Horizons Math Grade 4 and K,The Reading Lesson, Sequential Spelling, Lifepac Language Arts 4, Apologia Astronomy, Veritas Press New Testament/Greeks/Romans
Prima Latina, Contenders for the Faith and various Winters Promise books, Live Mocha Spanish, Plants Grown Up
I was looking for an old picture today, and I never found the one I wanted, but I did find this one.
When my oldest son was 1, we bought our first home. I painted his room all sorts of fun colors, then on the inside of his closet door, I started a growth chart, and when I marked his height, I also traced his hand on to the door. We moved out of that home when he was 4 and my second son was 5 months, and while I am not proud I threw a fit when my husband said I had to leave the door. My sweet sister in law and brother in law worked together to distract him and remove the door and "hide" it in the moving truck anyway!
So I still have my door and we still use and cherish it!
And just for fun here is a peak into his old room :
(this was before I developed my view that too many toys are NOT a good thing for children, and learned to really love simplicity! At 2 years old he had more toys than all 3 of my children put together do now! )
I have been known to say that I would LOVE to live in the Little House on the Prairie days, as long as I could take my dishwasher and clothes washer! I could live without everything else, but I love those 2 appliances.
Well go figure, BOTH of them broke on me in the last week!
A lot of people tell me I wouldn't survive without my computer either, though I would rather not believe it (It's probably true) and now that is about to die on me as well, only starting up when it feels like it!
The Lord has taught me so much though, about clinging to Him for strength, about using my time wisely... He has been so good to give me wisdom and comfort!
I'm even learning to enjoy washing dishes by hand (though I'd find it even more enjoyable if it was not so many times a day!) I've learned to use the time to teach my children a useful skill (hand washing dishes), to promote teamwork and family time, and sometimes I do them alone and use it as time to pray!
I had seen this idea about making your dish soap pretty a couple years back, but at the time we were using this watery not pretty organic soap, and it took me over a year to use up that bottle (In normal circumstances I avoid handwashing anything at all costs) but I figured now was the time to finally follow thorough and make this daily event more lovely!
And the one that amazes me most of all...
One of our many baby pumpkins!
The reason it amazes me, is my children spilled the pumpkin seeds, and we ended up with only 3 left, of those 3 only one sprouted. But that ONE lonely pumpkin seed turned into this HUGE patch.
And we now have TONS of baby pumpkins.
Isn't God's bounty breathtaking?
I posted before about my chocolate chip cookies, but this has seriously been the best thing ever for me!
I have since kept a supply of fresh chocolate chip cookies in my freezer ready to bake, so when friends stop by unexpectedly, I always have something fresh and homemade to offer them!
The other day the housing landscapers came by since we were having some lawn trouble, and we were able to show them the love of Jesus by thanking them with cookies and bottles of water. You could tell it is something that rarely happens, and the impact on my children was huge!
And it takes so little time to mix up the dough, and it lasts so much longer since you dont feel pressured to bake them ALL at once. In fact today I mixed them up and scooped them outside on the porch, while sitting at the picnic table watching my children play!
I had seen it mentioned on friends' blogs, facebook and a message board I am on repeatedly, but had not taken the time to look into it fully. Last month I ended up spending WAY more than usual and decided I would try this challenge everyone I knew seemed to be doing, so I started out trying to spend no extra money, and spend as little as possible on necessities. But it was a full week into the challenge before I actually read the website!
I had seen it before but this time was REALLY struck by the family in Chad and how much so many of us are spending on extras...
The Lord has been working in my heart in a big way through this.
I am spoiled. I thought I wasn't but I really was. I am really humbled by it all.
And all the parts of the website that I have browsed so far http://www.mcc.org/gallery/ have really put life inperspective.
I re-evaluated my grocery list. We started using mostly what was in our pantry and freezer, spending just $25 a week, and we've still eaten well. A great variety and desserts too. We did have one $70 trip to replace things like detergents etc at the end of my month. I still spent much less than half my normal grocery amount over the month.
I kept thinking to myself through out about how I'll have to replace this and that once the month is over and it will cost a fortune, but then I came to the realization that I dont need to buy 3 or 4 of everything every time I go to the store. Having 1 or 2 on hand is enough, it isn't like I wont be right back at the store next month...
I used to think I was just "being prepared" but I am convicted that it is more than that, and I really need to scale back.
I started the whole thing to save some money but just how rich and blessed I am has become apparent. I used to think I did not take life for grated, but now when I step into the hot shower I am so much more thankful, for not only water, but plenty of it and HOT water as well. I am thankful for safe water to drink. I am thankful that we are so far from starving, even on our worst months.
I pray that the changes that have taken place in my heart are permanent.
I still have a LONG way to go, I bought so many "extras" over the month that I am truly ashamed... Even if they didn't cost us anything (or VERY little), that wasn't the point. I kept justifiying them away.. I was using "free money" (earned from Swagbucks, MyPoints, surveys etc) and so it didn't count when I ordered the newest season of Drive Thru History, some curriculum and some other books. And if I didn't buy printer ink, then I couldn't print coupons and save money... Excuses is truly all they were...
I just wanted to ramble a bit about my experience, thanks for reading it if you made it this far!
The way we love our families and friends is through the definition of "gracious: a generosity of spirit, characterized by kindness and warm courtesy" to those we live with and visit with.
