Cleaning and cleanliness tips for these scary times...

Okay. Maybe they're not all that scary, but you got to admit, the news sure does have a lot of people in a panic. So, after seeing so many people on Facebook saying they haven't been able to find this or that in stores because they're all sold out, I figured I'd make a helpful post.

First:
"Oh no! There's no hand soap!"

Y'all! A bar of Ivory will do the same thing, even if it isn't as convenient as pumping that little thing on top of a bottle of hand soap. If you're worried public bathrooms might be out, throw a small bar in a plastic baggy and toss it into your purse.

Second:
"I can't find any hand sanitizer."

Grocery stores aren't the only places to carry these. Look at your local feed and farm stores, big box stores, pharmacies, even shop online.

Third:
"I can't find any cleaning products!"

I posted these before, but here you go! Household cleaner, disinfectant wipes, even glass cleaner! All-natural and does the same thing as any of those store-bought cleaners! I copied and pasted from the post a few years back.

3-1 Household Cleaner
(All purpose, Window/mirror, Air freshener)

1 C White vinegar
2 C water
1 Tbsp dish soap
30 drops of essential oil

I just funnel these ingredients into whatever empty spray bottle I have. I've been using a 409 bottle for years, but you can go purchase a new spray bottle if you'd like and just write or print out a label of what's in the bottle.

TIP:
I tend to use lavender, orange, or lemon in my cleaning products. But recently I started adding peppermint. Over at Housewife How-To's she said peppermint helps to deter mice, ants, and even roaches. I live in the country and I can tell you the peppermint has definitely helped with the ants! I haven't seen one in months!

Household Disinfecting Wipes (reusable)
Mason jar or some sealable glass jar (wide-mouthed)
2 C water (distilled preferably)
1 C white vinegar
Your choice of essential oils. My fave is:
15 drops lavender
5 drops lemon
5 drops Tea Tree oil
cut up squares of fabric of your choice. I cut up an old flannel nightgown, but you can use t-shirts, washcloths, etc.

Just put the squares of fabric in the jar, Mix the ingredients in a bowl and pour the cleaner over the cloths. You can just throw the cloth in the wash after each use. No more landfill waste, no more wasted money.

Window Cleaner:
If you're worried about using soap or essential oils on your glass or mirrors just use vinegar and water with a microfiber cloth.


Here are some sites with natural and homemade cleaning products that I love:
Houselogic - This site has a comparison of different laundry detergents and how they worked for her.
Housewife How-To's - She has great money-saving tips, cleaning tips (love her book on the 30 days to a clean house), and how to build a schedule among other things!
Keeper of the Home - has a ton of homemade cleaning products, as well as tips on housekeeping, children, cooking, etc.


Is there another product you'd like to see an alternative to? Leave me a comment and I'll find it for you! Keep those hands washed, cover your mouth when you cough, and please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!, please stay home if you're sick!

Why can't I just relax?

Sitting at work today, I ran through my mind all the things I needed to do both when I got home tonight, and what needed to be done this weekend. You see, even though I'm officially back at work, I still shoulder a majority of the responsibilities at home. I have an adult daughter at home, but she's mentally challenged and can only help so much. She has a list of daily chores to be completed before I get home, but to be honest, I'm a bit of a control freak. I'd never tell her this, but the things are never done the way I'd do them.

I should probably hand over a few responsibilities to one of the other two family members of my house. There's the typical housework, home repairs, bills, yard work, errands, grocery shopping, meals, etc. But...that would mean I'd have to give up control.

What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I release the power? I don't want to be exhausted every day. I don't want to do everything in the few hours I have each evening and on the weekends. I think there's this part of me that wants one of them to just jump and do them without me asking. How wonderful it would be to not have to ask someone to keep their items picked up. How wonderful it would be to come home to a clean house. How wonderful to not have to ask the husband to make the bed when he's the last one up or for either of them to put their dishes in the dishwasher after a meal.
Honestly, though, I'm not sure I'd know how to act if the household duties were suddenly equally divided. Would I even be able to relinquish the control? Would I ever be satisfied with how someone else mopped or dusted or did laundry? Would I know how to act if I could spend a weekend doing nothing instead of catching up on a week's worth of laundry and more or less spring cleaning every Saturday and Sunday?

