Eggs!

This week we were blessed to receive several dozen "straight from the farm" eggs. I seriously love fresh eggs. Bright yellow yokes, thick shells, a variety of colors and shapes...I think they are just beautiful inside and out!

Best of all, my children adore these eggs and eat them up like crazy.  Scrambled eggs for lunch on Tuesday, boiled eggs for snack on Wednesday, eggs on toast for breakfast on Thursday.  This afternoon Peace used the eggs along with some freshly ground wheat in her lemon squares. Never before have we had such a bright yellow, all natural treat on our dessert plate!  And crushing up those beautiful shells and putting them in our compost bin...it seems just as it should be...nothing wasted.  I seriously love that too. I have done a good bit of reading about urban farms over the past few years, mostly out of curiosity. Fascinating stuff.  We are not currently in a position to have hens, but a relative in our area hopes to acquire some soon.  I can't wait to see how it goes and learn along with her. If you tend your own chickens, count your blessings and thank the Lord for your beautiful eggs. I assure you that they are far better than their grocery store cousins! If you happen to have a few extra eggs in your basket, enjoy sharing them with others.  Everyone deserves a fresh egg now and then!

Keeping a Bathroom Somewhat Tidy

We have lived in three different houses in out married life: a 1910 farm house, a 1950-ish house in a small town, and a 1940-ish house in a city. I have loved each of these dwellings, but none of them have been without challenges. One challenge common to all three has been having our primary family bathroom just off the main living area of our home. No tidy guest bathrooms here! The space where all seven of us bathe,brush our teeth, and wash muddy little hands is the very space our visitors see when they "pop-in" at our house. Although I see great value in letting others see that we don't live in a perfectly tidy home, I do desire to keep our bathroom decent looking. I am not always successful, but here are some of the things I have come up with over the years to help in this department: 

  

* Limit the number of towels in the bathroom.  We each have our own color of towel and a designated hook or bar to keep it on.  I keep the rest of the towels in a place other than the bathroom. They are used only in an unusual situation ( broken washing machine, spilled gallon of apple juice, and so on). 

* Keep a hamper with a lid in the bathroom to prevent dirty clothes from ending up on the floor. Try having a "Clothes and Shoe Jail" for items left on the floor.  (Bail = 25 cents per item.)

* Encourage/train everyone to do something to make the bathroom look better each time they leave the room.  I cannot remember exactly where I heard about this technique, but I believe it was from Kim at Large Family Logistics. This really works!  Even though the children will often bypass the really messy areas ( like tooth paste in the sink), it still trains them to be aware of their surroundings and make improvements ( like straightening the towels).  It also lets them know that we all have a valuable part in making things look better around the house. 

*Keep disinfectant cleaning wipes handy.  I am not a big fan of commercial cleaners, but having a container of these wipes nearby to quickly wipe off the counter (and other not-so-clean places) makes a real difference.

* Use rugs/mats that can be flipped over if one side gets dirty.

*Use suction cup hooks inside the tub area for hanging up wet wash cloths.  This way they are not visible, and they will not end up smooshed up in the corner of the tub!  

* Train your children to close the shower curtain after use.  I view this as the "making of the bed" in a bathroom...if you do it everything in the room looks better! It also prevents mildew from forming on the curtain.

*  Do a spot check of the floors after lunch each day.  A mid-day check and quick sweep/spot mop can keep things under control. 

* Wipe the toilet and sink area off before bed. It is such a good feeling to start the day out with things looking nice! This is also a great time to leave your husband or teenager a little note if they will be the first ones in the shower the next morning. Try using a dry erase marker on the mirror! For years my husband was up and off to work before I was awake.  We had a little note pad that we kept on the bathroom counter. Each morning he would write some sort of rhyme about the upcoming day or a current news event, and each evening I would write a rhyme back to him about our day at home or his upcoming day.  It got pretty silly sometimes ( especially during political races!), but we had lots of fun coming up with things to write. Happy memories cover a multitude of messy areas in the home :). Enjoy your family and visitors to your dwelling no matter what gets done or undone in a day's time!  

This post is linked at Our Simple Country Life, Raising Homemakers,  Far Above Rubies, and Growing Home .

