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Frugal Friday: Eight Tips for Saving $100 This Year
 Inspired by this post of mine, Hope emailed in the following article. Enjoy!Eight Tips for Saving $100 This YearGuest Post by Hope Ware1. Combine trips. With the price of gas being $3.00 a gallon, this is a big savings. I save the Sunday fliers that have items that I am interested in looking at later in the week. Then, I make a master list of all of my "stops" and what items I will purchase at each place. I pull all coupons ahead of time and clip them to the list. My husband is great at looking at my list of stores and planning the "master driving route" that will make the most sense and save the most miles. 2. Eat more beans.Beans are an incredible source of fiber and protein. We purchase organic ones in 25-pound bags from a Whole Foods Co-op. It makes the price very reasonable. Think outside the box. Beans can be used in a huge variety of ways--not just in soup. Many, many beans can be cooked without any added meat and will still give you that "meaty" texture and full feeling of meat. I make lentil burgers that we top just like hamburgers--at a fraction of the price. Remember that most beans need to be soaked overnight in twice as much water as beans. Add 1-2 Tblsp. of vinegar to aid in digestibility. Cook a huge batch of beans and freeze them in 2-4 cup zippered bags in the freezer. Then, when you need them for a recipe, the hard work of soaking and cooking is already done! 3. Institute a weekly baking day. Each week, I use one day as a day to bulk bake. I bake 3 loaves of bread, 2 tins of muffins, 2 tins of cornbread, and any other bread that I might need during the week. One reason I like to make a weekly menu plan is that I can consult it ahead of time and see what bread products I'll need that week. I always bake a little more than I think I will need. Muffins freeze great and can be thawed in small amounts for lunches for the children or for your husband to take to work. Think ahead while have the oven heated up on baking day. Throw in a few potatoes to bake at the same time. I always bake twice as many potatoes as we eat in one meal. The first half of the potatoes are served with some sort of meat dish. The extra ones are eaten as a "baked potato bar" the next night with various toppings on the table. The whole family loves this tradition. 4. Eat less meat!We try to eat vegetarian 2-3 nights a week. I make one night a "main meat" night. I have three (soon-to-be four) sons and one hungry husband. I would face a major mutiny if I didn’t serve "meat on a platter" once a week. So, I pick one day in which they can be carnivorous. After that, meat is considered to be a "garnish" to go along with lots of grains and veggies. Think about trying more stir fry, homemade soups, and frittatas (that's a bit of meat with some veggies and beaten eggs thrown on top and cooked over low heat until the eggs are "set"). There are so many wonderful recipes that stretch your meat budget and are still so delicious that your carnivores will ask for more! 5. Use a weekly menu planning sheet.I like to use this menu planner because it has slots to allow me to simultaneously plan the menu and delegate who sets and clears the table and who does the dishes. With older children who take on these responsibilities, it is great to have it posted on the fridge. It saves a lot of time trying to figure out whose "turn" it is to do a certain chore. Each week, I choose two of my cookbooks and peruse them while planning the menu. I try to rotate cookbooks so I can get fresh inspiration each week. 6. Know what you have!This goes from food to all those hand-me-down clothes you have stored in the attic. You need to have a really good idea of what items you have on the pantry shelf. I match items that I have on hand with recipes when I do my weekly menu planning. Have a fairly well stocked cupboard so that you don't have to run to the store for just a few items that are missing in your weekly recipes. Put those hand-me-downs into Rubbermaid bins marked with the gender, season, and size on the outside of the bin. It makes it so easy to head to your storage area before the beginning of garage sale season and make quick list of what is missing from your child’s wardrobe. This way you will avoid buying what you don't need. 7. Hang your laundry on a clothesline to dry.My husband put a line up for me last year and I love it! We live on a very small city lot so space was a problem. We found a retractable five-line clothesline that hangs on the side of our house. My husband installed it so that the lines will pull out right over the driveway. This way if something falls while the children are helping me hang up the laundry or take it off the line, the item may need to be rewashed, but it isn't muddy from falling on the ground. I pull out the line, dry the clothes, and then, when I'm finished with drying the laundry, it retracts back into the holder until the next time. Wonderful!! We saved a ton of money on the monthly utility bills during the Spring, Summer, and Fall by using this clothesline. 8. Look for free fun!Save that park district book when it comes in your local paper or you find a copy of it at local businesses. Local park districts are goldmines for free or low cost fun! Our local Nature Center offers several free (or donation-only) classes per semester. Local parks have several free (or nearly-free) events every summer. The local civic band plays twice a week at a local park for free. The zoo even offers one free week during the summer. When you are at the local library always pick up a copy of the children's activity listings for the month. We have attended many free library events--and even counted some as "school" because some are so educational! -Hope has been married to Larry for nearly 20 years. They are both lifelong residents of Central Illinois and enjoy spending time together as a family. They are homeschooling three boys - ages 11, 9, and 3. Baby number 4 is due at the end of March. Hope enjoys cooking from scratch, budgeting, singing, and writing.----------------------- Join in Frugal Friday! Have a tip, resource, idea, or thought related to frugality? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and share the link with us below. Remember to keep it family-friendly. Thanks for participating. Labels: Frugal Friday
This week in books - Week 7
 Get More Done in Less Time (by Donna Otto) - This was one of the most motivational books I've read in a while and would highly recommend it. Donna's style is engaging and encouraging; she makes you feel like "Yes, I can do this!" Well, at least that's what happened to me.
