The Housekeeping Edition:
Conflicting advice for horsewomen: "Make Something" vs "Clean Something" vs "Do Little"
According to author Martha Beck PhD society these days has evolved in such a manner that folks think they've got to be prancing around gleefully (think: Swiffer commercial ) in order to be truly happy. On the contrary, Martha says "True happiness is sustainable delight in the beautiful moments of everyday life."
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Martha also says; People started telling me to "be here now" when I was about 20. "Great!" I responded. "How?" "Be still", they said. "Breathe." Well, fine. I started dutifully practicing meditation, by which I mean I tried to be still while compulsively planning my next billion-watt wow. But one day, while reading up on the latest research in positive psychology, I discovered a two-word instruction that reliably ushered me onto the plains of peace when I couldn't force my brain to just "be still."
Here it is: Make something.
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The "Make Something" advice from Martha Beck didn't always work for me.
Since my work here at HoofPrints consists of making stuff nearly every day - and I'm not nearly as relaxed and blissful as I'd like, I came up with my own offshoot of Martha's effort... Clean Something. In which I advised folks to pick something (mess, clutter, etc) that they could manage in about an hour, and TAKE CARE OF IT.
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Sounds good, huh? And I bet you're thinking that by practicing this regimen, that my house, office, barn would be relatively neat and orderly. I wanted to share, just to set the record straight, that that is not exactly the case. It's so not the case that it made me think of the old Saturday Night Live character played by Chris Farley: Matt Foley - The Motivational Speaker . For those who don't remember, Matt Foley is the antithesis of a good motivational speaker: abrasive, clumsy and down on his luck, living in a van, etc. You can read what that has to do with the hairball here
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HorseWork before HouseWork
When "Clean Something" doesn't necessarily apply to the house...
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This fun composite wood sign is a great horsey priorities reminder. At 7" x 7", it's a good size to fit almost anywhere, it's ready to hang, and HALF PRICE while supplies last |
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As an adult, I long ago acknowledged that
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I have a whole drawer full of dish towels. Many are the napped, bath towel-ish variety. Those usually get relegated to sopping up big spills or being used in as a drainer for dishes that get hand washed.
Then there are the stupid micro fiber towels. Those are good for nothing, other than to remind me that I fell, more than once, for marketing hype that failed to deliver. Those get cussed at and thrown back in the drawer.
The real star is this limp, cotton affair with a rooster on it. It's bona fide from the sixties. I rescued it from my mom's rag bag. It has mad drying skills that no other towel can match. Until...
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BlueQ's dish towels are a very close second to my fave.
I've not seen a meme for it, but another facet of (my) adulthood is the angst I felt when I looked at my threadbare dish towel, knowing that it's days were numbered.
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While I will continue to use Old Faithful until it gives up the ghost, I am relieved to know now that these snarky versions from BlueQ are available to stand in when that day comes.
They're 100% cotton. Absorb like crazy. Leave no lint behind. And they don't snag on your hangnails and feel weird like those blasted microfiber towels.
Shown here is a shockingly appropriate version that's on sale while supplies last, to order click here
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Need help with washing the dishes?
Our house has a septic system, so all the detergent I use ends up going into the ground. I've never been entirely comfortable with that, though I am even less comfortable with spending big $$$ for "green" products that just don't work very well.
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Adulting consists also of looking back fondly on memories of long-dead appliances that performed infinitely better than their modern counterparts. The grungy gas stove in my college house that could boil a pot of spaghetti water in a couple minutes. And the dishwasher that actually cleaned dishes without pre-rinsing AND managed to get them completely dry (even the bottoms of the coffee cups). Those hot dishes would burn the crap out of your hands, but it was a price I gladly paid.
Sadly, we've lost these essential bits of competence in the name of energy efficiency. My current dishwasher needs a LOT of help doing its job, and I've tried every soap on the market. When I saw that the makers of Rockin' Green Activewear Horse People's Laundry Soap also made dish detergent, I grabbed some up to try - in spite of the $16 price. It really does work better than the detergent from the grocery. It's all natural, so I feel better about it going into our ground. The bag says it'll do about 30 loads, but our water is soft and it goes a lot further than that for me.
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Anything else? YES!
HorseWork before HouseWork magnet is FREE with every order
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A HoofPrints exclusive - it's FREE while supplies last. Limit one per customer. It measures 3.5" w x 2.5" tall and is FREE with any order placed at HoofPrints.
Not ready to order right now? Click the button below to request one
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
Gina Keesling started HoofPrints in 1986 to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. Along the way she added a fun selection of horse and dog products geared toward women of a certain age. This newsletter is emailed to subscribers a few times a month. Watch for sales, stories and more.
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Follow HoofPrints on Facebook |
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I have awesome customer service reps available 24/7 to take your order or answer questions at 765-724-7004, or email gina@hoofprints.com
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