” To show the way to run one’s home without help, efficiently and happily too, has been the object of this book. But a guide can only point out the path. Of course there will be rough places on the way and setbacks. Days when the jelly won’t jell, the housework seems a meaningless grind, and even the visit to the shops nothing but a drag. Other times though, the sun will shine, everything will go like clockwork, and you’ll feel that nothing in the world can be half so satisfying as running your own home, the way you do. So don’t despair if at first everything doesn’t go exactly to plan. Practise makes perfect, and once you’ve grasped the general principles you’ll soon work out a routine to suit your personality and circumstances. As the mechanics of running a home become familiar, you’ll discover how much else there is to the job. Because you are always learning it will never get stale. The joy of creative work, exhausting though it can be, is that it enriches the personality. Running a home may seem unspectacular and ordinary, but making a success of it, so that the home is a happy one for all who live in it, is creative work to rank with the best.” From “How To Run Your Home Without Help” by Kay Smallshaw.
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
While I am sure the rather knowing young lady in the picture above would beg to differ, I have long believed that a little bit of naughtiness goes a long way to guaranteeing happiness. But it seems the Richter scale of happiness…
Sunday was lost to the efforts of enduring culinary and alcoholic excess following an evening of Greek dancing in the bosom of almost my entire family as we gathered to watched Uncle Kosta do his thing with a bauzouki. Much too much…
It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you declare your intention to be a milkman growing up, you will be packed off to naughty school faster than you can deliver a pint of semi-skimmed. Oh yes. Milkmen are naughty. Loose cannons with…
I kind of didn’t get her at first. I kept seeing her arriving at glitzy premieres and featured, bless her heart on the pages of Heat, and I just kept wondering, well my goodness what is that get up? What on earth…
HippyShopper Read it, read it, read it.. SMALLPOND Glasses from vintage teacups… The House of Simone. Oh, me likes… Decoradar Fabulous! Vintage in voyage – Kristen Andresen Other Things To Do At BrocanteHome Browse the Bookstore Discover a curated list of books…
Ooooh the dratted t’interweb. If it’s not one thing, it’s your Mother. Though I suspect it will turn out to be the long term love of my life, there are days when me and my lovely little home on the world wide…
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Why after 15 years, do I still feel the despair, the frustration of not being successful and feeling that everything is always undone or half-done? Ugh!
Happy to see you discovered the Persephone Books as mentioned in one of my previous comments. (www.persephonebooks.co.uk) They are so delightful – the best however is: One Fine Day by Molly Panter-Downes, who happens to be my great aunt!
This excerpt has me smiling. I agree whole-heartedly. I love home keeping, and those "meaningless grind" days really make me wonder if I'll ever get my mojo back. What a delight your website is!
I am printing this and putting it on the wall of the utility room to prod me on those meaningless grind days.(I have, in true Brocante style, added a pretty border etc) It's all so true. Homemaking can give such rich rewards of personal achievement. It can also make you feel a complete failure at everything! Mind you, I've only been at it for 30 years or so!
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Why after 15 years, do I still feel the despair, the frustration of not being successful and feeling that everything is always undone or half-done? Ugh!
Happy to see you discovered the Persephone Books as mentioned in one of my previous comments.
(www.persephonebooks.co.uk)
They are so delightful – the best however is: One Fine Day by Molly Panter-Downes, who happens to be my great aunt!
This excerpt has me smiling. I agree whole-heartedly. I love home keeping, and those "meaningless grind" days really make me wonder if I'll ever get my mojo back. What a delight your website is!
I am printing this and putting it on the wall of the utility room to prod me on those meaningless grind days.(I have, in true Brocante style, added a pretty border etc)
It's all so true. Homemaking can give such rich rewards of personal achievement. It can also make you feel a complete failure at everything!
Mind you, I've only been at it for 30 years or so!