Many people attribute the growing movement to return to more traditional homemaking lifestyles to “advancement exhaustion.” People would always be rushing about, purchasing the latest devices as soon as they come out and regularly turning to instant solutions. These make them forget that there’s terrific value and joy to be derived from simple things and taking things slow.
With traditional homemaking, men, women and families can keep themselves busy and happy by performing activities that are meant to improve everyone’s well-being and promote a comfortable, stable quality of life. But homemaking is not just a service to others, neither is it exclusive to particular individuals or groups. In its truest essence, homemaking is a way to nurture one’s creativity in building a fulfilling existence wherever he or she lives.
So, if you are leaning towards leading an old-fashioned or more traditional lifestyle, discussed below are six ways to help you thrive as a homemaker.
1. Cultivate cooking skills.
Cooking is one main activity for homemakers. After all, staying nourished is a must for going about the daily demands of life. But it’s not enough to be content with just knowing how to cook; strive to be really good at it so that you can whip up anything no matter the occasion.
One of the best ways to develop cooking skills is by taking classes. What’s quite popular for a lot of wives, stay-at-home mothers and husbands are artisan bread making classes. Crusty and rustic-looking loaves of bread are all the rage right now, especially in hip restaurants where they are quite pricey. Take the bread-making classes, and you can bake this high-quality food at home anytime you and your family want it.
Another cooking course to take is pastry making. Knowing how to make pastries will certainly come in handy, especially when you have kids that go to school and often have those activities that require them to bring baked goods from home.
Indeed, it’s highly beneficial to have reliable cooking skills, but perhaps the best advantage to gain here is that having good cooking skills can put you in better charge of your own health as well as that of the people you take care of. You can make more nutritious recipes and apply the necessary adjustments with particular ingredients based on any health requirements they may have.
2. Invest in equipment or tools that will last a lifetime.
Another way to thrive as a homemaker is by having tools or equipment that you can use in various situations throughout your lifetime. One example is a top-quality Dutch oven; this cookware will see you through countless meals, from chili with cornbread to slowly cooked pot roast, artisanal bread, and so much more.
A wood fired oven is another piece to invest in. With this cooking equipment, you can cook your meals and bake bread, pizza, and pies even when there’s a power outage, and for many years to come.
3. Learn how to clean.
There’s no doubt that cleaning is a crucial part of proper home management (not to mention life management). According to homemaking and cleaning coach NagisaTatsumi, cleaning entails skills because it’s an activity that requires an evaluation of needs and wants in order to create a pleasant life at home. In fact, it demands proper instruction, just like cooking does. After all, a clean space is the perfect start and end point for various activities at home.
Nagisa also shares that for a lot of striving homemakers, while it is great to be able to cook and enjoy delicious meals, they simply cannot go about these activities in a messy room. Therefore, cleaning is not just a vital homemaking skill; it’s the top homemaking skill to develop. For this, you can invest in cleaning and organizing books, take tips from family and friends, and read online content on the subject.
4. Strengthen your money management skills.
Effectively managing a home is not just about cozying things up in the house and having food prepared for every meal. It also means staying on top of household expenses and finding ways to save or make money. Whether you are financially prosperous, stable, or struggling, it is always beneficial to keep on learning money lessons.
The Internet is an excellent source of tips for everything money-related. TheFinancialDiet.com, for instance, delivers information on saving money, taking advantage of discounts, investing savings, cultivating a savvier financial personality, or turning your skills (such as artisan bread-making) into an income-generating side job. You can also look up Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman online for smart financial advice.
The important thing to remember here is that being smart with money is life-giving. If you are good at it, you can set up the best defenses against the worst economic recession. Moreover, you can create more joyful experiences for yourself and the people you love, such as travel, vacation, and growth opportunities.
5. Learn to sew by hand and with a machine.
For some, this is a must-have skill for life maintenance, but it can also be a hobby that brings beauty to oneself and the home. Sewing will help you repair what’s torn or broken. At the same time, this activity and skill can also help your creativity grow.
You can make all kinds of things of beauty and purpose, such as a mantel and placemats for your dining table, toys for kids, clothes to wear for the different seasons, and handmade gifts.
6. Uphold hobbies or interests.
Even if you are a homemaker, you should still pursue your interests or the activities that make you happy. Hobbies can serve as the perfect buffer between the different homemaking tasks; they will prevent your routine from going stale.
One interest that some homemakers have is acquiring a second language. For those who don’t speak English fluently, if at all, taking spoken English classes is considered a worthwhile effort. As for hobbies, learning ikebana or the Japanese art of flower arranging is a popular one along with painting, dancing, jewelry making, and coffee mixing, and there are also short courses you can take for these.
With more and more people growing interested in intentional homemaking and becoming full-time homemakers, it’s crucial to learn and become equipped with helpful tips. The six ideas shared above can arm you well in your journey toward becoming one.
AUTHOR BIO
Shanaaz Raja is the Course Director at International Centre for Culinary Arts – ICCA Dubai.