~Alda Ellis
Every house where love abides and friendship is a guest is surely HOME and home sweet home for there the heart can rest
~Henry Van Dyke
The Bible calls us to practice hospitality on numerous occasions:
Romans 12:10Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Hebrews 13 Let brotherly love continue. 2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
1 Peter 4:9Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
I have been studying hospitality lately. I've been praying to create an environment for my family as well as guests that is calm, loving and welcoming. I've loved having an open home and entertaining often, but the Lord has shown me my heart has not always been right. I'm the picture of Martha . I'm always so busy making sure the food is out and warm, I admit I'm not providing an atmosphere of calm and caring when I am scurrying around taking care of these things. I have realized I need to be more simple in my meals when entertaining and spend more time ministering to my guest's hearts than stomachs! I was reminded that more important than those last minute cleaning touch ups is taking moments to pray for the guests and for myself!
“Believers can uniquely display God’s love as they extend hospitality…Food and other elements are merely tools used to express our love for people. Our motivation for being hospitable women is a response to God’s work in our lives. Hospitality is one way we can tangibly demonstrate our love for God.”
~Pat Ennis
You've seen into our second bathroom, remember, the one I do not bathe my children in to keep it cleaner. I should mention that we have 2 medicine cabinets in there. One is completely EMPTY. The other has 5 shelves of toilet paper and one of band aids, toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss, nose wipes (we have flannel ones that are softer and more gentle) and flushable wipes. That is ALL we keep in that bathroom.
In mine I try to keep it simple as well.
In the shower I keep it simple as well. We all use one kind of soap (ok my husband has one kind, the kids and I use a different kind because we have sensative skin). But we do use the same shampoo to keep less bottles (which is actually Burt's Bees, I'm trying to use up this other kind while he is deployed!)
My counters stay clean as well. Only Peter's razor charger is on there when he is home. I keep 2 baskets above the toilet to hold whatever we need that doesn't fit in the cabinets. One holds washcloths and the other holds my hair ties, brush, razors and make-up bag.The make up bag itself is very simple, Bare Essentials powder and the brushes, an organic mascara, an organic eyeliner and some Burts Bees lip gloss.
I also just made this little card to slip in one of the baskets as a daily reminder
The best thing I have ever discovered when organizing my living room was baskets! Years ago I was given a cute basket that matched my living room decor at th time (remember those red white and blue baskets Sarah?) and I got the genius idea to put it on my coffee table to hold the remotes. This was seriously one of the best ideas I have ever had! No lost remotes, and all my husband's clutter that accumulates on the coffee table gets tossed in the basket. Out of sight yet easily findable! That little basket has grown over the years as my husband finds more and more stuff to leave on the coffee table, and I switch out my baskets to match the seasons.
You can see my fall basket here:
Next is books. I LOVE to read, as do my husband and oldest son so far. It would be easy for us to fill a house with books, but I am SUPER picky. First off we don't buy a book unless it contributes to use growing in godliness. If I can get a book at the library we don't keep it, even if it was given to us.The exception is books I use over and over again. Also it has to fit on our bookshelf. If it doesn't fit something has to go! We recently got rid of out old entertainment center that had 2 bookshelves on it, so along with it over 100 of my husbands book were sold too! I don't think I have ever been so excited to see stuff leave my house!!!
Here is ALL our books. Husband has top shelf, next is homeschooling and reference, next are my books and more reference, the rest are the children's books. The basket is board books, so Abigail gets older she can just pull her basket down and not be tempted to pull all the books out (we learned with the 1st two!)
Jolene asked about how I handle mail, so here is her long awaited answer!
We do most of our bills online so there will be less paper to deal with. I open my mail over the recycle bin and toss all the envelopes and junk in right away.
Bills that need to be paid have a little organizing stand in my computer desk, and then cards get put on the fridge :)
Since Miranda has oh so impatiently been waiting for a response to her question about my pantry (I'm just teasing, I appreciate the reminders!)
Here they are. These change daily of course with new food coming and, and some food coming out..
You will see a bit more packaged food than previous peeks, we're feeling the financial crunch as well, so I've been using coupons more and I can't pass up when the items ends up free, or even better I end up getting paid the difference.. I'm also trying to keep more cans/shelf stable food on hand for emergencies. I dont drive in the snow, and we have a tendency to loose power in the winter...those types of things.
So I have 6 shelves in my pantry:
Shelf 1-top-This is my baking and treats shelf. It keeps goodies (like my organic dark chocolate) out of sight to help us avoid temptation, and has recently been filled with goodies for Christmas cookies! I have marshmallows, white flour and dip mixes up there as well.
Shelf 2 has canned goods, and cereals etc. I have a 1/2 gallon jar of homemade granola, another of rolled oats, another of steel cut oats, some soft white wheat (I normally use hard red), some cornmeal...
Also my balsamic vinegar, grapeseed oil, olive oil, coconut oil, olive oil sprayer, and canned goods. (The tuna creations were free, but have been lots of fun, since as you can see behind it we use LOTS of tuna!) all the cans you cant see are actually veggies!
(you can see that my aprons hang on hooks on the side of the fridge, and I squeeze my broom in the crack there too)
Shelf 3 has: honey, agave nectar, sugars, baking cocoa, nuts and vitamins. (and I see the coconut oil was put on the wrong shelf!
