I Want My 1950's Back!

Do manners still exist?  Is there such a thing as common courtesy anymore?  And what in the world ever happened to kindness and understanding?  Sadly, I find myself asking these questions almost daily.

Ugh......

I will be the first to admit that I falter when it comes to the kindness and understanding bit.  It seems our current society has made me just a little jaded.  Ok, maybe a LOT jaded.  People are not what they seem and I've got no time to deal with bullshit.  So let's just say that my overall "kindness, patience and understanding" has taken a big nosedive in recent years.  Sad but true.

But can we just talk for a moment on COMMON COURTESY and straight up basic MANNERS?  This one has most definitely gone by the wayside.  Adults, who I might add were raised in a different time than we are living in now, seem to have forgotten all about this concept.  Umm...these people should totally know better!  And children? Good Lord but they have no clue.  None.  

So manners, common courtesy, kindness, patience, understanding- what happened here?  What's missing from our current world?

• Please and Thank You stopped being THE MAGIC WORDS.  Unless you're the parent of a young child, you probably don't use or ask for these magic words anymore.  Seriously- stop and think about this a moment.  When you order your Starbucks, do you personally use the magic words?  When you speak to your waitress, do you make sure to say Please and Thank You?  When you ask something of a friend or need a favor from a family member, do you show them the courtesy of a Please and a Thank You?  Every time?  Well, do you?
• We've emasculated men.  Yeah, I said it.  Men are afraid to hold open doors, they worry about who should pay on a date, they struggle with showing gentlemanly behavior not knowing how women will react.  Not to mention, we joke about them and say some really awful shit about men in general, yet loose our fucking business if the tables are ever turned.  Totally not cool.
• We don't know our neighbors anymore.  Listen, we've moved like 6 times in 10 years and we've had LOTS of neighbors.  Of all the homes and neighborhoods we've lived in, only 2 people have ever brought over a welcome gift and introduced themselves.  TWO.
• We are nose deep in electronics instead of being present.  This one really bugs me.  I don't mind having the phone nearby in case someone texts me or my husband calls.  But when I'm with someone LIVE and IN PERSON, I am with them.  I'm not surfing Facebook or playing Candy Crush the entire time.  So rude.
• We worship false prophets.  Well not to get all Biblical on you here but have you seen the people our society admires?  I mean...have you?!?  Ick.  And that's not even discussing religion or politics because GOODNESS this is just way too depressing to even think about.  These are the people who represent us?!?  Holy fuck.  Just no.
• People call or text after 10PM and before 8AM.  Ummm....HELLO?!?  What in the actual fuck is happening here?  Never, ever would this have ever happened 20 years ago.  It's simply not acceptable and I don't understand why people think it is.  Could you imagine calling Grandma at 10:30 at night?  You better be dead or your house on fire mmkay...
• We speak our thoughts.  Well goodness but I'm guilty of this one with a capital "G" but so is everyone else on this planet.  We think it and so many times we go ahead and say it.  And it's only gotten worse with this magical land known as Social Media.  It's as if we think we can hide behind the screen, say all the shit we want, and there won't be any consequences.  Ummm....you do know that people can see this, right?
  
• Selfishness is out of control.  We have become a society of ME, ME, ME and somewhere along the way we stopped thinking of how our actions would affect others.  So many people looking out for #1 and not enough looking out for their fellow man.  Can you tell?
• Women are looked down on for being JUST a housewife or JUST a Mom.  Ugh.  Fifty years ago this was the HOLY GRAIL for us ladies and yet now it's become a source of ridicule.  Isn't feminism supposed to support women in whatever they want to do?  Oh yeah, that....
• Children are pushed to embrace a gender neutral life.  Listen, I don't give a shit if my son wants to play with dolls or your daughter loves the monster trucks.  Who cares?  But why is our society so insistent on MAKING it this way?  Why can't we just allow our children to be themselves without directing them one way or the other? We are quite literally raising a generation of confused nincompoops who have no clue who they are and what they want to do with themselves.
• We've built bigger houses on smaller lots.  Say what now?  Well exactly this- we embraced our inner greed and have built huge fucking McMansions that are literally touching distance from our neighbors.  How in the ever loving world can we be good neighbors to each other when we can touch our house and their house at the same fucking time?  We can't.  
• Marriage is no longer sacred.  It used to be that growing up you had that one friend who's parents were divorced.  Now, you have that one friend who's parents are actually still married.  What the hell has happened here?  I triple dog dare you to name five people you know who are in their mid 30's or higher and still on marriage #1.  Go ahead....I'll wait.
  
