Oct. 8, 2007 Monday Meanderings and Menu Plan Monday!!!
1. Bible Study/Devotions~ Daily Bible reading.
2. Must Do"~
- Clean house from top to bottom...really!!! I have company coming this weekend, and yes it is just family but it is my husband's parents and his mother gives the white glove the white glove test!!! I want everything to be clean and inviting!
- Exercise...I am going to start doing Billy Blank's 8 minute Tae-Bo tape to start out.
- Homeschooling: I missed today due to birthday party preparations, but tomorrow we are back in full swing.
3. Zone~ Well, since I have to clean the entire house here are my zones for the week:
- Monday: Kitchen
- Tuesday: Living Room & Kid's Living Room
- Wednesday: Bathrooms & Laundry Room
- Thurday: Kid's Rooms
- Friday: Guest Room & Master Bedroom
- Saturday: Clean & Vacuum Every Floor (they will be arriving in the evening)
4. To Train them Up~
- Character Training during homeschooling.
- Learning to be Helpful.
- Learning to work together.
5. Menu Planning~
- Monday: My Oldest Daughter's B-day!!! Crunchy Chicken & Little Smokies, Tator Tots, Baked Beans, Sliced tomatoes & Cucumbers. Birthday cake in the shape of a Kitty Cat. (O;
- Tuesday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans or corn, toasty French bread.
- Wednesday: Oriental Chicken Casserole, raw veggies.
- Thursday: Breakfast...pancakes, sausage, egg casserole or quiche.
- Friday: Spaghetti & meatballs or Meatball sandwiches, veggie.
- Saturday: Hamburgers & Hot dogs on grill, potato salad, baked beans, sliced tomatoes.
- Sunday: Ham in Crockpot, Cheesy Potatoes, Green beans, homemade rolls.
To join us for Monday Meanderings go HERE! To Join us for Menu Plan Monday, go HERE or HERE!!!
Blessings!
Heather
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Sep. 24, 2007 Menu Plan Monday and Monday Meanderings
Another week, another plan. Have you tried planning a weekly menu?
Monday: Italian casserole, green beans, french bread.
Tuesday: Little smokies, mac & cheese, green beans, sliced tomatoes.
Wednesday: Chicken & noodles, mashed potatoes, corn or green beans, corn muffins.
Thursday: BBQ Chicken, tator tots (or mashed potatoes), salad & fresh tomatoes.
Friday: Lasagna, rolls, salad.
Saturday: Pizza & bread sticks with marinara sauce, raw veggies.
Sunday: Leftovers or Sub sandwiches, chips, veggies.
If you would like to join us this week, go HERE or HERE!!! Ever since I have been planning my menu, not only do I feel less stressed, but I have a happy husband...he is thrilled that I have a plan, FINALLY!!!
And now for Monday Meanderings...  This is the first time for me to do this, but with everything that is coming up, I must start somewhere.
First of all, my mother and father-in-law are coming for a visit in October, so I greatly desire to have things somewhat in order when they come. This past weekend was quite productive for me as I had to clean out my refrigerator because my dear sweet hubby got me a new one (a new used refrigerator, that is) for $150. I had to not only clean out my refrigerator, but I also got to clean UNDER my refrigerator. That is like something that NEVER happens!!! So I felt quite accomplished with that ONE task behind me.
Secondly, in order to get the refrigerator in the house, I had to move some furniture around in the living room to get it in the front door (one we don't use since it is 10 feet from a busy "country" intersection...trust me, people don't even stop for the stop sign half the time!). So to make a long story short, I had to clean out from under my couch.
Thirdly, my son decided to help me clean up the girl's room so we could move my 2-year- old's toddler bed in there. Instead of asking me first, he decided to start it on his own right before nap time!!! How did he do it you ask? Well, he dumped out ALL of the tubs of toys and these are not small tubs, mind you!!! We are talking about a BIG, HUMONGOUS MESS of all messes!!!
So, to make a long story short, three things happened this weekend alone:
- My refrigerator got cleaned out and replaced.
- My couch was relieved of all the toys underneath it.
- My daughter's bedroom was thoroughly cleaned and organized...although I had to clean it up AGAIN today after they had turned it upside down again!!!
