Monday, October 31, 2011

How to be a Housewife


1. You might think that the first step to being a housewife is to get married. This is not true. The first step is to get out of debt. You cannot be unemployed on purpose if you owe people money. Follow whatever method that you want and get out of debt. If this task seems hopeless to you, check out a Dave Ramsey book from the library and use his simple tools to climb your way out.


2. Start saving one full income. I am assuming that you already have a job. If you have a domestic partnership, aim to live off of one income. Set the income you plan to lose aside in a "Don't Touch This" account. If you have to touch it, you are not ready to quit your job. If you do not have a partner, set aside as much as you can, keeping in mind that every dollar you save is one less dollar you will have to work for in the future.

This method does two things: First, it helps you visualize your life with less income. You will have less to spend and your budget will be tighter. Second, it helps you build up a back-up savings for your future, jobless self. A savings helps take the fear out of having only one income and prepares you for disaster, such as your partner losing a job or replacing a roof. Or in our case rebuilding a leaky basement.


3. Don't quit yet! Make life changes now. Get married and use your paid holiday time for your honeymoon. Get pregnant or adopt. Work for your current employer and let them pay you during this change and during your maternity or adoption leave. At this point, budget carefully to ensure you can continue to survive on one income. If not, it isn't time to quit. Make sure you will have health insurance from a source outside of your job (either private insurance or spouse/partner's insurance.)

4. Try out staying at home first. Ask your employer if you can take an extended holiday. Some employers will let you take months of unpaid leave, while holding your position for you while you are gone. Many people use this time for missionary work, continuing education, or extended vacations such as hiking the Appalachian Trail. Get 6 months off is possible.

During this break, you can try out being a housewife. You can start to set up your homemaking schedule (which I will post about next week) and see if this is really the life you want. Some people may stop at this point. Some folks don't flourish at home; they may feel isolated and lonely, they may feel that they lack the creativity to be in charge of their day, they may find that they waste the time they have doing unproductive things, their partners may become resentful or disrespectful, they may simply miss their old work environment.

5 If you find that you flourish during your time at home and your financial and insurance needs are being met, go ahead and quit! Turn in your notice and bask in your freedom.

Hi there!

I'm BACK! I went to work for a few years and now I am home again. That means you get to read all about my great life here on this blog!


Sunday, April 12, 2009

I am the easter bunny

I am the easter bunny.

This year, M asked for a Jungle in My Pocket (see letter and translation) , which we had seen once before at Target and she has become fixated on. I have been holding her off and anyway, "the Easter bunny will get it for you, I bet." (They are these tiny, cheap, cutesy animals with flocking on them to make them fuzzy and eventuallly grimy.)

So the Easter Bunny went to Target to get two very important things: the jungle in my pocket, and a bunny littlest pet shop for E. Ok. no bunny LPS! WTF? It is easter and I need a bunny! I even looked in the easter section where they had some LPSs but they were the inapplicable fish and octopus set. Again, WTF? when have octopusses ever represented spring? whatever, got a pony LPS instead. hopefully good enough.

On to the jungle. Easy! Last time I saw the Jungle in my pocket, there was ONE option. I don't know which one, just that there was one. in all of target, one. This time, there were five. frack. which one did she see? which one had she been fixated on? Which one had she cried about for an entire Saturday morning because E wanted to go hiking at Brown Farm, but M wanted to go to target to get this all important always on her mind toy? think think think, Easter Bunny. Think. ok. on said morning, when I pointed out that she had many small clay handmade animals, some of them being jungle animals she wailed, "but I don't have a _____________!!!!!!" a what a what????? ok. My response was "We could make one, we don't have clay and glaze, but we could make one out of sculpy." "You don't know how to make a rhii i i i nocerous!!" YES! GO MEMORY! THANK YOU!!! RHINOCEROUS!!! ok. so I got the pack with the rhinocerous and two other animals. please let this be the right one.



Out of courisoity, I later asked M which jungle she wanted and she looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "mom, there's only one." and would not elaborate. Then E went on to describe this jungle in my pocket wonderland that she had seen at her friend's house, which contained about 10 animals and a slide and playground for them. M said, "ooh. I want that one." great.

Anyway. It is 4:32. 3 hours til showtime. We shall see. hopefully if it isn't perfect, the chocolate can put them in a pleasure haze and they won't notice.

videos galore

More belly dancing videos available now at FlyingBosoms on YouTube. Get yours today!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

YAY! A new video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tb8vN0IZzg

here you go folks, a viddy from the latest belly dancing performance. This was at the new Stuart Room at the YMCA. This is a mix of bhangra, rajasthani, tribal style, and made up junk. "Like cheap champagne, the Flying Bosoms are fun and bubbly and a promise a good time." enjoy.

Friday, October 10, 2008

sewing machine

Everything is ok. Pences fixed it that monday and now it sews beautifully.

My regular sewing machine isn't working, but I don't know why. Whatever.

Friday, September 12, 2008

I am so not happy and very regretful.

ug. Ok, I am not as bad as the title sounds, but I just spent one and half hours driving EACH WAY to buy a very expensive serger (sewing machine). I was SO EXCITED. SO HAPPY!!! and then I put a huge chunk of stretchy fabric through it, bent a needle and broke a little metal part. within 20 minutes of turning it on. WHY WHY WHY did I play with it after tha long car ride with the kids? grrr.... I should have wited until tomorrow when I was fresh and calm and had read the manual. grr.....

meanwhile my pants still don't fit.


and then I went to the store to get new lipstick and forgot the nakme of the color and then got roped into uying a different color AND another tube of foundation. I also couldn't remember the # of foundation I use, so she sold me some 2, which apparently was made for vampires. I am not that pale in real life. Or maybe I *am* that pale, after I mangle a brand new expensive much needed machine.

I think I am going to go drink my bottle of lambic....

yes.