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!

My Cleaning Schedule

As promised, I'm trying to blog more regularly. Hopefully, I can keep the momentum.

Now, while this schedule works for me, please remember we all have different needs, different families, different lives. If this schedule doesn't work for you, tweek it to your liking. Switch the rooms around. Alternate days. But, make sure you find a schedule.

Before I start, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite tools for housework. (I am not paid for these endorsements. These are actual items in my personal arsenal and I'm willing to post pics to prove it. lol)

I love this duster! It bends so you can use it on your ceiling fans and you just pull the sleeve off and throw it in the washing machine. You can find it here.

I bought the pack of different colors so I could use them for different rooms. I use green in my kitchen, yellow in the bathrooms, and blue is for dusting and polishing all the other rooms. You can find them here.

I used to run a housekeeping company and have used so many different types of vacuums. This is the one I ended up buying years ago and I still love it. I only have carpeting in my bedroom, but I can use it on my hardwood floors to get up the dog hair and dust particles that a dry mop would miss. You can find this here.

Okay, as far as the cleaning detergents, I make my own. I'll post the recipe for it below, but you can always use what you have on hand or your favorite store bought brand.

All purpose Cleaner

-1/2 cup of white vinegar

-Several drops of lavender and pepperment essential oils. You can also use lemon and bergamot if you prefer a citrusty scent

-1 tbs Dawn dish detergent

-Spray bottle

-Enough water to fill the bottle

I use this formula to clean everything, including my mirrors and windows. Used with the microfiber cloths, it won't leave streaking. It smells lovely and cuts through grease and grime as well as any store bought detergent,

On to the schedule:

Monday - Bedroom

Change and wash sheets

Dust all furniture

Make sure all meds and jewelry is put away and no clutter is on the floor

Reorganize the bottom of your closet (where all our shoes get tossed after a long day)

Vacuum/sweep and mop floor

Tuesday - Kitchen

Move all items on counter to the side and deep clean counters

Wipe off top and sides of fridge

Clean out inside of fridge

Wipe down outside of cabinets

Sanitize trash can

Sweep and mop floor

Wednesday - Bathrooms

Scrub down tub and shower walls

Scrub inside of toilet with toilet brush

Sanitize outside of toilet, including the sides near the floor

Remove items from sink and deep clean surfaces

Polish mirrors

Dust any wall decor

Sweep and mop floor

Thursday - Living/Family Rooms

Fluff pillows and fold all blankets

Dust all furniture (use oils is real wood)

Whisk/vacuum under cushions

Clean under sofas (where all the discarded socks and missing pens seem to land)

Sweep/Vacuum and mop floor

Friday - Outside/Office/Misc

Office - Sweep front and back porches (this is where most of the dirt comes from)

Pick up any trash in the yard

Water plants and weed (seasonally)

Office - Clear clutter from desk

Dust desk

Sweep/Vacuum floor

I also use Fridays for groceries and errand running

Saturdays and Sundays I tend to rest a little, but I still keep up on the general messes and dish washing. Since we don't have a dish washer, all dishes are done by hand. On the weekends, I make the kids help with some of the housework, including meal dishes.

So, there's my schedule. I actually got the idea from Nicole over at The Retro Housewife Life. If you haven't already, make sure you check out her darling blog!

Am I JUST a Housewife?

I've come to the conclusion that I'll probably never work outside the home again. Between my daughter needing me accessible 24/7 (people don't want to hire someone with an unreliable schedule) and my inability to drive 15-20 days out of the month, not to mention no marketable skills (other than writing, of course) or formal education, getting a job doesn't seem like it's in the cards. But is it such a bad thing to be a housewife? Someone asked the question here, but no one really had an answer.

On a good day, I fancy myself Donna Reed or Doris Day. I do my hair and makeup, don a dress and apron, and flutter around my house making it beautiful.

It makes me happy. A clean and organized house makes me happy. My family drooling over what I made for dinner makes me happy. But being happy and making my family happy doesn't exactly pay the bills.