A few things that have happened in the last few weeks since baby was born are:
- My room was cleaned with the exception of a few things on the dressers.
- My kitchen was thoroughly cleaned.
- My laundry room was cleaned up.
- My husband made a dent in cleaning the office.
As far as this week is concerned, here are my current goals:
- Read Bible each morning.
- Keep up on the kitchen duties.
- Finish mopping the kitchen floor (I mop it in sections).
- Catch up on laundry.
- Start exercising again.
- Homeschool my children every day.
- Tidy up both bathrooms.
I believe that is all that I will try to tackle this week. If you would like to join us for Monday Meanderings you can sign up HERE!!!
Have a blessed day!
Heather
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May. 21, 2007 Maintaining the Clean Areas...
Well, so far I have been able to keep my girls' room cleaned. Last week I worked on maintaining their room so that it stays clean. And, it is STILL clean!!! I also organized their bedroom with baskets to make it easier to clean.
Here is what I have in those baskets:
- Bags: diaper bags, back packs, purses.
- Stuffed animals.
- Doll clothes: brushes, hair accessories, doll shoes.
- Baby dolls.
- Miscellaneous plastic toys.
- Bucket for legos.
- Bag for plastic animals.
I used an assortment of different containers and laundry baskets, just what I had around the house. It has made cleaning a cinch.
And I am glad I have been maintaining their room...Why? you ask? Well, we have kittens...four 9-week-old kittens and my DD loves the kittens sooooo much that sometimes she sneaks them up to her room!!!
Now, the other day I didn't find a kitten, per se...I found evidence that the kitten had been there. Yep! You guessed it! The sweet precious little kitten used the girls' bedroom floor for a litter box...and I got to clean it up! YUCK! Thankfully I am past the stage of getting sick every time I see or smell something that nasty.
So if you have been thinking about trying to maintain your cleaned rooms, don't think twice...JUST DO IT!!! For you may find some yucky surprises if you don't!!! (O;
I am trying to laugh about the story...but it hasn't hit my funny bone yet!
Blessings!
Heather |
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May. 15, 2007 Anti-Procrastination Week: How did I really DO?????
If you look at my list you will see that I didn't get everything done. I found it impossible to clean my entire house in one week. However, I am not disheartened by it. I am merely motivated to keep the areas that I got cleaned maintained. ;O)
We have a very large home (we rent). It fits our family well, but it can be a challenge to keep clean. We have 5 bedrooms, one that is used for the office; 2 very large bathrooms; 2 living areas, one of which is very large (in my opinion); a medium sized eat-in kitchen (small for our family); and a laundry room that seems small because we also have an upright freezer and a side by side refrigerator in it with the washer and dryer. Yes, my house can get very messy sometimes.
We took a week off of homeschooling to get it cleaned. I could not have gotten it cleaned if I had spent the week homeschooling, as well. So instead of finishing up this year on May 30, we will finish on June 6. That is fine with me because we are schooling year round this time.
Anyway, enough jibber-jabber. WHAT DID I GET DONE????
- I completely cleaned and organized the girls' room. I also vacuumed under all the beds and washed all the sheets & comforters.
- I completely cleaned and organized the boys' room (with the exception of their dresser drawers). I vacuumed their room and washed all the sheets & comforters.
- I completely cleaned and organized the tiny guest room, closet included. I also vacuumed.
- I did several loads of laundry, more than I can count...which got folded and put away.
- We cleaned and vacuumed our living areas, which are cleaned daily anyway.
- I cleaned the kitchen which is also done daily. I didn't thoroughly clean our living areas and kitchen. There was just not enough time. But they get cleaned enough that I didn't stress to much about these areas.
- I cleaned the downstairs bathroom. This is another room that gets done regularly.
- I didn't get the master bedroom cleaned, but I did get the sheets and comforter washed.
- I got almost all of my flowers planted (except for about 8).
- I DID NOT PROCRASTINATE!!!!!!
I am elated after a week of cleaning. I am also exhausted, but I am glad I was able to clean my house!!! I didn't think that I could wait until the official end of the school year to clean it. It was becoming overbearing. But I think the most important thing that I have learned is now that it is clean, maintain it...keep it clean.
