Making Your Home a Haven Challenge: Day 1
Welcome to the Making Your Home a Haven Challenge! Are you ready to get your home more in order and bless your family in the process? I know I am.I hope some of you will join me in this challenge, but more importantly, I know that I need the challenge. Things have been a little out of order here the last few months with travels, sickness, and my husband starting his own law firm... and our home has reflected this. So I'm hopeful that the next two weeks I can focus on getting things back into order here so that our home can become more of a haven of refreshment to my family and all those who would enter its doors.
Today's Challenge:
1. Refresh Your Spirit (5 minutes)
Take five minutes, brew a cup of tea or coffee, and sit down and be still before the Lord. Pray, read a Psalm, thank the Lord for His goodness and blessing in your life.
Having a home that is a haven starts with an inner peace in our own hearts, a quiet resting in the Lord. You can have a beautifully decorated home with everything neat and orderly, but if you are frazzled and frustrated, your home will not be a peaceful place. After all, the saying is so true, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."
So before you do anything else today, take time to refresh your spirit in the Lord.
2. Take Time to Plan (5 minutes)
Today's planning project is centered on a morning routine. This is a habit I used to follow faithfully and have fallen out of somewhat in the last few months. So I'm determined to re-develop this again!
Write down five things you want to do in the same order every morning. Keep it simple and only stick to five things. If five things seem overwhelming, start with three. Starting somewhere is better than not starting at all!
We'll be keeping each other accountable for our morning routines over the next few weeks. Put your list in a very conspicuous place and consult it first thing each morning.
I'd love to have you post your list on your blog to share with us.
3. Do Something! (5 -15 minutes)
Each day I'm going to be giving you a simple organizational task to complete in your home. And today we're going to start at the very beginning - a very good place to start!
Put on an apron, light a candle, and turn on some uplifting music. Then go to your front door and pretend you are a first-time visitor to your home. Walk in and take a look around. What is your immediate impression of your home? Is it calm and clean or cluttered and chaotic? Take five to fifteen minutes to clean, de-clutter, and beautify your entry area. Do a quick pick up if there are items out of place, mop or vacuum the floor, shake the rug, spot clean the walls, and rearrange things.
Take before and after pictures if you'd like and post them to share with us.
I'll be posting my pictures and telling you more about what I did for the challenge today in a later post. I'm off to get started!
Graphic from Art.com
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Would you like to join us in this "Making Your Home a Haven" Challenge? Just do one or more of the challenges listed above or something else related to "making your home a haven" and post about it on your blog. Come back here and leave your link below so that we can be inspired!
posted by Crystal Paine at 6:30 AM
39 Comments:
Oh dear! I see my comment has my last 'addendum' from my name and blog url! LOL....Hmmm...I had no idea it would do that! Thanks for the challenge, Crystal!!
This is great Crystal!
I am posting mine here since my blog is private (per dh's request).
1. Get up read Bible while coffee maker is running.
2. Fire up computer and check email
3.Check online school for ds and dd
(download necessary lessons, etc)
4. breakfast (by this time kids are awake, start laundry for day
5. Shower for mommy, kids can watch Handy Manny on Disney channel.
6. Start school and mommy works on kitchen chores and hlps them with school as necessary and keep s working on laundry too!
wonderful idea, a good challange.
These are great places to start everyday! Thanks for the challenge.
I'm SO excited and motivated after reading your post with the challenges. I think this should be a regular feature on your blog! I don't have my own blog, so here are my five things to do this morning:
1. quiet time and exercise
2. feed, bathe, dress children
3. get children started on a craft
4. start laundry
5. put supper in the crock pot
I'm anxious to see your pictures! :) I just love your blog and check it at least once a day.
I left a link to my before and after pictures.
Here's my list:
1- Tea, prayers, Psalm, breakfast
2- Plan day - Make list
3- Pick up main part of house
4- Get dressed
5- Check email (it's important that I not go directly to the computer or I get sidetracked!!!
Thanks for the inspiration!!!
-Heather from Doodle Acres
It's amazing what CAN be accomplished in a mere 5 minutes when you are used to multi tasking!
I don't have a blog, but I'd like to take up the challenge. The five things I'll do/do anyway without fail (except I don't do #5) are:
1. Make bed
2. Dust
3. Sweep/vacuum all floors
4. Detail bathroom
5. (This is what I don't do)check fridge for crumbs and drips, discard older food. Wipe lids, if necessary.
Patricia
I'll be joining you!
Thank you for taking the time to do this for us. This is such a blessing
Thanks for the challenge Crystal! I'm looking forward to participating
Excellent Challenge! Thanks, by the way, for doing this. Ever since you posted about doing this, I have been thinking about this topic. God has really used it to inspire and direct me. In fact, I am starting to blog some of my thoughts about making our home a haven. http://womanlypursuits.blogspot.com/2007/12/making-our-home-haven.html
Thank you for putting that phrase into my head. :-)
And I hope to join you in some of your challenges!
This is a great challenge! Thanks!
Hi,
I am new to reading your blog a friend said I should check this out! I was wondering if you had read, Heaven at Home, by Ginger Plowman...? This is right up the alley of the book. Thanks for the encouragment and I will check back when I have more moments to read!
:) Blessing, Gi
Woo hoo! I'm excited about this challenge!
I've been working to make our apartment a home--I'm glad to be doing it with other bloggers!