• We forgot THE GOLDEN RULE.  Well if you have to Google exactly what this is- I'm guessing you're one of the many who is guilty of this crime.  The golden rule is simply to treat other's the way you want to be treated.  Period.
• We don't appreciate rituals and traditions of the past.  Children now lack a clear understanding of HOW things are supposed to work.  They don't know that you should send a Get Well card when a family member is ill or that you make a casserole for a grieving widow.  These once common practices are pretty much gone.  
• The concept of family has changed over time.  I am the first to say that family is NOT about blood but about the people who are by your side when you need it the most.  You make your family.  But- what about those pesky people who are related to you by blood?  Why do we not see them anymore?  Why do we not go out of our way to consider them?  Whatever happened to simply showing them love and understanding?  Ugh.  Family is hard y'all.

I'm going to be straight up honest with you all- this current society that we are living in and attempting to raise our children up in, well it just fucking sucks.  The husband and I are not at all happy about the way we see our world going and all the "change" we see happening.  Yes, absolutely there have been some great things to happen- like women getting to vote and no more segregation.  Yes, a million times yes.  But it simply feels that for every actual and REAL step forward our society has taken 10 leaps backwards.

Or perhaps its just that the husband and I are old souls.  I can tell you that we both feel like we are living in the wrong time.  Can we just go back a few years to when people actually gave a shit about others and understood the importance of manners and common courtesy?  Can we please?

So You Call Yourself a Homemaker

Homemaker, not home-WRECKER.  BWHAHAHAHA!

But seriously, how many people actually refer to themselves this way anymore?  Slim to none, am I right?  A mere half century ago and pretty much all Wives and Mothers were homemakers.  Crazy how fast times can really change!

While I most definitely consider myself to be a homemaker, I do not typically refer to myself this way.  At least out loud.....I can just imagine the horrified stares of all the "liberated" women now.  Hmm...I wonder what would happen if I threw caution to the wind and just called myself a housewife instead?  Ha!  Blasphemy I'm sure!

In the interest of fun, I've put together a little list to help you sort yourselves out.  You're welcome!

You Might Be a Homemaker If:

• You post things to Facebook such as, "how do I get the yellow stains out of my pillows?" and "feels SO good to steam clean the carpets, 2 months is far too long!"
• Menu planning is your idea of fun.
• All your closets are color coded and arranged by season.
• You make your husband's lunch for him, many times the night before so it will be ready when he needs to leave for work.
• You wonder if you can vacuum the lint/dust off the vacuum cleaner.  Then laugh because you think vacuuming the vacuum is hysterical.  Because yeah...it kinda is....
• Coffee is your drug of choice.
• Your home is on a cleaning schedule.  Mondays are for laundry, Tuesdays are for bathrooms, Wednesdays are....
• You can bake a cake.  From scratch.
• You're pretty sure you should invest in a laminator.
• You have a day of the week for grocery shopping.  Usually the day when the new sales come out or the day where they markdown items.
• You wouldn't dare go out in public without makeup on!
• You iron your curtains.
• You have the cleanest refrigerator of anyone you know.  Since you clean it every week, that baby sparkles!
• Your Pinterist is full of cleaning tips and DIY projects.
• Stuff on your kitchen counter is your arch nemesis.
• You actually wash and clean your shoes.  And your family's shoes. 
• Your dining room table is always ready for the next meal & you actually light the candles & turn on music for dinner with the family. 
• You have neatly labeled tote bins for all your holiday supplies.  Broken down by specific holiday of course.
• Lists are your favorite thing in the whole wide world!
• When someone in your house gets sick, you whip up a batch of your homemade chicken noodle soup and then disinfect the crap out of everything.
• You hate clutter.
• Anyone has ever made fun of you and compared you to "Martha".

Alright- so this was all in fun but seriously- taking care of your home used to be celebrated.  Sadly, now it's almost as if it's no longer socially acceptable to be a Wife, a Mother and most of all- a Homemaker.  While I've personally never been too concerned with what other people think of me, I am just a bit sad to think that our next generation will be growing up without an understanding of this art form.  Because you guys- being a wonderful homemaker is indeed an art.  It's something worth cherishing and celebrating and hopefully it will continue to be passed down to the next generation of Wives and Mothers.