If you joined me during Anti-Procrastination Week, I would love to know what you got accomplished.
Blessings!
Heather |
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Apr. 12, 2007 Company's Coming: Does Everything Have to Be PERFECT?
When you are planning for company, does everything have to be perfect? Of course, you want to have a delicious meal, dress nicely, and have a joyful countenance. But what about everything else? Do you stress and pressure yourself about having the entire house in perfect order? Is that even possible? (To have it in perfect order, that is.)
Here are a few questions you must ask yourself when you are planning to have company:
- Why are they coming over?
- Is it a business or personal relationship?
- Are they family? church family?
These are all questions we must consider, because who is coming over and why they are coming over can make a huge difference.
Why are they coming over?
Are you having a realtor come over to look at your house? If so, it must be spick and span...how do you expect to sell your home if it is a mess when the realtor comes over? I don't necessarily consider a realtor company, but you may.
If you are just having a friends or family over, are they coming to see you or your house? You can make your home comfortable without it being perfect. Okay, you have a few toys out, a basket or two of laundry out, a few books out of place...are you going to enjoy yourself less if you house isn't perfect? Trust me, they will understand...especially if you have several small children. Afterall, they came to see you, RIGHT? They didn't come to inspect your home.
Is it a business or personal relationship?
This is a very important question to ask yourself. We have already discussed personal relationships: friends and family.
But what about business relationships? If your husband is having someone over to discuss business, someone like a client, try to make sure everything is clean...now, they are not coming over to see your clean house, either. But you should try to make a good impression for your husband, make sure the rooms that they will be in are clean. If they are eating with you, your kitchen or dining room should appear clean (not obviously a mess, that is), the same thing goes for your living room or office, and obviously the bathroom. If you have to take and stash some things away in a spare room or closet, that's okay. They are not doing a home inspection.
Just remember, don't stress...if they are human they will understand if things are not perfectly in order.
Are they family? church family?
Now our families usually know what state our home will be in when they come over, especially if they come unexpectedly, but again they are coming to visit with YOU! If things aren't perfect, no problem.
Trying to keep on top of things is important, but so are the relationships that you have with your children and family. If you are constantly nagging your children about cleanliness and yet your are not spending any quality time with them, how do you expect to have a good parent/child relationship. Now I am not saying to just let your house go and be a mess, but what I am saying is spending time with your children is more important than having a perfectly clean house. You can have a morning and afternoon clean-up time with your children, afterall you are teaching them life skills and they should help...they are members of the family and each member has a responsibility, but perfection isn't necessary.
Having church families over regularly is important as well. Showing hospitality is a way to reach out to church families and to get to know each other on a more personal level. They are your brothers and sisters in Christ. It also gives your children some time for socialization with other Christian families.
Now, does your house have to be perfect for church family? Let me ask you one question, did they come over to see how clean your house is? NO! They came over for Christian fellowship, they came to see you and your family, not your house! If you wait until your house is perfectly clean to show hospitality to your church family, you will never have anyone over. I know, because I have six children and my house is NEVER perfectly clean. I try to make sure things are comfortably clean...ie.: there may be extra things on the shelves, toys on the floor, books out of place, laundry baskets in the bathroom...it's not perfect, and until my children are older and there are no toddlers and preschoolers to drag things out, it won't be a perfect example of orderliness.
One thing that has stuck in my mind is something that Mrs. Jennie Chancey's (of LAF) mother told me once, and that is: "If you are coming over to see my house, make an appointment. If you are coming over to visit, come on over!"
What a statement! I have had a different attitude about hospitality ever since! Thanks, Mrs. N!
Blessings!
Heather
This article was inspired by an article that was written by Mama at Mamas Thoughts and Questions. |
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Mar. 26, 2007 Homemaker's ABC's (From Tiany's blog)
Aprons? Occasionally, when I really need to tackle the home.
Baking-Favorite thing to bake? It's a tie between cookies and bread.
Clothesline -Y/N? Yes, I use it occasionally--depends on my mood, but only in the spring/summer, I am not a cold weather lover.
Donuts-Ever made them? Yes, my philosophy is if I can't buy it, then I will make it!
Everyday-One homemaking thing you do everyday? Dishes, they are neverending!