Oh Crystal! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! God used you greatly today to get me on track! God really taught me hands on this morning some very encouraging truths!
Hi Crystal,
I don't have a blog but would like to join this challenge. My five things to do every day are:
1. Quiet time and prayers
2. Start load of laundry
3. Make breakfast
4. Pack lunch
5. Get dressed
thanks for this crystal...
quiet time for mom, is not a problem for me... i need to get my behind going...
0.5) GET KIDS READY FOR SCHOOL (i do this no problem)
1) make bed
2) get mommy dressed
3) run dishwasher
4) clear dining table (fresh cloth)
5) tidy living room
wish me luck.....i will NEED it...
Celina in Canada
Thank you for the challenge. This is one I think I can do!
I hope I've linked in correctly. I've never done this before!
Thanks so much for doing this Crystal! I don't think you could have picked a better time! Blessings to you!
Oops! My internet time is up before I remembered your challenge.
Count me in for tomorrow, though.
Luckily, I straightened our back entrance and arranged some baskets of winter greens yesterday afternoon.
I'm in! Thanks for the challenge.
Terri
www.backdeck.wordpress.com
Count me in, too! Did you know that "spring cleaning" before Christmas is actually a Scandinavian Advent tradition? May our cleaning muscles inspire our spirits to prepare for our Lord...
Great idea and motivation! I can't wait to see what is next!
I am joining the Challenge and am very excited. I have also slacked on some things around here as I'm trying to find a balance between making my home a haven and spending time with the occupants of the home, my two dc. I try to include them in whatever I'm doing.
5 things in the morning:
1) Get up at a regular time and walk for 20 min on treadmill and pray at the same time. I do much better praying walking than sitting.
2) Shower, dress, hair and atleast minimal make-up.
3) Make bed.
4) Read Bible and eat. Take vitamins.
5) Spend 15 min with dh before he goes to work. We pray and talk.
My entryway is right into the living room. My piano is right there and this tends to be a catch all. It is now clean and so is the entry closet.
It was fun to light a candle and turn on some Christmas music by the John Marshall Family. I'll have to do this more often.
Thanks for the challenge, Crystal. It's a great way we could all encourage one another. I love to see everyone's before and after pictures, for some reason it's encouraging. I dont' have a capability to do this. Sorry.
Edwena
Thank you for this challenge. What great motivation! At first I felt sad because I don't have a "home" to make a haven right now, but where ever I am with my husband is home and God is with me no matter where I am at all.
So I've decided to take you up on this and have a
"Making My Hotel Room a Haven" Challenge.
Today I started by finding some place to put away some different craft supplies and things that I had just sitting out and cluttering our room.
I'll also clear off the desk and other surfaces of papers and books to allow my husband to be more comfortable in this small space.
Hi Crystal!
Great idea! Can we do one after Christmas too to help us clean up?!
Kim :-)
Great idea Crystal! I'm really enjoying this series of posts.
what a wonderful idea. i have found that as my children leave the nest i become less and less organized. my mornings become slower and slower and that is not good. so i greatfully take up your challenge and look upon you as a messenger from God to get myself going in the morning. the remaining children need me to be as organized and as quick in the mroning as the ones who came before. thank you. ann k
Fun! I greatly appreciate the challenge and the encouragement. I made a 5 step list several months ago and put it on my fridge. This is a good reminder and encouragement to stick to it! Mine includes:
1. Devotions
2. Make myself look presentable and pleasing for the day
3. Prepare breakfast
4. Quick house pickup
5. Make dinner preparations
Thanks!
Lindsay
passionatehomemaking.com
I made tea, read Psalms (I guess we're all in Psalmy moods today) and began a list.
After the boys woke up, I pulled everything off my bookshelf in the master bedroom, dusted the shelves, and replaced the books I wanted to keep. Between my shelves and doing the boys' shelves over the weekend, I have EIGHT bags to donate to the thrift store!
This is a great idea! I hope the accountability and community of participating in a challenge like this will help me maintain some consistency!! I'm not so good at the consistency part.
Thanks for hosting it!
Done! :) Look forward to tomorrow's challenge. :)
Oops! I quickly read through your post and only later did I realize that you meant something slightly different than what I posted.
But thanks for the encouragement. I read my bible daily for at least 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening.
Anyway, I thought the challenge was a great idea.
Thanks,
MP
I was feeling down this morning because my husband was supposed to have the day off, but got called into work anyway. I was trying to get motivated to get going on the day and just roll with the punches, but decided to have a little quiet time and check your blog before starting on the chores. WELL, I must say your post on making home a haven really cheered me up--thanks! :) My little son loved helping me clean up our front and back entries and it really lifted both of our spirits. He kept chattering to me about how surprised Daddy would be when he got home from work and didn't trip over our usual shoe pile. :)
I'm so excited to see what tomorrow's challenge is. It's amazing how doing something simple like straightening a couple drawers or putting out some new candles can not only make your house outwardly look nicer, it also influences the whole atomosphere of our home and how people feel inside when they are there. Thanks again!
P.S. My husband noticed the improvements and commented several times tonight on how nice everything looked. Thanks! :)
I am getting started late, since I just received the challenge (at 9 pm on Monday).I am looking forward to the challenge. I love accountability.
Hooray! I finally got mine posted. What a great challenge, and sadly, it was one sorely needed for me. Thanks for doing this, it's fun!
I found this from my Best Friends blog. I really hope this works!
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