Juggling Act

 

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Association have been fast coping, adjusting and learning what works in our daily lives. We decided a share a few of our new normal successes that we couldn't emphasize enough have made our lives easier. 

It had to be hubris that led us to assume that we had honed our skills to the point where handling the new normal would be a snap. Short-term, yes, as usual we had plenty of paper products (who else recalls the great toilet paper shortage?) our pantry was stocked and we had little worries. Then those first trips to the market told us a different tale. One cannot live on mayonnaise alone. People panicked and even emptied the store of even salad (which lasts roughly a week at the utmost). For a while our shopping lists were simply guides of things we might want to buy. 

Also back in March, we assumed our children were home for an extended Spring-break, and a few of us worried that the school year might be extended by a month or more, dashing long made vacation plans. Our men, working from home added another layer. They required quiet to conduct their business. Many took to basements, home offices, or even the master bedroom suite, anywhere they could do their needed work in peace. By April it became painfully aware this wasn't ending. We withhold judgement as to why, as that is not our place as women. Our husbands certainly would have handled this differently. They have kept our families safe throughout this confusing period not one person in our group has gotten this virus. 

At first we focused, almost easily so on serving up comfort meals that were probably too rich and calorie laden, but made everyone feel better. As March, turned to April, we quickly realized nothing was going back and we shifted away to more healthy meals. Marketing with haphazard lists, required us to at least mentally keep an ongoing record of meals our families enjoy, so we could switch a meal or swap an ingredient without worry. 

We needed to rearrange our schedule for cleaning more on the fly as even our children switched to distance learning on a laptop provided by their school. It was far more relaxed than usual day for them. Again our men worried about their education, some making the decision to home school or add to their lessons. Others in our group decided to wait and see what the next school year would look like before making decisions. Most of us, as of this writing, have determined to homeschool for at least the next year or so of education. This offers us the most flexibility for our children's studies. It also requires a more regulated approach to cleaning, laundering, and cooking. 

Those all-encompassing shopping lists became even more detailed. Now that store selection has improved at least in our our corner of the United States, we can plan out more meals, menus, often begin loosely on ideas become finalized in the days ahead of shopping, which is now handled differently. We at the (real) Stepford Wives Association used to run to the grocery store every few days, picking up those few needed items so our families would have access to only the freshest ingredients. Now, we have been forced to amend that, and refrain from multiple trips, but buy most of we need every two weeks or even longer. We try to purchase enough fruit and vegetables to last a good week. We have said before the most expensive food you buy is the one that is thrown away. 

Food waste cannot always be avoided but it can certainly be mitigated. 

Cleaning is difficult, many of us are in that same boat. Our men need quiet, our children require the same to do their lessons or attend a noisy classroom Zoom meeting (we had to quickly learn all these new to us services since quite obviously, we spend little time online). Will we ever return to normal? Or will this just become a new version of normal, the latest in a long line of changes we're required to adapt to? Adapt we must and nothing gives us more pleasure than serving our men and families. Noisy housework is put off, we can't run the vacuum on demand. 

Here are a few of the tips that seemed to help our group: 

• Go through the freezer and see what might need to be used (allow ample time for defrosting) 
• Go through the pantry regularly to see what you already have on hand. 
• Plan meals for the week based on those items 
• Write the meals down (breakfast, lunch and dinners) 
• Create a shopping list of extra ingredients you might need (fresh herbs, etc) 
• Make a detailed shopping list of all items needed to replenish the pantry, refrigerator, freezer
• Try to become creative with snacks (buy nuts, large hunks of cheese and cut or grate them up yourself, dried fruits to add to salads, etc) 

A final note, to limit those trips to the store and make better use of your time shopping, use up most of the items in your pantry and freezer before planning the trip to the big box warehouse or butcher shop, to replenish the supply. Keep in mind as the seasons change you will want to adjust the menu, cooler weather, warmer food. Late summer is not the time to buy 5 pounds of hotdogs or hamburger patties. 

