Our "Go with the Flow" Homeschool Day

 Have you ever wondered what a homeschool day in the life looks like for someone who is "structurally-challenged"? If so, you are in for a treat! (I will warn you: if you are the type of person who loves schedules and doing things by the book, this post may not be for you. It will seem terribly chaotic. I won't confidently say that it works for us, and that I'm totally nailing this homeschool thing, because I'm always striving to do better, but this is where we are right now. Or rather a few weeks ago.)

I have always resisted schedules. (It's sort of a trademark of an INFP). But even during those times when I think, "you know what? Maybe those Type A people are onto something..." there's generally some external resistance happening too. I have four children ages 8, 6, 3 and 9 months. Since the beginning of our homeschooling adventure, we've had an infant, and then a toddler, then a pregnancy, and now a new infant, and a very energetic preschooler.

I DO try to maintain some level of routine in our days. We follow one of the schedules from SimplyCharlotte Mason as much as is practical for us. I have found that it makes it easier to sort of be on "auto pilot" for our lessons and readings (the more planning and preparation and DECISIONS required of me, the less likely we are to actually accomplish any formal schooling for the day). Despite resisting schedules, we are rather creatures of habit. Our day just happens to start and end way later than most people's days. I'm working on that!

8:30-10:00 am- I'm up. I've made tea, chatted with my husband, and opened my Bible to read for a bit. I hear the baby cry, so I go in to settle her to buy myself a little more quiet time. My husband is taking the first part of his day off at work to get some errands done, so he is in and out of the house for the first part of our day.

10:30-11:30 am- Everyone else wakes up. First my 8 year old, who mills around for a bit and then asks for toast. The baby wakes up for good, and I feed her while I look at Facebook. The 3 year old wakes up to join the 8 year old who is now in the living room reading picture books. They start to squabble over something. I change the baby's diaper, and then the six year old gets up. I make toast for my 3 year old.

11:30-12:00 pm- Baby plays in the Exersaucer while I wrap up what I'm doing online. My 8 year old asks me to request some Kevin Henkes books from the library (he was on a mouse book kick there for a minute), so I handle that before I get off the computer. He starts his chores, which include sweeping the dining room floor, emptying small waste baskets, and checking the mail. (He is kind of a self-starter. Also, he knows that screen time doesn't happen until his chores are done).

12:30 pm- My husband returns home briefly before heading for work. He brought coffee. We talk in the kitchen until he has to go.

12:30-1:30 pm- The baby gets another diaper change, and I realize I haven't eaten yet! I put the baby in the Ergo and head to the kitchen to make myself something. The older kids are gathered around the tablet watching whatever the 3 year old is watching on YouTube Kids (until I shoo them away). He watches lots of toy videos (ugh), but also a variety of whatever else catches his fancy. In the past couple of weeks, I've seen Peppa Pig, Thomas and Friends, Pink Panther and some others. At some point, the 8 year old begs off of school today in favor of watching Despicable Me again (we rented it from Netflix). Um, NO.

1:30- 2:00 pm- The baby should be ready for a nap soon. I sit down in the living room with her for a feeding, and start to watch a new PBS documentary called No Mas Bebes. I am trying to see if she will get drowsy and fall asleep. The three year old begins quizzing me on how to spell the words, "um", "no", "yes", "Saturday" and "remote." The six year old comes into the room and starts to play with the baby. I fuss at the 6 year old for getting the baby worked up again, and quickly apologize for snapping at her. I send the bigger kids to play in the room while I feed and try to settle the baby. Three year old is playing on the tablet. I abandon the program eight minutes into it. The big kids were fighting. This nap time approach isn't working!

2:00- 3:00 pm- I use the restroom and put the baby back in the Ergo. Baby begins to fall asleep while I start on dishes and laundry and a new podcast episode. By three o'clock, I have put the baby in bed, and get ready for our lessons.

3:00-3:30 pm- Head to the kids' bedroom to start on school lessons. (I have deemed their room to be the most distraction-free location for lessons to take place for the time being. We live in a small apartment, so we don't have a dedicated school space, and the 3 year old is not occupied in the same way from one day to the next usually. We need to be flexible and do what works!) And I always have the three year old occupied with something in another room because being quiet is not one of his strengths! (And being loud is not one of my strengths!) We get started on Scripture memorization and Bible reading, and are interrupted by the three year old who first needs assistance in the restroom, and minutes later, requests a snack.