Since the day I stopped working outside the home (daycares don't allow teenagers, regardless of their disabilities) I've felt somewhat guilty that I don't contribute financially to our family. Sure, I sell books and even sometimes make more than a few dollars on my royalty checks, but that doesn't exactly keep a house afloat. But is the guilt rational? Is this something I've been ingrained with because of societal demands? What happened to having respect for those men or women who stayed home and ran the household? Why is it when I tell someone I'm a housewife, I immediately follow it up with "but I'm an author, too", as if being a housewife isn't a good enough "job"?

Housekeepers Guide To Saving Money On Cleaning Products....

I have never been apologetic about being a "stereotypical" housewife. No, I don't flutter around the house in my dress and heels, but I do make sure my house is as clean as possible for my family. Lately, though, I've been knocked onto the sidelines by an illness that just does not want to go away. Therefore, I've had some time to do some thinking and researching. Wanna know what I've learned so far?

Here goes:

We'll start with things such as cleaning supplies. Do you know the best place to purchase premade cleaning supplies? The Dollar Store! Yeah, any dollar store, Dollar Tree, 99 Cent Store, whatever is near you. Believe it or not, the price of a cleaning agent will not affect the effectiveness of the product! Trust me on that! The dollar stores are also the best place to save money on things such as personal hygiene items, greeting cards, gift bags and gift wrap. I would skip things like vitamins, though. You want to make sure you get the right balance, otherwise, your body will just dispel what it doesn't need and you're right back to wasting money.


Want another way to save on cleaning products? Make your own! Yep, that simple. I prefer to use things such as vinegar, tea tree oil, or even just plain old Dawn or washing soda to clean with. Baking soda is much better for your surfaces than, say, Comet.

Here's a list of my fave homemade cleaning products:

Liquid Laundry Detergent
1/3 bar of Fels Naptha (Zote or Ivory works well, too. Just nothing with moisturizers in it.)
1/2 C Washing Soda
1/2 C Borax

Grate soap and put in a pan. Add 6 C of water and heat until soap melts. Add washing soda and Borax until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add 4 C of water and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 C of water and stir. (16 C = 1 gallon). Let sit for 24 hours. Now, the directions say to use 1/2 C per load, but I tend to use more for my kids clothes. Maybe just a full C. I also use baking soda or vinegar for stinky clothes or sheet. BUT NOT BOTH! lol

Dry Laundry Soap
I don't tend to use dry soap because I can NOT get all the crystals to dissolve. But:

8 C Borax
8 C Washing Soda
2 bars grated Fels Naptha
1 C Pyrex Crystals
Several Drops of essential oil. (the smell doesn't stay after the clothes are washed. If you want the clothes to be fragranced with essential oil, but a few drops on a dry cloth and throw it in the dryer with the clothes)

2 Tbsp per load

Add vinegar to towels or soiled sheets

TIP:
If you line dry your clothes (saves SOOO much money on electricity) use vinegar in the rinse cycle to keep the clothes from getting stiff and crunchy while drying. The smell of the vinegar fades as the clothes dry.

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! 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 land fill 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.

Do you have a favorite cleaning recipe? I'd love to hear it! Just share it in the comments!

My Daily Cleaning Schedule

While I would so adore being as close to a 1950s housewife as possible, life doesn't always allow it. Sure, I could disconnect my Internet, but then I wouldn't get to talk to all of you, nor would I get to do any research. Therefore, I've had to put myself on a pretty strict schedule (although I struggle every day to stick to it!)

For years I struggled with a way to stick to a schedule - I've even tried setting an alarm to remind me to do this or that. From all the posts, videos, and blogs I've read and watched The Retro Housewife has a fantastic series that has fit my lifestyle more than any other. Don't worry, when I say "series" it's only a couple of videos. I had to change mine up a little because, frankly, I'm a creature of habit. Monday has always been clean sheet day, therefore, I had to switch the Tuesday bedroom schedule to Monday. Little things like that had to be altered, but all in all this system is working best for me so far. So here is my day to day schedule. Some things are done daily, while others are once a week. I'll try to keep it to just bullet points for now.

Daily:
Make bed
Swish and Swipe toilet and sink (check out Flylady for some more cool tips)
empty trash cans
wipe down counters
daily dishes (after each meal. Way easier than having to do all of them at once)
sweep floors
feed animals (first thing before I even have coffee)
vacuum and sweep, and mop if needed.

