Giveaway: The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking
I have long had a blog crush on the The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking, and now, happily, I have a book crush. In the The Hip Girls Guide to Homemaking, Kate Payne speaks to that fun, creative desire for pleasure-filled, budget-friendly, mindful self-sufficiency so many of us are after in efforts to make a house a home and a life our own. It’s an inspiring guide for the badass of domestic arts, and one lucky Pink of Perfection reader will win a copy! Enter to win the giveaway by leaving a comment about your favorite homemaking skill or tradition by Friday, April 23. One winner will be chosen at random. Happy nesting!
What inspires you to write, to create, and to live well?
Simplicity and sharing. I’m continually astonished at how basic my needs are to be happy: homemade bread, being outside to feel the way the light falls at dusk, shared suppers, hearing the trains passing in the night, reading books in the hammock, and good coffee, of course. The opportunities to share these simple pleasures (and help others discover what makes them happy) keeps me moving forward every day.
What’s some of the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Thank you notes are not optional. (Thanks Mom!) It’s not possible to be too thankful; it makes such a difference to be on the receiving end of sincere gratitude.
What’s your ideal day look like?
A morning where I tinker in the garden (and I don’t have to look at the clock and hurry up and get dressed), followed by as many hours as my attention span allows to work on current creative writing projects, then baking or some sort of spring preserving project, topped off with a night swim in Barton Springs (Austin’s spring-fed, city center haven).
What’s on your bedside table?
Two library books, one fiction, one non-fiction, a mason jar full of Zig pens, some bobby pins and my $5, stoop-sale-bought Victorian lamp that I’ve resuscitated on more than one occasion.
Update 4/25: Wow, you guys really wanted this book! So great to see so much interest and enthusiasm. The lucky winner was Beth!
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday: Baking bread.
People seem to think it’s a lot of work but it’s so easy and how can you really go wrong with bread straight from the oven anyhow?1 year ago
Kelly Jeanne: This book looks wonderful!
I believe in making my home smell nice as well as look nice. After cleaning, I spray some natural orange spray from Trader Joe’s or light a soy candle. If I’m going to wear perfume, so should my house!1 year ago
Sara A-G: Cooking, hands down, as many things as I can from scratch.1 year ago
Emily Chapman: My favorite homemaking skill is the ability to do basic mending–hemming pants and things. The fact that I can constantly amazes my friends. It’s a really satisfying little project, because it takes 10 minutes and at the end, hey, new pants!1 year ago
Sarah J: not sure if this counts, but my favorite homemaking skill is cooking anything from scratch. i’m thinking of homemade granola, brownies, anything outside the box, because it’s always infinitely better than what you could buy and so much less expensive.1 year ago
Nikki: Cooking and dinner parties. I love to feed people. It’s the most basic way to care for people and show them love.1 year ago
Tyler: I love making Jewish holidays accessible to my non-Jewish friends with dinner parties involving lots of yummy food and a playlist full of traditional songs. Or just cooking in general.1 year ago
Zarah: That book looks adorable. My favorite homemaking skill is cooking – in particular making healthier versions of my favorite storebought snacks, like granola bars.1 year ago
KJ: I like playing Maguyver. I have found that sometimes my simple quick fixes to problems are often more long lasting and attractive than some of the proven costly solutions I encounter.1 year ago
Anna: Kneading bread. All your senses are aroused in bread-making – leaning into that supple dough, stretching it, folding it, smelling the warm yeast blooming and patting it into a soft ball – it makes me happy on so many levels.1 year ago
Katie: What a beautiful book! Love that cover.
My favorite homemaking skill is baking – cookies, scones, bread, anything yummy. Treats are always a crowd-pleaser.1 year ago
Patti S: My favorite homemaking skill is sewing. There’s just something about being able to say, with pride, “I made that!” when someone asks where I have gotten something from…whether it be kids clothes, clothes for myself, fun bags and purses, or home projects.1 year ago
Lydia Joy: My favorite homemaking strategy is target cleaning: pick a specific area and clean until it’s done! Only then can you move on to a different area. It helps me stay focused and keep me from half cleaning 10 different things.1 year ago
Margaret: Lucky number 13! I love bread-baking as a self-sufficient homemaker skill. Ho, Frontier!
1 year ago
Christina: I get the biggest sense of satisfaction after I put everything in order. My favorite homemaking skill is putting together food for entertaining. There’s always such wonderful possibility before a party!1 year ago
The Flying Quiche: My favorite homemaking skill is definitely cooking and baking- especially fun little recipes that can boost your cooking on the whole: homemade chicken stock, bacon jam, chive oil or even homemade butter!1 year ago
Lindsay Durrenberger: I wish I could put my favorite homemaking skill but. I have none! Which is why I want to win the book so desperately! I feel like such a failure of a housewife. Help me not fail!1 year ago
Angelique: Cooking, definitely–fills the house up with amazing smells, looks great, and nourishes us. Learning how to make my own bread and stock do this amazingly well and give me such a sense of achievement (which was probably less true of the homemaker of a couple generations ago who *of course* knew how to do these things
.1 year ago
Kristina Strain: I’m so grateful that you pointed me in the direction of this wonderful blog I’d (very oddly) not discovered yet! Thanks!
My favorite homemaking activity is definitely gardening. I feel so proud seeing my little seedlings in their rows.1 year ago
Jen: Hanging my freshly washed bedding on the line is my guilty pleasure. The fresh smell when I crawl into bed never fails to bring me joy.1 year ago
Nadia: I love baking bread! It began in college after realizing a loaf of bread I had bought from the grocery store hadn’t gone bad after a month and a half (it was forgotten behind some of my roommates kitchen things), and thus, biochemistry Sunday’s were born! I’d spend the day studying biochem, and letting biochemistry in practice happen in my kitchen, as the bread rose. Now, out of school, I savor working dough and the wonderful smell of it baking in the oven. Makes wherever I am feel so homey!1 year ago
Faith: Definitely baking and cooking. Love to do it for myself and others.1 year ago
Elizabeth H: My favorite domestic activity is washing dishes. My hands are always cold, so putting them in hot sudsy water is a treat.
