Is this really what it’s come to?

I recently read an article called “25 ways you know you’re a stay at home mom“.  Several people on Facebook were sharing it, so I thought it would be a fun read.  Let me start out by saying that I do have a sense of humor, I really do!

1. You’re kids ask where you’re going when you put on jeans.

2. At least half of your meals consist of your child’s leftovers.

3. When your husband asks, “What did you do today?” you can’t muster up a single thing to report, despite feeling like you’ve been put the spin cycle of the washing machine.

4. You can clean your entire house with a package of baby wipes.

5. A “night out” is roaming the isles of Target alone.

6. The TV has been on all day, but you have no idea what’s happening in world news.

7. Showering is a major accomplishment.

8. Your kids see you naked more often than your husband.

9. You actually knows what the fox says, or what it could say at least, because 50% of your time is making animal sounds.

10. Your mood depends solely on the amount of time your child napped for.

11. Putting a bra on means someone special is coming over.

12. On the way out the door, you look down at your kids crusty food on your shirt and think to yourself, eh, it’s not that bad.  Or worse, you pick it off and actually taste it.

13. You fake stomach problems once your husband gets home just so you can go to the bathroom alone.

14. Your dog barks when you put “real” shoes on.

15. You have invited Jehovah Witnesses in on more than one occasion, and scared them off after you asked if they’d like a dirty martini.

16. You have to check the weather out before you head out because you have no idea how warm or cold it is because you haven’t been out in days.

17. You consider going on Facebook “spending time with your friends”.

18. You’ve been wearing the same outfit for a couple of days in a row… and you’re not sure how many “a couple” means.

19. You’ve contemplated performing your own hysterectomy while preparing dinner … more than once.

20. Your vacuum cleaner is a permanent fixture in (insert busiest room in the house) and hasn’t been unplugged for three months.

21. You have no idea what date or day of the week it is, but you can tell what time it is just by what cartoon is on TV.

22. It’s only 9 am and you’ve already though “I need a drink”.

23. You’re nursing an infant on the toilet while simultaneously scheduling a doctors appointment.

24. The cup of coffee you are drinking at lunch is the cup you made at 5:30 am, just reheated for the 100th time.

25. You don’t want to go to bed at night because the silence is just to beautiful, no matter how tired you are.

 

I think I would find this to be a lot funnier if it weren’t so close to the truth!  There were countless comments on this article saying things like “oh my gosh this is so me!”  “haha I can totally relate!”  and other things of that nature.  It’s sort of like if another person pokes fun at you about something that’s a sensitive subject, it’s meant to be funny but in the end, it really isn’t.  This list of things is what homemakers and stay at home moms have become.  And this is why society no longer views a homemaker as a sacred and honorable position.  We are blessed with gadgets and technology that help us in countless ways, we don’t have to do our laundry in a bucket with a washboard, we don’t even have to clean dishes by hand!  But this sure doesn’t mean that we should be lazy because of these luxuries.  Unless you are ill, there’s no reason you shouldn’t get up and get yourself ready every single morning.  There’s no reason to be walking around in yoga or sweat pants and an old t-shirt with your hair sloppily pinned on top of your head.  There’s no reason you shouldn’t put on a little mascara and cover your blemishes.  When has it become acceptable to look like complete slobs?

Just this morning I went to the grocery store and saw a woman there that literally looked like she had just rolled out of bed.  As if she had thrown the covers off, slipped on some shoes, and drove to the grocery store.  Why do women no longer seem to take pride in their appearance?

I believe that being a homemaker is what you make of it.  If you want to sit around like a bum, lounging on the couch walking TV, your home and family life are going to reflect that.  Do you truly believe your husband is going to be happy coming home to that?  Do you think the women he works with show up to work looking like they just rolled out of bed?  No.  They take the time to get ready and put themselves together.  Don’t be surprised if you notice your husband suddenly having longer hours at the office than before.

Why have we developed this attitude that staying home to take care of our families is a chore?  Have we forgotten what an absolute privilege it is?!  There are women out there actually choosing to sit behind a desk rather than be at home to take care of their children.  I feel beyond blessed given the opportunity to be a homemaker.  There is nothing else I could ever imagine myself doing and being this happy.  Are same days more difficult than others?  You bet!  Are there days when I lose my patience and feel like my children aren’t listening to a word I say?  Of course!  But guess what, that’s part of being a parent.

The bathroom one did make me laugh.  It’s good to know I’m not the only one who seems to have a constant companion in the bathroom!  Whether it’s the kids or the dog, a trip to the bathroom alone is rare.  Trust me, I could go on and on about each point in this article, but I think you all get the hint.

 

 

Like I said before, I think the author wrote this piece with the intention of making us laugh.  However, I think I would have been able to appreciate it a bit more if these things weren’t actually true for so many homemakers today.  I believe it is time for us to remember that we have the best job of all, and it pays much more than any amount of money ever could.  We need to be proud of being homemakers, and we need to show it!

