Housewife, 49

That's my nickname. My friend started it. For the record, I'm not 49 (not even 39) and look absolutely nothing like Victoria Wood in the TV dramatisation. 

She found it amusing that I'm a list-maker, planning meals for the week and shopping accordingly; that I cook from scratch and in batches; that I make stock from bones; that I hang the washing out on the line rather than opting for the dryer. These things are not bound up in the 1940s by any means (although I'll admit to a penchant for baking whilst listening to Glenn Miller). Oh, and The Wartime Kitchen and Garden features high on my DVD wish list.

I've never really subscribed to the whole Cath Kidston chintzy '50s housewife thing. To me, housekeeping isn't a cutesy little hobby. It's a necessity. I remember my mum saving the greaseproof wrappers from loaves of bread (prior to polythene taking over) to line cake tins with. And knitting and sewing things when it was actually cheaper to do so. The fact is, there's a lot of satisfaction to be gained from resourcefulness. Making compost and using up leftovers leaves me feeling quite pleased with myself.

I have my own set of rules. One of those is Making the Bed. I absolutely cannot leave the bed unmade. It has to be done very precisely with the covers turned back to air. Climbing into an unmade bed at the end of the day would seem so... studenty. Am I prissy?

Anyway, here's my list of favourite (and least favourite) household tasks:

Happily get on with it: 

Hanging out the washing

Planning menus

Making lists

Tidying and organising

Ironing (if the radio's on)

Grin and bear it:

Dusting

Hoovering

Cleaning the bathroom

Avoid if at all possible:

Cleaning the car

I suspect 'pottering' doesn't really come under the umbrella of 'household tasks', but if it did it would be top of my favourites list.

Feel free to let me know yours...