Making Your Home a Haven Monday: Refresher Series
Well, I was almost thinking about retiring this series since it seems like participation has been rather low recently and that's normally a sign of a lack of interest. However, after the comments on this post, I've decided to keep it around for awhile.
So, back to our refresher series we go...
As always, remember to tailor this challenge to your family and your home; don't feel like you have to do everything or even anything I suggest. The goal is to make your home a welcoming haven for your family and all who would enter it's doors. My suggestions are just that--suggestions. Take them or leave them based upon the season of life you are in and what works for you:
Today's challenge:
1) Refresh your spirit (5 minutes)
Like last week, brew a cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa, or make a tall glass of iced tea and sit down for a few moments of quiet with the Lord. I encourage you to take some time to pray over your day--bringing the activities planned before Him and asking Him to go before you and bless your endeavors for His glory.
STOP: Have you done your morning routine yet? If not, stop here and start with that. When you've finished it, come back here for your next assignment. :)
2) Take Time to Plan (5 minutes)
Do you have a plan for today? A few minutes of strategic planning before you begin your day can not only help you to be much more productive, but it can also save you a lot of time.
If you have not done so, make a short to-do list for today of things you need to do or would like to accomplish. If you are married, I encourage you to ask your husband if there is anything you can do for him today. If he mentions anything, make that your top priority to accomplish today.
Keep your list it to ten items or less. Number the items in order of importance and tackle the first one. Don't move on to #2 on your list until #1 is completely finished.
Post your list on your blog and cross things off as you finish them! Let's help keep each other accountable. Remember, though, to see your list as a guideline, not a slave master. The list is just meant to help you not be aimless. If other things come up which are more important, be cheerful and flexible.
3) Do Something! (10 minutes)
Since we tackled our entryways two weeks ago, we're moving on to our living rooms today. Light a candle, put on your apron, turn on some uplifting music, and then set the timer for ten minutes and get busy cleaning your living room! Start by putting throwing out trash, putting away misplaced items, and straightening up things. If you have time, do a quick dust and vacuum of the room.
Lord-willing, I'll post what I did for this challenge along with pictures in a separate entry later today.
Graphic from AllPosters.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!
Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
posted by Crystal Paine at 8:50 AM
19 Comments:
I DO HOPE YOU KEEP THE CHALLENGES UP, THEY REALLY HELP KEEP ME MOTIVATED. GOD BLESS DELILAH
i don't know if i'll get pictures posted, but i definitely love this, so please don't stop :)
I must say I like the original challenge better than the targeted challenges you were doing. My participation dropped due to a move and adjusting to a new living situation. I still drop by to read though! I am working on establishing new routines so I can jump back in.
I really enjoy and benefit from your Making Your Home a Haven series, so I hope you continue it!
One thing about this challenge, I would disagree that you accomplish #1 on your list before you start #2. Sometimes you can get more done by starting #1, starting #2, and then going back to #1 to finish it. Like starting a laundry wash, vacuuming a floor, then going back and drying the laundry. :)
I love these posts. I always am motivated to organize my own home, and love looking at other's projects and progress.
Have a great week!
Toni
Hope: Absolutely, however, if you start ten things and finish none, then it would be better to just stick to finishing the first thing on your list. At least you'd have one thing done for the day and not ten things half-done to greet you the next day.
Since I'm a highly-distracted person, this is how I have to think. It doesn't mean that I never start something and them move on to something else (I'm a mega-multi-tasker... to a fault!), but it does help me to focus on and try to finish one thing before moving on to ten other things.
Maybe I'm just weird, though... :)
Crystal,
No, you're not weird at all. I am the same way (highly distracted). I often wonder how I accomplish anything, lol.
I try and do the same - work on the first thing and move on. I also keep my list short. It's necessary having health issues, or I get very discouraged and feel like I haven't done anything.
It's nicer to look at a list of 5 items crossed off than a list of 12 items with only 5 crossed off. Must be a psychological thing. :)
I enjoy this series and although I don't post pictures I always read it and try to accomplish something you mention.
Crystal,
I do love this series HOWEVER much of the time the posts do not show up until after 2:00 in my time zone and by then I am done my chores and am ready for a nap :) So I haven't participated very much. Also the targeted challenges would be easier if I knew a day or so before. Since I clean a little each day, I need to rearrange my scheduled cleaning so I can participate in the target area you have chosen for the challenge. Just some thoughts!