1 year ago
Michelle: My favorite homemaking activity is gardening and canning/perserving my own produce. I had a small garden and last year was still able “to put up” several jars of pickles, jam, and beans. It’s very old-fashion I suppose, but made me feel so self-sufficient. I can’t wait to do it again this year.1 year ago
Rowena: My favorite homemaking skill is cooking. I have a knack for being able to recreate restaurant dishes at home just by tasting them a few times. I also like packing lunches for my husband.1 year ago
Katie: My favorite thing to do when I want to do some nesting is make bread. There’s something about it that’s so primal, it makes me feel connected with generations of women. It is also a challenging science experiment- is it going to rise? Will it have the right crust?
And the reward- the fresh, warm bread with just some butter is the best.1 year ago
Mer: My homemaking skill is organization combined with decorating. I love o organize. Life for our family seems to be less stressful and more enjoyable if our things and schedules are organized efficiently. The fun part is including my kids in creating organized spaces so that they can learn to be responsible with their time and things. We enjoy using items that would not typically be categorized as a container and combine something decorative with being useful. For instance, we use rubber boots that the kids have outgrown to store small gardening tools outside the patio door. We painted the side of our kitchen island with chalkboard paint and write out our weekly activities. Take something ordinary and make it useful.1 year ago
KJ: Cooking I think- it always feels so productive, and it helps me to feel like I’m taking care of whomever I’m cooking for.1 year ago
ML: I love just staring into my pantry and fridge and go for instant inspiration, cooking or baking whatever strikes me as sublime at that moment. I’m happiest in the kitchen–very cathartic and soothing.1 year ago
Tami -- Teacher Goes Back to School: count me in the cooking camp. nothing brings me more of a sense of accomplishment is a fridge full of healthy food for the week.1 year ago
Annie: My favorite homemaking skills is throwing dinner parties. I love to gather a group of friends for conversation and something tasty. All the better if the meal involves dessert using my great grandmother’s pie crust. It’s terribly simple to make and its flaky deliciousness is well worth the struggle to roll it all out.1 year ago
Emily: I’ve recently gotten back into baking my own bread, rolls and sweet stuff (including your fabulous overnight cinnamon rolls!), so that’s my current favorite. I’m taking a sewing class on Saturday, though, so next week I might have a new fave.1 year ago
Jenny @ Kerrfect!: It’s got to be cleaning… and I only say this because there is nothing like the result! A freshly cleaned home is an oasis of relaxation. I am my most creative when I’m not thinking in the back of my mind that I really SHOULD be cleaning instead of whatever else I’m doing!1 year ago
Lynn: Cooking! Making anything from scratch, especially baked goods, makes me feel like a great homemaker. My mom was a corporate mom and never learned how to cook, so for her birthday I went home and taught her how to make a 3-course meal. It was such a good bonding experience and a way to teach a corporate lady how to be a “homemaker” too. I’m in law school so sometimes being a homemaker takes a lot of work because I don’t have much free time, but I always have time to cook (and blog about it) because I love it so much
1 year ago
Meredith: Gardening! We just moved into a new place, and we’ve been able to put a really nice garden in the backyard. Can’t wait for the tomatoes to be ready.1 year ago
Becca: Would love to have this book! My favorite home-making skills is cleaning/straightening at the end of each day and preparing for the next day (making lunches, getting together the things to take to work/school, tidying)…this is when I truly feel the most domestic.1 year ago
Serial: It’s so hard to narrow down my favorite domestic joy. Baking biscuits from scratch on a sunday morning? Making pot pie with rich cream cheese crust? Boiling a chicken down to make succulent stock? Knitting a scarf for a niece? Weeding the little suckers trying to steal water from my tomatoes?
It’s probably going to have to be making cheese. It’s so much easier than people think to make cheese! We usually use it as an Indian paneer in a daal dish, or with Indian-spiced, stewed mustard greens (heaven), but it also works as ricotta. And smeared on hearty toast with a little jam? So much better than that stuff out of a plastic tub.1 year ago
Caitlin Martell: Laundry. I love the ritual of doing laundry- transforming a jumbled mess of clothes back into neat piles of possibility. I find it meditative and cleansing. Oh, and I love that I can read a book and do this chore at the same time!!!1 year ago
Kristen: Cooking and gardening definitely! Least favorite, cleaning the bathroom.1 year ago
Sally: This book sounds lovely. I am working on gaining more homemaking skills and becoming more crafty, but for now my favorite skill is that I can sew. I like being able to reattach loose buttons or temporarily hem new jeans until I can get to a tailor. I also sewed my own cushions a couple years ago and I still feel pride when I look at them!1 year ago
Stella: Gardening. I still remember how magical seeing the vegetables sprout was. Now that I live in an apartment it’s pure nostalgia.1 year ago
Forrest: I’ve spent the last year learning to sew my own clothing. It’s such a great creative outlet and I love that it’s something my grandmothers used to do out of necessity but I can do for fun! Plus, it’s so helpful and economical to be able to alter and mend your own clothes!1 year ago
Chrissy: I love baking and cooking things from scratch. If I see a recipe that looks good involving cake mix, dough, biscuit mix or any kind of soup or product from a can, I try to get it done completely and honestly homemade!1 year ago
heather: baking… mainly cookies and pizzas… i don’t actually like eating cookies, but i love baking them, probably because they’re pretty forgiving, as far as baking goes. and pizza… well… you get the bread kneading de-stressing, but also get to eat pizza after! i make homemade pizza every weekend and keep spare balls of dough in the freezer – it is also my go-to if we have friends over for dinner – people who don’t make homemade pizza think it is a fancy thing to do, but it is so easy. both cookies and pizza dough are pretty low-risk, high-reward baking for me!1 year ago
Leili Learning Life: I love setting up for a party. Plating the appetizers, setting up a beverage table, lightning candles, putting on music — all little touches to let my guests know what they are welcomed into my home.1 year ago
Amanda: My favorite domestic activity by far is gardening. I just love planning it, planting my seeds, watching them grow and harvesting. The whole process makes me happy.1 year ago
Emily: My favorite home-making tradition is making a big batch of mini-muffins to keep in the freezer to heat up for a bit of home-baked goodness at any time.1 year ago
kate: Cooking and gardening are on my list- just like many other people! But my favorite thing is putting clean sheets on the bed- with perfectly smooth linens and tight hospital corners. Throw in a good book and a vase of flowers on the bedside table and its pure bliss!1 year ago
J Fierce: so basic… but always making my bed, no matter what the rest of the house looks like. It is so welcoming at the end of the day to see that the place I recharge is ready for me!1 year ago
Jane: My favorite homemaking skill is definitely cooking anything from scratch, but particularly taking some time to make a couple meals in advance for busy workweeks. The homemaking skill that probably gives me the most peace of mind though is keeping my little house tidy and making it cozy by placing little jam jars of daisies and such about.1 year ago
Erin: This book looks great!
