Homemaking During a Pandemic?!

Hi.

We are now almost a year into this pandemic, and there is not a whole lot of "homemaking" going on here. You'd think it would be quite the opposite...with no plans, and nowhere to go, we should have all the time in the world to do ALL THE THINGS we have ever planned to do around the house.

The cherry tree that needs to constantly be sprayed because it always attracts fruit flies and other weird bugs, the apple tree that needs to be shaded and watered regularly, but not too much, the plum tree that needs to be trimmed, the avocados that need to be picked...and that's just a little bit of my to-do list outside.

We have basically been living in survival mode since last March. I mean, I'm really glad we "survived", and we've been able to have a bit of fun at the same time...but after a whole year of pandemic anxiety (did we take enough vitamins today? Did the kid wash their hands? Did the husband sanitize properly at work? Are we going to unknowingly get family sick? Did we stay out too long? Someone coughed...do they have Covid, or are they just choking?) we are DONE. We are actually beyond done. My 6 year old cried and asked me just a few days ago if we're allowed to have fun yet.

It's time to take control. This year, unlike last year, we KNOW what we're facing. We know all of our plans are fluid. There should be less disappointment knowing things can change for us daily. 

Today I'll be printing out schedules for the kids and myself. We might even put on the Matilda Broadway Musical soundtrack and see if we remember our dances (my kids and I were going to be performing in a Matilda play that got canceled due to the pandemic).

However you are "homemaking" today, I hope you see a little light at the end of the tunnel!

Hello Mornings, Goodbye Stress

I don’t like mornings, or challenges.

So, I got this brilliant idea to sign up for Hello Mornings.

And you know what? It is great. I love it. Not the mornings part, of course, but since I have to be up in the morning anyway, I might as well figure out how to make use of my time, right?

I have been reading the bible more consistently, reading my bible study book This Girl’s Still Got It, and praying over my husband and my children. You can click here and scroll down to "Downloadable Resources" for a prayer calendar.

It is a great feeling, knowing that you are praying for your loved ones consistently.

Even if I don’t get to the dishes, or even get dressed, before the kids get up, just those few things I am able to do seem to help me be ready for the day by the time my kids get up. Prayer is truly amazing.

I was introduced to Laine's Letters a few years ago, and have only recently been appreciating her words. She has taken the verse referenced in the picture to be her "Life Verse" in a way. The "food" she provides to her children before sunrise is spiritual food. Prayer. She prepares the day for her family, with help from the Lord. Amazing. You will also find, if you read her letters, that she utilizes modern appliances as her "maidservants" and gets all those going first thing in the morning. What a novel idea. Dishwasher, laundry, crockpot...

If you aren’t already, I encourage you to try to put in place a morning routine. Just make a list of a few things you’d like to do (examples: read the bible, pray, exercise, plan your day, meal prep). Try to limit your list, for those days where your kids are up with you (it happens here very often) or come up with an alternate plan.

I don’t aim very high for my morning goals J If I can read a few bible verses and pray using these calendars, I’m good. If I am able to do more, even better!

We have a playroom, so lately I’ve been taking my bible, by binder, and my Kindle into the playroom, along with my 6-month-old daughter and 3-year-old niece. They play, and I read and pray.

As I’m reading, I have also been writing out scripture cards to place around the house. I could really use some God-encouragement during the hectic days!

Do you have a morning plan? What are your tips for meeting your morning goals?

Ten Day Challenge-Simplify Day 1

I was searching fo a picture, and came across this post. She sounds like me!

If you do not own Organized Simplicity, I highly recommend it. You can purchase it here. You can still do this challenge without it, but there are some great words in the book. It truly is inspiring!

To quickly summarize the first 8 chapters of the book (because I am already behind :) ) here you go:

Stuff weighs you down. It is a time waster. A money waster. An object of many sleepless nights, for some.

Once you eliminate all the extra "stuff" you have in your home, you will be able to make better use of your time and resources.

The first step to determining what to eliminate is to figure out a family purpose statement. I have read this book about 3 times (not the challenge part, just the first portion) and still have not come up with a purpose statement.

I have some ideas of what I would like, but putting it into words is hard. We'll save that for next month.