Shelf 4 has my tomato products (paste, diced, sauce etc) my peanut butter, applesauce and then packs of homemade fruit rolls ups, onions (I buy in bulk the rest hang in the garage) and tortillas go here too. CInnamon sticks get used in my house like you wouldn't believe (the boys use them like straws, or them and my husband like to just chew on them too!) and we tried some organic sorghum as a cheaper healthy alternative to pure maple syrup. The boys like it, I didn't but then again I hardly like maple syrup.
Shelf 5 has pastas, beans, rice, potatoes (those are sweet potatoes next to the bowl). That jar of popcorn gets moved wherever we have extra room. It is kind of homeless.
Shelf 6 is overflow: extra condiments, my chocolate chips currently dont fit on my baking shelf, there is barley (I add it to my wheat occasionally to boost the nutritional value of my bread), extra cans, homemade jams, apple butter, roasted pumpkin seeds and pistachios.
As you can tell I like jars! They are just so much prettier, and they line up so nicely!
And then last my spices above the stove. I have been told this is the WORST place for them, but it is handy to just grab them as I'm cooking and it works for me!
I'm hoping to blog about mail for Jolene next (And I know I always butcher the spelling of your name, sorry!) and I have one about my love of baskets coming up too!
Feel free to ask questions, I don't have a ton of commentary tonight!
My first tip for kitchens is keep the clutter off the counters! I am obsessive about my counters. I dont keep appliances out (in fact I keep those to a minimum anyhow-they must all fit under my sink) and I dont let everyday stuff accumulate.
I run my dishwasher constantly it seems so I can keep on top of the dishes so my sink stays empty too. I hate a dirty sink! Plus I'd rather have a few nicer items and wash them often than have a BUNCH of stuff taking up room.
Keep only what you NEED, and try to purchase quality items. If it is pretty it doesn't look so messy when it is left out!
My silverware drawer and all my teas and accessories for guests:
My pots and pans, ALL my bake ware etc (there is one stock pot missing, it is in the fridge with my turkey stock I made yesterday). The top shelf is a dehydrator behind the bread basket in case you were wondering.
My dishes (some were in the dishwasher) just the basic set I got for my wedding 9 years ago!
This is actually an older picture the dessert glasses were actually given to a friend, and have been replaced with crystal dessert bowls that matched some of my other serving bowls (the middle shelf below) and get used a LOT more.
I'm missing a coffee cup and a few storage pieces in the picture, but the storage containers next right in the ones you see.
I'm embarrassed to say most of our drinking glasses were in the dishwasher! We also normally have a lot more Klean Kanteens on that middle shelf, but my husband took some with him and we used a couple out running errands today. Husband has replaced all his lids with stainless steel lids (they come with plastic lids but you can upgrade) and we haven't gotten around to getting rid of the original plastic lids yet, so that is why those are piled up in all my teacups!
Top shelf is my magic bullet blender (I love that thing) but I want to note that I got rid of almost all the accessories that came with it. Way to much clutter! I just have one big cup and one small one. The rest were donated and I've never needed them! My husband's waffle maker is tucked up there too. I HATE waffles! The dishes tucked in the back are my great grandmothers china. We use those to supplement our set when we have company.
Hope you enjoyed the tour of my kitchen. All I didn't show you in my lazy susan cabinet (because its hard to get into let alone photograph! It holds my mixing bowls, stainless steel strainer, apple master, vitamix and measuring cups. Also under my sink has a bread maker, juicer, commercial meat/bread slicer and crock pot.
Cultivating thankfulness in my life has been such an important step. I choose a couple years ago to take time and be thankful for everything the Lord sends my way. It is definitely a CHOICE not a natural personality trait. But once you make it into a habit it is such a blessing! Around the same time the Lord convicted me in this are I found Eyes of Wonder! And I saw her amazingly beautiful journals and decided I wanted one too! Mine is a little different.
I decorate it (which is such a creative outlet for me, and looking through it at the beautiful pictures later is uplifting as well!) and in mine I write little things to be thankful about, things I never want to forget (chubby crinkly baby wrists) and I also write what I am praying for. It is amazing to look back later and see how God answered those prayers! I also add inspiring quotes, or Bible verses/lyrics that mean something special tome. I dont write in it every day, not even every week necessarily, but it is something I really enjoy and wanted to share with you! Here are just a couple glimpses into my thankfulness journal :)
And its been fun seeing everyone else who has blogged about theirs since I started mine! I did post about mine a couple years ago when I started it but then when Jewel's deleted her blog I deleted my post (since it linked back to her) but now hers is back and I figured it was time to share again!
We've gotten everything up. It was a beautiful foggy cool day, a sweet friend brought us some handpicked fresh apples, so I decided I was finally in the mood for fall. I love that with just a few decorations I can make my home look completely different and fresh! So here is the tour of our home decorated for fall!
FRONT DOOR:
LIVING ROOM:
(Daddy had a late start day, and we all seem to be coming down with colds, so we stayed in jammies till lunch time, so ignore my boys as they watch Speed Racer with Dad)
Since I pulled out my fall decorations today I figured I'd share how I store holiday items. My sweet husband bought me one of these storage containers from Home Depot a few years back. I LOVE it (we have another and I'd eventually love to have about 4 total in the garage). I love having stuff BEHIND closet doors, it all is just so much neater that way.
