Ask The Helpful Housewife

Revisiting A Mom's/Housewife's Net Worth

About a year ago I posted this, but I wanted to put it out here again after a lengthy conversation I just had with my mother and a friend.  I also frequently have this conversation with my husband, because at times I feel like a "kept woman" after leaving my job.  I get a guilt trip over not contributing financially, and he always jumps to the other side of the fence and is very adamant that I contribute way more by staying home.  No, he's not a chauvanistic neanderthal; he's just a great husband who is very supportive of me!

What is the salary of a mom/housewife worth?  The figure they keep tossing out there is $120,000 per year.  Not a bad figure, hey?  About 4 or 5 years ago, Andy got his USAA magazine in the mail, and they had an article in there on this very same topic, and they actually estimated it at around $140,000 I think.  I like that number better.  I wish I could find that archive in his office!!!  Counting for inflation and cost of living increases, I bet it would be more by now!

Whichever number you assign to it, it still isn't enough, but let's assume it's a fair amount.  When you think about all we do to keep our households running, we just couldn't afford to be without us housewives/moms.   We do the cooking, cleaning, laundry, managing of the budgets, shopping, caretaking, and more.  To pay a chef, drycleaner, accountant, personal shopper, daycare, and and other professionals to do these jobs for us, we would be spending three to four times more. 

Want to know the main reason why I left the engineering field when my oldest child was born?  Most of my paycheck would have gone to daycare.  Once we had all of our children, there was no point in going back to work.  Even when I had opened my own business, I was spending over $600 per week for PART TIME daycare for 4 kids.  And I still was doing all of the household management anyway.  No wonder I broke down and had Molly Maids come in once a month to do a good cleaning!  That was $100 well spent in my eyes!  For us, it is more fiscally intelligent for me to stay home. 

Moms are still undervalued today.  I hate the feminist movement; I am a firm believer that you should never feel bad about the choices you make for yourself.  If you want to work, great!  It shouldn't be because you feel like you have some bra-burning legacy to live up to.  On the other hand, if it means providing for your family, then yes, you must do it, and do it proudly!  And if you do it because you simply enjoy it and it makes you sane and happy, I applaud you!  On the other hand, if you want to stay home because you like the lifestyle of being at home with the kids and doing the housewife thing, I applaud that too.  Don't let anyone make you feel guilty or like you aren't contributing.  Because believe you me, you are.  At a rate of $120,000 per year. 

But for those of you who think that even though you love being home with the kids, and you love nothing more than a sparking clean home and freshly baked cookies coming out of the oven, you are just playing house and not really doing anything with your life?  There truly is value in what you do.  And when you can't see the emotional and spiritual value in what you do for your family some days, realize this: you are saving your family a whole bundle of money on those professionals who could be doing it for you!  As my husband loves to remind me....

Updated Housewife Schedule/Routine for the Helpful Housewife

It's been ages since I uploaded an up-to-date schedule for the Roman family!  Obviously things have changed drastically since 2006 in our household.  In the last four years, our schedule changed to accommodate me owning a store, to me being back home full time; kids getting older and having new school schedules; and just plain refining it. 

Here is the schedule we will be following until mid-June (the end of the school year):

Download Daily_schedule_for_the_roman_family_3

Download Daily Cleaning Master Checklist

Download Cleaning Schedule

I hope these documents actually embed in the blog... it's been a long time since I did this, and I can't quite remember how to do it!  I am putting them out here, because when I get around to peeking at where everyone is coming from when they arrive at my blog, the majority of hits come from google searches for 'housekeeping schedules' or 'housewife routine'.  Perhaps these will inspire those of you looking for information on forming your own schedule.  And keep in mind, I am a very structured person.  I need this type of detail.  Please don't think it is a requirement for all homemakers!  You need to do what works for you...

Green Clean On The Cheap!

Yes, I missed Earth Day on the blog.  I know!  But to atone for it, here are a couple cleaning recipes for you!  These are really easy on the wallet and really hard on dirt and grime.  I know that it's tough sometimes in this current economy to stay green while taking care of your home and family, but you don't have to shell out for the expensive green cleaners.  Simply use these cleaning products that you can whip up on your own in a matter of minutes for only pennies!