For large meals, remember it's just as simple to double a recipe and make something that can be stored in the freezer for an easy meal, such as a baked ziti, lasagna or even chicken or veal parmesan, chili, red beans (for red beans and rice), beans and ham hocks, enchiladas, chili verde, can all be frozen and used later for whole or partial meals. Label everything carefully and check those items frequently. You'll be grateful if we are slammed with a likely second wave of this virus. 

Also remember to keep your stock on hand of basic cleaning supplies, again, if we are hit with a second wave and required to go back into total safe at home mode, you'll be grateful to already have plenty of those precious cleaning items on hand. 

We at the (real) Stepford Wives Association hope these tips assist you in better planning.  

Back to Basics: Pulling it Together

We, at The (real) Stepford Wives Association, believe whole heartily in being prepared mentally and physically. Exercise, eating right, are very much part of our daily routine, whether at home or running errands. Yes, we dress for the supermarket, and wouldn't dream of leaving the house with curlers in our hair -- ok no one wears curlers anymore. We wouldn't be caught dead in our pajamas outside the bedroom.

Each Sunday we plan for the week ahead. We make our lists and pour over recipe books, we make sure clothing is clean and in good order meaning without holes or missing buttons). When we shop, we carry our reusable bags, our shopping lists and we smile as we shop, walking slowly down each aisle, interestingly enough, if it's not on our list, we don't buy it, unless it's for our husbands.

Each week make time to clean out and wash down the refrigerator and freezer, also clean the microwave oven, regular oven and clean the dishwasher, washer and dryer. Additionally tend to regular household chores, laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, changing sheets on the beds. Remember, your husband lives in a Four-Star hotel.  It should shine like one.  

We, at The (real) Stepford Wives Association do not believe in being just "good enough" for our husbands.  Only the best for them.   

Back to Basics: To Do Lists

We, at The (real) Stepford Wives Association, often look backward to help keep moving forward. In our Mothers and Grandmothers day, often certain tasks were performed on a given day of the week -- even cooking was often arranged this way. Growing up, each Wednesday was meatloaf night in our home. It was as predictable of the Sunday dinner of pot roast or roasted chicken, with a fruit pie served for dessert.

Monday's were traditionally laundry day, Tuesday's ironing and mending, etc through each week. Today we have a host of appliances that take the drudgery out of those tasks, and generally can be performed in concert with other tasks. For example, you can run the washer while you clean the bathrooms or run an errand and you aren't limited to when.

Still there are good habits we should form. One being to check your calendar on Sunday, for a quick glance, so you don't forget little Timmy has a dental appointment or Jane has tap class. Make it a habit to write down everything..

January is also the perfect time to check that you have plenty of stamps, and purchase all the birthday cards for the whole year. Yes, the whole year! Write down each birthday, anniversary on a peice of paper, and get thee to the card shop and buy them. Make note of ages or special occasions (such as your inlaws special anniversary). Also, pick up a few get well, sympathy or thinking of you note cards in a masculine style so if your husband mentions his secretary is ill, just had a baby, or has a birthday you can pull out a card. Keep in mind that all cards are really from your husband. Even the ones you send to your friends. His name always comes first. Pay attention the envelopes match the cards, and do make certain you have return address labels in his name.

When you get home arrange them by month and keep them so you can find them easily. I will usually preaddress them, or use sticky notes if I'm uncertain they might move. Now the only time a trip to the card shop is required is for those special occasions, Fathers Day and the like.

After checking the calendar, begin arranging your week accordingly and schedule everything, even cleaning or personal things like getting a manicure -- if your husband approves. Also, plan accordingly, for example you don't want to get a manicure and then scrub the shower. Each day should be filled with cooking, cleaning, shopping and whatever else is needed. Take into account other members schedules as well. Don't plan for a meal that requires hours in the kitchen on a day when you're hardly home. We further suggest you wake at least an hour before your husband rises, and use that time to ready the day for him.

We, at The (real) Stepford Wives Association believe strongly in making each day a treasure for our husbands.