I do know what my ideals are. I want a simple home. I would like to be able to invite people over, without stressing out about finding a home for all this stuff I have around the house. I would like to be able to go to the park with my kids, and actually enjoy it, because I am not worried about the home I should be cleaning.

I would love to not worry about finding homes for so many miscellaneous items that we really do not need. I would love to pass up great sales, because I know that that particular item has no place in my home.

You can follow my Organized Home Pinterest board for some inspiration.

Day 1 of the Challenge:

Per the book, you have 5 receptacles. Give, Sell, Maybe, Garbage, Recycle. I am using 3. Give, Garbage, and Recycle.

Tsh advises you to create a garage sale box, and start preparing for a garage sale. That does not work around here. The kids (ok, and I) tend to look through "garage sale" boxes again, just in case there is something we want to keep. And there always is. So, we're boxing things up, taping the boxes, and donating them. Feel free to do whichever would work best for you.

Go through your whole house, getting rid of every item you know has no business there. If you pick something up and think about it for more than 5 seconds, toss it in your "maybe" box and move on to the next item.

Today, you are dealing with the items that basically take no thought. They are visible as soon as you enter a room. Garbage, junk mail, coins scattered throughout, figurines you have on your mantle that are just not that beautiful to you anymore. Do you have a half finished project that has been sitting around for a year? Unless you are positive you are going to finish it, just toss it out today.

I have lots of baby items sitting around my house that my 5 month old has outgrown. Those, I will be selling. If you can, carry your phone around, take pictures of the bigger items you want to sell, and post them on Craigslist or another type of classified in your area. Try doing that by the end of the day.

Just a side note, keep your family members in mind. Don't throw their stuff away, unless you have seriously reached your limit! If they are old enough, give them the tasks, and have them help you go around the house. My 4 year old is helping me. He isn't emotionally tied to much right now. I should learn a thing or two from him!

At the end of the day, take your trash and recycle boxes to the bins outside, and tape up your other boxes. Done!

Ready? Go!

Since it's Friday, you can extend this task a few more days. Monday we'll start on the Living Room.

Simplify Your To-Do List Part 2

How'd your priorities list go? Were you able to completely eliminate anything?

Were you able to completely eliminate anything, and not feel guilty about it?

I did eliminate, and I do feel guilty. I can't help but feel guilty about all that I plan not to do. Am I really going to not craft with my kids? Keep my son from the Awana experience this year? Meal plan instead of experimenting in the kitchen? Not attend every possible playdate?

Yes. Yes I am.

Because if I eliminate all of that, there is so much more that I can be doing. I can stop cleaning and organizing an office/craft room that we never use. I can get rid of boxes of miscellaneous craft boxes. I can stop spending money on discount fabric, because I know that I do not have the time to sew anything right now.  I can have a relaxing evening with my kids, instead of 2 hours of out-and-about time during the baby's bedtime, which is when Awana takes place. I can take another look at the kid toys we have, and look at them from a different perspective. I can look at what I want my kids to have, and not what other kids might want to play with when they come over. I can declutter their toys and breath a huge sigh of relieve as I load the boxes of donated items into the van.

I am excited at the prospect of getting rid of stuff I didn't know that I do not need.

Today, grab a box. Just start with one simple box. Fill that box up with items in the category you eliminated from your schedule. After you fill the box up, tape it closed, and put it in your car. Donate immediately, before you change your mind! Then, if you feel like a huge weight lifted off your shoulders, grab another box, and continue!

I have three boxes opened in the office/craft room. I'll be loading up craft items to donate, toys that I  have saved to make sure I have lots to play with when other kids come over, and kitchen stuff. I tend to stock up based on who might visit, rather than who lives here. I probably have 20 kids bowls, plates and cups in my kitchen.

If you are joining me on this journey to Simplify, I'd love to hear about it!

P.S. Tomorrow, we are going to envision what a home Simplified looks like to us.

Just a little confession...

I finally did it. And you know what? I don’t feel nearly as bad as I thought I would. My husband was shocked at the outcome, and I was shocked at his response.

What did I do? I have to admit, I am a little hesitant to tell you. But, here goes…

I paid someone to come clean my house.

I know you all have your different opinions on that matter. I had (and mostly still do) had some opinions on that matter. Some are true, and some, I am realizing, are not.