Book of the Week: More Hours in my Day

 
Over seventeen years ago my husband married a woman who knew nothing about housekeeping and home management...me! We met while we were both working and living at a Christian boarding school.  Every morning, as we escorted our middle and high school students to breakfast, a hot meal was magically placed before us in the cafeteria.  Same thing with lunch and dinner! You can imagine the panic I felt when we left our positions there so my husband could continue his education. The first meal I prepared for him was the only thing I knew how to cook...little pizzas made on canned biscuits! Can you believe that!? This is no reflection on my mother, who is a wonderful cook and housekeeper. I just had always thought myself to creative for such everyday, boring tasks.

As a 23 year old college graduate and wife, I was feeling the sting of my ignorance! Not only was I a complete beginner in cooking, I also knew very little about running a home in general. When my husband was studying I would pull out my brand new copy of  More Hours in my Day. I took notes like a mad woman.  Emilie's style of organizing and scheduling fit me perfectly. Not only did her writing help me in practical areas such as record keeping and home/time organization, she gave me a vision of  home-keeping as a creative profession and ministry of service. At this time, such a concept was brand new and truly life changing for me. ( I eventually even learned how to cook!)

One of the many things from this book that I have enjoyed implementing over the years is the practice of letting the children take turns creating table centerpieces for meals.  We love doing this!  Lego creations, stuffed animals dressed in silly clothes, treasures from outside, and many other creative things have graced our tables over the years. Now our older daughters enjoy doing things like gathering a nice bouquet of flowers or arranging rocks in a bowl with a candle for the centerpiece. It hardly seems like a meal if there is not something at the center of the table! I am so thankful that Emilie inspired us to do this when the children were young.  I truly believe that it has given them a vision of the meal table as a lovely place for creativity and beauty.

I was thrilled to see that this book was revised in 2008.  I pull my 1994 edition off my shelf now and then and always laugh at her references to typewriters and white correction fluid.  Much has changed since this book was first published in 1982! This book has a great deal of value for new homemakers, as well as older ones who need a bit of inspiration.  Everything from organizing your wardrobe and purse, to selling a home and money management, to family traditions and hospitality, are touched upon in More Hours in My Day.  I hope you will benefit from it as much as I have! Happy Reading!

Pleasant Projects: Luggage and Diaper Bag Tags

 When our youngest child was diagnosed with a serious food allergy I realized that I was going to need a diaper bag/backpack tag that I could personalize. I needed something that would look official for times when we needed to take our own snacks into places like baseball games and museum snack bars. The tag needed  plenty of room for parent phone numbers, warnings about his allergy, and information about the Epipen and medication in his bag.  I also needed something durable. I have tried several different methods, but this type of tag is easy to make and has met all our needs. It is also lots of fun, allowing room for personalization and creativity! 

Supplies: Self-laminating Pouches(Business card/I.D. card size... I use Scotch brand and find these in the office supply section), paper cutter or scissors, printer, plain paper, and scrap book paper.

I first cut my scrapbook paper background to fit inside the required laminated area.  I cut two of these so that I can have information on both sides of the tag. Next, I make a template for the plain white paper. I print out the information I want on the tag (one for front and one for back),using different colors to highlight important information. I place the template over the printed information and trace around it.    

After cutting out the printed section of the tag, I adhere it to the scrapbook paper background using scrapbook adhesive, doing the same for the backside of the tag. I place the two sides together and stick them together ( again using the scrapbook adhesive).  Now comes the tricky part. Carefully place one side of the tag onto the sticky side of the laminating pouch. This adhesive is not very forgiving! You will need to set the paper down straight and press it down evenly so that the paper does not wrinkle. Personally, I am very thankful that these pouches come in packets of ten.  I rarely get it right on the first try! 

Finally, use your hole punch to make a hole in one of the corners. Now you can use a cute ribbon to attach the tag to your bag, and your project is complete!  

*bow added for the picture...Mr. T. would never allow a bow on his boy's back pack :) 

I have needed to keep our "allergy alert" tag simple and serious looking, but there are several fun ways to dress-up this project.  I have already mentioned using a cute ribbon to attach your tag to your bag. You can also have fun playing with different font styles and colors. Choosing back ground paper also can personalize this project... the supply of different patterns and styles is endless! You can use clip art or scrap book embellishments/stickers to add some decoration. Anything flat will work beautifully! I have never tried it, but I expect that you could also hot glue rick rack or some other sort of embellishment to the outside of the tag. These make wonderful baby gifts, and also will make it easy for you to identify your own luggage or diaper bag in a crowd. Happy creating!

