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Oct. 4, 2009
Save Money on Food and Toiletries at Big Lots THIS WEEK! Big Lots Buzz Club Coupon!
All Big Lots Buzz Club Members REMEMBER...stock up and save with the 20% off coupon 10/5-10/10!! We stock up on toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, gel, shampoo, conditioner, hair accessories, cereal, other food items, SOCKS (can never have enough of these for kids), etc. This saves SO MUCH $$ if you're willing to look through all the junk! Join the Buzz Club here!
Enjoy!
Lisa Metzger
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Oct. 4, 2009
Free Menu Planning Book!
Sep. 11, 2009
You Mean.....Delegate??!!!!
I love a clean house, don't you??
There is nothing better to me than to have a shiny sink, empty of dirty dishes. I love to see empty clothes hampers and laundry baskets. I love sofas with pillows upright and prettily displayed. Dining room tables that are empty of everything except a pretty centerpiece.
I love floors with no dust on them and shiny from just being freshly mopped. Made beds, toys picked up and put away, supper simmering in the crockpot..........ah, yes....it just doesn't get any better than that.
Reality in my house though, is this...
Dishes piled everywhere. Is this one clean? Maybe. Maybe not. Laundry?? Oh my goodness...Climbing the walls and falling out of the hamper..none of it clean and what is clean, is lying in a piled gather wrinkles that will now have to be ironed out.
Dust on the floor so deep that the thought of an indoor garden comes to mind and stepping on 'kid stuff' has become the norm.
Why is this going on? Who is the culprit behind the chaos?
Is it DH? How about DD or DS? Yes I could blame it on them, but then I would be playing the blame game. The culprit is........
ME.
Yes, me.
In Exodus 18: 13-26, Jethro notices that Moses is falling apart. Having a hard time. Getting frustrated, worn out and not much good to anybody.
Moses is spending day in and day out listening to everybody's problems and trying to fix them. From big deal stuff to stuff that really didn't matter, Moses was dealing with it and he'd gotten into the mind frame that he was the only one who could make everything run like clock-work.
Have you ever been there? I have. Regularly.
The REST HERE...You Mean.....Delegate??!!!!
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Aug. 1, 2009
If I Only Had a Maid
by Blair Massey
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Luke 10:40 (NIV)
Have you ever felt like Martha? You look at all the things you need to do and think, "How can I get this done by myself? Oh, if only I had a maid!"
If you've looked at the woman in Proverbs 31, you've seen that she was someone who accomplished a lot. I remember thinking to myself, "How is she able to get so much done? She has the same 24 hours in a day that I do, how come she is able to be so productive? "
After many years of studying the Proverbs 31 woman I can tell you that there are five things she does that guarantee her success. Let's take a look at a few of the passages pertaining to the Proverbs 31 woman to see what we can learn from her.
1. She Worked Early.
"She rises while it is yet night and gets food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks." Proverbs 31:15 (Amplified Bible)
Yes, that's right. She was up early in the morning. Not only was she up early, she was "working" early. Notice that she was busy preparing breakfast for everyone in her household. In today's world we don't have to get up before dawn to make breakfast, but there is much that we can accomplish when we get up early.
Oh, I can just hear some of you moaning, "I'm not a morning person." Well, I understand how you feel. I felt the same way myself. Then I realized that God thought it was so important that He put it in the Bible. This is the kind of thing you have to put into practice before you have a change of heart about it. It was that way for me. The Lord had to show my stubborn heart over and over that I need to get up early before I understood its benefits.
Now, I get up early with a joyful heart. I am able to have my quiet time with the Lord, shower and get ready, put in a load of laundry and get organized for the day. When I do these things early I am ready for just about anything that comes my way that day because I have prepared my heart and my mind.
2. She Worked with Strength
"She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms." Proverbs 31:17 (NKJ)
The Proverbs 31 woman was no couch potato. She understood that in order to do all that she had to do, that she must be in good physical shape. She knew that her family depended on her and therefore her health was important to her.
It is easy to get busy with taking care of your family and end up neglecting your own physical well-being. Making sure that you are eating right and getting enough exercise is important. How else are you going to be able to pick up your crying toddler, vacuum the house, clean out the car, play with your children and still have energy left to have a romantic time with your husband (if you get my drift)? You have to be in good physical shape.
