Classic Routines: Homemaking Saturday

I love Saturdays at home. This week was rather busy and I got out of my regular homemaking routine. Saturday was the perfect spring day to throw open windows, wash towels and sheets and get to work on re-establishing a homemaking routine. In so many classic books that I read, Saturday mornings are devoted to chores and then the afternoon is free for leisure. I know this doesn't work for everyone, but for me, I relax so much more when I know that the chores are done and the house is in order. It was warm enough for a cotton skirt and ballet flats, so I popped on my apron and set to work. Join me as I share my homemaking Saturday with you.

First step was to clear out the dirty table cloths and set the table with freshly cut daffodils and an embroidered table runner. This sweet one was a gift from my in-laws when they visited Paraguay. Paraguayan embroidery is some of the best in the world. A fresh table sets the scene for kitchen cleaning. After this, I started on my baking drawer. I keep all the ingredients and things I need for baking in a deep bottom drawer. This often gets dirty with flour, crumbs and other bits and pieces so everything came out, was vacuumed up and then wiped down with a damp cloth. It all looks so much neater now. 

My daughter wanted to bake so she made these Choc-Banana muffins. She also did a wonderful job cleaning up the kitchen when she was done. I love it when the kids want to be involved like this and now that they are all old enough to help, it's not like baking when they were little and the mess was enormous at the end of it!! These muffins were light and fluffy - she really did a great job following the recipe and mixing everything together on her own. While she did this, I threw the ingredients for a savoury, rustic loaf into the bread maker. All hands on deck for homemaking Saturday! 

All this flour-y work meant that the floors were dusty, so a quick sweep took care of that. The sun kept disappearing behind the clouds but the air was still and not too cold. Further on in the kitchen, I ground some coffee using this manual grinder. I always find this job such a pleasure, with the meditative, mindless work mingling with the blissful aroma of freshly ground coffee. I can do it with the radio playing, but I really enjoy listening to podcasts whilst I work. I then wiped the benches down, including my sweet little copper moulds that live above my stove. They can get quite greasy from cooking oils, so need a regular polish to look their best. 

 After lunch I made a cup of tea and headed outside. The tablecloths were drying nicely on the line. The chickens were let out for a scratch. The neighbours' cat is often left to wander and comes into our yard, so we cannot let them out all of the time. They are always happy for a scratch and some green grass. 

It's amazing to see so much grass at the end of winter! Usually the frost has killed it all off, but this winter, although cold and damp, has not been particularly frosty. After the chickens had their run I headed back into the kitchen. I had seen this recipe here and wanted to give it to try. I was out of thyme but added a little lemon thyme instead. I was curious to see how the herbs would go in an otherwise sweet dish. 

The beautiful spring weather definitely contributed to my homemaking on this day. It wasn't a deep "spring clean" per se, just a general Saturday homemaking routine. What needed cleaning got a clean and what I felt like doing, I did. Often it's all about balance and priority and making sure we have enough energy at the end of the day to enjoy ourselves. Knowing that we have something nice to look forward to makes the chores all the more easier to accomplish. A little treat, if you will. Whether it be a walk in the afternoon sunlight, a cup of tea and a book, or playing with the children, Saturday afternoons are made for leisure time. I enjoyed that delicious blueberry tart with vanilla yoghurt, my feet up and an English Home magazine in hand. It's so important to schedule leisure time and by sticking to a routine, we can ensure that our homemaking doesn't fall too far behind - because when it does, it can be really hard to come back from! This day, I felt so pleased and relaxed by the end of it, but looking back I was actually quite productive! A good kind of tired for a Saturday evening. 

Thank you so much for sharing this classic, Saturday routine with me. I hope it inspired you to find some routine for your Saturdays (or any day really), so that there is time for enjoyment and relaxation.