1. Your kids ask where you are going when you put on jeans.

2. At least half of your meals consist of your child’s leftovers.

3. When your husband asks, “what did you do today?” you can’t muster up a single thing to report, despite feeling like you’ve been put through the spin cycle of the washing machine.

4. You can clean your entire house with a package of baby wipes.

5. A “night out” is roaming the aisles at Target alone.

– See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/ways-you-know-youre-a-stay-at-home-mom/#sthash.EEEEl8Fm.dpuf

– See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/ways-you-know-youre-a-stay-at-home-mom/#sthash.EEEEl8Fm.dpuf

Keeping Up Appearances Part 2

Now that I’ve stressed the importance of keeping up your appearance, it’s time to discuss the execution.  How do you actually go about doing this?  How do you take yourself from a frumpy housewife to Grace Kelly?

As every good housewife knows, schedules and organization are everything.  Nothing is done randomly, everything is done with purpose and order.  Things are planned out in a way that makes the most sense and is most efficient.  All you need to do is add this into your daily schedule.  If you have really little ones, this is definitely more difficult, especially if they are not on a regular sleeping schedule.  If your children are in school it’s a bit easier. Whoever gets up first, whether it be your husband or children, wake up at least 20 minutes before they do.  This should give you plenty of time to wake yourself up and put yourself together.  Make sure to pick out what you are going to wear the night before, you don’t have time to spend staring at your closet with no idea what to put on!  If you are just seeing your husband off or dropping the kids off at school and returning home, there’s no need to do a full face of makeup.  Mascara, concealer, powder, blush/bronzer should do it.  If you are doing more than that then you should do your full makeup and will need to wake up early enough to do so.  Make sure to cover up any puffiness or dark circles under your eyes, you don’t want to look tired!  You want to look fresh and awake and give your family a wonderful start to their day.  Think about how much your husband will love walking into the kitchen before he’s off to work and there you are, his beautiful wife all dolled up for him early in the morning cooking his breakfast.  He will appreciate this extra effort more than you can imagine, and it will be an image he keeps in his mind throughout his day at work.

Some of you may be thinking “Why on earth would I go through all this trouble?  My husband probably wouldn’t even notice the difference!”  I will tell you that is definitely untrue.  Your husband WILL notice the extra effort you are making for him, and will likely make extra effort in return.

Another thing you’ll want to do is be sure to look just as nice if not better when he returns home.  Take a little bit of time to relax before he comes home, touch up your makeup and hair.  Spray on some perfume.  Another thing a man loves coming home to besides his beautiful wife is the smell of his dinner cooking!  Does your husband like to have a drink to wind down and relax when he gets home from work?  If so make sure you have that drink ready for him.  Greet him at the door with a smile and a kiss.  Help him with his things.  If he likes to sit down on the couch right when he gets home, go over and take his shoes off for him, rub his feet a little if he likes that.  You should do whatever you can to make him feel happy and relaxed to be back home after a long day of work.  Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, it is not asking a lot for a wife to rub his husbands feet when he gets home.  I think this again has to do with the ridiculous amount of pride we have these days.  Women think they are “above” doing such things, that they are better than that.  Newsflash, we are not!  We are here to serve our husbands as we serve the Lord.

So ladies, what do you say?  Can you make that extra effort for your husband?  What’s 20-30 more minutes to wake up in the morning and look your best for your husband?  He will appreciate it more than you can believe.

Keeping Up Appearances Part 1

Think back to when you first started dating your husband.  You spent hours picking out the perfect outfit, doing your makeup, and getting your hair just right.  You tried so hard to impress him, to make sure you looked your absolute best.

Now you’re married, perhaps you have kids.  Take a peek in the mirror, what do you look like right now?

Are you the housewife that has a closet full of yoga pants and sweatpants?  Do you consider it a good day if you’ve run a comb through your hair and put on a little concealer or mascara?  Let me ask you this… what happened?

Hey, little girl, comb your hair, fix your make-up, soon he will open the door,
Don’t think because there’s a ring on your finger, you needn’t try any more.
For wives should always be lovers too,
Run to his arms the moment that he comes home to you.
I’m warning you,
Day after day, there are girls at the office and the men will always be men,
Don’t stand him up, with your hair still in curlers, you may not see him again.
Wives should always be lovers too,
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you.
He’s almost here, hey, little girl, better wear something pretty,
Something you wear to go to the city,
Dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music, time to get ready for love.
Time to get ready for love, yes it’s time to get ready for love,
It’s time to get ready for love…

Frank Sinatra , “Wives and Lovers” 1964

This song speaks volumes.  Wherever your husband may work, an office, a hospital, etc., chances are there are plenty of pretty women there that woke up that morning and actually got ready for the day.  They are at work looking their best, and the men around them are noticing.  What did you look like when your husband went off to work this morning?  Were you still asleep, yesterday’s mascara smudged around your eyes, hair a mess?  Were you in the vanity with half your hair in curlers and no makeup on rushing to get ready?  What were you wearing?  Were you in over-sized sweatpants and a t-shirt or a bathrobe?

