Reducing Dirty Dishes

One of the things I love about the Christmas season is the frequency of visitors in our home.  One day last week we unexpectedly had portions of three different families in our home on one single afternoon! I found myself washing cups by hand so that we could offer our visitors a beverage. I realized that, once again, our family was using way too many cups in the course of an average morning!  So, for my sake, and perhaps for yours, I revisit this post from my early blogging days. Although we forget from time to time and fall back into old habits, this remains the best way I have found to get us back on track and reduce the amount of dirty glasses in our sink.  

Human beings, when not properly trained and/or restrained, can generate a substantial pile of dirty glasses in a 24 hour period.  This was a shocking blow to me when my children, one by one, out grew their color-coded sipper cups.  I woke up one day and realized I had drinking glasses all over the house, and piles of them  waiting in the kitchen waiting to be washed. I was not pleased.

We have tried a few different strategies over the years, but I always come back to the 49 cent solution: rubber bands.  Buy one package of wide rubber bands; have each person label/decorate their own band; require them to choose one glass in the morning and put their band on this glass; hide all other glasses ( this part is optional, but extremely effective...).  Amazing! Less in the dishwasher, less mess around the house...ahhhhh. 

***additional note*** 

We often band our cups when we have guests visiting our home. This is a great way to avoid having to buy the easily-spilled paper cups for parties and large gatherings. We also save the bands of frequent visitors to our home. Children especially seem to enjoy knowing that we have saved their band for them! 

From Duty to Joy

...not our clothes line... we don't have any adorable bunnies in our area, but isn't he cute!

One of the best things that about living in an older home is that things are (as a rule)  family size and built to last.  The dining room?  Large enough for a crowd. The bath tub?  Still in great shape, and I bet a young mom could bathe at least four small children at a time! The bedrooms?  Designed to house more than one child. The clothesline?  Ah.... steel poles, 45 feet apart, and four wonderful rows of clothes drying goodness. I love it.

I didn't start out loving the idea of hanging out our wash to dry, but with a vintage clothes line beckoning to me, I felt I didn't have a choice. It was something I felt was my duty...saving our family money and using what the Lord has placed right there in our back yard to meet our needs. But now, hanging out the wash is one of the best parts of my day.  It is the semicolon between history and math...a pause between two related sections of my day. It is an import break in ideas that causes the latter subject to begin with a peaceful lowercase letter. It is a bit of fresh air in the middle of the morning, and a time for the little boy of the house to run outside and  help mom by carrying out the empty basket and handing her the clothes pins. In the afternoon there is another load to go out on the line....an opportunity to listen to the children enjoying their time outside without hovering over them, and the chance to see if the red-tailed hawk will be back. It is time for me to realize that my small amount of time and energy, combined with God's sunshine, are enabling our clothes to dry free of charge, while others are paying their machines to do this work for them. And later in the evening, with the last load in hand, it is a time for me to go out into the dusk alone. I often jokingly sing, " I Go to the Clothesline Alone" (to the tune of  " I Go to The Garden Alone"), because don't we moms cherish those few moments of alone time when the Lord gives them to us!

I once heard a home school mom say that she punctuated her day with her own little "happiness islands".  It sounded a little fruity to me at the time, and it still does.  I don't want to be running off doing my own thing in the midst of the day, focusing on my happiness when I should be focusing on the Lord and on my family. But I do need some semi colons in the midst of my daily paragraphs. Just a "slow" task now and then, preferably one that takes me outdoors and gives me time with an individual child or alone.  The Lord is good to turn our duties into joys!

Miss Messy Learns to be Tidy: Room Bucks and the Family Thrift Store Explained

It has been my experience that girls generally will mature into wanting a tidy room.  When they are little we try to help them by establishing a clean-up routine, be it daily or weekly, but eventually they start taking the initiative to keep thing tidy without mom having to tell them. Appreciation for beauty and discipline creeps in with age, and watching it happen is wonderful time, indeed!  In our house this has usually started to happen around age twelve and until then, well, I just wait and train as best I can :)....and sometimes I am better at it than others!

