Ever had one of those days?

Reverend Arielle's Cleaning Playlist! :D

 

1 Europe- The Final Countdown (Vacuuming)

2 Benny Benassi- I Love My Sex

3 Italobrothers- Stamp On The Ground (Washing dishes)

4 Alestorm- Keelhauled (Swabbing the Poop Deck)

5 The Dresden Dolls- I Am A Girl Anachronism

6 Eliza Doolittle -Skinny Genes

7 Queen- Don't Stop Me Now

8 Flock of Seagulls- I Ran

9 The Features- From Now On

10 Beastie Boys- Make Some Noise

11 Bobby Darin- Splish Splash

12 Bob Crosy and the Bobcats- Way Back Home

13 Tex Beneke and Margaret Whiting- A Wonderful Guy

14 Billy Idol- Dancing With Myself

15 Bob Dylan- I Want You

16 David Hasselhof- Hooked on a Feeling

17 Rick Ashley- Never Gonna Give You Up (GOTCHA!)

18 Dean Martin- Memories Are Made of This

19 O-Zone- Dragostea Din Tei

20 Gipsy Kings- Hotel California

21 Moody Blues- The Story In Your Eyes

22 The Turtles- So Happy Together

23 The Proclaimers- 500 Miles

Fashionable Hats for the "Brilliant Career Woman".

"The days when diamonds and furs didn't mix with pots and pans are gone for good!"

 I don't know whether to hate this video or love it! lol

P.S.- I like the Salad Bowl hat the best. ^_^

I'm the MAN! (Pictures posted every Thursday!)

(I guess he hasn't learned who's in control yet. lol) ^_~

French Maid vs. Housewife (A New and Better Fantasy)

In recent years I've noticed a strange and wonderful thing; The "Housewife" has become something of a sexual fantasy. For years the "French Maid" has dominated the male sexual fantasy and bedroom roleplay arena, but more and more I'm seeing that give way to the sexy (dare I say Desperate?) housewife! 

"Is it hot in here or is it just me?"

I think part of this has to do with the fact that there just aren't that many housewives around anymore. Women are still running their households, but they're also in the work force, doing the same jobs as men. By the time we get home from work and take care of the rest of the housework we need to do, we're not really in the mood to bring old hubby a scotch and his slippers while he watches The Ed Sullivan Show. 

"Ed Sullivan rules"

In the 50's (and before obviously), yes men's wives were always home to clean and take care of the family, but their wives were also ALWAYS home. They're asking for money, nagging, complaining, and doing all that other stuff we think is fun but men hate, so naturally the idea of hooking up with "the maid" would seem more appealing. A women who keeps the house clean, does whatever you want, always looks nice, always speaks to you in a respectful manner, goes home after she's done, AND isn't your wife. lol

"At your service Monsieur"

Nowadays not only is your wife not in the house all day, but you couldn't afford a maid even if you wanted one! I think overall, money is huge reason for the decrease in the popularity of the "maid fantasy". In real life a maid is only serving you because you're paying her, and will likely do a shoddy job and steal your watch anyways. This is probably a little to close to prostitution for the modern man's fantasy. A housewife on the other hand is serving you (for free!) because she loves you and wants to make your life easier. This is why she strives for perfection in everything she does. Plus you still get the benefit of her wearing a cute little apron! :D

"Dishes are done. Ready for dessert?"

 

Don't believe me? Look around, the evidence is everywhere. There are a million blogs on how to be the perfect housewife, sexy housewife Halloween and roleplay costumes, 50's style aprons all over Etsy, Desperate Housewives, Real Housewives of (Practically Everywhere), Madmen, need I say more?

"We're desperate for your lovin baby!"

Of course, at the end of the day both fantasies are misogynistic, but isn't it nice to have a fantasy that encourages men to find their WIVES sexy for once? Yes, it may be an idealized view of their wife, but at least he's not pretending she's someone else entirely. ;)  

Weekly Chore List?

 I was reading another housewife blog about the typical Weekly Chore List of a 1950's Housewife and I have to admit...I was pretty intimidated.

Here's Why:

1) There's no way that I would/could clean my house that thoroughly all the time. I mean, I clean out my refrigerator (once or twice a month) but I don't CLEAN my refrigerator every week. Maybe if people were coming over or something, but other than that, I wouldn't do it.

2) There are some things I just don't know how to do. I'll admit it, there are some chores that I don't know how to do! Like ironing, not only could I not do it every week (all day) I've never done it ever! My Mother, who is also a Domestic Goddess, never liked to iron and when she did she certainly didn't teach me (she liked to do all of those chores herself).

3) I have ADD and it's hard for me to stick to a set chore list because I get distracted by other things I need to clean. For Example: I'm vacuuming the living-room, notice the DVDs/CDs are out of order and rearrange them, dust the media case, notice the TV is also dusty, dust the TV, the xbox, the computer, and the entertainment center, resume vacuuming, notice the plant needs to watered, etc etc. lol

I guess that's why I'm a Domestic Goddess and not a 1950's Housewife. lol ^_~

So I ask you: 

Are you intimidated as you read through the list of a 50's Housewives chores or do you think you could keep up? Do you follow a weekly chore list or clean as needed? Be honest! I really wanna know! :D


NOTE: This post is all in good fun and not meant to make anyone feel bad. Every Domestic Goddess (and 50's Housewife) has their strengths and weaknesses. ^_~ <3

This is such an insightful article!

I found this article on yahoo and I just couldn't wait to share it! A lot of the things mentioned in the article about how women (definitely a Domestic Goddess) work compared to how men work is some of the exact same stuff that I talk about in this blog! Yes it is a shame that women have to not only work nowadays but take care of the home as well because most men just won't do it. The article was exactly right when they described this as a "learned helplessness" on the part of men. 