I won't break down the individual chores for each room, but here's how I break up the week and avoid having to spend my entire weekend doing deep cleaning. Each room takes me approximately thirty minutes, and the rest of my day is spent on sewing, writing, and dealing with my Damsel In Defense business.

Mondays - Bedrooms
Tuesdays - Kitchen
Wednesdays - Living Rooms (I have a living area in the basement, too) and dining room
Thursdays - Bathrooms
Fridays - I tend to do my running on Mondays, so I allot the last day of the week to straightening up my husband's office, my "cave" (my personal work area), and the area where my daughter and I sew. During the warmer months I use Fridays to weed the gardens, muck the chicken coop, and any misc things that need to be done outside.

Like I said before, I got the basics of the schedule from The Retro Housewife Life, but I had to tweek it according to my personal schedule and family. In the weeks to come I'd be happy to break down what I do on each day, but if you really want a great place for printouts etc head over to The Retro Housewife's blog - she has the prettiest printouts, and even has some for spring and fall cleaning, as well!

If you use a housekeeping binder, or a cleaning schedule I'd love to see it or hear about it!

Vintage Cleaning and Household Videos!!!

I guess some of these videos may come off as sexist to some, but at this time in the world it was just normal for the woman to run the home. In fact, the woman was literally the CEO of the home and ensured that everyone's life ran smoothly. It seems to me more and more women are not just dreaming of returning to the life of a vintage housewife, but are doing it. I'm one of them. I've always been proud to call myself a housewife - aka, stay at home mom. 

It's Time For Self Improvement!

I've never been one to subscribe to the New Year/New Me nonsense...but maybe it's not nonsense. Over the past couple of days I've been busy jotting down different goals for myself.

I've compiled the lists into three categories:

Business/Professional Goals - What I will do to grow my Damsel In Defense business
Personal Goals - Things I will do to improve my own life, health, mental, home life, etc
Writing Goals - My career as a writer has slowed down as of late due to health problems and good old fashioned life getting in the way. This will change this year.

I've seen others create dream boards, goal boards, etc.

I've seen some do actual posters, while others are using Pinterest or Tumbler for their boards. I really don't know if I can sum up all my goals on one piece of poster board, nor do I know where I'd post it without it being a total eyesore. lol Being as one of my major goals this year is to continue with the Great Purge of 2014 (guess it's now called the second great purge? Or maybe the Great Purge of 2015?) I really don't want to add more clutter to my home. The only place I truly allow any clutter on the walls is in my Cave - I write in here, do my crafting in here, and have all my goodies from Damsel In Defense in here so I definitely need the creative vibes I get from my The Walking Dead posters. lol

What I'm curious about is how do you keep track of your goals? Have you even listed your goals for 2015? I highly suggested having them written down somewhere, even if it's just a file on your laptop. You need to have something tangible to go back and refer to whenever you feel lost, or can't remember why the hell you work so hard every day.

After the New Year (probably on Friday) I'll share with you my goals for the coming year. They'll more than likely change and/or grow as time goes on. I mean, how vague is lose weight? Or how about get organized? lol Oh, and don't worry, I've been taking pictures of my projects before I get started and as I go along. See y'all next year!

I already live the life of a traditonal housewife, soooo.....

Why not do a 50s housewife experiment? I think we need to lay out some game plans before we start. Here's what the "rules" were of the time and how they will be altered in my home:

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

- I already do this, but for the experiment I will stick to cooking from scratch and use very little, if any, prepared foods.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

- I don't know about putting a ribbon in my hair, but I will follow this one.

Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

- I assume they meant happy, or I'm sure there would've been some very happy men in the 50s!

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.

- Definitely something I need to stick to.

During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

- Already do this.


*  Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
- As our kids are teenagers they're usually doing their own thing anyway. However, I will make sure they're cleaned up and presentable, as well as make sure they keep the bickering down.

Be happy to see him.
- Always am, but I think I'll greet him with more than just 'hey'.

Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

- Didn't we cover this already?

Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

- Ha! That's funny! Luckily for me, my husband is an extremely supportive person and has never subscribed to the whole caveman mentality!

Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

- Yeah, yeah. Got it.

Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.

- If he's out all night he better have a really good reason for it. Did women really look the other way when men came home in the middle of the night reeking of women's perfume?

