When I think of wearing an apron, I think about cute little 1950s housewives, or a chef in a kitchen preparing an elaborate entrée. Perhaps a barista slinging coffee and milk foam around as they prepare your lattes and cappuccinos. Maybe the neighborhood football dad, standing in front of a barbeque, grilling steaks, burgers, and hot dogs. Wearing an apron in the home just seemed silly to me, overkill for baking bread, preparing dinners, and cleaning floors. Getting an apron completely changed my homemaking for the better, and I can’t go back to my pre-apron life!
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A simple apron can be so helpful.
A linen apron? Seriously, Raven? Yes! I know, it seems silly, but my apron transformed my life! The main reason that I thought about having an apron was because I’m clumsy as all get-out and was sick of changing my clothes three times a day. In addition to that, I had developed a habit of watching Japanese homemakers on Youtube and loved their little aprons. I’m weak to peer pressure, I wanted a cute apron too!
After getting one, however, I was stunned to see that this little piece of fabric was far more powerful than I thought it could be. Yes, the apron does it job of keeping my clothes clean, and is awesome and keeping oil spots at bay while I’m cooking. It has also done a fabulous job at preventing the little “tummy holes” that you can often get on your shirts. Some people say they are caused by belt buckles, others say it is the button of your jeans, or there are those who blame it on a combination of the two when you rub against a countertop while cooking or cleaning. After donning the apron, I’m in the third camp.
It can work wonders on your mental health. No, seriously.
However, the change with the apron went farther than the physical benefit, it changed me mentally as well. It’s no secret that the isolation of homemaking can mess with your physique, but even working from home can cause that.
My issues didn’t start with being a homemaker, but instead of being a mother. Motherhood is hard and tiring, and the last thing you want to do in the morning is get dressed in proper clothes when athleisure is so much more comfortable. And that can be great, don’t get me wrong, but in my case, I found it to be a hinderance.
When I worked out of the home, I handled my job easily. I woke up early, I got to the place of business in a timely manner, I handled my shifts, I clocked out on time and went home feeling fulfilled.
It wasn’t until years later when I decided to try the Fly Lady Cleaning Routine, and I followed her “dress to shoes” rule, that it really clicked in my head. I needed a uniform. Those yoga pants were super comfortable, but they weren’t doing me any favors for my mental health or productivity.
When I started “dressing to shoes”, I found my clothes soiled quickly during my routines, and playing “dress up” has never been my favorite. I want to get dressed in the morning and not think about what I’m wearing again until it’s time for the loving embrace of my bed. I pulled out my old apron from my barista days and wore that around for a while. It did wonders for my clothing, but nothing for me. Even after a billion washes, it still reeks of stale coffee beans and mocha syrup, and I couldn’t help but flash back to the coffee shop. I started having nightmares of Triple Venti White Mochas with added vanilla and caramel syrup, and no whip and extra foam and caramel drizzles made extra extra hot with eggnog! I decided to replace my old work apron with a linen pinafore design.
Linen seems so thin, how can it be so poweful?
I actually was worried when I got it in the mail. The fabric was so thin compared to my more industrial kitchen apron that I wore while working at Starbucks. I put it on and couldn’t help but laugh and how delicate and flowy it was. I felt like a cottagecore princess. I was certain that I would manage to ruin it, or find myself smelling of stale coffee beans again in a day, but I never turned back.
My little linen pinafore apron is now my best friend. It’s incredibly comfortable to wear, comes in lovely muted colors, and is as modest and simple as can be. There is something about that simplicity that makes me love and respect it even more.
I’m a little extra, but you could keep it simple.
My apron is my uniform. I have multiples in various colors, color coded for the zones of my home. I love how putting them on helps to shift my brain into work mode for the job I am doing. I always know that when I am wearing my teal apron that it is time for cooking or baking. My purple apron is for working in the kitchen, cleaning or doing dishes, organizing my pantry, meal planning, sorting out the mess my children left of the refrigerator. I know that my green apron means that it’s time to garden. Let’s do a good check on the houseplants, make sure the indoor herb garden is trimmed and under control. Let’s go out and see if there are pests to deter or produce to harvest.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit, color coding my aprons is a little extra. You could totally be like one of the adorable Japanese housewives I watch on Youtube and wear the single color for the day. Color coding helps my brain, it doesn’t have to help yours. It’s not the color, it’s the apron. The apron is what holds all the power to changing the way you do your housework. The apron is the uniform that helps align your brain to it’s maximum productivity.
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