1. Strive to be a Notable Homemaker Mrs. Rachel Lynde was described as a "notable housewife; her work was always done and well done". While Mrs. Lynde had other issues going on, no one could dispute that she ran her home notably and efficiently. 

2. Cleanliness is next to Godliness… according to Marilla Cuthbert. When Anne first arrived at Green Gables she noticed that “The hall was fearsomely clean; the little gable chamber in which she presently found herself seemed still cleaner”. While Marilla might have gone a bit overboard keeping things too clean, one can find inspiration for her love of a clean home. 

3. Untidy Habits Cannot be Tolerated  Marilla tells Anne, “Now, Anne, I noticed last night that you threw your clothes all about the floor when you took them off. That is a very untidy habit, and I can’t allow it at all. As soon as you take off any article of clothing fold it nearly and place it on the chair. I haven’t any use at all for little girls who aren’t neat.” Marilla instantly addressed Anne's untidy behavior and nipped it in the bud. It's best to eliminate bad habits before they fully form. 

4. Work is done first… then play Marilla says, “But remember this in all your planning, Anne. You’re not going to play all the time nor most of it. You’ll have your work to do and it’ll have to be done first”. This is a similar theme that ran all through the Little House on the Prairie and Farmer Boy series and is worth taking note. We should work first and then play if we want to get anything done and rest with satisfaction. 

5. Always test the food and drink you are serving to your guests. Anne was ecstatic that she was going to have Diana over for tea while Matthew and Marilla were away. She wanted to use the fancy rosebud tea set (Marilla said no) and was imagining exactly how the afternoon would go. She gave Diana what she thought was raspberry cordial, but it was actually Marilla’s current wine. Diana got drunk off of three glasses of wine and things went downhill from there. That could have been avoided if Anne sampled the cordial for herself. She would have known it wasn’t Marilla’s cordial at all and the mishap would have been avoided… but then we wouldn’t have had that entertaining story. Ha! 

6. Sometimes Homemaking must be put aside when more thrilling matters are present After Anne saves Minnie May’s life and Mrs. Barry forgives her for getting Diana drunk off the “raspberry cordial”, Anne is invited over to the Barry residence. Anne asks, “Oh, Marilla, can I go right now – without washing my dishes? I’ll wash them when I come back, but I cannot tie myself down to anything so unromantic as dish-washing at this thrilling moment.” Sometimes placing homemaking aside to deal with more exciting matters is totally acceptable. 

7. Table Décor matters just as much as the food The minister and his wife are coming to tea and Anne is so excited. She wants to be in charge of the whole affair. “You’ll be using the best tea set, of course, Marilla,” she said. “Can I fix up the table with ferns and wild roses?” “I think that’s all nonsense,” sniffed Marilla. “In my opinion it’s the eatables that matter and not flummery decorations.” Anne then goes on to convince Marilla that table decor matters just as much as the food. 

8. Always label every bottle properly. Anne’s table may have been pretty for Mrs. Allan, but the cake was inedible. She flavored the cake with anodyne liniment instead of vanilla but it wasn’t Anne’s fault. Marilla said, “I broke the liniment bottle last week and poured what was left into an old empty vanilla bottle.” We should always label bottles properly to avoid tragic mishaps like this one. 

9. Look on the bright side with your current decor. Take heart in less than perfect décor as it leaves room for imagination. Anne and Diana visit Diana’s wealthy aunt, Miss Josephine Barry. Miss Barry’s house was furnished with “great magnificence,” as Anne told Marilla afterwards. “Velvet carpet,” sighed Anne luxuriously, “and silk curtains! I’ve dreamed of such things, Diana. But do you know I don’t believe I feel very comfortable with them after all. There are so many things in this room and all so splendid that there is no scope for imagination. That is one consolation when you are poor- there are so many more things you can imagine about.” I believe Anne truly did love Miss Barry’s décor, but she was employing positivity by looking on the bright side with what she did have. 

10. Home is a consciousness Driving back from Miss Barry’s house “Anne and Diana found the drive home as pleasant as the drive in- pleasanter, indeed, since there was the delightful consciousness of home waiting at the end of it.” … “It’s good to be alive and going home,” breathed Anne. “I’ve had a splendid time, she concluded happily, “and I feel that it marks an epoch in my life. But the best of it all was the coming home.” Later in the book when she goes away to college, Anne is experiencing homesickness. It says “a horrible choke came into her throat as she thought of her own white room at Green Gables, where she would have the pleasant consciousness of a great green still outdoors, of sweet peas growing in the garden, and moonlight falling on the orchard, of the brook below the slope and the spruce boughs tossing in the night wind beyond it, a vast starry sky, and the light from Diana’s window shining out through the gap in the trees.” When we understand the home is more than a building or a shelter for us, that it is a consciousness we can appreciate it as homemakers and look after it with renewed inspiration. 