I've used a planner for as long as I can remember, but in the past two years, I've fallen out of the habit of really utilizing one much more than a daily to-do list (I use Franklin Covey daily planning pages and that's about it). I also have a separate binder with our schedule and a home cleaning schedule in it that works pretty well, too. Because of both of these, I suppose you could say I was fairly organized and had a decent plan and framework in place. However, I've really been feeling like having more organization in my life could allow me to, well, get more done in less time. That my lack of organization and forethought in a number of areas was wasting precious time and energy. There are so many things that I want to do, would like to do, or hope to do, yet my days are already quite full and I'm often running behind. Donna's ideas and inspiration gave me hope that there's room for lots of improvement. I just have to stop making excuses and start doing it. My husband and I recently went out on a date and one question I asked him during the course of the evening was, "How can I best be your help meet during this season of our lives?" I thought he'd respond that I could give him more words of affirmation (his love language), or that he'd really like for me to help him research and complete this, that, or a number of other big projects he's currently working on. Instead, he surprised me by saying, "The way you can help me the most right now is by focusing more on managing our home well."
Woah! That's all? Really? As we talked more, I realized just how much a well-running, organized home is a blessing and help to him. I guess I knew it was somewhat important, but I never thought of it as the most important way I can help him right now. Armed with this knowledge, I've re-prioritized a number of things and am setting out, with God's grace and enablement, to be the best home manager I can be. Donna's book couldn't have come at a more timely moment--especially her ideas for utilizing a planner to be more organized. With Jesse's encouragement, I purchased more planning pages from GraceWorks and set aside every Saturday morning to go to a nearby coffeeshop and have a two-hour "retreat" to plan and prepare for the next week. I've only had one planning session and I've already seen a major improvement in my overall organization and our home has been running so much more smoothly. I feel like I have so much room for improvement, but I'm excited to become more organized so that I can get more done. As I learn and implement things, I'll be keeping you all posted!  What's the Difference? Manhood and Womanhood Defined According to the Bible (by John Piper) - I really liked the first half of this book which was defining manhood. In this day and age of weak and wimpy men, Piper gives a clarion call for men to rise up and be gentlemen, Godly men--leaders of their homes, their families, and their churches. I loved his concise and Biblical viewpoints on what makes a man a true man--it's not egotistical authoritarianism, it's humble, self-sacrificial servant-leadership. The second half, on womanhood, disappointed me. It wasn't so much that I necessarily disagreed with it, I just thought it was lacking. I sensed that Piper was trying hard to not offend anyone anymore than he must. In this "walking on eggshells," I felt he failed to hold up the glorious, noble, and worthy calling of women to be help meets, mothers, daughters, women of valor and virtue, as God created them to be. It is a glorious, magnificent calling and I would have loved to see that brought more to light. Bible Reading: I finished Numbers this week and am on track to finish Deuteronomy in the next few days! Labels: Reviews
24-Hour Special: Make cleaning fun for children!
Are you overwhelmed with housework and wishing you knew how to encourage your children to help you? Are you struggling to teach you children to enjoy cleaning and chores?My friends from Trigger Memory Systems have just the thing for you! For the next 24 hours, you can get their two best-selling products, Zone Cleaning for Kids and Bedroom Cleaning for Kids plus a free copy of their 20 Homemade Games for Learning ebook for only $22.95!
 Zone Cleaning for Kids is a fun and unique system is designed to help children visually and systematically work through cleaning the three main rooms of a house independently, and with ease. Step-by-step illustrations make it easy--non-readers can easily follow along and work independently! Simply flip to the first page in the laminated flipchart and follow the illustrated instructions. Mark with a check when completed and flip to the next page!  Children love knowing exactly what to do and enjoy the immediate sense of accomplishment as they flip the page. Bedroom Cleaning for Kids is a cute, sturdy, spiral bound, 8.5" X 5.5" flipchart walks children quickly and easily through the process of cleaning their room. It takes an overwhelming process and breaks it down into simple parts. Complete a step and flip the page. The fun, simple pictures (illustrated by one of our children!) make it easy for even pre-schoolers to use. A little bit of direction makes life much easier! Until tomorrow evening, you can get both of these colorful and motivational books plus a free copy of 20 Homemade Games for Learning for only $22.95 when you order here.Labels: Special Offers
Finding Time: Reader Tips #1
 I received lots of great tips and guest posts from readers for the Finding Time series. I'll be posting a sprinkling of these throughout the next few weeks as we finish up the series. Remember, as always, that these are just ideas that have worked for others--they may or may not work for you. These are to give you inspiration and helpful motivation; take what you find helpful and leave the rest. We can't all do everything at every season of life, nor should we try to!
From Kelly at The Barefoot Mama:
Keep your files and paperwork in one place. If you don't have a home office, I'd recommend a large Rubbermaid container with folders and a few shoe-box sized containers inside to keep items that may be smaller, i.e. receipts (organize in envelope monthly or categorically and then insert into small container). Running around after documents takes up time and so does putting them away. Keep it simple by always having the same place to turn to.
Remember, if you haven't used it in six months...toss it or give it away. A large part of cleaning and house maintenance involves "taming the clutter." Reduce it and it'll give you more time for other tasks.
Prepare and plan dinner ahead. It's easy and also fun! I love making a huge batch of meatballs at the beginning of the week (toss in some basil and rosemary for great extra taste!) and freeze them. I do the same with homemade chicken tenders and soups. Remember, you can make your own stocks and freeze those, too - freeze in muffin tins for one-serving portions. These are especially handy during the colder months of the year when little ones (or hubbies!) may need some chicken soup for the sniffles.
Give your best in all that you do. I find that I'm especially stressed and prone to The Frazzle Syndrome when I wake up and don't get going right away. I don't give all of my energy into getting dressed and ready to go, and then I find myself slouching, tired, and so forth. My energy is zapped before the day's even begun and I can't give my all in playing with my daughter or in cleaning my kitchen.
