10 Thing I've learned about home keeping from Martha Stewart
I am currently loving all things Martha Stewart! In this blog post i am going to share with you all that i have been learning from her, and my top 10 tips that she teaches about homemaking. 🧡
A few weeks ago i was trying to find something to watch on TV and i saw that Martha Stewart has her own TV channel! A whole channel where she teaches everything from baking and gardening, to making from scratch meals - totally my jam!
The other night i even fell asleep watching her lesson on how to make croissants. I am currently obsessed.
We made a trip to the library and i picked up her books ‘very good things’ and ‘Martha Stewart cakes’ which i will be ordering on Amazon. The cake book is actually filled with things i will make, which is rare from a cookbook. I only buy cookbooks when i know that i will make at least 5 of the recipes, otherwise i just know they will just sit and collect dust.
There is just something about Martha’s content that just makes me want to spend my day at home and do things around the house.
Martha has a way of making ordinary homemaking feel meaningful. Cleaning a room, arranging flowers, baking something from scratch, folding linens, preparing a beautiful meal—none of these things have to be extravagant. Just little touches that make a home feel comfortable.
What i have learned is, homemaking isn’t so much about having a perfect house with everything in place, it is about learning to care for the home that you have.
Here are 10 things i have learned about home keeping from Martha Stewart:
The little details matter.
The little details also make all the difference in a room. This is probably the most important lesson i have learned from Martha.
Fresh flowers on the kitchen counter or coffee table.
A properly made bed everyday.
Beautiful towels in the bathroom and kitchen.
A clean sink before going to bed - makes all the difference!
Sitting at a pretty dining table to eat meals.
I think this is something we sometimes forget. We wait for special occasions to make things beautiful when we could be creating little moments of beauty every day.
Cleaning is easier when you stay ahead of it.
I just wrote an entire blog post about this, that you can read here. It is so true that a well kept home is usually the result of small tasks being done consistently instead of letting things pile up and then spending all day cleaning.
Wiping down the kitchen after cooking.
Cleaning the bathroom before it becomes overwhelming.
Putting things away instead of allowing them to accumulate.
Changing the sheets regularly.
Dusting before the dust becomes obvious.
Home keeping is really just about maintenance. Don’t think of cleaning as a chore but rather, a rhythm that keeps your home running smoothly.
Learn how to do things properly.
You know what they say, if you don’t do something properly the first time, you will waste your precious time doing it again.
Learn how to clean different surfaces.
Learn how to store food.
Learn how to arrange flowers.
Learn how to cook a few really good meals.
Learn how to remove a stain.
Learn how to organize your pantry.
If you get really good at doing the basics, your life will be filled with more joy instead of frustration.
Cooking from scratch is about more than food.
There is a completely different feeling that comes from making a loaf of bread, preparing a beautiful soup, roasting vegetables, or baking something for your family.
It doesn't have to be complicated.
Sourdough in my car!
Sometimes the most beautiful meals are incredibly simple.
A good loaf of bread.
A bowl of seasonal fruit.
A roast chicken.
A simple salad.
A homemade dessert.
Cooking from scratch isn't about proving how much work you can do. It's about creating nourishment and making your home feel lived in.
Not only is it better for your health, cooking from scratch will make you feel so good and accomplished. Like i said above, you don’t have to make everything, just learn a few recipes and do them really well. I am currently well known for my sourdough loaves! It is rare that i don’t have one in my car that i am delivering to someone!
My favorite from scratch meal, when i have the time, is chicken and waffles (below). It does take around two hours to make but, the taste is so worth it. My children have requested this for their birthday meals for the next 5 years!
Your home doesn’t have to be expensive to be beautiful.
You may be reading this and thinking your home is too small, or you just don’t love the home you live in right now. But home keeping is really about appreciating and taking care of what you have right now.
Remember, when we appreciate what we already have, we receive more things to appreciate. I can promise you that if you take care of the home you are in right now and make lists of all of it’s good qualities, the next right home will present itself to you. This may seem a little woo woo, but what do you have to lose?
