Homemaking 101 - Introduction

I am hoping to do a little series on homemaking with a week at the most between posts so keep checking back for more. I will be sharing my tips, methods & secrets.

Homemaking to me is everything related to running & keeping up your household; cooking, cleaning, shopping, decorating, gardening. Some people love it (like me) & some people hate it but it's stuff that has to be done. I think that's why some people hate it - it can be a monotonous, thankless burden. There are ways to make it easier though, really!!

Want your home to be perfect? Get rid of all your stuff, never live with anyone, don't have kids, & don't have pets. Seriously now, the first thing you have to do is figure out your style of living; don't compare your home to someone else's! You might have a small apartment, limited time, a different standard of neat/messy. Next think about who/what else lives with you & their style of living. The next step is figuring out what's important to you & not so important, then coming up with a compromise.
I am neat & organized, my hubby is messy & disorganized, my dog can be pretty messy & the baby is starting to take over my neat & organized world. Hubby has his own areas that he can mess where I won't yell, nag or clean. In common areas (his standards are different than mine but...) he knows he has to be fairly neat, like not taking his shoes off in the kitchen, he can throw his dirty clothes on his bathroom floor but not on the living room floor. On weekends I don't make the bed, I just fold the covers down so I don't get mad when he takes a nap on my freshly made bed. It's all a compromise.

Here's where I'll lose everyone - do not have 'a cleaning day', it might work once in awhile but really, who wants to spend the whole day cleaning? You'll waste your whole day, be tired & not looking forward to the next cleaning day & your house will probably be a disaster for 27 days afterward. You must maintain your home every day, yep EVERY day. But it's really not as bad or as hard as it sounds. Take a few minutes here & there throughout the day to do stuff. Try this the next time you go to the bathroom - take a piece of toilet paper or a tissue & give the top of the tank then the rim a quick wipe before you sit down. Then use your soapy hands to wipe down the sink. See? That wasn't hard was it? How much time was that, 3 minutes? Multi-tasking is a must - the next time you're brushing your teeth give the mirror a quick wipe with some glass cleaner & wipe down your counter top.
Doing little things like this helps between cleanings & will make your actual cleaning easier & faster.