31 Days of Homemaking - Day 8 - 2 Tips on How to Clean Your House

I'm no expert on how to clean your house.  If you came to mine on any given day without me knowing company is coming, you'd see why I'm not expert.  But, I have learned a couple of little tricks a long the way that help keep my house manageable (sometimes).

I read the book The House that Cleans Itself by Mindy Starns Clark.  It's excellent!  I actually need to read it again...it's been 3 years ago!

Tip 1:  Look at all of the places where your clutter/messes seem to always be.  For example:  Do you throw your keys down on the table right next to the front door?  Do you throw your mail on the kitchen island?  Your shoes in the living room?  Etc, Etc.  Notice all of those clutter spots that you know have become routine spots for you, and put an organizational element there to keep it nice and neat.  So, put a little basket for keys on the table by the front door, or a mail bin in the kitchen.....so on and so forth.  Make your house fit you, not the other way around.

Tip 2:  Keep all of the cleaning supplies you need for a particular space in that particular space.  For example:  have Clorox wipes in the kitchen and in every bathroom.  Have trash bags in every room with a trash can.  Paper towels, toilet paper, Windex....whatever you need there...keep in there.  You're more likely to clean a space when everything you need is right there at your finger tips.  I even have a vacuum cleaner for upstairs and one for downstairs.  I just know I'm more likely to use it that way.

Happy Homemaking! :)   

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 7 - A Little Encouragement

In the Word there's a few scriptures specifically about homemaking.  It's encouraging to know that God gives us grace (His ability) to make our house a home when our schedules are super busy, we have children and spouses who need our time and whose time we need, and jobs that may keep us from being at our home.  


In my own experience, I always feel better walking into a clean house with dinner plans made and ready to go.  But, we don't need to feel inadequate when that doesn't happen and we feel we don't measure up to our (or other's) standard of homemaking.  When I look at the 'homemaking' scriptures, it would be so easy to say..."Yeah right!  That never happens and probably never will."  I just need to remember that God's mercies are new everyday...and that that's not just a nice saying, it's the truth.  We need to enjoy our life and rest in God's love for us.  That'll make the "have to" mentality turn into the "get to!" mentality.


Proverbs 14:1
The wisest of women builds her house,
   but folly with her own hands tears it down.


Proverbs 31:27
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
   and keeps them all busy and productive.


1 Timothy 5:13-14
Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but alsogossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.


Titus 2:5
By looking at them (older women), the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. 

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 6 - Hot Pepper Jelly

Have you ever had Hot Pepper Jelly?  There's nothing like it!  It's the perfect quick-fix appetizer for when company (expected or unexpected) comes.  My favorite way to serve it is poured over cream cheese then spread it all over a Ritz Cracker.

A couple of years ago I made hot pepper jelly using the green peppers Jeremiah and I grew in the garden and jalapenos Jeremiah's mom and step-dad grew in their garden.  It was delicious, and I actually won Best of Show in the fair with it! :)  It makes perfect and inexpensive Christmas gifts.  I still have a few jars left, and it's just as good as when I first made it.

I used Paula Deen's Recipe :)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh hot green pepper, such as jalapeno or serrano
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 6 cups sugar
• 4 ounces pectin (recommended: Certo)
• 4 drops green food coloring
• Special Equipment: 6 (1/2-pint) canning jars with lids

Directions

Process bell pepper and hot pepper in a food processor until finely minced. Combine pepper mixture, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add pectin and food coloring. Pour into sterilized jars and seal*.

*Cook's Note: Follow USDA guidelines for proper sterilization and canning procedures.

* Sterilizing Jars

Properly handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.

Sterilizing Tips:

Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.

Before filling with jams, pickles or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Leave in a preheated 175 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Or boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.

Use tongs when handling hot sterilized jars, to move them from either boiling water or the oven. Be sure tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.

As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.

After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 5 - Finding Inspiration

It's so important to have a vision of what you want in your life.

Habakuk 2:2-3 tells us:

 ²And the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it.
³For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not tarry.

   

I have dream books, journals, lists, and pictures of many of the visions of my heart.  One of the area's I have the most fun with this is in regard to dream homes.  I've had this picture of the 2004 HGTV Dream Home Giveaway house for years...

I also fell in love with the home on The Notebook the moment I saw it...

And now, with Pinterest, I feel inspired to make my house homey every time I log on.

Here's some of my favorite homey place and spaces from Pinterest...

I just want to encourage you to dream big when it comes to your dream home and home projects. You don't have to spend tons of money to make your house homey.  Start small changes and you'll see a big difference. 