3:30- 4:00 pm- Attempt to transition from Bible reading to the next portion of our lessons, but end up discussing Esther the Girl Who Became Queen, and how it compares to the real story of Esther (which we haven't actually read yet- we were reading from Matthew today). The children begin flipping through the Bible, reading certain passages briefly (they are remembering many of the verses from VeggieTales). I manage to get us back on track, telling the children that they may explore the Bible more after we do our other lessons (which they ultimately do). There is a potty break, and the 3 year old requires attention again. 

I hear the baby wake up from her nap. I get her out of bed, and finish reading chapter two of The Cricket in Times Square. The 8 year old works on Khan Academy for math. I let him choose the duration, but it must be at least 10 minutes, and no more than 15 minutes. (Charlotte Mason recommends brief lessons to sustain the child's interest. It works for us!) My 6 year old works on a chapter of Life of Fred: Cats. I requested it from the library because she seemed to be having some trouble with some of the Khan Academy content. (We've tried LOF before, and it didn't sustain their interest. I LOVE the concept, but we likely won't get it again any time soon.) We end up skipping our reading from The Boy Who Invented TV (a children's book about Philo Farnsworth) because the baby woke sooner than expected.

4:00- 5:30 pm(ish)- I read Grover's Good Manners to the three year old and the baby, and nurse the baby briefly afterwards. The big kids make sandwiches while I feed the baby some solid food (she is really loving butternut squash right now). I eat something as well. I put a chicken in the slow cooker. (Mine actually runs really hot for some reason. Dinner will be ready in a few hours!) I start another load of laundry.

5:45 pm- I sit down to resume watching No Mas Bebes. (I find the story so heartbreaking. It's about some Hispanic women in 1970's Los Angeles who were sterilized without their informed consent.) This is free time for everyone. The 8 year old is having tablet time. The 6 year old usually looks on with the 8 year old, or she works on drawings, plays with her dolls or another toy. The 3 year old plays on the computer.

6:30 pm (and beyond)- The baby takes another nap later in the evening, and usually I tidy up the kitchen and do other chores with her in the Ergo while I wait for my husband to get off work. He is usually home by 10 pm, so we have a long wait! We eat dinner when he gets home. We would not be able to do this if the kids went to a traditional school, of course. (Now, I will disclose that this is not exactly intentional on my part. I would rather have everyone eat a little earlier, and be about ready for bed when he gets home, but I must admit that I like everyone to eat together too). Sometimes in the "waiting for dad" time, I let the children watch something together on TV.

Overall, our days tend to manifest as a combination of Charlotte Mason style learning and unschooling. We read lots of books, learn about a variety of subjects, but also have plenty of time to find our own rhythm and explore our own interests.

As of this writing (this day was a few weeks ago), our days do not look like this! We are taking a couple weeks off of our usual mom-facilitated learning as the baby works out some developmental stuff. (Nine month sleep regression is a real thing!) Last week, she barely napped longer than 15 minutes, so that made our school time really challenging. I decided this week, we would lean into that and give her the space to work it out. She's still not back to her usual nap routine, and a few of us have been feeling a bit sniffly, so the break is well-timed.

The older two children have been reading a book called Kid Presidents (a book about what the presidents were like as children), as well as other library books. I am working to implement a 30 minute daily individual reading time, so before screen time happens, they need to get their reading in. My 8 year old has been doing his math online this week before screen time as well. Yesterday, the two older children rediscovered their marble run. I happened to go into the room while they were taking a break from their fun, and noticed a stopwatch and paper and pencil on the floor. They had been timing how long it took for the marbles to reach the bottom, and seeing which one was faster. I don't worry much when we take breaks because I know that they are always learning! It may not look like school, but their knowledge is always growing! 

Do you homeschool? What does a day look like in your home? 

Sharing today at Simple Homeschool's Annual Day in the Life Series.