And here is the inside. I had just started putting my every day decor on the shelf where my fall decor is most of the year. The bottom 3 shelves are Christmas items, with the second shelf also holding our Passover items (just a small bags worth, a stuffed lamb, a wooden cross etc). It doesn't look like much room, but you'd be amazed how much is stuffed in there. And I've had to limit decorations,so if it doesn't fit in the closet it has to go. This stops me from buying new stuff each year, and with Christmas especially it made me stop and decide if the decorations where meaningful and Christ honoring, and we donated TONS of stuff. I'd rather have a few beautiful meaningful decorations than a ton of cheap worthless items.
I was listening to a conversation about getting out of the house smoothly and I decided it would be a great addition to my homemaking series.
Here is my entryway:
Hanging on the door is my tote bag. I use this as a purse and diaper bag. I keep it simple, just what I need, (diaper, ziplock baggie of wipes, wet bag, wallet, keys, some fruit leather, that is about it). As soon as we get home I refill it with anything we may need (new diaper, new snack etc) so its packed and ready to go at a moments notice.
Behind that door is our coat/shoe closet.
We keep it simple, we each have 1 pair of shoes (except me who has sandals to go with skirts as well, and Peter's work boots/shoes stay in our room so they don't count). As soon as we come in we toss the shoes in the closet so we always know where to find them (no they are not always lined up that neatly, I straighten them about once a day). In this closet we also keep the car seat, an umbrella stroller and a tote bag of library books that need to be returned, so they are out of sight and in one place (we currently dont have any). It also has all our coats (my husband has a jacket obsession, so there are more than we need by FAR!) and the top shelf hold sleeping bags and pillows for guests. I also put an items that need to be returned to the store etc in there, since I always see it when I get my shoes on to leave.
Sep. 16, 2008 - Homemaking Part 4-The laundry room cards
Since I never finished part 4 I've decided to scrap it, and just share these new cards I made to pretty up my laundry room! They are 5x7 and will be posted on each of my cabinet doors!
Today I felt like should post about a housewife's worst enemy. LAUNDRY!
It seems no matter how much you do it there is ALWAYS more, and you can never get ahead.
So here is a peak into my laundry room.
One of the great things about this house is I was blessed with a HUGE laundry room with beautiful cabinets. So much nicer than having to go out to the garage (especially in the winters we have here!)
The dogs sleep in the kennel at night, he gray bin is our diaper pail, blue holds dog food. My vacuum and mop are behind the door. The chair is only in there while Abigail has her high chair at the table, and the recycle bin is on top of it. The dark brown basket is my sewing basket, and the others up there are my laundry baskets. The blue baskets has storage jars. The step is for Andrew to reach the dog food when he feeds them each morning (it also helps him to toss dirty clothe sin the washer when he helps me).
One of the big things that helped me was to make my laundry room pretty. I have verses on cards that match the flowers above the windows taped to my cabinets.(and this picture shows it is definitely time for new ones!) Its not especially beautiful, but its enough to help me have a more cheerful attitude about a tedious job.
The next thing that makes a difference for me is doing laundry EVERY day. As soon as I wake up I toss a load in the washer. It's habit now, and putting away a bite sized load is much more manageable than a huge mountain once a week. Plus we dont have that many clothes! I wash all our clothes together, and rarely separate loads (only Peter's white t-shirts get washed separately because he gets upset if they look dingy). After the clothes are dry I separate them, and the boys each put their own laundry away. I feel it is so important to give children responsibility!
So for us, after the laundry I do a load of diapers, and once a week a load of sheets/bed linens. We just have one set of sheets per bed (well 2 for us now because a sharing a bed with a baby means more changes than normal!) and the days I wash those I do them first thing in the morning and put them back on around lunch time. One less thing to store, and I know I MUST have them back on by bedtime.
Hope that gives you some ideas, or helps someone. It works for me :)
This week I have been trying to get through my "to try" section of my recipe binder (I've quite a collection to try!) so I thought I'd share how I organize my recipes.
I use a prettied up3 ring binder.
When I find recipes to try in magazines I tear out the page (and recycle the rest of the magazine, no clutter here!) and slip it into a clear sleeve. The sleeves are awesome because when I spill the ingredients on the recipe, I can just wipe it off and the recipe isn't ruined!
So if the recipe is good (like the graham crackers I made a little while ago) I type it up into my Microsoft Word Recipe book (let me know if you woudl like me to email you a copy). If it is bad (like the horchata we made this morning) it gets tossed in the recycle bin.
I print out the updated pages from my Word document, and slide those in according to category
This way I dont have a shelf of rarely used cookbooks (if I do receive cookbooks I copy off the pages of recipes I think we'd like and donate the book). Or I take advantage of the library's collection of cookbooks, and I get many of my recipes from blogs (I'm a blog addict!)
I just have one book tucked discreetly next to my microwave: (I've been meaning to decorate the spine of it)
I have not been able to get into a new routine since Peter got back, so I've been floundering, which is why you haven't heard from me much lately. But it has made me even more aware of how much I need a routine.
A routine is completely different than a schedule. I CANNOT do schedules, you know the do task 1 from 8 to 8:15, do task 2 from 8:15-8:30 stuff. But I can not live without a routine.
For me my normal routine looks like this:
~Wake up
~On a good wife day (which I admit are so rare as I am not an early morning person)-make Peter breakfast and see him off to work
~More likely get woken up a couple hours later by one of my children, and try and squeeze in some quiet time for prayer and reading God's Word
~Feed my children and start cleaning up
Peter gets home for lunch at 11 and this is perfect for me as I work so much better with a deadline! This means I must have breakfast made, eaten and cleaned up, laundry in the washer, the vacuuming done, the house clean enough for company (he loves surprising me with hungry friends he brings home to share lunch with), and lunch made by 11am. I also try to figure out what is for dinner and get as much prep work as possible done in this time.