Most days I'm raring to go, and I spend a ton of quality time with my 18-month-old little gal, which 1.) gives me more energy and increases my focus in all areas, and 2.) gives her the "best" of Mommy so that she's quelled when I need her to play independently while I do dishes. My daughter is extremely active and wants my attention constantly (what little one doesn't?!). Giving her only half-hearted attention because I'm tired isn't quality time even if I were to spend the whole day playing with her. Put your whole self into each task and you'll be able to stay focused, energized and bless the people around you.
The most important: Remember that you're only in a "season" of your life. Right now, I'm the mother of a very energetic little toddler. I may lament those dirty dishes piling up because the night before was particularly chaotic and I may ask hubby to pick up Chinese on the way home because a little dearie rejected her noon naptime and decided to snooze from three to five instead. These days shouldn't be seen as frustrating--they're a blessing.
The blessing of motherhood, the blessing of family, and the blessing of being able to grow our relationship with God through understanding that we must be flexible, determined, forgiving and compassionate--just as He is to us. Learning to manage your time is all about learning to let go of unrealistic expectations and embrace both the crazy and the peaceful of this season in your life.
I am a mother of 3 and I've been a mom for almost 7 years. One of my children is special needs. We definitely have had our fair share of time management issues! Before I had kids, I thought I had it together pretty well.
I think one of the most fabulous ideas I have tried is to make yourself a WEEKLY to do list instead of a daily one. That way, when one day is going well, you can cross several things off. But when you are just having one of those "in pajamas all day and tired and crabby and just trying to make it" days, you don't have to be depressed or upset that you didn't get much done.
And always make nap time your "mom time." Sit down and do something for yourself so you can recharge and be ready to take on the rest of the day. For awhile, I made naptime "hurry up and do as many chores as possible" time, and it just beat me up. Now, I read a book, or blog, or answer emails, or take a nap, or if we're really behind...a shower! :) From Heather:I just started something new this week and it worked really well. I planned meals for the next two weeks, then shopped for two weeks' worth of groceries in the early morning before my family woke up. I'd planned everything out and estimated the cost, and was really happy that I actually came in under budget.
Like you've mentioned before, it's amazing how much you can actually do when you stay within your budget. I was able to buy $10 of organic produce which I would never had done if it hadn't been for the two-week plan and sticking to the budget. From Marianne: *Time management gets more essential and increasingly more difficult as your children grow into the school years. Set up a pattern/schedule for yourself long before you need to consider how a "school" schedule (whether public, private, or homeschool) will affect your day-to-day chores/tasks/errands.
*Summer time needs a schedule, too, albeit a "looser" one. Don't forget to add in activities that the normal school day make more challenging to do: go to the library one morning a week; a park another; a free day for the kids to have friends over on yet another day.
*Limit outside activities. No child need to be involved in an "enrichment" activity EVERY day of the week. Children need free time to play, explore, and just get bored (because that challenges them to come up with something to do by THEMSELVES); we limit "extra" activities to 2 days a week, including Saturdays.
*Set out EVERYTHING you'll need in the morning the night before. Everything--breakfast dishes, cereal boxes, coffee maker (couldn't survive the day without mine!). Lay out clothes for all the kids and for yourself with a choice of two shirts (if that's an issue with your child; my daughter wears a uniform so it's a non-issue here) and back-ups for last minute weather changes (sweatshirt/sweater/short sleeves/long sleeves). Put shoes, coats and backpacks in a central location by the door you'll exit in the morning, and stuff socks into the shoes so you're not scrambling for a clean pair at the last minute. And always pack those school lunches the night before; there's just no time in the morning if you wait!
Have a time management tip you'd like to submit to be included in this series? Email me.Labels: Finding Time
Adorable girls clothes from Babz Girls
 Thanks to Martha for alerting me to this website which offers some adorable handmade girls' skirts and dresses. The prices are very reasonable and they are having a sale right now which makes them even better. These skirts are sewn by Christian women from a church in Nava, Mexico. Your purchase provides an opportunity for the ladies to help support their families while still caring for their children. The "Dorcas House" where the ladies sew is located within walking distance of the church and many of their homes.  I don't have any personal experience with this company, so if anyone here does, please let us know. I also wasn't sure whether these were shipped from Mexico, which might make the price higher if it included shipping. Labels: Modesty and femininity
Amazing!
 Now this was a fascinating story: AHMADABAD, India — A newborn baby girl fell through the toilet in a moving train and onto the tracks moments after her mother prematurely gave birth, surviving nearly two hours before being found, relatives said Thursday.
Read full story. I'm not sure how the baby fell through the toilet (I'm assuming these are open on these trains? That's a bit scary to imagine!), but the fact that she was so premature and lived through all of that is just amazing.
I pulled my hair out all day to try and come up with this great Works-For-Me-Wednesday tip
 My mom is a stickler for clean combs and brushes. I think she washes hers in detergent every morning. After she alphabetizes the spices and washes down the plant leaves with cotton balls, that is. At any rate, I'm not quite so fastidious, but I do like to have a clean brush and comb. So here's my quick method (Promise me you won't laugh, okay?): after removing the hair from the brush (ick!), I throw the comb and brush into the washing machine with a load of laundry. Saves me the scrubbing with detergent part and the combs and brushes come out squeaky clean. For other, invariably less lame ideas, visit Works-For-Me-Wednesday.