Glass Cleaner

1 part white distilled vinegar

1 part water

Simply pour into an empty spray bottle and use just like the more expensive glass cleaners.  Works better, in fact, and if you use a flour sack towel instead of paper towels you not only save trees, you don't have that pesky lint that is left behind by the paper!

All-Purpose Cleaner

1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

1/2 cup warm water

2 tsps borax

Mix until the borax is dissolved, and pour into a spray bottle.  Antiseptic, works great, cuts grease and grime, and safe for food surfaces, too!  Use caution when pouring out the borax, though, that you don't inhale it. You can even add a drop or three of essential oil to this to give it a lovely fragrance.  I happen to like lavender and geranium oils in mine!

Dishwasher Detergent

1 part washing soda

1 part Borax

Combine in a plastic, sealable container.  Use 1-2 tbsp per load in the dishwasher.

Toilet Cleaner

1 cup white distilled vinegar

1 cup baking soda

Pour each into toilet bowl.  Let sit for 1/2 hour, then scrub clean and flush to rinse.  Sparkling!

The costs associated with these cleaners is so much less than commercial cleaners!  I can buy a box of Borax for about $3.89, and a box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda for about $2.89.  A gallon of white vinegar is $2.67 where I shop, and baking soda is super cheap when you buy the big box of the generic brand.  I have found plastic spray bottles for .98 cents.   And I use an old, large, plastic butter tub for my dishwasher detergent and have it labelled clearly under my kitchen sink. 

If I total all those things up, I have about $11 invested, and these cleaners will last me forever!  I have two spray bottles, and it works out to less than a penny per cleaning session with them.  Even the dishwasher detergent recipe saves a ton of money.  The typical box of name brand detergent can be on average $6 per box.  I get four to five times as much for that same price by making my own!

I hope these little tips help you.... Your home will be sparkling and germ free without any dangerous toxins and chemicals.  Open the windows once in a while, and get the fresh air moving, too, by the way!

"The Coupon Mom"

I know this book has been out for a while, but a few weeks ago I picked up "The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half" by Stephanie Nelson.  It is wonderful!  Although I already am a coupon user, this book had some great tips in it.  I tried some of them out, and ended up having some pretty good success.  My receipt said I spent $94 after all the coupons and sale items, but my savings total on the receipt was beautiful:  I had saved $53!  Apparently my total grocery bill that day would have been $147 if I hadn't been paying attention to the ways to save that she lists. 

I am going to continue to use her methods and see just how much bigger my savings can get.  If you want to learn more about it, go to www.couponmom.com and check it out!

"The Coupon Mom"

I know this book has been out for a while, but a few weeks ago I picked up "The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half" by Stephanie Nelson.  It is wonderful!  Although I already am a coupon user, this book had some great tips in it.  I tried some of them out, and ended up having some pretty good success.  My receipt said I spent $94 after all the coupons and sale items, but my savings total on the receipt was beautiful:  I had saved $53!  Apparently my total grocery bill that day would have been $147 if I hadn't been paying attention to the ways to save that she lists. 

I am going to continue to use her methods and see just how much bigger my savings can get.  If you want to learn more about it, go to www.couponmom.com and check it out!

Bring Home Ec Back!

Remember when Home Ec was a staple course offering in our high schools?  Yeah, neither do I! Actually, when I was in high school, they only offered it one year, and then the program was dropped.  And I missed out on it, which I am still sad about to this day!  It seems that as our schools look for areas to make cuts, this is one that is always at the top of the list.  Although I understand the logic, I wish that it would be brought back as a core course.  Granted, I have a personal love of all things domestic, but it would serve a great purpose to ready our kids for life out in the real world.  These days, many parents don't have basic skills taught in these classes.  Unless they have been instructed by their own parents to sew a button, make a basic nutritious meal, and overall concepts of managing their home life, today's parents do not know these things themselves!  Look at the rise in homes where the only food eaten is take out, and clothes are tossed simply because they need a small repair?  I know that in my age group, I know very few moms who cook, clean, or alter the family clothes.  They spend far more money on take out, cleaning services, and buying clothing rather than fix a hem.  And it is evidenced that beyond my circle this is a problem based on the questions I get all the time.