This post is linked at Raising Homemakers , Our Simple Country Life and Far Above Rubies.  I am a few days late in linking these sites because of computer issues, but be sure to check out the great ideas shared by other bloggers!

Be Cheerful

photo taken by our daughter Peace

"Be cheerful! We have no more right to steal the brightness out of the day for our own family than we have to steal the purse of a stranger. Let us be as careful that our homes are furnished with pleasant and happy thoughts as we are that they that the rugs are the right color..."

          Laura Ingalls Wilder ( from her essay "How to Furnish a Home")

Quality Movies for Girls

(This photo was taken before I left, and I am holding an adorable,teeny- tiny tissue box. My daughter Love won it in a basket at a charity auction and gave it to her sneezing, snuffling mom as a get well present. Wasn't that kind of her?)

Well, life here has been a bit crazy since my last post. Toward the end of the week I came down with the icky virus that has been plaguing my family. With tissues in hand, and still under the influence of Advil, I transported myself to a rather intensely scheduled regional home school conference. It was a delight to see some of my favorite authors in person ( and even get to visit with a few of them!), but it was exhausting. After returning with my brain full of valuable information, my dear husband had to leave for a short business trip.Whew!  Thank goodness we began a week of spring break today!

All of the sickness that has been swirling around in our family has reminded me of the value of a good movie. There are sometimes when you just can't muster up the strength to read a book, and that was just where this particular virus left us...stuck in bed and a bit bored. I am picky about what our children watch. I believe we must fill our children's world with beauty, particularly in the things they read and watch. Beautiful and noble characters, beautiful words, beautiful scenery are all virtues in my understanding of things.  I am not attempting to shelter our children from what is really out there, but rather to counter it with something better.  Our family lives in the city and we see the ugliness that is the result of sin every day. ( We also live rich lives filled with all types of people, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but that is a post for another day!) We are called to live beautiful lives in the midst of ugliness. Wholesome literature and entertainment not only can to empower children to live lives of  godly beauty, but our high value of these things serves as a testimony to a watching world! I don't think you can beat the following two DVDs, both put out by Masterpiece Theater. 

The first movie is The Railway Children.   I enjoyed reading this  book to my little ones years ago. It is a wonderful story of perseverance. The plot if full of mystery and action, keeping even the boys in our home engaged.  This DVD version is beautifully done and my children have watched it over and over. 

I am equally impressed with the Masterpiece Theater production of Pollyanna. We have not read this book, although a friend recently told me how much her family enjoyed reading it aloud. This version gives the character Pollyanna a dignity and nobility that I personally always thought was missing in  the cheesier versions I watched as a girl. The costumes and scenery are beautiful, and the acting is top quality. And, of course, the story is an inspiring one about seeing the blessings in every circumstance and dealing with suffering. You will enjoy this DVD as much as your girls!

We have checked bot of these DVDs out from our local library, although we have since been give Pollyanna as a gift.  They are both worth owning.  I will include an Amazon link for each in the side bar if you would like to order either one from my affiliate link. Enjoy!

Tin Can Organization

We have lots of school  and craft supplies at our house. If we are not careful they end up all over the house. I think this means that I am blessed with creative, project minded kids...but I do get a little concerned when someone needs a pencil and the first place everyone looks for one is the floor! We have used a variety of "storage solutions" over the years, but my favorite is the standard (and free!) tin can. 

First, I make sure I am using a can with a pull-off lid so that there is no chance of someone being injured by a sharp edge on the can. (Progresso canned soups are a luxury saved for coupon-on sale combos, but the cans work great for this project!) Next, I use my computer to print out some simple labels, which I attach by covering with clear packing tape.  I think putting some colorful scrapbook paper behind the labels would be quite cute, if you have some on hand.  Last, I rally the children and we play the sorting game with all the craft supplies. I think the reason the cans work so well lies in the fact that they are portable.  If someone wants to work on a project on the porch or in their bedroom they can just take the appropriate cans with them. We have one place where the cans are stored ( an old wardrobe that is our school cabinet), so everyone knows where things need to be returned. Another idea would be to have a can for each child with their own supplies.Shorter cans work great for little things like paper clips, rubber bands and glue sticks.  Larger cans are good for things like rulers and math manipulatives.   

Of course, as in all of housekeeping, what is neatly ordered will become disordered over time.  My solution?Just turn the cans around in the cabinet so the labels don't show until the time comes when you can fix things up again :).  Some things just aren't worth getting huffy about! Besides, you still have a nice uniform look, much better than random supplies stuffed on shelves.  Organizing experts say that things always look neater if storage containers are the same style and shape, and I love that I can achieve this tidy look for free by using cans! 

