Book Review: The Accidental Housewife

The Accidental Housewife: How to Overcome Housekeeping Hysteria One Task at a Time by Julie Edelman.

Overall, I felt like I didn't learn anything from this book.  It was housekeeping at it's simplest level.  In fact, I think that 90% of the information in this book falls under the category of common sense.

She did have a few cute quotes throughout the book.  The overall voice of the author seemed to be trying to hard to be funny.  It was even painful at times.  Edelman used alcohol and drinking references constantly throughout.  She calls herself an accidental housewife, ergo, I'm assuming she hasn't fully accepted her present occupation. 

What I liked in the book was a chart of all the laundry signs and what they mean.  I also found the lists of available donation sights helpful.  Goodwill, Salvation Army, Dress for Success, Glass Slipper Project, Baby Buggy, and Children's Aid Society. 

Pages 62 and 63 has a list of laundry stains and how to treat them.  I haven't tried them out myself, but could be a good reference.

I wouldn't seek out this book.  Let me keep reading and reviewing to find a true gem or two.

New Endeavor: Home Management Exploration

We are almost all well from the dreaded flu. We are all faithfully taking our vitamins and we'll see how it goes...

I have contemplated my Domestic Divahood of late. It has occurred to me that unconsciously I have created systems of organization and home management over the last 9 years. And perhaps others have also created systems; maybe better than mine!

I want to take on a new endeavor. I am going to start reading all the home management books I can get a hold of. I will go book by book reading and evaluating and reporting back to this blog my reviews of said books.

In staying true to my frugal, cheapskatedness I am known and loved for, I will not be buying any books whatsoever. I will borrow from my local library and will get what I can from inter-library loan. I will borrow from friends, neighbors and relatives.

I will learn all there is to know about being the best Domestic Diva I can be. Then I'll see if there's anything new I can add.

Rising from the Vortex

It's been a rough week, to say the least. Chad and I both lost our grandfathers and our pregnancy this week.

The hardest part about times like these is pulling up from the nose dive; trying to change the direction of the life flow.

I feel like one of those cartoons with my heels in the ground melting and burning my shoes as I'm pulled in a direction I do not want to go, but with no power to stop.

As insult to injury, while all this has been going on, our family has had the flu. Now that I'm beginning to heal and feel deeply out of control, I have decided that I may not be able to keep family members from dying, but that I'm tired of getting sick. I will control my own destiny and I refuse to get sick any more!

Chad says that's like saying that I refuse to see another cloudy day.

Maybe, but today I am taking a trip to the pharmacy to by multivitamins (which I already take everyday), vitamin C, tons of hand sanitizer, orange juice and … well, I don't know what else.

What else should I get on my quest to take control and never get sick again?

Chad's Birthday- 33!

I love how excited the kids get about birthdays. So much thought and planning goes into each member of the family's birthday. They remember our birthday before we do on the morning of! They are so sweet and so cute.

A Cake Divided. The kids think Chad's favorite cake, German Chocolate, is just plain gross. It's not the cake that is so offensive, but the coconut pecan icing that turns them green. Therefore we must compromise!

Happy Birthday to the Birthday Boy!

Easter Dress Sketch

It seems like the Christmas Dress just got finished, and I feel compelled to start plans for this year's Easter Dress.

Thanks to a congress held in 1923, the eastern churches adopted a modified Gregorian Calendar and decided to set the date of Easter according to the astronomical Full Moon for the meridian of Jerusalem.

Got that, Okay!

Thus, Easter this year will occur on April 24th.

That is very late as far as Easter is concerned. But you can't explain these things to my right brain which keeps me up late into the night concocting Easter Dress ideas.

This is what I've got so far:

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

My Broccoli

I grew that all by myself. I am also growing cabbage and lettuce and cilantro. I'm such a big girl.

I have a new calling at church. I am Enrichment Leader. Tonight is my first activity. It was already planned. The lady teaching it is not answering her phone. The topic is Winter Gardening. I am no expert, but I at least have a garden so I guess I'm plan B!

NYC - All the Pretty Lights!

It has been on of my dreams to visit New York at Christmas time. Chad surprised me this year for our anniversary by making this dream a reality.