However, St. John's has a wonderful gem on their staff!  Mrs. Fehrenbach has been teaching the life sciences course there for a number of years, and has been very proactive in making sure that her students are prepared for these everyday needs.  But she has gone above and beyond, and has introduced her students to both knitting and quilting!  And, as it turns out, they love it!  Just the other day she was telling me about how many quilts they have made for charity, and all of the thread they have gone through.  Back when I had my fabric/yarn shop, she was in on a regular basis and we would discuss the latest projects and come up with ideas for involving the students even more. And sometimes I was fortunate enough to be able to donate the items she needed for the class.  If I had it in stock, or even if I had to order it, I was glad to do it, because her love for her kids is so inspiring.  Her kids even participated in our World Wide Knit in Public Day, even though most worked on finishing some quilts for a charity project. 

Why am I so excited that she has introduced these additional skills?  You may think that knitting and quilting aren't necessary things to know in the real world.  Okay, I'll give you that one.  But there is value in them.  Did you know that knitting and quilting can help with math abilities, hand-eye coordination, and behavior problems?  And that later in life, these "hobbies" can be beneficial for relaxation and stress relief?  And being taught them by someone so gentle, kind, fun, and inspiring can really instill a love for them that will last a lifetime.

I am a self-taught knitter, crocheter, quilter, and seamstress due to my own interest in these things. But if I had not had the interest in them, I would not have been fortunate enough to be introduced to them by someone else.  My own mom doesn't sew or do fiber work.  And it was when I was a kid she got interested in cross-stitch (which she does beautifully!).  She did teach me cross-stitch, and although I can do it very well, it just hasn't kept up with the changing times to hold my interest now.  The kids in St. Johns are so very lucky to be exposed to these things externally.  And they will now have skills that will not only help them with basic life management, they will also have learned that these things can be relaxing and fulfilling as a hobby. 

If you have such a teacher in your area, encourage them and support them!  If you are someone who can do these things, share your talents and help them with their projects while inspiring the kids to keep at it.  If you are someone who can't do these things because you had no one to teach you or inspire you, encourage your community education programs to start up some classes and find out for yourself how rewarding it can be.  And if you don't have a Home Ec/Life Sciences class in your school, perhaps it's time to lobby for one? 

Everyone should be so lucky to have Mrs. Fehrenbach in their midst!  Keep up the good work, and be sure to call me when you start your next round of quilting projects/knitting projects in the fall so I can join the fun!

Housekeeping 101 in 2010

Wow!  I finally weeded through all the junkmail and advertisements in my inbox, and I was astounded at the number of new emails that were left that had topic lines regarding HK101!  So many of you are requesting another session that I think it may be time to consider it. 

Just in case some of you don't know the drill, here is how it works:  Once you sign up, I then begin sending you email lessons.  They are sent every day, Monday through Friday, for four weeks.  It makes it a little easier to break it up into daily lessons, and daily tasks.  There is no test at the end, it's just a fun and informational series.  You can participate or not; your choice! 

Let me think about when the best time would be to start the next session, and when I have that figured out, I will post an announcement for sign ups with instructions on how to get the course emailed to you.

I can't believe that after a couple years, this is still popular!  It warms my heart....

Happy dusting!

Another Day of Gratitude

Part of being able to love my "domestic duties" is my outlook on them. Yes, it does help that I have mild OCD which makes me despise clutter & dirt. Yes, it also helps that I like the satisfaction that comes with the sparkle after my home is in order. And yes, I am blessed to be fascinated by homekeeping books & experts.

But mostly it is my gratitude for what I have. My family is so important to me, and I want to care for them in the best way, in every way, possible. I am grateful for the home we have, whether modest or luxurious. I am grateful for what our hard work provides our family. So that drives me to care for it in a way that shows my pride and love.