A few years ago a friend who is much more crafty than I taught me how to make wreaths for the door. Nothing fancy, really it’s just about artfully arranging some ribbon and gluing some flowers, but to me it was a revelation. Now I love to make as many seasonal wreaths as possible. And hmmm… now that I’m reminded of this, my door is looking awfully bare…1 year ago
Kate (Bread & Chocolate): I love to entertain friends & family over cocktails and conversation. A beautifully dressed table and simple, whole foods always make a great evening. I’ve had so much fun in my kitchen this winter that I’ve decided to take it outside…and start my first garden. Here’s hoping it grows!
http://bread-n-chocolate.blogspot.com/2011/04/straight-from-crate-how-does-your.html1 year ago
Alexandra J: My best homemaking skills is the ability to arrange flowers. My hyacinths make me so happy…1 year ago
Betsy: I love to cook and bake, especially bake
1 year ago
Katy from DiningwithDusty: For me, nothing beats the simplicity of making my own granola. I love the process–mixing things in, chopping chocolate or candied ginger, randomly adding either cardamom or nutmeg (depends on what dried fruit I’m working with, not to mention the flavor I’m seeking). And then, as it bakes, having to check on it every 10 minutes and getting a whiff of its spicy aroma whenever I open the oven door. It makes a great breakfast; plus, it’s nice to be able to put it in cute jars, decorate them with a ribbon and give them as gifts.1 year ago
Denise: I love your blog so much!! anyway i guess my favourite skill is being organised, though i’m not a very organised person myself! oh dear. much love xx1 year ago
Suzy: I like to cook when entertaining. It’s usually the only occasion in which I allow time to make something difficult/extravagant/time-consuming, and our guests are usually very appreciative. I also like to bake, but, like cooking for guests, don’t do it often. And I actually enjoy ironing. I do it rarely, also. I wonder whether I’d like these things if I did them regularly?!1 year ago
Rakhi: My favorite disappeared homemaking tradition is definitely making milk products to preserve milk. Yogurt, sour cream, cheeses – not difficult and immensely gratifying.
1 year ago
francie: i really like the satisfaction of making homemade bread and icecream. i also like doing laundry and using lavender scented products. it is such a good feeling to have the house all tidy and clean!1 year ago
Sarah G: like so many others, my hands down favorite homemaking skill is getting food from the garden and using it to cook a meal for my family. it’s one of the most satisfying feelings i have yet to come by.1 year ago
Deb: Baking bread is my favorite homemaking skill
1 year ago
Erika: Baking is my favorite homemaking skill. I love making cookies, whoopie pies, pies, muffins, breads, cupcakes, and other treats to share with my friends and family!1 year ago
Anne: My favorite homemaking skill is baking for sure. This book looks awesome!1 year ago
beth: hey, cool! i can go see this blogger/author at bookpeople next week! so glad you’ve featured her.
cooking is always satisfying. i also really like choosing photographs and paintings for the walls to really make it feel like our own space, reflective of us.1 year ago
Sara: so many homemaking tasks are really satisfying. But if I had to pick one task, I’d say sewing/mending. It’s so rewarding to fix something yourself!1 year ago
Alyssa Stewart: My favorite homemaking skill is baking bread, for sure. Using Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, I bake all the bread for my household.
1 year ago
Ashley!: My favorite tradition is lighting incense in a room after I clean; it’s like the trail of scent is giving a little high-five to every sparkly surface, and setting the tone for how “home” smells.1 year ago
Cadi: Homemaking is my hobby, but of all the ‘things’ that fall under that category I think sewing is my favorite. Being able to whip out a cute new skirt or dress and say “thanks, I made it” when awarded a compliment is so rewarding!1 year ago
Victory Garden Yarn: Oh goodness, that’s actually a tough question for me! There are so many things I like to do around the house, including washing giant piles of laundry-so satisfying.