Want to read more?

• Marriage- A Traditional Housewife
• Guidelines in the Running of Your Home
• On Being a Traditional Wife
• Marriage-The Good Wife's Guide

Guidelines in the Running of Your Home

There's a few rules that I follow in the running of my home.  If you are a career housewife like I consider myself to be- then it's very important that your home reflect your work and that you succeed in your career.

My home is not large.  It's not new or fancy- in fact, it's a pretty normal home built in the 1980's.  But it makes me happy and I'm very proud of all the hard work myself and my husband have put into our home.  My house is also the place where almost all holidays, birthday parties and other events are hosted.  I think a major reason that folks feel comfortable in my home is because of the following guidelines.

• Your main living areas should be clean and free from clutter at all times.  Yes, a small amount of clutter exists in every home.  That's fine.  What I'm talking about here is stacks and piles of stuff.  Besides the fact that this is an eyesore it's also a health hazard.  Dirt and dust can collect, insects can be attracted to it and let's not forget that it can be a fire hazard too.  A Wife should always be cleaning and sorting through the large amounts of stuff all families accumulate.  It is your job to keep your home neat and tidy.  One easy way I accomplish this is by donating something monthly.  Sometimes it's just one small bag and other times it's several large boxes.  Always keep a box labeled "donation" so as you are sorting and cleaning, you can simply dump it into the box.  
• Toys should have a storage space that allows them to be out of

  

  Storage like this adds beauty to your home.

  sight.  You have kids, we get it.  But their stuff doesn't need to take over your home.  If you're like me and don't have the luxury of a playroom, then you need to find some excellent storage solutions.  You also need to teach your children to pick up after themselves.  The rule in my house is you can't get out a new toy until you put the first one away and for the most part- it works!
• There should never be any dirty dishes in your kitchen sink.  Your kitchen should always be clean. Simply clean up after yourself each time you're in there.  You should also never have dirty dishes piled on your counters, crumbs everywhere or food splatters.  That's just gross.  The reality is that you won't want to cook or spend any time in your kitchen if it's a disgusting mess, so keep it sanitary!
• Your dining table should be free of clutter and ready to serve

  

  A bowl of lemons is a simple &
   useful centerpiece

  the next meal.  I keep my dining table free from my son's homeschool projects, in fact he does all his work at our kitchen bar or his desk because I don't want my table damaged.  I always have a beautiful centerpiece that rotates with the seasons.  Sometimes it may be flowers, sometimes it's candles or a big bowl of apples or lemons.  I match my place mats to the centerpiece to create an intentional decorative display.  A few simple touches like this will make your home appear more elegant and inviting.
• The tv should never be on as "background noise".  Watch tv with purpose and when you are done, turn it off.  Besides the fact that most of it is just mindless crap- there's no need for extra noise in your home.  Encourage quiet and a peaceful atmosphere by simply turning your tv off.  You can also try putting on some soothing music or holiday songs.  This helps to create an inviting home.  And by the way, less noise equals less stress!  For holidays or special events I like to put on a little "mood music" to enhance the party atmosphere. 
• Guest bathrooms should always be clean.  Accomplish this by doing a light cleaning every day.  Every other day is sufficient if it doesn't get used often.  If you have a large family and your guest bathrooms get used frequently throughout the day, consider a twice daily quick clean.  I have a small downstairs bath and it is the MOST used bathroom in our house.  I clean it every day.  I also make sure to keep it stocked with toilet paper, soaps and nice candles.  You should also take care to have a nice towel in your guest bath.  During the holidays, I have a themed towel to match the season.  At other times of the year, I have a clean monogrammed towel.  These small touches set the tone for your entire home.
• Personalize your home and make it an inviting place for friends and family.  Decorate in a clean and simple manner.  Do not fall prey to trends.  Your home

  

  Use candles or flowers for easy
  seasonal decor

  should reflect your entire family- you, husband, kids and pets.  Include lots of family photos and special family heirlooms.  
• Rotate your decor with the seasons.  This helps build tradition and special memories for your family.  One easy way that I do this is by simply changing out the candles in my candles sticks.  For Fall I have beautiful rust orange candles, Winter I have deep red and Spring and Summer are a nice bright white.  You can do with with flowers and centerpieces too!
• Bake weekly and keep your baked goods on display so your

  

  Display baked goods in glass cake stands.
  Also doubles as beautiful & simple decor!