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

A good wife always knows her place.

- I'll just comment on these four as a whole. I got it. I'm the wife, he's the husband. Make him comfortable and happy, yada yada.

Yes, that's really me.

On to the daily aspects of my day to day life:

- I WILL still use my vacuum cleaner. I have two dogs, a cat, a very large lizard, three kids, and I have a head full of very long hair. The vacuum is a necessity.

- I will forgo my automatic coffee maker for my beautiful vintage percolator. (suddenly I feel tired.)

- I WILL still use my washer and dryer. I have three teenagers, two of them boys. Clothes get dirty FAST here!

- There is no way I can walk to the stores. I live in the country, so I couldn't get the shopping done in time to be home for the kids.

- I will NOT be getting up before my husband to make him breakfast; husband gets up at 4:30 in the morning and I have issues with sleep as it is. However, I will set the coffee maker for him, have breakfast premade for him in the refrigerator, and I already make his lunch for him every day.

- Now, I will be getting up a little earlier than I already do so I can make sure I'm cleaned up, dressed, hair and makeup done, and cook breakfast for my darling monkeys.

- I don't own a dishwasher so I'll still be doing dishes by hand.

- I will make a menu weekly and fight to stick to it.

- I do plan on following the traditional wife's daily and weekly cleaning schedule, with the exception of spending an entire day on laundry, then ironing.

- Facebook, Internet surfing, text messaging, and Iphone use will be limited to updating this experiment and blogging. If you want to talk to me you need to call me. If you email or text me you need to include a mailing address so I can respond by mail. My phone will stay on as I have a special needs child whom I need to make sure can reach me in case of an emergency, and my family live all over the place and will need to contact me. However, I will limit my use of the phone outside of the home to emergencies only. If I don't answer I'm not home. If it's an emergency call back or text me the problem.

- No time suckers like television. I don't really watch tv with the exception of Sunday nights (The Walking Dead) and Wednesday nights (Revolution). I do tend to keep the tv on throughout the day for background noise, so I will stick to the radio/ipad and try to listen to as much 40s/50s music as possible. (My inventory isn't that large)

- If the husband/family is watching television I will find other things to do such as darning socks, mending clothes, sewing, quilting, or other housework.

- I will wear a dress or skirt as much as possible. I don't own an extensive wardrobe, so I will save the "cuter" outfits for errand running.

- There is NO WAY IN HELL I will make the traditional meals of the 50s! Have you seen those gelatin molds?

- I will attempt to host at least one get together with a friend or a small group of friends and play the good hostess.

That's all I can think of for the moment. I haven't quite decided exactly how long I'll attempt this experiment, as I just never know what the universe will throw my way. I can't see this changing my life all that much as I already stay home, clean, and cook all day long. lol But, the distractions of the Internet and Facebook have always been something that gets in the way. Yeah, I know it's totally up to me to walk away from these things, but COME ON! Anyone who plays on the computer knows how addictive it can be!

So there it is. I'm HOPING to start tomorrow, although I haven't really done much preparation. Hey, the day is young. I can still get things going for husband's breakfast and lunch as well as getting my clothing for the week. Tomorrow I will post my weekly and monthly schedules, as well as photographic proof of my appearance of the day (even if it was major fail). Feel free to join me in this quest.

Putting My Money Where My Red-Painted Mouth Is!

I said I was going to do it, and I have! All last week (with the exception of the day I received news a friend of ours passed) I have put in an effort to wear makeup, do something with my hair and wear decent clothes. I refuse to go into public with ripped clothing, my behind hanging out, or ratty tennis shoes.

This all paid off last night! I decided to go ahead and reveal my look to my husband's band members. I slicked the red lipstick across my lips, and applied eye makeup in the traditional fifties manner. I even curled my hair. I received more compliments last night than I have my entire life...I'm not kidding! Some said I was "glowing", another said I "looked classy", and another said I looked "elegant". Really, they had always seen me where makeup to their gigs, but I put some effort into my appearance.

Today, I volunteered to help my sister with some promo shots for her Valentine's Day pin up specials. Here's me in my interpretation of Rosie the Riveter. (ps. This may or may not be the only pic of my face ever put on this blog).