Applying these tips to your current home will also help because:
A clean home just feels better.
Having good organization will make a small home feel bigger.
A made bed will make the room feel calmer.
You really don’t have to renovate or redecorate, just a few simple tweaks will make all the difference as Martha teaches.
Seasonal living makes every home feel more alive.
Ok, so this is something i swear by and Martha is so good at, embracing the seasons.
Instead of treating our homes exactly the same way all year, we can allow them to change with the seasons.
In spring, maybe that means bringing in branches and fresh flowers.
In summer, opening the windows and spending more time outdoors.
In autumn, cooking comforting meals, baking, and bringing warmer textures into the home.
In winter, lighting candles, making soups, and creating a cozy environment.
It really isn’t so much about the decor, it is more being in flow with the energy of each season.
There is nothing wrong with having standards.
Sometimes when i have friends over i feel a little guilty if everything is tidy and in place, it makes me feel a little disconnected from them. I will admit, i do have high standards for my home. This doesn’t mean i just other peoples homes, i just like to live a certain way.
Your environment affects you more than you know. I spent years as a Feng Shui consultant and i can tell you this: The state of your home is often a reflection of the state of your mind and life. It is a mirror to what is happening internally.
So don’t feel guilty if:
You want your home to be clean because you feel better in a clean space.
You care about how your table looks.
You enjoy beautiful linens and kitchen accessories - like me!
You want your kitchen organized.
You take pride in making your home welcoming.
Always remember that the way you treat yourself and your home is the way the world will treat you. Set the standard.
Flowers are one of the easiest ways to bring beauty home.
If you couldn’t tell, i am obsessed with flowers. This year i rented a garden plot on a local farm to grow my own cut flowers just so that i could have beautiful flowers in my home all summer. I was that dedicated!
Flowers in the home symbolize growth and abundance and Martha has definitely reinforced my belief that flowers belong in the home.
I love the idea of bringing something living into the home whenever possible.
And if you have a garden, this becomes even more special because the flowers you're bringing inside are connected to something you've actually grown and cared for.
There is something very satisfying about walking outside, cutting a few flowers, and bringing them back into the kitchen.
Organization is a form of self care.
A beautifully organized home isn't just aesthetically pleasing.
It makes life easier.
When everything has a place, you spend less time looking for things.
When your kitchen is organized, cooking becomes easier.
When your closet is edited, getting dressed becomes simpler.
When your pantry is functional, grocery shopping becomes less chaotic.
When your cleaning supplies are organized, cleaning doesn't feel like such an ordeal.
After binge watching Martha and reading her books, i have realized that having an organized home is really about creating systems that support my life and give me more time doing the things that make me happy.
Home keeping is actually just about creating a life that you are obsessed with.
At its best, homemaking isn't about constantly cleaning, organizing, cooking, and maintaining a house. It is about so much more.
It's about creating an environment where you actually enjoy living your life.
It's the homemade bread cooling on the counter.
It's flowers in the kitchen.
It's a clean bedroom at the end of a long day.
It's dinner around the table.
It's a garden you can step into in the morning.
It's having beautiful things that you actually use.
It's making an ordinary Wednesday feel a little more special.
And I think that's what I've come to appreciate most about Martha Stewart. She made an entire brand around paying attention to the details in our lives.
Paying attention to the food we eat.
The way we care for our homes.
The things we surround ourselves with.
The seasons.
The details.
The rituals.
And i really believe that's the real secret to good home keeping.
My New Home keeping Philosophy
After spending so much time reading and watching Martha Stewart lately, I've found myself wanting to bring some of that energy into my own home, but in a way that feels realistic for my life.
I don't want my home to look like a magazine every minute of the day.
I want it to feel well-loved, well-kept, comfortable, beautiful, and lived in.
I want to cook from scratch when I can.
I want fresh flowers on the counter.
I want clean sheets.
I want an organized kitchen.
I want to learn the old-fashioned skills that make homemaking easier.
And I want to enjoy the process instead of treating every household task like something I need to rush through.
Maybe that's what Martha has really reminded me of.
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