Ponderings on Puttery Treats - One

I've been reading the charming e-book by Alison May (BroconteHome) called Scrumptious Treats For Vintage Housekeepers.*

One of the things she talks about is the subject of Puttery Treats.   I believe she first read about them in Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

I should say... neither woman writes from a Christian perspective and both tend to be rather New Agey and of more modern "values" than I prefer.

However, Alison's blog and Ban Breathnach's books Simple Abundance and Mrs. Sharp's Traditions are long time favorites (and I have found it easy to concentrate on decorating-homemaking stuff and overlook anything else).

Both remind me of another favorite author, Alexandra Stoddard, whose decorating advice I find brilliant but I skim over the more "spiritual" writing in her other books.

Puttery Treats are those things we do to make everyday chores a more charming part of our life (making them beautiful, or vintage, or comforting, etc.) and Puttery Treat Rewards are what we give ourselves when we finish our "To Do" list.

I am not sure why but I have been put down over the years for believing Christians of all people should care about living a life that is lovely... and that it can be done frugally.

It's the same reason I find myself drawn to a very liberal television network at times because they are airing an excellent documentary about homesteading or saving seeds or sustainable farming.

I mean... if anyone should be wonderfully creative, it should be we who believe we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" by He who Creates as opposed to say... slithering out of the primeval slime.

I know many of my friends... in person and online... also love the idea of making our everyday life a little more charming.  For instance, I find it easy to do this by choosing lovely scented dish soap and using a pretty red dish drainer for the multitudeness amount of dishes I do each day.

This year I planted nasturtiums in the garden, they have a perfect place to grow in the same raised bed as the pole beans.  When my husband asked why garden space was going to edible flowers, I told him because they would make our salads pretty. Fortunately, I was able to remind him our favorite Bed & Breakfast served nasturtiums on our breakfast plates and that made it all okay.

It's the same reason I cut inexpensive egg salad tea sandwiches into pretty triangles or serve leftover chili in a casserole with cornbread baked on top... it adds a little loveliness to frugality.

My daughter excels at Puttery Treats when we visit like having a new bar of lavender soap in the bathroom instead of a bar of Dial (she knows we both love nicely scented soap) and K-cups in a pretty basket for our morning coffee.

I don't know, what do you think?  It seems to me that making the everyday gotta do's something pretty or comforting results in a life lived a little lovelier than just going about our days with drudgery.

Tomorrow I'll ponder some Puttery Treat Rewards I've come up with for this summer hot summer.

*Thank you again for everyone who enters Amazon.com by clicking on an item in my Amazon widget on the sidebar.  Even during summer months when I don't earn very much, I've had enough to download some favorite music and an e-book or two like this one.  :)