Hey y'all!

Let me dust the cobwebs off the blog really quick... brb. lol

Seriously... I have been lacking on writing posts for far too long so I apologize if this post is kinda all over the place. I'm kinda rusty with organizing my thoughts like this. Anyway, it's great to be back (hopefully).

 A lot has been going on recently and I honestly don't want to bore you with the details. So to make a dreadfully long story short, here goes!

I'm doing well. That's it, end of story. :)

Now onto the reason you clicked this post.. you want to know how to find the joy of homemaking! Recently, I was headed to visit one of my dear friends so we could do some planning for the kids room at our church when it hit me... the thought of just being thankful! Do you ever have those moments when you just look around at your life or when your in a place of peace and you just go "wow, I am so thankful"?  Well that short 25 minute drive to her house was plenty of time for it to just hit me like a ton of bricks. Not only was I thankful, but I was just happy. 

Being a homemaker can be rough. There are moments when I just can't get my body to function, moments where I write down everything but I still have NO CLUE what is going on, and moments where I just want to scream and cry because absolutely nothing is going my way ( yes, I'm a control freak). Even though those moments are normal and experienced by just about every woman, I always end up feeling awful because I let myself lose sight of the joy. I take moments that could be positive and I turn them into a complaint. Now, I'm not saying that you can't have a moment where you just need to vent, you should! But it is important to try and find the joy in those moments as a home maker.

As always, I have to state my disclaimer lol. I am not an expert nor am I trying to be. I just want to share my thoughts and experiences with y'all with the hopes of being helpful, even if it's just a tad.

As a homemaker, being happy and hopeful is a vital piece of the puzzle that will make being a homemaker easier. 

So exactly how does one find the joy of homemaking? Well, the first thing that comes to mind is asking God for help. We can't do it all alone even if we feel like we can. Most of the time, at least for me, I need God's strength to assist me with tasks that I know I struggle with. Instead of trying to carry the weight of the world, asking God to help you will not only lighten the load, but it will also allow you to take advantage of opportunities to grow through it.

Next, you can find the joy in homemaking by changing your perspective. There are moments when I feel like I am going to lose it, but seeing my friends with young children, multiple children, quiet children and spirited children always helps to change my perspective. One of my friends has 4 children under the age of 6... every time I see her with them, I am inspired by her strength and ability to continue to serve others and still lend an ear or give advice when it's needed the most. Another friend of mine has 3 boys, and seeing how patient she is with them is reassuring to me that I can be patient as well. I am blessed to have many friends that inspire me and allow me to see my life from a different perspective. Being able to see your life from a different perspective, will give you so much hope!

Another way to remain happy and hopeful is to see the plus side when doing daily chores. For me, I struggled A LOT in the beginning. The thought of constantly doing laundry (even if they wear it for 5 minutes and then toss it with the dirty ones) was something that I dreaded. It was a vicious cycle. It wasn't until I moved into a hotel and didn't have an in house laundry room that I started to appreciate it more and find the plus side. I still don't care for folding and putting away because come on.. who does lol. But I found the plus side to it. When I fold the clean clothes, I take a sniff of them and I revel in the cleanliness of them. Smelling the Tide and Downy fragrances give me so much joy because I know that my hard work is giving my family clean clothes to wear.

Another way to remain happy and hopeful is to take pride in what you accomplish as a homemaker. For years, I would look at my life as a giant "To Do List" and put myself down if I didn't check every box. Now, even though I still make to do lists, I don't rate my day on how many I marked off but how well I executed each one I completed. Taking a step back and giving yourself props to a job well done may seem a little self centered to some, but when that's your job and you are killing it... take pride in it! Taking pride in what you do and accomplish will only boost your mood and increase your joy in homemaking.

Lastly, another way to find joy in homemaking is by surrounding yourself with other positive, happy homemakers! Y'all know the scripture lol.. "iron sharpens iron", its TRUE! Being around people you love that are happy, positive, encouraging, truthful and willing to listen, not only bring you peace, they bring you joy, happiness and hope! 

To some, being a homemaker means sitting around, drinking wine and eating chocolate (if only).... but in reality, it's much, much more. It's a job that at times go unappreciated, disregarded and flat out ignored. But, if you can ask God for strength, look at things from a different perspective, find the plus side, take pride in what you accomplish and surround yourself with other happy homemakers, you will be able to find the joy of homemaking and be able to remain happy and hopeful.

Are you a homemaker? What gives you joy or hope when taking care of your family? Let me know in the comments below!