 This being said, our youngest daughter spent the summer having huge issues with clothing all over the bedroom floor. ( You may remember that she is my child who is forever dressing up like historical figures!). I tried limiting her clothing options, but then we ended up with too few clothes for our laundry routine, and good clothes that were stained because she didn't have a good supply of play clothes. One day, after reading a wonderful post by Kelly at Generation Cedar, I came up with the idea of Room Bucks. Kelly had the great idea of limiting her children's clothing, but putting the extra clothing in a "Family Thrift Store" where the children could buy extra items as they needed them. ( It turned out she was having the exact same issues we were having with limiting clothing...I love that about blogs! Somewhere out there is another mom with your problem! Anyway...) Our youngest children really don't regularly have money of their own, so I decided to give her the chance to earn one "room buck" ( play money) during random, daily room inspections. If clothing was put away properly, she would earn one buck. I also reserved the right to charge her a room buck if "the maid" had to come in and take care of a mess before guests arrived ( or for some other reason). I limited her to just a  few outfits, but gave her the chance to "buy" her items back from the Family Thrift Store for 5 room bucks each.  Dress up clothes could be rented for 1 room buck each, which would be returned to her once I saw that they clothes were put back properly.

The results have been amazing. She has enough motivation to put things away properly and is gradually getting back some of her clothes as her self-discipline increases. I no longer need to nag or feel exasperated over the mess. Love that! I see that she is beginning to grasp the concepts of both simplicity and stewardship, as Kelly talked abut in her post. I really love that! How do you help your children learn to clean up after themselves? Do you have ideas to share on teaching simplicity and stewardship? How has another mom inspired you recently?

Beautiful Mornings

a lovely breakfast while on vacation....

I have a million fond memories of the "summer adventure" I took with my older girls this summer.  Some of the most pleasurable times were spent eating breakfast outdoors in our hostess' back yard. There is something "exceedingly fitting and right" about starting a new day out in God's creation, watching little birds and squirrels and seeing the dew on the grass.  Our hostess had a wonderful little table set each morning  with a variety of simple foods....fruit salad, homemade jams, toast, bacon, muffins. Nothing fancy, but what a lovely way to ease into the day.

This summer I made a conscious effort to bring a little more beauty into our breakfast at home, at least a few times a week.  In my eyes, a bagel on a pretty glass plate is a bit more satisfying than a bagel on an ordinary plate. Waffles eaten the porch table with a dainty bouquet of garden herbs as a centerpiece are just a bit more memorable that  waffles eaten at the regular dining table. There is just something about beauty first thing in the morning. And then...enter the school year. We have to be up and going at an early hour, starting  the laundry and the school work, and I need to be up even earlier to have my cherished moments of Bible reading and prayer alone.  There is just not a lot of time for fussing with pretty table settings and the like. The day must be begun so we can get it all done! This is real life with several children. Don't get me wrong, having a house full of people to nurture and care for is my dream life and I wouldn't change it for anything...even for another hour of sleep in the morning!  It is lovely and invigorating in its own right, but not leisurely :).

In spite of the complications, I am still finding that some occasional extra effort in the department of loveliness goes a long way in starting the school/work day with a mindset of  "beauty in the midst of business". It really takes no more time to pull out a pretty tea cup than it takes to pull out a coffee mug. (And taking a moment or two to hand wash a tea cup later in the morning  provides a relaxing, yet productive, "slow moment" while a student is completing a math drill!) The little extra additions of beauty to our morning reminds us and our loved ones that it is possible move beyond mere survival, even in busy circumstances.