AHighandNobleCalling:
In a perfect world where I had a clone, I'd post the challenge early, early Monday morning. Since blogging is something I do as I am able and my responsibilities as wife and mom are a much greater priority, I'm just happy to get the challenge posted by 10 a.m. (though I do *try* to have it written on Saturday and scheduled to run at 7 am; this rarely happens, though!).
However, you don't have to do the challenge on Monday, you can do it Tuesday or Wednesday or whenever. I mostly post it on Mondays for myself. :) In addition, the challenges I post are just *suggestions* for those who might need some extra motivation; I welcome others to join in and share anything they've done related to Making Your Home a Haven. If you've already done your chores for the day or something else to make your home a welcoming haven, feel free to post about that and leave your link. You might also try refreshing your browser if the challenge isn't showing up by 9 a.m. or so (not sure what time zone you're in). Sometimes Blogger is fussy and won't have it show up without refreshing your browser for a few hours.
Anyway, thanks for your understanding and thanks to everyone for being flexible and patient with me as blogging often takes a back-seat to *life* here.
Crystal, I have enjoyed doing the challenges! :) Thanks for doing this!! :)
I love Making Your HOme a Haven. Durring the week I try to do something that might be able to be posted on Monday. It makes my big chores fun if I take before and after pictures.
Also, I think people just might be out of the habbit of doing "Haven" posts, since they have been kind of hit and miss lately.
Thanks for doing one today!
I was hoping to use today's challenge to motivate me to get something done around the house, but I guess God had other things in mind. I sometimes get frustrated waiting because I think we're in different time zones as well, but I wholeheartedly agree with your response, Crystal. And even though I didn't complete the challenge yet, I did what you said when you said STOP and go back to refresh your spirit, even though I really wanted to keep on reading your blog. So thanks.
Merrilee
Oh Crystal, I certainly understand that blogging is not your first priority, but being a wife and mom is. I was just making an observation as to why participation may be low and why I have been unable to participate as often as I would like too.
I love your blog and am always impressed with how well you balance your role as a wife, mom, and business woman. Please don't take offense to my comment...none was intended. I appreciate all you do here very much.
And duh, I never thought of particpating on another day. Thanks for pointing that out to me! I will have to give it a try!
Stephanie
Stephanie: No offense. Just thought I should clarify. :)
And I wish I were SuperWoman. :)
Hi. I am new here. This refresher series is interesting in that it is similar to Flylady, another group I came across that helps women get their housekeeping lives together. Do keep your challenges up. You never know who it may help. I am a Christian believer myself, married now for almost 3 years to a wonderful guy. I went to a Christian oriented concert at Harvest with my sisters last evening. I felt encouraged after the service to dive into this book by Stormie Omartian called "The Power of a Praying Wife." I have read through a couple chapters so far. Anyway, I thought about this site I came across awhile back and decided to save it. You do a good thing. Keep it up. God bless.
Seeing your home tackling projects each week inspired me to do something similiar on my blog - which has been WONDERFUL for me!!
I now know that each Monday I'm taking on something that I'd normally dismiss... which means more work later.
There's just times we get behind, and it's nice for me to see there's other moms out there that still have some work to do too!
The Lord's even used it to help me work with my little ones, getting them into the routine.
My oldest (3) commented one Tuesday a few weeks ago about it being a messy Monday. Due to a long holiday weekend, it was Tuesday, but our week was really just starting.
I shared that it was Tuesday, and he quickly replied that it was still messy! :)So we had our Messy Monday day on Tuesday!
Candace
www.heaveninourhomes.com
I didn't have a blog to post on before, but I definitely did enjoy this series, and I'm happy to hear that it is not ending. And now that I have a blog up and running, I'll be able to participate online, too. Thank you!
Summer busyness is what's keeping me away and I'm sure for others as well. So if you do decide to retire it for awhile, maybe bring it back when it gets cold out again. Those seem to be the days where we all get so....stuck. I do love the series and participate in my own way. I just don't have time for pictures and posting my own right now! Thanks for keeping our dairy-ares in gear!
I really enjoy reading them every week, and I usually try to keep up but rarely post about it. Please keep doing them! They are encouraging to me, and even if only a few people also do it, it's encouraging and interesting and inspiring...
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