A Beautiful Day of Ordinary Homemaking | Romanticizing the Everyday

Most of my days are unremarkable. But even so, I get so excited about a day of ordinary homemaking full of caring for my family in a million little ways.

“I have found that there is romance in housework: and charm in it; and whimsy and humor without end. I have found that the housewife works hard, of course–but likes it.”

Songs of a Housewife: Poems by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1896-1953)

You can watch the ordinary homemaking day here

Ordinary Homemaking Routine

The Day Starts Before Coffee

Before we moved here I would start the day with hot tea, coffee, or that dandy blend coffee.

First things first, right?

Well since we moved, we’ve increased our laying chicken flock and started broiler chickens, which is just a fancy way to say, chicken that you raise for meat.

We started this because we had been buying pasture-raised chicken, but now we have the space to raise it ourselves.

Since we moved out here it’s been our goal to grow our farm to provide healthy food options for us, our family members, and friends in our community.

Joel Salatin, a farmer we follow for advice and inspiration, talks about being a hope and a help to those who are hopeless and helpless.

We have picked up that motto and made it the mission of our farm.

To be a hope and help to the hopeless and helpless.

So because we have animals that need care before my husband leaves for work in the morning, that means we get up, start the coffee pot and walk out the door to do chores.

(I quit coffee before we moved, but after we moved I picked up some “bad habits” that I need to work on again.)

Getting Outside Right Away

Honestly, it’s been a nice rhythm.

Before we had animals that needed care early in the morning I would leisurely start my day.

Sometimes my morning would get away from me and the girls would be walking down the stairs and all I had accomplished was reading and coffee (or mindlessly scrolling because “bad habits”).

But by getting outside first thing in the morning regardless of the weather it wakes me up fully.

I get fresh air and see the sun first thing in the morning, do something with value, and get to listen to all the birds singing their new song.

(We have many birds at our new house and listening to them each morning is so peaceful.)

Now when I walk back into the house from my chores I’m in the mental state of continuing the day.

That means taking a quiet moment to read, pray, start a load of laundry, and put away the clean dishes.

It’s unbelievable how much getting outside and finishing some chores has helped me feel more awake each morning.

When I’m feeling awake and ready to go before the girls wake up I’m able to get so much done.

I also think it puts me in a much better mental state to manage all the issues that arise throughout the day.

Ordinary Homemaking with Homemade Food

From Scratch Sourdough

One of my favorite things to start before the girls come down is a sourdough recipe and breakfast, like sourdough pancakes.

I typically do a sandwich bread loaf once or twice a week.

We also love einkorn sourdough english muffins.

My girls have been early risers since they were babies.

We’re talking 5a!

It’s taken time, but now they will sleep in until 7:30a.

I know for some that isn’t sleeping in, but for us it is haha.

I don’t always get breakfast ready before they come running down the stairs, but I love it when I do.

For some reason, it just feels good knowing that when they wake up there will be good nutritious food waiting for them.

But the cool thing about them waking up before I finish is that they can help me make it.

My biggest baby girl has made a sourdough Dutch baby alone a couple of times.

(Supervised in case she needed help, but generally independently.)

You wouldn’t believe how proud of herself she is.

I love teaching them this skill.

If you’ve been around for a little while you know that making food is something that I used to fear.

I felt like I wasn’t good enough.

I don’t want that for my girls.

Gardening

Another thing that I do most days is spend time in the garden.

This particular day I didn’t go out into the garden until later in the evening.

But during the day I planted cabbage seeds for a Fall harvest.

We prioritize fermented foods in our family.

There are so many health benefits.

So we want to increase the benefits by growing organic cabbage at home and then turning it into sauerkraut.

We also turn zucchini and cucumbers into pickles.

Sooo good!

Each year, we aim to grow and harvest enough veggies to ferment enough to get us through the winter this year.

I talked about this a bit more when I shared our goals for 2023 last year.

Do you ferment?

Whats your favorite fermented food?

Ordinary Homemaking by Preserving Herbs and Flowers for Winter

We are big tea drinkers in the winter months.

But I’ve always bought different teas for different things.

