Finding joy in the everyday

There is a belief that women of the past loved being at home and loved all things home-keeping, were busy, happy and coping well. This simply wasn't true. Many women were lonely, bored and didn't enjoy housework at all. In the 1930s a group of ordinary women in the United Kingdom got together and formed a small group called Cooperative Correspondence Club (CCC). Without our modern technology, this group had to communicate the hard way: Each woman would send the  coordinator  their  contribution  (any topic of interest) and she would compile these into one magazine and post it to Lady No. 1. No.1 would add her comments directly to the pages and send it to No. 2 and so one. A new magazine was created  fortnightly .  The first woman to respond was 26 years old — she wrote that she had regretted marrying young, that she loathed housework, didn't really want children so early and was bored to tears.  Marriage , home and children were expected o...

Some women do not enjoy looking after their homes, that is a fact. Some women live in chaos and mess and avoid cleaning. Others outsource their housework to others. Some women put very little effort into creating a cosy warm environment  — however these are not exclusive to working women.  Many Christian women who work outside of their homes, love their homes dearly and take great care in creating a sanctuary for their loved ones.  It isn't about the amount of time one spends at home, it is what a persons does when they are at home.  I love pottering around my home, I like to create places of warmth and comfort. I like my home to have a feel of welcome to those who enter. I may not be at home all day, but it does not mean I don't love my home as much as a woman who is a stay-at-home wife and mother.  Working women do not live in hovels. This might surprise you as I have read endless blog posts that remind me that if I am not at home 24/...

Both paintings by John Sloan "The woman who makes a sweet, beautiful home, filling it with love and prayer and purity, is doing something better than anything else her hands could find to do beneath the skies." (J. R. Miller) Never underestimate the power you have at home—you set the scene for family life, you create the cosiness of the home, you have built a sanctuary for all whom dwell within, you prepare the healthy meals your family eat, you keep the home clean and tidy, you drive the atmosphere of the home, you create moments things for your loved ones. You play a vital role which should never be underestimated. Even years later, those you once nurtured, who have since flown the nest will remember all the things you did to make their lives so perfect.  Mothers and wives are important in the lives of others. My mother created the most wonderful home full of Christian love, a place that was a sanctuary from the world and its troubles. My mother wasn't a fu...

A young lady's preparation for wife and mother —Advice from 1939: While every young girl should strive to fit herself for the duties of womanhood, a special responsibility rests upon the young woman who is a promised wife, and, if God willing, a promised mother. She is shortly to join her husband in the making of a new home, in the founding of a family. Upon her will largely depend the happiness of their home and the character of their family life . It behoves the bride-to-be to undergo a ridge self-examinations. She should, as it were, take stock of her various gifts and qualifications . Should she find her character lacking in any way of the virtues which are necessary to the success of the wife and mother, she would do well to strive for their attainment. She should also seek with all diligence to cultivate the womanly graces which already adorn her character. . . . . Many a bride has made a miserable failure of marriage because she was wholly unfitted to disc...

Who hand washes their clothes?  Do you chuck everything into the machine and hope for the best? I hand wash my good clothes — why:  1. It makes clothes last longer as its much more gentle than a machine. 2. It stops stretching particular with t-shirts and jumpers. 3. Removing stains is easier as you can target the spot directly. 4. Energy efficient as it saves using a washing machine for a small load which also in turn saves water. 3. Drip dying requires less ironing. And its a bit of work out so its good for one's health — and its fun to play in water!! Every afternoon when I get home from work I place my work clothes in this bowl and hand wash.  I do love splashing about in water and hand washing gives me that excuse to have a play!!! I never get my clothes very dirty so they do not need an extensive wash, its more about removing the sweatiness and freshening them up. It might sound mad, but I find hand washing quite re...

Like any profession, the profession of homemaking requires a certain set of skills. Some ladies come into their marriage with very strong skills in this area, others are sadly lacking. Some had their apprenticeship beside their mothers - with many years of training, others have had to learn on the run and have found homemaking to be both stressful and challenging.  Homemaking doesn't always come naturally to all women and many find it very difficult. They live in a muddle for years, not quite sure how to get out of it. If only these women had some Titus 2 women to help guide them, their struggles would have been so much more manageable. Sadly, Titus 2 women are on the decline which means younger women have lost their role models to help them on their professional journey as managers of their home.  I was blessed with a mother that made sure that I had a strong set of home management skills that would allow me to run my own home without much difficulty.  From t...