Freezer-Do you have a separate deep freezer? Yes, we have 2 separate freezers, an upright and a chest.
Garbage Disposal-Y/N? No.
Handbook-What is your favorite Homemaking resource? The good old cookbooks--lots of them, they not only give you recipes and ideas for meals, but the one's from the churches also give you cleaning tips!
Ironing-Love it or Hate it? Hate is such a strong word, let's just say I'll do anything I can to get out of it, but I don't hate it. 
Junk Drawer-Where is it? In the Kitchen, it is known as mom's drawer.
Kitchen-Design and decorating? I would have to say country, with a touch of prayerful reminders.
Love-What is your favorite part of homemaking? I would have to say that my favorite part is teaching the children to cook and clean, and having my husband sit back and tell me how good dinner was!
Mop-Y/N? YES I have a mop and NO I don't use it often enough!
Nylons-I don't like nylons, especially not everyday! I will occasionally wear tights on a very cold day or if I didn't shave my legs before church! However, I have to where socks and shoes in the winter and sandals in the summer--my feet can't handle being barefoot all day.
Oven-Do you use the window or open it to check? I would prefer to use the window, but my light is burnt out and we can't figure out how to fix it, sooo I have to open it to check. However, if I know something will take a certain amount of time to bake, I usually won't disturb it until it is ready to come out.
Pizza-What do you put on yours? I like the chicken pizza from Pizza Hut, but when I make it at home--which is almost always--I will put pepperoni, sausage, and ham if I have them all. Otherwise it is pepperoni only, although my daughter likes cheese only pizza, and I have to make a cheeseless meat pizza (sausage or ham) for my other daughter who is allergic to milk. My oldest son usually only likes pepperoni, so now you are talking about a pepperoni pizza, a "meat-lovers" pizza, a cheese pizza, and a cheeseless pizza with sausage or ham!!! 
Quiet-What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? Hah! A quiet moment around my house! No, really it does get quiet at times, at those times I like to read my Bible, or get a power-pregnancy-induced nap, or maybe even sew a little!
Recipe Card Box-Y/N? Yes, I used to until it broke! So NO, now I have a collection of recipe cards that "float" around, a recipe book organizer, and several cookbooks. But I have to say that the recipes that are passed down are the best ones!
Style Of House / What style is your house? We live in a 2-story farmhouse that is probably 75+ years old. It has 5 bedrooms, most without closets, and 2 of the largest bathrooms I've ever seen, 2 living spaces downstairs, and 2 dirt cellars. I won't say much about the kitchen since the cabinets are pretty much breaking down. (We rent.)
Tablecloths and napkins-We keep a vinyl tablecloth on our table all the time, as for napkins we use paper napkins most of the time.
Under the sink - Under our kitchen sink we keep our plastics, foil, extra-large serving trays, but very little cleaners, if any, I have too many little ones to protect to put cleaners under there!
Vacuum-How many times a week? I would have to say probably daily, maybe more. Dad often has the children do a quick clean up after dinner and then vacuums all the middles.
Wash - How many loads do you do a week? Do I even want to go there? I would probably say, anywhere from 12-20 loads per week (maybe more). It depends on the seasons, and if there is water or mud anywhere near the children outside!
X's-Do you keep a list of things to do and check them off? I love lists, and yes I use them & check the jobs off when I am done, but I have a tendency of planning to much work to do each day!
Yard-Who does what? I do the flower planting and baskets around the house. I also plant the vegetable garden--this year it is pretty small. My husband does all the mowing and weedeating.
ZZZ-What is your last homemaking task for the day? Usually to run the dishwasher, and fold & put away the laundry. The children are responsible to clean the floors.
There you have it. My home in a nutshell. Or my version of the ABC's of Homemaking!
Thanks, Tiany!
I will have to post this on my other blog, too!
Blessings!
Heather |
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Mar. 21, 2007 ???Spring Resolution???
Springtime is here!!! Soon, flowers will be blooming (if they aren't already), the grass will turn a lovely brilliant green, and in the farming regions you will see new baby animals. The weather is soon to turn warmer, the days are growing longer, and the air is filled with the sweet songs of the birds. I get such a feeling of exhilaration when spring is in the air! I absolutely LOVE spring, the sweet smells, the lovely sounds, and the warm breezes. I also look forward to gardening, and spring cleaning!