I think my favorite homemaking skill would have to be canning! It has become my newest obsession over the past couple of years and it gives me so much pride and happiness to give my canned goods away at Christmas. It also makes me feel good because that is all anyone receives from me at Christmas so I really feel like it becomes a personal, handcrafted holiday with much more meaning.1 year ago
Carly: Making instead of buying. It’s addictive. I’ve conquered so many projects that were once intimidating: homemade yogurt, fresh baked bread, hand sewn napkins. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I might vote for yogurt. Incredibly simple and incredibly delicious. Makes for a perfect breakfast.1 year ago
Liz: Cooking/baking is definitely my favorite homemaking skill that I already do – although my bread skills could use some work. I’d love to learn more about canning; I have a beginner’s canning kit that I should really try and use this year!1 year ago
Beth C.: Canning, I think. I have been doing jams for years, but I’m branching out into pressure canning and making flavored drinking vinegars as well.1 year ago
Shanna: Making egg sandwiches!1 year ago
Angie: I think baking is by far my favorite homemaking skill. I get a lot of joy from both the process of measuring, mixing, baking and especially sharing. There is nothing better than sharing fresh baked goods to brighten my day.1 year ago
Kathryn: I’m a firm believer in DIY. Why buy it if you can make it? It’s usually cheaper anyway. I’m currently making my own shaggy rug out of old tees. The sense of satisfaction I get out of making my own stuff is incomparable
1 year ago
Cari: I’m not much of a homemaker, but I LOVE cleaning out my closet and reducing clutter. The end result is always so satisfying. I also love having a squeaky clean kitchen. No dirty dishes in the sink for me, thanks!1 year ago
Lauren: Hmm, so much to choose from. Really enjoying the combo of gardening and cooking right now. Those refrigerator pickles with fresh oregano are so darn good!1 year ago
Lucy: My favorite homemaking skill is being able to whip up a meal from scratch, on a whim, from whatever I have in my pantry/CSA box/fridge. This is great for last minute dinner guests or just extending hospitality outwards… It’s funny/sad how so many of us “young” folk can’t cook or don’t know enough about making nutritious, delicious meals. So it’s great to be able to provide that on the fly
Thanks for the chance to win the book! It sounds like a great read!1 year ago
Katy: I love having a clean and organized kitchen–it makes me feel so satisfied and ready for anything!1 year ago
Bookish Bella: Cooking and gardening! No one notices your messy house if they’re full of good food and have pretty flowers to distract them.1 year ago
Alix Love: I get a special kick out of de-cluttering (closets, drawers, bathroom cabinets, etc.) and the subsequent organizing that takes place. So hopeful and inspiring for the week or two that it lasts!1 year ago
Lindsey: I have found that when I am in a rush, black beans and brown rice topped with soy sauce and Sriracha is the tastiest and unexpected meal ever.1 year ago
Maureen: Not really a skill, but I enjoy vacuuming. We have 3 dogs and 2 cats, and I find it very cathartic to see all the hair whirling up into my Dyson.1 year ago
Megan: By far, the home making skill that brings me and my family the most joy, is our ability to just be together in our home – no to-do lists, no schedule; just play and read and enjoy each other’s company. When my daughters think about home, I want them to think of this feeling; of our house full of love for each other.1 year ago
Kate: I am most proud of my 2010 canning. 2011 is looking better than ever!1 year ago
Amy: I love being able to put together a lovely dinner for myself or friends. It feels great to be able to make things that taste good and are good for you.
I also love my steam mop.1 year ago
Virginia: Definitley gardening. NOTHING like getting your hands in the dirt after a long winter!1 year ago
Nichole: Love putting up food, canning, freezing, etc ……… so excited it’s almost growing season in MT!
1 year ago
Krista: Best homemaking skills I have? Gardening and preserving, raising a really great, smart, spunky girl,raising my own meat, eggs, and cooking from scratch with whole foods as much as humanly possible.1 year ago
Brenda: I enjoy menu planning each week with an emphasis on healthy, delicious food and shopping for the freshest ingredients. And I throw a wicked dinner party! Haha!1 year ago
Meaghan: I love gardening and canning. I love the self-sufficiency of the entire process, and feeling a connection to all the generations of strong farm-women in my family tree.1 year ago
Judy Workman: I picked up a food dehydrator at a garage sale and cannot wait to use it on fruit. So far I have only tried jerky but I was successful and my husband loved it.1 year ago
NB: My favorite tradition is that whoever cooks doesn’t have to do the dishes.1 year ago
Amy B: My favorite homemaking skill is baking. I love making cookies, pies, and bread for my family and friends.1 year ago
Karen Toocheck: My favorite homemaking skill…I’m constantly remodeling or updating my home because I am originally a carpenter by trade. It’s the best “Homemaking” skill to have:)1 year ago
Leslie: Quilting! It is an art that is coming back!! Friends and family alike fight for my quilts. It is very relaxing for me to sit at a sewing machine and make something beautiful.
1 year ago
Rebecca: I love the satisfaction of making my own homemade yogurt in real glass jars; there’s no waste created and you can use your leftover yogurt as the starter for your next batch! All you need is a heating pad and cooler…it’s like magic!1 year ago
kari: My favorite homemaking skill is being able to cook. And often cook something out of almost nothing to feed a house full of boys! But am always looking for how to improve!!1 year ago
mdvlist: I love my sourdough starter. After years of experimentation, I’ve finally gotten into the habit of using it every week so as to keep it alive without waste. I relish the thought that I am helping to raise the next generation of sourdough junkies, and that my boys will grow up thinking that their families should also have sourdough waffles on a regular basis.1 year ago
Beth: My favorite skill is canning and preserving. I no longer stress out about gifts for hosts or coworkers during holidays. I jazz up a few jars of apple butter, pickled peppers, chicken soup, or jellies and away I go! Then there’s the added bonus of a beautiful pantry of jars and ready-to-heat meals for those nights when I can’t bear the thought of cooking.1 year ago
Crystal: I’m loving trying to grow all (or most!) our own veggies this year. And preparing to can, dehydrate, and preserve them as much as possible!