3. She Worked Smart
"...and assigns her maids their tasks." Proverbs 31:15 (Amplified Bible)
I remember when it hit me that the Proverbs 31 woman had maids working for her. I thought, "How unfair it is that she had maids and I have to do all this work on my own (pout, pout)."
Then the Lord opened my eyes. He helped me realize how many maids I actually had! There was the washing machine and dryer, the vacuum cleaner, the dish washer, the microwave, the slow cooker, the oven, the toaster, the coffee pot and my favorite -- the bread machine. When I stopped to think about it, all my appliances were performing services just like the maids of the Proverbs 31 woman. How convicting. No more pouting for me!
Now I use all my maids, I mean appliances, to their full potential. I finally realized that I needed to work smarter not harder. Delegation was the key. After all, the Lord had blessed me with theses machines. Why was I not using them as I should? Now, on any given day you will find that I have my bread machine, slow cooker and my washer and dry going so that I am free to be productive in other areas of watching over my home.
4. She Worked Carefully
"She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness." Proverbs 31:27 (NLT)
This was a woman who was on top of things. She understood that what went on in her home was her responsibility. She carefully watched over everything and made sure that whatever needed to get done got done. She didn't let anything distract her. She had a plan and she worked her plan.
5. She Worked for the Lord
"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)
The Proverbs 31 woman did have one secret weapon in her home management arsenal. Today, that secret weapon is available to all Christian Homemakers. What was her secret? She had a healthy fear of the Lord.
She feared the Lord not because she was afraid of Him but because she had a healthy respect for the Him. She wanted to do what was right in His eyes because she loved Him. What she did, she did whole-heartedly out of love for the Lord.
She also knew that she could rely on Him to help her with all that He had asked her to do. This woman didn't run around fretting about getting things done or complaining that her load was too great. She got her strength from praying to the Lord.
We all have times when we feel overwhelmed by our responsibilities. Many times I have thought how nice it would be to have someone come in and take care of things for me. But that is not what managing a home is about. If we take the time to learn from the Proverbs 31 woman we will see that although she had a lot to do she was wise about how she did it. We can all be as productive as the Proverbs 31 woman if we put these five principals into practice.
© 2002 - 2009 Blair Massey
Christian Lifestyle expert Blair Massey publishes the popular Christian Homemaking Newsletter with over 20,000 subscribers. If you're ready to get organized, manage your time better, and provide a peaceful, beautiful home for your family, sign up for her FREE newsletter now at www.christian-homemaking.com
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Jul. 21, 2009
Company Coming Cleaning
One of the most motivating ways to really clean up and organize your home is to have company come and stay with you. That happens a lot in the summer, so if you're trying to get your home company-ready, with a little planning and by following our Breaking a Big Job Down steps, your house will be spic ‘n span ready without you being too worn out to enjoy your company!... [read more]
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Jul. 21, 2009
Breaking Up a Big Job into Bite Sized Pieces
Have you ever been rendered immobile because of the (seeming) enormity of the project in front of you? Let's see...can you relate?
Cleaning out the garage. Organizing toys. Sorting through seasonal clothes...what fits, what doesn't? Losing ten pounds. Getting curriculum ready for the new school year. Redecorating a room. Tackling the hall closet. Creating a daily cleaning routine. Organizing paperwork... [read more]
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Jun. 16, 2009
Tips for Cleaning Up Clutter
Mar. 26, 2009
Justmommies Home Organization Plan - This is a GREAT tool for everyday and for spring cleaning!
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If you've tried other home organization systems and failed then Justmommies Home Organization Plan is perfect for you. We've tried to create something simple, easy to use, and practical for even the busiest mom. We have broken things up into daily tasks, weekly tasks, and monthly tasks There are some tasks that must be done every day to keep a clean home. To keep it simple for you, we have three very easy routines to do throughout the day. Most take only a few minutes. Some things, like vacuuming, do not need to be done but once or twice a week, those tasks are listed in green. We also list reminders for things like cleaning out your refrigerator in this section.
For a printable calendar of the daily, weekly, and monthly tasks as well as the decluttering challenge click on the link below for the appropriate month. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this page correctly. You can download Adobe Acrobat here.
Jan 2009 l Feb 2009 l Mar 2009 l Apr 2009
May 2009 l Jun 2009 l Jul 2009 l Aug 2009
Sep 2009 l Oct 2009 l Nov 2009 l Dec 2009
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Visit JustMommies to see today's to-do list!
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Mar. 20, 2009
Tools for the Frugal Family! The Backyard Homestead and Just in Case!