Preparing for Spur of the Moment Hospitality

                                                              Photo Credit: Einstein T.

Several years ago a young man stayed at our house for several weeks while his single parent was receiving cancer treatments.  Last week he was in need of some hospitality during the school day and, spur of the moment, we were delighted to have him join us again. Although we hadn't planned to have him visit for the week, and we ended up dealing with sickness in our family (preventing me from being able to do our regular grocery shopping), the week went very smoothly. It reminded me again of the importance of preparing for the unexpected when it comes to hospitality.

Our pastor often says that hospitality is simply sharing what you have.  I love this. It is something everyone can do!  My freezer has been a huge blessing in this area.  When we bake cookies I often will bag up some and pop them in the freezer.  If I see pound cakes on sale I like to get a few extra, slice them ( so they will thaw faster), and put them in the freezer as well. If someone "pops in" for a visit I can quickly send one of the girls out to the freezer to bring in a special treat for our guests.  In the summer I try to keep extra Popsicles on hand for when children are visiting.

The freezer is great for unexpected meal time guests as well.  Homemade spaghetti sauce, soups, and ready to bake casseroles are wonderful to pull out of the freezer at the last minute.  If you have extra loaves of bread in the freezer and a large block of cheese on hand, grilled cheese sandwiches are a wonderful spur of the moment lunch. I mentioned spaghetti...this is my favorite meal to prepare if I am unsure of the number of people who will be eating with us.  Extra noodles can always be added to the pot, and spaghetti sauce can be stretched by adding extra tomato sauce. Chili and soups are also wonderful because extra cans of beans and/or veggies and broth can be added at the last minute to accommodated more people.

I also like to find ways to let our guests know that we celebrate their time with us.  I mentioned on my post about multi-generation birthday celebrations that I love to get party napkins on clearance from Tuesday Morning and other discount shops.  Sewing cloth napkins is a wonderful project for your beginning seamstress and can  also make an ordinary snack more special.  Cloth bandannas, scraps of holiday cloth, and even out grown dressed can be transformed into lovely napkins. Thrift stores are another excellent source for cloth napkins.  Keeping different flavors of tea on hand and serving them in one of our special tea cups is one of my favorite ways to welcome ladies that visit our home.  Going the extra mile to create beauty for our guests is a way of showing them we value them, and having simple items like napkins on hand can make this possible at the last minute.

The most important way to prepare for unexpected opportunities for hospitality is to prepare our hearts, and the hearts of our children, to graciously welcome interruptions.  People, not plans, are to be loved and served.  Teaching ourselves and our children to put the needs of others first is a life long skill and one learned well by setting aside our plans to welcome others into our home.  Years a go I had a Bible study leader who was telling us about how her father would whisper "F.H.B." ( Family Hold Back) into his children's ears when unexpected guests would be coming over for dinner.  What a lovely picture of teaching young ones to put others first!  I hope that God will bless you with some unexpected opportunities to extend hospitality this week and that you will find joy in preparing in advance for the times that will  be coming your way in the future!

This post is linked at http://oursimplecountrylife.blogspot.com/ and http://jasmine-aboverubies.blogspot.com/ .  Be sure to visit these sites for great ideas on homemaking! There is also a link  found at http://raisinghomemakers.com , one of my favorite sites for moms and homemakers!

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Book of the Week: Little Princes

I love the New Books section of our library.  It is the first things you see when you walk in the library door, and my little one knows that it will be our first stop. I try not to test his patience too much ( being quiet and not running can be a challenge for preschool boys!), but I feel very strongly that moms need to be reading and expanding their world through good books, just like the children. The New Books section makes it easy to take a quick look and find something interesting...before little ones get restless!  Here is what I found last week:   

This was a great read! I sometimes worry that I will not be able to finish a book in two weeks, but I finished this one in less than five days.  It is the account of a young man who begins a trip around the world and is forever changed after volunteering in a children's home in Nepal.  Once back in America, he begins a foundation to help child victims of human trafficking in this postwar country. He eventually returns to Nepal and works with others to search for a core group of  missing children and reconnect them with their families, who are scattered in remote villages. By the end of the book I felt like I was friends with all the children the author describes. My arms ached to scoop each one of them (and their precious parents, who were only trying to protect them from the horrors of war ) up in my arms and tell them how dear they are to the Almighty. I wanted to hug and thank all those who were brave enough to do things I could never do.