1 year ago
Gina G.: Canning! My grandmother has always “put food up”, but my mother did not. I have been learning from grandma and reading every book I can!1 year ago
jen: wow! it’s hard to pick my favorite homemaking skill! I love being a homemaker from cooking & baking to decorating. I love creating unique decor for my home and especially for my children’s birthdays! My least favorite skill is easy…cleaning!
1 year ago
Elizabeth F: My favorite place to be is my kitchen, whether sewing, mending, reading, planning menus, and of course cooking, baking, and preserving food.
My best homemaking skill I learned from my mother. She worked full time as I do and she did batch cooking…spent part of Saturday putting together kettles of soup or spaghetti sauce or lasagna or scalloped potatoes etc. …always cooking double and then portioning out and freezing food for future meals. I can usually put together a meal in record time just by pulling something I MADE (not made by a corporation) out of the freezer. Add a salad and vegetable and fresh bread and you are ready to feast. And you have energy left over to whip up dessert.1 year ago
charlane: i love vinegar and use it for windows, cleaning the kitchen and one of my favorite tips is grinding lemon rinds in the disposal.1 year ago
kelly tillotson: my obsession with aprons is pretty homemaker-ish
i love to bake goodies for my 2 sons and husband and Im learning the tricks of canning and gardening this spring!
*kelly
kelly-tillotson@hotmail.com1 year ago
Grazia: I love making homemade pasta with my italian grandmother. Nothing taste better then fresh pasta!1 year ago
AbbyK: I love sewing and canning. I sneak away to the sewing room whenever I can and for as long as I can till I hear the pitter patter of small feet. Then it’s back to the kitchen, lol. Thank you for the chance to win this book!1 year ago
Debbie: Favorite home skill…home canning…especially jams and jellies!1 year ago
Shivi: I actually loved composting with my mum back in Australia. We had an indoor bokashi composting system and we’d go outside and dig a big trench and empty out all this disgusting fermenting food. It was pretty gross but we found it hilarious especially when we’d try and get my brother, who’s autistic, to help cover up the hole as he’d do it for about 2 seconds before he’d give up and sit down on the grass and watch us do it! To even the soil over the compost we’d then pretty much tap dance all over the ground- we would get a good workout from it! Then we’d have to hose down the compost bucket which would usually end up with at least one of us getting wet! It was just nice to do something together,get out into the sunshine and know we were doing our part to help the environment.1 year ago
Jennifer Sina: My favorite skill would be gardening. It gives beauty, peace of mind, and tasty treats!1 year ago
Jesswest: My husband and I do an “hour of power” every weekend where we put on a podcast and just clean. It only takes an hour, it’s a pleasure to listen to This American Life, and with both of us working it does wonders for the house. It’s also so nice to evenly divide tasks that are often so gendered.1 year ago
Kim_F: It’s hard to choose just one favorite homemaking skill! It changes with the season.
Given the current season, I’d have to say garden planning and early harvesting!1 year ago
Shanti: I started home canning last year. It’s great to be able to pull that stuff out of the cupboard and use in place of the store bought stuff with all the preservatives. My bf just loves my cooking since everything tastes so fresh to him.1 year ago
Mimsey: If you dampen the inside of the dustpan under the faucet before picking up the pile of dust and dirt, the dust sticks to the pan. No sneezing!1 year ago
Tina from jerzzzz: Cutting and trimming the yard, then sitting on the porch and enjoy the view!!!!1 year ago
Emily: Anything that involves putting an apron on!
making butter and yogurt and bread. Or just having dinner on the table every night. Mending and canning. I’d love to win this book! Thank you!1 year ago
Stephanie Torres-Padilla: baking and cooking, keeping a garden or fresh herbs on the window sill, lighting candles so that the house smells inviting, lively dinner parties with good friends and great food.1 year ago
Kelli: Definitely canning and baking!1 year ago
tricia: cooking. definitely.1 year ago
janet: I never really considered myself a homemaker, but I love to cook and garden! I hate to clean.
1 year ago
Megan B: I have to say my favorite tradition is knitting, considering that every room in my house has yarn in it. My DH is so sweet to overlook this tendency of mine.1 year ago
Adrianna: I just finished googling Barton Springs. It looks nothing short of delightful and enchanting!
My current favorite skill is one that I’m not yet proficient in, but I’m honing. It’s the ability to streamline and edit my lifestyle in terms of “Stuff”. I tend to keep things and considering my very small apartment, I’ve been working to simplify. A bag of clothing to Goodwill here, a box of books to the library there. Makes my home feel less cramped and I feel more at ease in it.1 year ago
Olivia: I love the idea of the Hip Homemaker and would love a chance to learn new techniques!1 year ago
Kim: I try to make all of our mixes like ranch/italian dressing mix, onion soup mix, taco seasoning etc, from scratch. Much cheaper and I know exactly what is going in it.1 year ago
Beth/SouthernBluestocking: Roasting a chicken. I’m in the final stages of getting my English degree, which means that most nights I’m at my kitchen table, pencil in hand or messy bun, facing down a mountain of books. (All of which I love- no complaints here!) But in all of this literary theory and text analysis, there is nothing quite so wonderful as having a chicken sizzling in the oven. And nothing makes me feel so absolutely self-sufficient as getting 5-6 meals (and a freezer full of broth!) from one leetle chicken. Well, making bread is a close second. If I could figure out how to make wine, I’d be set!
(Currently on meal 4 of this weekend’s chicken. How cool is that?)1 year ago
June B: I enjoy baking and sewing. thanks for a neat giveaway!
1 year ago
Catherine: I’m going to sound way old-fashioned here but it’s ironing. I don’t always ‘love’ doing it but I only use cloth napkins and placemats and I love to open the drawer and see them so neatly creased and fresh. The same with cotton blouses!