After lunch I clean up from the meal and we do school work. Which again is very random. Some days it may just be cuddling on the couch while I read a novel out loud (we love Historical fiction, other days it may be math worksheets, spelling etc, and yet on other days it may be a field trip or fun project.
This time block is when we read books, play board games, go to the park, work in the garden, play outside etc. as well.
Daddy gets home about 4ish on a "normal" day, so then all school work stops. I start dinner, the children play...
If you didn't notice I didn't leave any room for errands away from the home. One of the reasons I am successful in homemaking is that I am home all the time. I admit at first this was not easy. When we moved here from CA I was used to having my own car and spending time with friends, out running errands etc. When we moved here we went down to one car and I had no choice but to be home. It was hard the first few months, but now 4 years later I DREAD days when I have the car and need to run errands. When I do need to run them I do them all at once, grocery shopping , doctors appointments etc all in a row and we usually just skip school that day and leave after lunch.
We rarely do "playdates". Its not that I have anything against them necessarily, its just that if I am away for a day my entire weeks gets thrown out of whack and it isn't worth it for me. I truly love being in my home now, and I can find tons to do here, and my goal is to cultivate that love for home in my children as well.
I want to start with some answers to questions left in my comments
Do you limit the kids clothing? For example, only so many shirts, pants, etc?
Yes. There is not set number. My oldest usually has about 5shirts, and 4 pants, my middle son has more beause he can get messy like no one else I know, and the baby actually only has about 5 sleepers and 5 dresses in the size she is in now (I'd like more for her but she outgrows them faster than I can buy outfits I like!). How do you decide what to keep if you do?
We just dont buy much. I do laundry daily, so we always have something to wear anyhow. I try to choose only classic items, my oldest wears 99% button up shirts by his own choice, my younger has t shirts but with no characters or logos for the most part. Pants are jeans or khaki.
If there is an accident in bed, how do you handle only having one set of sheets?
We just lay a blanket over the mattress, toss the sheets in the wash and go back to bed. Or use a sleeping bag on the floor.
Now that you have the 3rd, does she have her own room
No, we co-sleep for the first year, I have NO IDEA what we'll do with her after that! I'm praying God will bring us an answer. I'm hoping that our house in California will sell so we can buy a home here.
and what did you do with the toys and school stuff?
That brings us to Part 2!
Our second bedroom is the play/school room. (The 3rd being the master, I'm not sure if I'll go there with this series)
We started this room so that Andrew (As a toddler) had a place to play while I homeschooled Peter. It worked out well. I admit we don't always do our schoolwork in here, so we have a large basket with handles that holds all the books we use on a daily basis and we can move that to the kitchen, living room, bedroom etc, and then set it back in the playroom on the table when we finish.
I do strongly limit toys. I want my boys to grow up with creativity, not depending on "stuff" for their happiness. Plus, I don't have patience for clutter or messes. I teach my children from a very young age that they must pick up after they take something out. I still have to remind them regularly but they do a pretty good job. And any time we start battling messes it is the first sign to me we have accumulated too many toys. I'm always open with my children in why we don't need a ton of toys. I let them choose first which ones to get rid of and if they don't pick enough I start choosing.
We have an entertainment center from Walmart. I painted the doors with chalkboard chalk thinking we'd use it for school. We dont, but Andrew likes to draw on it. I try to choose toys that the children will learn from. We have Legos (red bin) , a Gears! set, the blue box is filled with REAL tools they can use and build with rather that toy tools. Abigail has some adorable cotton food for when she gets older in the basket, the blue hamper is filled with dress up ( knight costumes, a cowboy hat, a sheriff badge, wooden swords and an old fashioned wooden gun, a raccoon hat, etc). The small basket has puzzles, and the wooden boxes (that the boys made) are filled with tiny ship and space ship models. The bottom drawer has Klutz building cards (we have castle, pirate ships and spaceships) and the top is Peter's origami collection. The purple bin has our Cranium SuperFort We also have more in the colorful bins under the window. Andrew loves his action figures and matchbox cars, Peter has Bionicles (Ick those are the ugliest toys I have ever seen!) and their star wars and transformers. Honestly these are toys I'd happily live with out but Daddy lets them have them. We balance each other out well :)
We have a "code" in our house for making sure the floor is clean. In the morning I tell the boys "vacuum ready" and they know that means to search the house for anything small (stray legos etc) or any toy/blanket/item they may have left on the floor so I can run the vacuum through the house (I am obsessive about my vacuum, I use it constantly).
To me as long as the house is neat and orderly I am happy. I am not as obsessive about scrubbing/mopping etc. We have some dust. Its just messes, and clutter that make me crazy!
I've had to figure out all things wifely, motherly and homemaking-ly on my own. I've come a long way (but have not arrived at perfection by any means) and my heart is to help other ladies make that transition a little easier than I did by sharing the things I've learned that worked for me! I've blogged bits and pieces here and there with tips but I wanted to do a series of blogs a little more in depth. My plan is to give you a tour through my home and let you know what I implement to make it this way :)
My number one all around tip is to ALWAYS start in the cleanest room! I know common sense would tell you to start in the one that needs the most work, but I've found by starting in the least messy you get more rooms done, and you feel a sense of accomplishment as you finish each room which gives you more desire to keep working instead of spending a huge amount of time in one room feeling like you didn't do much and then you don't feel like continuing!
