Homemaking 101: Practice Makes Perfect
by Rachel Paxton
Description: Thoughts on perfecting the art of homemaking.
I recently paid a quarter for one of the most inspirational
homemaking
books I've yet to come across. Published in 1952 and written by
Carolyn Coggins, it is called Successful Entertaining at Home. At
first
glance I thought this book was just a manual for teaching you how
to
host a successful dinner party, but at closer examination I saw
that it
was much more than that - it's "a complete party book and
homemaker's manual all rolled into one."
I have yet to barely scratch the surface of this detailed,
lively account
of the way many homemakers may have run their households in the
1950s, but the whole concept of the book really took hold of my
thoughts and made some useful distinctions in my mind that will
forever guide me on my road to being a better, more creative
homemaker.
The first chapter of the book is called "It all Depends on
Your Point of
View." I was intrigued by this concept, and read on to find idea
after
idea that would appeal even to the modern-day creative homemaker.
The author suggests "...one advantage of being ‘seasoned' by
money
or travel is that you are no longer afraid to do what you already
knew
was sensible." What a concept! This idea could be applied to any
area of homemaking. Do you really need a lot of money to have a
warm, inviting home? The author, and I, too, would suggest that
you
don't. Of course most of us may never have the luxury of having
money and then deciding we really didn't need it in the first
place to
improve the quality of our lives, but you do have the choice
whether or
not you will make the best of what you have and decide to turn
your
house into a home. No one is born the with the talent of being a
creative homemaker. It's easy to be jealous of others who have
talents
you may desire, but the fact is that those people are just
putting to
use skills they have spent possibly many years mastering. You
can't
let this intimidate you into thinking you can't do it too (I'm
still working
on this one!).
Imagine what your life would be like if you spent more of your
time and
energy focused on learning new and better ways to run your
household to save yourself time as well as money. And how about
making your home a place where your family enjoys spending time
together? These ideals do not require much money, but they do
require your time and attention. Be open to new ideas, read books
on
topics that interest you, and share ideas with like-minded
people.
You'll be surprised at your new zest for life and the ideas that
will start
coming into your mind effortlessly. Don't let precious time slip
away
from you. The information is all around you if you just open
yourself up
to it.
Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
Comment on this article or submit your tip to CreativeHomemaking.com.
Click here for a printer friendly version of this page.
Receive new article links via the Web, SMS, or instant messages via Twitter!
Recommend this article to a friend!
Search our article archives.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sponsor: FamilyStickers.com offers one of the largest selections of family stickers, family car decals, and stick family stickers. These easy to apply vinyl window family car stickers are available in several themes and sizes or customized to your request.
|
