I have a confession...

I'm really not all that sassy. It's been about a year since I decided to start this path to sassy housewifery, and what I have come to realize in that time is I don't even think I want to be particularly sassy. What does that mean anyway? I realize, I want to just be a "Goodwife," some culmination between stereotypical 50's housewife, colonial goodwife and Victorian lady. Each had admirable traits and practices and from here on in, I'm less concerned with the "sassy" aspect. The only person I am trying to please is my husband (okay, and me, but I'm happiest when he's happy.) So what are my goals now? Easy.

greet him with a smile when he comes home
Keep the house clean and tidy by following a schedule
Save money
make more things myself- I have the skills, why would I buy pre-made? there's no reason
be thriftier
Cook dinner 6 nights per week (but planned overs count!)
Blog more- to get out my crazy.
Spend more time relaxing with hubby
exercise
Have a baby. :P

Lately, I've been doing very well with all this, really. I've been inspired by another "This Happy Housewife" (LOL!I can't tell who came first but it doesn't matter to me) to create these awesome schedules for each day an make a "home management binder." Here's her blog: http://thishappyhousewife.wordpress.com/category/homemaking/schedules/
(Honestly, she's much better at keeping up with hers than I am with mine. :P) But in any case, she's got some great, very helpful information. I love her schedules, I can't say it enough, I totally borrowed the idea and am working each week to see when are the best times for me to do such and such a task and how often. For example, I have three dogs (pit mix rescues) and two cats running around the house, plus my sewing and crafting which leaves a lot of little bits, fur, dust and dog toy innards scattered around the house. This means I need to put "vacuum" and "sweep" on my lists about 4-5 times per week instead of once or twice.

My trick to keeping up on things, I hate to say it, is duplicates (triplicates, etc...) of cleaning supplies. In each bathroom I have a caddy of favored cleaning supplies (I have two bathrooms- one on each floor) so it works out great to have one portable caddy designated to each floor so I'm not dragging things up the stairs. I also have two brooms, one in the downstairs kitchen, one in the upstairs bath, a dutch rubber broom upstairs (okay, that one gets hauled around, I need to order another one since it's amazing for pet hair....)A mop designated for each type of flooring or cleaner- this is so that the mop for the bathroom and kitchen, whose floors I ocassionally bleach, doesn't come in contact with the wood floors. Bleach and hardwood floors don't mix! There are dust mops and swiffers (with reusable, crochet pads) for quick jobs and microfiber towels and extra rags in the Kitchen and both bathrooms. Luckily, I don't have any carpeting upstairs so the dyson can live downstairs. :)

Something else that is helping a lot with keeping the house clean is the fact that I am getting rid of a TON of stuff, and finding good ways to organize what I'm keeping. Clutter isn't pretty. And having a lot of clutter makes cleaning much harder because you have to constantly move things to clean under or clean around. It makes no sense. Its much easier to dust the entertainment center when it's free of clutter, or wipe down the kitchen counters or sweep a room when there isn't stuff everywhere. I was starting to feel VERY smothered. I like my things, and I'm one of those people who gets sentimental about the stuffs. "Oh, I can't get rid of that, so and so gave it to me for such and such an occasion...." Or, "it's an antique!" Well, antique means that it should make some money at the yard sale. lol. I didn't get cold, I'm getting practical. Just because I am getting rid of a thing, doesn't mean I'm getting rid of memories or the person who gifted it or who it reminds me of. It's hard, but very liberating at the same time. I can't wait to have my yardsale so I can clear out all the stuff that has been accumulating on my 3 season porch (where I'm storing everything that is "going" till the weather is warm enough for a yardsale. I thought about a porch sale, but there is officially more stuff than can fit well enough to accommodate both people and stuff in the porch. :P)

One last idea/ tip. Put on an apron. Seriously, it's like a super hero donning a cape and mask, when I put on an apron something clicks in my brain. Suddenly I'm *drum roll...* Super-wifey! I guess it just puts me in the mood for domesticity. Another goal (*grin*) is to have at least enough aprons for one per day. That way... I can have a clean one each day, or mix it up a bit style-wise. And yes, aprons are cute! A lovely friend of mine recently gifted me an adorable apron that is pink and covered with skulls and crossed spoons! Oh, and the skulls are wearing hair bows (skull bows?) anyway, it's absolutely adorable. I even wore it out in public. same with the pink floral one I made last year (go back into the archives for the tutorial- it's wicked cute). Aprons are the domestic's best accessory, I am thoroughly convinced of this.

So... that's my life for now. I hope to blog more now that I have a clearer idea of my housewife goals. And I think I am going to change the name of my blog if I can figure out how.... :)