Linking Up with:
Thank Goodness It's Monday
Hip Homeschool Moms
Titus 2sdays 
A Little R&R
Whole Hearted Wednesday 

One Small Habit

I have been through seasons of mothering where I just feel frazzled. The house won't stay tidy(ish), every time I turn around, someone needs something from me, I don't have any "me time" set aside in my day.

What I realized is that a lot of times, my own personal habits were contributing to my feelings of being stressed! At times, I go around putting out all these little fires, when something really simple could have prevented that "fire" altogether.

• If I come across my preschooler's stray shoe in a random room, and take a minute to put it away instead of telling myself that I'll remember where I saw it earlier
• If I wash the dishes in the sink before bed instead of leaving them for later
• If I get my coffee ready to brew the night before instead of trying to measure coffee grounds and water first thing in the morning
• If I renew a book through the library's website right when I remember to instead of putting it off
• If I decide what I want to make for dinner early in the morning, and pull meat from the freezer to thaw right away instead of thinking that I have time to think about it

I'm sensing a theme! If the task is something that only takes a moment, do it NOW, rather than promising yourself that you'll remember to do it later, at a more convenient time. I don't know how many times I've kicked myself for putting something off that could have been done quickly and easily.

What I tell myself in these moments when I'm tempted to ignore a task, is "doing this now will be a blessing to me later!" That may sound like a selfish way of thinking, but it really is a help to everyone in my family. In the instance of putting the shoes away the moment I notice them abandoned on the floor, I won't be scrambling later, or delayed on our way out the door. It really helps everyone! (And mom isn't stressing out, which I've come to realize is hugely important to my husband and children!)

How about you? Are you taking an extra minute to bless your future self? Is there anything you could do right now, that you'll thank yourself for later? 

Linking up:
Hearts for Home Blog Hop
I Choose Joy 
Fellowship Friday

Speaking Good Things Over Our Children

One day after my two older children had left on an outing with their grammy, I was home alone with my three year old son and napping three month old daughter.

I received a phone call from my husband who had been at work all day, and I was eager to talk to him. As we were chatting, my three year old ran into the room, and began to play with the baby's swing. He pushed it roughly, and switched on buttons, and music played, while the swing rocked quickly forward and back without the weight of a baby in it.

"Stop messing with the swing!" I snapped, more interested in getting back to my conversation with my husband.

The three year old switched the buttons off, and then on again in a flash, and ran out of the room.

"Little turkey!" I yelled.

"I not a turkey!" he yelled back.

"Did he just say he's not a turkey?" my husband laughed. "You can have what you say, you know."

That phrase. "You can have what you say." I know it to be true. But how often do I observe outward appearances and call it as I see it? Had the stress of motherhood made me forget to speak good things over my children, rather than just labeling them by the looks of their behavior?

Our culture applauds those who "say what's real", and so we value people when they make seemingly accurate observations. As Christians, though, we're called to go beyond that. To see beyond the see-able. To see what God sees.

In Genesis, we see the universe in chaos. Thankfully, God chose to see past that. He said, "let there be light."

My son came back in the room. "You're a blessing," I said to him.

"OH! Thank you, mom!" he beamed.

Our children need us to remind them how God sees them- not just how their behavior causes them to appear- and certainly not how they make us feel in a moment of tension. God's word is a mirror- to us, and to them.
Let's build up our children to be the awesome men and women God has called them to be!

What phrases can you speak over your children to affirm who they are in Christ?

Linking up with:
Mama Moments Mondays
Teaching What is Good 

How to Serve Others without Leaving the House

I am happy to present to you my very first guest post! I connected with Jenni probably close to two years ago (around the time I started blogging!) and have found her blog to be encouraging and inspirational. To learn more about her, read below. 

Anyway, I was excited when she shared with me what she would be writing about- I'm 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow and currently leaving the house only if necessary! So, I trust that these tips will be helpful to you too, no matter what season you are currently in. 

* * *

As a mother of a small child, I often find it difficult to find ways to get involved in ministry. Many opportunities conflict with nap time or bedtime. Often service projects that I could volunteer for are not very baby-friendly. This dilemma has caused me to look into alternative ways to minister to others. Below is as short list of ideas that I have come up with for serving others without leaving the house.