So often I hear about how much the cleaning, the laundry, the cooking, and the shopping are hated "chores". Why not try to change your viewpoint and look at them as a privelege instead? In this economy especially, it can be healing and inspiring to look at these tasks as a luxury! How lucky we are to have homes to clean! Lucky to have clothes to launder, hot water to wash the dishes, food to cook...

Our attitudes when shifted to gratitude can drive us accomplish so much more! We can get our tasks done so much more quickly because we aren't plodding through them. And we are more inspired to add the little extra touches along the way to show our families how much we care.

With Thanksgiving almost upon us, it's the perfect time to shift our perspective...

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Monday Mama Ranting...

Somebody uncorked the bottle today.  Now, normally no one has to wonder what I'm thinking!  I am one of those people who lets it all hang out there, no matter what.  You want to know my opinion? You'll be sorry you asked!  But some things I've been able to just pass on and keep my thoughts to myself.  Until today.  I guess I've been bottling them up too long?  Or else I have some other deep seeded distress that is making me redirect in this way subconciously.  Who knows...  but apparently I need to get this out of my system.

1.  FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PROTEST THE NEW RESTRICTIONS ON MAMMOGRAMS!  Now they say that you shouldn't get them until you are 50 because they are ineffective on women under 50.  Tell that to any woman in her 40's or younger, who had a mammogram whose life was saved!  In an interesting interview on Nightly News with Brian Williams, this "brilliant" doctor from some UCLA think-tank decided to open her remarks with a very tellng statement: [sic] "It's time we caught up to the rest of the world's standard of care and guidelines for government sponsored healthcare systems".  Uh, does anyone else see the problem with this?  Welcome to Obama care!  Listen, I'll be the first one to stand up and demand affordable, accessible care for everyone.  But not when they take away necessary health screenings for one of the deadliest diseases for women in order to have it!  I'm not a Republican, and I'm not a Democrat.  Now you know why I don't buy into our partisanal government crap.  Are you kidding me?  Slap a set of mammaries on Obama and see where his position is then!

2.  FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUST EAT PEANUT BUTTER IF YOU ARE PREGNANT!  There, I feel better already!  This has been bothering me to no end.  Some idiot pediatrician out there, who undoubtedly has no kids, decided that pregnant women should not eat peanut butter because it increases the risk of peanut allergies in the child once born.  Are you kidding me?  Excuse my language, but common sense tells me this is complete and utter bullshit!  I ate tons of peanut butter when I was pregnant with all four of my kids, and none of them have a nut allergy!  It flies in the face of all logic!  Think about it: if you get allergy shots, what are you getting?  Small inactive doses of the allergen to desensitize you to whatever you are allergic to, right?  So, why should a pregnant woman avoid peanut butter in order to prevent a future possible allergy?  Desensitize the child in the safety of the womb.  Jeepers!  In fact, studies have shown that the longer you wait to introduce many foods, the greater the likelihood of reaction!  So what the heck is this all about?  Oy vey!

3.  FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GET YOUR KIDS VACCINATED!  Listen people, vaccines do NOT cause autism.  The reality is, autism symptoms just happen to show up around the same age that vaccines are usually given.  Total coincidence.  And parents are looking for something, anything to blame.  Don't jump all over me here.  The science proves it.  And I have twins with mild autism, so it's not like I'm yelling over the fence at you.  Yes, it's hard.  Yes it can be a heart breaking experience to hear it.  I understand.  It rocks your world. You struggle with it, and look for the first thing to blame as the cause.  Leave that to the researchers...  instead of wasting energy on all that hate and fury and misinformation, just love your child.  The reality is, this is just who they are.  Maybe there isn't anything wrong with them anyway?  Maybe it truly is just WHO THEY ARE?  That outlook has helped me cope tremendously.  And I have been able to help my kids progress forward to a happy and stable year of kindergarten, with less meltdowns than I expected.  Because I just accept it as who they were meant to be, not a flaw or an illness.  But if you choose not to vaccinate your kid just because you decide to believe some crap some quack decides to spew out?  You're welcome!  The ONLY reason you have the luxury of vaccinating your kid is because I vaccinate mine.  But watch carefully... mumps, measles, rubella, scarlett fever and more are on the rise again thanks to folks like you!