Even when I'm caught up with everything, I always find myself a project, write more on one of my books, something to keep myself busy. I'm not even sure I know how to relax.

How did you learn to just be instead of always filling your time with busy work? Were any of you ever able to hand over the reins after returning to work?

Until next time, have a wonderful day!

Trying to get healhy!

I've been trying to get healthy for the past few months. Of course, the holidays put a wrench in my plans, but since January, I was back at it hard. I've kept my calories around 1000-1200 daily. Here's the thing: I haven't lost any weight. It's frustrating as heck. I haven't been going to the gym, but only because life is constantly getting in the way. I know. I know. That's an excuse, and I totally own up to that.

In the meantime, I have an appt with my doctor to have my thyroid checked. Every female in my mom's side of the family has one form of thyroid disorder or another. I admit I'm really hoping that's it. I was always slim up until my thirties. And then the weight slammed into my booty, stomach and...well, everywhere else. I wouldn't say I'm obese, but definitely out of shape and overweight. If the results come back normal, I'll have to commit to the gym at least four days a week and reevaluate my diet. There must be some sneaky sabotage in there I'm not noticing.

There's more to it than only wanting to lose weight, though. I'm not getting any younger. At forty-three, I want to feel young. I want to have energy and stamina. Part of my fatigue is caused by a vertigo disorder, but a lot of it is caused by my sudden sedentary lifestyle. Desk jobs aren't conducive to activity, after all.

Have you tried any safe diets? I don't mean things like Atkins or Keto, but something with real, whole food? I'd love to hear your yummy recipes.

Until next time, have a wonderful day!

Why can't they ever help?

I noticed the moment I went back to work, the rest of the household forgot there are chores to be done. I'd been doing them on my own for so many years, it's as if they all thought some kind of dust fairy took care of everything.

When I first made the decision to go back to work, I made sure we had a family meeting. I wanted to make sure they were all on board with my decision. I also wanted to make sure I wouldn't continue carrying one hundred percent of the responsibilities on my shoulders. They all agreed. Now, there is only one child still remaining at home, and she's my child (adult child) with mental disabilities. Still, she's fully capable of wiping down counters and such. And there's also my husband. Yet, here I am, begging for help, asking the other family members to rinse their dishes and put them in the dishwasher, etc. OH! Forgot to mention we finally got a dishwasher. It has been a lifesaver since I went back to work.

Perhaps I spoiled them when I was home for ten years. At that point, I felt it was my job. I ran my home like a business, complete with a homemaker's binder. Maybe it's time to make a new one and include the other two family members in its creation, let them feel like they had a part in planning and scheduling the daily chores. Since there are only three of us and two dogs, I feel the house should remain clean. I understood when there were five of us and no dishwasher. Not any more. A place for everything and everything in its place.

One of the things I've been doing in hopes of helping the DD and DH get on board is purging unnecessary items from the home. I'm hoping if there are fewer things to clean and put away, there will be less stress when I ask for help.

What ways have you found to help get the other family members involved in the running of your household? Do you send the husband with a grocery list? Do you divvy out chores on the weekends? Let me hear any and all ideas!

Until next time, have a wonderful day!

I'm baaaack!

I've decided to give this old blog new life. Soon, the title of the blog will be changed to Traditional Housewife IN the World since I'm officially a working woman. I work part-time selling insurance, do hair on the side, and I'm still writing books. I even have a new pen name for my fiction: Lynn Howard

I'm not sure what exactly this blog will entail since I'm no longer a full-time housewife, but I still have quite a bit of old-timey stuff for you guys. I still make sure I look presentable, even on my days off work. I still go by somewhat of a cleaning schedule so my house never gets away from me. I still use homemade cleaning products to cut down on the number of chemicals used in our home.

