My Story As A Nonperfectionist Housewife

Just Jana

I am a 21 year old brunette with a classy style, knack for organizing, love of reading, passion for music, joy for fellowship, and a desire to learn through everything. 

Well, I've only been a nonperfectionist for just a few years, and a housewife for about 2 and 1/2 months. 

"Perfection is my enemy." -Francesca Battistelli

Growing up, I've always been good at what I've done. I easily excelled in academics, became a passionate and naturally talented musician (flute and picciolo), took on numerous leadership positions, became involved in a variety of clubs and organizations, etc. Because of all those things, which are gracious blessings, my personality became one of perfectionism. Everything came easily and was completed well, therefore if something wasn't perfect, it wasn't up to my par or standards. 

A few years ago I realized that nonperfection does not mean failure. Since then, my outlook on life has been refreshed and updated. 

Besides, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the only perfect one. And we can strive for perfection, but after all is said and done we are still human.

Here Comes The Bride

On May 27, 2012 I was the most blessed girl in the world because I married my sweet husband, Brett Aplin. Brett and I met on a blind date in March 2011. We were engaged in August 2011. And now we are happily married, making me a housewife! 

We both enjoy staying active by exercising, walking, running, hiking, etc. We have fun playing games together, especially corn hole, darts, Racko or Carcassone (I recommend this to anyone who likes creative board games!). We both like to cook new tasty meals together, and eat delicious desserts of course. And we Love to travel! We spent 2 weeks traveling around Switzerland for our honeymoon, and plan to go back some day soon to do it all again!

I enjoy painting, organizing, cooking, holiday themed crafts, reading, traveling, exercising, playing flute and piccolo (and hope to one day teach myself oboe), spending time with my few close girlfriends, family time (usually involving food and games), and of course enjoying life with my husband. 

Why I Decided to Start My Blog

My husband has a blog about overcoming mediocrity. He strives daily to be greater than average, and desires to share his knowledge and experiences with other through his blog. As his wife, I'm the guinea pig for his blog ideas, and his accountability for his thoughts, struggles and goals. One day he asked me this: "What talent do you think is unique to you, something that only you have to offer the world?" 

Hmmm. That got me thinking. I was expecting the Lord to tell me about some grand talent and extreme blessing that I could offer everyone. Like going to work in an orphanage in Romania, or helping teen girls in poverty, or... Well, he humbled me and reminded me that He created me with simple ideas and craftiness that can benefit others. Whew! 

That led me to brainstorming about The 5 C's of A Nonperfectionist Housewife. Those are my gifts that I have to share. My day to day, little habits and things that excite me and spark my conversations.

I hope that my nonperfectionist housewife posts can be inspiring, encouraging and make a difference to you and your life!

The 5 C's of a Nonperfectionist Housewife

My husband has a deep passion to overcome mediocrity, because, as he likes to put it, "average sucks." We had so many conversations about how everyone has a special gift that is unique to them, something that they should share with the world. It was those kind of probing, introspective questions that I contemplated.
After much thought, I was led to this: the 5 C's of a Nonperfectionist Housewife. These are the 5 core components that I think each housewife should be able to constantly learn, mature and cultivate. And these are the principals that I will base my blog posts on.

1. Cooking
   I enjoy cooking healthy, natural meals that my husband and I enjoy, but doing it with a meal plan, grocery list (including coupons), and all on a budget. 
2. Cleaning
   I don't want someone to walk into my house and gasp at how awfully dirty it is, but I also don't want them to think that it is a museum that no one lives in. So, I believe in the happy medium that is clean, livable, and always ready to welcome guests! 
3. Crafting
   I enjoy doing holiday themed crafts, but also thrifty ones for home decor, storage, or decoration. You never know what kinds of items you were going to throw away that can be recycled, reused or altered to fit your needs!
4. Conditioning
   Conditioning is just a fancy word for exercise (it had to fit into my C theme, of course!). I believe that taking care of your body is a blessing that you will receive back ten-fold both today and in your later years. I'm not super hard core, but I do intense work outs that fit well into my life schedule. My girlfriends and I enjoy working out together and sharing exercise routine ideas, so be prepared for some new conditioning!
5. Conservation
    Couponing, recycling, reusing, buying goods that are on sale, using energy efficient electronics, cleaning with green cleaners, etc are what I consider as conservation. I think that those little things have a grand effect of conservation over time. The small role that we each play will combine with the efforts of others to produce a huge result of conservation. (Plus, I think it is contagious!)