I used to think only the well-off families had house cleaners. We are far, far from that. The truth is, after this first time around, I am probably going to start selling stuff on Craigslist just so I can have some house-cleaner money stashed away, just in case.

And my strongest opinion on the whole house cleaner idea: I am home all day, every day. I should be able to clean the house, and keep it that way.

But then again, I am home all day, every day, with 4 kids 3 and under. We live in the house all day. 3 meals a day, a few snacks, lots of play time, sometimes lots of potty accidents (the kids, not me J ) Throw in the bills to be paid, grocery shopping, pet maintenance (2 dogs, 2 cats)….that really is work. And just one “off” day for me can turn this house upside-down in 2 seconds flat.

Too much stuff in this house has been getting to me, and the fact that I could never declutter enough to actually get down to the real cleaning. And the playroom…what a mess!

I had finally had it. I responded to a post on Facebook a few months ago from a group in my area. I asked the lady her prices. Then a few weeks later, I asked her if we could work something out. I scheduled a time for her to come…then I canceled. In order for the cleaning lady to come, I had to have the house ready to be cleaned. And, I figured if I was able to get that far, I might as well do the cleaning myself.

Fast forward a few more weeks, and I had accomplished nothing. I e-mailed the lady, picked a day, and worked my butt off the rest of the week.

While she was here, I kept the kids in the playroom with me, and we cleaned the whole thing, vacuuming and all! It felt so great to be able to accomplish the playroom pick up, knowing that the rest of the house was being taken care of at the same time. While I did clock-watch a lot, knowing that I was paying by the hour, I was also grateful for the uninterrupted time I had with the kids, and the playroom.

And you know what the best part was? My husband’s reaction! He walked in and asked what happened, because the house looked amazing! I have to admit, for a little second, I wanted him to think I did the work. I was embarrassed to tell him I had to pay someone to clean our house. This is also why I didn’t even tell him I had contacted a house cleaner. You know what his response was after I told him I paid someone to do it? Here are his words: “I don’t care how it got done. It got done, and it looks amazing. Thank you.” He also went on to say how great is was to walk into the house after working a 14 hour day, and not see a ton of housework to be done.

The second best part of hiring a house cleaner?

Well, here’s what I did yesterday:

• Made felt Christmas Tree cut outs, and felt ornaments to go on them.
• Went on a leaf-hunting walk with the kids.
• Did leaf shading with the kids.
• Made felt Owl bookmarks with the kids.
• Cut and cored apples, and made applesauce.
• Did a short dinosaur lesson with my son.
• Read 5  books to the kids.

I was able to do all those things because I didn’t have all the housework to worry about. Of course, I still have to maintain it, and I am hoping that after experiencing what it’s like to not be bogged down with all of the household to-dos, I will be able to actually keep things in order.

How do you keep your house in order?

 And please, be nice. Everyone isn't a natural born homemaker (at least I hope I'm not the only one!). 

Are you trying too hard?

I am! Or rather, was.

I joined the Hello Mornings challenge. I joined the Abiding Fruit bible study. I started reading What Women Fear as part of the Bloom book club. I was also doing an independent study on The Power of a Positive Wife.

Yes, I started all of the above during the same month. I tried so hard to get up early every morning, and beat myself up every morning that I didn't succeed.

I was also trying to blog, sew my daughter dresses, switch to cloth diapering, and meal plan.

Needless to say, I quickly became overwhelmed by everything. I took a blogging break, I stopped setting my alarm, I didn't finish either book I was reading, and I cooked from the pantry daily rather than taking the time to stop and plan a meal.

After 2 months, I wish I could say I feel refreshed. I wish I could say it was a much needed break. The truth is, it wasn't a break I needed. It was priorities.

Although I would love to wake up early every day, the fact that I can't seem to get my daughter to sleep all night makes it nearly impossible. And I'm sure I don't need to be actively reading 2 or 3 books at a time, or doing more than 1 bible study.

I am not a huge fan of "New Years Resolutions" because it seems like something that is expected to be broker. Instead, I am making a few small goals. And one day, when I have time, I am going to make a goal outline like this.