Giveaway: A Virtuous Girl Bible Study
Winners of last week's Biscotti Gift Pack giveaway: Beth and Mommie
 From Michelle Zoppo and Queen Homeschool Supplies comes a brand-new Bible Study for Elementary-Aged Girls, A Virtuous Girl:This study for young girls is based on Proverbs 31, but goes much deeper that than, examining the lives of many different women of virtue found throughout the Bible. Find out what character qualities were in these women that made them worthy of mention in God's Word. This would be excellent for a mom to go through with her daughter. To enter to win a free copy of this Bible Study, leave a comment below with your name below and some way for me to contact you if you win (email or blog link). Comments will be opened through next Monday and a winner will be randomly chosen and announced next Tuesday. Open to U.S. residents only.Labels: Giveaways
Finding Time: Part 6 - Track Your Time
 Missed the first posts in this series? Start here.In seeking to simplify our lives in order to focus on what's important, it is helpful to determine how we are spending our time in the first place. Sometimes, we feel as if we don't have enough time at all but there is nothing we can do about it since it seems everything we are doing is absolutely essential. Maybe that truly is the case for you, but more likely than not, there are some areas in your day where time is being wasted or spent inefficiently. The best way to figure out how you are spending your time and ways to improve and become more efficient is to track your time for an entire week.
"An entire week?" you say, "I barely have time to brush my teeth. How am I going to find time to record what I do everyday?" Well, maybe you can't handle tracking your time for a whole week. If not, start with tracking what you do every 30 minutes for 2-3 days. Get a notebook and have it in a handy place. Then, as you go about your normal day, log what you spent your time on in 30-minute increments. Set the timer to go off every 30 minutes if you need the reminder to write it down. Once you've finished tracking your time for 2-3 days or longer, look back over your time log and determine where your time is being spent. If you're like me, when I've done this in the past, I've quickly been able to spot areas where I was wasting a lot of time and it's been incredibly eye-opening for me. My biggest time-wasters are getting distracted on unnecessary things and my all-time culprit--the computer. Knowing that these are two areas I struggle with, I've made a concerted effort to especially put boundaries in place to keep me on track. I have a good schedule in place for our day and it is printed out and put in my homemaking binder in clear page protectors. Since I love crossing things off a list, I use a dry erase marker to cross each time slot off the schedule as it's completed. This helps me greatly to stay focused and on track. We don't always follow the schedule perfectly, but it is a guideline and tool that keeps me from getting distracted, off-course, and letting time slip away needlessly. [Note: Having just finished reading Get More Done in Less Time, I've even more motivated to become more organized so that I might be even more efficient in my time usage. I just ordered new planner pages from GraceWorks (in addition to my basic FranklinCovey daily pages I use), Jesse and I figured out a time where I can have a weekly planning mini-retreat (Saturday mornings at the coffee shop by myself!), and I'm inspired to take organization up a notch so that I might be a better manager of our home to bless my husband and family and all who would enter our doors. I'll be sharing more on this as I continue to learn, grow, and put things into practice!] As far as computer time goes, my best solution has been to stick to the schedule and not allow myself to get on the computer unless it's the allotted computer time or I've gotten another job done early. My goal is that my family never sees me on the computer. I don't always perfectly achieve this, but it's what I strive for. I do not want my children to grow up feeling like I'm more attached to the laptop than them. And so I usually am only on the computer in the early mornings or in the afternoons during nap time/quiet time. You know what? Staying off the computer during most of the day means I get so much more accomplished! What about you? What areas do you find are your biggest time-wasters? What solutions have you found to keeping these from stealing your efficiency? Labels: Finding Time
Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Freezing cookie dough in small portions
 When making cookies, I often bake eight to twelve cookies (enough to last us for dessert and Jesse's lunch the next day) and then freeze the rest in small portions in zippered freezer bags. When we're hungry for cookies, we can just pull a bag out and make up some fresh cookies! This cuts down on our consumption of sweets since we eat fewer cookies when we make them in small batches and it also means we have hot and fresh cookies more often than the three-day-old variety. These bags of cookie dough are also great to have in the freezer for last-minute guests or when you need a quick dessert to take somewhere. And it's a lot less expensive and better for you than the storebought cookie dough, too! Visit Tammy's Recipes for more great kitchen tips. Labels: In the Kitchen
Special Offer from MarmeeDear.com
 Martha Greene from MarmeeDear.com recently released a beautiful blouse pattern which you seamstresses will love. This lovely feminine top is a semi-fitted blouse with a round plain neckline, button down front with the option of front tucked details or plain bodice front, a slightly dropped to the front bodice shoulder seam and the option of 3/4 or long sleeves and options of ruffled or plain sleeve and hemline edgings. It comes in Ladies' sizes 4-18.  For this week only, she's offering a special offer to my readers. Get $1 off plus a free copy of her ebook A Gown of Patience, with every order of her new pattern. Go here to order. Type in coupon code BW2008P when you checkout to get $1 off and the ebook free of charge!Labels: Special Offers
 "A wife, if she is very generous, may allow that her husband lives up to perhaps eighty percent of her expectations. There is always the other twenty percent that she would like to change, and she may chip away at it for the whole of their married life without reducing it by very much. She may, on the other hand, simply decide to enjoy the eighty percent, and both of them will be happy."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Love Has a Price Tag Labels: Marriage
I can't believe I said I would post these pictures...
...But a promise is a promise, so here are pictures from our messy dresser clean-up project:  A peek into the top drawer gives you a pretty good idea of how badly it needed cleaning. We pulled everything out of all the drawers and here's what it looked like--are you ready for this?  Yeah, it was bad. We found a couple of items we'd been looking for for quite some time which is not surprising when you see that big pile of stuff!  Here's the dresser with everything that belongs in it put back in. We came up with a bag of trash and a bag of garage sale stuff. Yay for clutter-reduction!  The top drawer is where we store most of the girl's books and puzzles. I eventually want to get a bookshelf for these but I'm looking for an exceptional deal first.  We keep her clothes drawer down low so she can put her own laundry away and dress herself. Now hopefully she'll be able to find her clothes much easier since this drawer is rid of a lot of clothes which she never wears or which no longer fit. The bottom drawer did have more clothes and shoes in it, but now that I went through the dresser and got rid of some stuff, that drawer is empty. I'm thinking on moving all Kaitlynn's clothes in there. Speaking of Kaitlynn's clothes, guess what this cleaning out helped me discover? Check it out here. That find alone, made this project worth the effort. All in all, it took about an hour to finish the dresser including numerous interruptions. And I am ever so glad to have it done! Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
Guest Post: "Busy at Home"
 Guest Post by Hope Ware
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."