Stop one: The boys' room
So some things you may have noticed, they share a room, even though we have 3, and more obvious.. there are NO toys! This has been the best thing we've ever done! We originally moved them into the same room because Andrew wouldn't have liked sleeping alone. But I also liked the idea of a toy-less sleeping room. Its great because this is one room of the house that is ALWAYS clean! They go in at bedtime to change into jammies, have stories and prayers then sleep. And in the morning they get dressed, put their clothes in the hamper, and make their beds, so all I have to do is vacuum and we're done for the day! (Or wash their sheets once a week. They have just the one set, I wash it first thing in the morning and have it back on in plenty of time for bedtime, it makes for less clutter in the linen closet) They are allowed special stuffed animals (Peter has just one big one, Andrew has 4 small ones). They have a CD player and a book that holds CDs on Peter's bed (they fall asleep listening to Bible songs or the Bible read on CD). Peter also has his foreign money collection, and Andrew has some brass figurines my great grandma gave him on his.
We love the beds! We bought them affordably at Walmart, and all their clothes (besides shirts) are inside. We get lots of questions about those, so here is a close up:
On the wall you can not see is the closet, also quite sparse. It holds their clothes (we keep this at just what we NEED, I can not stand extra stuff or clutter!), Peter's rock collection, a rubbermaid bin with the clothes for Andrew to grow into. They only use half. The other half has all Abigail's clothes (up to 4T) and our sleeping bags.
STOP 2: Boys'/Guest bathroom
To keep the guest bathroom always ready for company, I bathe the children and have them brush their teeth in my bathroom. This mean only one tub and sink to clean, and I get to do the floor MUCH less often! They still use it through the day so I have to clean it daily but there is much less to clean! Also since they are bathing in the master bathroom which opens into my bedroom I can sit on my bed and fold laundry and still see them and be close which helps me make the most of my time. We bathe them assembly line style! Mommy showers first (because if I didn't it would never happen!) then I give Abigail a bath, then when I pull her out Andrew takes his bath or shower while I dry and dress her, then Peter's turn. (Daddy has long since left for work!)
1. I do NOT rinse dishes, I throw them in the dishwasher dirty, and if they are still dirty I toss them in the next load too! Drives my husband batty!
2. My floors are NOT clean enough to eat off (yet my children often do it anyways!) I hate to mop! I used to blame it on cheap mops, but my husband bought me a super fancy awesome steam mop and I still dont use it as often as I should.
3. I spend WAYYYYY too much time here in front of my computer!
I learned more about homemade cleaners today. I was searching for info on cleaning with hydrogen peroxide because I received a free bottle of 7th Generation brand hydrogen peroxide cleanser, and it works amazingly, but 7th generation has recently been found to use toxic ingredients in their so called "natural" products, which greatly disappointed me, so I am moving to BioKleen for items I can not make myself.
I also found another helpful hint ,which is to keep a glass shaker bottle (like for parmesan cheese) full of baking soda to make it easier to sprinkle on when you need it!
"By itself, vinegar is not a disinfectant, but when used with hydrogen peroxide, it kills bacteria more effectively than any commercial cleaner.Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI) in Blacksburg, Virginia, published the following formula in Science News. Purchase a bottle of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and a bottle of plain white or apple cider vinegar. Pour each liquid into its own spray bottle. Spritz the item to be disinfected with both the vinegar and the hydrogen peroxide, then rinse with water or just wipe off.Using one mist right after the other is ten times more effective than usually spray by itself and more effective than mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one spray bottle. Tests at VPI found the two sprays used together killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces; this spray combination is more effective than chlorine bleach.It doesn't matter if you spray with the vinegar first, then the hydrogen peroxide, or vice versa. There is no lingering taste of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, and neither is toxic if any reside remains. This combination works exceptionally well for sanitizing counters and other food preparation surfaces, including wood cutting boards." Natural Home magazine, Jan 2002
Jun. 8, 2008 - More reasons to use Stainless Steel
We use only stainless steel, cast iron, stoneware or glass in our cookware for health reasons. But my boys have a BLAST playing with stainless steel as they learn about light!
Five Common Toxic Metals to Avoid, and Where You’ll Find Them
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
with Rachael Droege
Are you feeling tired or irritable? Is your head foggy or are you suffering from Alzheimer's disease, depression or anemia? These are just a few of the signs that you may be suffering from metal poisoning--a toxic accumulation of heavy metals in the soft tissues of the body.
The effects of these toxic metals can range from subtle symptoms to serious diseases. Since metals build up in your body over time, symptoms are often attributed to other causes and people often don't realize that they have been affected by metals until it's too late.
The worst part about heavy metals is that once they build up in your body they can cause irreversible damage. Further damage can be prevented by removing the metals, but this can be a slow, difficult process. Prevention is the best defense when it comes to metal poisoning, and this list of five common toxic metals will give you a heads up to avoiding further exposure to these health-degenerating elements.
Mercury
Mercury is one of the most problematic of all toxic metals because, despite its dangers and known role as a neurotoxin, many people have it implanted in their mouth, injected into their bloodstream, or are consuming it daily in fish.