For now, here are the changes I have decided to make:

• Since I can't get up early every morning to read my bible alone, I will bring my bible with me while the kids take a bath. I can supervise them playing in the bubbles, and read (to myself or to them) at the same time!
• I will not be doing an independent bible study for the time being.
• Meal plan for at least 3 days during the week, more if I have extra ingredients for meals on hand.
• I am using disposable and cloth diapers, to cut down on laundry from the cloth diapers.
• Continue blogging (this is therapy to keep me from going crazy here!) :o)

Have you simplified your to-do list with the New Year?

From Office to Home (Schedules Anyone?)

When I worked in an office, one of the first things I would do in the morning was review what my tasks were for the day. Who did I need to call, what e-mails needed to be sent, what papers did I need to review? I used Outlook to schedule everything. I set up reminders to pop up at specific times, reminding me of what I needed to do at what time. It was a great system.

At home, I just guess. With the exception of meals, I have not had a set schedule for anything. And even the meals get off sometimes (anyone else have dinner at 8 pm?)

Here are a few simple steps to creating a general schedule, similar to a work-day schedule:

1. Using your "job" list from the last post, separate the tasks into morning, noon and night.
2. Once your list is broken down, review it and see if it needs to be "trimmed down" at all. Remember, it needs to be realistic.
3. Make an end time! Even if you are home all day, an end time is good to have. It gives you a goal to work towards. I suggest an end time before dinner, so that at the "end" of your at-home work day, you will only have dinner and bedtime tasks left. Any task that you don't get to before dinner simply gets left undone until the next day.


For those of you who work outside the home:

1. Separate your job list into before and after work.
2. Prioritize your list. Since you have less time at home, it might help to write down what takes priority over what.
3. Be realistic. You may want to hand wash every dish you have to save on water, but that wouldn't be a good use of your time. If you have a dishwasher, use it! And the laundry...is it possible to save this for a weekend task? If not, pick out days for certain types of laundry. Monday-linens, Wednesday-Kids clothes, Friday-Work clothes, weekend-all others. Laundry is my nemesis, so breaking it down like this seems to work best for me.

Here is the daily docket I use from Crystal. I keep mine in a sleeve protector, and mark off what I've completed with a dry erase marker. I have also added a box for green tea,which is one of my goals this year (a cup of tea a day).

It really helps to wake up every morning with a a written plan for the day; if you are so tired you can't think, the list has already been done. You just have to follow it (somewhat). Don't be afraid to make changes! If you have an appointment during the day, or another time-consuming task, review your daily list and pick out a few things you know you won't get done. Cross them off your list for that day. If you work and will have a long meeting, remember to do the same!

Lastly, give yourself some grace. And even if you can't do that, God will give it to you. He understands.

From Office to Home (defining your workplace and your job)

I mentioned earlier that it was so much easier for me to be organized at work than it is at home.

At work, I knew what my job was. I knew what I had to get done every day, every week and every month. I had end-of-month goals, and "end" goals (where I wanted to end up).

At home, I've been taking a very day-by-day approach. That works for some, but not me. Even though I don't have a written schedule, routines or written goals, I always feel like I should...which adds more stress on top of whatever is going on in the day.

We're going to change the chaotic days!

The first step to becoming more organized and efficient at home is to define where and what your job is. This is true whether you work outside the home or not, and whether you have kids or not.

I do not work outside the home, so my job at home is going to be more tedious than those who do have one (because I'm home all day making messes with the kids). My kids are also not of school age yet, so those of you who homeschool will likely have a longer list than me.

My workplace is in my home. There are other things that need to get done outside (pruning of plants/trees, raking, watering), but that will all be on an if-I-have-time basis.

My ultimate job during the day is to make sure the kids are bathed, clothed, fed and happy. In order to make sure those three can be done, grocery/toiletries (bathed/fed) shopping falls on me, as well as the dishes and the laundry (clothed/fed). And for the happy part? Kids are happiest with less chaos. Cleaning and decluttering is also my job.

For those of you who:

• work outside the home, think about everything you need to get done in the morning before you leave for work, and what needs to be done when you get home. Make a list of every daily duty. 
• home school, add those duties as well. Don't forget to include any printing/photocopying that you do regularly during the day.
• work inside the home, remember to write down what you must do every day. I consider myself to fall under this category too, as I have recently began sewing dresses and making tutus to sell (they're really cute, I'll post pictures sometime for those of you who haven't seen them yet!).

