have easy dinner ideas I fall back on when I have had a busy day.
Create Inviting Atmosphere
This is probably my favorite part. Throwing quilts over the furniture to wrap up in is a great way to add a cozy feel. I love that warm, cozy feeling I get from having a beautiful quilt to throw over my lap. Scented candles and incense sticks is another way to make a home smell great and add a level of comfort to your home. I also use relaxation music to achieve this effect. When it comes to music you want to be sure it's playing softly in the background. Loud enough to hear but not so loud that people have to yell to hear each other talk.
Entertaining
Most of us don't host fancy dinners but a good rule of thumb is to be prepared when guests stop by unannounced. Always welcome them into your home with a smile. I always have plenty of coffee, sweet tea, and a variety of hot tea on hand for occasions such as this. I also have a couple of no-bake cheesecake mixes on hand. It's simple to whip up a cheesecake to go with coffee and tea.
Hospitality
A good Homemaker always shows grace and hospitality to everyone. It's easy to show hospitality to people you know but you can also reach out to people in your community. A young married couple that may need help, parents that could use a small break from the kids so they can have a date night. Neighbors that need groceries picked up from the store due to age or health problems. Look for ways to help those in need through your church, neighborhood, etc. Hospitality goes hand in hand with Homemaking. Writing letters, sending birthday cards, Christmas cards, even Thank You notes via snail mail is a wonderful way to show hospitality and let people know that you are thinking of them.
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