OK, I've probably alienated enough people for one day.  Stepping down off my soap box now!  I fully expect an inbox full of hate email shortly, but I'm OK with that.  My next post will go back to green housecleaning, recipes, or whatever else housewifey I can come up with!  But please do think about raising a big stink about the mammogram thing with your doctors, politicians, health insurance companies, anyone who will listen.  Your boobies, you lives, are worth it!

THE Must Have Item This Fall...

 
 
 These bowls are simply amazing! Two years ago, my mom gave me 2 sets of these bowls for Christmas.  They come with matching plates that sit under them perfectly if you like.  Unfortunately, one broke, so this past Christmas, I asked for one more set of 4.  We use them ALL the time, so they are always in the dishwasher, and 4 more would be so handy in this family of six.  Well, bless her, she gave us 2 more sets instead, since we didn't want anything else!  We use these every. single. day.  No lie.  Every morning, they come out of the cupboard for cereal, oatmeal, or Malt O Meal.  At lunch I fill them with soup or mac and cheese.  At dinner they get used for chili or stew or any other hearty dish.  Even lasagna at times when it's extra gooey! And at night, Andy uses one for his evening ice cream indulgence!

These are so versatile. They are great for any occasion.  Put them on your registry.  Your birthday list.  Your Chrismas wish list.  Dishwasher and microwave safe.  Durable.  (Unless a 4 year old throws it in a sink a little TOO hard!) And a good basic white to match most any decor.  A bargain at $29 for a set of 4 bowls and 4 plates that will be a favorite for years and years!  And occasionally they go on sale, so watch for that, too.  Available at Williams-Sonoma stores and online. 

Tonight I'm using mine again... chicken chili is on the menu, along with home made rolls, veggies to crunch on, and home made hummus dip. And then later on tonight we'll use them for popcorn, the plates for donuts, and have cider while we watch a movie!
  

More Green To Share!

  This is something completely new to me!  I just heard about it yesterday, literally.  I'm ordering a starter set of the cleaners so that I can give you an honest to goodness review, as well as ordering the Zoegetics product as well.  Listen, I try really hard to eat organically, detox once in a while, and am willing to try supplements like this.  It truly does make a difference in living with my MS, believe it or not!  So I am going to try this product as well.  I will happily give this company a shot.  Take a look at their site, and see what you think!  The prices are very reasonable, and the products definitely meet my criteria for environmental friendliness.  Just click on this link:  Zoe Lifestyle and poke around to your hearts content.  I think you'll like what you see as well.  It's always nice to find a company that can create a cleaning product that is natural, safe, and that works.  Can't wait to get mine!!!!!  This company has only been around for about 6 months, so it's a new find for everyone.  Thanks, Jeannie, for sharing it with me!!!!!

EcoStore USA Has Another Hit On Their Hands!!!

I know that I have told you before how much I absolutely love this company's product line, but EcoStore USA deserves yet another post about one of their proven winners!  Their Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener has far surpassed my strict testing requirements!  Not only is it 100% natural and oh-so-gentle on mama earth, this stuff whitens like you wouldn't believe!  I love it!  

I tried it several ways.  First I used it on a load of regular whites, and then put them in the dryer.  They came out so nice and bright!  The dingies were gone!  Then, I washed a second load of whites that were a bit faded and greyed out, and hung them on the line.  Well, as you know, sunlight is a natural bleach for whites.  The combine power of the two was even more amazing!  It was like the scene in "Friends" when Ross had bleached his teeth!  No lie!  

It even brightened and whitened a load that had accidently had a red beach towel mixed in with it... have I convinced you yet?  And it only takes a tablespoon or two in a load!  Talk about economical.  I've tried OxyClean.  That stuff is garbage as far as I'm concerned.  It has never done a thing it promised.  Not one.  But this product has me sold forever!  Go get some.  Right now.  And you can even get a coupon for it to use at Meijer.  Save almost $8 when you go to Coupon.com, type your zip code and print out the Meijer coupon.  It is under household products.  What could be better?!?!?!

A Contest Give-A-Way!!!