Note, actual hobbies (scrapbooking, leisure reading, crafts, manicures, pedicures, DVR catch up) have not been included yet. Our goal today is to define what we have to do.

How are you at defining your job at home?  Do you think it's easier at an office, or at home?

From Office to Home

With the exception of my 2 year stint as a Barista, my career field always involved being in an office. I thrive in an office environment. I had a  binder to keep track of everything I was working on, I had lists going all the time on what I needed to do and who I needed to call (and I actually completed the list most days). I had a huge calendar on my desk that was color coded by importance, and circled "free days" so I could easily see when I could schedule meetings or create marketing material.

I was organized.

Fast forward 2 years later, and I feel like I am living in complete chaos most days :0)  It has taken me this long to realize that for me, I would really thrive here at home if I followed the same principals that I followed in the office.

For the next few weeks, I am going to be reviewing some office tips that I found in Working Mother magazine, and ways to implement those tips while you are at home, in order to be just a little more organized.

How do you adjust at home?

How to function on little to no sleep

I have not slept through the night since I was 6 months pregnant with my son, who is 32 months old. That is a lot of months walking around in a zombie-like state!

I have always wondered how people can manage to do anything with a newborn or toddler around. Even though infants are "easier" because they don't do much, the lack of sleep is a huge energy zapper! I was going google crazy one day, trying to find a good blog post on how to get some sort of a schedule when you have kids.  What I found was better than what I was looking for.
I found a prayer. A simple prayer, but so extremely powerful. It has been a huge blessing in my life, on the nights I am awake enough to remember.

We believe God can perform miracles. We believe anything is possible through Him. We believe He wants and knows what's best for us (including sleep). We ask the Lord to bless our day, why not ask him to bless our nights? Yes, if you have a newborn, chances are, you are going to get up at night. You may not sleep more than 5 minutes at a time. This is why this prayer is HUGE.

I pray that the Lord would bless my sleep, and supernaturally multiply the little sleep I do get, so that I am able to function for my family the next morning. And you know what? It never fails; every night that I pray that prayer, I wake up the next morning feeling mostly refreshed. I still need my coffee, but I don't have to drag myself downstairs, I don't bump into walls, and I don't groan when I forgot to get the coffee ready the night before. The Lord wants me to be able to function, be he also wants me to rely on Him for my needs. My lack of sleep often reminds me of this :0)

I got this tip from a post Crystal wrote in response to a reader's question, and I highly recommend that you read her post here.

What are your tips for being a fully functional human being with no sleep?

Thankful Thursday-Morning Preparations

My daughter doesn't sleep at night. She's not a huge fan of that whole sleeping thing at all, but she is particularly against nighttime sleeping. It's just too boring for her.

She just turned 1. I am just assuming that she doesn't want to sleep because I am such a fun mom that she doesn't want to miss a moment with me. I can't think of any other reason for our usual midnight play dates.

I have been reading the updates from Inspired to Action, about the upcoming Maximize Your Mornings challenge, and this morning, after getting up multiple times with my daughter, I decided to go downstairs at almost 5 am, and make a pot of coffee. I am never, ever up before the kids. They are usually both up by 6, sometimes earlier.

While the coffee was brewing, I picked up some toys, put some dishes away, wiped the kitchen counters...I knew if I sat down,I would fall back to sleep.

Once my coffee was finished, I sat down with a nice hot mug of coffee, my bible, and The Power of a Positive Wife (book). I kept checking the time, waiting for one of the kids to start wailing any minute.

I was able to sit and not only read through one whole chapter of the book, but I was able to review the highlights at the end of the chapter, and read the scripture passages that went along with them!

I pulled out the prayer calendars that I printed off of the Inspired to Action site, and prayed for my kids, my husband, and their day.

I am thankful that I was able to get up this morning, and through prayer, prepare the day for my family. It helped that my husband had already said last night that he was making breakfast; I got to scratch one more thing off my list :0)

What are you thankful for today?

For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit The Marathon Mom.

5 things I'm learning from my Grandmother, 13 years later



Find a picture that makes you happy. Look at it every day!

 I grew up living with my mom (my parents split up when I was 6), my brother and 2 sisters. As a single mom, my mom was (and still is) a hard worker. I have some memories of breakfasts she made us, activities we did together, places we went. I do not have many memories of watching her do things. Eating breakfast, getting ready for work, things like that.