Take a little extra time to think about what causes you to gracefully begin your day. Maybe it is not breakfast, or pretty dishes and flowers for you.  Perhaps it is as easy as a walk out to feed and pet the dogs, or taking the time to write a poem or watch the birds. And there is certainly no more beautiful way to start the day than joyfully feeding and snuggling the precious babies God places in your care. Bible reading/prayer time is a given and by far the most important thing. Nothing can replace or mimic time with the Lord.  A mom with a quiet spirit and a heart set on the Lord will adorn the breakfast table like nothing else!  Whatever it is for you in your season of life, delight in those morning moments and allow them to set a tone of beauty for your day ahead.

Surviving or Thriving? Back to School Reminders for Moms...Part 3

Welcome to Part 3 of the Surviving or Thriving series!   Today I am covering three of my favorite reminders : Tie Some Heartstrings, Keep it Light, and Pray! 

Tie Some Heartstrings. Years ago I received email reminders throughout the day from Kim of Large Family Logistics. In addition to reminding me to do things like clean up the back yard, spend 15 minutes of phonics time with the littleone, and organize my desk, I was sent a reminder to "Tie Some Heartstrings". I love the imagery of that phrase. Our children, our husband, and even our friends and neighbors, need to know how much we love them.  They need verbal and tangible reminders of our affection for them.  Study your loved ones and learn how to minister to their hearts with encouraging words and deeds.I once read an article stating that nurses, teachers and housewives often suffer from burnout because the consuming and endless nature of their tasks end up outweighing the time they spend on relationships with those they serve.We cannot let this happen in our homes! Yes, your work is endless...but, in a way, that leaves you plenty of time to prioritize showing love to those in our care.  You may never really get caught up anyway :)...and even if you did would it truly be all that fulfilling? Focus on what is truly important and show an abundance of love to those around you!

Keep it Light. Last fall a friend and I were at a ladies' retreat with our teenage daughters.  Late in the evening someone said something quite funny and my friend and I began laughing hysterically. Very soon we noticed our teenagers staring at us with shocked expressions.Laughing that hard is not something we do everyday! Most of the things we deal with day in and day out are not funny. However, this is no excuse for letting a heavy atmosphere creep into our homes. I find that one of the best ways to lighten the mood in the home is to do something unexpected. In our house, we occasionally will rap. Yup. God has placed us in the city and we can hardly open the door without hearing someone's car booming out rap music ( thankfully we usually cannot understand the words!).This often leaves me internally screaming, "ARGHHHH!!!! Melody? Harmony? Where are thou!?" So we, world's most unlikely rappers, overcome our circumstances by creating corny, wholesome numbers of our own. I "rap" phone messages to my beloved a few times a week. When I feel like I might start yelling about a messy room, I... conservative, quiet little introvert that I am...will rap the urgent request to "Let the Tidying Begin!". The big kids roll their eyes, but they are smiling, and the little kids are laughing. The pleasant mood of the home is preserved.  I am sure you have your own (much more dignified and distinguished) way of keeping the mood light, but do not underestimate the power of a smiling, laughing, unpredictable mother!

Pray.  Cast all your burden upon the Lord, for he cares for you ( I Peter 5:7).   But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.( James 1:5). 

Not much more to be said than that!  We have a Lord who cares for our every need and is ready to give us the wisdom we need for each and every situation during the upcoming school year. Don't be afraid to leave the school area for a moment or two  (take the little one with you if necessary) and go pray for a few minutes in your room.I do this often, and the funny thing is that my children seem to think I am in my room eating M&Ms :).  I like to kneel, not because there is anything magical about a particular posture while praying, but just because it reminds me of my dependence on the Lord and that if I humble myself He will lift me up.  And He does! Go to Him often with your cares and don't try to manage them alone!

My prayer is that each one of you will have a most blessed school year ahead! 

