Homemaking Monday - My Annual Pre-Holiday Seasonal Deep Clean

Well, my friends, it's hard to believe but it is that time of year again, and by "that time", I'm referring to the shift in focus that seems to come naturally for me every year around August 1.  The garden holds my attention from March through July, but come August, I still start feeling the pull to begin preparations for the 'Ber Months, as I affectionately call them, and all the joy, hustle and bustle they can bring!

I've been quietly setting aside a few gifts as I find them here and there, well, since right after Christmas last year! But aside from that, all my foward thinking and prep doesn't really begin to take hold until what are often the hottest days of summer, although this year has been blessedly mild! Still, in most cases it is precisely the temperature outdoors that sets me to focusing once again on the indoors, and with the garden holding so much of my attention for several months, it is usually desperately in need of cleaning. 

Last year I got a late start on my autumn decorating, and it felt as though I had just put it all out and it was time to take it down and decorate for Christmas.  For the first time in over a decade I didn't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, which I know is typical for many, but it simply does not work for me!  2025 was a different year, our daughter was in a near fatal car accident in April, and by the grace of God walked down the aisle and was married in August, so there were a number of reasons I got behind.  But it made for a very stressful holiday season and I vowed that this year I was returning to my roots and getting back on schedule.

All this to say, over the coming month I'll be knees and elbows deep into my annual pre-holiday deep cleaning, and it begins this week.  It's going to be a bit of slow start, as we have a number of appointments already on the schedule this week, but hopefully I'll be able to knock a few things off the the list, and speaking of, here it is, if you're interested in this sort of thing, and if not, well, this may be at the forefront of my posts for several weeks, so maybe come back and visit me in September! :)

Rather than assign tasks to certain days, I decided to break it up into two phases with target goals for each phase to be completed.  Knowing that we have a number of appointments and commitments this month already, this works better for me.  There's nothing I hate more than having a to-do list for say, Monday, and then not checking off all the boxes, I'm a bit obsessive about those little boxes! This way I have a list of tasks that I want to finish in each phase, and the goal is to have all the boxes checked off by the deadline.

Phase I - Goal to be completed by August 13

Kitchen

- Project 1 - Cooking Area

- Project 2 - Food Storage

- Project 3 - Pantry and Cabinets

- Project 4 - Sink and Counters

- Project 5 - Finishing Touches

Dining Room

Family Room

Phase 1 complete! Decorate for Autumn on August 14-15

Phase II - Goal to be completed by September 4

Bathroom

Master Bedroom

Guest Bedroom

Office Craft Room

Front Porch

Even using this method this feels ambitious, especially when you consider that I can't completely abandon the garden and outdoors.  My commitment is 2x a week outdoors, and 3x indoors during August, not including days when we have appointments, which will interrupt one of those days and I'll have to prioritize which is more important to make up. But, even if I don't finish everything by September 4, I'm ok with that because the biggest project, the kitchen, will be done! I have the tasks for each room broken down, but I won't share those here, at least, not in this post.  But, I will be sharing my progress here with you over the next month, if you'd like to follow along. Maybe you've been inspired to get your house in order and start prepping early for the holidays, too, and you're certainly welcome to join! Nothing official, just comment and share your progress throughout the month, it would be fun to cheer each other on!

And with that, it's time I get to it, friends! I hope your Monday is blessed! I'll see you back here soon!

❊

From The Archives: My Favorite Summer Movies

Last summer my husband and I worked our way through my boxed set of beach movies. Every Monday night is "Old Movie Monday" at our house, and even though we had watched a few of these before, we decided this summer to watch them all, and in the order they were released. So far we've watched

- Beach Party (1963)

- Muscle Beach Party (1964)

- Bikini Beach (1964)

and 

- Ski Party (1965) which is technically not a beach movie, but it is included in the box set, and is actually one of my favorites.

These movies are campy, but I love them! I actually have very fond memories of watching them with my mom. Her favorite was How To Stuff A Wild Bikini and Pajama Party, which, sadly, is not included in the box set.

If you've never seen them, or you just want to take a little trip down memory lane, you can watch them online, most of them for free!

- Beach Party

- Muscle Beach Party

- Bikini Beach

- Pajama Party (only available on Prime)

- Beach Blanket Bingo - one of my personal favorites!

- Ski Party - another favorite!

- How To Stuff A Wild Bikini - and yet another favorite!

There are also two movies in the boxed set that I couldn't find free online, Thunder Alley and Fireball 500, both of which are about racing, which makes them less desireable to watch, at least for me.

Another movie with a beach theme that I love is Summer of 42, which is the story of a young boy who develops an innocent love for a young woman whose husband is in the military. It stars a young Jennifer O'Neill, who has always been one of my favorites. I especially remember the Theme From Summer of '42, which was sung by my mother's favorite crooner, Andy Williams, and I absoutely love this instrumental version. 

There are a number of movies with a summer theme or setting, such as;

- American Graffitti (Netflix)

- The Parent Trap (1961) - (Disney)

- Rear Window  - my all time favorite Alfred Hitchcock! (Netflix)

- To Catch a Thief - summer on the French Riviera! (Pluto)

- A Summer Place - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (Daily Motion)

And then there's always my favorite summer movie, Gidget, which I wrote about, here.

Hopefully I've listed at a least a few that may be new to you that you can enjoy as hot days of summer amp up. What about you? Do you have any favorite movies you watch in this season? I'm always looking for new recommendations!

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Homemaking Monday: The History of the Homemaker's Apron

Most people don't think much about an apron anymore.