Welcome back to The Daily Connoisseur. I have a light homemaking list to tackle today. I need to do the laundry, clean the kitchen, and make some pretty arrangements from the winter garden. And, of course, have a cup of tea. 

Candle by Cellar Door Candle Co. Music Box by Music Box Attic, Painting by Jeffrey Lloyd Barnes, Flowers from Horchow. 

But first, I need to finish getting ready. I find that getting dressed each day improves my motivation. I carefully select an outfit from my ten-item wardrobe based on the weather, what I’m doing that day, and how I’m feeling. Then I accessorize my outfit accordingly. I usually style my hair and wear light makeup. When I open my music box jewel box each morning and hear the Music of the Night, I can’t tell you how happy I feel. 

 Time for the laundry. I do a little bit of laundry every day. There’s always at least one load that needs to be done. Today, I’m doing the children’s laundry. I’ll get that going and then go downstairs to clean the kitchen. Here are a few quotes on laundry that I love: 

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." - Pablo Picasso 

“We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry.” - E.B. White 

“As for laundry, I might characterize it as approaching the moral realm; there are days when it seems a miracle to be able to make dirty things clean.” - Kathleen Norris 

“I love doing laundry! Except for putting it in the dryer, taking it out and folding it and then putting it away.” - Anonymous 

The kitchen is one of those areas that needs constant daily attention. There’s a flow and function that takes place in the kitchen each day. Items to throw away, recycle, food to prepare, dishes to wash, dishes to unload, floors to be swept, tablecloths to lay down, herbs to cut, flower arrangements to refresh. There’s a lot. I probably didn’t even cover 1/3 of the things that take place in the kitchen each day. The key is to not procrastinate with it, but rather to enjoy it and get it done with. On a day like today, when I’m waiting for the rain to return, I like to be with my own thoughts. I get the best ideas while I’m cleaning the kitchen. 

Ok, now that I’ve gotten the cleaning work done in the kitchen, it’s time to have some creative fun. My parents gave me some giant grapefruits and lots of lemons from their garden so I’m going to do a cheerful citrus arrangement on a platter. I think this will look best on the ledge above the table, so I need to wipe that down first. There’s something so cheerful about the color yellow! Right now, our yellow roses are in bloom too. What a great pop of color on such a gloomy day. 

Time to venture outside for another winter arrangement. During the winter months when the garden is largely dormant, I like to get creative with my bouquets. Our bay tree not only produces bay leaves for cooking, but they look beautiful in arrangements too and are very fragrant. I’m going to clip some leaves before the rain returns. Sometimes I’ll combine the bay leaves with lavender, which we also have on hand this winter, and the occasional roses that are experiencing a winter bloom. This particular bay leaf arrangement is for the living room. I’m going to place it in a blue and white ginger jar to liven up the dark corner with some vibrant life. 

 By the way, people are always asking how we keep white sofas with small children. Well, this is my secret. I cover the sofas in white and cream plush blankets. They protect the sofas and still look pretty good. I wash the blankets once a week. And if company comes over, I’ll generally take the blankets off. But that’s how we do it. I love the coziness of this room. My favorite part in the room is the artwork. 

Hibiscus Beauty Elixir Tea by Pique  DAILYC for 5% off 

 Let’s enjoy a cup of tea together now. I can tell the storm is returning. It’s getting windy outside. I’m using the Pique hibiscus beauty elixir. I love this tea. It’s delicious. I’m having it with a slice of cherry pie… and reading Gwen John’s biography by Sue Roe. I’m taking my time with this book but keep coming back to it. John’s life was so interesting, and I love her artwork. I like to study artist’s lives. I find the creative process fascinating. 

The rain is beginning to fall again. The air is changed with moisture. I need to close the shutters upstairs. Thank you for joining me today for meditations on homemaking. I hope I was able to keep you company with your homemaking today too. 

Thank you to Blueland for bringing us this video. Get your first hand soap duo for 20% off by clicking the link below. Keep calm and remain classy… and see you next time.

Comment of the Week

Kathryn Morgan writes, "Oh this is so relatable. This happened to me this year in Nutcracker - thought all was well...until I looked in the mirror from behind.... 2 huge rips in my tights. Had to totally get out of the tutu, pointe shoes, etc, and restart. Haha so I'm so right there with you!"

Hi Kathryn, that is a whole new level of stress right there! Happy new year!

I hope you enjoyed today's video and that it kept you company with your own homemaking.

See you soon!

Love,

Jennifer

📍Have you always wanted to write a book? This writing class taught by my mentor, Alan Watt L.A. Writers' Lab , changed my life. I've mentioned it many times before. It's called The 90-Day Novel. Al is teaching it over zoom in the new year. Here is the description of the class: Join L.A. Writers' Lab's LIVE on Zoom 90-Day Novel workshop where bestselling author Alan Watt will guide you through the process of marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure.

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