 

Needs Vs Wants

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Association are often beset with queries as to how we determine what we really need as opposed to what we actually want. The bitter truth is, for us, we leave it to our husbands to decide that for us. Real "needs" such as tires for the car or a new comforter or sheet set for the bed are met with little opposition -- so long as the older ones are shabby, torn or plane worn out. If our vacuum breaks down and cannot be repaired, then it becomes a need.

Sometimes there are things we'd love to have, but our husbands see little point, for example a crock pot, might be lovely for some to own but not us. We have time to cook meals without the use of a slow-cooker. We do not disparage those who do utilize one, but our husband's have determined all on their own that we survive just fine without one. We do not have the latest shiny gadgets either because we don't need them. iPhone, iPod, or iWhatever are for our husbands to utilize and not for us. Sometimes they will offer their older one for us to use -- and we appreciate that.

We do not waste our time idly dreaming up wish lists of the latest cleaning gadget either. We have our own tried snd true methods for cleaning that involve mostly a little Comet and a whole lot of elbow grease. We clean our homes from top to bottom each day and the whole home just sparkles because you never know when something might come up. Our closets and drawers are appointed snd never just thrown about willy-nilly. We dispise a closet in disarray as much as we dispise a mussy appearance.

We are hospitable and charitable but continue with our tasks when non-Stepford friends come calling. We do not chat or Skype or daydream about our lives we're far to busy living them! We teach our daughters to be good wives and mothers.

 

Cleaning Up

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Association know its sometimes taxing to keep up on mundane chores whilst keeping the rest of the home up to what

we refer to as 'Stepford Snuff'.' During the long summer months with children home from school, it seems endless for the good wife who refuses to feed her children snacks on paper plates.

It is for this reason we adhere to strict summer schedules for eating and snacks. Breakfast is served promptly at 7:30am -- same as when school is in session. After all out husbands need to eat and we are not a restaurant.

Lunch is served around 11:30 - 12:00pm and normally consists of a left-over from the previous dinner. Usually with a twist, chicken can be cubed and made into chicken salad. Roast beef is shredded and mixed with a sauce or left-gravy and served as sliders. Vegetables are non-negotiable and neither is fruit. Children do not eat nearly enough fruits and vegetables.

The long haul is for dinner time which for us is normally 7pm. So it's smart to provide a good snack between 2:30 - 4:30pm (which is also on school days when some of our children get home). After cooking dinner, take a few minutes to freshen your makeup and prepare a beverage for your husband. Greet him with a smile and know you have accomplished it another day.

 

 

It Had Been a Normal Day

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Association rarely pay attention to the news. If we have anything on, it's generally our home stereo systems, playing music that inspires us. We do not waste time idly in front of the television (in fact most of us never turn it on -- that's really for our husbands to decide). We spend our time, cleaning running errands or other community actives.

Late Monday morning Mrs P Souris was at her eldest son's school getting ready for a silent auction to benefit the math department. Mrs T Lowenstein was running on the gym treadmill before going to Target. Mrs A. Myers was having her teeth cleaned at the dentist, and Mrs S. Donovan was doing her laundry while catching up on cleaning her oven.

We all planned to meet later that evening at Mrs Souris' home for a delightful pot-luck meal and a night of playing Hearts while our husbands watched a game. Vera was first to arrive and broke the news to us about the events in Oklahoma just hours before. While our hearts immediately went out to the people effected and we made arrangements to gather some clothing and other essentials to send to the area, we were also, blissfully unaware.

It should be noted Vera is not a Stepford Wife, and frankly would never be considered for membership, as she is simply not Stepford Wife material but a good friend nonetheless. Our husbands were proud we hadn't a clue about what was going on, especially Mr Souris, who goes to great lengths to protect his wife from unpleasantness. He kissed his wife's cheek and assured her -- along with the rest of us we were right not to worry about such matters.

We make no excuses for existing in our bubble and being unaware of such a horrible event. We all live on the left coast, and far away from Oklahoma, so it isn't unusual that people weren't captivated by the news here the way they were in other parts of the country. However it does highlight something important to us -- we got on quite well not knowing. For us the earth continued to spin.