Titus 2: 3-5, NIV
Scripture says that the older women are to teach the younger women to be "keepers at home" or "busy at home" as the NIV translation words it. I have sometimes wondered what exactly that meant. What should my day look like in order to be glorifying to God?Let us first consider the difference between "busy" and "busyness."If we have a home in perfect order, but a two-year-old that has been begging Mommy all day to read a story, then we are caught in "busyness." If your 10-year-old has to beg you to quit what you are doing on the computer to show him how to do his math equations, then we are caught in "busyness." "Busyness" will allow you to complete your "to do" list so carefully posted on your refrigerator but will not allow you to nurture those to whom the Lord has entrusted you.Being "busy at home" will allow you to feel confident in your God-given roll of homemaker, mother, caregiver, and nurturer. "Busy" gives a feeling of peace and satisfaction. It allows a knowledge of true order--which sometimes scarcely resembles a preconceived day of "things to do."From the phrase "busy at home," I came up with an acrostic to remind me of some things God has taught me about what it means to be "busy at home":
Building relationships
Utilizing your time
Serving others
Yielding yourself
At
Happy
Optimistic
Meek
Enthusiastic
Let's begin with building relationships - One of the primary privileges and responsibilities of a homemaker is to build relationships with those around us. This not only includes our husband and children, but also those with whom we come into contact.
I am a very content "homebody." I really, really like being at my home. We have learned to consider the opportunities that God has given us to build relationships with neighbors. We have older neighbors for whom my older boys mow their yard or take their garbage cans back up to their garage. Believe me, the very fact that you are actually staying at home, not working outside of the home, is a far bigger witness of your commitment to Christ and your family than you could ever imagine! We live in a large city where, as a stay-at-home mother, I am an enigma to most folks.
Utilizing your time - Although I've harped on being chained to a "to do" list, I really do utilize a daily plan. A plan is flexible enough to allow for life to happen. We all know that sometimes life intervenes in even the best of plans. We can react with frustration or accept that the plans have changed. You cannot predict illness in your family or in others. If you are chained to that list, you won't be able to effectively minister. You'll be too stressed out at having to change your personal plans on your list. Serving others - I have found that a primary means of serving others while still being a keeper at home involves planning ahead. I make soup several times a week in my crock pot. About 1/2 a large crock pot will serve our family of 5 (almost 6!). I freeze the other 1/2 of each soup recipe in a large resealable bag. (Freeze it flat and you’ll be able to stack several servings of soup in even a conventional refrigerator freezer.) When one of the neighbors or a church member is sick, we pull out a freezer bag of soup and a serving of fresh baked muffins or homemade bread and take it to them. I find that sometimes God will prompt me to make bread in the middle of the week and then I find that I need that bread to take to someone who is sick. A few years ago, my boys and I prayed that God would grant us a special opportunity to minister to someone in need that week. Two days later, our neighbor mentioned that his wife was very sick. I immediately replied, "Doug, allow me to bring over some soup and homemade bread." I had just made bread that morning. I told him that he had three choices as to the kind of soup. He replied that he didn't want to trouble me. But, I assured him that the soup was all made, in the freezer and just waiting for them. I went inside and told the boys that God had answered our prayers. We prayed a special prayer over the food for our dear neighbor and thanked Him for allowing us to minister to them. Then we all took it across the street. Yielding yourself - When you are a full-time homemaker, you must constantly yield your desires to God and place the wishes of others above your own. You can be a grouch about it, or you can do this with an attitude of joy.
The atmosphere of your home is determined by your attitude. Try it sometime. When you find yourself becoming irritated by being asked the same question for the tenth time, stop and analyze how you are responding to those around you. Then yield to the joy, which only the Holy Spirit can give you. All of a sudden, everyone else's attitude will seem to clear up. Really, it was the act of yielding that allowed the Fruit of the Spirit to manifest itself in your home that changed. 
Have a happy heart - I worked outside of the home in Christian Radio for 12 years (8 of those as a married woman). God did not bless my husband and I with children until we had been married for 8 years! I was 32-years-old before I became a mother for the first time.
We always thought that I would have to return to work even after having a baby. But, as soon as we saw that little "positive" sign on that test, we knew that I would quit my job and never return to the outside workforce again. God graciously granted my husband a new job just weeks before I gave birth to our oldest son that gave us just what we needed financially to meet our needs.
After being at home for a few weeks, my husband found me unusually quiet. (I'm not quiet by nature!) He asked me, "Aren't you happy at home? I thought this was what you wanted." I replied that it was what I wanted, but, I was unprepared for tasks that didn't get done or needed to be done (seemingly) just after you had gotten them done.
What I really liked about the workforce was the satisfaction of being given a project, planning it, executing it, and then sitting back and saying, "It sounds great--just like I envisioned it would." There wasn't a whole lot of that in motherhood--especially in the beginning. I found that what I needed to do was cultivate a happy heart. I learned to give thanks while folding laundry. (Even after all these years I still smile while doing this task.) I would think about each family member while folding little socks and outfits. I gave thanks that all of our needs were met. I gave thanks for a warm house in the winter. I gave thanks for a husband who enjoyed his job and waited to come in the door and spend time with his wife and children in the evening. I gave thanks for a house that, although small, met our every need. I changed my perspective and my heart automatically followed suit. Be optimistic - At one time I was so "bent" on saving every penny that we could, I drove my family insane for an entire year! I set a financial goal that was nearly unattainable to anyone of our income level. But, I was determined that it could be done. I would complain about a quarter here, a dime there, an extra car trip, anything that I considered unnecessary.
