How to Be The Perfect Vintage Housewife
By: Rockabilly Love
The good old days of set family roles are long gone, but with a little bit of hard work and a lot of determination, you can bring back the original and best ‘happy family’!
Things You’ll Need:
Your own house
A partner and or/children
Patience
Instructions:
1. Start with your personal self. Rise an hour early, before the rest of your family, and take a warm shower {not hot-don’t want to scald your skin!}, using a fragrant soap or bodywash. Dress in appropriate clothing, tight enough to show off your feminine figure, and loose enough to be practical. Spray a favourite scent in front of you, then walk into it, giving you a slight, alluring scent that won’t be harsh on anyone’s nose! For makeup, stick with creamy foundation, a mild rosy blush and light eye makeup. Pin your hair up into a pretty yet practical style. The point is to make your husband/partner admire your ability to be beautiful the second he wakes. After this is completed, wake the children {if you have any}. Get them organised for showers and dressing, and to collect their homework from the previous night.
2. He will be awake at this point, so while he showers and shaves, swiftly prepare a non-greasy but filling breakfast for yourselves. Aim to create something new every few days, for example, bacon and eggs on toast one morning, mushroom omelette the next. When he is dressed and seated at the table, and before he reads his paper or turns on the tv, tell him what you have planned for dinner that night, and ask him for any suggestions he may have. This lets him know you care about his opinion and input, which is essential for any healthy relationship. Slip in little things like “I know you like mushrooms, so I thought a mushroom and beef stew would be good for dinner tonight?”
3. While he is eating, prepare his lunch and a few snacks for the day. Pack something filling, nutritious AND tasty. If you’re lucky enough to have children, now is the time to pack their lunches too. If he is on any medication, or has any specific needs for that day, e.g: You know he has a cold, so pack a few aspirin and a handkerchief. Pay close attention to his needs, and when you use that knowledge to attend to him, he will be happy…and when my husband is happy, I’m happy!
4. Depending on who leaves the house first, kiss your husband and children goodbye. Wish him a good day and let him know that you’re proud of how hard he works, and ask him if there is anything he wants done today. If he says, for example, “I have no clean socks”, apologise for not noticing, and promise to wash them the second he goes to work. Even if you don’t touch them for a few hours, he leaves the house with peace of mind that he can come home to clean socks and a wife that remembers his needs. Once everyone has left the house, clear the breakfast dishes and wipe the sink and benchtop down. Now is the time to wrap a scarf around your hair and don an apron and gloves. Start with clothing. Find all the dirty clothing and wash it, then dry it outside if possible. It gives a nicer, fresher smell. While they are washing, change over the bedsheets and give them a light spritz of his favourite perfume. Iron and fold the clothing. Pick up the general mess, and sort it into it’s appropriate places. Wipe dust from shelves, put on a pair of your highest high heels and pay close attention to all the places that you can now see- these are the places your husband will notice! Mop and vaccuum the floors {obviously, only mop the tiles or vinyl floors!}. Open the windows and sit a vase of fresh flowers or spring of lavender in front of each window. A great trick for the room closest to the front door is, later in the day, to bake {yes, handmake!} a loaf of bread, and place it to cool on an open window ledge near the front door. As soon as he enters, he gets that ultimate homely comfort smell- warm, soft, hand baked bread. It makes a perfect tool to relax him after a long hard day, and he won’t even know it!
5. Next, cook yourself a small, quick meal. As you eat, you can relax outside, watch a tv show or call a friend. Your cleaning is all done, so if you’re making dinner, do it now before the children get home. The instant they do get home, get them into a bath, dressed in clean clothes and doing their homework at the kitchen table. You can provide assistance and keep an eye on them as you cook- two jobs in one! Let them play or watch tv before your husband gets home, so that they are calm and relaxed to greet their father. Let him unwind with warmed slippers and dressing gown {clothes dryer for a few minutes!} in his favourite chair, and ask him, with genuine interest, how his day was. Give comments, always supporting him, such as “Oh darling, how terrible! But don’t worry, I baked your favourite apple crumble!” After dinner, play a boardgame or have a ‘show and tell’, where each family member tells something interesting they learnt or experienced that day, ending with a discussion on current events and news. Send the children to bed with hugs and kisses to their parents, let them know they are loved and their love is appreciated in return.
6. Head to the bedroom and make sure it looks and smells nice. Turn back the covers so he only need slip between the covers. Take down your hair, clean off your makeup, and get into a nice, clean nightdress or better yet, nothing at all. *wink* When he goes to bed, offer a massage, or gently stroke his hair. If he wants to discuss anything, listen to him and let him know you’re listening. – eHow.Com
8 comments ↓
It is the little things that make the biggest difference in letting him know how much I care. Great post to print out and read often.
Something I love to do is make some simmering cinnamon potpourri on the stove, also cinnamon and applesauce ornaments to hang in every room for the holidays. They smell amazing!
Love this! I found this website completely by surprise and I am so happy to have some support for something that others tend to look down upon! Thank you!
Loved This!
This is a fantastic article! I grew up with a ultra-feminist mother…think woodstock, burning her bra, ect. I on the other hand enjoy being a stay-at-home-mom and am often looked down upon for not “living up to my potential.” Thank you for this article as I feel this is a lost lifestyle that should be brought back!
Love this site I think old fashioned values should be brought back life was simpler back then have you noticed how stressed everybody is now? How a family meal isnt lovingly hand cooked and the family is divided in different room each! love the tips but my kids aren’t at school I’m with them all day so when I clean they mess it up right away love the page though!
It’s nice to know there are still women out there, like myself, who find joy in serving their husbands and family! So glad I came across this blog!
I like this article. It’s a bit old fashioned only because I feel there should also be a comparable article on the husband’s love and responsibility to his wife and family. I love being a traditional stay at home mom. I love baking and cooking. And I love caring for my kids every second of every day. I can only hope more families instill this life style and these mannerisms more so we continue to produce quality people.
I am an extreme advocate of this lovely lifestyle, and dearly wish it could be brought back into style. I may only be in the seventh grade, but I simply cannot wait to be a homemaker!
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