Surviving or Thriving? Back to School Reminders for Moms...Part 2

Today I am going to continue my series on Back to School Reminders for Moms.  Each day, in the middle of all the situations where the Lord has placed us, we have the chance to thrive. However, if we do not make careful choices when it comes to our attitudes, and if we do not fix our eyes on the Lord and His strength, we will find ourselves merely surviving in midst of our day to day responsibilities. As I said in Part 1, these posts fall under the category "Preaching to Myself". When I relate a personal example I am not somehow suggesting that I have arrived in these areas. I am merely remembering God's faithfulness in the past and providing my experiences as an encouragement to you as you consider your school year ahead! Let's get started with Part 2!   

Give Your Limitations to the Lord. All of us face situations that cause us to feel limited. Seasons of poor health, financial difficulties, inadequacies in a particular subject matter, a baby in the hospital, pregnancy complications, general lack of outside support, cramped living conditions...these are just a few of the difficulties our family has faced in our thirteen years of home schooling. And do you know what? With each situation the Lord has been faithful and shown His power in our weakness! Give your limitations to the Lord and gather up your faith in his goodness and love for you...He will provide! Perhaps he will provide a way out ( like an awesome Algebra 2 teacher!), or maybe he will provide a way through ( like the time he caused our favorite babysitter to be on paid leave from her nanny position just as I was trying to juggle parenting a hospitalized preemie and caring for 4 children at home...did I mention she was a certified teacher and helped with their schooling as well as general child care? Only God could come up with such timing!).  Maybe the Lord will sustain you in a supernatural way that causes others to see you in your trial and give glory to Him. Regardless, His power is made perfect in weakness ( II Cor. 12:9) and you can trust Him as you face difficulties.

Don't Be Afraid to Find What Works for Your Family.  I spent several of my early homeschooling years trying to imitate the methods of a friend that  I greatly admired. I gradually realized that not only were our children very different , but my friend and I were very different, too. In fact, I really think our "different-ness" in personality is what gave us such a rich friendship.  However, when it came to schooling choices she could  just read the scripted math lesson and her children understood perfectly, and I needed to cut up apples and draw diagrams...for my students to learn,as well as to keep myself from falling asleep with boredom :).  God gave your children to you...he picked you for them! When it comes to schooling choices and decisions related to parenting ( extra-curricular involvement, bedtimes, daily routines and so on), be inspired by those around you , but be yourself and don't be afraid to be unique in your approach! 

In addition, do not neglect the option to change things for a season in order to gather yourself and pray through your choices.  Our family did this in the two years following the birth of our preemie.  In a year's time we had a pregnancy with bed rest, a preemie who was in the hospital for several months, a baby who didn't sleep/had therapy appointments every week/breathing treatments every few hours/frequent ER visits, and a job change/out-of-state move. After much prayer, we enrolled our oldest two children in Classical Conversations for 7th and 8th grade after our move. Co-ops are not my thing (although we loved the CC program overall),  but for that season of "recovery and reorganization" it was just what we all needed.  It didn't last forever. Talk with your husband, seek the Lord, and allow yourself the freedom to make changes if needed!   

Well, it is time to get my day going here... be sure to read Part 1 and Part 3  if your time allows. Have a wonderful time preparing for your school year!  

Surviving or Thriving? Back to School Reminders for Moms...Part 1

"Back to School!!!"  The words bring a range of emotions to the hearts of mothers worldwide. Excitement,  apprehension, a twinge of  sadness...all jumbled together with a million practical concerns.  Regardless of the schooling option they embrace, moms everywhere will be facing new unknowns, new routines, and new challenges as they consider the year ahead. The next few posts will fall under the category of "Preaching to Myself".  This will be my thirteenth year of homeschooling, but each year bring with it a fresh realization that I am going to need the Lord's help...every day, in a serious way... if our family is going to thrive.  Far from becoming more confident in my own skills, each passing year causes me to feel more dependent on Him. He is the only one who can lead, guide, provide, sustain, and grant us all joy in the year ahead. And while I love home schooling, the reminders I will outline are for any mom...working, stay at home, single, home schooling. God can give you the grace to make your home a pleasant place during the busy school days ahead, no matter what your situation!

