Today’s topic for Total Truth Thursday is something that I've never been that great at. Before marriage I went through phases when I liked to cook or bake but it never lasted. I would only do my laundry when I absolutely had to {i.e. I have no clothing!}. My room was normally a mess. At my core, I am not a domestic person. After the proposal I started to think about my future as a wife and everything that I would need to do in our future home. I suddenly felt like super woman who could conquer everything. But now, after the past six months of wedded bliss, reality has set in and I have a new perspective. Here are three things that I have learned about this domestic life, as a newly wedded wife.
You are welcome for the rhymes.
You are welcome for the rhymes.
1// it is okay to ask for help
We were blessed to have a couple from our church that has been married 10+ years guide us through our premarital counseling. At one point during a meeting I actually remember telling them, “I want to do all the house chores on my own so when we have kids it won’t be that hard. If I learn to do it now then I will be able to do it later.” HAHAHAHA! Now I understand why they looked at my like I was a lunatic. You can’t do everything on your own. Sometimes you need help, and I have learned that asking for help doesn’t make you less qualified. We are a team and when we work together for a common goal then our daily life will flow so much better.
2// find a routine
Speaking of help, from day one I knew that I would be doing all the laundry in our house. I honestly don’t mind doing it and this is something that Peter does not want to do, so I’m okay with it. I can’t handle vacuuming our house with my lower back problems, so Peter completes this task in our house. Once again, we are a team. He has never been a fan of doing laundry. I can’t vacuum. We work together and we make it work well. I’ve also made it known that I loathe matching socks, so after I’m finished folding and putting away the laundry, Peter has the fun chore of matching those little suckers. Finding a routine that works for you and your home makes those annoying chores so much easier.
3// make a plan
No one is going to have a house that always looks like a magazine full of picture perfect rooms and delicious meals on the table. It can happen, but it won’t happen 24/7. I try my best to make plans for our meals and our cleaning schedule. On Sundays I think about the week ahead and figure out when I will have time to do what is needed. If there is a party next weekend I will make sure I have time to do a little bit every day to have the plans ready in time. This doesn’t always work, but majority of the time everything is ready without much stress involved. Planning ahead is the best thing I can do to make our home have a happy flow.
I've also shared our Cleaning Schedule, and talked a little bit more about what works best in our home, HERE.
On last Thursday my mom asked me what my plans were for the night. I then rattled off my list of things to do - put the baked ziti in the oven to take to a friend on bed-rest, while that is cooking I will go water the garden, and then I have to change the food and water in the chicken coop, then I will throw some towels in the washer so I can put them in the dryer when I get back from taking the meal. Her response was, "You're so domestic!!", and I died laughing. I went on to tell her that the next Total Truth Thursday topic was about being domestic and she followed up with, "Just say, doing all the things when you lived at home that you hated but now you enjoy...just like your mom said would happen." HA! It is true... I didn't think I would enjoy all these things but I do. I do it for my husband, I do it for myself & I do it for our home. Plus, the "Good job, babe" that I get from my sweet hubby means the world to me!
Check out my past Total Truth posts below...