Dental Amalgams
If you are one of the millions of Americans who has received silver dental fillings, take heed: Mercury makes up about 50 percent of every amalgam dental filling, also known as "silver" fillings. According to the American Dental Association, "Dental amalgam (silver filling) is considered a safe, affordable and durable material that has been used to restore the teeth of more than 100 million Americans. It contains a mixture of metals such as silver, copper and tin, in addition to mercury, which chemically binds these components into a hard, stable and safe substance. Dental amalgam has been studied and reviewed extensively, and has established a record of safety and effectiveness."
However, consider that while 78 percent of Americans have dental fillings, 95 percent of people with disorders of the central nervous system such as MS, epilepsy, paralysis and migraines also have silver dental fillings. This begs the question, would you want mercury, one of the most powerful neurotoxins on the planet, embedded in your mouth, only inches from your brain? The answer is obvious.
Vapors from amalgams are released continually, and studies have found that those with these fillings can have mercury vapor concentration 10 times higher than people without them. Simple activities such as chewing gum, drinking hot liquids and brushing teeth can increase the release of mercury even more.
If you decide to have your amalgams replaced with a non-toxic material, the most important thing is to find a dentist who can remove your amalgams safely. Any dentist can technically replace your amalgams, but if they don't employ proper precautions much of the mercury in your fillings will go straight to your brain. Secondly, I would highly recommend getting healthy BEFORE you start on your fillings. Even a good dentist will likely liberate some mercury in the removal process and you want your detoxification mechanisms optimized prior to removal.
Vaccines
Thimerosal, a mercury-containing vaccine preservative, is still widely used in vaccines, including those routinely administered to children. Thimerosal contains close to 50 percent ethyl mercury by weight. Children are particularly sensitive to the mercury as their nervous systems are still rapidly developing. Years ago, health-related organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that thimerosal be removed from vaccines as soon as possible, yet it's still present in many vaccinations including Hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis, acellular pertussis, tetanus and Hib.
Over the past decade, the prevalence of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit disorder have been increasing at epidemic proportions, and many experts believe that mercury from vaccines is at least partly to blame. It is thought that a child's reduced ability to excrete the mercury--children's detoxification abilities may vary greatly--may also play a role.
It is possible to get childhood vaccines without thimerosal, since some manufacturers have developed thimerosal-free vaccines, however, you will have to ask your doctor to check the package insert and provide a written guarantee that the vaccine is mercury-free. Even then you will not know for sure, as the package inserts, which are supposed to detail exactly what is in a vaccine, may not even be accurate. You will also want to read the many other reasons why vaccines can do more harm than good.
Fish
Tragically, our oceans are largely contaminated with industrial pollutants like mercury. Ocean and farm-raised fish pick up these toxic chemical residues, which bioconcentrate in their flesh.
The larger the fish, the more problematic because big fish eat smaller fish, thereby getting an even greater dose of accumulated toxins. People who regularly eat fish have higher levels of methylmercury than those who don't.
Even the conservative Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration have issued warnings about the dangers of mercury in fish, and they are now planning to issue a federal warning to pregnant and nursing women, and even those thinking of getting pregnant to limit their consumption of tuna, along with their previous warnings about other types of fish, due to mercury concerns. Pregnant and breastfeeding women can transfer mercury to their newborns, causing significant neurological problems.
Even if you are a man or not planning to become pregnant, mercury from fish can still accumulate in your body and cause serious problems down the road. If you do eat fish, please be sure to have it lab tested for mercury. We have found a brand of salmon, Vital Choice, that has tested free of mercury time and time again, so this is one option for those of you looking for a safe source of fish. Alternatively, most sardines have little to no mercury since they are so small, and you can also take a high-quality, purified fish oil or cod liver oil to safely receive the health benefits of fish without the mercury.
There are many ways that humans can be exposed to lead. Among the major sources are lead-based paint, leaded gasoline, lead-contaminated water, manufacturing of lead batteries, rubber products, glass and other lead-containing products, and lead oxide fumes that result when demolishing industrial buildings. While some of these sources, such as lead-based paint and leaded gasoline, have been discontinued over the past few decades, their effects still show up in the environment. For instance, it is estimated that 64 million homes in the United States still contain lead paint, which can either be ingested in flakes or inhaled as a microscopic dust.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the prevalence of lead toxicity (levels greater than 10 mcg/dL) in U.S. children ranged from 1.5 percent for upper-income white children living in recently built houses in the suburbs, to 36.7 percent for black children residing in large cities. Children are more susceptible to lead absorption than adults, whose lead toxicity is generally related to occupational exposure. It's estimated that more than 800,000 U.S. workers are exposed to lead through their work.
However, low-level exposure to lead, such as through drinking water or living near an incinerator or toxic dump, is also associated with many negative health effects like brain dysfunction in children, neurobehavioral changes in adults (such as a reduction in cognitive abilities and IQ, and personality changes), hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
Aluminum
As with the other elements, aluminum is absorbed and accumulated in the body, and has been linked to serious illnesses including osteoporosis, extreme nervousness, anemia, headache, decreased liver and kidney function, forgetfulness, speech disturbances and memory loss.
Aluminum has also been widely associated with Alzheimer's disease. People who have died from Alzheimer's disease have been found to have up to four times the average amount of aluminum accumulated in the brain's nerve cells.
Antiperspirant
Antiperspirants contain aluminum that is absorbed by your body. It's best to avoid it all together and use simple soap and water instead. Deodorants aren't as bad as antiperspirants, but I would also avoid using them unless it was made from some form of baking soda.