The photographs the author includes are outstanding, putting faces with names and descriptions. The writing is easy to follow and liberally sprinkled with humor at appropriate moments.  I went from having a very fuzzy idea of what child trafficking is really about, to having a great amount of sympathy for all those caught in this complex tragedy. I also finished this book amazed by how much this small group of determined people accomplished for the children God put in their path.  The book is written from a secular viewpoint, although the author mentions his turning back to Christianity after becoming close friends with a volunteer who is a committed Christian.  I have the feeling that there is a lot more to this part of the story, but in the book all religions are simply presented as equal partners in helping the lost children of Nepal. Dedicated people of all faiths play a crucial part in the task of caring for these children and reuniting them with their families, but I know for certain that the success they experienced results from the blessing of God on their work. It is truly unexplainable from a human standpoint. I highly recommend this inspiring and enlightening book!

Multi-generational Birthday Celebrations

When we moved back "home" three years ago, I never would have imagined the rich times our family has had during our multi-generational family gatherings.  Birthday celebrations are my personal favorite.  We almost always have four generations  in attendance.  Lots of work? Sometimes, but I try to keep things as simple as possible. Cake (made and decorated by the girls), hot and cold beverages (don't forget the decaf options), cute plates and napkins (bought in advance on clearance at places like Tuesday Morning...whenever I happen to be in the store), simple decorations from around the house ( like baby pictures or a name spelled out with toy blocks), and games.  I really believe the games have been key to our memorable times.  This is one time when, as the hostess, you have the power to bless the birthday person and create meaningful  multi-generational interactions. If you don't have grandparents and great-grand parents in your area, consider inviting some older folks from your church or neighborhood and sharing your family times with them!  Here are some things that have worked well for our multi-generational celebrations:

*Bingo:  we were given a fantastic Bingo set by Front Porch Classics for Christmas one year. Boy, have we used it! This game appeals to all ages.  We even get the toddlers into the action by letting them be the "callers".  We whisper the letter and number into their ear and they shout it out. SO much fun for everyone!  My nephew is famous for playing suspenseful music during the Final Show Down between the last two players.  Prizes are simple but fun, and something that can be easily shared...chocolate is usually somewhere in there, with a non-food prize option for the allergic crowd. We have even considered having a prize that is passed from winner to winner since we play this game often!

* Birthday-Person Trivia:  The birthday person helps me make up a list of about 15 questions...everything from their favorite color, to birth weight, memories from the infancy, current height,least favorite food, and so on.  We make some multiple choice and allow younger children to help the grandparents. After handing out paper and pencils, the fun begins with the hostess reading out the questions. A bonus championship question is also lots of fun.

*Ask the oldest person at the party to tell what life was like when they were the age of the birthday person, or share a memory they have from when they were that age.  Include as many of the "older folk" as you wish on this...you will learn a great deal and it is a great way to build ties between the generations.  Ask in advance if they have a picture or special memorabilia they could bring from when they were that age.

* Play several rounds of Hot-Potato, having the ones left holding the potato to tell their favorite thing about the birthday person, or tell what they think the person might grow up to be and why. Again, this game is fun for toddlers,the elderly, and everyone in between. And such a blessing for the birthday person! (Teenagers love to use the ringtone Hot Potato Game on someone's phone. They really come up with some funny tunes!)

* Let everyone write down something they appreciate about the birthday person and read them out loud at the table.

What are your ideas for multi-generational gatherings?  I'd love to add to our collection of ideas!

Pleasant Projects: Patching Jeans with Fabric

We go through lots of jeans at our house.  For years I have kept a stash of iron on patches and used them frequently.  Girls got a heart shaped patch; boys got a plain old rectangle or square. They were a good quick fix, but after a while they start to peel off...and they just are not very attractive! I have continued this love/hate relationship with iron on patches because I really wasn't sure what else to do with holey jeans ( besides make them into shorts,which we also do!).  I was very excited to see this post about patching jeans...functional and quite adorable, in my opinion! The tutorial gives a good explanation of the process, but basically you tear out the side seam of the jeans, sew on a fabric patch with an embroidery stitch on your machine, and then sew the seam back using the sewing machine. 