  family will be encouraged to eat them.  Freshly baked goods simply screams "home".  I bake something different every week.  Sometimes it's cupcakes other week's it might be blueberry muffins or coffee cake. I like to put my baked goods in a glass cake dome on my china buffet- I use it as decor!  Plus, baking at home is healthier for you and saves you money!
• Keep a well stocked liquor cabinet.  A good hostess always has a large variety of beverages and cocktails to offer to her guests.  You should also consider keeping easy to serve foods available should you have unexpected guests.  My favorite items to keep on hand are nuts, fresh fruit and cheese.  Super easy to make a small snack platter to welcome your friends and family!
• Do something fun and out of the ordinary at least once per month.  I love to surprise my family with a picnic in the backyard, popcorn & movies in our PJ's after dinner, chocolate fondue for dessert or even one of my son's favorites- dinner in the dark, which is basically just dinner by candlelight.  Take opportunities to make the ordinary extraordinary!  It is your job as Wife and Mother to give your family these wonderful moments in your home.

And my number #1 guideline-

Always pretend that you will have unexpected visitors at any moment.  Is your home clean?  A sink full of dirty dishes?  No food in the house?  Toys all over the floor?  Still in your PJ's?  Seriously...if you were to have someone stop by unexpectedly would you be embarrassed as to the condition of your home?  Or would you be proud to invite them in and offer them a drink?  By simply following the guidelines outlined above, you will be "visitor ready" at all times!


Want to read more about being a Traditional Housewife?

Marriage- A Traditional Housewife
How a Traditional Housewife Can Support Her Husband
The UNpopular Guidelines We Follow
Marriage- The Good Wife's Guide

Marriage- The Good Wife's Guide

So what exactly is the Good Wife's Guide to Marriage?  Well it all started with this thing I found on Pinterest.  Oh Pinterest- how you do get me into so much trouble sometimes!  However, this guide, published by Housekeeping Monthly in May 1955 was very inspiring to me so I decided to pursue it further.  And I must admit to a mini-obsession with the 1950's housewife as a result.  I know it's pretty hard to read, sorry about that! But not to worry- I will touch upon the important parts!  So let's dive right in, shall we?

The first couple paragraphs discuss making yourself and your home ready for your husband's arrival at the end of the workday.  Now, I know this may seem silly but I can tell you that it works.  I do my very best to have the house picked up and dinner started (notice I didn't say "done"-what am I, Martha freaking Stewart?) by the time my husband gets home.  Now- for me, this can be especially tricky because I never know when my husband will get home.  Some days it's 6pm, some days it's 8pm or 11:30pm- yesterday it was 1:30 in the afternoon! Gah! Doesn't he know I'm trying to be a good wife here?  Clearly not!  So as a result, I shoot for eating dinner at 6pm and if the husband isn't home by then, I just make him a plate for later.  Done and Done.

There is also discussion of being happy & gay and making yourself look good for his arrival.  Ladies- I'm not expecting a miracle here.  You've been in the trenches all day long.  Dirty diapers, piles of laundry to fold, floors to wash etc.  However, I will say that it might be nice for your husband to arrive home and see a smiling face.  Even if that smiling face has on a stained t-shirt and your hair is in a bun, reminiscent of the look I rocked all day yesterday.  That's right, I'm sexy and I know it.

However, the general idea here is that no one wants to work all day long and then come home to a grouch.  Am I right?  So save the complaining for later and just give him a hug and a kiss and tell him you missed him.  And while you're at it, tell him how much you love him too!  This is something I strive to do every single day.  I watched my parents do it every day and they've been married for almost 40 years- so something must be working here!

The other main parts of this guide are about serving your husband.  Whoa! Did she just say "serving" her husband?  Wait just a minute- I'm no one's servant!  Hmm...did that thought just cross your mind?  Well, let me just point out that if you're a Mom- you are a servant.  Relax- it's just a word.  A servant can truly be a wonderful thing.  Imagine, doing for others out of the goodness of your heart.  Helping those who can't help themselves.  Doing kind acts because you care enough to show others how much you love them.  See- nothing wrong with those things, right?  So forget the word "servant"- but focus on the true underlining meaning behind what it is.

