Happy Homemaking ~ Introduction

As we go about our daily role as homemakers, we are called to wear many hats. Some of these hats fit like a glove from the start, while others need to be tugged into place with vigour! And then there are the hats that sit so awkwardly on your head that you feel as though you're never going to find one which slides on with comfort and ease.

The various concerns of a homemaker are a bit like this example. There are some homemaking skills which seem to tumble forth with confidence and yes, even enjoyment! For some, pottering about in the kitchen is one of those skills. Arranging a nutritious meal for the family is like second nature. Cooking comes naturally to some people in the same way as handcrafts come to others. Personally, I need the safety net of a recipe or I tend to create a culinary catastrophe somewhere down the line! But I know women who are awesome homemakers and who make it all seem so effortless. And I'm not talking about the "I'm a television identity with my own show and a staff to do my prep work for me" kind of effortless either. I mean the real deal. The grandmothers (and great-grandmothers!) who survived the depression on the back of their small vegetable patch. The mothers who require a second hand to count their children and yet somehow manage to stay on top of the laundry, feed everyone and adorn their walls with hand-made quilts. The women who always look 'put together' and calm, ready with a home cooked meal and a hug for a neighbour in need. Those are my heroines :)

I don't know about you, but I have a whole closet-full of ill-fitting hats! No matter how hard I try, I always burn at least one trayful of cookies in every batch. Always. I'm totally famous for it. And for the life of me, I can't seem to get completely and totally caught up with the laundry. I'm always at least two loads behind, LOL. But I'm slowly taking each of these awkwardly fitting hats, picking apart the stitching, rearranging the components and ultimately finding a way to make them fit. Bit by bit, they feel less tight, less constricting - and more comfortable :) With each 'hat' that I master, the more peaceful and 'at home' I feel.

Over the next few weeks, I hope you'll join me as I talk about the bare bones of homemaking and what it takes to be content with your role at home. In this twelve part series we'll talk about the things (and the people!) that should remain the priorities in your life. Most of you are seasoned homemakers already and I'd love it if you'd contribute your own stories via email and comments to each post. If I get enough responses I'll collate them in an appropriately titled 'companion post' to each edition.

Happy Homemaking everyone!

Cheers,
Lizzie