Hello my Daily Connoisseurs, in today’s video I’m going to share the secret to a Homemaker’s Success. Can you guess what it is?
Welcome back to The Daily Connoisseur. My name is Jennifer and I am a wife, mother of four, a writer, and yes, a homemaker. I enjoy exploring the world of homemaking on this channel because the life of a homemaker is complex and oftentimes hidden.
Yes, delighting in the mundane. What does mundane mean? There are two definitions:
1. lacking interest or excitement; dull.
2. of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.
Basically, it’s the everyday tasks that we associate with drudgery. We would rather be doing more glamorous or exciting things than our mundane tasks: washing the dishes, folding laundry, wiping countertops, ironing clothes, making beds. It can all be so mundane.
“The world is so full of a great many things” as Robert Louis Stevenson said. Everyone else seems to be leading such an exciting life. Why am I stuck here doing these mundane tasks over and over again?
Well, the things you do most in life, are the most important. Did you ever think about it like that? Think about how many hours of our lives we devote to these tasks. They take up a significant portion of our life. We might as well change our attitude about them.
The secret to successful homemaking is delighting in the mundane. Focus on the task you’re doing and simply delight in it. Change your mind about it. Change your perspective. Imagine your delight if you were on your way to lunch with a good friend, you would be looking forward to it. You would dress nicely and have a cheerful attitude. You wouldn’t be dreading it at all.
And while at the lunch, you would enjoy every moment. We should capture some of that energy when we face our daily tasks. Now, of course, we are not going to be doing jumping jacks of joy when we clean the kitchen for the third time each day, but over time, if we can accept the present circumstances and enjoy that mundane task, we can truly start to change our lives.
I hope today's video gave you food for thought. How can you delight in the mundane aspects of the day? A wonderful resource to help you with this is my second book, At Home with Madame Chic.
Featured in today's video: the cloths I'm using are e-cloth, my dress is J.Jill, my velvet hair tie, my nail polish (code JenniferS for 25% off first-time orders), my earrings and bracelet are Ana Luisa NY (code Jennifer10 for $10 off)
The music featured is My Garden and Secret Love. Copyright free music from Epidemic Sound.
Thank you for joining me today and have a wonderful weekend.
My Homemaker Series continues on The Daily Connoisseur. Today, I’m going to share with you the homemaker’s biggest obstacle.
In this series, I aim to explore the secret world of homemaking, its delightful aspect as well as the darker side to it. So far in the series I’ve revealed three enemies to homemaking, as well as the homemaker’s best friend.
Today we are going to reveal the homemaker’s biggest obstacle. How is an obstacle different than an enemy? Aren’t they the same things? Well, yes and no.
An obstacle is defined as a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress.
An enemy is a thing that harms or weakens something else.
Today’s exploration is definitely an obstacle. It’s a beast that almost every homemaker deals with. Are you ready to find out what the Homemaker’s biggest obstacle is?
CLUTTER
Yes, the homemaker’s biggest obstacle is clutter. Let’s think about that definition again. A thing that blocks one’s way or prevents or hinders progress.
How many times have you wished to do something in your home, but got choked up by the clutter? Perhaps you have a hard time finding things, or you’d like to do a deep clean, or you’d like to finally get organized, but one look at all of that overwhelming clutter and you just fold. It’s too much.
CLUTTER: the biggest obstacle of homemakers.
Clearly, something needs to be done. There are many ways. There are many thought processes. There are many techniques. But ultimately, the clutter has to be dealt with. Systematically. I suggest timing yourself (Do you remember the homemaker’s best friend?) Give yourself a realistic amount of time to work with each and every day and, without fail, even if you do it at 8pm or midnight, address that clutter. Clear those hot spots and stagnant spaces.
I write about clutter in my Madame Chic books. Mainly because Madame Chic was an incredible anomaly as a homemaker. She never had clutter. I mean never. Did you fully grasp that? JAMAIS. Ha!
I lived with my French host family for 6 months and I never saw clutter. And no, Madame Chic didn’t follow KonMarie, or Sweedish Death cleaning or Flylady or any of the other trending systems (which, by the way, are all excellent systems that could greatly help you). She just did it.
Systematically go through your belongings and tidy them up. Get rid. Donate. Throw away. Don’t overly consume. Establish routines every day and make sure the whole family is involved. Clear that clutter. Because that clutter is the biggest obstacle you face as a homemaker. It’s what’s blocking you from blossoming truly.
Here’s a four-pronged approach to how Madame Chic dealt with clutter: 1. She dealt with her tasks and belongings immediately and never let anything collect where it shouldn’t be. In other words, she didn’t allow clutter to build up in the first place.
