Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoy the recipes, activities and thoughts of a wife trying to stay “classic” while living in the modern world.

So what is this blog all about? This isn’t a blog about how to be “super woman” with a full-time powerful career, amazing social calendar, 2.5 kids and a beautifully styled home in suburbia. This is a blog about enjoying being a homemaker and living a classic life.

This can be a touchy subject and I want to make something very clear. I’m not out to criticize anyone’s lifestyle and I hope others don’t criticize mine. It is what I choose and this blog is for others who have made the same choice. I say live your life how you want! Life is all about choices- I choose this, you choose that, let’s all be friends.  Did I beat my point to death? Good.

The idea for this blog was about in varying degrees throughout the past few months and here’s how it started:

While staying with my grandparents for a few days before moving to New Zealand my grandpa made a statement about how hard it must be to raise a family these days. My grandma worked as a teacher for a few years then got married, had babies and became a housewife. It was expected, no one blinked an eye at her choice. Now, he says, I see moms pull into the grocery store kids in soccer uniforms and dance outfits at 6pm, grab a box of chicken and potato salad from the deli, then head home for their dinner from the store.

That struck a cord with me as that is what Will and I did many days while living in Minneapolis. I would stop at Rainbow on the way home to pick up a rotisserie chicken and make quesadillas or just eat the chicken with a boxed side dish at least once or twice a week. And we don’t even have kids yet! I was feeling tired, unmotivated, stressed and rushed. I never worked out because I was so tired from work and my commute. I didn’t eat really well because it was more convenient to make things from a box. I never made time for my husband. Will and I had to run all errands on the weekend so we didn’t really have much time for rest and relaxation. I’ll admit, we even often skipped church because we were just too tired or needed/wanted to do something else during that time. While I’m admitting things… I was not enjoying my life. I was struggling to juggle my job, husband, God, life and myself. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I added house and kids to the mix! I may have appeared to be the beginning of a “superwoman”, but underneath I was just going through the motions.

Fast forward a couple of months and we are living in Auckland, New Zealand (a 2 year placement for my husband’s work). I was only able to get a job 2 days per week here and was a excited at having more time during the week. I am amazed at the transformation I have made with my life. I joined a gym and go 3-5 times per week, I make healthy, homemade meals for my husband most days, I have more time to read and I generally feel good. I am also being a better wife, in other ways, if you know what I mean… I went from feeling overall stressed out, to overall relaxed and enjoying life.

So I hope you enjoy the blog as I share my journey of being a classic and traditional wife in a culture that tells women they should be able to do it all, rather than do what you can while maintaining happiness for you and your family.