The buffet with some my birthday cards Housekeeping and home life are in a state of decline. Comfort and engagement at home have diminished to the point that even simple cleanliness and decent meals - let alone any deeper satisfaction - are no longer taken for granted in many homes.  Homes today are often seem to operate on an ad hoc basis. . . .  I couldn't agree more with Cheryl Mendelson, home has started to loose its appeal and it has become more like a bus interchange than a place where a person stops and recharges. It is now a location where family members wave at each other as they rush through on their way to all the many activities that modern families seem to be involved in.   I have friends that not only work all day, but are often out most evenings - to restaurants, to sports events, to the cinema, visiting friends and I wonder when they are ever home. Whilst I do work during the day I rarely go out in the evenings (especially doing the week...

Do you have a chair in your home that you can call your own? I have two, one is in the lounge room where I sit/lounge every night and one in my study. The one in my study (above) I use for reading on weekends, when I watch DVDs from my computer, when I phone my dad in the evenings or when I want to enjoy an afternoon nap on a winters afternoon. This is my own little retreat.  However this one needs to be shared with Ruby, my gorgeous black cat who thinks it is a really grand chair just for her.  In fact I think she thinks I bought it just for her!! However, she does need to share it with paddington bear! Its a very cosy chair and the throw rugs comes in handy in winter.  There is nothing nicer than curling up in my chair with a good book and a mug of hot coco or tea.  I like to create these little spaces in my home that are cosy and inviting and have a homely feel to them.  The filing cabinet next to my chair may not be beautiful, but...

I am a fan of boxes for storage. I don't know about you, but I run out of places to put things and I find boxes (big and small) very handy. There are many to choose from and they come in many different sizes and shapes. They start from a under a dollar and can cost over $20 for the fancy ones. There a girly boxes, boxes for children, more boyish boxes and just plain boxes.  I always struggle in deciding which ones I need as there is often too many to choose from!! If mine are on display (such as on a shelf in the bedroom) I go for the more expensive feminine designed ones (see below). If they are for the cupboard (e.g. for sewing) where only I see them  -  I am not as fussy.  These feminine boxes are in my bedroom - considering how pretty they look, they aren't expensive additions to a room -  the larger box was $12, the smaller box $9 and but really do look lovely on the shelf. These I picked up from the Reject Store (dollar store). I can imagine ...

Photography by Joluise Its the little things things that turn a house a home. It doesn't take long and it doesn't need to be expensive. It really comes down to how much love you put into each little task.  Home is the nicest word there is. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Letter to the editor, Women's Weekly, 29 March 1941 How very pleasant to hear a young man who wishes his future wife to possess such decent qualities. It would be a better old world if all men thought the same but, believe it or not, Mr Frost, quite a number of your sex think a girl is not a sport unless she smokes and laps up cocktails. In fact most men appear to prefer that kind of girl.  Your expressed preference for the home-loving girl came as a pleasant surprise to one at least.  Still true today.  I wonder if Mr Frost found the perfect girl that wasn't into smoking and cocktails and going off to parties.  It would be hard to find a girl these days that was home-loving. 

I  thought I would write a series  called " Keeper of the home for busy ladies ", in particular for those, like me, who work outside the house either full-time or part-time.  However, we are all busy ladies and we all need as much encouragement as possible to get through the week in one piece.  Part: Part  one ,  two ,  three ,  four ,  five  , six , seven Part 8: Dealing with a lousy day We all have lousy days.  It doesn't matter whether it is a mum/wife at home or one that goes of to work, some days just don't go to plan . . . they turn out horrible. By the end of the day we are grumpy, snappy, tired, worn-out and basically fed up. So what do you do?  I usually cook something very simple for dinner that requires no brain power, followed by crawling onto the couch and up my feet up and watch something silly and try and recover.  Below are 10 tips for recovering from a lousy day. These ar...

I thought I would write a series called " Keeper of the home for busy ladies ", in particular for those, like me, who work outside the house either full-time or part-time.  However, we are all busy ladies and we all need as much encouragement as possible to get through the week in one piece. These are tips  and ideas for creating a cosy home for our families that don't take many hours to do, but add so much to our love ones lives. Part  one ,  two ,  three ,  four ,  five  , six   Part 7: How to overcome stress at home Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)  If you are stress at home . . . nothing will go smoothly.  It will affect your relationship with your husband (who you are meant to be supporting as his helpmate), your relationship with your children, it will affect how you run your home and...