But don't take my word for it! Read it for yourself! 

American Women Crushed for Time: Have Themselves to Blame? (Study)

"Laundry will wait very patiently," wrote novelist Nora Roberts in What I Know Now About Success: Letters to my Younger Self. It's a lesson that the majority of American women have yet to learn.

According to a new survey of more than 3,000 women conducted by Real Simple magazine and the Families and Work Institute (FWI), at least 50% of women say they don't have enough free time and more than 60% feel guilty spending what little time they do have on themselves. Surprisingly, 68% claim that work doesn't interfere with their personal lives. The full results are published in the April 2012 issue of the magazine.

Martha A., a former television producer who is now a freelance writer and stay-at-home mom, puts it this way, "When I had an office job, I felt my free time had to be spent on my kids, husband, and the house. Now that I'm at home, I feel guilty because of the nagging sense I don't deserve spending time on myself." Meanwhile, according to an executive summary of the survey, women see their lack of free time as the "main obstacle to achieving happiness." 

At a panel discussion on the study, Ellen Galinsky, president of the FWI, said "Its like the new clean plate club." In addition to working and taking care of the kids, women feel they can't relax until all the household chores are complete. While the average husband's to do list encompasses two main jobs: repairs and yard work, the average wife's list contains at least eleven items from cooking, to cleaning, to managing household finances. "Your husband isn't going to say, 'You look really busy, you should have some free time,'" adds Galinsky.

Even though more men than ever are willing to participate in childcare and housework, women are loathe to delegate. Forty-five percent of women who say their partners have equally high standards refuse to cede control of tasks such as organizing and de-cluttering. "I love delegating," laughs Dida F., an accountant, "The question is will they actually do it? At the end of the day, I end up with doing the work." 

Panel member Ruth Davis Konigsberg, editor of TIME Ideas, feels that women cling to their sense of authority in the domestic sphere and also acknowledges that men are great at "learned helplessness." Her solution? She advises women to walk away from chores they don't want to do. "It might not get done the way you want it to," she warns, "so, don't get upset about it." Panelist Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, says she knows what she's good at and has figured out that "she's bad at a lot of things," including cooking and "anything to do with aesthetics." This allows her to let go of a number of household tasks. "It's liberating to realize what you can't do."

Chua adds that she "outsources chores right up to her income level." However, one of the survey's most surprising findings is that nearly 50% of women wouldn't hire household help if they could afford it and nearly 75% wouldn't hire additional childcare. While many working women feel emotionally tortured about not spending enough time with their children, research shows that even though women's labor force rates have gone up dramatically the last fifty years, women today actually spend on average four hours more a week on child care then they did in 1965. Emily B., mother of six-year-old twins and a university professor reassures others moms, "My children go to an after school program and I would be a very unhappy person, and thus an inferior mother, if they didn't." 

So, how did women get themselves into this bind? One issue is that women fill so many different roles, they can always find an example of someone succeeding in ways that they aren't. Stay-at-home moms may feel insecure because they don't hold down paid jobs, and busy working moms cringe when another mother supplies homemade cupcakes for a kid's school birthday. Panelist Claire Shipman, ABC news correspondent, says it also goes back to the way girls are brought up. "Girls are raised to be perfect," she says. "Women are capable of being right most of the time, but at what cost?" Shipman advises women to focus on being "good enough." When you make the inevitable mistake? "Don't dwell, it's a waste of time. Move on." 

The executive summary recommends that women get comfortable with delegating and actively scheduling in free time. And leisure time doesn't mean a multitasking mess of watching TV, checking emails, and folding laundry simultaneously. Konigsberg describes this as "contaminated free time" which does little to lower unhealthy stress levels and restore one's equilibrium. Merele B., a real estate broker, advises women to schedule in "me-time" on the family calendar. "I write down everything I want to do for myself just like the children's appointments and events. From exercise to manicures, nothing stands in the way, unless it's a serious emergency."

Galinsky recommends shifting one's mindset. "Many women see life as a marathon, but a better model is weight lifting." After working hard you need time to rest and recover. Real Simple reports that by maintaining the current paradigm, "Women are losing the opportunity to re-energize and bring real benefit to their lives."

Copyright © 2012 Yahoo Inc. 

LINK TO THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Am I Alone Here? (The Gamer Husband)

(This picture has nothing to do with this post)

I'm sure plenty of you readers out there have boyfriends, husbands, fiancés , or partners that are gamers so you can empathize with me on this. Or maybe you enjoy the occasional video game yourself. Either way you know that you can't just play one little game. If you're going to play a video game you're usually in it for at least an hour. If it's a computer game you might as well take the day off (I am addicted to the Sims 3)!


So I ask you: Does it ever piss you off when your spouse is playing video games while you're doing housework?


It is a tricky situation for me because in truth, I like to be the one who cleans everything. I like being in control and knowing exactly where everything is and have no problem with him playing his games. He works hard and he deserves time to unwind. MY particular problem comes from him actually playing the game, and me getting bored so I start cleaning, then out of my boredom I become super productive and get a ton of stuff done! Then I look over at him and seeing that he's still playing video games and doing absolutely nothing! And for some reason it makes me mad...even though I TOLD him to play video games!


Am I alone here?


I'm not going to mention it to him, no use in making him feel bad for no reason. Plus I should really be thanking him! When he's playing and I'm bored and need to find something to do, I really do end up getting a lot of shit done and organized. ^_~


THANX HUBBY! <3