31 Days of Homemaking - Day 12 - Children

Psalm 127:3 tells us that children are a gift from the Lord.

I believe it!  I love my sweet Emery Rose.  Since she's been born, my homemaking has changed drastically.  Now I have to think about laundry, food, baths, sleep, etc. for another person.  It can get overwhelming, but I've found a couple of tips that have helped so much.

1.  Have a routine!  Emery (and most children) work best on a schedule.  She wakes up right around the same time everyday which starts with a clean diaper, lots of love, a nursing session, and Mickey Mouse Club House (while I take a shower).  She always eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner right around the same time.  And she usually naps around the same time.  We also have a bedtime routine.  This makes life so much easier.  Unless we have a church activity, Emery is in bed between 6:30-7:30.  She thrives on structure.  That gives me 3-5 hours to myself or with Jeremiah before we go to bed.

2.  Get everything ready the night before.  Pick out your outfit, get homework finished, pack your lunch, pack the diaper bag, etc. the night before.  Then you don't have to scramble in the morning trying to get everything put together.

These are just 2 basic steps that have made all the difference for me.  In our home, we all know what's coming next (well, most of the time) :).  We have crazy busy schedules, so every little bit of organization helps!

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 11 - A Good Husband

Today is my 3rd anniversary!  So, I have to write a tribute to the best husband in the world!  Nothing makes homemaking more worth it than knowing my husband appreciates what I do for/at our home.  When I'm lacking motivation, I think of him.  I know he values the work I put into cleaning, cooking, and taking care of our daughter and home.  He's such a good husband!  One of the things that makes him so awesome is that he doesn't expect me to bare the 'burden' of homemaking alone.  He helps with cooking dinner, doing laundry, taking care of Emery.  He does the yard work and little fix-it jobs in our home.  PLUS, he's a full time graduate student and works full time as a financial planner.  And in the in-between time, he helps me with ministry and really carries a burden for our church members...wanting to see them living happy, loving, fruitful, grace-filled lives.  He's a good man and even better husband.

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 10 - A Little Pick-Me-Up

If you walk into my living room on most days this is what you'll find...

As you can see, we really needed a storage box.  I saw a super cute box at Sam's that was perfect for our living room.

It's amazing what a little box can do for a room!  

As I studied a few self-help :) cleaning books/websites, one of the things I learned was to time how long it takes to do certain cleaning activities.  In my mind it took something like 15 minutes to empty and fill the dishwasher and 30 minutes to do laundry.  After timing myself, I found out it actually only takes a couple of minutes for me to do my dishwasher and a few more to start laundry.  This helped me realize that I really do have time to do little things that make a big difference in the appearance of my home and make me feel better.

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 9 - Rest

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. – Matthew 11:28

What a week!  I'm worn out!  So, I'm taking a rest from homemaking today.  I'm not even going to empty the dishwasher.  :)  I'm sure it'll wait for me.

AMEN!

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.