Hello Dolls,
After realizing that I've been homemaking for just a little over three years, I decided it would be wonderful to reflect back on the lessons I've learned along the way.
So far, it's been a long journey.
I began as a little girl fantasizing myself as a pretty housewife and living in a lovely white picket-fence home, to learning the art of homemaking, to going through my trial-and-error stages, to where I am today, on the quest to enrich my home and way of life through homemaking.
Learn about the first four biggest lessons I've learnt from being a homemaker in my most recent video.
Let's continue our chit chat below,
Lessons I've learnt since becoming a homemaker...
Finding Joy in the Little Things & basking in the reward,
One thing I've come to appreciate is that little things around the home can make me happy in life. Eating a homemade dinner with a glass of wine, creating fresh flower arrangements, snuggling up with a new blanket in a living that's slowly coming together, and opening a closet that is finally organized.
Being in those small moments evokes pure bliss. Knowing that I contributed to those happy moments is incredibly fulfilling and encouraging.
So it's not just about having a beautiful home, but also recognizing what comes with it. Yes, a well-organized and color-coded linen closet is Pinterest-worthy, but the ultimate benefit is that it is more functional and transforms that small section of your home into a luxury boutique hotel or a quaint bed & breakfast.
Pivot When Needed,
When I first started homemaking, I had this image of how I would spend my days and what I would do.
This involved waking up with the morning birds, followed by daily baking and effortlessly creating gourmet dinners... And then reality set in.
'Oh, maybe I don't know how to cook this recipe as well as I thought.'
'Washing off my makeup every single night isn't as fun as putting it on every day.'
This is my 3rd time trying to make this sauce & its still not right.'
'I dread cleaning this area every week.'
Oh...this is actually a lot of work...
Setting goals are wonderful, but your expectations must be adapted with reality. Our desires, aspirations, and mindsets can evolve and change throughout time. Although you may have been enamored with the idea of something in the beginning, it does not mean it is the end of the world if you are unable to accomplish it.
With time and maturity, I've realized that not every goal I envisioned reaching is realistic or achievable in this moment in time. Perhaps I was naive, misinformed, or my life has evolved to the point where that goal is no longer a reasonable one. This is for both minor and major tasks in my house and in life. It is sometimes beneficial to put a goal on hold until the proper time comes.
Why stress about baking the perfect homemade cake when you should be proud that you can bake delicious cookies? Your reputation and underlying goal to be the world's the best homemaker should take a break.
Allow yourself to pivot to something else instead of putting pressure on yourself to get something right immediately. Learning new things usually involves a period of trial and error. If you've never cleaned a bathroom before, do your best, but understand that it's unlikely to be perfect the first time.
The same is true when it comes to cooking your first homemade dinner. Even if it's fantastic the first time, that doesn't guarantee it'll be a 10/10 every time, and that's okay. As long as you keep trying, pivoting when necessary, and remaining open to learning, you will always be the world's best homemaker in your own home.
Accepting your Lazy Day & Overcoming your Lazy Days,
Some may not admit it, but I've had my fair share of lazy days. Those days when I feel lazy, uninspired, and restless. It can sometimes be triggered by the feeling that there is too much to do or waking up feeling exhausted. I've learned that not every day can be a busy bee day, and understanding and accepting this has prevented me from turning a lazy day into a lazy week. I'll elaborate on this topic in a future blog post and video.
As homemakers, we should be grateful for the chance to sleep in and relax. Sometimes we're plagued by a feeling of guilt that follows us through our day of relaxing. This shouldn't be the case.
If your lazy day has evolved into a 'lazy days' or a 'lazy week,' I've found that looking for the source of the lazy days is quite therapeutic.
Sometimes you just want to have a relaxed weekend, but other times may be driven by a different reason.
In the past, my lazy day went from a pilot episode to a full season because I felt like a hamster on a hamster wheel all week. I've found that I've felt drained if I coupled overwhelming homemaking tasks into one day, or if I don't include enough of my personal hobbies in my schedule. Let's not forget about everyday life stressors coupled with everything else. An escape from reality and weekly obligations were comforting to me.
Eventually I discovered, going outside, taking a stroll, grabbing coffee, accepting a lazy day or talking to a trusted loved one can provide the mental break I need. Making an action plan to tackle the problem can then put my mind and body at ease, allowing me to continue in a more healthy manner.
This is relevant to homemaking as well as ordinary life challenges. My plan is to recognize the issue, uncover the cause, analyze the situation, and go from there.
I'm still learning as I'm continuing to homemake. I've learned to lean into those learning moments instead of hating when I made a mistake. Learning these lessons have made me a better homemaker and a better person.
What have you learned along your homemaking journey?
Comment below,
Let's Chat Dolls.
