Housekeeping in 2013

Getting ready to kiss 2012 goodbye, I am eager to embrace the New Year. But I am also ready to conquer what I believe has become a lost art in today’s society, housekeeping. If you think about it, it’s kind of an old-fashioned word. Homemaking has mostly replaced it. But it means one and the same. It can also be a concept viewed in a negative light. It might conjure up images of women donning aprons, scrubbing the floor on their hands and knees (forget the Shark Steam Mop!). Or you might picture June Cleaver in her dress and heels, … Continue reading →

The Treasures That Fill Your Home

You’re such a “Bah Humbug,” my daughter said to me with a chuckle. Here it was the day after Christmas and she had woken up to a house put back together. That’s right. The lights were taken down from the windows. The Christmas tree was packed up and there was no sign that decorations had ever filled the rooms. I’m really not a Scrooge. I love Christmas. I treasure this time of year. And I enjoy decorating my home. But I am so much more comfortable when everything is normal. My normal means the many picture frames that decorate the … Continue reading →

Last Minute Holiday Preparations

The countdown is on! Are you feeling stressed, frazzled and worried that you won’t get everything done in the next few days? The holidays are just so much more enjoyable when we aren’t overwhelmed. But sometimes we bring it on ourselves. So to help avoid some of this, consider the following tips for last minute holiday preparations. First, plan to have more than enough food and drink if you are hosting. This way you don’t have to be concerned about running out and you will have plenty of leftovers for the next couple of days. Second, keep things simple. Don’t … Continue reading →

12 Days of Housekeeping

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: a steam mop under the tree. On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me: two Swiffer dusters and a steam mop under the tree. On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me: three magic erasers two Swiffer dusters and a steam mop under the tree. On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: four bleach pen gels three magic erasers two Swiffer dusters and a steam mop under the tree. On the … Continue reading →

Value in Taking Care of Your Home

How would you rate yourself as a homemaker? What do you think others in your home would say? You might consider evaluating yourself and having others do the same. Then you can give recognition to the strengths you have, yet consider some of the areas that could be worked on. I consider every area of my life to be important. Some of my roles include wife, mother, worker and friend. I take each of these areas seriously and I strive to be the best I can. But I also believe that my role in taking care of the home is … Continue reading →

Suffering from Perfectionism

I am a recovering perfectionist. I never attended therapy or a group session but I just learned over the years that I and my family would be much happier if I just learned to let things go. I cannot tell you the burden this has lifted from my shoulders, especially during times like this…the holidays. I know there are many of you out there who are stressing out instead of enjoying this time of year. How do you know if you are suffering from perfectionism? Well, let me first say that there is nothing wrong with wanting everything to go … Continue reading →

Two Secrets to a Guest-Ready Home

I don’t have the cleanest home in the world, and not every area is neat and organized. But it is almost always guest-ready. So if I get a phone call that someone is dropping by, I usually don’t have to run around like a chicken with its head cut off to straighten things up. So what’s my secret? I have a couple. Let me share the first one. It is that I don’t make messes and I don’t allow for them. If there is a struggle you or someone in the home is having, when it comes to messes, then … Continue reading →

Planning and Preparing for Holiday Baking

I have been spending the past few days planning my holiday baking. Each trip I make to the store, I pick up some of the ingredients. Normally my baking takes place a couple of weeks before Christmas. But since my military son won’t be home until a couple of days before, I am doing my baking the week he is home so that he can enjoy the yummy treats. The ingredients for baking can get expensive. So if you plan early enough what you are going to make, you can create a master list. Then instead of purchasing everything at … Continue reading →

Storage Ideas

Is storage an issue for you? Maybe you don’t have enough cabinets, rooms or closets to store everything. Or it could be that the system you use for storing has become nothing more than a hot mess, and you still can’t find anything. With limited space in my home, there are two main things I use for storage. The first is binders and the second is plastic containers. Binders are a great way to store all of your papers. You can put together a binder for virtually anything. For instance, I have a binder that contains the warranties of household … Continue reading →

Becoming an Efficient Housekeeper

It’s not uncommon to struggle with everything that needs to be done in a home. But there are ways that you can not only become a better housekeeper but a more efficient one. Personally, I really dislike wasting time. Although I enjoy a clean, orderly home I prefer to get on with my day. In other words, there are many other things I would rather do than spend too much time cleaning and organizing. So through the years I have learned a variety of ways to be more efficient. And it all starts the night before. I have a rule … Continue reading →