I am really thinking of buying Frugal Homestead Ideas Collection while its on sale! I really like the two books offered in that collection - The backyard Homestead and Just In Case, especially since we just started our own TINY little homestead here with our new chickens! We're also really big into gardening, and I'll never turn down any additional tips or ideas! :) Here's the description:
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Have you ever wanted to transform your backyard into your family’s personal grocery store? Learn how with The Backyard Homestead. Save money and enjoy fresh, organic, great-tasting food all the time as you grow the vegetables and fruit your family loves; keep bees; raise chickens, goats, or even a cow. The Backyard Homestead shows you how it’s done! And, when the harvest is in, crack open The Backyard Homestead again to learn how to cook, preserve, cure, brew, or pickle the fruits of your labor.
Disaster can strike at any time. Be one of the prepared few by following Kathy Harrison's practical plans for emergency self-sufficiency in Just In Case. Learn how to evaluate, organize, and rotate your food supply; pack an evacuation kit; protect important documents from fire; develop a communications system; make nutritious soup with canned and dried pantry items; and entertain your children in difficult circumstances. Everything you need to know about how to survive when public services fail is covered in this essential guide to family preparedness.
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If you're going to get in on sale, so so quickly, as it only on sale through March 25th with Vision Forum!
Lisa Metzger
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Mar. 10, 2009
Grocery Tip from Menus 4 Moms!
Feb. 19, 2009
The Tragic Truth about the Gardisil Vaccine
Feb. 16, 2009
How to Make Reusable Cloth Napkins
As more and more people become environmentally aware, a popular trend is to get away from throw-away paper products and move towards reusable cloth items. One of the biggest items that ends up in the landfills today is that of paper napkins. Why not create some fun cloth ones instead that you can wash and re-used? Read the rest HERE
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Feb. 16, 2009
How to Make a Reusable Swiffer Dry Cloth
Swiffers are so much easier to use than brooms. They're lightweight and grab onto dust and hair instead of throwing them around like a broom does. Using disposable Swiffer pads is not very eco-friendly, though. Here's a super-easy, cheap, and green way to make reusable cloths for your Swiffer Dry. Read the rest HERE
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Feb. 12, 2009
Postage Stamp Price Increase! Again.
Did you hear? USPS announced yesterday that the price of a postage is stamp is rising- again. Starting May 11th, the price for a first-class stamp will increase to 44 cents, up 2 cents.
So what does this mean? It’s time to stock up on the 42 cent "Forever Stamps". They will be honored, well... forever, regardless of future price increases.
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Feb. 12, 2009
Update on the Cost of the Homemade Laundry Detergent!
UPDATE: We've been using the first of the recipes (HERE) for laundry soap for a few months now and I've come to figure out that our family will pay only $18 per year for laundry detergent! That's less than ONE box of Tide (my former favorite)! Now, with a family of 10, which includes 1 toddler still being toilet trained, a baby and a newborn, that is quite exciting!!!! ~ Lisa Metzger
Here we are making it! The kids love to help!
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Feb. 10, 2009
What's Your Schedule with 8 Kiddos? How do you do it?
The most-asked question our larger-than-average family gets is this: "How do you handle all those kids AND homeschool?" Well, to be completely honest, we probably get the "How many kids do you plan on having anyway?" one even more often, but you'll have to ask God for the answer to that one. :) I, however, will attempt to explain how we do all that we do with 8 kids, all while keeping the peace and order in our humble abode! So, here we go!
Mark and I have 8 blessings, ages: 16, 9, 8, 6 1/2, 4 1/2, 3, 16 months and a newborn (6 weeks). Below is our usual schedule, but with a newborn and a toddler and life in general this can all change at a moments notice. Overall, I like having a schedule so that the kids know what to expect and when, but I do NOT let it rule me. It's just a guide. It helps tremendously that we school year-round! It allows for extended holiday breaks and breaks throughout the year when I feel "burnout" coming. :) I am also a firm believer that just because a schedule works well for one family it might not work well for another, so keep that in mind when trying to create one of your own!
Our Schedule
7:00 - wake-up, make bed, tidy up rooms, put away night clothes and eat
7:45 - kitchen chores (95% done by children) and teeth brushed
8:00/8:15 - seatwork (kids sit at kitchen table and do math/spelling/geography/typing - different requirements on different days)
9:00 - Ellie (16 months) naps. Bible and then the Preschool! The older kids teach younger ones preschool (it is really neat to have the older ones learn to teach their siblings...it develops their abilities in so many ways!)