If they do, it's usually as a charming decoration hanging in a country kitchen or a vintage piece found at an antique shop. Somewhere along the way, the humble apron became little more than a symbol of nostalgia.

For centuries, though, it was one of the hardest-working items a homemaker owned.

Long before washing machines, stain removers, and inexpensive clothing, women tied on an apron each morning because it was as essential as a good broom or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. It protected precious clothing, carried the tools of daily work, and quietly became part of the rhythm of home.

The history of the apron is really the history of homemaking itself. As homes changed, aprons changed with them. Yet despite all the conveniences of modern life, I believe they still have something to teach us about faithful stewardship, hospitality, and finding joy in ordinary work.

For centuries, it was one of the most practical and indispensable tools a homemaker owned. Long before modern washing machines, inexpensive clothing, and stain removers, an apron protected dresses that had taken weeks to sew and were expected to last for years. It shielded fabric from flour dust, soot, grease, and garden soil, allowing a woman to work hard without ruining the clothing beneath it.

The history of the apron reaches back much farther than many people realize. Ancient Egyptians wore simple linen coverings while working, and throughout the Middle Ages, tradesmen and craftsmen of every kind wore aprons suited to their work. Blacksmiths favored heavy leather, while bakers, butchers, and merchants often wore linen or canvas.

As the centuries passed, the homemaker's apron developed into something uniquely its own.

By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, many women owned several aprons, each with a specific purpose. There were sturdy work aprons for laundry day, gardening, preserving food, and tending livestock. Cleaner aprons were worn while preparing meals or welcoming visitors, and some women even reserved beautifully embroidered aprons for Sundays or special occasions.

An apron was much more than protection for a dress.

Its pockets carried clothespins, scissors, seed packets, handkerchiefs, and recipe notes. The wide skirt became a basket for gathering eggs, apples, beans, or freshly picked herbs. It served as a potholder, a towel for drying wet hands, and even a place for a tired child to hide his face after a difficult day.

In many ways, the apron became a symbol of hospitality.

When family arrived at the back door and found Mother wearing her apron, they knew supper was on the stove. The smell of fresh bread, simmering soup, or warm cinnamon often became forever connected with the sight of those apron strings tied neatly at her waist.

As household technology improved during the twentieth century, the apron slowly disappeared from everyday life. Ready-made clothing became affordable, automatic washing machines made laundry easier, and many women simply found they no longer needed one as often.

At the same time, the apron began to be viewed by some as a symbol of an outdated way of life.

I think that's unfortunate.

An apron never represented weakness. It represented work.

It spoke of meals prepared from scratch, gardens carefully tended, children comforted, and homes cared for with diligence. It reminded us that the countless small tasks of homemaking matter because the people we serve matter.

That is why I still enjoy tying on an apron before I bake bread, preserve vegetables from the garden, or spend an afternoon in the kitchen. It doesn't make me a better homemaker, but it does remind me to approach my work with intention. It marks the beginning of caring for my home in much the same way generations of women have done before me.

Perhaps that's why the apron has endured for so long.

It isn't simply a piece of fabric with pockets.

It is a quiet reminder that the ordinary work of home has always been extraordinary in its importance. While fashions change and household routines evolve, the calling to create a place of warmth, nourishment, and welcome remains much the same.

And maybe that's why the humble apron still has a place in our homes today.

 

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Homemaking Monday - A Familiar Favorite: Home Sweet Home

Today we'll pause to reflect on a familiar favorite, perhaps you know it, or at least the opening line?  But in case you've never read the complete work, I though it might be fun to share it with you today.

John Howard Payne wrote the lyrics to "Home, Sweet Home!" in 1822 while living in London. It was first published and publicly debuted as a song in May 1823 as part of the operetta Clari, or the Maid of Milan at the Covent Garden Theatre.  You can listen to a performance of it, here.

The song's American premiere took place at the Winter Tivoli Theatre in Philadelphia on October 29, 1823, and was sung by "Mrs. Williams." In 1852, Henry Bishop "relaunched" the song as a parlour ballad, and it became very popular in the United States throughout the American Civil War and after. The song was reputedly banned from being played in Union Army camps during the American Civil War for being too redolent of hearth and home and so likely to incite desertion.

Here is the poem, I hope you'll enjoy it!

❊ HOME SWEET HOME

’Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home;

A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there

Which, seek through the world, is ne’er met with elsewhere.

Home! Home! sweet, sweet Home!

There’s no place like Home! there’s no place like Home!

An exile from home, splendour dazzles in vain;

O, give me my lowly thatched cottage again!

The birds singing gayly that came at my call—

Give me them, and the peace of mind dearer than all!

Home! Home! sweet, sweet Home!

There’s no place like Home! there’s no place like Home!

How sweet ’tis to sit ’neath a fond father’s smile,

And the cares of a mother to soothe and beguile!

Let others delight ’mid new pleasures to roam,

But give me, oh, give me the pleasures of Home!

Home! Home! sweet, sweet Home!

There’s no place like Home! there’s no place like Home!

To thee I’ll return, overburdened with care;

The heart’s dearest solace will smile on me there;

No more from that cottage again will I roam;

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like Home.

Home! Home! sweet, sweet Home!

There’s no place like Home! there’s no place like Home!

Even the humblest home carries God’s presence. Your daily tasks—sweeping, cooking, arranging flowers—are small acts of worship. The love you pour into your home sanctifies it.

"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches." 

– PROVERBS 24:3–4


Lord, help me to see my home as a place of sacred rest, where Your love dwells in every corner and every act of care I give.

❊