A few days ago, my good blogging friend Sandra of
Dairy of a Stay at Home Mom tagged me for homemaking meme. I had good intentions of participating, but actually forgot until another blogging friend, Susanne at
Living to Tell the Story, (who was also tagged) posted her homemaking meme. So now I have remembered and (with apologies to Sandra for taking soooo long) I am ready to go with my own response sto the homemaking meme. I will tag any of my blogging friends who would like to participate!
Aprons - Y/N? If yes, what does your favorite look like?
I do wear aprons when I cook (most of the time) because I hate finding that blob of sauce on my shirt a few hours after the meal has been eaten! I have a couple of aprons that I really like, but my favorite is this on that my daughter got when she was a student at BYU and passed along to me.
Baking - Favorite thing to bake?
I don't really enjoy baking, but sometimes a craving for homemade chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies simply must be filled. I also enjoy baking bread from time to time when the weather here in Phoenix is cooler.
Clothesline - Y/N?
Due to Homeowner's Association Restrictions in my suburban Phoenix subdivision, I can't have an outdoor clothes line, but I do use part a spare back bedroom as my clothes drying room. Unsightly yes, but we aren't using this part of the room for anything else right now and we save a ton of money on our electric bill by rarely using our dryer.
Donuts - Have you ever made them?
Nope. Never. Do I eat them? Absolutely, but only if someone else (Like Mr. Dunkin) makes them.
Everyday - One homemaking thing you do everyday?
Just one? There are a number of things I do every day - like make sure the beds are made and the living room is tidy (just in case someone drops in for a visit). I make sure all bathroom garbage cans are emptied, trash taken out to the dumpster and the recycle bin is emptied. I also fix dinner almost every night and usually do at least one load of laundry every day.
Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freeze?
No. We only have the freezer above our refrigerator.
Garbage Disposal - Y/N?
Yes. I have never lived in a house that didn't have a garbage disposal.
Handbook -What is your favorite homemaking resource?
Other than the internet and some of the homemaking blogs I love like Danielle's
Blissful and Domestic, Brandy's
Prudent Homemaker and, of course, Sandra's
Dairy of a Stay at Home Mom, I also refer to my Amish cookbooks often. They contain not only delicious recipes, but all kinds of homemaking tips and hints. You can see they are well used and have lots of book marked pages.
Ironing - Love it or hate it?
I certainly don't love it, but I do iron work and church clothes for hubby and I. I like to look neat, crisp and professional and ironing isn't too bad if I'm not dog tired and I can find something interesting to watch on TV.
Junk drawer - Y/N - Where is it?
Yes, I do have a "junk drawer" in my kitchen island.
Kitchen - Color and decorating scheme?
Bright happy yellow walls! Our kitchen set (table and chairs) is a vintage 1949 set given to me by my parents. They had it in their home the entire time I was growing up. Perhaps that makes our decorating scheme retro? Probably more retro/eclectic/whatever makes us happy! Here are some of the things in my kitchen area so you can see what I mean.
Our plant ledge has not just plants, but some projects Josh made in one of his high school ceramics classes and some bird houses we made with the grand kids one year on vacation.
A thrift store find with one of my favorite mottos for living.
Hand prints of our two oldest when they were five and two, back in 1986.
Our family fridge door - pictures, scriptures and admonitions.
Love - What is your favorite part of homemaking?
I really enjoy having a clean, tidy, fresh-smelling home, filled with things my family loves - like our books! A home without books just seems empty to me.
Mop - Y/N
Yes - every week. This is a big job because we have lots of tiled areas in our home. Hubby usually takes care of this, bless his heart, just like he did this morning. He uses white vinegar, Fabuloso (green) and warm water to mop with. The house smells great when he is finished.
Nylons - Wash by hand or in washing machine?
When I wear them (not often, especially in the summer) I just put them in the washing machine and then hang them to dry.
Oven - Do you use the window to check on things or do you open the door?
The view through my oven door isn't great, so I usually open it just a crack to check.
Pizza - What do you put on yours?
Usually just pepperoni. I am not a huge fan of a lot of vegetables on pizza, although I will eat it.
Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Usually I will read or sometimes take a short nap if I am tired.
Recipe Card Box - Y/N
Yes, I have one with some of my most tried and true old recipes in it.
Style of house
The architecture is technically probably southwest/Spanish, but the inside is economical eclectic. We have a lot of hand-me-downs that are comfortable and work well for us and we don't like to spend a lot on furniture or decor. Here are a few pictures from around the house.
One of many bookcases in our home. This one is actually one of the smaller ones and it is in our family room. As you can see, it contains not just books, put also pictures and memories.
Our living room. The couch and red chairs, as well as the lamps and end tables were all purchased second-hand. The art work above the couch are original oil paintings from a local Utah artist we purchased years ago when we were first married.
Our piano - not played nearly enough these days. It was also purchased second hand.
Looking into our living room from the family room/kitchen area. The only item purchased new is the wood rocker with the beige afghan over it. Charly bought this rocking chair for me as a Christmas present when I was pregnant with our first child. It is well-worn, a little rickety and very special to me.
Tablecloth and napkins - Y/N
No table cloth, but we do use cloth napkins or sometimes paper towels. I rarely buy paper napkins any more, although I do have a package in the house right now that I bought when we were having company a few months ago.
Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?
I have never like to have a lot of cleaners or toxic items under the sink since we had little children for many years and now occasionally have grandchildren visit. Under the sink is cleaner and better organized than it was a few months back because we had a leak and were forced to clean out the cupboard so the plumber could fix the problem.
Vacuum - How many times per week?
In theory - once a week - at least. However, vacuuming is Josh's job and so sometimes it is doesn't quite as much or as well as his mom thinks it should be.
Wash - How many loads per week?
At least six or seven loads a week. I like to stay on top of laundry and usually do at least one load every day. On days when I wash sheets, towels and throw rugs, we can do two or three loads.
X's - Do you make a daily to do list and check it off as you do things?
I do have a planner and do daily lists most of the time. I have done this for years and find that it helps me stay organized, accomplish more and not forget things.
Yard - Y/N Who does What?
Yes, we have a yard but no lawn. which is typical in the desert. We do however, have a fairly large backyard pool, as well as a number of trees and bushes. Hubby does most of the work with cleaning and servicing the pool and he keeps the trees and bushes trimmed. I try to help out as much as I can.
ZZZ - What is the last homemaking task you do before you go to bed?
The last thing I do is make sure all dishes are out of the sink and loaded into the dishwasher. I also do a quick clean off of anything on the counter top that needs to be put away.
Please join in and do your own Homemaking Meme if you would like so we can all get to know each other a little better.
“I believe that a Godly home is a foretaste of heaven. Our homes, imperfect as they are, must be a haven from the chaos outside. They should be a reflection of our eternal home, where troubled souls find peace, weary hearts find rest, hungry bodies find refreshment, lonely pilgrims find communion, and wounded spirits find compassion.”
--Jani Ortlund
