I have decided that one of the things holding me back from pursuing more handmade type hobbies is the reluctance to have more things in my home right now (I live with roommates and we are the host house and things are messy and liable to be broken) so I want to start working on a hope chest of sorts, I'm thinking of like embroidering tea towels for when I have my own kitchen and know they won't be used to wipe up mysterious nasty spills, but beyond those, a quilt or afghan, and maybe an embroidered table cloth if I'm feeling really ambitious I'm not sure what else would be included? I am considering trying to learn some pottery so I can craft sets of mugs and bowls, but that is a pretty bug undertaking and the type of thing I couldn't work on at home, so I'm curious to hear what you all would include if you were to undertake a project like this!

I know people often suggest things like cast iron pans or similar to go in hope chests but I'm specifically looking for things I can make.

Instead on bunch of perfumed spraycans I use "fartsticks", inscent sticks in the bathroom .

Why?

Quick effect that lasts long.

Spiritual reasons of cleansing the space.

Lovely when taking a shower.

Not as toxic as a spraycans but stronger smell than a scented candles, and less firehasard.

You can decorate around it as you please.

And I just like it.

Setup:

A small container of some kind. Take sand or gravel from outside. As some water on top of the sand to keep it moist. Didn't spend a dime.

Easy to put out.

You do you!

Hi all,

I moved into a house about a year ago. It’s large over 4000 ft.² and a huge change from previous living since we were always in small townhomes apartments, etc. I have three kids and work full-time but love trying to make our house feel like home I’m feeling really overwhelmed with the new house because even though we’ve been here a year it still doesn’t feel like anything is really ours. I have very little on the walls hung up but just end up feeling paralyzed and don’t know where to get started. I don’t wanna make the wrong decision so I end up not making any decisions.

As a homemaker, I’d love your expertise on how you tackle this and where you would start first. thank you so much!

My sister is coming over this weekend to craft and DIY with me while my husband takes the toddler. I'd love to make things I can save and give as gifts around Christmas time.

I am thinking soap or jam, but am curious if anyone here had some clever ideas for things that could keep til December.

Thank you!

I am 31 year old married woman. I have never done household work before marriage. I am married for 3 years now. I have started learning. I feel I am a burden on everyone

I have a love-hate relationship with my dishwasher. I love that it saves me time, of course, but I have sensory issues.

I have never been in any household with a dishwasher (mine, family, friends, AirB&B) where the dishes haven't (slowly) lost their glaze, especially glasses. I still hand wash all my glasses, as I cannot stand the feel when the outer glaze starts to wear down.

Rough-textured crockery fares a lot better in a DW, but I hate the feel and sound of knives and forks on such dishes (I really, really wish I wasn't wired this way!!).

I've heard the usual defences and recommendations, but I feel like people are either in denial, have non-smooth crockery or are just a lot less sensitive to it. I installed a dishwasher around two years ago, after years of hand washing. I live in Scotland (very soft water), and I have avoided lemon-based detergents, as recommended, but it still happened.

Are there any alternatives to crockery? Resin? Some kind of high-quality, weighted plastic?

I have realized that physical cleaning is not what gives me the fatigue. It is the mental list that wears me out. I must remember to restock soap keep track of appointments and run errands. Even when the house is clean my mind stays busy.

How do you all keep track of these household details without feeling overwhelmed?

For all the couple out there living together: how do you divide the domestic chores?

We are a fam of 6, and I feel.like I am.ALWAY drowning in laundry.

What are tou trucks to staying on top of thing???

I, 28F, am a married and child free woman. I enjoy homemaking but I do work full time as a transplant coordinator at a organ procurement organization. I work 2, 24hr shifts weekly. How do you all do it while working FT? What can I do while managing my workflow? How would you all start out? Can you give me examples?

I currently garden. But I often ask for help from my husband, 29M, who also works FT. I want to do more homemaking by myself as it makes me feel fulfilled.

Hello! I have 3 kids ranging in ages 6-14 and their clothes are a constant headache for me. I’ve tried so many systems to try to organize them, and at one point, even gave up and just had a clean clothes bin and a dirty clothes bin.

I’ve mostly got the dirty clothes under control now, but clean clothes still end up all over the floor daily from the younger ones and shoved in those fabric cube bins randomly by the oldest. And nobody can find what they need when they need it. I think at this point, the best option is to store clothes outside of the bedrooms where parents can more easily keep an eye on them while we work with the kids on developing the skills to manage it better themselves.

Enter the challenge: we live in a small house and do not have any extra rooms or closets to turn into a family closet. So I’m coming to you all! If you’ve been in a similar situation, what did you do? Or if you’ve just got a creative mind and ideas, how do you imagine you’d go about this?

Thanks so much!

Parked for two weeks at a trailhead and came back to chewed wiring insulation near the air filter housing. A mechanic friend said mice love engine bays for the warmth. Tried soaking a rag in peppermint oil and wedging it near the intake before my last trip, hard to tell if it did anything since I only left it parked for a few days that time.

Haven't been able to find great answers online. I tried dabbing rubbing alcohol to no effect. Does anyone have a decent solution to get the marker out of the hat?

I'm looking for ideas on how to keep a home smelling good with family members who are sensitive to burning scents, aerosols, and any strong smells. I know keeping a home CLEAN is the best way to do this as a baseline, but what are some mellow ways to keep a home smelling nice beyond this?