For those of you who stuck around, let me know if there are any specific topics you'd like me to cover. Are there tips for a working mom/wife/woman you'd like me to address? Would you like to see my new cleaning schedule? Would you like to talk about family issues that could arise when mom goes back to work? Let's have a conversation. This blog is about us, not just me.

Anyway, it's good to be back! I missed you lovely people! Until next time, have a wonderful day!

Changes are in the Air!

I hadn't planned on talking about this, but....I'm officially enrolled in cosmetology school! I start March 13. That's two and a half weeks away and I'm a nervous wreck. I'm wondering if I should chronicle my journey through school after over twenty years after high school or not. Of course, being a writer I have to research everything. So, I've been watching videos, reading blogs, and researching the crap out of this industry. I feel pretty confident I've chosen the right path for my life, and being as my daughter (and youngest child) is starting her senior year in the fall and turning eighteen in the spring, I think it's finally time for mom to find something just for her.

Don't get me wrong; I love being a housewife, but with the daughter always gone at school, basketball practice or games, church, my son always at work or friends, and my husband always at work, pinstriping a hot rod or playing in his band...I tend to be alone a lot. I'm ready to get out in the real world, start a career, make some friends, and enjoy my midlife! lol Yep, that's right. I turned forty in December. Can you believe it? Honestly, I don't feel forty. And hopefully, don't look it, either. (feel free to lie to me if you think I look my age!)

Anyway, that's what's going on in my household. I know I said I was going to try to blog more often, but honestly, I haven't had much to say, yet so much on my plate lately.

I'll let you guys know how school goes. Feel free to send me any questions you might have and I'll do my best to answer them as soon as I have a good reply for you!

Domestic Violence In The News

I had another post ready for tomorrow, but then I made the mistake of not only opening a news story, but reading the comments. Here the story for those interested in reading it. It's sad, and awful, and pissed me off. Oh, the comments probably pissed me off more than the story in itself.

While there aren't many details, the gist is a man beat his wife - and mother to his three kids - to death, then set her on fire. Her own father was the one who found her charred body. Horrible, right? Yeah, here are some of the comments that followed the story:

Look, I was in a very abusive marriage for over seven years. Many times I tried to leave. And ever time, he would apologize, beg for forgiveness, and promise to change. He never did. Last I heard, he's still beating his girlfriends. When I did finally get out, I applied and was granted a protection order. Of course, that didn't stop him from calling and threatening me. Did the police do anything? Nope. They can't. The order and law states unless he actually shows up, there's not much they can do other than calling him and telling him to stop.

Statistics show the most dangerous time for an abused woman is the first two weeks after she leaves. That's right, AFTER she leaves. It's terrifying. I don't think I got more than a few minutes of sleep at a time, waking to every noise outside, just positive he'd come back.

Those who've never been through domestic violence like to say things like, just leave, or if it was my daughter/sister/friend I'd xxx. You'd do nothing. Because, believe it or not, we actually love the assholes. And we don't want them hurt. Not to mention, we're grown women. I've heard other say "why didn't her parents call the police when they saw the bruises?" Because there's nothing the police can do without evidence. All she has to say is she fell down the stairs, or was playing football, or wrestling with the kids, or *insert excuse here*. Police can't just arrest someone because a third party said so. That's now how the law works. On the bright side, most states have instated laws that takes the option to prosecute out of the victims' hands. This was done because so many women were dropping charges, whether it was because they feared retaliation or because they genuinely believed the man would change.

My life did get easier, and I eventually married my best friend and love of my life. But, I still have those moments. I still cringe at certain noises and words. I still can't stand to read stories or even watch scenes in movies or television shows with domestic violence. But, my heart has healed, even if my mind and body still remember.

I've forgiven my ex. Not for him, but for me. I've moved on. I've built a better life for myself. But the scars will be there for the rest of my life. Just remember next time you hear a story or even know someone in your own life who is being abused, they don't always have the option to leave. It's terrifying, it's dangerous, and there just aren't enough resources. It's up to every single one of us to reach out to these women (and men) and let them know they have someone on their side.