We also lived with my Grandma for years.

There were lots of "weird" things I witnessed living with her, and I categorized those things in the "old people do that" file in my brain. She was not old by any means. She was a young mother, and a young grandmother. She was 55 when she died. As I am nearing 30, and my husband is closer to 40, 55 is still very young!

Since becoming a mom, I have been remembering little things I saw my grandmother do, which makes sense to me now.

1. Eat a good breakfast. Not a low calorie, fat free breakfast, but a good, healthy breakfast. I remember my grandma always eating an egg sandwich on whole wheat toast, with a touch of mayonnaise. This breakfast is packed with fiber, protein and nutrients. I introduced egg sandwiches to my son last week, and he loves them!

2. Natural toothpaste is best. I thought it was so weird that my grandma brushed her teeth with baking soda and peroxide. I have recently been looking into natural toothpastes, and came upon a natural toothpaste recipe...of baking soda and peroxide!

3. Health benefits of salt. When I graduated high school and moved out, I removed salt from my diet and my shopping list. When I got married, our salt free diet continued. I woke up a few months ago with a very, very sore throat, and remembered my grandma practically forcing us to gargle with salt water. I went out and bought sea salt that day, and use it every time I get a sore throat. Whenever I use it, I can picture my grandma behind me, watching to make sure I gargle the full cup of warmed salt water.

4. Make your bed. I remember being very young, watching my grandma get ready for work, doing her hair and makeup. We would turn on her music box and dance around her room, until she was ready for the fun part...making her bed! Before she left her room for the day, she always made her bed. It's amazing how tidy a room can be after simple making the bed.

5. Laugh on purpose. We have a home video of one of my very first dance recitals. I was 5 or 6. I missed a few counts of the dance, and ended up going all the way across the stage, by myself, trying to catch up to the rest of the dancers. They were making a huge circle around the stage, in a line, so I literally ran in a big circle, alone, to catch them. On stage. In front of a whole audience. My grandma loved watching that video, because it make her laugh more than anything she'd ever seen. I don't know when the last time I put a show or a movie on, simply because it made me laugh.

There Really is a Time for Every Season

Lately I've been feeling like my list is way too long, and nearly impossible to keep up with. This is not a written list, it is my on-going, never-ending list in my head.
My list is similar to this one, with one exception. I never expect to get to the bottom of the list. I am okay with skipping a few things. Although I would love to have the house spotless, dinner done, and the children clean from head to toe with big smiles when my husband gets home, I am just as happy if my dirt covered babies run outside with big smiles to greet their daddy, while I am pulling my hair out trying to figure out what to do for dinner (I haven't been that great with the menu planning!)

I was blog-hopping the other day, and this post really overwhelmed me. There is no way I would be able t o do everything on this list, every single day. I skipped on over to another blog, and ran into this post. I let out a sigh of relief.

Even if I don't get dinner on the table within 5 minutes of my husband walking in the door, and I spend time playing with my kids instead of scrubbing the house down, I know that I am still blessed. I do not have to be perfect, I just have to be willing. This was my favorite from the list: "Blessed is she who serves laughter and smiles with every meal; for her cheerfulness is an aid to mental and physical digestion."

I spend too much time comparing myself to others, and what they can accomplish. I tend to forget that we are all in different seasons of our lives. I am not in the season to be able to sit down and scrapbook every memory we have, because my children are young, and what to help with every single thing I do. Someone else may not be in the right season to blog, even though they long to, because they have newborn twins. And at the same time, a stay at home mom may have sent her youngest child off to school, and is having trouble adjusting to this new season, with extra time on her hands.

Whatever is weighing on your mind, remember: "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1

If you have a pile of craft items (or is that only me?) that you have been meaning to get to, maybe you aren't in the crafty season. If you are struggling with making all of your food from scratch, but aren't able to get dinner on the table before 9 pm, maybe it's time to give yourself a little break: buy some frozen veggies, a few healthy boxed meals, and frozen chicken breasts. You will save yourself some sanity, and time.

I think I'm becoming a Homemaker!

Well, not really, but I'm trying really hard :0)

I have a big confession here. I just told my husband about this last week. It was a little embarrassing. I....failed home economics in middle school.

