Did You See That Hat?

I know I should be posting something useful and housekeeper-y, but I just can't focus.  Did you see that hat Princess Eugenie wore to the big wedding?!  Go on Google it, I'll wait.  See?!  What did I tell you?  The worst hat monstrosity possibly in all of hat history.  I'm not much of a royal watcher (no I did not stay up or get up to watch the wedding) but who could miss such a shocking display of headgear?

Ten Things That Wake Baby

10. My creaking bones (I'm not kidding)
9. Creaking floor boards
8. Kids playing in the street
7. Crows hopping around on our roof
6. Diaper moments ('nough said)
5. The garbage truck
4. The recycling truck
3. The yard waste truck
2. Lawn mowers
1. The cat (who does it on purpose to get back at me)

Greenworks Cleaners

Oh noes!  There was a recent article in the Seattle Times about how green cleaners are not doing so well since the downturn in the economy.  It seems that those sorts of concerns fly out the window when faced with hardships.  I can completely understand feeling like you can't spend extra on "fancy" cleaners when you don't really have enough money to buy all your groceries. 

Still, I think it is quite sad.  I love, love, love Green Works products (no I'm not getting paid for this!) by Clorox.  I know, I know I never thought I would say that I loved anything by Clorox (who can love bleach?) but these are really effective, and they aren't harsh and nasty-smelling that the standard stuff.  Especially since the baby's come along I'm much more concerned about that sort of thing.  I did wonder at first how green these things really could be, but the Sierra Club approves of them so that helps.

I like the wipes and the laundry soap the best.  The wipes I use all over the house for quick clean ups that require a little more than just paper towel.  Kitchens and baths get a quick once over with one of these and they're presentable in about thirty seconds flat.  The laundry soap is also nice becuase it has a pleasant scent and it actually does the job!  Unlike so many other "green" cleaners out there.  Let's hope business picks up.

Unexpected Houseguests

Several months ago we experienced that dreaded event, unexpected houseguests!  Those friends or family who arrive one your doorstep to strike fear into your housekeeping heart!  You're ecstatic to see them of course, and you're more than happy to put them up, but what about the mess?!  Will they discover the horror that is your upstairs office?  Will they see the X (soap scum, lint, pet hair, cobwebs, etc) that you've been meaning to clean out of the Y (drain, hallway, kid's room, closet) for the last several months?  Is there even one clean towel that's not shamefully ragged and stained?  Were there ever matching pillow cases for those sheets?  I'll spare you the rest of my thought process at the time.

Unexpected company, weather they stay with you overnight or not, always makes you think about your own housekeeping.  You may have been going along in that oblivious little cycle of feeding and caring for the family without really stopping to assess the over all state of your castle.  Sometimes it takes a little jolt to make you realize that standards are have seriously begun to slip.  This is why so many people observe spring cleaning to get them in the over-hauling mood.  Others throw a party so they are forced to face facts.  Whatever your trick don't let it get to the point where you're frantically opening and closing the guest room door to try and fan a little fresh air before they make it the rest of the way up the stairs.

My houseguest shame has led me to turn over the proverbial new leaf.  Well at least I'm giving it a try.  Being a teacher, my response to any situation where I feel ill-equipped is to do some research.  Therefore,  I've been reading all sorts of books, magazines, and websites about cleaning, organizing, and generally keeping a pleasent home.  Even so I am far from an expert, and any of my family and friends could tell you that I frequently fail and being the perfect housewife.  However, I really am going to try, and I will blog my results, good, bad, and tidy.  Wish me luck.     

Farmers' Markets

Oh how I love them!  One of my most favorite weekend activities is to visit the one near our house with my family.  Often we meet friends or family there, and then we have a wonderful time taking in all the sights and smells.  We browse the stalls for the freshest, juiciest, most delectable of the season's produce.  I usually try to go with no expectations in mind.  If you try to shop there, you know with a list, you are probably going to be disappointed.  If you plan out an intricate dinner, and then go there looking for specific ingredients it very likely won't work.  The market is rarely so predictable except perhaps at the height of summer.  What you should do instead is just go and check it out.  

Soon something will catch your eye.  It might be the gleam of a perfect red (or yellow!) tomato, or the heady scent of fresh herbs.  It might be fresh (not partly dried like they have in the store) onions or garlic.  Have you ever tasted fresh garlic?  It's flavor is quite different from the kind we usually buy.  Then there's the fruit.  Oh my goodness the fruit.  It turns out that many people have never tasted truly ripe fruit.  In stores it mostly has to be picked while green to ensure that it lasts long enough to get to the consumer, and it never really has the chance to become fully sweet.  Berries, cherries, apples, peaches, really most kinds of fruit are so much tastier when picked ripe.  If you're not sure, ask for a taste.  Many vendors will happily share.  

Prices are higher at the farmers' market then at Safeway or QFC.  However, they are about on par with most of the higher end groceries in our area.  Also, there is just no comparison on quality and flavor.  Once I've found my treasure(s) of the week, I head home to make whatever sort of dinner works best out of the produce I've bought.  One week it might be gazpacho, another time veggie shepherds pie, or maybe even strawberry rhubarb trifle (can you tell I also love chow.com?)  The possibilities, as they say, are endless and also tasty.    

Why Godless?

Many may wonder about the inflammatory nature of the name of this blog. Why godless? Isn't that just going to alienate the 80-90% of the population who believe in some form of higher power? What is the author of this blog? Some sort of devil worshipper? No and no.

I got the idea for The Godless Housewife when I was doing some browsing one day. I happened to be searching for a housekeeping/homemaking blog, and I noticed that most of the hits I was getting were for LDS or otherwise Christian focused. In fact, on that day, when I googled "homemaker blog" I got about six million hits. When I removed the words like God, prayer, heaven, and lord, I cut my results by roughly 3/4. In other words, the vast majority of these blogs are religiously focused.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't have anything in particular against these types of blogs, but I just feel that they don't have much to do with me. I am a proud third generation agnostic, and I plan to raise my daughter that way as well. I know I am not the only one out there who thinks this way. There have to be other atheists, agnostics, and other non-Christians, not to mention those who simply choose not to mix home matters with religious ideology. Welcome to the Godless Housewife.