You love your husband, right?  You want to show your husband how much you love him, right?  So do nice things for him.  Don't expect anything in return.  Love is given freely and without expectations.  For me, I show my husband I care by waking him up every day for work.  I pack him a lunch and make him a hot breakfast.  I also make sure he takes all his vitamins.  When grocery shopping, I always make sure to have plenty of his favorite things in the house.  I pick up his prescriptions and I make all his doctor's appointments.  I cut my husband's hair and I wash all his clothes.  I do these things because I love him and I want to serve him.  I encourage you to try it- you may be surprised at the positive outcome it has on your marriage.

Perhaps the most important lesson I've learned from the Good Wife's Guide- is to listen to your husband.  Listen without speaking.  The guide says to "listen and let him talk first because his topics are more important then yours".  Ok- while I don't agree that his are more important then mine- I do believe they are equally important.  I try every day to look him in the eyes and listen to what he is saying.  Pay attention!  NO Candy Crush, NO Facebook, NO tv- just listening.  We all need someone to vent to, to talk to and someone who will listen.  And the reality is- if you're husband isn't getting what he needs at home, he will look elsewhere.

Yikes!  I realize that's a harsh statement.  But I can say that if you are not meeting your husbands needs, either emotionally or physically, he will most likely begin to look elsewhere.  You simply must make him and your marriage a priority in your life.  I know this is hard- especially if you have kids, but you will be much happier in the long run.  An easy way for me to make my husband a priority is to simply ask myself each day "what can I do for my husband today?"  Some days I bake him his favorite pumpkin bread.  Other days I might attempt to let him sleep in late- hard to do with 2 barking dogs and a active boy running around, but I try.  Perhaps we go to a movie just the two of us or I pick up his favorite takeout for a surprise dinner.  And let's face it, many days it's just making sure he has clean underwear to wear to work.  But the goal is to try every day to do something loving and kind for your husband.

So to recap- 

• Greet your husband with a hug & kiss, I also suggest doing this when he leaves for the day too
• Tidy up the house & yourself as best you can before he arrives home
• Try and have dinner ready or at least started- the way to a man's heart is through his stomach after all!
• Don't be a grouch & show him you're happy to see him
• Do nice things for your husband
• Love him freely and without conditions or expectations
• Listen to your husband
• Make him your priority and put his needs before your own

See, it's not so bad!  I realize some things in this guide are VERY outdated.  How about that last line "a good wife always knows her place".  Ha! I know my place and it's right beside my husband.  Not behind him, BESIDE him because we are equals in our marriage.  You also won't find me taking off my husband's shoes, fluffing his pillows or speaking to him in low & soothing tones.  PUH-LEEZE! He's not a child and frankly that would probably be a bit emasculating not to mention a ridiculous waste of my time.  But I do think that many of the points discussed have merits.  See my recap above!  It's really very easy to adapt this 1955 guide to fit a much more modern time- just take what you think will be valuable to your own marriage and apply it.  Easy as that!

Marriage- A Traditional Housewife

What would a Homeschooled Housewife blog be without discussing the Housewife part of things?  So here begins a series of posts about all things marriage and housewifey.  Yep, pretty sure housewifey is a word.  So hold on feminists and watch out single gals- here we go!  And if I ruffle some feathers along the way- please know that these posts on marriage are a reflection of what works for me personally.  I don't expect everyone to agree or to do things the same way.  I'm simply stating what has worked for us in our marriage and what we personally believe.  Well alright...might as well jump right in!

Let me first begin by saying that my husband and I have a very traditional marriage.  It didn't start out this way 13 years ago when we first started dating.  We certainly didn't have a big huge discussion on marriage, our roles, expectations etc.  In fact, looking back- we were pretty naive about the whole thing.

Over the course of our relationship, we have naturally settled into the roles that fit us best and work the most for our marriage.  And surprise! They just happen to be very traditional roles.  Not many of them left these days and it's certainly not a very popular choice among my own generation.  So what exactly does our traditional marriage look like? Well, I like to think it's very reminiscent of Grandma & Grandpa's marriage circa 1950 with a little bit of modern times thrown in!

To put it simply- I am responsible for everything inside the house and my husband is responsible for everything outside the house.  But it's not just about the division of labor- because to be honest, I could care less if he washes the dishes or I take the car in for an oil change.  Which BTW- I have never in my entire life taken a car in for an oil change, so I don't expect that to change any time soon.  But back to the topic at hand....it's not really about who does what.  It's more about how we view ourselves in our marriage that would classify our marriage as traditional.  I'll explain...