I am not even sure how that's possible. I think I may have failed art too. Really, how do you do that one?

My husband does not have steady work, so I am working my hardest at saving what money we do bring in. I am learning that there are so many conveniences around us that we don't need. Did you know that sliced bread has only been on shelves since 1928? Before that, people used to either bake their own bread, or buy full loaves (thus, saving money). Just a little bit of history for you there.

Homemakers of the past used to actually make things from scratch, instead of running to the grocery store to buy everything. They were truly home makers. That is my goal. To truly make at home, and make a handmade home.

My mom gives me lots, and lots of free flour. I currently have about 50 pounds of flour (bread and organic whole wheat) in my freezer and pantry.

I have made homemade baking mix out of the flour, as well as cakes, cookies and muffins. I know how to make bread, but don't make it on a regular basis.

Until now. I am planning on not buying store bought bread for as long as I possibly can. I will be making my own sandwich bread, hamburger and hot dog buns.

Although you can buy bread extremely cheap ($1/lb here), I usually buy the more expensive bread, because it is the healthier one. Now, I will be controlling the ingredients that go into it, and saving a lot of money in the process.

I will be sharing a little more over the next few weeks on more homemaking tasks that I am implementing, to save a little more money.

What kind of money saving ideas have you implemented in your home?

Simplify the Simplifying-force yourself to go through less laundry!

I have been "going green" for a few months now. I am also trying to cut back our spending to a very, very minimal amount, while making and keeping household tasks a bit easier.

I already went through my towel closet and got rid of no less than 20 towels (I still have 6 adult and 2 child towels, for a household of 2 adults and 2 toddlers)! I have gone though my closets several times to finally get rid of the clothes that I wear for half a day, then decide I really wouldn't want to wear that outfit in public. I sometimes shop in the kids section, because it's cheaper...and sometimes, after I get home, I realize what I bought looks like it came from the kid section. Weird. :0)

A few months ago, I ran a rope from one side of my side yard fence to the other, and threw a few pairs of jeans over it. When the clothes were dry, I pulled them off the line, smelled them (I also have this habit of smelling all my laundry. Just to make sure I didn't forget to put detergent in the washer.) and noticed that there was no smell. Lately, because of the heat, my clothes, even fresh out of the dryer, have a little bit of a musty smell. I fell in love with the thought of a clothesline.

I bought this one from Costco. If you go into the store, the one they currently carry (for 1/2 the price of the one online) has a tall bar where you can also put hangers.

I was happy to read Tsh's post here about line drying. I think it was sent by God, just to let me know he is totally on my side with this new line-drying thing.

My hope is that since I am actually hanging all of the clothes up after I wash them, I will think about the clothes I dump in my dirty clothes pile. Sometimes they are dirty, sometimes they are just in my way.

What manual tasks "force" you to simplify?

Where have I been? Trying not to pull my hair out.

As may (or may not) have noticed, I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus these last few weeks.

I am not a really great homemaker. I love being home with my babies, but I am just not good at it. I have a really hard time prioritizing my schedule (or lack thereof), and it takes me a really long time to decide if I should be mopping the kitchen floor, or vacuuming the living room.

On top of that, I have agreed to watch my niece and nephew during the day. So, from about 7:30 am to 6:30 pm, I have 4 kids, 5 and under. 2 are in diapers (I have some really exciting news about that coming soon!), and the other two are having a hard time sharing toys.

By dinnertime, my house and I are just one huge mess! This week, my one simple goal is to meal plan. I’ve done that before, but I need to really stick to it, or it’s Jack in the Box for us all week!

I subscribe to Inspired to Action, and would love to Maximize my Mornings with them, but with my 11 month old still not sleeping through the night, it is nearly impossible for me to get up and out of bed before the kids. Yes, kids. Even though my daughter doesn’t sleep through the night, she’s up bright and early! She is such a happy little girl, I’m sure she just doesn’t want to miss out on another fantastic day with me J

Needless to say, I haven’t been blogging much because I’m afraid my posts will not turn out to be positive and encouraging, like I wished they were.

In preparation for actually maintaining my household notebook, daily schedule included, I have decided to implement just one new task or idea per week. I tend to feel extremely overwhelmed when I print out 5 different cleaning checklists, meal planning forms, inventory lists, and schedules. Maybe if I do just one at a time, I can slowly get into the habit of doing most of it. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier, I am already doing this with food here.