In a more modern vein I am a wicked organizer. I love labeled files, shelves with room on them, and closets with everything in its place. I recycle and donate anything no longer used by us and find the feeling of space in my home translates to my spirit!1 year ago
Wendi: I love baking homemade bread. I enjoy making it by hand, I love the kneading!1 year ago
Jasmine: Teaching my 3 year old daughter how to make homemade popsicles with my with whatever is in season.1 year ago
Caroline: Cooking! I love to cook for family and friends, such great joy! =]1 year ago
Debra: love cooking, tho i can’t be sure i would call it a skill! but when you have to eat late, a nice omelet..maybe a fritatta with sauteed onion..and a glass of wine…heavenly..esp when you get to share with boyfriend!
cute book!1 year ago
April in Autumn: I’m most proud of my sewing and canning because I enjoy the results so much! I’m also a big fan or fermenting stuff.1 year ago
Maryann: I love baking, and most people love sweets and gifts. I like to bake sweets like cute decorated cookies, brownies, pies, cupcakes, and package them up. Then I deliver them to a neighbor or friend, even people in my husbands office for a nice sweet surprise. People are generally very surprised and thankful, and it makes me feel good!1 year ago
Hope: This book looks awesome!
I’ve gotten to be a stay-at-home mom this year and LOVE it so it’s hard to find a homemaking skill I don’t love right now. Probably my favorite was bread baking till I nixed that cause I’m eating too much of it!
So now…I’ll go with purging stuff and taking it to Goodwill! haha!1 year ago
Fefe: Baking! I love it!!! I also love to iron….is that lame-o???1 year ago
ciara: i love experimenting in the kitchen! and figuring how how to make things myself. my current favorite thing is yogurt.1 year ago
Joann: I love to can all of the homegrown fruits and vegetables. There’s nothing better then homemade spaghetti sauce in the middle of winter!1 year ago
Nell Fender: Canning – nothing like the sound of your jars popping, and then being able to share your goodies with friends!1 year ago
Sarah: Like many other commenters, cooking is my homemaking super-power. I can’t imagine a life of store bought box/can/microwavable meals!1 year ago
Angela: Favorite homemaking skill…I think the ability to make
1 year ago
(and stick-to) a grocery budget, and then being able to cook an awesome, nourishing meal no matter how humble the ingredients. My kids will eat lentils and kale a hundred different ways, and always ask for 2nds.
Eileen K. in PA: My favorite homemaking skill is actually gardening! I love growing my own food and preserving it to enjoy all year.1 year ago
Kristine: Making soup. I love soup. It has to be the most comforting thing out there on a cold blustery day. I feel super smug when I use up old veggie scraps and rinds of Parmesan that I’ve frozen for stock and then I love the way the whole house smells cozy when the soup is bubbling on the stove. So homey and divine.1 year ago
Maggie: Baking delicious treats to share just so I can have one bite.1 year ago
Kris: I love to cook – anything.1 year ago
NW Homesteader: Homeschooling! I love every moment with my kids and using everyday chores as learning lessons! We get to do a bit of everything!1 year ago
Keah: My favorite tradition is a cup of tea with my husband in the evening before bedtime. It’s a fabulous time to just slow down together, talk or not.1 year ago
K Quinn: I like it all (except laundry which gets better with nice smelling products). I love being able to provide a clean, comforting home and good food to family and friends. I grew with big hosting parents. We always had guests and so I like to do the same. Good food. Make yourself at home. We were expecting you.1 year ago
Jeanne in Toledo: My favorite homemaking skill? Well – I cook. I can sew, and I (sometimes) clean. I make my family happy, and feed all of them, including the extended family, on a regular basis. But my favorite homemaking skill, to me, is making my house into a home – somewhere that people want to come to, somewhere that people don’t want to leave…
I live alone now, but on a regular basis, I cook for 10-12 people at one meal. I have so many people who just walk into my home, plop down, and are comfortable…and THAT is what I’m proud of.1 year ago
outrageandsprinkles: I don’t know how skilled I am at it, but I love occasionally taking time to make a full, hearty, comforting meal. I love how my apartment smells when I roast garlic in the oven and I love how full and happy I feel after eating chicken, mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. I also love anything that makes my apartment smell nice. Aside from the aforementioned cooking I like to simmer orange slices with cinnamon and some other spices on the stove. It makes the place smell all Christmasy!1 year ago
April: I derive much satisfaction from vacuuming. Also, I love to fold clothes and look for things to donate to resale shops while listening to music or a podcast… I usually do these things on Sunday afternoons before taking a nap. It’s a great afternoon ritual.1 year ago
Bridget: I love feeding people, there’s something so satisfying about seeing the people you love enjoying food you have prepared for them. I hate cleaning but there’s a lot to be said for the sense of accomplishment when you’re done.1 year ago
Melissa: My favorite homemaking skill is making all my cleaners!1 year ago
Lizziefirst: I love seeing the results of a hard day of cleaning – the sense of serenity and satisfaction I get from the a home shining with effort.1 year ago
Kirsten B NYC: Like so many of your other readers, it’s feeding people. It makes everyone, including me, feel good.1 year ago
Jess: My favorite homemaking skill? I’m a pro at opening windows to let the fresh air swing through our home. I’m also not to shabby at making some mean biscotti. What I’m also developing my skills at is cleaning poopy cloth diapers.1 year ago
Linda Brodie: I quilt, tinker in the veggie garden, pressure can and try to do all the other little things that make me feel that I’m making a contribution to taking care of my family and my world. Cleaning isn’t my favourite, but if I do the things I really enjoy for my friends and family, nobody seems to notice the mess.1 year ago
Kim R: Mmmm…I need to check out that blog. My favorite skill, along with cooking, which seems rightfully popular, is resuscitating all things fabric. I get a ridiculous amount of joy in being able to repurpose old garments and random scraps of fabric. Lace tablecloth becomes wrap around maternity skirt, pillowcase becomes sundress for my toddler, scraps from left over projects morph into princess costumes. I think it is the universal love of making something that is far better than the sum of its parts. Kind of like magic.1 year ago
Lara: Growing my own food, having dinner parties and baking! I can’t wait to get my own place and decorate it the way I want, which will be a little old fashioned!1 year ago
Holly: My favorite homemaking skill is cooking. I seem to spend most of my weekend in the kitchen cooking up all kinds of goodies for my family to enjoy in the coming week.1 year ago
Cherie: My favourite homemaking moment is a tradition I have carried on from childhood…That moment when you remove the fresh, warm & fluffy towels from the dryer & pile up them on your bed. Only to lay down amongst them all for a little afternoon nap!1 year ago
Jill Marie: My favorite homemaking skill is baking a treat that lures the entire family into one room. My family is often scattered about the house doing their own thing whether it be online, playing x-box or practicing trumpet.