11:00 Ellie wakes up (Judah - newborn - wakes whenever...no schedule for him yet)
11:00/12:00 - everyone has finished school USUALLY
12:00 or 12:30 - Lunch
After lunch - outside play time/educational games/reading/educational DVD's or YouTube unit studies (this varies according to my whim...ha)
3:00 - Julia and Ellie (2 1/2 and 8 months) nap
4:00 - Kids are inside. Afternoon chores (usually it's a pretty light workload). Reading.
5:00 - Get ready for Daddy's homecoming (vacuum, set table, ready dinner, etc.) and wake Julia and Ellie
Dinner
Kitchen Cleanup by kids while Mark and I discuss our days (this is GREAT therapy for Mommy) or read to Julia, Ellie and Judah
Nighttime routine is here.
When do you feel as though you've actually ACCOMPLISHED all that you need to accomplish?
I would say that I feel as though I have accomplished everything I needed to accomplish if I have homeschooled the kids, done at least 1 load of laundry, done some everyday chores (dusting, vacuuming, counter tops, general upkeep, etc.), prepared a good meal, had the kids learn life skills of some kind, and I have basically "worked at home" all day. It varies so greatly what I do each day that I would say that if I felt as though I have been a worker at home, according to Titus 2. I am to be loving my husband, loving my children and being busy at home. If I've done that to the best of my ability, then I've accomplished a lot. However, it can get monotonous and it can feel as though I haven't accomplished much, BUT drudgery is part of motherhood and that's all part of God's perfect plan. See this post! The Proverbs 31 is an ideal woman, accomplishing A LOT. I don't believe that any woman could accomplish all that she did every day, and we need to keep that in mind or we'll drive ourselves crazy! BUT Proverbs 31 is a GREAT outline to use overall!
Any organizing tips or secrets?
Check out these posts:
Chores ~ How to Get Your Kids to Do them and WHY
Age Appropriate Chore List
Children's Bedroom Management
7 Ways to Leave Your Clutter
The ABCs of Order in Your Home
1. Never leave a room empty-handed. Always return something to its proper place.
2. 30 second rule....If it takes less than 30 seconds to put away, do it immediately!
3. Have pick up time before Daddy gets home and before lunch time!
4. Teach kids to do chores and to pick up as they go (30 second rule with them, as well)
Any tips on how to get the kids to clean up after themselves?
As I've mentioned time and time again, we are big on "chore training". My kids all have chores. We use this age appropriate chore list as a guide. Our kids have chores as soon as they can crawl and they will pass them on to a younger sibling when the younger sibling is ready. The younger sibling will become the "apprentice" and the older becomes the "master or teacher". The younger will watch the older do the chore between 2 and 5 times before they attempt it themselves. Then they move onto doing the chore themselves, with the older one watching and instructing PROPERLY (no bossing allowed...Mommy's listening in). After about 2-5 times of the younger doing the chore under the older's supervision and instruction, the younger will do that chore on their own. From that point on, Mommy checks up on them randomly to see if it was completed properly. If it was not, then Mommy instructs the younger on how to correct it. Of course, age is always factored in.....I don't expect my two year old to wipe the table the way I would. BUT, they should be doing it to the best of their ability.
How old should a child be when they begin having chores?
Our kids start chores as soon as they can crawl, and although it's tedious to Mommy in the beginning, I've found that it pays off BIG TIME in the long run!!!
What does God think about chores? Shouldn't kids just be kids?
Unfortunately, today's society has taught us that life should be easy, kids should be kids, take the easy way out in life, but in all reality I can't find where it says any of that in Scripture. In fact, Scripture says that LEADERS and SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE will work hard! Shouldn't we be training up the future leaders of tomorrow's familys and world?
Using the below Scriptures when teaching children about chores and hard work will mold their spirits now and train them for their futures! This is why we believe that children should regularly contribute to household maintenance.
*Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and never succeed. Proverbs 12:24
*He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. Proverbs 12:11
*All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
*Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:22-24
What are the consequences for not completing chores?
