For Consideration

In my last post I mentioned choosing 12 facets of domesticity to focus on this year. I've been stuck thinking about them all week. I plan to choose one each month to focus on, but I'm not sure I even know what to consider. This post is really a brain spew. Feel free to let me know what you think I should add/delete on the list. It's a work in progress.

1. Routines/Schedules
How routined do we need to be? How can we achieve balance? Some routines are good, some need tweaking, some need to be invented. We have a pretty solid weekly schedule, but what about those things that need to be done once a month, or every season?

2. Family Fun
When to splurge? Ideas for free family fun? Being fun when I don't feel like it? Individual fun/ extracurricular activities?

3. Family Fun
How to do more with less? Where are the coupons/deals? My least favourite job.

4. Chores
When to do what? Who does what? How to keep it up in extra busy times? Rewards for chores?

5. Gardening
I would like to attempt this. Flower, herbs, idiot proof veggies. I have a black thumb, is it even worth it?

6. Finances
Planning all year long for the money-suck months? Doing more with less? Allowances? Reducing debts? Saving for the future?

7. Education
How do I keep 'teaching' at home? Are they learning what they should? Am I involved in the kids' academic journeys? What about the adult's education?

8. Faith
Is our faith lived out at home? Are we purposeful in sharing what we believe with our kids? Do we capitalize on Easter and Christmas? Am I being sensitive to their questions?

9. Memory Keeping
This is important to me. How do I include the kids and Nick? Making time? Am I organized? Do I have systems to stay organized? How am I remembering what the pictures can't tell? How do I get all those pictures sorted, printed and stored?

10. Holidays
What do we celebrate? When? What are our traditions?

11. Busy times
My job takes over four months a year, how do we stay steady and consistent?

12. Healthy Lifestyle
Am I investing in all aspects of our health? Are we doomed to become a statistic? What do I even need to think about.

I like lists. Even when they're just lists of non-coherent though processes. Now where to go from here?

Welcome 2011

For the past 18 months or so I've been saying, mostly to myself, that 2011 is the year I become a Domestic Diva. As I was saying this to myself I pictured a spotless house, gourmet meals, "perfect" children, an always happy hubby and myself (only skinnier, prettier and well, better).

Now that 2011 has arrived it's time to take that abstract idea and turn it into a reality. While striving to be Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker, June Cleaver and Brooke Burke is all well and good, I think I need to define my mission so I'm not striving to be any one other than myself....only better.




I turned to an online dictionary, because that's the best place to start defining something, right!?! The definitions for "domestic" and "diva" were rather disappointing in terms of what I needed:




Domestic: Devoted to home life or domestic affairs

Diva: One who behaves as a goddess


Goddess: A woman of extraordinary beauty; a greatly admired or adored woman


These definitions haven't helped me produce an outline for my 2011 mission, but they have made clear my challenge. Becoming devoted to laundry and toilet scrubbing is going to take effort. And furthermore devoted to "home life" is not my strength either. I don't suffer from the travel bug, but I'd much rather spend the majority of my time on the other side of my front door (which might have something to do with the pile of stuff on this side of it...). And a goddess I am not, and I have accepted that I never will be by human standards, perhaps a little work on my inner beauty isn't a bad thing, and being admired for my character is a worthy goal as long as my pride stays in check.

So, I'm going to pick 12 facets of domesticity, learn about them through the month and at the end of the month give myself a challenge to work on/grow in.

And this, my oh-so-neglected blog will be my head space for the journey. Where I can send questions to all my readers (if you're still there!) and share all my insights (please be gentle when you tell me that you can't believe I'm just 'getting that').

What areas of domesticity do you wish you were better equipped for? Or knew how to do better? Who is the Domestic Diva in your life?

Welcome to 2011.