Posted on my category page: Homemaking Secrets from My Dusty Shelves

Praise God, we have been blessed with 6 children and our home has now become a little cramped. With 2 adults and 6 children in the home, plus all the "stuff" we each need, we have quickly outgrown our space.

At first, I thought we needed a bigger house. Certainly that would be nice, however, in our current circumstances it is simply impractical. So I have determined to bless my husband and family by being content with what we have and making the best of it. I personally know original homeowners in our neighborhood who also raised large families in the very same floor plan in the 1950s and 60s. How did they do it? I believe they had less "stuff" filling up their space.

Therefore, the best way to make "more space" is to get rid of unnecessary stuff. Initially this was hard for me because I am the saving-type. Surely, you've heard of us. Maybe you are one yourself. I remember who gave us each article of clothing, teddy bear, book, and kitchen utensil. I also remember little Luke wearing those pajamas when he first slept in his big boy bed or little Lucy wearing those boots when she first discovered her own footprints in the snow. I am unnaturally attached to objects because they make me think of the precious people I associate with them. In addition, I'm always thinking of the future. You know how it goes, "Well, I don't need that now, but I might need it someday......" This cleaning out-thing has been a long and difficult process for me, but I do believe it is beginning to pay off.

I read a tip, I believe from Sandra Felton of Messies Anonymous fame, that has helped me tremendously.

Limit your collections to the space you have designated for them.

In my case, my largest collection is books. If I only have space for one bookshelf, then I must limit my books to that shelf. They cannot be in boxes in the closet or piled on top of the end table. If I have more books than shelf space, it is time to pass some on to someone else.

At this point, 2 thoughts come to mind: 1) We're a homeschooling family. We use all our books. I cannot possibly get rid of them. 2) What if I get rid of these only to find I need them in the future? The answers to these statements follow:

1) If indeed I *need* all these books, then I also need another designated place for them. Is there another piece of furniture I can get rid of to make room for another bookshelf?

2) If I decide I can part with some books, but *fear* I may need them again in the future, I can rest in the fact that God always provides for our needs. If we truly need something, the Lord will provide it for us at the right time through someone else's donation, the library, or the means to purchase it again. If I don't need a book now and don't have specific plans for it in the future, I need to let it go.

If you are also in need of more space, try applying these concepts to your *collections* and see how much room you can uncover. I plan to post more space-saving tips in the future. I hope this one has blessed you today.

~Layla

Posted on my category page: Homemaking Secrets from My Dusty Shelves

I started a Yahoo group. Maybe you'd like to join.

Proverbs 31:13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

So here's the story. My sister-in-law and I were talking a few weeks ago about how we have a habit of starting projects, especially sewing projects, and not completing them. She said she needed a few accountability partners . . . . one thing led to another and alas the group has formed.

Basically, we log in, describe our current project, and set a goal for completing it. We are able to log in as often as we like and let others know how we're progressing (or not) on our project. We are also able to post photos (before, during, and/or after). Projects can be anything from mopping the floor, to sewing new curtains, to starting a garden, to decluttering a closet, to scrapbooking an entire baby album. You name it. If it beautifies your home or makes it more functional, or if it blesses your family in some way, it counts as a legitimate goal. The best part of the group is that we all cheer each other on while we work and "pat each other on the back" when we accomplish something. It's wonderful moral support. It has already helped me tremendously. I have achieved 2.5 goals since the 1st of the year!

Check it out. You may like it.

~Layla

Posted on my category page: Homemaking Secrets from My Dusty Shelves

How long should it take to deep clean a 6' x 8' bathroom?  Under "normal" circumstances, it seems that one should be able to scrub the tub and shower walls, toilet, sink, mirrors, window, and floor in a small bathroom in an hour or less.  But how long does it take to do this job with 3 toddlers in the home?  2 1/2 hours!!!!  While cleaning my bathroom yesterday I had a little one climbing on my back while I scrubbed the tub saying "I Got-cha!"  Another toddler wanted to used the toilet brush to clean the whole room.  Someone wanted to clean the shower doors for me while someone else wanted to climb into the tub for a bath.  They were after the garbage, the spray bottle, the rags, the paper towels, the disinfecting wipes.  They were laughing, playing, messing their diapers, crying, "arguing," and "cleaning" to their hearts content while I was trying to do a one hour job in less than 3!  Oh, but how blessed I am with these sweet babies. 

If you come by for a visit, you'll find our home is full of activity, toys, and children.  It is clean, but not spotless.  There is usually a basket of laundry needing to be folded, piles of paper and books here and there, and crumbs under the table.  I often say, "It's 1 step forward and 3 steps back around here" for no sooner do I get an area tidied than the little ones come up behind and undo it all and then some.  I have often felt defeated by this, but I'm learning to enjoy it.  I expect it won't be long before they're all grown and my house will be tidy as can be.  Then I will think back on these years and smile at the fun, the joy, and even the mess we shared.

Cleanliness is important.  Teaching little ones how to clean up after themselves and be diligent about their work is also important.  But more important than these things are the relationships within the family.  Enjoy your little ones, smile and laugh together, work together, but don't stress about the mess!

~ Layla

Posted on my category page: Homemaking Secrets from My Dusty Shelves

A few years ago my DH bought new windows for our home.  We own a 1950's ranch and the house still had its original windows, so we bought replacements for the purpose of better efficiency.  As part of the deal, I asked my husband if I could have a garden box window in the kitchen.  It has been a dream of mine to have a fresh herb garden in my kitchen that I can snip from all year long.  Liam agreed and I have had a lovely window over my sink since then.

I had one problem, though.  I do not have a natural green thumb.  I have actually killed every plant I have ever owned.  So, while I had my dream window, I was afraid to pursue my dream herb garden for fear that I would kill it.

