You can call me what you like – Stay-at-home Mother, Soccer Mom (my kids do not play soccer but I do the whole shuttle to–and-fro bit), Lady of Leisure (I wish!), Desperate Housewife (nothing desperate about me!), Domestic Goddess (not quite, more of Martha Stewart in-training)… but I prefer Homemaker. Yup, you read it right. It’s the new millennium - women are taking over government and the workplace, and I want to be called a Homemaker.
Well, that’s what I do. I make a home for my family. Aside from making sure everyone’s needs are met, I keep the house in order – rooms are cleaned, laundry is done, pantry is stocked – I run a pretty tight ship – with help. But it wasn’t always this way…
Like many before me, I only planned until “Happily Ever After.” And like so many women of my generation, I did not pay much attention to the trivial pursuit of (gasp!) running a home. I did not concern myself with anything domestic because these things were always taken care of in my mother’s household. Besides, I am an independent woman with a career! How hard could it be?
Growing up in the States, chores are not new to me – making a bed, washing dishes, setting the table, doing the laundry – these things I can do in my sleep. As an editor for a fashion & beauty glossy I learned how to iron clothes in no time for shoots. Being fortunate enough to have house help, it seemed like I had everything covered, so what’s the problem?
It’s all the details that go into all the work. Like how do I keep whites white, how do I remove soap scum from bathroom tiles, how do you clean an oven, how do you iron and fold a fitted sheet, how do you care for upholstered furniture, how do you clean wood floors without damaging the finish????
Everything you need to know, you will find in Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook, the Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home. Just as the title suggests, this book is my go-to reference for anything to do with my home. It’s the ultimate encyclopedia for everything in your home. I love this book! I strongly believe it’s the first book anyone should buy when starting his or her own home.
It teaches you how to manage the upkeep of your home and everything in it. More than just a handbook on how to keep your home clean, this book covers the upkeep of the appliances, tools, furnishings, and surfaces found in each and every room. Martha Stewart will guide you on the proper ways to routinely clean and periodically maintain everything in the home, including dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, polishing, scrubbing, waxing – you name it! She even shares techniques to ensure your home is running properly and safely, such as recognizing when to clean vents, fixing a leaky faucet, and eradicating pests.
Sigh! I ♥ Martha! - KGG
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