It cannot be understated our hearts, prayers and thoughts go out to those most affected. Still, we at The (real) Stepford Wives Association remain pleased we held onto our convictions and remained completely unaware of the events. We encourage our fellow sisters in Stepford to live by our example, keeping our focus on our family and daily chores. For us it was thankfully a very normal day.

Ode to the Apron

Simple for cleaning

There is something lost in time, our mothers, grandmothers (perhaps great-grandmothers) understood the importance of a good apron. They are utilitarian. They actually do serve a purpose. They protect your clothing from grease and household cleaning mishaps.

 

It seems as time passed the notion of wearing an apron became antiquated or perhaps its something deeper than that -- it hearkened to a time when women specifically were chained to their homes and spent much of their day engaged in the drudgery of cleaning.

 

The apron was a symbol of that and as many symbols, we no longer appreciate, we lose respect for and throw them away. We threw away our aprons! Tossed them aside saying, "We don't need those. We're far too liberated."

 

There is something simple that occurs when one dons an apron -- it's much like a uniform. It says you're doing a task. Our society is so different today than it was decades past. We wear anything to clean today. Clothing can be purchased relatively inexpensively (look at the racks at a Wall Mart), but we also cannot forget that our economy is different too.

 

Most of us don't have the disposable cash to replace a shirt or pants and we expect our things to last longer than a season. Yes, some people don't care if they leave the house with a grease stain on their top. Magazines pay big money for pictures of celebrities with those -- to show how much they're really like us.

 

The apron shouldn't be a sign or signal of oppression but should be something we're rather proud of...We're smart and care that we don't want our clothing ruined doing basic or not so basic cleaning chores. Today it seems the simple apron is making a comeback. People are coming back around to the idea or the purpose of the apron. It's refreshing and kinda sad that it takes an economic crash to bring around an idea that probably shouldn't have left.

 

There are many types of aprons some are better suited for cleaning, other's perhaps cooking and then there's a those frilly ones. And really those are fun -- but useless. The fabric is simply too thin and while they look cute -- dry clean only? An Apron??

 

No, it should be the kind of material that one can toss in the wash. Hot or cold water, it shouldn't matter. No one outside you're immediate family (meaning the people you live with) should see it. You're not ashamed to wear it, but really you wouldn't wear to the market. It's not a fashion statement.

 

Decades ago, a women wouldn't answer the door wearing an apron. You never invited guests into your home while wearing an apron. When you entered the kitchen the apron went on, and when you left it, you took it off to see to your guests -- and that was the rule with even the stunningly pretty frilly ones!

 

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Association salute the apron!

 

To Thine Own Self...

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Association, understand thoroughly that we can only control our behavior and influence our children's behavior. We cannot control other adults in our lives. This includes our girlfriends, sisters, family and above all else, our husbands. We spend our energies on things, which are important to us. We clean, we cook, we run errands and we are there for our husbands -- because this is what matters. We do not have careers outside the home -- and we do not look down on those who do (please extend us a similar courtesy). Our homes are our careers and our life experiences come not from the evening news, but from our own backyard.

It is not that we don't care about the outside world, but there really isn't much we could do to effect change. Angry letters to politicians and political pundits will only get us so far. We instead devote ourselves to the things we can achieve -- rather than unobtainable pie-in-the-sky dreams. We can and do achieve a clean house, relatively germ and allergen free, we help to raise thoughtful children who are courteous. We are blessed to live in nice homes...why shouldn't they shine? Our husbands work very hard to provide for us a good life. We are not wealthy. We believe in being frugal with money and live within our means. Our husbands set the standard and the budget and we never question his purchases.

We cannot be responsible for what our husbands think, we are not in anyway accountable for their actions. We are only accountable for our own, which are defined by them!

Our homes are our domaine and our famiy's sanctuary, which we strive to make it comfortable. We dress only for our husbands, some of whom pick out our clothing. We put on makeup, fix our hair and wear perfume, even if we do not leave our homes. Before our husbands return home from work, we do make a point to freshen up our appearance. We also take a few minutes to tidy the house. Our husbands certainly appreciate the efforts.