Tearing out the side seam of the jeans was not nearly as difficult as I had anticipated. The tutorial suggests using denim patches for boys, but since my little guy is still well within the age for cute fabric selections, I called my mom to see what kind of "boyish" fabric she had in her quilt scrap collection.  I let Thunderbolt pick out the fabric scrap he wanted me to use for his patch. I cut the faric to size, doubling the fabric for extra strength.  Unfortunately, I could not get my embroidery stitch selector to work, so I had to go with a straight stitch. I was a little frustrated by this because I think this application is an excellent use for those fancy stitch options...extra strength for the patch and a nice decorative touch, especially if you use a contrasting thread color. ( I couldn't even get my zig-sag to work, but this would also provided extra strength if you do not have other stitches to choose from.) I was pleased with the outcome, despite my stitch limitations, and am looking forward to doing some cute patchwork for the girls the next time they are in need of a patch! 

Author of the Week: Shirley Hughes

Today was our library day.  I don't think there is a better way to spend the afternoon than showing children a wide variety of books and helping them choose some to bring home ( free of charge!!!). When choosing books with my younger children I ask myself several questions.  One of the most important questions is, " How will this book...the story and the illustrations...influence their hours of play?"  When it comes to books that inspire imaginative,wholesome pre-school play times,( as well as leave you with a warm feeling about daily life with children), Shirley Hughes is my all-time favorite author.

I was introduced to this British author and illustrator years ago by my dear friend Sarah. She pointed out that our oldest son (about three years old at the time) was remarkably like Alfie, one of the main characters in several of Hughes' books. For that reason alone, the Alfie and Annie Rose books are quite dear to me! In addition, I love that her books display children of many cultures happily living together in a positive, working class, urban setting. Her illustrations are beautiful  and realistically reflect children and home life. The stories could only be written by a mom who has "been there" and knows all about the everyday challenges and joys of children.

Today at the library we picked up the The Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook. The first story is about Alfie and his little sister setting up a shop in their back yard. My mind went back to this picture of Thunderbolt and his shop, which he and Spunky patterned after Alfie and Annie Rose's shop!

Another favorite story in this book is the tale of Alfie and his special rock named Bonting.  Bonting, who has his own hand made bathing suit, travels with Alfie to the beach and gets misplaced...for a while. In this story Hughes is fantastic at drawing the reader into the story and causing moms and children alike to almost ache with empathy. This is also achieved in her fantastic book Dogger. ( It is sometimes titled David and Dog, if you have the American version). David loses his beloved toy dog and his sister comes to the rescue.  After thirteen years of reading this story I still get teary eyed over Bella's her sweet sacrifice for her little brother. Other favorite Alfie books include Alfie Gets in First (when Alfie gets locked inside his house), Alfie's Feet, (when Aflie gets new rain boots), and The Birthday Surprise, (when Alfie is part of a birthday surprise for a sad neighbor).  The Big Concrete Lorry and Angle Mae are also excellent, slightly longer, stories about the children of Trotter street, a London working class neighborhood. I know there are many more that will come to mind later...

Recently I was visiting with my now far-away friend Sarah, and she commented how fortunate I am to still have little ones who enjoy Alfie and Annie Rose books.  I couldn't agree more! If you don't have pre-school children of your own, find a few in your neighborhood or church and read them one of these sweet books. I think you will enjoy it as much as they will! If you cannot find these books at your local library they are well worth the wait with Inter-library Loan.  I will also  place an Amazon link for a few titles in the sidebar of the blog  if you wish to order through Amazon. You can also search the Amazon link for further books by Hughes. They are excellent birthday and shower gifts! 

Happy Reading! 

Make Your Home a Haven: Friday

Today is my last day with the "Make Your Home a Haven" challenge.  I have had a great time journaling about my week and seeing what other ladies have been doing around their homes. I think we do so many things throughout the day without even thinking about how they impact our families for good....things that seem ordinary because we do them every day, like laundry,cooking, and cleaning. It is nice when we are able to do extra little things, but even on ordinary days, when we feel like we are just "getting by", we are doing important tasks that make our homes pleasant places to live! It is also refreshing to know that moms all over are doing the same things we are each day!  Thanks, Monica, for hosting the challenge this week! 

Friday was a chilly, rainy day here, which gave us time inside together. ( The photo above was taken by Peace earlier this week...I just had to include it! Again, I love that the Lord made flowers that will bloom even before Spring officially arrives! ) The big girls were both working on papers, which gave me some extra time to just sit down and play with Thunderbolt.  I am thankful that the Lord seems to build these little times in our schedule! 