The "reminders" are no particular order, but I will start with a big one: Keep God's Word in your mind throughout the day.  When things get stressful, when you are not sure how to handle a situation, when you know you are starting to lose proper perspective, when despair is creeping into your mind,when you have a victory, use God's Word to keep your thoughts in the right place. I keep a list of Scriptures posted inside the door of the cabinet where we keep our school supplies.I probably go to that cabinet 40 times during the morning, and each time I see God's love letters to me, encouraging and admonishing me to run the race for His glory and in His strength.  In years past, I kept a list inside my kitchen cabinet door and would run into the kitchen every now and then to refocus. I also keep my Bible open at the school table after our morning family devotions. Having God's promises and reminders of His character at my fingertips when I need them ( and often before I need them!) is invaluable. Other moms keep a Bible open in each room, a Bible propped up my the kitchen sink, or a audio Bible going in some part of the house or in the car. Choose what works for you, but make it easy to encourage yourself with God's Word.  And guess what? Your children will be watching you all the while and noting God's faithfulness to you!


Have a plan to care for your basic physical health. Let's be honest, if your family is like mine, no one is going to remind mom to take her vitamins each day! We need a simple plan to care for our health. Otherwise, even our most basic needs can get lost in our responsibilities. When tempted to let my physical health slide, I always think of the airline stewardess reminding me to put the oxygen mask on myself first, and then on my child. I cannot remind my little one to drink his water if I am dehydrated in a hospital somewhere! My basic list includes drinking enough water, taking vitamins daily, walking several times a week, having healthy/easy to prepare food at home, and getting proper rest. My plan? Vitamins before bed, water throughout the day, walks with an individual child in the evenings ( or around the interior of our home/exercise video/backyard walk with a younger child...see note below), organized shopping/food prep (with teenagers alongside me), and in bed before midnight.  Nothing complicated or expensive, and no real need to be separated from my children ( just in case that is your excuse!) , but so important to identify those needs and  be intentional about keeping care of ourselves.
*A word about exercise: where there is a will there is a way. Pray about it! Years ago I had young children, little support in the way of local friends and relatives, a husband who worked long hours, and no real area to walk outside around our home. I ask the Lord to show me a way I could get the exercise I needed. I began turning on a CD for an hour a day and walking inside our home, around ( and around, and around ,and around) the tiny kitchen-living room-entry way loop. Our children still talk about it! It reduced my stress, improved my sleep, and gave me something very fun to do with my little ones each day.Today I love to pop in a Leslie Sansone Walk at Home video on cold and rainy days when I can't get outdoors.  On nice days when I can't leave the home, I will often briskly walk around our back yard in the afternoon while our little ones play. If I can leave the little ones with daddy, I will  take an older child on a walk around the neighborhood with me so we can have some time alone.  Although there is certainly nothing wrong with belonging to a gym,on't buy into the  idea that you need a gym membership to get the exercise you need! Ask God to show you creative solutions when you hit a roadblock!


Be sure to check back in for Part 2.... and enjoy getting ready for your  school year!

Summer Thrift: Estate Sales

I am always on the look out for unique and useful items at bargain prices. This summer I have discovered estate sales, and what a discovery it has been!  Overall, the quality of goods is higher than at garage sales and thrift stores. The items for sale are not random things that people don't want any longer, but rather, EVERYTHING you find in a household. There is often an abundance of vintage items, as well as a nice selection of newer things in great condition. Estate sales are wonderful for building up your yard and garden tool selection.  Wheelbarrows, rakes, hand tools, and flower pots can be found at the right sales. High quality table and bed linens (often vintage) are also usually available at very reasonable prices. Clothes, suitcases, holiday decorations,appliances, kitchen ware, and dishes...you name it! If I am looking for something specific, like a wheelbarrow, I try to go the first day while the selection is good.  However, the real bargains are found on the last day when items are reduced 50%.  The items in the photo above were purchased at half price for a  total of $5.60! Not only did I get a great deal, but I now have some unique and useful items that are in keeping with the era of my home. I love that! The red clock came right off the laundry room wall of a home in my neighborhood, and right onto my own kitchen counter.  I enjoy thinking about the lady who looked at that clock while doing her chores, and about her filling those salt and pepper shakers so long ago when they were new.It is good to know that other generations have been engaged in the tasks I do today! Estate sales also give you a great perspective on the "stuff" we use in this life.  We aren't taking any of it with us when we depart from this earth and this truth is clearly seen as you prowl through someone's house, seeing all the things they have collected over the years.  One day, the treasures we thought were so important here on earth will be sitting around on tables for bargain-hunting strangers to search through. Do we believe a thing to be useful?  Is it beautiful?  We may enjoy it here for a limited time, but let us not give up the more eternal things for the temporary during our time on earth!