When we do need to leave our homes, we only do so with our husband's expressed permission. When we shop, we move slowly through the store and neatly arrange items into our cart. We are to never appear rushed or harried. You will absolutely never ever find one of us running through a store in our pj's tossing items into the basket.

We offer our husbands sexual pleasure on their schedule alone. When they want it, we open ourselves up to them. Orgasm is their right, not ours. Do not misunderstand this, our husbands want us sexually satisfied, but they do not worry about it. If it happens for us, wonderful but it is our purpose to give them the pleasure they deserve.

We enjoy pleasing our husbands orally and do not expect it to be reciprocal. We prepare healthful meals, with our husband's dietary needs placed first, then those of our children. Some might lament, how unfair! We disagree with that philosophy, because our needs fall squarely in between them.

Out of the Home

It's rather important to understand we at The (real) Stepford Wives Association do not spend all hours of the day cooking and cleaning. We also spend time with our children, organizing bake sales, shuttling them to after school activities and of course shopping.

While we are out in public, we must conduct ourselves a certain way. We dress only for our husbands in whatever they would find pleasing. While we are out in public without them, we walk slowly and smile, but are careful not and by not, we mean ever make any kind of eye contact with man. We believe this sends the wrong the message that somehow we're interested in what they have to say.

Walking slowly is possibly the most difficult part of being Stepford. We must walk slowly. We do not rush through the grocery store at breakneck speed. We take it slow. We scrutinize each purchases. When we rush, we forget things. Not very Stepford at all -- When we take our time we tend to get everything we need in one pass through the market. Rather than spending and wasting time back tracking. We believe it's important to carry a good shopping list and enough cash to cover the purchases. If something is neglected, it's written down on a new list.

Which brings us to another subject, smart phones. We now routinely make our lists on our phones rather than paper. There are many apps to aid in this and some are free. We encourage all Stepfords to check them out. Once a week we go through cabinets and take note on what we need or might want to cook in the coming week. We make our lists accordingly. Does the chicken we plan to serve on Wednesday require overnight marinating? We need to plan carefully for this. Is there enough bread or luncheon meats to last the week? Some cold meats begin to taste gamy if kept for more than a few days. Smoked luncheon meats will last a day or so longer but contain nitrates. Premade salads only last a few days before they become wet or snaily. We find it's best to buy these things more than once per week.

Our Routine Part 2

After spending 1-2 hours preparing the meal, we freshen up before our husbands return home from work. We take a few moments to tidy and get children to set the table. We will also prepare a cocktail or refreshing beverage for our husbands to enjoy while we put together a quick appetizer of hummus, maybe some cucumber or tomato. Just a bite or two while we place the food into proper serving dishes.

Our husbands determine how much food goes on each plate. After the plates are cleaned, then the children can ask for a second helping. After dinner we clear the table and begin cleaning up. It might surprise many that often our husbands help out with directing the children to help out and some even assist in loading the dishwasher. We accept their help graciously.

After the little children and those with us who have babies, get them bathed and settled for the night, we begin to plan future meals. We make certain the next days meal is planned, and the meals for the next several days. We check progress on items that are defrosting and make certain it's progressing properly. After dark we light candles. Toss clutter. Make sure out husbands are happy.

When all is quiet we read. Cookbooks, cleaning books and decorating books. Our husbands decide when it's time for us to go to bed.

 

 

Our Routine

Each morning each of us in The Stepford Wives Association begin each day an hour before our families wake. We go downstairs and begin emptying the dishwasher and set the table for breakfast. If we have bread to bake, we will get the yeast started.

We make coffee and begin waking the family, beginning usually with our husbands and we each have our own personal ways of setting their day off on the right foot. Our children and babies are next, older children do have alarm clocks but sometimes neglect to set them, so taking a moment to check on them is a good thing.

