Monday's challenge: Making My Home a Haven
I tend to struggle on Mondays with getting back into the swing of a schedule. I've been making a concerted effort on Sunday nights to try and get things as much in place as possible to alleviate this, but I think that knowing I had posted the Making Your Home a Haven challenge for today and knowing I was going to have to report back in to you all really helped keep me on track. (Ah, what accountability can do!).
My day started, like usual, at 5 am with prayer and time in God's Word. I love the morning quiet when it's just me and Kaitlynn and the Lord - the time to prepare my heart for the day and ask the Lord to multiply my time and go before me and love through me. I'm reading in Genesis right now and thoroughly enjoying it.
We pretty much followed our schedule today, with little exception. So my morning routine goes like this:
Quiet Time/Nurse Kaitlynn
Exercise
Shower/Dress/Start Laundry
Make Jesse's Lunch
Make tea/take vitamins
Once I've accomplished that, so long as both girls are still sleeping and Jesse's already gone for the day, I get to "reward myself" with some blogging and email time. I really make a point to not get on the computer in the morning until my morning routine is accomplished. And then, once I do get on the computer, I set the timer and shut off my computer when the timer goes off. I've learned the hard way that not being disciplined in this area really affects my home and family.
After computer time, I get both girls up and dressed and then we gather round the table for breakfast and Bible time. We're reading Genesis 1 everyday, working on ABC memory verses, and reading a short story from Kathrynne's picture Bible. Kathrynne especially enjoys this time and I love to see her soaking up Scripture.
Once Bible time was finished this morning, I took a few moments to write out a short to-do list:
We cleaned up the kitchen, swept and mopped the floor, and then headed for our bedroom where I folded laundry while the girls watched their reading video.
Kaitlynn went back down for her morning nap and Kathrynne and I got busy working on the coat closet. Ack! It needed some work:
Bottom of the closet- After
Top of the closet- Before
Top of the closet - After
Kathrynne and Kaitlynn love, love, love school time. In fact Kathrynne begs for it all day. I hope the enthusiasm continues. We are having so much fun learning together.
Once school time was over with, we made a quick trip to CVS to pick up some of the great deals they have going on this week (check out my post on MoneySavingMom to see the bargains we snagged!) and then the girls went down for a late night and I did some computer work and then worked on getting dinner together. And now it's time to eat dinner...
Maybe I'll get to tackle the rest of my to-do list tonight, probably not. I'm just happy to have gotten 6 of the things done off of it. The rest can wait until tomorrow.
My day started, like usual, at 5 am with prayer and time in God's Word. I love the morning quiet when it's just me and Kaitlynn and the Lord - the time to prepare my heart for the day and ask the Lord to multiply my time and go before me and love through me. I'm reading in Genesis right now and thoroughly enjoying it.
We pretty much followed our schedule today, with little exception. So my morning routine goes like this:
Quiet Time/Nurse Kaitlynn
Exercise
Shower/Dress/Start Laundry
Make Jesse's Lunch
Make tea/take vitamins
Once I've accomplished that, so long as both girls are still sleeping and Jesse's already gone for the day, I get to "reward myself" with some blogging and email time. I really make a point to not get on the computer in the morning until my morning routine is accomplished. And then, once I do get on the computer, I set the timer and shut off my computer when the timer goes off. I've learned the hard way that not being disciplined in this area really affects my home and family.
After computer time, I get both girls up and dressed and then we gather round the table for breakfast and Bible time. We're reading Genesis 1 everyday, working on ABC memory verses, and reading a short story from Kathrynne's picture Bible. Kathrynne especially enjoys this time and I love to see her soaking up Scripture.
Once Bible time was finished this morning, I took a few moments to write out a short to-do list:
We cleaned up the kitchen, swept and mopped the floor, and then headed for our bedroom where I folded laundry while the girls watched their reading video.Kaitlynn went back down for her morning nap and Kathrynne and I got busy working on the coat closet. Ack! It needed some work:
Bottom of the closet - Before
Bottom of the closet- After
Top of the closet- Before
Top of the closet - After
Much better! I tackled #1 and #2 on my to-do list (calling the bank and the eye dr.) in a few spare moments and then we did some general pick up.
It was time to get busy with some baking and cooking. First we made up some of our easy barbecue chicken pizza for dinner. We stuck it in the refrigerator to bake right before dinner.
Then we made up some homemade whole wheat bread.
And then it was time for a quick lunch of baked potatoes and cheese with veggies before we sat down for our school time.
It was time to get busy with some baking and cooking. First we made up some of our easy barbecue chicken pizza for dinner. We stuck it in the refrigerator to bake right before dinner.
Then we made up some homemade whole wheat bread.
And then it was time for a quick lunch of baked potatoes and cheese with veggies before we sat down for our school time.