Peppermint for head aches.

Ginger for stomach aches.

That sort of thing.

This year I want to dry leaves from some of the different plants we have growing in our gardens.

I started a little medicinal garden with flowers that will be good for tea someday.

Calendula, lavender, chamomile, echinacea, and catmint.

But since they are so young I’m not harvesting from them just yet.

We do have a lot of nettles, yarrow, and mint though.

So those are the three that I’m focused on this year.

A Quote about Ordinary Homemaking

“I have found that there is romance in housework: and charm in it; and whimsy and humor without end. I have found that the housewife works hard, of course–but likes it. Most people who amount to anything do work hard, at whatever their job happens to be. The housewife’s job is home-making, and she is, in fact, ‘making the best of it’; making the best of it by bringing patience and loving care to her work; sympathy and understanding to her family; making the best of it by seeing all the fun in the day’s incidents and human relationships.

The housewife realizes that home-making is an investment in happiness. It pays everyone enormous dividends. There are huge compensations for the actual labor involved…

There are unhappy housewives, of course. But there are unhappy stenographers and editresses and concert singers. The housewife whose songs I sing as I go about my work, is the one who likes her job (pp. 6-7).”

Songs of a Housewife: Poems by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Finding the Joy in Ordinary Homemaking

It was by accident that I found this quote.

If you don’t know, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings lived in the late 1800’s and early 1900s.

Long before the romanticizing of the ordinary movement that is going on these days started.

I’ll be honest.

I’ve always resonated with those who romanticize their ordinary homemaking days.

But I think there is a misconception about it because of social media.

The thought is that when someone romanizes their everyday ordinary life they are hiding the hard parts.

But I don’t think for everyone its trying to hide the ugly stuff.

Rather, it’s a mindset and approach to life.

I’ve always been an overly optimistic person.

God fills me with joy that overflows and turns hard and rigorous things into something beautiful.

Do I do hard and ugly things?

Yup.

There is nothing beautiful about a dirty toilet, dog throw up, or chicken poop on your hands.

But there is something to be appreciated.

I love indoor plumbing, my dogs (most days haha), and fresh eggs and meat.

I think thats where the difference in perspective comes into play.

Some will start the day with chicken poop under their fingernails and then that one thing will ruin the entire day.

But then people like me will see the delicious egg that I get to make for breakfast as a result of that poop.

I know I’m using a disgusting example.

I guess I’m just trying to make a point.

Perspective on Ordinary Homemaking

Each day we are given choices.

None of the things that I do in a day are special.

Just regular.

But to me there is so much beauty in it.

One reason for this, is that most of the things I do as a homemaker are for my family.

As a wife and mother, there is no where else I’d rather be than serving my family.

I love them so very much.

But the other thing is I want to be working as if I’m working for the Lord.

Like Martha, but with a peace that allows me to remember to sit at His feet like Mary.

I wish you could feel all that is welling up in my chest just typing this up.

If Jesus was who I made breakfast for every morning I would run with great enthusiasm to that poop-covered egg every morning!!

Heart Condition Regarding Ordinary Homemaking

Before I started typing this I prayed, “God what do you want me to share this week?”

Now that this is all the way out I’m realizing what He wanted me to share and why He wanted me to share it.

My hearts posture has not been the best lately.

I’ve been rushing through so much, and pushing aside the little interruptions.

God wanted me to get to this part of the post to remind me to treat my family as if they were Him.

Embrace them in the morning with that great enthusiasm that I envision when I think of Him.

Eager to serve them, as I would if Jesus walked down those stairs.

Don’t be so bothered by the minor interruptions.

Welcome them as one more opportunity to pour myself out for my family.

You guys, God is so good!

I’m trying not to cry.

I hope that this has ministered to you the way that it has ministered to me.

If it didn’t, thank you for giving me space to realize it for myself.

I love and value you more than you know.

Now that I’m at the end of this post I was reminded of this story I shared about God’s grace for motherhood a few years ago.

I have a lot to work on as a mother, but God grace is sufficient.

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Have a great week! XoXo

Open Your Doors,
Aliya

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