After assuring all are beginning their morning routines, we begin cooking breakfast, setting out coffee and juice, and doing whatever is needed. Yesterday in our home the breakfast menu was a whole grain pancake, fresh fruit and warmed berry preserves as topping. Everything made from scratch naturally.

Lunch boxes were prepared and filled with carrot sticks, a small apple or other fruit. Petite sandwiches, with goat cheese, turkey and arugula with a drizzle of cranberry. Sandwiches for our are sliced into fun shapes filled with their favorite ingriedients.

When our children are safely on the bus and our husbands are out the door, it's time to begin our cleaning rituals. We call them rituals because everything is accomplished in a proper way. We scrub our bathrooms, wash down the showers and dust the floors. As we leave we wipe the door handles. We go through each room with a dust cloth, make beds and fluff pillows. We vacuum high traffic areas.

We keep meticulous lists and plan errands to conserve gasoline. Too many marketing trips lead to overspending. Our husbands lay out a budget. We dress sharply when we run those errands. We walk slowly through the stores and never toss items haphazardly into our carts. It isn't easy, the slow purposeful walk we do. We mustn't rush through the store, since rushing can lead to overlooking items we need.

Upon returning home, we put away the items methodically.

We do often take a few moments to go through the mail, removing junk mail into the recycle bin, the rest goes onto our husband's desk. We might also check email also. We will send a text message to our husbands to let them know we are home safely. That brings to mind another thing we always do, or rather will not do; we never leave our homes without our husband's permission.

We begin to get ready for our children's return from school, we offer them a snack and assist with homework. During this time it's also useful to begin dinner.

Look for part two tomorrow.

Down Time?

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Club have established that a clean home is a happy home. We have shared some of our cleaning regiments and routines. In the future we will discuss individual cleaning or housekeeping practices. For this time, however, we would like to discuss how we spend our down-time, or rather how we do not spend our time.

We do not idly watch television, the television is generally reserved for sporting events our husbands enjoy. We do not wind away the afternoon watching soap operas, Oprah Winfrey or Jenny Jones (really are any of those people still on the air?). We don't watch the latest Hollywood gossip, nor do we care who got arrested, caught cheating, or the latest marriage, birth or divorce. These are all people we do not know in real life, why should we need to know their intimate details?

We don't watch the news either. If we want to know about something that's going on in the world, we talk to our husbands and ask for their thoughts. Very often they will say that we shouldn't concern ourselves with it. Again, the view we are most concerned with comes from our kitchen window and our own backyard.

Our time, when we are not cleaning, cooking, or tending to our families are spent mostly reading or engaging in a hobby. Some of us enjoy sewing, scrapbooking and even making our own cards for special occasions and holidays. We enjoy reading, especially books on cleaning. We recommend Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendleson. She covers everything you need to know about properly cleaning your home. We very much consider that book to be like the Holy Grail of cleaning!

We at The (real) Stepford Wives also spend time reading various cookbooks. We take great pride in planning healthful meals that are eye pleasing as well as tasty. We'll talk more about this another time.

In the Bedroom

Here at The (real) Stepford Wives, we believe that our bedrooms are the true sanctuary from our daily lives. It's the place to set the tone be it for sleeping, intimacy, or relaxing -- it should be a serene place.

relaxing?

While considering this we wondered if there was indeed a link between clutter and depression. We began digging a little and after just a few moments we found this article from The New York Times published in 2008. While it's not the final word on the subject, it certainly gave us all the idea that too much clutter in your life, too much chaos would be damaging to your psyche and to those around you.

A clean home can have a calming effect on children.

Inside the bedroom a clutter free zone can feel like an oasis. You certainly don't need expensive furnishings or top-of-the-line fabrics; our rule is always get the highest thread count you can afford. Keeping in mind, the higher the count the longer your bedding will last. Keep your eye out on sales.

Start with the bed. You should start with a comfortable mattress. A good quality mattress pad (protect your investment), everything else is dressing. We believe that while you might love your collection of cats, seeing them all on a shelf compressed together might be pleasing to you, but to others it will resemble a garage sale shelf! Same is true with an over abundance of family photos, or candles or too much of anything. Yet, take that same shelf, add one beloved cat, a few leather bound books, maybe a tall pillar candle and your eye is drawn to it. It invites you in. The same way an unmade bed and dirty clothing strewn across the floor screams get out!