IF chores are not completed with a good attitude and without being asked/reminded, they will either have reading/play time deducted or be given extra chores. This system has worked really well and, honestly, we rarely have an issue with attitudes or chore completion. They know that Daddy and I mean business. They also are used to having chores, because they start doing chores as soon as they can walk. In fact, the older ones are so used to doing their chores and do them with a proper attitude that the younger ones CAN'T WAIT to go into an "apprenticeship" under the older ones to learn the chores! Now, yes, chores get repetitious, but they do get done with correct attitudes and without being told (the majority of the time, anyway - no one's perfect).
I hope this was of some help and an encouragement to you! May you all be WORKERS AT HOME and follow God and His Word in all you do!
Lisa Metzger
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Feb. 9, 2009
The Official Metzger Bedtime Routine with 8 Kiddos!
The question as to bedtime routines came up on one of the Yahoo Groups I belong to today. I thought some of y'all might be interested in how a "larger" family gets it all done (nearly stress-free) every night. So, here ya go! ~ Lisa
We have 8 kids - 16, 9, 8, 6 1/2, 4 1/2, 3, 16 mos. and a newborn. We have always been rather strict with our bedtime routine and schedule, as my husband and I have our alone time following the kids going off to bed and/or quiet time. ALL the kids go to bed at 8:00 with the exception of the 16 year old. She reads, knits or sews in the lower level (finsihed basement), so we don't hear anything from her after 8:00. She goes to bed at 9:30/10:00 (she is not a night owl at all).
Before bed, but after dinner, they play with Daddy, we do family worship (He reads a few verses, asks the kids what they think it means and asks for life application of that verse. Then we sing a few songs and pray before bed. That takes about 10-15 minutes at the most and that has been a WONDERFUL addition!). After prayer, each child takes their "buddies" with them to get their teeth brushed (or at least supervise if their buddy is old enough to really do it on their own). We match them up as follows: 16 year old and 1 year old; 9 year old and 3 year old; 8 & 6 1/2 year olds with the 4 1/2 year old. After teeth are done, the bathroom gets visited by everyone and gets wiped down by the 16 or 9 year old (takes 2 minutes at the most). Then everyone in bed. Oh, and the clothes for the next day are laid out by the 16, 9 and 8 year old for all the kids, too, before bed.
Hope that helps someone!
Lisa Metzger
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Jan. 31, 2009
Britax Sale! Save up to 20% on Britax! Don't miss out!
Jan. 23, 2009
Another Way to Save Money for Large Families (or small)!
Join the Big Lots Buzz Club and wait to get their 20% off coupon in your inbox - good on your entire purchase! We wait and buy ALL our toothpaste and toothbrushes at those sales and save a TON! We also buy food items, paper plates and cups, shampoo, conditioner, storage containers, socks (oh, how we go through kids socks!), etc. We save SO MUCH by just waiting for these sales and stocking up!
I think they only have the coupon maybe 4 times a year, if that, so sign up now HERE. We just received a coupon today for this next week.
Happy saving!
Lisa
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Jan. 18, 2009
Return of the 1950s housewife?
KYLIE HANSEN
December 31, 2008
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24858259-2682,00.html
SHE sews, cooks, knits, gardens and raises chooks. The housewife is
back – with younger women embracing traditional domestic crafts in
droves, new figures show.
Sewing machines have rocketed off shelves in the past six months,
with Lincraft reporting a 30 per cent increase in sales.
"There has been a definite trend happening and we have also started
to see an increase in dress-fabric sales," said Lincraft spokesman
Jeff Croft.
"Demand for sewing classes has increased – and one of the biggest
growth areas has been knitting yarn, with a 10-20 per cent increase
in sales compared to this time last year."
Spotlight spokesman Steven Carey said DIY craft kits were its booming
sector.
The new housewife also appears to be turning our backyards into vegie
gardens, with sales of vegetables and herbs surging across nurseries
over the past 12 months, according to the Nursery and Garden Industry
Association.
Tomatoes are hot, as are beans, peas and herbs.
New data from social forecaster AustraliaSCAN shows home-based
activities are the focus for people.
The survey shows a 5 per cent increase in the number of people
spending time doing crafts and a 4 per cent rise in people devoting
time to home cooking, DIY and gardening.
"There has been a substantial shift in our mindset to a more old-
fashioned, frugal lifestyle – that real waste-not-want-not approach,"
said social analyst and AustraliaSCAN consultant David Chalke.
"There are a confluence of forces - the global financial crisis,
enviromental concerns and a new cocooning - which are pulling
together to form the new homemaker.
"That's why we are embracing the domestic crafts again," he said.
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