For more ways to save money this summer click here, here, and here !

Summer Thrift:Buying in Bulk from Amazon

I am at the point in my summer where I begin thinking about how I can help the school year get off to a good start. I mentioned in my post on summer routines that I try to begin putting some extra meals in the freezer to kind of "ease" us into a busier season of life.  Another thing I like to do is stock up on some of the gluten-free/ allergy free baking mixes and snack foods that come in so handy during the busy school year. Amazon is great for this! Most people do not even  know that Amazon has a Grocery and Gourmet Food section. Gluten Free Bisquick, Pamela's Mixes, 1-2-3 Gluten Free mixes, and others can all be purchased in bulk at a substantial savings...especially if you have used your Swag Bucks* points for Amazon gift cards! As the mother of a 4 year old who needs to have allergy free treats on hand for birthday parties,church activities, trips to the barber, and so on, I especially appreciate the 5 pound bag of Yummy Earth Lollipops. I can keep a stash of them in the car, in the back pack, in my purse, in the choir room,and at the grandparents, and feel pretty prepared for the times when someone is giving out a treat he can't eat. Stretch Island Fruit Leathers are another item that can be purchased at a discount and put aside for parties, picnics, field trips, and so on. Stocking up relieves a great deal of pressure in my daily life and eliminates the need to run across town to the health food store when a special event is on the horizon. Of course, you have to be disciplined about not going through items too quickly just because you have them on hand. I find that hiding items and not letting everyone know just how many we have on hand is a very effective technique :).   Even if you are not dealing with food allergies in your family, you will be surprised at the variety of bulk grocery items you can purchase from Amazon. It is a great way to bring some of the organic and healthful snack foods into your diet at a more affordable price. Spend some time browsing through the options and stocking up for your school year ahead!
And while I am on the topic of Amazon, I do want to thank all of you who have ordered through the Amazon ordering link on this website. Every order is appreciated and is a help to us!  Thank you!!

* Swag Bucks:  A few people have asked me about my Swag Bucks button in the side bar. What are Swag Bucks? Swag Bucks is a way of searching the web and earning points during certain randomly selected searches. Points can be redeemed for many things, including gift cards to places like Amazon and Target ( my two favorites!).I soon hope to redeem $25.00 dollars worth of gift cards that were earned with Swag Bucks points! It is truly like getting paid for something you are already doing...searching the Internet! You just sign into your account  and do your Internet search from their site, just like you would do on Google or some other search engine.You can also refer people to Swag Bucks and earn points that way. If you sign up through my Swag Bucks banner you are automatically  "referred"  by me and I will be credited. It has been a great thing for our family!

Creative Kitchen Organization

 You have probably seen peg boards used to keep tools in the garage tidy and organized, but did you ever think of using a peg board in your kitchen?  My mom has done just this in her kitchen pantry and I love it!

 On one side of the pantry, the peg-board lined wall is filled with utensils of all kinds.

 The other side of the pantry is where she hangs her pots for cooking.  No more digging in drawers for the spatula, or searching in a utensil can for the correct size of ladle.  Best of all, no having to bend down to the stove drawer to retrieve your sauce pan or skillet.