Comforting without clutter

Many people will remark from time to time on how relaxed they felt on vacation. While just being away certainly might have something to do with it. What if the another reason was the lack of clutter surrounding their hotel room? Your clothing remains either stowed in your suitcase or tucked in drawers; toiletries neatly lined in those small bottles like a row of toy soldiers. You go out for the day and return to a made bed, the room is tidy and the trash emptied.

We at The (real) Stepford Wives believe the path to a great day begins with a made bed. In fact our personal credo is never leave the house with curlers in your hair or your bed unmade.

Our Breakfast Table

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Club firmly believe our breakfast tables are the most used tables in our homes. They are the tables we pretty up with flowers over breakfast, the places where we entertain our friends over coffee and where our children do their homework.

Not all of us have a dining table, so our simple multi-use table is transformed into a elegant dining table with the addition of a nice table cloth and some candles. Much like that table with all its uses, we also have many uses. We are mothers, housekeepers, and of course wives. We do not place our children above our husbands but rather equal to them.

Yes, sometimes it's a just a table set for two for an intimate dinner with our husbands to show them how much we truly appreciate them. One of our girls came up with a wonderful each day she does five special things for her husband. She says sometimes she does simple things like cooking his favorite foods, or having a martini waiting for him at the end of a trying day.

The whole thing has been so successful for her that we've all decided to give it a whirl.

We'll all discuss it at our next brunch.

Cleaning, Organizing and Entertaining

Here at The (real) Stepford Wives Club we don't spend every moment cleaning, but we sure do spend a good chunk of our week tending to our homes, gardens, planning and preparing healthy meals.

Here's what we know -- a happy home is a clean home. Cleaning our homes isn't a chore but a privilege and opportunity to show our families how much we care. A tidy home is a direct reflection on our husbands. There is nothing more humiliating than a good friend dropping by for coffee and seeing the house in shambles. When we have a guest enter our homes we don't continue folding our husbands boxer briefs, or prattle on while they help themselves to coffee as we shout above the vacuum cleaner. When a guest enters our home, we are always prepared.

It takes but a minute to set out the tea or coffee pot, arrange a few home-made cookies or whip up some tea sandwiches. Make your guests feel at home and they interrupted nothing -- is what we say. We even will drop in each other from time to time so we keep these skills at the ready.

Deli luncheon meats can placed on white or wheat home-made bread with dab of soften butter with lemon. Or a touch of Dijon mustard. Trim the crusts and slice into whatever shape you fancy, while you wait for the kettle to boil. Slice some fruit, maybe some carrot sticks with a festive dip (keep dip on hand for such occasions).

It might be old fashioned, but even peanut butter or cream cheese, on celery is a welcome treat, especially if served with whatever homemade goodies you have. All these can whipped up in jiffy.

We do have cleaning schedules, which we abide by. Tuesday's and Fridays traditionally are just for cleaning/ laundry and ironing. Monday's Wednesday's and Thursday's are for errands, appointments and shopping/meal preparations. This leaves our weekends completely free to spend time with our families and serve our husbands.

Shred shred shred!

Our homes are free of annoying clutter, because we go through the house daily with a garbage bag and throw it out! We don't hide it in the closet. When our husbands pay the bills we keep them until the next bill arrives, he checks it for errors and then we shred the previous months bill. While tax related items should be kept in an organized file, there's no need to keep the gas bill for years on end, Even bank statements are paperless nowadays, so you don't need to hang on to a mountain of paper work.

For items and documents that should be saved, a box will do the trick and stored with the years. When you keep your paper down to a minumin you will be amazed how many years it would take to fill a bankers box! We find Club Memebrs can easily hold 10 years of tax returns in one box, complete with receipts. When we put one into the box, at one end, we pull one from the opposite end and shred it, we divide by year for easy locating. It eliminates many headaches.