At the end of the year, we came within $400 of my goal. I was proud of myself. My family was just grateful that my year of "experimenting" with our tolerances was over. The problem? I was no longer trusting in God to meet our needs and stretch our resources. My optimistic spirit of thanks to God for every little blessing had diminished in my need to prove that I could make this "work."
Ladies, God will find it awfully difficult to bless you supernaturally if you are trying to make a budget "work" in your own strength. An optimistic spirit of believing that God has called you to be at home and He will meet your needs, will allow the windows of heaven to open and for blessings to fall in your home. Practice meekness - I used to think of meek as a weak, but my husband has well described it as "strength under control." A meek woman does not need to "blow her own horn." She will let her gifts and talents flow and allow others to notice not her, but the fruits of her labor: the children who sit quietly in church, the home that is freshly picked up, the yard that is well kept.
I tell my children that we might not have the nicest kitchen floor in town - but at least it will be clean! If you have an atmosphere of love, acceptance, and hospitality in your home, then people won't notice that the furniture doesn't match or that they are eating off of plates that are three different patterns. Keep a smile on your face and show those around you a countenance of joy and love and they will want to keep coming back for more--and so will your husband and children! Be enthusiastic! There is an old saying that "Enthusiasm Sells." Boy, is that the truth! Why else do you think that they have all those "satisfied customers" testify on infomercials? Because nothing sells a product like someone who is enthusiastic in their praise about performance, price, and the durability of any given product.
Well, ladies, enthusiasm sells in the realm of your home, too. My three-year-old recently told me that he doesn't like tomatoes. "Nonsense!" I exclaimed, "Look at that beautiful red tomato. Why God put an incredible powerhouse of disease fighting chemicals in every tomato. It is so sweet, so juicy, so tempting that you won't believe how wonderful it will taste."
You want to really hook him on the idea of eating it? Tell him, "Eat it and your body will fight off germs that try to get into it." Boys are seriously "into" the idea of conquering anything - including germs. The next time you start to feel that your role as a homemaker really is making very little difference, just repeat after me. "Are you kidding? I am raising up a generation of warriors for Christ! I am loving a husband who is leading our family in the ways of the LORD. I am a woman who knows her place in Christ and is in love with being busy at home!" 
-Hope has been married to Larry for nearly 20 years. They are both lifelong residents of Central Illinois and enjoy spending time together as a family. They are homeschooling three boys - ages 11, 9, and 3. Baby number 4 is due at the end of March. Hope enjoys cooking from scratch, budgeting, singing, and writing. (Note from Crystal: If you would be interested in submitting a guest post, please email me for consideration.) Graphics from AllPosters.com
Labels: Homemaking
Making Your Home a Haven Monday: Pick a Drawer!
 Today's project is to clean out and organize a drawer or dresser. Set a goal, set the timer, and get busy!I'll be tackling Kathrynne's dresser--which is in dire need of attention. (Has anyone noticed how many areas in my home need some serious attention of late? I think I fell off the deep-cleaning bandwagon in a bad way the last year. I suppose I could give the excuse of having a baby, but procrastination is really probably a more accurate reason.) I've received a lot of questions regarding organizing children's clothing and toys in the last year and, if anyone's noticed, I've never answered them. I hate to disappoint you all, but the truth is, I have no great ideas or system. My only "system"--if such a word can be used so loosely--has been to, um, make sure I can close the dresser drawers. So long as the clothes and toys could be stuffed in and the drawers could close, I shut the drawers and let them be. Great system, dontcha think?! As time has gone on, this "system" (or, ahem, lack thereof!) is becoming more and more of an issue since we have to dig through stuff to try and find anything we need. Which takes extra time and effort. Which is frustrating. And which often means we don't find what we're looking for because it's buried somewhere in one of the four drawers. In short, it's just not working and I've been determined to tackle this area for a few months. But alas, my procrastination problem has reared its ugly head and day after day passes without tackling the drawers. Armed with the 45-minute clean closet success of last week, I'm more motivated than ever to turn these overflowing, system-less drawers into something representing much more order. And yes, if you all will promise to be as gracious to me as you were last week, I'll post before and after pictures again. By the way, if anyone has great ideas for organizing children's clothing and toys in their rooms, I'd love to hear about it. Post about it on your blog and leave your link below, or leave a tip in the comments section. I'm pretty good at keeping clutter at bay, but I'm not so good at organizing the necessary items, so send any helpful tips my way--I could use them! To update you all on progress in other areas of our home:1) The laundry pile has stayed out of our room all this week! I've been doing 1-2 loads per day and making myself fold and put them away before I can go to bed each night. Thanks so much for the encouragement, ideas, and motivation; I'm really hoping this new system sticks. 2) The cleaned-out closet has stayed immaculate this week. I can't express how nice it is to open up the door and see an organize closet peering back at me! Graphic from AllPosters.com
--------------- Join in the fun! Post about your drawer reorganization or organization ideas for drawers and dressers on your blog (or anything else related to making your home a haven) and then come back here and leave your link below so we can all be inspired and motivated. Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
So much for thinking I was a good driver
Yesterday afternoon the girls and I bundled up and hopped into the van to brave the snow and cold for our weekly trip to the library. As I was getting into the driver's seat Kathrynne exclaimed, "Mama, that's Daddy's seat!"Thinking for another moment, she then inquired with a surprised voice, "Did you learn how to drive, Mama?"She seemed quite amazed that I was behind the wheel--as if she'd completely forgotten about the hundreds of other times she'd ridden with me and the fact that we make this same trip to the library every week. I assured her that I've actually been driving just as long as her Daddy, had lots of practice, and she had nothing to worry about. She appeared to accept this and rode in silence for the short trip to the library. However, she must have been a bit worried for as we pulled into the library parking lot, she let out a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "There's the library-- Praise the Lord!" Labels: Mothering
Frugal Friday: Using soap instead of shaving gel
 For the handful of menfolk who frequent this blog (all three of you!), you can just skip down to the links because I don't think this tip really applies to you. :)One of the ways I've found to reduce expenditures is to find items to eliminate in the budget--things like shaving gel. I've found that shaving gel bargains are few and far between and that the price of shaving gel is rather high, so a few years ago, I decided to just eliminate buying it for myself altogether. Instead of shaving gel, I lather up with whatever bar soap or body wash I've gotten inexpensively or free in recent weeks. It saves having to buy something extra for shaving and the soap does just as good of a job. I suppose I could be even more frugal and eliminate shaving altogether but, um, I'm not that frugal! What simple things like this have you eliminated from your budget? Tell us about it in your post or in the comments section.
