31 Days of Homemaking - Day 15 - Welcome Fall

I know it's been fall for a little while now, but I'm just now getting to decorate my front porch.  I love all things fall!  I decided to go with some mums and pumpkins.

I had a nice little brunch today and wanted to welcome my guests with fall...

Next year I hope to try a different look.  It's always fun to change things up.  

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 14 - Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my goals in life is to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!  I've been working on it.  I love baking cookies...there's just something about doing it that makes me feel at home.  So far I have 2 recipes that are in the lead, but since this is basically a life-long mission, I'm sure things will change.

One of my favorites was shared with me by a friend who found it on the little red house blog.

the little red house: chocolate chip coconut cookies

I LOVE THEM!  I do omit the coconut so it's just a regular chocolate chip cookie.  But this turns out chewy with a little crispy on the outside.  Perfect. 

My second favorite was found via Pinterest from Sunday Baker. This recipe includes a couple of packs of instant vanilla pudding.  It really keeps the cookies chewy and moist. 

SundayBaker.net - Snack That'll Last You All Week - Pudding Cookies

 Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe you want to share?

31 Days of Homemaking - Day 13 - Puttering

Never in my life have I heard the term puttering.  But, crazy enough, I do it all the time.  As I've been researching homemaking, I've learned that puttering is to occupy oneself in a desultory but pleasant manner, doing a number of small tasks.  In relation to homemaking, it's really the act of making your house a home.  Doing things like putting out candles and pictures, rearranging furniture, tablescaping, light gardening, and decorating in a non-pressure way.  Puttering is not to be confused with piddling (ha!) :)  Puttering really has a purpose.

If planning 'puttering' projects is allowed these are some I'd like to attempt:

Arranging candles in glass jars with coffee beans (or something similar):

via Pinterest vis HGTV

Arranging mums and pumpkins on the front porch for a nice fall welcome:

via Pinterest via scissorsandspatulas.com

I'd love to hang plates in my entry way like this...

via Pinterest via mmmcrafts.blogspot.com

What's your favorite puttering activity?

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!