Housewifing, or housewifery, has never been a passion of mine, but a longtime light hobby. It first started in 2009, when I was between school and a cross-country move. My then-boyfriend (now-husband) was letting me stay with him for a few weeks, and I was growing my hair out (which means it was extra effort to make it look cute every day... you guys know in-between lengths). Aforementioned adorable runner friend was working in a winery, and another friend had a "job" of dubious origins and veracity. I spent my days lunching with friends and drinking (mostly free or v cheap) wine, wearing dresses and pearls (literally), making sure my makeup was light yet polished, and that my hair was curled. Somewhat unfortunately for me, my hair being curled was sometimes cute but mostly made me look like a housewife or golden girl. They were good times, I rocked that look.
Anyway, I've come a long way since Housewifest '09. I drink a lot less because I'm not freshly out of college, and for other grown up reasons. I also actually have some semblance of a domicile now, instead of a room that someone let me sleep in that I just haven't left. Of course, a house also means that I have chores/ stuff to do inside of it, like clean it and other things inside of it, and other grown up house things.
Right now, my housewifing feels a lot like playing house, or rather playing [at] housewifery. Maybe it's because I have someone else living here that I want to make the house nice for. Maybe it's because I've only been in this "house" as a significant other. Maybe it's because the times I've played at housewifery I've been financially supported by my partner, while he works outside the house and I pretty much have the freedom to catch up on Breaking Bad in my underwear while eating fruit nuggets*. Or you know, I could work inside the house. Either way, it doesn't feel permanent (I don't judge anyone for making the "stay-at-home" decision at all, that mess is hard! It's just not what's listed on my LinkedIn or what I tell people I "do"). I know that there will be an end to this pretend housewifing, and I know what my "real" life looks like when I am not doing this. I also (more or less) know when the end of this entertaining but not-that-fun game will be. Sometimes it's weeks, sometimes it's "until I find a job", right now it's November 6th at about 10 o'clock ante-meridian.
I would like to think that my parents raised me pretty well in the domestic arts (although they were extremely lacking in teaching me the dark arts). From about middle school, I could cook an edible meal, do dishes and general scrubbing, laundry, tidy up, mop, sweep, vacuum, yadda yadda yadda. Doing those things never felt like being a grown up, they just felt like things that people who aren't wild beasts do. I'm not sure on how wildebeests keep house, I don't want to judge them. Also, it probably didn't hurt that I started doing them well before 'adulthood', and they didn't make me feel grown up then, either. I mostly tried to get out of doing these things by getting sick. I actually willed myself to fall ill in order to avoid cleaning. My mom was never having it. As a side note, I guess I appreciate that since I still feel sick when it's time to clean now, but I don't take any of my (own) crap either. Thanks, Mom.
*or Silver Surfers, If I can get my hands on them... both the Nuggets and the Surfers are AWESOME present ideas. For any occasion.
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| The famed hairdo, on a good day. Note the wine. (I'm next to an awesome lady who is now also a wife, though I think she leaves the house) |
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| stocking up for a very housewifey day |
Anyway, I've come a long way since Housewifest '09. I drink a lot less because I'm not freshly out of college, and for other grown up reasons. I also actually have some semblance of a domicile now, instead of a room that someone let me sleep in that I just haven't left. Of course, a house also means that I have chores/ stuff to do inside of it, like clean it and other things inside of it, and other grown up house things.
Right now, my housewifing feels a lot like playing house, or rather playing [at] housewifery. Maybe it's because I have someone else living here that I want to make the house nice for. Maybe it's because I've only been in this "house" as a significant other. Maybe it's because the times I've played at housewifery I've been financially supported by my partner, while he works outside the house and I pretty much have the freedom to catch up on Breaking Bad in my underwear while eating fruit nuggets*. Or you know, I could work inside the house. Either way, it doesn't feel permanent (I don't judge anyone for making the "stay-at-home" decision at all, that mess is hard! It's just not what's listed on my LinkedIn or what I tell people I "do"). I know that there will be an end to this pretend housewifing, and I know what my "real" life looks like when I am not doing this. I also (more or less) know when the end of this entertaining but not-that-fun game will be. Sometimes it's weeks, sometimes it's "until I find a job", right now it's November 6th at about 10 o'clock ante-meridian.
I would like to think that my parents raised me pretty well in the domestic arts (although they were extremely lacking in teaching me the dark arts). From about middle school, I could cook an edible meal, do dishes and general scrubbing, laundry, tidy up, mop, sweep, vacuum, yadda yadda yadda. Doing those things never felt like being a grown up, they just felt like things that people who aren't wild beasts do. I'm not sure on how wildebeests keep house, I don't want to judge them. Also, it probably didn't hurt that I started doing them well before 'adulthood', and they didn't make me feel grown up then, either. I mostly tried to get out of doing these things by getting sick. I actually willed myself to fall ill in order to avoid cleaning. My mom was never having it. As a side note, I guess I appreciate that since I still feel sick when it's time to clean now, but I don't take any of my (own) crap either. Thanks, Mom.
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| but can she make a casserole? |
*or Silver Surfers, If I can get my hands on them... both the Nuggets and the Surfers are AWESOME present ideas. For any occasion.
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