8 Ways to Minister from Home

• Write a letter to a missionary. I know first-hand how uplifting a simple note of encouragement can be while serving in full-time ministry. Knowing that someone is praying for you and has taken the time to let you know can make a difficult day much easier.
• Send flowers to a friend. Those that are ill or going through hard times will appreciate this gesture of kindness. Although, there doesn't have to be a reason for sending a vase-full of cheer. "Just because" is a fun surprise.
• Bake cookies for your neighbors. Share you favorite cookies with a new neighbor. Or ones you know well. Your family doesn't need to eat a whole batch of cookies by themselves anyway! 
• Send a care package to a college student. Being away from home can be tough on a freshman. Include a note of encouragement with their favorite snacks. 
• Donate money to a local homeless shelter. Or donate furniture, clothes, personal hygiene items, Bibles or anything else they need. Many larger ministries will even pick up your donations so you don't even have to leave your house. 
• Send a thank you card to a soldier. Those that serve our country deserve recognition and support from those they are protecting. There are several online projects, such as thanksamillion.org, that you can join. 
• Invite a single adult over for dinner. Singles often feel overlooked and long to connect with people, especially if they don't live near family. Reach out to a young adult who would enjoy a home-cooked meal and fellowship. 
• Sponsor a child. Whether you go through Compassion International or World Vision, you can lend a hand to a needy child just about anywhere in the world. If this isn't in your budget, you can write to a child instead.

I hope these ideas will help you get creative in finding ways to serve others without leaving the house. If you would like to share ways that you have ministered from home, leave a comment below!

About the Author: Jenni is happily married to her best friend and a stay-at-home mama to an active, red-headed baby girl. In her free time she enjoys deep conversations, decaf lattes and diving into a good book. As a writer, she is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to live for the glory of God. Connect with her at JenniMullinix.com.

The Banana Incident

That my son is particular about his food is an understatement. Just recently, while we were waiting for company to arrive one Saturday morning, he asked for a banana.

He loves bananas, and he's quite methodical about the way he eats them. I open it for him, peel it down slightly and he'll take a couple of bites. Then, he takes the peel off the rest of the way, and throws it in the garbage. He's really rather predictable.

So, after serving his banana to him, I went about my usual business.

Then I heard a cry. I went in to see what was the matter, and distraught, he tells me, "my banana is BROKEN!" It had broken right in half. (I guess he got a little too enthusiastic whilst peeling it).

"Oh, well that's okay. You can still eat it," I offered.

"No! It's BROKEN!" he replied, followed by a short period of wailing. "I need another one."

After attempting to explain to him that his banana was perfectly fine, and in fact, still edible, I realized there was just no reasoning with him. I reluctantly let him have a new banana.

I guess this just wasn't his morning for bananas, because moments later the scene was repeated. Ever the cool and collected mama, I shouted "no more bananas!" which was met with more wailing. "Sorry, Bud...we can't keep wasting bananas because you don't want to eat broken ones," I explained once I gathered my wits.

Thankfully, a couple of banana-incident-free days passed and one morning he asked for another banana.

Well, wonder of wonders, he managed to break yet another banana. Unbelievable! This must have been one of those things that I was made to repeat until I got it right. Why a broken banana? I may never be sure. But amazingly, I came up with a solution that pleased the four year old banana breaker.

I dug in a kitchen drawer to find a pack of rarely-used toothpicks. I stuck two picks into the bottom portion of the banana, and stuck the top portion on top of the toothpicks and presented it to my son. "Look, it's not broken any more."

"Oh!" he said, pleased with the result. He happily ate the "repaired" banana and life went on. (And he was able to eat AROUND the toothpicks with no issue for those that are wondering.)

What kind of mommy drama have you survived lately?

Linking up today for the brand new blog hop, Mommy Monday at Simply Prudent. Be sure to visit for more mommy-hood posts! (And link up if you have a post to share!)

Goals for 2011 Revisited

I know if I were the truly goal-oriented type, I would check in on my goals more than semi-annually. I'm working on it! Just this morning, I was reviewing my goals from half a year ago in my journal.

I was actually quite pleased at my progress. That's not to say that I've already accomplished what I set out to improve on entirely, but I'm closer than I was at the beginning of the year. Yay!