 

I am a little (OK, a LOT!) late in getting this news out to you... this month has been crazy hectic for us.  But the lovely Ms. Stephanie Fader at mypunchbowl.com emailed me a while ago with a great idea for a contest!  And of course, I agreed because this site is just fantastic. 

To introduce all of you to this amazing virtual destination, we are giving away two, count 'em, TWO free premium memberships to mypunchbowl.com, valued at $49.95 each!  What does a membership include, do you ask?  Well, all of the amenities of the site!  Here's what mypunchbowl.com is all about!

As busy moms and housewives, we  have all had to plan the kids' birthday parties or family events and so many other happy occasions.  And it gets to be overwhelming, doesn't it?  This site does so much of it for you!  From here, you can manage your guest lists, set your date for your event (even coordinate it with your guests beforehand), send out free e-cards and e-invitations, order gifts, get great theme and decorating ideas, and SO MUCH MORE!  I can't tell you any  more details because it's part of the contest. 

Here is what you need to do:  In order to possibly win one of these two memberships, you need to post a comment here letting me know at least one feature of the site you like the most or an event you would use it for.  You can comment as many times as you like, but it will still only get you one entry!  If you become a follower of this blog on facebook, this will get you an additional entry.  If you send an email to [email protected] with one feature from the site that you love, you will get an additional entry.  Add a link to Ask The Helpful Housewife on your blog homepage and that's another chance to win.  There's four entries for you all together!  If you have completed all four items, go back to our blog page on facebook (click from the home page here) and post it in the comments section, along with your blog url.  That way I can be sure you've completed all four and can go back and check them all! 

You have until June 2nd to enter this amazing opportunity that Stephanie has given us.  I wish everyone luck!  I'm definitely going to be using this site for all of our events from now on!  I'm already starting to make a list of the summer parties I want to have just to use the site....

Good Luck, Everyone!

The Glass Is Half Full!

OK, first the glass jar has to be empty!  What do you do with your empty jam/jelly jars when you make that last sandwich for the kids?  Way to go if the answer is recycle them!  Or what about the jar of spaghetti sauce you used last night?  Or the glass soda bottles that are so in vogue right now that come filled with all those natural, organic fizzy fun flavors?  Recycle them?  Throw them away? 

First of all, don't throw them in the trash.  Obviously, you need to be recycling them.  That's a no brainer.  Mother earth would be scolding you, wagging her finger in your face the whole time.  But what if I could give you some ideas to prolong their life?  I do this all the time!  I love to re-use my glass jars.  So much so, that I often buy a different brand at the store just because I think the jar is pretty!  (My husband just shakes his head and goes back to whatever he's doing.  He's learned to ignore my quirks in this department!)  Glass jars and bottles can be stunning accents to your decor, and they can also be very utilitarian in other ways.  Some of these examples are going to be so obvious and repeated from so many other sources you will be bored silly, I know.  But some others might be ideas you hadn't thought of.  Humor me!  You just might think twice before tossing that next jar!  It could have a second or third "repurposed life" before being recycled into another gem of glassware, keeping mother earth even happier!  Just remember to thoroughly wash and dry before doing any of the following...

1.  An especially decorative jar makes a great vase for smaller flowers from your garden.
2.  Use it to hold buttons and sewing notions.
3.  Create a sewing kit:  a spool of white, black, and cream thread; small scissors; several needles; and a threader.  Be sure to keep the lid for this one!
4.  Keep a large jar by the washing machine to throw change from pockets in!
5.  Use one for storing the miscellaneous Barbie shoes, doll accessories, lego pieces and such that you find as time goes on.  You never know when the matching one will turn up!
6.  Fill one 1/2 full with baking soda, and 1/4 full with salt. Add 20-30 drops of your favorite essential oil.  Stir it well.  Pop some holes in the lid and replace the lid on the top.  Put it in a concealed area, and you have an instant air freshener for any small room.  Works great near a diaper channging area!  Just keep it out of baby's reach.
7.  Use it to hold diaper pins, with the lid securely fastened, away from baby.
8.  I use a really pretty one to hold my honey dipper and my tea bag "squeezer" in my kitchen.
9.  If you have some especially decoratively cut jars, or some pretty blue ones that really sparkle, set them out on a tray as a decorative accent.  In sunlight, it can be spectacuar!
10.  We use a super large blue Ball Canning jar to hold pop can tabs.  We save them and when the jar is full, we transfer it to a zip-loc bag (it fills one!) and take them down to the local VFW and turn them in for their charity drive.
11.  Handymen/women can use them to hold screws, nails, nuts, bolts, anything that needs containing in the workshop.
12.  Crafters can use them for glue sticks, trims, tools, marking pens, rotary cutters, scissors, just about anything!
13.  I store dried beans, peas, etc in them, rather than in the bags they come in.  They store better on the pantry shelves and I don't have to go buy all new storage containers!
14.  I also use one to hold cupcake tin liners.  Perfect purpose!
15.  The best use of all?  I keep my dish washing wand in one on the kitchen sink!