My favorite part of Friday is always the time when we prepare the dining room for the weekend:  wheel out the school boxes, pick up stray papers, clean up the table, and put on a fresh table cloth. I love home schooling our children, but it is nice to have a few days of less clutter in the dining room :). Monica challenged us to plan a Fun Family Night for Friday evening.  The older girls had a chance to go do some English Country Dancing with a group in the community Friday evening, so we have saved Saturday evening for family time.  We are all looking forward to sharing Saturday evening with another family from church.

For a few months I have been filling in as a Sunday School teacher in the younger elementary class at church. As I was doing some prep work on Friday, I was again amazed at the "living and active" aspect of the Scriptures.  Our lesson this week is on David and Goliath.  This is Thunderbolt's all-time favorite Bible story and I think I have read it at least 2 million times :).  Yet, when I read, "The battle is the Lord's" ( I Sam. 17:47) it was almost as if I had never read that part before!  Think of how we could change the atmosphere of our homes ( and the world!) for the better if we really lived in that frame of mind. In thinking of the battles we face, do we believe that the Lord loves us enough to fight the battle for us, or are we trying to control and scheme...trying to muster up the necessary "fighting power" by ourselves? Are we taking our battles to Him in prayer and casting our burdens upon Him...or are we trying to solve everything on our own? Are we seeing our battles (and the outcomes) as being for our glory, or for His? These questions caused me to praise Him for being a mighty and able God, one who cares for us and lovingly gives us battles so we might know and see His "almighty-ness" in our own lives. Those who shy away from the battle in fear of their own inabilities, and those who try to fight the battle in their own strength, will never know the glory of seeing Him work. How thankful I am for Scripture!

Make Your Home a Haven: Thursday

Thursday is my busiest day. We did manage to make time to go outside and enjoy this beautiful sunshine.  Letting children run around and be creative outside is a high priority in my book!

 While we were out in the yard I swept away some of the leaves from the herb garden and discovered some little green shoots of  lemon balm coming up. I am so ready for spring so I can get out in the garden and do some planting!  The warm weather has been great for the lettuce crop.  I think a fresh salad might be in order this evening!

 I also let Thunderbolt be my laundry helper today.  He is great at folding washcloths and gets so excited about helping.  I am forever reminding myself to "train the little ones" in household tasks.  It is so much more efficient to hand the laundry to my 14 year old, but the whole reason I can do that is because I trained her when she was little!  Thunderbolt and I had fun working on placing the folded edges on the same side so they will look tidy in the closet and not fall over. He became so excited about this concept that he did the same with his dad's socks...one by one!

Because some of the children have a commitment out side the home on Thursday evening, I decided that Einstein should start being in charge of dinner that night.  The girls love to cook and his training in this department has been quite neglected.  So last night I instructed him in the making and serving of spaghetti.  Due to  some serious food allergies and sensitivities in our ranks, meal preparations isn't as easy as it used to be. However, Einstein did a great job keeping the blue spatula in the gluten free noodles, and the yellow in the regular noodles, and double checking all the labels for issues with corn, milk, and nuts.  I am going to let him solo with spaghetti next week, and then we will try something else after that.

I finished the evening waiting for the children in the van, listening to a MP3 recording of several moms talking about the blessings of raising a large family.  I don't really consider five to be a large family, but I guess in some people's eyes it is.  It was so funny to hear that moms with 8 and 10 children feel the same way about their family....our children are just people God brings into our lives one by one that make up our family...each valuable and special! The encouragement and wisdom of these moms was a great way to end a busy day!

Make Your Home a Haven : Wednesday

Last evening we had a busy night, so I am sharing my Wednesday " Make Your Home a Haven" post this morning!  Be sure to check out Monica's blog to see what the other ladies in the challenge are up to this week!

In the early afternoon I was able to make some bread.  Spunky was my helper this time around and she made a loaf especially for her Mimi.  We are very blessed to live near both sets of grandparents.  When I heard that some construction work at church was producing lots of saw dust in the building, I asked Mimi if she was up to dinner and a movie with her youngest grandson. ( Thunderbolt, our former preemie with breathing issues, has had a fantastic year health wise, but I know from experience that this boy and saw dust in the air are not a good combination!) She graciously agreed and even went to the library and brought a video and some books on tape. When she left, Spunky was delighted to present her with a fresh loaf of bread.

