What Fundamentals and Fripperies is all About...

Hi, I'm Erin and this is my family:

You're exhausted just looking at my picture, aren't you? ;)  Life with six kids from 15 down to under a year can be a bit tiring, but it is also full of joy.

Now that I've been officially blogging for five whole months (and because I want to linky party like it's 1999 with Sarah at Modern Country Style), I thought it would be good to revisit what my blog is all about.

I am a stay-at-home mom.  Since becoming a mom, I have had part-time jobs here and there (most enjoyably using my education as a adjunct professor teaching introductory Sociology courses).

However, like most stay-at-home moms, my days are mostly filled with lots of essential and fundamental tasks (like laundry, cooking, taking care of my sweet kids, cleaning, shopping, chauffeuring, etc.).  These fundamentals are often enjoyable, but some of them (like laundry--my nemesis!) can feel like drudgery as I do them over and over and over and over again....

I've found that if I want to feel joyful in my role as I'm performing the fundamentals, I have to make time for the non-essential, fun things that make me happy--the fripperies.  No fripperies, and I become a cranky mom--a cranky mom indeed.

Hence--Fundamentals and Fripperies.

I like to explore the fundamentals of my role--what is important and essential and how I can do things better.

Things like:

Microwave Hollandaise Sauce

 Making Grocery Shopping easier

Fundamentals are also things I'm doing with my children, like:

Helping my daughter learn about Sojourner Truth

Finding comfort in three-year-olds, even when they don't know how to fasten toggles

Fundamentals include taking time to notice the world around me

Appreciating springtime in Western Washington

and, the thoughts I am thinking about life, like this:

Anniversary

I also like to explore my shallow side and have fun with the fripperies of life.

Fripperies like:

trying on new hairstyles

Buying new-to-us sofas

Fun Mom Field Trips

Food Heroin

I also sometimes find sneaky ways to combine the fripperies with the fundamentals, as in these posts:

Family Finer Things Night

Decorators and Marriage Therapists

Laundry, hot chocolate and Colin (sigh)

In the future, I'm planning to incorporate more decorating posts like this one:

 Springy Mantel--High End Style, low-end budget

AND, I plan to do more craft posts and tutorials, like a SUPER easy apron tutorial that's been in the works for just about forever.  They take about 30 minutes to make (and that includes dragging out your sewing machine!).  Here's a picture--you're intrigued, aren't you ? :)  It's coming...

So this is me and my life--the meaningful and earnest alongside the shallow and petty, and everything in between.  It's:

Fundamentals & Fripperies--get it? :)

I love interacting with fellow bloggers and friends (old and new) as I share what I'm doing and thinking. Please comment if you are so inclined--I read, respond to and treasure each person who takes the time to comment :).

If you like what you've seen so far, please consider following me on my sidebar so we can keep in touch.

Thanks for coming--I hope you visit again very soon!

I'm linking up with:

and Happy Homemaker UK's Post of the Month Club  and