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Join in Frugal Friday! Have a tip, resource, idea, or thought related to frugality? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and share the link with us below. Remember to keep it family-friendly. Thanks for participating.
Labels: Frugal Friday
This week in books - Week 4, 5, and 6
You'll have to pardon me because I skipped out on posting This Week in Books for two weeks--I got busy with other things and never got it done. So here's the run-down on what I read/listened to during the past three weeks:  The Best of the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp: Twenty Messages Explaining a Real-World Vision for Biblically-Principled Entrepreneurship and Families Working Together is a series of CDs I listened to in little snippets of time while cleaning, cooking, and exercising over the last two months. It is packed to the gills with information, encouragement, inspiration, and practical ideas. The biggest challenge I took away from all of these CDs was a motivation to instill self-discipline and a strong work ethic in our children--even from a young age. I was also very inspired to be looking more for practical, specific ways I can further my husband's good name and make my first priority in life to be his help meet (more on what God is teaching me regarding this in a later post). I don't highly recommend something unless I truly feel it is exceptional, but I would highly recommend this series. It is well-worth the investment.  Family Fellowship by Jonathan and Maranatha Owens was an interesting and quick read. Most of the information was based upon To Train Up a Child and other resources by No Greater Joy so I was quite familiar with it and didn't feel like there was anything really new in it. However, I did appreciate their encouragement to parents to really focus on reaching the heart and building relationships with your children--not just emphasizing outward obedience. I was inspired to work more with Kathrynne on having a servant's heart and taking initiative (hopefully, I'll be sharing a post on this in the near future).  The Family Manager by Kathy Peel was filled with lots of helpful tips and encouragement for homemakers, wives, and mothers. I appreciated Kathy's acknowledgment of the important role homemakers play and her challenge for us women to devote ourselves to really becoming more skilled and proficient in managing our homes and families. I disagreed with Peel's promotion of egalitarian marriages and also thought this book, while mentioning God occasionally, overlooked a huge reason for why we as Christian women are to love our husbands, love our children, and be managers of our homes--so that our marriages, our families, and our homes can shine the light of the Gospel to the world. Despite these differences with the author, this book does have some good ideas and if you are struggling in area of home management, you'd probably find some worthwhile tips and help. Watched/Read and Didn't Like:Becoming Jane - I enjoy the Jane Austen movies, so thought I'd enjoy this one, but I found it boring, disappointing, and well, just not something I'd recommend because there wasn't really any good substance to it. Just a pretty blah movie. The Judge Who Stole Christmas by Randy Singer - My husband and I read almost zero fiction aside from a few legal fiction books. We recently picked up a few by Randy Singer and really enjoyed them so I was hoping this would be just as good. It was another disappointment. Again, no substance, some slightly crude language, and just a boring plot with no real substantive meaning. I kept reading it because I was hoping that the end would be a real zinger. Not so. And this is why I think I should just avoid fiction altogether. Bible Reading Update:
I've been slowly plodding through Numbers the last few weeks and am happy to report I should finish the book tomorrow! Hopefully I'll then be able to pick up the pace in my read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan after that. I had been doing really well at reading 4 chapters per day, but I found that I had to take it a bit slower in Numbers since most of the chapters were quite long and detailed. It's been awhile since I've read that book! So that's what I've been reading, listening to, and watching the last three weeks. What about you? Any great recommendations to send my way? Labels: Home Management and Organization, Reviews
Baking soda: It works for me!