Water
Aluminum-contaminated water is another significant concern, as studies have found that Alzheimer's disease is more common in regions where levels of aluminum in drinking water are highest.
To find out whether you may be at risk from aluminum and other toxins in your water you'll need to have your water tested by a reliable source. I've worked with AquaMD, a top-notch water-testing agency, to create the "Mercola's Recommended Water Tests"--and to make them affordable compared to other sources--so you can ensure the safety of your tap water today.
Other Common Sources
Aluminum cookware: Although aluminum pots are probably less problematic than the sources mentioned above, I personally would not use aluminum cookware.
Aluminum foil
Over-the-counter drugs: These include many antacids, anti-diarrheal drugs and drugs used for pain and inflammation.
Several douche brands
Some baking powders: Most baking powders contain aluminum as an additive, but health food stores carry non-aluminum varieties.
Refined foods, refined flours, baked goods, processed cheeses, and common table salt
Arsenic
Organic arsenic compounds are mainly used as pesticides, primarily on cotton plants, while inorganic arsenic is primarily used to preserve wood. Once arsenic is released in the environment it cannot be destroyed, and many arsenic compounds dissolve in water.
The primary route of exposure to high levels of arsenic is typically through occupational hazards, or near hazardous waste sites or areas with high natural levels. You can also be exposed by breathing sawdust or burning smoke from arsenic-treated wood. Arsenic has also shown up in drinking water, especially among well water, and long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver and prostate.
Exposure to low levels of arsenic can cause nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels, and a sensation of "pins and needles" in hands and feet, and over the long term can cause darkening of the skin and the appearance of small "corns" or "warts" on the palms, soles, and torso.
In January 2001, the EPA revised the standard allowable level of arsenic in drinking water from 50 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb. Levels must reach this lower amount by 2006. However, some experts believe that an even tougher standard of 3 parts per billion should have been adopted.
It's a good idea to have your water tested for arsenic, especially if your water comes from a well, to ensure you are not being slowly poisoned.
Cadmium
Cadmium, a naturally occurring metal, can be found in food, water and cigarette smoke. It is a known human carcinogen that appears to act in two ways: it harms DNA directly and disturbs a DNA repair system that helps to prevent cancer.
Like other metals, cadmium stays in the body for a long time and accumulates after long-term exposure to even low levels. Cadmium is released into the air from mining, industry, burning coal and household wastes, where it then binds to soil particles and dissolves in water. Fish, plants, and animals accumulate cadmium from the environment, as such there are low levels of the metal in most all foods with the highest levels found in shellfish, liver, and kidney meats.
People are exposed to cadmium not only through foods but also through drinking contaminated water and breathing cadmium-contaminated air (such as near burning waste, battery manufacturing, metal soldering or welding). Cadmium is also present in cigarette smoke, and smoking doubles the average daily intake.
It is thought that cadmium is carcinogenic, and long-term exposure to low levels can contribute to kidney disease, lung damage and fragile bones. Animal studies also suggest that it may lead to liver disease, high blood pressure, and nerve or brain damage.
If you are concerned about potential heavy metal poisoning, numerous research projects in the United States and Europe indicate that chlorella -- a type of green algae -- can aid the body in the breakdown of metallic toxins such as mercury, cadmium and lead, while strengthening the immune system response.
This detoxification of heavy metals and other chemical toxins in the blood will take 3-6 months (to build up enough to begin this process) depending on the dosage of chlorella a person is taking.
We've been sick with colds a lot lately. (well twice in 2 months is a LOT for us. I cant remember the last time we were sick before that!) And I've been reading a lot of blogs that mentioned people being sick, so I figured I'd share what we do.
First we try to not get sick! Usually if I am on my game and we are eating well this is easy. It seems every time I start to slack and we eat out a lot we get sick, then we don't feel well which leads to more eating out and its a horrible cycle! Eating healthy whole foods and avoiding processed junk is my number 1 strategy!
We also take some supplements daily. A good probiotic (I really stand behind Jarrow YumYum Dophilus. We see big results with this one. When it is available We also drink kefir! Again my boys LOVE This stuff. Its like a middle eastern yogurt, and we blend it with a banana and some pure maple syrup and they think it is the biggest treat!
We also take cod liver oil (click to find out why) daily.It sounds gross, I know, and I take capsules, but my boys ASK for this every day! We use Nordic Naturals.
I go back and forth on a multivitamin. But they boys have Nutristars and I take Alive.
When we do get sick it rarely lasts long. I up our vitamin C by a ton (which explains the picture above. My boys have their own citrus juicer that they love to use, so when we were feeling poorly they asked me to cut open some organic oranges, and they made us all juice!). We also usually drink some Echinacea/Elder tea with raw honey! (or any of their line of teas to combat our specific symptoms). We also buy teas from Bulk Herb Store and I mix up my own vitamin/healing teas.
We also enjoyed some of that chicken broth I froze and we're all better again, and the junk food that was leftover from our last BBQ is gone!
I'm off to make some yummy carrot/apple juice! Be on the look out for a contest coming up soon! I'm itching to give away a gift!
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(I'm just teasing, I appreciate the reminders!)
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Currently reading : 
I try to choose toys that the children will learn from. We have Legos (red bin) , 
Echinacea/Elder tea with raw honey! (or 