My other big victory was doing the "big mop" in the kitchen.  I love living in an older home.  Do I love vintage flooring?  Ummm...not so much. I don't even know what you call this type of flooring.  It is terrible to keep clean because it has these large grooves where dirt collects. I am sure a housewife had nothing to do with this design!  I wore my little steam mop out when Thunderbolt was crawling around, so I had to come up with a new method.  I boil a tea kettle full of water and put some cleaner on a rough rag ( I use Pine Sol because this is the smell of clean to my beloved!). I start in one corner and pour some of the boiling water on the floor and then scrub with my cloth....and I just keep doing this until I am done.  Then I go back with another cloth and dry the floor.   I often dread the "big mop" ( I just spot clean on a daily basis), but really it isn't ever as bad as I think it is going to be.  And when I walked into the kitchen this morning the whole room looked better!

Small victories:
*throwing out an old window shade that I had hastily stashed beside a dresser
*assisting Love in giving Thunderbolt's room a good cleaning and vacuuming
*remembering to put some meat in the freezer instead of letting it expire in the refrigerator

Today?  Not sure what will get done....it is supposed to be Einstein's first night to cook dinner for all of us, but we have leftovers from last night.  Will the leftovers be on our plates or in the freezer for next week's lunches??   Only time will tell :).  Have a wonderful day!

Make Your Home a Haven: Tuesday

Today I am linking up with Monica at The Homespun Heart and blogging about how I have worked to make my home a haven today.  Monica has a sweet blog and I would encourage you to check out her posts, as well as the links to other sites participating in the " Make Your Home a Haven"  challenge! And now, on to my day.....

Tuesday is my easiest day of the week.  I try not to cram it with grand plans, but to use it as a general "catch up" sort of day.  One of my tasks was to open and store the 50 pound bag of grain I acquired yesterday.  All but two large zip-lock bags full fit into my storage bucket. This lead to a bit of pantry cleaning and re-organizing, as well as the anticipation of baking some bread tomorrow! I made three loaves on Monday and we are down to just half a loaf.  I didn't buy any store bought bread this week ( save the gluten free variety for those of us who need that).  I am eager to see if we can actually bake all of our "weekly bread"!

 I was able to run some errands with the children in the afternoon. I picked up this $1.00 container at an office supply store and had fun transforming it into a counter top compost storage box.  I have been trying to redouble my composting efforts. How weary I  have become of seeing plates of fruit and veggie peels and egg shells sitting about the counters. And,wouldn't you know, it always seems that some well-meaning soul will toss them in the trash can before I can get them out to the barrel!  I think this container may be of help in all of these areas!

 I also made a quick trip by the thrift store to pick up a pair of five dollar curtains I saw this week end.  In my world, five dollars is a large chunk of change. Although I really thought the curtains were just the thing for Thunderbolt's room, I had to think about it before purchasing. I decided to go for it given the fact that they look as if they were meant to go with his hand-me-down bed spread, his free rug, and his three dollar pillow sham! Now I only need to get around to painting his hand-me-down dresser and five dollar head board :).  His room is in a rather visible location in our home and I will be thankful for the space to finally have a more finished look.

 The children and I spent lots of time outdoors this afternoon enjoying the sunshine.  I was thrilled that the storms last evening did not damage our flowering bushes.  Peace picked several bouquets and we scattered them around the house in various little jars and vases.  I love flowers in the house, and how kind of the Almighty to fashion beautiful flowers that are brave enough to bloom in February!

Of course, we did all the usual things...school, Bible ( we are memorizing James 1...such a rich text and a huge blessing to me!), laundry, chores.  Perhaps the most important reminder I had today as I thought about making our home a haven was to remember the power I have in my attitude.  "Choose joy" was my phrase of the day, repeated often to myself.  "Help me choose joy, Lord," was prayed more often than I can remember.  Isn't life full of little irritations...sprinkled with big worries...peppered with ailments of all kinds?  It won't matter if our laundry is folded and our cabinets are tidy if we aren't resting on the joy of the Lord as our strength. We will be grumpy and short-tempered....our home will be tense and unwelcoming. Our attitude is contagious to those around us! That is the most important thing when it comes to the atmosphere of our home. My goal for tomorrow is to rely on the Almighty's strength in order to "count it all joy" ...all the interruptions, all the unchecked items on the to-do list...everything! A peace-filled, joyful wife and mother can't help but make a home the haven we all desire for our loved ones!