31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-three}: take a wife-cation.

So, a lot of "tips" that I read online or in magazines about balancing work and home are focused on how different things are in our culture nowadays. How women basically are juggling both things; how women don't necessarily have to make their home their first priority. We are in a society that doesn't require women to be the keepers of the home any more. We are in a society, although it still has a ways to go, of equality.

Contrary to what is popular or typical in my generation, I begin each of these posts with the understanding that women are called, even commanded by the Bible, to be the keeper of their home. Now, most people in our culture would choke if they read that. It is not considered acceptable. But before I hear a chorus of "amens!," I want to say that I don't hold to the standard of many Christian subcultures, either, in believing that a woman's job is to stay in the home caring for her husband and children. I think that God does lay it on many women's hearts to stay at home. But I also believe He gifts calls many women for the workplace. And that is something to be celebrated as well! I would love to see both of those roles and choices lifted up and admired, instead of judged and put down by those who are staunch in their position.

So rather than hold to any adamant belief about WHERE a woman should be, I would rather focus on WHAT a woman is to be. The Bible is clear that a "wise woman builds her home, but a foolish one tears it down." To me, that is a clear instruction, and a clear choice. Build your home. Whatever your home looks like for you. Whatever building it looks like for you.

And so, with the presupposition that a woman is indeed told to build her home, regardless of her occupation, I would offer you this tip-

Take a wife-cation.

I have this terrible database at work that I always seem to be behind in. Everyone in the state thinks this system is a beast, it's not just me. But it's something that, if I don't put aside time to work on, will never get done. So I do this thing where I tell everyone I am on a SACWIS vacation. (That's the database!) Everyone knows that on my "vacation," I am available for emergencies only, and otherwise I am focusing on this one thing for the purpose of plowing through some serious amounts of work.

If possible- if your job allows- take a day off every now and then to do all those things that you want to do but feel like you never have time to do. That may be something different for everyone. For me, it would be deep cleaning. I like things scrubbed out and organized and wiped down. I also like to do prep work type things in the kitchen- freezer cooking, baking, making snacks for the week, etc. When I feel like my house is clean and our food is well stocked, I feel ready to take on the large task of balancing work and home. It's better to take a day that your husband won't be home, or your kids will be at school, or you don't have other commitments. Take this one day to FOCUS on your home. Just imagine if your daily work for your career could only get done in small increments, at night, while you were tired and wanted to relax. You would be pretty overwhelmed, and probably behind on your tasks! The same applies to homemaking. You need to take time to immerse yourself in it, without distraction, from time to time. Think of it as a "catch up" time. Treat yourself to something relaxing at the end of your wife-cation day! Get a pedicure, or sit and read at a coffee shop. I don't know about you, but I feel much more relaxed and happy when I am on top of my tasks.

What do you do to help you stay on top of your homemaking?