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 4 - How to Hang Wall Art

Have you ever walked into a room and the first thing you notice is how high the art is hung on the wall?

http://www.squidoo.com/ten-biggest-decorating-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them

I have.  It's probably my mother coming out in me, but it's something I definitely notice and it usually ends up bothering me a little (OCD, much?) ha!  There are a couple of fail-proof tips that can help you hang that piece of beauty in the most perfect spot.

1.  The top of the frame should never be higher than the door frame.  There are always exceptions to this rule, especially with big art pieces, but as a rule of thumb, if you have a 'regular' size piece of art or smaller, make sure it's not sticking up higher than your door frame.

2. The rule my momma always taught me was to hang your picture at eye level.  This can be tricky since we're not all the same height.  So, we will go off of the average eye-level height of a person at 57".  The center of your wall art should be at 57".  This is probably not where your nail/hook/wire/whatever is. So...

1. Measure and lightly mark 57" on the wall
2. Measure top of your picture to the middle (or take height and divide by 2)
3. Measure top of your picture to the tightened wire (a small amount)
4. Subtract this last amount to tell you how far above 57" your hook should go
5. Measure up from 57" with this last amount and lightly mark on the wall

This also works for hanging groups of pictures.  Just always remember the CENTER of your picture (or group of pictures) should always fall at 57 inches from the floor.

Some picture hanging tips that I've seen on Pinterest:

http://theindustrialcottage.blogspot.com/

Mark your nail spot by putting toothpaste on the back of the picture

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

Use a Coke tab to make your own hook to hang your picture from

http://mmscrapshoppe.blogspot.com

Use a clothespin and nail to mark your spot on the wall.

Hope this helps!

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 3 - Making My Own Laundry Detergent

I've been wanting to make my own laundry detergent for awhile now.  Laundry detergent is just too expensive.  I found the recipe for a dry/powder laundry detergent on a blog: Being Creative to Keep My Sanity through Pinterest (gotta love it!) that I thought would be the best option for me.  I actually use liquid detergent when I purchase it, but after looking at a couple of homemade liquid detergent recipes it seemed like too much of a hassle.  With the powder detergent, the most work I have to do is grate some soap.

It only takes 1 TBS./load...that's ONE TABLESPOON PER LOAD!!!!  This makes a TON!  It will last for MONTHS and MONTHS!  I'm super excited about this.

This is what you need:
1 - 4lb. box of Borax ($4.09)
1 - 4lb. box of baking soda ($3.38)
1 - 4lb box of washing soda ($3.15)
3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap($1.29 each = $3.87)
1 tub of Oxyclean (I used the Kroger brand, it was half the price of actual Oxyclean and I really like Kroger brand items) ($3.59)

Total = $18.08

(By the way, if you live in Cookeville all of these items are at Kroger in the laundry aisle except for the baking soda...it's in the baking aisle.)

The hardest part of this recipe is that you have to grate all of the bars of Fels-Naptha soap.  I grated the first bar by hand with my grater and decided to do the other 2 with my food processor.  It took a lot less time in the food processor, so if you have one, I'd use it.

Then, you mix all of your ingredients together.  I got a 16qt. Rubbermaid storage container and stirred it in that.  Worked out great.  And, it really does make your house smell so good while you're making it.

I'm washing my first load with it right now.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

(Side note: this detergent will not suds up, so trust you've put in enough)

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 2 - Folding a Fitted Sheet

My Mimi would be so proud that I'm blogging about folding sheets.  She was a Home Ec. teacher.  She taught me how to set a table properly, and that I didn't need to put my elbows on the table.  I'm very thankful for everything she's taught me from etiquette to self worth.  Mimi has alzheimers now, but I know if she was her normal self, she would have the neatest linen closet with folded AND ironed sheets.

I came across this video and it seems pretty simple...(even though I think it's hilarious that she refers to folding sheets as one of the biggest challenges you'll ever face in life! -- I don't know about that, but I do know, when my linen closet is nicely organized, a little piece of me feels nice and organized on the inside.) ;)

But, as many times as I watched this clip, I still couldn't get it her way.  So I did a variation....

Here's my attempt:

I still have some work to do to get those crisp lines.  My guess is that's where the ironing comes in...and I'm thinking that's where I'll draw the line. Ha!  It also could have to do with this particular sheet being a jersey knit.

I also came across this interesting sheet storage tip on Pinterest:

Store the sheet set in one of the pillow cases.


Any of you all have success at folding fitted sheets?  Any tips?