Kathrynne and Kaitlynn love, love, love school time. In fact Kathrynne begs for it all day. I hope the enthusiasm continues. We are having so much fun learning together.Once school time was over with, we made a quick trip to CVS to pick up some of the great deals they have going on this week (check out my post on MoneySavingMom to see the bargains we snagged!) and then the girls went down for a late night and I did some computer work and then worked on getting dinner together. And now it's time to eat dinner...
Maybe I'll get to tackle the rest of my to-do list tonight, probably not. I'm just happy to have gotten 6 of the things done off of it. The rest can wait until tomorrow.
Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
posted by Crystal Paine at 6:31 PM
16 Comments:
Crystal, your girls are darling and I really am just loving your blog!
I can totally agree with your statement about your computer time and I think I am going to use your idea of setting a timer as well. It is so easy to waste precious time on the computer and I really feel the effects of it around my home and with my family if I over-indulge in this area.
Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Crystal,
It looks like you had a lovely productive day!
The girls look so sweet together. It's great that they are already having school time.
Keep on enjoying them :)
Stacy
Wow, how do you get up at 5:00 a.m.! Do you do that everyday??? I want your energy! Can you blog some my way :)
On another note, just out of curiosity--I am finding it easier to do "school" time from about 12 till 3 or 4 (mind you this is with my 6th grader too) But I am new to homeschooling--Did your mom "school" you around that time too??? Did she find that getting stuff done in the morning and then schooling worked for her too?? or do you intend to change that as your daughters get older?? Just wandering--I guess when you have grown up in "regular school" you think it has to be done in the morning hours. But that just does not work well for me--my whole day gets out of wack.
I also like your timer idea--I need to get one of those!
Oh your girls are so beautiful. I remember when my two were little like that, it is such a precious time. Now my oldest just turned 13They always have loved each other, even though they do argue sometimes. I have always prayed over their relationship to be great friends. Thanks for sharing!
Does the sleeper your baby's wearing have an elephant on the left side? Just wondering because it looks exactly like the one my daughter's wearing.
Your bread looks yummy! Mine always falls.
I always love your "about my day" type of posts. :)
I didn't do anything very home-haven-y today, but it was 62 degrees outside so I took the boys out to the driveway to play with their tricycles and toys. I guess when it's that warm outside in January, it's more fun to play outside than to have a clean home, right? ;)
I was looking at your closet pictures and wondering what the green gingham sleeping/duffel-bag-sort-of-thing was, when I realized... it's the plastic bag holder that I made for you a looong time ago!! How funny! :)
Sounds like you had a wonderful, productive day with your home and your girls. I love how you are teaching your girls already to be keepers of their home and to love learning. As the mother of boys, I pray that there are many mothers like you training their girls to be wonderful, loving homemakers. Those are the ones I want my sons to marry someday!
I love, love, love homemade bread!
Wow, productive day.....
My first thought was "She shuts off her computer!!!" I don't shut mine down except once a day usually, but sometimes it can stay on for a couple of days. I do use a power save, but my dad taught me not to turn on and off a computer too much. Do you have something you can sign out of so it takes a bit of work to get back in it?
My daughter loves, "Peter's Sailboat." Isn't it a sweet story? I love Rod and Staff little Jewel Books, we have almost all of them and I've noticed that my daughter has picked up some very good things from them. She says thank you for just about everything from reading "My Thank You Book." I enjoy seeing what you do with your girls because my girls are both similar in age to yours.
God Bless!
Seriously. Is your writing *always* that beautiful?
Crystal,
I so enjoy your blog...you have been a great encouragement to me in my life at home. I don't comment often, but I just had to say today...your closet looked great in your before shot!!!...that's not a mess :-)!!! Come take a look at a mess...
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mlbainbridge/457948/ .
Thanks for your encouragement!!
Michelle
www.homeschoolblogger.com/mlbainbridge
Hi Crystal, I just wanted to let you know that I love your blog! I check it every day and have told many other people about it! By the way that barbecue chicken pizza is delicious! Keep writing! You are and inspiration! God Bless! :)
Hi, Crystal --
I have a question on your pizza. I tried the recipe and couldn't figure out how much it should make. I just made one pizza and it ended up being way too thick! Another time, I used 3/4 the amount of dough and it was too thin! What size pizza(s) do you end up with when you make it? And how do you roll out the dough? I can't get this right!
Whoa! That wheat bread recipe is unbelievable!
I made it this evening and it is WONDERFUL! I know this sounds funny, but I've had a lot going on lately (stresses and changes...), and I have not been been able to get a loaf of bread to turn out. I'm not kidding! I've had more flops the last couple weeks than I've had since I got my machine.
This was so so so good. My new absolute favorite! Thanks!
How long do you set the timer for???
20 minutes? And do you go back to it? OR is that it for the day?
Just curious. Trying to get into a routine over here!
Thanks for the tips(even though, you probably didn't know you were giving them!).
†
Natalie
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