When I bake something amazing, even if it’s just chocolate chip cookies, the smell entices them out of their hiding places and into the kitchen with me. Four big glasses of milk, the fresh baked treat, and we are laughing over each others milk mustaches!!.
I love baking for my family!1 year ago
Stephanie: Making Yogurt!
I recycle small amounts of the previous batch to make the new batch. Organic milk, yogurt and a small amount of pectin to firm it up! Yumm…..and oh so healthy.1 year ago
Meg: Food preservation is my favorite homamaking skill. I love to can, freeze, and dehydrate. Nothing like enjoying your summer produce in January.1 year ago
art and lemons: cooking and baking—it’s a tie.1 year ago
art and lemons: This book looks fabulous! For me it’s a tie between cooking and baking.1 year ago
Sarah: I love cooking! And making my own decorations for the holidays—right now I’m on a banner kick! Fabric banners for all the holidays & seasons. Easy, cute, fun, cheap, unique decorations!1 year ago
Nicole: One word: pie! I am not sure how I ended up in the homemaker category, and that would be a big surprise to my younger self. Somehow, though, I am here and I map the changing of the seasons by pie. Fruit pies are my favorites, and I’m already looking forward to the first strawberry-rhubarb pie of the season. Eating locally makes it so much easier to justify having pies, since the ingredients for any given one won’t be around for very long. It’s easy to move seamlessly from strawberry-rhubarb through cherry, peach, blueberry, and apple without missing a beat. Add in a few extras like plum tarts or rhubarb galettes and your friends will be making regular visits for pie!1 year ago
erinsuzanne: The entire process of planning a garden, cultivating, harvesting, cooking, and preserving (canning, freezing, dehydrating) food. Looking at my jars lined up in the pantry in the winter is such a satisfying feeling- and I have a tradition of opening the first jar of summer peaches when the first snow falls.1 year ago
darcy b.: this seems rather abstract, but my favorite homemaking skill is that of slowly creating a space that is filled up with parts of you (and/or the others that live there). pictures, collectibles, inherited items, homemade crafts–in essence, making a HOME. seems like the BEST homemaking skill, when you think about it.1 year ago
Sylvia: A house doesn’t feel like a home to me without a garden. I must have inherited this from my grandmother, who always kept a beautiful, lush plant and flower garden, first in her big house in Barcelona and later in life in an apartment balcony. I don’t have much of a green thumb, but I try to nurture my own tiny balcony garden as well as possible. On weekends during Miami’s more temperate months, I’ll sit outside among my hibiscus pots drinking my coffee and sort of feel like a grown-up: like, if I was able to rent an apartment AND decorate it with flowers, I must be doing something right. ;o) So yes, gardens are homemaking fundamentals for me — and they remind me of my amazing grandmother.1 year ago
Zoe: Basic sewing and cooking skills can get you far!1 year ago
Gretchen R: So many things come to mind about homemaking skills. Some of my present daily projects include, sourdough bread making, quilting, and knitting. Living on a farm has encouraged me to “channel” a bit of my great-grandmother lately. Now if I could only figure out how she did 5-plait braided rugs….1 year ago
Lisa O: I am just so seasonal that my favorite homemaking activity depends on the time of year. I am a winter knitter and baker. In the spring, I can’t wait to plant and get things started in the garden. It just works that way for me!1 year ago
little big: My favorite homemaking skill would either be cooking (useful to everyone and for everyone) or the ability to live creatively on less.1 year ago
Stefanie D.: My favorite homemaking thing to do is can! I love making jams, jellies, preserves, salsas, etc.! If I can get my hands on it, I’ll make it into some sort of edible something or other that I can preserve.
1 year ago
Kate: I wish I were one of the crafty readers above who can claim sewing or organizing as their favorite homemaking skill, but I am sadly lacking in both areas. Where I excel is at cooking: my favorite thing to do is pull together dinner out of nothing at all–when it seems that the cupboards are bare, pulling off something appetizing and delicious.1 year ago
Tiffany: My favorite homemaking skill is cooking for and with friends. Nothing is better than a table full of food and friends to share it with!
1 year ago
Lilly: Our dishwasher broke over a year ago and, bizarrely, I’ve actually started to enjoy doing the dishes every night. There’s something soothing about standing at the sink, looking out the window at the sunset, and having everything all tidy and put away. I don’t feel in any rush to replace the dishwasher.
