The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to and end...

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Apron Experiment


I love old pictures of 50's housewives.  The pictures show happy families with simple homes, children playing happily together, the husband looking pleased as punch with his surroundings, and the wife looking lovely in an apron.  Oh I know they are just pictures, but I do believe times were simpler back then, and there was a peace and joy that quite a lot of families are missing these days.  I don't think joyful looking women donning lovely aprons should be a thing of the past either. 

I was given my first pretty apron for Christmas about 4 years ago by my husband.  I had mentioned to him that I loved the aprons that were in our church kitchen, made by a lady at our church.  They were pretty and old-fashioned looking, and I adored them.  Well, my husband remembered that I had mentioned them and he had the lady at church make me one for Christmas.  I would wear my apron quite often, putting it on in the morning and usually keeping it on most of the day.  A funny thing happened when I would wear my pretty apron- I wasn't lazy!   Wearing an apron changed something in me, I wasn't happy to just sit around the house, I wanted to get up and do something, and I wouldn't do it grumpily- I would work happily.  That pretty apron made me into a hard-working housewife, I wasn't satisfied being idle.


Proverbs 31:27 say, "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

This verse is such a great reminder for us, isn't it?  God is the one who made the change in me, not the apron.  But the apron sure helped me remember that I could be a happy housewife, serving my family with joy, all the while wearing a lovely apron.  Since then I have begun a collection of vintage aprons, a few I've found myself on ebay, and the rest my mom has bought for me at an antique store.  They're all different and unique- different colors and different styles, and I love each one of them! 

I've begun an apron experiment, to wear an apron each day for a month.  For awhile I had stopped wearing them, I had put them all away in a drawer instead of hanging on a hook where I used to have them, and without seeing them hanging there I would easily forget about wearing one.  Just this last week I pulled out my aprons and began wearing them again, and again I noticed a change in how I worked around the house.
  
I've decided to do an apron experiment, to wear an apron for the next 30 days, would you like to join me?  It doesn't even have to be a pretty apron, any apron will do, so what do you say?  Let's put Proverbs 31:27 into action!

Simple Homemaking Link-up at Raising Arrows!                     

Titus 2sday Link-up at Time-Warp Wife!

10 comments:

  1. I really love this! =) I only have 1 apron that my sister-in-law got me, but now I think I shall search high and low for super cool aprons and wear one everyday. =) I loved it! Thanks for this post

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  2. I love this too! I have too frilly aprons and I don't wear them enough. I LOVE the verse too. It is God that creates the change, but I pretty apron doesn't hurt!

    http://www.ourgrowinggarden.com/

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  3. Just the name of your post called me over here to see what you had to say about the matter. I love how you felt more productive! I love my apron, but I do sometimes forget to wear it (and often forget to take it off when I do wear it!) I could have saved myself a lot of greasy shirts, if I had been consistent! Great post! Thanks for sharing! :)

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  4. Love this! I only have a couple of aprons but tend to forget about them when I need them the most.

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  5. I always wear an apron in the kitchen. My husband calls it my uniform and in a way it is :) I think I will make a knew one to wear everywhere in the house since I don't want to use my cooking apron for cleaning out the cat litter. HA

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  6. I love wearing aprons around the house, especially if my clothes don't have pockets.

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  7. Hi Julianne, Just saw, and loved your post. Hope you see my comment. I never (very rarely) leave my bedroom in the morning without first donning my apron. An apron is the housewives uniform. Just like any other profession that requires a distinctive uniform, an apron for the in home worker is a must. As I prefer wearing long dresses a full coverage "pinafore" style apron that is ankle length with a large bib is for me. And I might add, for my two daughters. Two styles I mostly wear are a "Edwardian" apron http://ncpreppers.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/edwardian-apron-copy.jpg and the "Praire" pinafore style. https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/188085368/full-plain-apron-made-to-measure-apron?ref=related-7 I even have a couple of both styles that have shoulder and hem ruffles for special occasions. Blessings, Grace.

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  8. I agree with you .I love wearing my aprons. It makes want to do my housework everyday..I love baking too My Husband loves me in apron..Being a housewife and mom is so fulfilling for me..I wish times were similar where a wife's only job was to look after her home and family. It's so hard to juggle working with the duties we woman have to do everyday..

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  9. As women we all have housework that needs to be done everyday I have worked outside the home and now I am a full time housewife. The first thing I do is put my apron on for doing my housework and preparing my families meals. My husband is always buying me new aprons and I always feel like I achieve more in the day when I'm in my apron of the day. My husband and I believe in old fashion values so wearing my apron reminds me of my place and role as a hard working housewife

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  10. Just an FYI I've recently found great vintage style aprons at Wal-Mart!

    Have to agree with you and some of the commenters. There is just something about wearing an apron that feels right and lends itself to accomplishing more and keeping me on task or in my lane.
    We also have old fashioned values that have contributed to a more traditional lifestyle.
    In reading how your apron helped you to not do things "grumpily' I remembered having a time where even with an apron I was being grumpy and just plain hard to live with for weeks. My husband had tried everything to cheer me up or do what he could to help me out of my funk unsuccessfully.
    One morning I'd been sarcastic and was told to stop it. He was more firm with me than usual. Then when he was leaving for work, I was in the garden and gave him a short probably emotionless 'Have a nice day.'

    My husband came walking out to the garden with purpose in his step, he took hold of the back of my jeans and planted four firm swats to the seat of my pants! (I had my apron on also.)He told me to lose my attitude by the time he returned home or tell him what was bothering me or he was seriously considering taking me to the woodshed. We kissed good bye and he went to work. We have a little bit of property but I immediately looked around to see if any neighbors were outside that would have seen. The coast was clear. Then I remember thinking, 'I just got spanked!'

    Well he had my attention and I had time to think about things which included would my husband actually take me to the proverbial woodshed so to speak. (We don't really have one but we do have a shed on our property.)

    Hubby returned home, we kissed and he went to change. I went into our bedroom, shut the door and then hugged him and let him know I was sorry for how I'd been for as long as I'd been. He asked what had been bothering me and I couldn't really put my finger on any one thing. Maybe feeling neglected or sorry for myself but I really had nothing to feel sorry about. I told him I allowed it to go on too long and apologized again. I also told him I thought the little spanking he'd given me got my attention and helped me to wake up to how I was behaving. And it did! He said next time he wouldn't allow it to go on as long as he did.

    I was going to go finish dinner but stopped, I had to ask him if he would have really taken me to the woodshed? Without hesitating he told me 'Absolutely.' I joked and told him we didn't actually have a woodshed. My husband assured me he didn't need a real one but he could have one built for me.
    Talk about old fashioned values!

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