I hope some of these suggestions are helpful to you!  It keeps a little more glass out of the landfills, and helps extend the lifecycle of those items already produced.  Let's all do our part to keep trying to find new uses for items around the house!

Happy Dusting,
The Helpful Housewife

Making Your Laundry Room Work For You

I get a lot of hits on this blog relating to google searches for laundry room tips.  You all know how much I adore ironing, and even the laundry is a task I really don't mind doing.  Here's the secret to why:  a well organized laundry room!  Even if you don't have an actual laundry room, an area dedicated to this task helps trememdously.  I don't technically have a laundry room in my home.  It's more of an all-purpose back entry area.  It's closed off from the kitchen by a pocket door, but it has the hook ups for a washer/dryer and a built in laundry sink.  By default?  It's a laundry room/mud room/entry way/utility room.  I actually hate the layout, but I've made the best of it.  So today I'm going to share it with you, and maybe you can gain some ideas from what I've done to streamline and organize your own laundry spaces.

Remember my post regarding the family information center?  This is a bigger snapshot of the wall it's located on.  It's where we come and go 99% of the time, so it makes the most sense for us.

As you can see in the photo below, we installed shelving above the washer & dryer to keep laundry supplies close at hand.  It works rather well to be able to just reach straight out for stain removers, or to set items on the shelf that are found in pockets.  It also keeps things from getting lost behind the appliances!

 

In this next photo, you can see how I store my daily cleaning supplies in their caddy right on the counter top to keep them easily accessible.  The laundry soap is also right there in the blue caddy where I can just scoop it out as I need it.  The counter top is usually clear, but today I have some things there that need to be delivered in an errand later.  The counter does come in handy, though!

 

Over the sink, I have installed a fold out drying rack.  In the summer it's great for the swim suits, and year round I use it for delicates and hand wash items.  The clothespin bag is hung across from it.  In the cabinet I keep my dust rags, extra rubber gloves, cleaning supplies, sponges, scrubbers, and the sunblock/insect repellent.  Also a first aid kit and the shoe polish, so the kids dont' get into it!

 

This is the view coming in from the garage.  These hooks keep us organized on school mornings.  We always know where the backpacks and coats are!  Plus, it keeps them up off the floor so we aren't tripping over them all the time, and the kids can hang them up themselves.  There would be one more set, but Attie is still at school right now!  I also keep my cleaning smock hanging on the last hook here so I can just toss it on whenever I need to.

 

And here's the view from the sink towards the pocket door to the kitchen.  This is how our wierd and awkward room manages to have so many different functions yet work so well for us.  Because it is so organized, it is a useful space.  Laundry is easy to do here, and our lives are organized because of the other tools in place like the calendar area and the hooks.  It is a multifunctional room.  Even the closet next to the hooks -- we took out the rod and put in a shelving system and created a pantry/utility closet.  Only a few panty items are stored here; mostly trash bags, the blender, extra picnic wares, and the vacuum, broom, etc. are kept in it.  But making it functional makes it work for us, not against us!

 

It's even painted a sunny yellow to make it bright and cheerful.  Although I am considering repainting it a bright bright white... will have to simmer that thought for a while.

So, there's another glimpse into The Helpful Housewife's home.  I hope I can inspire you to improve upon my ideas in your own cozy homes!