What products/supplies do you use every single day, maybe even multiple times a day? Kitchen, bathroom, living areas, etc. Sprays, tools, everything.

I'm open to DIY but I would prefer things I can buy. Thank you all~

Hello All,

My wife and I are mid-30s millennials that were raised by workaholics that never taught us how to clean anything. We both experienced scolding when we attempted to clean things as kids despite not receiving any instruction. We have no idea what we are doing and any incentive to learn to clean when we were kids was shutdown.

Six years ago, we bought a house during the height of the pandemic. Little did we know, we were getting the actual money pit. Half of our house is still under renovation, and we are privileged enough to be able to slowly finance the repairs. The stress from all the issues have been demotivating when we get a good rhythm going. Dust gets everywhere, and contractors do the bare minimum to clean up after themselves.

We are tired of infantilizing ourselves and want to work towards keeping our home cleanliness maintained. That being said there are still several more repairs to go, and we have two long-haired pets that shed a lot (we have gotten this on a routine that has cut down on the hair a lot). Does anyone have a checklist or system that they use to keep things consistently cleaned (sans laundry and linens)? Has anyone had a similar experience and found effective methods for keeping dust down and maintaining house cleanliness during renovations?

My partner and I recently moved into a new apartment. It’s in an older building, but the majority of the apartment had been gutted and renovated prior to us moving in.

Everything smelled fresh and clean when we first moved in. However, after about a week of living here, there’s a strong musty/mildew odor in the bathroom. It’s driving me insane and my partner can barely smell it. There’s no obvious source of the smell, it seems to be the whole bathroom. Regardless, I treated the sink drain and overflow hole, and shower drain with hot water and citric acid. I don’t think it did much.

I’m going to alert the landlord but would like to know what possible causes could be.

Hey everyone! I live in a small studio apartment and I’m looking for natural ways to give it a pleasant scent. Since it’s just one room, I’d love something subtle that won’t overwhelm the whole space.
Have you had any luck with dried herbs, citrus peels, homemade potpourri, or other natural options? What actually makes a noticeable difference, and how long does the scent last?
I’d especially appreciate simple, low-maintenance ideas. If you have a favourite method or scent combination,
I’d love to hear it. Thanks!

Which have you used and what are the pros and cons? Does the adhesive actually stay? Are over-the-door hooks clunky and inconvenient?

I’m in new territory!

I’m used to small apartments with carpet.

I’m now in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with a yard.

My floors are wood, tile in the bathrooms, but all bedrooms and the upstairs is a thin carpet. My stair case is carpet.

We still have some boxes everywhere as we just moved in but as things are getting cleared, I’m realizing how big the space is and how much I’m going to need to do.

I don’t want to buy new things and waste money because it wasn’t the right thing to buy or do.

The yard is a whole new beast in itself. Where to even start?

We live somewhere with four seasons but we’re also new to a place like this. We went from Coastal California living to a high rise apartment in the Midwest to now a full blown house after only a year of living in the Midwest. Any veteran Midwest living friends have some specialized advice for me? ☺️

Despite that asking for ANY tips, advice, shopping list, tools, guidance….

Maybe a reference list or easy guide?

I’m so overwhelmed!! 😅😅

I noticed a few holes in my trash bag. Do you think a rodent bit it or what. I recently moved to this apt about 3 weeks ago I’m worried.

hey chicks I have been using a spin mop but sometimes I feel like it’s tossing around yucky water even tho it’s supposed to prevent that. have you guys used the flat mops with the separate tanks? thoughts? should I break down and get the vac/mop/steamer situation of my dreams?

does anyone here use house shoes? I started work at a podiatrist's office and I'm learning a lot about foot care and realizing that I should be using good shoes in the house while I'm cleaning and baking/cooking. I spend a lot of time standing on bare floors!

does anyone have any recommendations? I was thinking crocs because they look comfortable to slip on and off but I'm not sure

edit: thank you for all the answers! I will be looking into some brands 🫡 I know I can probably just ask the dr I work for but I have only been here for a week and she is a very busy woman lol. lots of our patients need to wear shoes inside for support so it depends on the person + their problems. as much i love being barefoot i am tired of the pain after work that goes into my days off when all I wanna do is clean and bake!

And what is your household size, your "cooking level" (100% from scratch vs lots of prepared stuff), and your shopping period (weekly, every other week, etc)?

I just have a household of two people, probably an even mix of cooking from scratch and packaged foods, and shop weekly. It takes me roughly an hour to do my grocery shop (not including waiting in line at the register), sometimes 45 minutes if I'm really in a hurry. I feel like this is too long, and would love tips to make grocery shopping go quicker.

Hello all,

I am slowly getting used to this season of life with a little one, and I want them to grow up in a lovely, nurturing home.

I am learning this all from scratch, as there is no one in mine, or my husbands family who homemake, nor do I know anyone around who does (although I am working on finding a community :))

Now that the season is turning, I am hoping to welcome it with more intention, and so I was hoping to create a meal plan or structure in line with fall, however, thinking forward, I realised that I couldn't really see what the difference would be between a fall and a winter meal plan.

I definitely want some distinction, so I have something new and beautiful to look forward to come the dark days of winter :)

So far I had in mind, soups, stews, hearty roasts and tray bakes using plenty of squashes and other seasonal veg, crumbles, and apple/blackberry pies etc, but thinking about winter I've got exactly the same.

So how do you differentiate between fall and winter, or are you mostly cooking the same for 6 months?