I am the keeper of the home.  I am my husband's help mate and I am the foundation for our family.  Basically, I'm the glue that holds this ship together.  I begin each day with one simple question- "what can I do to make your life better today?"  By doing for others, I do for myself.  I am happiest when I am with my boys and I truly enjoy being a Wife and Mother.  Hmm...if this doesn't scream June Cleaver, I don't know what will!

My husband views his role in our marriage as protector.  He is the provider and the protector for our family. Everything he does comes from this desire to financially provide for us and to protect us from harm.  I know that when I am with my husband, I am always safe and I am always loved.

I have noticed that more people, especially from my generation, are abandoning the traditional roles of marriage.  Most times it's out of necessity- you just can't afford for the wife to stay at home like you could 50 years ago, I get it.  However, many times its because this is what they desire.  Society has changed the face of marriage and somehow made the traditional marriage less acceptable.  A true housewife is a thing of the past.  Which is sad really- there was some sort of beautiful fantasy involved in the whole 1950's housewife.  If you like that sort of thing I suppose...but there were also some very real benefits to the lifestyle.  Such as:

• Less stress.  My husband goes out and works, earns the money while I take care of the home.  No one person is attempting to do it all.  This causes you to become overwhelmed and burdened with the day to day responsibilities.  This way, my husband can leave each day knowing that he will return to clean underwear, a home cooked meal, and a hopefully fairly clean house.  In turn, I do not feel the pressure to "do it all" and be some sort of Superwoman.  Too much work, I'll pass.
• More time.  There is simply more time to accomplish more things in any given day.  Sure, I have a LOT on my plate right now.  I work part time, I homeschool, I run a household, I raise a child- blah, blah, blah....you get it, I'm busy.  But I'm not so busy that I become overwhelmed.  I have the time to provide a home cooked breakfast for my husband before he leaves for work.  I have the time to make his lunch every morning.  I have the time to clean the house and wash the clothes-well, most days that is. Most importantly- I am not rushed and everything that needs to get done, gets done.  I am also free to give the best of myself to my family simply because I have the time to devote to them.
• Respect.  I respect and admire how hard my husband works to provide for his family.  My husband respects and likes the man that he is, his work gives him purpose- many times men are defined by their work.  As I sit here typing this blog post, he's just come off a 70 hour work week and has already put in 10 hours today with several more hours to go and will be back up and out the door at 5AM tomorrow morning.  Whew- now that's a hardworking man!  In turn, my husband respects me for how hard I work to ensure our family is well taken care of.  And ladies- let's not forget how sexy a little hard work & respect can make a man!
• The kids are taken care of.  There is no childcare shuffle.  I am home all day, every day.  I am the one raising my son with the morals and beliefs set forth by myself and my husband.  I do not have to worry about where my child is, what he's doing, if he's happy, well fed, etc because I am providing all of that. In turn, my husband is free to go about his work day knowing that our child is safe and secure.
• It's cheaper & you save money.  I never used coupons before becoming a stay at home wife & mother.  I never sewed a button or patched a hole in jeans- I just threw them away.  I also relied heavily on processed foods as they were much faster and easier to prepare.  However they are also more expensive to buy, so by simply making homemade foods, I ensure we aren't eating boxed crap and I save us money.  WooHoo!  We also don't pay for childcare.  I don't have work clothes to buy, lunches out, espresso's on the way in to work, gas for a super long commute, etc- all of which was part of our finances prior to me staying home.  In fact, we share one car now because we don't need two!  Ka-ching!  And let's not forget the pesky IRS.  The more you earn, the more they take!
• We are happier as a couple.  This is perhaps THE biggest reason why I feel a traditional marriage is best.  My husband is happier because I take as much stress out of his life as possible.  His needs and desires are met.  I am happier because I get to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a Wife and Mother.  I am not burdened down with work stress and can focus entirely on my family.  We have more time to enjoy each other and spend time together as a family and as a couple.

In general- our home runs the way we want it to run.  I do more of the things that are thought of as traditionally female and my husband does those that are traditionally male.  One could not function without the other, so we are very much a team.  Could my husband make dinner and do the dishes?  Well, yes- I suppose he could.  Does he want to?  Well, no more then I want to mow the lawn and fix the brakes on our SUV.  So why go against who you are in order to fit into the modern mold of marriage?  Embrace who you are and be happy in your marriage!

*Check out the next post in this marriage series discussing the NOT so popular rules we follow in our marriage.