 As most of you know, I'm somewhat health conscious and always looking for frugal ways to reduce chemicals in our home. We switched over to Basic H for all of our household cleaning over a year ago and I've been very pleased with it and am especially happy to know my babies are breathing in fewer harmful chemicals as a result. My only dilemma has been deep cleaning. Basic H is great for everyday, all-purpose cleaning, but it was failing to really cut it when it came to deep cleaning--like my soap-scummed, grimy bathtub that I've also been procrastinating on thoroughly scrubbing down. A few months ago, I read somewhere about using baking soda to clean with. Since I always have it on hand anyway and it's very inexpensive, I decided that it wouldn't hurt to try it out on the bathtub in serious need of attention. Guess what? A little elbow grease and about 1/4 cup of baking soda did the trick--I just sprinkled some on a wet cloth and got busy scrubbing and another 30 minutes later and that bathtub was as good as new! Since then, I've been using baking soda to clean a variety of more stubborn areas and it's been working beautifully for me.Labels: Health and Nutrition, Home Management and Organization
Giveaway: Biscotti Sampler from Sugarhouse Delights
The winner of the $30 gift certificate to Sher's Wares giveaway from two weeks ago is: Julianne (Sorry for the delay in getting it posted--I skipped out on doing a giveaway last week with all the Valentine's Contest happenings.) If you like sweets, you are in for a treat with this week's giveaway from the mother-and-daughter team who run Sugarhouse Delights. Specializing in homemade, gourmet biscotti, Sugarhouse Delights makes some of the best biscotti I have ever tasted before--and I've tried quite a few varieties. They sent our family a box with some of their goodies and I think I could have sat down and eaten all the biscotti in one setting--it is just that delicious. However, I used some major self-control and shared some with Kathrynne and Jesse who then both wanted to eat all the rest! For those who are unfamiliar with biscotti, it is a cookie that originated in Italy, and means "twice baked." It's great for dunking in your favorite beverage, or just eating plain, as we like to do! Sugarhouse Delights make a slightly softer version of the traditional Italian biscotti and yummy, is it ever good! Our package from Sugarhouse Delights was not only scrumptious but I was very impressed with the attention to detail put into everything. Best of all, they use all-natural ingredients in their products where they can, and never add preservatives to any of their baked goods. Sugarhouse Delights is generously giving away two of their Small Biscotti Gift Sampler which includes six assorted flavors of biscotti (all individually sealed) in a clear top gift box, tied with a gold elastic band. This sampler would make an excellent gift for someone or a special treat for your family!  By the way, Sugarhouse Delights is offering a special to all my readers! Get one biscotti of your choice for only a penny plus shipping and handling! Along with that, you'll receive a coupon for 10% off your next order. To take advantage of this special offer, visit www.sugarhousedelights.com and simply click on the link on their website that says "Try a Biscotti for one penny," choose your flavor and add it to your cart. This offer ends March 31, 2008.
To enter to win the Small Biscotti Gift Sampler:
::Visit Sugarhouse Delights and pick out which one of their yummy biscotti flavors sounds the best to you.
::Come back here and leave a comment with your top biscotti pick. (Be sure and include your name and email address or blog name so I can contact you if you win!)
::This giveaway will be open through next Monday and two winners will be chosen and announced on Tuesday.
::This giveaway is only open to residents of the U.S.Labels: Giveaways
In posting this I am losing all credibility to ever write anything on organization again. Ever.
We ended up being gone for most of yesterday, so my planned closet cleaning had to wait until today. I wasn't too thrilled to tackle this project; in fact, I've been procrastinating on it for something like a year now. And what was I thinking when I said I'd also post pictures? I must have not peaked into this closet recently, that's what it must have been. But I did promise you I'd post a picture, so in an effort to keep my promises here's what the very-messy-I-can't-believe-I'm-posting-this-on-the-internet closet looked like when we first began this morning:  Yes, folks, lest you thought I had all my ducks in a row, here you have the raw proof. I've opened the door on this thing way too many times and then quickly shut it because I just couldn't deal with it. A real great way to get things done, I know.  We pulled everything out and Kathrynne helped me go through stuff and re-organize it.  We also came up with a whole bag of trash to throw out. Woohoo!  And finally, it was done--in less than 45 minutes! To think I've been putting off this 45-minute job for very well near a year now. I'm determined to keep on top of this closet and hopefully it won't turn into quite such a huge pig-sty in the future. One can hope at least. Labels: Home Management and Organization
Can the desire for marriage become idolatry?
 I get accused of a lot of different things in being a blogger read by more than a handful of people. One of the accusations I've heard time and time again is that my view on the importance of marriage and family is nothing short of idolatrous. Yes, I know that believing all throughout Scripture we see God created marriage as a good thing or that God holds parents responsible to train, raise, and nurture their children might be going against what is preached and practiced in the majority of modern Christendom these days. However, these beliefs of mine are not something I just pulled out of thin air and slapped the word "Biblical" upon, they are rooted in Scripture. Candice Watters reiterates this in her article, Marriage: An Idol?
Most single women want to get married. A good marriage is something they deeply desire. But for many, their desire is unarticulated, a silent longing. I kept quiet most of the time when I was single and hoping for marriage, mostly out of embarrassment for being romantically unsuccessful. It was easier, and less risky, to just keep it to myself. By my silence, I could avoid ridicule and the possibility of having to admit my failure if marriage never happened. But today there's an added reason women hide their desire for marriage. They've been told and retold that nurturing such a desire will not only scare men off, but worst of all, it may lead them to idolatry. I see and hear this warning a lot among Christians. It seems anytime someone writes or preaches about marriage to singles, they start with the caveat that wanting marriage is good "as long as you don't make an idol out of it." Can the desire for marriage really become an idol? It's technically possible. But that notion has been blown out of proportion. And repeatedly suggesting the possibility of idolatry has done more harm than good. It's caused a lot of women to be tepid in their approach to marriage and made them afraid that any amount of thinking or acting on their desire might be a sin. Both have the unfortunate consequence of making marriage even less likely to happen. Such caution is rarely urged with other desires. No one would discourage a woman from praying fervently, even daily, for an unsaved family member. And we'd applaud intense and passionate faith for the healing of a friend who was dying of cancer. Even desires that more easily border on idolatry - education, career pursuits, and hobbies - get a near-universal pass. But giving a fraction of such attention to the desire for marriage solicits dire warnings of overdoing it. Fervency when petitioning God for a mate comes under singular scrutiny. Read full article.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this article. If you agree or disagree, I encourage you to think it through Biblically. What does God's Word have to say concerning this? Do you believe the desire for marriage can become idolatry?
Hat-tip to LadiesAgainstFeminism.comGraphic from AllPosters.comLabels: For the unmarried, Marriage
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