This year I am going to try something different...A Spring Resolution. Now many of us make New Year's Resolutions, we try to lose weight, spend more time in the Bible, keep on a better schedule, and so on...BUT, sometimes our resolutions get tossed aside and forgotten. I even find, for myself, that I am more on top of things when the weather is warm, the flowers are blooming, and I am itching to get OUTSIDE! So, I am going to try to create some new habits for my Spring Resolution.
Creating New Habits
If you have been over at Flylady's website you can check out how she manages to create new habits each month. She begins each new year with the same challenges, and reinforces them throughout the month. I encourage you to check out her site, she starts with "baby steps" and builds upon them. If you don't know where to start, you might try the "Flylady" method.
Here are some of my goals for March:
- Purge house of excess clothing.
- Clean kitchen floor with magic eraser.
- Keep up on laundry.
- Plant lettuce & spinach.
I have planted my lettuce and spinach...then it snowed over top...but I think it will be okay. I have been storing the clothing that I intend to take to goodwill in the guest bedroom...so that goal is in progress. My wonderful husband helped me clean the kitchen floor, but it could still use a good scrubbing with the magic eraser. The laundry is always a mountainous task, but I am working on it!
There are a few things I have learned so far with creating new habits. PACE YOURSELF!!! You must not overwhelm yourself with too many tasks at one time. Last Wednesday, I had several goals that I was determined to accomplish.They were the following:
- Homeschool.
- Make bread.
- Fold all clean laundry in baskets & put away.
- Wash all dirty dishes.
- Wash 3-4 loads of laundry; complete the whole process--Wash, Dry, Fold, Put Away.
- Clean counter tops and stove in kitchen.
- Clean floors in living room & kids living room (children's job).
- Get laundry off the floor in the main bathroom.
I was successful, BUT I paid for it physically for the rest of the week. On Thursday and Friday, I was very tired, I had sore muscles, and due to my pregnancy I had "round ligament" pains. (If you haven't had them your are blessed, they are muscle spasms and cramps in the round ligaments in your abdomen, usually on the right and left side of your enlarging belly. The "spasms" can be brought on by laughing, sneezing, twisting and bending, working too hard, or simply moving too quickly.)
On Saturday, I went to a funeral and ended up with a migraine! UGH! Nature's reminder that I did TOO much on Wednesday.
Here are my cleaning habits that I will be working on for my (March-April) Spring Resolution:
- Keep up with my laundry (that is, 2-4 loads/day).
- Keep up with my dishes (my children like to help with loading the dishwasher)--that is keep all cookie sheets and bread pans washed, & run dishwasher once daily.
- Keep homeschoolers on task.
- Stay on a weekly menu.
I am keeping it simple. I refuse to plan too much, if I have the ability to do more then I will, but that will be on a separate WISH "TO DO" LIST not a must do list. Also my children are responsible to help with other tasks. Here is a list of their responsibilites:
- Clean living room & kid's living/play room after homeschool.
- Unload the dishwasher.
- Cleaning up bedrooms (their own).
- Clearing their own plates after a meal.
- Sometimes my oldest son get the responsibility of sweeping the kitchen floor.
They are responsible to complete these tasks daily. They are not allowed any privileges until they are done with their Afternoon Chore Time. Privileges being: going outside to play, playing with legos inside, and so on.
Remember, PACE YOURSELF, I realized one very important thing when I reflected on last Wednesday's goals...that is, I am not superwoman!!! I am not able to do as much as I once did, I must pace myself, rest when needed, and trust that God will help me to accomplish the tasks that I desire to accomplish.
My goal is to create a happy, comfortable home for my family. This can be done by preparing planned homecooked meals, keeping things comfortably clean--not perfectly clean, and making sure that everybody has clean clothes to wear and a clean place to eat. Afterall, we live here! We are home all the time!!! So there will be times when the house will be a little "lived in" and we will need to tidy up. Remember, it's comfortable NOT perfect!
What are your Spring (Cleaning) Resolutions?
Have a blessed day! and HAPPY SPRING!!!
God bless!
Heather |
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