The first year I planted nothing.  The next year I bought 1 cilantro plant.  It wasn't long before I killed it.  Last year I planted cat grass for the cat to nibble and started some tomatoes and peppers for my outdoor garden (that never happened).  The cat never touched the grass and, yep you guessed it, I killed the tomatoes and peppers. 

This year I invested more time into reading about indoor herb gardens, I took a little extra care with the planters, and I involved my older 2 children in the process.  I am pleased to say that our little herb garden is flourishing, by the grace of God.  We have only a few plants, but I intentionally started small.  (Better to kill 5 plants than 10.  )  I have started to snip fresh herbs while I am cooking and add them right into the mixing bowl/ pan/ etc.  I am so excited!

I'll try to add pointers here while I learn as I go.  Many things may seem basic, but I knew nothing about taking care of plants when I started.

Some lessons learned about indoor gardening:

** Involve your children.  First, it makes you accountable to someone for the well-being and care of your plants.  Second, it's a wonderful learning experience for them.  Free science lessons with no lesson plans required!  Third, it gives them ownership.  They will take great pride in caring for the plants and using them in the kitchen (of course, you also have to let them help you with the preparation of food) when they know that these plants are growing under the care of their own hands.

** Make sure your pot has drainage holes and put a layer of pebbles, marbles, or broken terra cotta in the bottom of the pot before adding soil.  This will allow water to drain out and prevent root rot.

** Do not let excess water sit in the drainage tray.

** Do not underwater.  Plants should be watered when the top of the soil is dry.  If the soil is pulling away from the sides of the pot or cracking, it is too dry.  If the leaves of your plant are wilting, you need to water more often. 

** Do not overwater.  If the soil is developing a layer of moss on top or is always very wet, you're watering too much.  If the leaves of your plant are yellow, you need to cut back the amount of water or the frequency of watering.

** You should mist the soil with a spray bottle or (in my case) a kitchen sink sprayer turned on low.  Use lukewarm water and spray gently.  You do not want to create canals or divets in the soil.  You could expose the plant roots.  Water until the soil is moist but not soggy.  Do not get leaves wet whenever possible.  Sunlight could burn them.

** Do not let leaves touch the window panes.  Sunlight will burn them.

** Finally, if you get a chance to install a garden box window, do not put it over your kitchen sink unless you are very tall.  I am very short and have to literally climb onto my countertop in order to reach the plants.  It is the only window in my kitchen, however, so I thought it would be the most convenient spot.  If it were a window that I could walk up to, watering and snipping would be much easier.  (BTW, Luke, ds8, has now taken over watering, so he has to climb onto the counter. )

I hope this encourages some of you who are intimidated by gardening.  I am not an expert, but I think my thumb now has a hint of green developing -- maybe slightly yellow-green, or better yet mint-green!

~Layla

Posted on my category page: Homemaking Secrets from My Dusty Shelves

I've had a busy week.  I wish you could tell at a glance how much work I've done. 

1.  Sunday, on the drive home from our trip I FINALLY completed crocheting a blanket that I started for my daughter about 2 years ago!  Woo Hoo!

2.  I wrote out a meal plan last summer.  I planned breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for 28 days.  I like using it, but for various reasons haven't been consistent with it.  I went back to it this week.  I updated it a bit -- replaced some meals that we didn't like with new ones, etc.  I shopped by the plan on Monday and we've been eating according to it all week.  I like this because it saves time often wasted trying to decide what to cook.  It also forces me to cook better food because I've already spent money on fresh produce, etc., and it has to be used before it goes bad.

3.  I started to switch our clothing for the season change last week.  This requires catching up on the dirty laundry in the basement and sorting the winter clothes by size into storage tubs.  I also bring in the summer clothes from the garage and wash everything before I put it back in our closets.  (You never know what critters may have burrowed through the boxes, plus the garage just has a "garage-y" smell that seems to linger in the clothes.)  I also like to keep a few off-season outfits out for each person because in Michigan, as they say, if you blink the weather will change!  Anyway, we went out of town for the weekend so I finished up the clothing shift this week.  It is a monumental task with 7 people in our family now.

4.  The binders I ordered came in so I spent 2 evenings sorting and filing the children's school papers.  I keep all their work.  It's a lot of paper, I know, but I'm not comfortable throwing it out.  Right now our homeschool laws in Michigan are very loose regarding records which is wonderful.  But I don't know that we'll always live here.  I don't know what I'll need and what I won't.  I'd love to do a portfolio for each year of school and greatly reduce what we save but that's another project for another day.

5.  I also cleaned off my desk.  It had become extremely embarrassing!  I have a desk in our dining area that I keep our school supplies in and I'm supposed to work at in the evenings, checking papers and preparing work for the next day.  Somehow I never seem to have the time to work there.  I get the children in bed, tidy up the house, and often collapse in exhaustion.  (Occassionally, I blog.  )  So the desk has become the drop-off point for my mail, completed school papers, books and magazines I want to read, notebooks, etc.  It was piled so high with stuff I wouldn't allow my children to go near it for fear everything would fall onto the floor.  So I spent the morning yesterday sorting, tossing, and filing so I can finally see my desktop again.  I threw out 2 bags of stuff.  Why did I keep it all in the first place?

These are all things that are not noticeable to someone who walks through my front door.  I know I've done a lot, but the work I've done is not obvious.  And while I was doing all this work, I've only been doing the bare minimum on the everyday jobs.  So my floor needs to be mopped something terrible and the laundry is piling up again.  The children's rooms are not up to par because I haven't kept on them to clean them.  To a visitor, it would look like I haven't been doing my job all week.  Isn't that the way of it?