2. She did not over consume. She wasn’t constantly buying things to bring into the home. She was very selective. Those of you who follow my ten-item wardrobe will get this deeply.
3. The whole family was on board. Train your children young. Train them to pick up after themselves immediately. Never leave it. These habits are easier instilled when the child is young.
4. Take joy in the process. Don’t dread it. Be excited about what you will be able to accomplish now that this obstacle is out of your way.
Thank you for joining me for my Homemaker series. Be sure to share today's video with a friend who needs homemaking encouragement.
This video is dedicated to Andrea Mills, who was a fellow YouTuber and a wonderful homemaker. She tragically passed away a few weeks ago and has left her large family behind. If you feel inclined to donate to Andrea's family, I have left her GoFundMe here.
On Instagram I shared the cover of Connoisseur Kids on Instagram to announce the pre-order. Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered my book. I appreciate it so much!
Comment of the Week Unknown writes, "Hi Jennifer, That was a beautiful video analysing how your spring/summer wardrobe performed for you. I live in a warm climate where winter is short but chilly. Our summers are hot and last for months. I have a capsule wardrobe too. But sometimes the discipline to plan for the forthcoming season lags due to being a busy mum! Ha! So I appreciate the encouragement to actually sit down and take stock rather than casually purchasing just whatever. So thank you! I have divided my wardrobe into 3 seasons...transitional (being spring/autumn), winter & summer. I get 2 months of autumn transitional, 3 months of winter, 1 more month of transitional, then 6 months of summer. My transitional wardrobe stays in place from autumn to spring, I just swap out a few things once winter hits. Summer means quality pieces for me, they get such a hard wear with needing to wash on the daily. Thank you for encouraging us to evaluate for ourselves what we need based on our style, climate & budget. We are more resourceful than we realise! Plus our own personal style grows and changes with us, so good to honour that. Your 10 item wardrobe really is here to serve you, enabling you to get on with what matters most!"
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I loved reading your approach to the ten-item wardrobe!
Thank you for joining me for today's video. I would love to know... do you find clutter to be an obstacle in your homemaking? Let us know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.
As a working and homeschooling mother of four children, I have a lot of experience as a homemaker. In this series, I explore the roadblocks that we face as keepers of the home. This video is not just for women like me, but all men and women who struggle with looking after their space.
We all desire to live in a beautiful and serene space. That is synonymous with a tidy space. But how can we keep our home clean and beautiful and still keep our sanity? It’s an interesting conundrum for sure, but I use a technique to explore living well. I look at the road blocks I face. I look at what holds me back and what is keeping me from achieving what I desire. So… are you ready to hear the third biggest enemy? Unpreparedness
Yes, being unprepared.
How can this prevent us from keeping our homes as we would like?
Well, when we are disorganized and unprepared we become frustrated and waste valuable time trying to find what we need to complete our tasks throughout the day. That’s just a shallow look at the matter. But truly, this is a very deep issue.
In order to run an effective home, we need to be prepared. Prepared with our meals, prepared with our cleaning, prepared for each day through our organization.
When I lived in Paris with Madame Chic, I marveled at how she ran her home. Her home was run like a small boutique hotel. Meals were planned and on time, like clockwork. The house was always tidy and organized. There weren’t explosions of clutter here and there. There was no chaos.
So how can we be prepared like Madame Chic?
We can set everything aside and sit down and decide to take this homemaking business seriously. Even though you don’t get paid for it, even though you might already have another job, you can look at homemaking as your job as well. One you delight in.
Get intentional about meal planning. Keep your cleaning supplies organized and in strategic areas in your home so when it’s time to clean, you are totally ready. Set yourself up with a routine that you can stick to.
In short, be prepared.
Homemaking, though it can be overwhelming and exhausting, is also deeply satisfying work. Be prepared for all of it’s challenges and all of its beauty and you will not regret the time you spent doing so.
I hope you’re enjoying my homemaker series. Be sure to comment down below about how you like to prepare as a homemaker.
A Lovely Inconsequence writes, "Hello Jennifer, I am acquainted with Childe Hassam because I am from Boston where his painting "Boston Common at Twilight" is very famous. It depicts a 19th century dusk in winter at the Boston Commons and even today and if one knows a Boston winter, it can make you shiver. The composition's light is exactly as it on a winter afternoon. My grandmother had a postcard of the painting on a bookshelf in her hallway."
Thank you for checking in for The Chic Assignment, Donna! By the way, readers, be sure to stop by Donna's blog and check it out. She has a lovely space over there.
Thank you for joining us today. I hope you're enjoying this homemaker series. I'm enjoying filming it.