This week’s task: Meal Plan. I’ll post my plan later today.

Are your days as hectic as mine? How do you manage your household?

My reading list, and a study idea

I haven't read a book all the way through since my son was born, but I'm going to try and start up again. I love reading, and have missed it so much.

I am hoping that now that the kids can play outside (in the yard) I can take a book out there and let them play, while I read.

Here's my book list:

• Power of a Positive Mom*
• Inside the Magic Kingdom
• Your Best Life Now
• Organized Simplicity**
• Confessions of a Shopaholic (I love a good laugh :0) )
• Power of Focus

*I would like to do an online study for The Power of a Positive Wife.  If you are not married, and or/do not want to purchase the book, but would like to join in on the study, I am going to be writing short summaries of each chapter at the beginning of each week. During the week I will write up some of the discussions from the book. I will be posing the questions/discussions for singles too, as this could benefit your future husband :0)

**Whenever I get to Organized Simplicity,  I would like to host an organizing/de-cluttering challenge. Even though I really am not a cleaning challenge kind of person, I really need to figure out how to get all this stuff out of my house!

Does anyone have any book recommendations for me? I would like some sort of inspirational parenting book, and really don't have time to browse a bookstore. And as many books as I own, the only parenting book I own is Your Baby's First Year: Week by Week. She's almost 1, so that book is almost done with.

If you would like to participate in the book study, look for a separate post coming up.

Are you a reader? If so, what books do you plan on reading?

Where do you put your kids when you clean?

I have a copy of Organized Simplicity in a basket under my coffee table. I have read a few chapters of it, and have applied a few tips I learned from it.

I have a copy of 31 Days to Clean on the desktop of my computer.

I have a household notebook, with a bunch of cool lists and chore charts to mark off.

I have no problem getting rid of stuff (well, I am struggling with the toys). I would actually enjoy going through my kitchen cupboards and getting rid of spices.

My kids have outgrown lots of clothes, and it would only take me about 20 minutes to go through their drawers and pack the clothes up.

Here's my problem: I'm not sure what to do with the kids, to get anything done. Naps are rare, and when they do happen, one child is usually in my lap. Which means, I'm not risking it and putting her down to clean.
The kids are very active, and want me around them every second. I have enough time to make breakfast, lunch and dinner, and hopefully clean up 2 of the 3, I can move laundry around, but putting it away in drawers and closets is rare.

I feel like I'm missing something, because there are so many things that I know should be done, and I can't seem to do them because I am just too busy with the kids.
If you have kids, how in the world do you manage to get household tasks done when they are with you all the time? Any tips are appreciated :0)

Simplify the Simplifying, taming the kids clothes (part one)

Photo Credit

I have been blessed beyond belief with clothing for my kids. My sister-in-law has a son a year older than mine, so she mails me a box of clothes 4 times a year, at the beginning of each season. I also have 2 nieces that are going to be 2 (not twins), so I get a lot of hand me downs for my 10 month old from them. My mom has some friends that have little boys, and loves collecting items for my son. I have a wonderful church family who gives me bags of clothes.

This is great, and I know I have been lucky not to have to go out and buy clothes every season.

The downside is, I have sometimes felt like I am literally drowning in children's clothes! And, to top that off, I have found that I do have a "style" of kids clothes that I prefer. This means, if I see a really great deal at a garage sale or thrift store, I do buy more children's clothes.

Here's how I have been combating the madness that children's clothing can bring:

•  When I am given clothes, I sort them right away. Keep to wear now, save for future use, give away.
• When I put the clothes away, I go through what I already have, and get rid of clothes my kids haven't worn, stained clothes, and clothing that will not be worn for the rest of the season.
• I keep folded up paper bags in all rooms. When I do laundry, if I notice a significant amount of clothes that need to be passed on, I open up the paper bag and start filling it up. When the bag is full, it either gets taken to the local charity I donate to, or to a friend who could use them.
• If I know I am well stocked with clothes for the kids, and I have been given more clothes, I will simply donate them without going through them.

How do you keep your children's clothes in check, or am I the only one that has a problem with this? :0)

This was too cute not to share!

With help like this, I don't know why I can't
seem to get things done :0)