That was the image of you your husband had when he went off to work to be surrounded by lovely women.  Lovely women that are attracted to a hard-working, successful, handsome man like your husband.  Women that would be more than happy to take your place if they had the chance.  And perhaps if your husband’s last image of you was smudged mascara and bedhead, saying no to one of these lovely ladies might be a little harder.

I have three little ones at home; 4, 5, and 6.  I get it.  There are days when the thought of getting out of bed and getting dressed makes me want to gouge my eyes out.  The alarm goes off and I want nothing more than to throw it out the window and pull the covers back over my head.  There are days when those comfy yoga pants and a zip up sweatshirt seem to be calling my name.  Then I remind myself, who am I getting ready for in the morning?  What kind of example am I setting for the children?  I’m not saying that you should be in full makeup and 4 inch pumps at 6:30 in the morning, but you also shouldn’t look like you just rolled out of bed.

The way you look and are dressed changes your whole attitude.  Think of the way you walk when you’re wearing a pair of pumps vs a pair of flip flops.  What is your attitude like when you’re in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt vs a nice dress with matching accessories?  It’s like you’re a whole different person!  The appearance of a 50′s housewife is something that I truly admire.  They wouldn’t dare let their husbands see them in less than their best, even while feeding a baby, dealing with a screaming toddler, and making breakfast all at the same time.  How many of you have seen the movie The Stepford Wives?  Yes, they were robots, I understand that.  But they looked absolutely stunning all the time.  And that is something a real woman can do just as well as a robot with a little effort.  Why is it that once a woman is married she loses that desire to look “perfect” for her man at all times?  Wives get so comfortable in their relationships, they get this whole thought of he married me, he loves me for who I am, I no longer need to put effort into how I look.  WRONG!  Absolutely wrong ladies.  In fact, it should be the opposite.

You should look lovely when your husband sees you in the morning.  Wake up before he does, put on some mascara and powder or concealer at the least, add a little blush or bronzer to your cheeks.  Give yourself some color.  Brush your hair and give it a simple style that you can go back and perfect after he’s gone to work.  Put on some perfume.  What does your husband like to see you dressed in in the morning?  Have you ever even bothered to ask him?  Perhaps the sight of you making his eggs and bacon in your lace nightgown drives him wild.  If he’s too rushed in the mornings to really notice then you can put on some nice slacks or skirt and a blouse, or if you have time a nice dress.  Leave him with the image of you that keeps him staring at the clock all day because he can’t wait to come back home to you.  He goes to work everyday and works so incredibly hard so that YOU can have the best job in the world of staying at home and caring for your family.  The least you can do for your husband is put some effort into looking nice for him.  Don’t let him lose sight of that beautiful girl he fell in love with, the one who made sure she looked her best for him at all times.  Remind him that he made the right decision in choosing you!

The Housewife Workout

Have you ever wondered how housewives stayed in such great shape?  They didn’t go out running every morning or go to the gym in the afternoon.  There wasn’t any yoga class or zumba classes for them to attend.  Yet somehow many of them kept slim with a tiny waist and great legs.  The average size woman had the measurements of 36, 24, 35.

How did they do it?  The answer – lack of technology.  Today we have an electronic device or machine that can do just about everything for us.  The other day at Lowe’s I saw a washer and dryer that you can control with your smartphone!  We have vacuums that clean the floors without our help.  We can get our groceries delivered to our homes.  Technology has made it so we barely need to move to get things done.

In the 1950′s, only about 1/3 of households had a washer and dryer.  This means the majority of women were washing and drying clothes by hand using this lovely machine.  Most of you have probably never seen or heard of it, it’s called a mangle.

There’s your arm and probably ab workout right there.  There were no dishwashers, so everything was done by hand.  Also, a lot of homes didn’t have a refrigerator, so grocery shopping had to be done daily.  And to top it off not all households had a car, especially 2, so many housewives had to walk.  Along with everything having to be done manually, cleanliness was a mark of respectability.  So the house was kept spotless at all times.  A housewife started and ended her day cleaning something.  She never stopped moving.

Think about when you’re out running errands, how easy is it to go through a drive thru or grab a snack in the checkout line?  I find myself doing it all the time.  I’m in line at a store and they always have some munchies by the register and I can’t help but grab something to snack on!  Housewives of the 50′s would do no such thing, even if it was available at that time.  They believed in eating proper meals, and women didn’t eat in public unless they were dining at a restaurant.

After a day of cleaning, cooking, running errands, and taking care of the children and her husband, the housewife also got an excellent nights sleep, something that is crucial to your health.  We sleep with our smartphones and tablets on our nightstands, and most of us have televisions in our bedrooms.  I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve stayed up incredibly late browsing pinterest on my iPhone.

The 50′s housewife didn’t have time to be lazy.  She didn’t have time to check Facebook, Twitter, or spend countless hours on pinterest.  Besides not having the time it wasn’t socially acceptable to sit to rest until the evenings.  With the obesity rate at what it is today, perhaps more of us should start picking up behaviors of the 50′s housewife.  Besides keeping a spotless home and keeping a happy husband, we would keep ourselves in excellent shape!