1 year ago
Nimble: Making the bed. I don’t always do it but when I do it makes the day better.1 year ago
pattyskypants: I think the best thing I ever did for myself and my family was creating reusable, washable muslin coffee filters.
xxoo Patty1 year ago
picaropicara: Cleaning, cheaply and effectively. It’s not something I actually enjoy doing (who would when you could be baking something delicious?), but it’s damn satisfying when it’s done. I don’t buy any spray or special cleaners. All you need is baby bottle bleach, a bit of white spirits for difficult patches, washing up liquid and elbow grease. I can stock the kitchen clean cupboard for £5!1 year ago
Stacy: My favorites are knitting and spinning yarn, and making the basics in cooking: pastry dough, roux, preserved lemons, mustard fruits, onion and duck confit…just having those perfect little homemade items on hand to easily throw together a great meal.1 year ago
EB: My favorite homemaking skill is being able to throw a dinner party with less than one hours notice. Viva la pantry!1 year ago
Nicole: I love baking and entertaining. I look for any and every excuse to throw a party and make new recipes!1 year ago
Megan: My favorite house-wifey thing to do is roast a Sunday chicken. It just seems such a Sunday and wifey thing to do somehow – to feed my husband something so delicious, and in the process messy up my kitchen in that satisfying, productive way that makes the house smell like home.
This book looks so fun – good luck to all, and thanks for such a a fun giveaway!1 year ago
Jackie: My newly favorite homemaking skill is making my own sugar scrubs and diy beauty products. Such a great way to save money and be eco-friendly.1 year ago
Ann Melamed: Making the beds. I won’t let anyone else do it. I iron the sheets with my home made lavender linen water, triple sheet the bed using vintage embroidered or lace top sheet and pillow cases, and I make hospital corners. Now, if only I could cook…1 year ago
Nicole: My favorite homemaking skill is my recent infatuation with sewing!!! I just finished new curtains in the living room and the dining room is next!!!!1 year ago
Karen: My favorite homemaking activity is baking!1 year ago
Jess: I’m going to join the club and go with baking. Few things are as nice as watching someone enjoy something you’ve made for them.1 year ago
Tracy: Well, it is a bit frivolous and anachronistic, but I love polishing the silver I inherited from my grandmother. She polished it so faithfully; it makes me feel more in touch with her and with generations past.1 year ago
Jules @ Lovely Las Vegas: Oooh! What a lovely book and great ideas on that site! Definitely will save as a favourite.
My fav domestic goddess (hehe) tradition/routine is simply doing some intense (or not so intense, depending on my motivation and energy level) cleaning each Thursday night. With only one more day of work left until the weekend, it helps me start my weekend off right!1 year ago
Nicci: I’m not sure if this qualifies as a homemaking skill, but I LOVE making seasonal door decorations! Pine wreaths for Christmas, Daisy sprays for spring – something about arranging the flowers is such a stress reliever! The book looks adorable & I hope to read it soon!1 year ago
Mary: Bread baking is my favorite skill. There’s nothing like a fresh, homemade loaf of bread slathered in butter and homemade jam. Yum!1 year ago
Sara: Knitting & crocheting soft, cuddly things, cooking and gardening.1 year ago
Aidan: Do aprons counts as a tradition? Growing up in a house with a mother who hated cooking, it was always a joy to go to grandma’s, where she cooked in gorgeous old aprons in her heels and dinner dress! Oh, what I would give for those aprons now. So now I collect my own, all for wearing and using, and am enjoying them as I cultivate (slowly) my own culinary skills, and the love of sharing a good meal.1 year ago
Kristen: Oh, I’d love to have this book.
I love clean floors (we own 2 large shedding dogs so I do this daily), I love fresh flowers, I love the smell of something baking in the kitchen, I love candles burning, I love crisp, clean, white sheets on the bed & I love listening to great tunes while cooking dinner with my man.
A clean home is a happy home!1 year ago
Melissa Rose: I love making yogurt, granola, and bread. It makes me feel so “homey”.1 year ago
Jackie: Maybe this book will make me a better housewife — so far all I got going is my love of cleaning. My husband thinks I am crazy but I just find the whole process to be cathartic.1 year ago
Julie: I love to cook and I think that is my man’s favorite thing about me….That and I love to plan little parties and keep everything tidy and neat. I love most of the housewife duties!1 year ago
thepricklypinecone: My homemaking skills are in growing our own veg, I surprised myself by being quite handy at it!1 year ago
Lisa: I love doing laundry. Well, more accurately, I love folding each item, reminiscing on where I wore it or purchased it, and putting everything neatly away. Life just feels better when everything is in its place and there’s not a smelly mess on the floor of my closet.1 year ago
Jesse: I love to put a small pot on the stove and throw in some cinnamon, citrus peels, spices and whatever else and let it simmer for a few hrs for an all natural delicious smelling air freshener:)1 year ago
ly: i love vacuuming in my favourite dressy shoes! it means i have something nice to see when i look down and i feel good that my lovely beauties are walking on a clean floor as i vacuum! hahahahaha!1 year ago
Kristina: While I don’t love stripping the bed, lugging the sheets down to the washing machine, or back up again to hang on the line, I do love both hanging them out and bringing them in.
And I ADORE sleeping in crisp, fresh-smelling sheets. It’s so comforting.1 year ago
Amy: I love to organize. I come from a family that likes to collect and I love discovering new ways to show off my “findings” and at the same time makes my life easier!1 year ago
Bethany ~ Sustainable Food For Thought: The past few years, I’ve taken to making special preserves and pickled goods to use as the central components of delicious appetizer platters. I can add nuts, cheeses, and crackers and instantly have a spread equal of many of Portland’s fine dining experiences ~ and I can invite friends to my home for drinks and laughter at half the expense of eating out.1 year ago
jj: Being able to make perfect pot of beans to use throughout the week in many different yummy dishes is my favorite homemaking skill… one that appeals to my Latin American AND U.S. families! =)1 year ago
D'Rae: Mine is my saturday morning cleaning routine. It just makes my house look and smell great for the whole weekend!1 year ago