So, I started writing this days ago, and am now finally finishing the post. For an update, I was out and about several times this week. When I was home I still wore makeup and a decent shirt, but wore jeans when I was home. Yesterday, I left the house with my hair in a forties style complete with victory rolls. I went shopping with my mom, searching for a pencil skirt, and instead came home with a new coat. All the skirts were just too short for the style I'm going for, so I guess I'll be hitting some vintage shops next week.

Have a great day, everyone!

Yet another failure at being a vintage housewife!

It's now Sunday, New Years Eve Eve, 12:20pm and I'm still in my pajamas. No, I don't wear nighties, or anything like that, but they're still what I slept in. I have yet to brush my hair or even my teeth. (I know, ew gross!) I keep trying to tell myself it's okay because I'm packing away the Christmas decorations, and will be making several trips in and out of the garage to hoist the boxes into the attic, but we all know this is nothing more than an excuse to avoid doing anything with my appearance. Why are we, as a society, so against spending time on ourselves? What is so wrong with wanting to look nice, even if it's just for your own family?

I aimed to look like this everyday:

And instead, I've looked like this everyday:

Okay, maybe not quite...I don't have a mask on, nor am I carrying around chocolates (only because I don't have any.), but you get the point. Why is it so hard to convince myself it's perfectly fine to look nice while cleaning? It's not like I'm sweeping the chimney or something. Well, at least not today. There's really no cleaning I have to do that would destroy my clothing, even without an apron.

I'm contemplating posting pictures of myself every day as a way to keep myself accountable. But, being as I have no followers, I'm pretty sure I could get away with a lot since no one will see them. lol

I would love to know how the women who are pulled together every day keep themselves motivated. Is it something they had to work at, or a way they were raised? My mom used to never leave the house without lipstick, but I think I'm rubbing off on her. She's been known to go into public without a stitch of makeup quite often lately. Is that a sign of low self-esteem on both of our parts?

Being the Change I Want To See

I've been thinking about starting this blog for a while. I don't know what I'm hoping to get out of it; maybe it's nothing more than a way to hold myself accountable, or maybe it's because I'm hoping for some cheerleaders and partners in the change I'm wanting to make.

Here's the deal - This world is a mess. Violence is as normal to our everyday life as, say, drinking coffee. Even the disgusting, horrible tragedy in Newtown Connecticut has become a market, a way for celebrities and politicians to voice their opinion. Our society applauses immorality, nudity, and violence (whether they're willing to admit it or not) and despise those of us who choose to spend our lives raising our children and serving God, our husbands, and our community.

I've been a work at home/stay at home mom for a couple of years, but I haven't embraced the role as I should. I've become a lover of the world. Every day I see women AND men walking around with the behinds hanging out. Boys (and grown men) wear their pants so that we see their underwear. Women wear shirts so low one sneeze will expose their entire chest. No...I'm not a prude. I like a fart joke, toilet humor, and a good action flick as much as the next person. But we have become a society of slobs. We no longer teach morals and values to our children. They have no pride in how they look, nor do they feel they have to work hard to be the best - society tells them there are no winners or losers.

Here's one example of the common attire of our society:

How about this shopper:

When did this become acceptable? When did it become okay to let your rear end hang out? I was raised to cover myself, to make sure my "private parts" weren't visible.

What happened to this?

These women were sexy, they dressed with class, they cared about their appearance.

I am in no way saying we should obsess over our appearance. Trust me, there are many, MANY days when I leave my house without makeup. Unfortunately, I have also began to leave the house in my pajamas, or dirty clothes and disheveled hair. How can anyone take me seriously or have respect for me when I'm showing I don't have respect for myself?

I'm fully aware this blog is a bit rambling, but I have so much to say. Here's the point of this blog - I'm going to put my money where my mouth is. I will no longer leave my house looking like a slob. I will wear clean clothes in good condition, even wearing skirts or dresses when appropriate. Our grandmothers only wore skirts and dresses in public, why can't we? Okay, I won't be doing that often, but that's because I don't own very many.

I will also take on my role as mother and housewife with self-respect, striving to keep a clean home, keep the laundry from constantly getting backed up, and the refridgerator well stocked with healthy food and snacks. I'm determined to become as close to a fifties housewife as possible.

Will anyone join me?