Two Steps to Happy Homemaking

Over the weekend, I met with a friend that I haven't seen in quite some time.  She is a mother that I admire and adore to no end.  She told me that she reads my blog and asked me how I do it all.

I get this question quite often.  People want to know how I keep a clean home, cook everything from scratch, write a blog, keep a strong spark in my marriage, all while raising two kids and incubating a third and (here's the kicker) enjoying every second of it.

To be honest, things are not always perfect.  Our house can get destroyed, I have been known to pick up a pizza (always Little Caesar's for their excellent prices!), and my children have, on more than one account, made me pull a hair or two out of my head.  However, I do enjoy every second of it and I do my best to juggle it all, knowing full well there are many women out there who juggle so much more and deserve far more credit than myself.  But I know I do have a pretty good handle on things and, when asked by my friend how I do it, I started thinking.

I came up with two things.  Two small (though not always simple) factors that make juggling your home and still having moments of boredom and freedom completely doable for anyone:

Readjust your mindset and simplify.

I am sure we have all had jobs we hated and most of us have had jobs we loved.  When you love what you do, it makes every aspect of it enjoyable and you find yourself looking forward to each day and each moment.  Easier said than done for some mothers.  Some women struggle daily, cursing the laundry and dreading cooking dinner.  But, if you truly want to, you can learn to love anything.

Readjust your mindset.  Focus on the positives in every step of your day.  Remind yourself why each thing you must do is necessary.   Anytime you have a negative or self-pitying thought enter your mind, banish it instantly and remind yourself of all the reasons you should love your life...because you should.

The first step to happiness in any part of your life is to change your mindset.  Author Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project decided one day that she wanted to be happy, and once she changed her mindset, she made it happen.

I love being a housekeeper.  That is what makes it so easy for me to juggle it all everyday and have the desire to add more to my plate.  Do you love what you do all day?  If not, change your mindset and learn to love it.  You'll be happier in the end and better at it than you ever thought possible.

The second step to happy homemaking:  Simplify.