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.  

A Clean Home

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Association intrinsically understand what our family needs are and if those needs are being met in a proper Stepford way. This point was driven home recently when our outside temperatures dropped, as expected during the cooler winter months and power was lost for several hours. 

It is often said that candlelight hides flaws and it's a point we find difficult to argue with or outrightly dismiss.  When the power went out, we immediately set out lighting extra candles (candles are always utilized during the winter months in our homes) and brining out warm blankets.  We made sure our husbands and children were comfortable as our homes cooled.  Soup and hot cocoa were prepared (thank goodness for gas burners).  We watched as our families, exchanged funny stories or terribly bad jokes,  played games, children serenaded us with songs and music filled our home.  

The power remained off for most of the afternoon and into the evening after darkness fell on our area.  Outside, high winds and snow blew.  When power was finally restored some hours later, the house suddenly alive with bathed in light so bright everyone seemed to blink.  It was obvious apart from blankets around and snuggling to stay warm, the home was just as spotless in the bright light as it was in the partial darkness.  

There was a measure of pride that billowed out deeply from each of us that was only evident much later when we discussed it at our brunch meeting.  We find it incredibly odd that some women who profess to be Stepford Wives dismiss outrightly our meetings as being unStepford, yet they provide commentary on "news" events our husband's alone would know about and have obviously deemed us not needing to be concerned about.  We're far too busy, cooking and cleaning to bothered with all that nonsense anyway.  We concern ourselves with only the things our husband's find important for us to know.   

Cleaning

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Association take cleaning very seriously. Each day we begin our cleaning routine by changing the sheets on our marital bed. Just like a favorite hotel, we change the sheets, dust the room, vacuum, fluff pillows. We launder all the towels, scrub the master bath, so it sparkles. We scrub the shower, and here's a note, if you do all this daily, the bathroom will never smell or seem dingy. We wash down the bathroom walls and wash the floor. We replace and wash any area rugs,

With the master bedroom clean, we move into the hall way, dusting and vacuuming, all the other bedrooms are tidied, dusted, sheets are cleaned, more towels washed and those bathrooms are scrubbed clean until they sparkle and shine.

Moving through the other rooms, each are dusted from top to bottom vacuumed and pillows fluffed. In heavier living spaces, like the family room, toys are stowed, everything there is dusted, floors cleaned. Our hardwood floors sparkle with a hand washing of a solution of distilled vinegar and water. It's the same thing we use on the kitchen wood cabinets. Our baseboards are cleaned along with the floors. The final touch are the appliances.

After the home is spotless, it's time to run errands for our husbands, this might include running to the dry cleaner, shopping or whatever else needs to be done. Back at home, snacks are prepared for children as they come home from school and dinner is started. A quick trip to the master bedroom to check makeup, put on a nicer dress, fix hair and appy a little lipstick. Our husbands have been stuck all day with grumpy people so we want them happy when they return home. We fix a tray that includes a favorite beverage and a light snack for them and set the dining table. Wash children's faces if they dine with us or more likely feed them ahead of time.

When they walk through the door, at the end of that difficult day, we greet them with a kiss and their beverage. We take their shoes off and put their slippers on and offer that light snack, while we put the finishing touches on dinner. They lead all conversation. We pay attention to all the details, because we see ourselves often as their home sectrary. We serve them dinner and standby for anything else they need. When they are finished eating so are we. We tidy the kitchen, wash the stove or cooktop, and sweep the floors. Some of us Stepford gals will set the breakfast table. We end the day by thanking our husbands for allowing us the blessings of serving them.

In the master bedroom,we seduce them with candes and shower them with attention to demonstrate our love. We dress in sexy lingerie and never ever come out with our faces in cold cream. We strive they never see us without makeup, and make sure they are asleep before we do any beauty regiment.

We, at The (real) Stepford Wives Association do this each day and everyday because we feel it's all important and one just never knows what tomorrow will bring? if a child is sick, most of our list can still be accomplished. The world stops for us if our husband isn't feeling his best.

 

A (sample) Cleaning Routine

We at The (real) Stepford Wives Association always appreciate a good cleaning routine. A special thanks to our dear friend for witing this up.

These tasks are broken up into sections so lets jump in to what should be done daily.

Daily Tasks

Daily cleaning products

Daily, after the house is empty the routine begins, the swish/wipe/dust. Swish the blue stuff into the toilet (just a few drops are needed instead of covering the whole inside of the bowl, because it's done daily). Using only one wipe per bathroom, clean the sinks, the counter tops, ending with the toilet--down to the floor...Yes, just one Lysol wipe cleans two sinks, counter tops and toilet...but only if you do it everyday. Dry dusting the floors daily too. Also, another tip is instead of cleaning the whole shower daily, get a spray bottle with a little bleach mixed with water and spray the shower after it's used. Not only will that help cull mold growth but it also keeps soap scum under control. Or look for a leave on or rinse free shower spray (Method brand, available at most stores in the US) works great too. The inside of the toilet gets a few drops of toilet bowl cleaner (seriously just a few drops) a quick swish of the brush and it's done. Keep a toilet brush and holder in each bathroom of the house. We have three and half bathrooms. The whole process including dusting the floors and swishing/wiping sinks, counter tops and toilets takes two minutes per bathroom.

Dusting too, just dry dust those areas that tend to get super dusty, everything else weekly. What a concept!? One load of laundry per-day, at the very least, will help to keep the chaos away.

Dust the hardwood floors daily (no sweeping or vacuuming unless there's a spill) Wash the floors at least weekly (or more often during wetter months).

Other daily tasks include, making the beds and emptying the dishwasher...

Vacuuming bedrooms and high-traffic areas

Weekly Cleaning

Weekly cleaning products

Weekly tasks include cleaning the showers (plus the swish, wipe and dust), bathtubs, vacuuming and changing sheets. Replacing towels and dusting those areas that are only touched weekly. Even the weekly tasks do not take vary long. You could choose to do them all in a single day or you could break it up across the week.

All Day Everyday!

In the kitchen...that is a clean-as-you-go room, you make something and clean it up afterward. If you own a dishwasher, use it. If you don't, ask yourself this, is it easier to wash a few dishes (like 2) or a whole sink-full? If your answer is the first, then wash as you use them. Take and extra minute to wash that plate or bowl, fork or spoon, cup whatever you use; dry it and put it back where it belongs, this is opposed to leaving the plate in the sink all day and allowing them to pile up.

Set the table so that it's ready for the next meal.

If you believe it doesn't matter, then try washing those few dishes up after each time you dirty them.

If you do own that dishwasher, stick them inside the machine. The kitchen cleaning is not added to the daily or weekly lists because like it most houses it's a big hot spot that is cleaned/tidied up multiple times a day.

Wipe down the counter tops, close the cabinets and drawers and you might be surprised how much cleaner it feels.

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!