Retro Housewife Challenge: Day 13

Since I know everyone is dying to know how my resolution to be domestic is coming (note: that's sarcasm, folks!) I thought I'd share a little about my progress.

For starters, it did get better after that first day. I think I've started to adopt a healthier attitude about my housewifely duties. I mean, sure, I don't love cleaning the toilets. But, I am still finding my mood about such things has improved. Especially since I get to see such a happy and relieved look on my husband's face when he comes home to a less disastrous domicile.

But, there are a good many things I still need to work on. The whole waking up before the rest of the household and making breakfast resolution lasted exactly one week. And then I quit. For now, I'm blaming it on First Trimester sickness/fatigue. I mean, anyone who has ever been pregnant knows there is nothing worse than touching/smelling/seeing eggs first thing in the morning. Not to mention, that this pregnancy's defining symptom has been an absolutely incapacitating exhaustion rivaled only by my bout with mono 5 years ago.

That does not make for easy mornings in the kitchen. Actually, it doesn't make for easy cleaning afternoons either. But, I am determined to prevail!

So, here's my list of things I have accomplished as a retro housewife:

Completely cleaning and reorganizing my bedroom and closet
Organizing and storing all non-summer season clothes
Cooking meals (almost) every week night
Keeping kitchen and family room clean and organized and chaos-free
Planned a homeschool calendar for all of 2008-2009
Washing my hair/getting dressed in real clothes every.single.day (people this really is an accomplishment so try not to judge me, 'kay?)


Here's my list of things I need to work on:

Healthy and nutritional breakfasts for my family
Keeping laundry caught up
Not wasting time during the day
Vacuuming in high heels ('cause I did say I was going to try)
Organizing the sewing/craft area and the dining room
Organizing the laundry room and purging unneeded clothes

I'm sure Thomas could come up with 100 other things I need to work on, but he won't and that is a big part of why I love him! So, there you have it. The Retro Housewife Challenge is alive and well and improving the quality of life in the Land of Lovings!

Retro Housewife Challenge: Day One

Let me be perfectly honest about this experience. I. hated. every. minute.

Okay, so there you have it. I am a horrible domestic goddess. Horrible.

Here's what I did my first Retro Housewife Day:

1. Woke up at 6 AM to cook my husband breakfast. And resented the fact that I could hear him snore while I was scrambling his eggs (with cheese, of course, per his request).

2. Started the monumental task of cleaning, organizing, and rearranging my bedroom.

3. Laundry, laundry, and more laundry.

4. Deep cleaned the kitchen and scrubbed the kitchen floor Cinderella-style.

5. Did 3 loads of dishes. Three! People, what is that about? I mean, there are only 4 of us living here.

6. Had a nutritious meal completed in time to get Thomas at the bus station.

7. Took a nap. Darn it! I know. But, 6 am came SO early. What was I supposed to do?

It's going to get better, right? In 30 days I'm going to love this. Surely.

Tomorrow I will be working more on cultivating the selfless attitude and drinking martinis while vacuuming in my high heels. Hmmm...considering my tendency to break ankles maybe I'll just stick to the domestic tasks and leave the martinis for later.

Putting my big girl panties on.

Okay, this is a confession and a challenge to myself. I'm hoping saying this out loud (or, you know, posting it out loud) will force me to rectify it.

Here goes:

I am a lazy SAHM.

First, let me say that I believe being a SAHM is a very big job. It is a hard job. And I admire the heck out of SAHMs who manage to really run their home like a business.

Unfortunately, I am not one of those. This is not a declaration made proudly. I am ashamed at how lax I've become in my household duties.

My laundry room is a mess. My bedroom is, in a word, pitiful. There is much left undone at the end of the day. I take naps. I watch TV while my kids are napping. (I know, I know, it's horrible.)

So, there I've said it. I am a bad housekeeper and a lazy SAHM. But, friendly bloggers, I am going to turn over a new leaf.

See, I've had this crazy obsession with the 1960s lately and I am in awe of the amazingness of the housewives of that era. I am longing for the desire to work as hard as they did. And I'm challenging myself to do this in my house.

I'm making myself a retro housewife challenge. And here's my plan.

For 30 days I am vowing to do be a true housewife which includes (but is not limited to) the following:

Wake-up before everyone in the house and fix breakfast
Keep the housework completely caught up every day and make the home a haven for my family
Cook homemade meals every week night
Cultivate more of an attitude of selflessness
Treat my days like a job with goals, expectations, and deadlines
Vacuum at least once in high heels ('cause I'm obsessed with those housewives in shirtwaist dresses and heels!)

And, do all of the above dressed for the real world with hair done and a full face of make-up on.

You know, basically be the complete opposite of my every day self. 30 days of retro housewife goodness. I'm starting this challenge tomorrow and, to be honest, I'm pretty scared of what lies ahead. Trying to pull this off may just be the end of me.

I know most of you reading are probably thinking, "uh, yeah, that's not a retro housewife. It's just being a grown-up." And, you know, you're probably right. But the Retro Housewife Challenge is SO much sexier sounding than the Jenna-is-finally-putting-on-her-big-girl-panties challenge, don't you think?