And what about cutting boards and pans for baking?  I love this idea, too.  She had a local woodworker craft this:

It sits on the top shelf of her pantry. Pans (and cutting boards) slide neatly in between the plywood dividers, so it is very easy to see and obtain the item you need. The spacing of the dividers are adjustable so that pans can be nested and the space can be customized appropriately. Reaching all of these things can be a challenge if you are short like me, so she keeps a small step stool in the kitchen.

I think both of these organizing techniques would be very effective if you are operating in a kitchen with limited space. You could paint a peg board a cheery color and hang it on a visible kitchen wall, or slide a pan rack into a regular kitchen cupboard.  And how about using peg-boards in other parts of the house?  Perhaps one for storing curling irons, hair brushes and bows? Or maybe one in a sewing room or closet for craft/sewing supplies? The next time you are dealing with limited space, take a few moments to think creatively about the situation and, perhaps, wander out of the room (and out to the garage?!) for some out-of-the-box ideas!

This post is linked to Far Above Rubies and Our Simple Country Life.  Enjoy reading what other homemakers are writing about this week!

Unconventional Clothing Storage

Our youngest daughter inherited a small dresser from her sisters, who inherited it from me. It gave our family a good 40-some years of use, but it was time for it to retire.  In addition to the various parts ( drawers, handles, legs...) that fell off on a daily basis, Spunky had grown to the size that her clothes didn't fit in the tiny drawers any more. Things were always hanging out of the drawers, or the drawers couldn't shut all the way, or things ended up piled on top because they wouldn't fit. Definitely time for a change!   I have been searching for a used dresser, but haven't found the right item at the right price yet.  This weekend I decided we had to do something, so we purchased these storage bins from Big Lots. The older girls made some cute labels so she could easily tell what goes where. ( I never hesitate to appeal to a girl's sense of wanting things to look pretty...I think it is just part of who girls are, and if they like the way it looks they are so much more likely to keep things neat!) We pulled out an old coffee table that we had painted pink and were using as a little coloring desk. Ta-da!!! Efficient clothes storage!  I can easily see if she is keeping up with her clothes properly, and it is easy for her to quickly put away her laundry and choose her clothes. We removed several items that she didn't really need, so she now has a manageable amount of items to care for as well. If and when we do find a dresser, I am quite sure the bins will find a new use somewhere in the house, but for now I think this is a wonderful solution.

This isn't our first experience with clothing storage challenges. Prior to living in our current home, we lived in a barely 1200 square foot home....2 adults, 5 kids, and a large black dog.  People have lived in smaller spaces, I am sure, but we always seemed to be grasping for ways to make a bit more space.  I was forever bumping into people or things! The first thing to go into storage was the dressers. For years everyone had an "under the bed" rolling storage box for their clothes.  This worked quite well. ( I think a grandmother or two were initially horrified by the thought of keeping clothes under a bed, but they got used to it!) Another friend with a large family uses storage cubes for her children's clothing. I know other people find a family closet to be helpful.  There are really all kinds of ways to manage, thrive, and keep thing lovely in your home. Whatever your  current "problem" is, remember that it is often our limitations that bring out  creative solutions. Instead of grumbling, we can approaches our challenges as opportunities to see and do things in a new way. Who knows what inspiration might come to mind and give your home a change for the better!

This post is linked at Our Simple Country Life.
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Cleaning Sneakers in a Snap

 Spring has arrived in our neck of the woods!  Beautiful flowering trees, sprouts in the garden, and lots of time outside playing. We just love it!  As much as we adore playing in the dirt, some of the girls were not too happy about their favorite sneakers looking all muddy.

 I told the girls they could try cleaning their shoes with a baby wipe, but Peace suggested they try a Magic Eraser. WOW!  I could not believe the results!  I love quick and easy solutions!

                                                    

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!

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")

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! 

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: 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!