My new mentor

Growing up, I never would have thought that I'd ever be a passionate housewife. I hardly envied the non-glamorous lives of my mother and her friends. I wanted to move to a big city and live in a trendy 12th floor apartment, alone.

That's not exactly how things ended up for me...

Would I change the way things turned out? NEVER!

And the strangest thing has happened. I have discovered that, deep within me, there lies an absolute passion for homemaking. That's what I do now, and I want to do a bangup job of it. I adore Martha Stewart's website. During our trips to Barnes and Noble, I thumb through as many books in the cooking, decorating, and homekeeping sections. When I have the time, I don't mind cleaning. I love to cook. I love to find clever ways to organize all of our "junk".

The traits that I envy the most in moms: frugality, creativity, and a skill for efficient housekeeping.

I recently purchased a motivational book for moms at a consignment sale. I finally got a chance to sit with it, excited to snuggle up and be inspired.
The author was a working mother of ONE.

I am not discrediting moms of one child. I know that having an only child must present its own challenges. (For starters, YOU are the only one to entertain the child!) And I am certainly not saying that working moms don't have it difficult. Dear Lord, I can't imagine trying to juggle a full time job and my children!
I am saying that it was very hard for me to connect with this mom. It was hard for me to receive advice from someone who has lived a life very different from my own, just as it would be hard for her to receive from me. We are just different.

Then, I found her. Mary Ostyn. Have you heard of her? She is a mother of ten, wife of a husband she absolutely adores, and she has written a BOOK about being FRUGAL with meals. Hello!!! Now THIS is someone I want to hear from!

Her book, Family Feasts for $75 a Week, has plenty of recipes. While we eat very differently from how her family eats and won't use all of the recipes, I appreciate her challenge to cut my family's grocery budget. I want to hear her advice.

And her website, oh....
I stayed up FAR too late last night, inspired to start my own garden, start canning, raise my kids better, love my husband sweeter...

Check her out: http://www.owlhaven.net/


I vow not to stay up late with my new imaginary friend tonight...