I'm Dawn. My mom mentioned she has a milestone birthday this year -- so do I. I'll be 30 in a matter of days. When I look at my life, I feel way too young to have a husband, three children, and our own home. But at the same time, I feel mature enough mentally and spiritually to be 30. It's incredible how being married, having children, moving a lot, and just life in general can grow a person up! And so that I can return the public favor of poking fun, my Hubz will be 30 in May. ;-)
As mentioned, I have three kids. A 5 year old son (JG), a 4 year old son (EA), and a 1 year old daughter (EM). Add to that caring for our new single-family long-term home, meal management, husband care, etc. etc...and my days are quite full! This is our first official year of homeschooling. JG is in kindergarten, and EA is in preschool. And boy was it a wake-up call to see how much that adds to the home management plate! It's a good lesson in learning to prioritize -- and how to let go of the lower priorities if they don't get done! I do enjoy being able to stay home and fulfill my God-given calling. There is so much to do that I honestly have no idea how women who work outside the home manage! My brain doesn't compute that simply because of how busy I am without spending time at a job elsewhere. Those women must have an extra measure of grace and strength from the Lord! :-P
I have a bachelor's degree in Home Economics - Family & Consumer Sciences. I can't begin to tell you how often a gal gets made fun of for spending four years and so much money to learn how to "bake chocolate chip cookies and sew a dress." It is SO much more than that! Food prep (science behind cooking), meal management, home management, childhood development, early childhood education, nutrition, nutrition for children, sewing basics, intermediate sewing and beyond, dynamics of family living (best class ever!), professional and philosophical issues, interior design, entrepreneurship, undergraduate thesis and research...and those are only the classes I remember! Those four years drastically changed who I am in personality, ability, and spirit. And no, a home ec degree is not just a "Mrs." degree. There are a MYRIAD of professions one can go into with such a degree. Though it is QUITE beneficial if you do end up as a Mrs. ;-) Which is precisely what the Lord had for me -- I got married about two months after graduation. Fine by me! Those four years and thousands of dollars were far from being a waste. How many people can say they use their degree 24/7 year in and year out?? Even sleeping is being a good steward of your time (part of home management)! Not to mention, as my mom reminds me, those years and money were well worth it for me to meet my dear Hubz. ::swoon::
Disclaimer: Just because I do have an official degree in Home Economics does NOT mean that I am a perfect home manager. Who is? Martha Stewart? Yeah...she doesn't have a husband or kids in the house (that I'm aware of anyway) or a limited budget. We are all sinners and battle laziness and pride, both of which hugely affect the state of our homes and lives. Trust me -- I've come a loooong way in how I manage my home from the first year of marriage with no kids to now -- almost 8 years and three kids. Each child has forced me to let go of pristine living even more -- which is a good thing for me. It is both humbling and refreshing to let go of perfectionism. I'm realizing it's ok for people to see that we LIVE in our home! That "relaxed" look my mom spoke of is not a bad thing so long as it's not due to laziness. We must strive to find a healthy balance in the state of our homes -- spiritually first, then practically. :-)
It's commical how different my mom and I are in our likes/dislikes in home management. I DO NOT like to do dishes -- I still haven't figured out why exactly other than the standing for forever and getting dry hands. I HATE cleaning bath tubs and showers that have tile/grout. Loathe. Consider it a drudgery. I love to organize things and would spend a pretty penny on organizational stuff...if I had a pretty penny! Can one be too organized?? A place for everything, and everything in its place -- that's how picking-up becomes a breeze! Which means I like to fold clothes and put them away. I've always dreamed of having a linen closet that looks like the towel section of Bed Bath & Beyond. And perfect dresser drawers means you wear more of your clothes because you can actually see all of them! (Obsessed, you ask? Probably.) I like to sweep and vacuum because it gives immediate satisfaction and a huge face lift to the home. Don't do anything else but clean the floors, and things look much better!
I'm excited to be co-authoring this blog mainly because I LOVE gathering/using ideas and therefore love contributing to the big 'ole Idea Pool. (There's a post on why you should be on Pinterest coming in the near future...) Take what works for you from this blog, and use it! Use the ideas and tailor them to your life. The goal is to help you all become more efficient home managers to free up your time and money so it can be spent on the most important things in life -- God's kingdom and your own little kingdom!
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