Here's the original post about my goals to read in it's entirety if you missed it.

(And for those of you who may desire more rapid growth and more accountability for reaching your goals, check out the 3 in 30 Challenge if you haven't already! There's some great encouragement as well as awesome ideas for making improvements in your life!)

Spiritual Goals:

1. Spend moments alone with God (in prayer and Bible reading) everyday. Put Him first before anything including computer time and chores. Well...I've done alright here. I have kind of been hit & miss with my commitment to have my quiet time before computer time and chores. Maybe that's why I've only been averaging about four days a week in the Word. Hmm.
2. Cultivate the fruit of the Spirit- Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Not really sure how to measure this one. Perhaps this one would be best broken down into mini-goals, kind of like #4. As in working on one area at a time.
3. Make church a priority. Be excellent in my areas of service. Do what God directs me to do regardless of whether or not my work is acknowledged or appreciated. Keep my eyes on Him! I've been much happier in this area so far because of this attitude. There have been a few times when I didn't make it a point to be involved, but overall, I've done a lot better. Last year, I think I technically attended pretty regularly, but wasn't really "there."
4. Make a habit of speaking the language of praise- stop complaining! Tame my tongue! I'm still working on this one! I've been more challenged in this area lately, so it's time to really focus on this!

Marital Goals:

1. Be positive with my husband. Don't criticize, complain or condemn. Criticizing, complaining and condemning was a habit last year. I think I can say it's less of a habit now. :P I've read one really good book that addresses this called The Surrendered Wife (read at your own risk, it is not by a Christian author) and it really helped me to break the cycle on some of this behavior. I even wrote a post about one attitude change of mine.
2. Keep "covenant" in the forefront of my mind- by doing a Scripture study and/or reading books/listening to teachings that promote covenant in marriage. Honestly, I haven't really gone out of my way to do this! This is one I'll need to focus on in the latter part of the year, apparently! :)
3. Be flexible (this one is a biggie for me!)- Let your immediate answer be "yes" or at the very least "I'll think about it". (So often I am immediately opposed to new ideas- this is a habit that I would like to break this coming year to promote peace in my marriage). See #1.

Maternal Goals:

1. Actively direct P & C to the Lord by sharing Scriptures with them, weaving Biblical lessons into the everyday- don't be afraid to show them my need for the Savior when I mess up, too! Keep them in prayer on a daily basis! I've been fairly diligent to my little ones in prayer (when I have my prayer time!), also, I've been trying to communicate to my son "We treat others they way we want to be treated" especially during those times when he's "less than nice" to his sister. It's been relatively easy to confess my faults to them (when it has something to do with them, of course). I just read this post the other day that gave me some ideas on how to share Scripture with them.
2. Focus on spending quality time with them in instruction, creative play, and just for fun (with no agenda)! Get out of the house on a weekly basis (in addition to church- i.e. to the library, park or elsewhere). Institute regular TV turn-off weeks/days. We did our "Screen-Free Week" but I haven't done much in the way of limiting television other than that. Maybe I will schedule another one for the second part of the year...maybe in the fall. I've also started having "floor time" with them, which is essentially just that. I sit on the floor, and they get to come up with what to do. Sometimes it's reading books, other times it's climbing on top of me. Lol! Getting out of the house has proven more challenging lately since my husband returned to work. He's been gone for most of the day six days a week, and he works too far away for me to drop him off. Hopefully that will change soon! (Though I am thankful he has a job!)
3. Work toward having "real food" be the basis for their diet (and ours too of course)...phase out store bought/processed foods like chicken nuggets. I was really excited when I realized my progress here. I don't remember the last time I bought chicken nuggets! We have had a few times of fast food or tacos from the local Mexican restaurant, but for the most part, they eat real food. I've even been able to phase out the snack-y foods like crackers and such and even cereal to some extent.

Domestic Goals:

1. Cultivate order and beauty in our home. Make it a place of tranquility and hospitality. Go the extra mile to make things "pretty". Fail! Lol! Actually, not really. :) I've been better about keeping things in order, and teaching the children to help out with clean up time. This has been more or less a daily thing, so that's good. I don't know that our home has become any "prettier" since last year. (Unless you count crayon and highlighter scribbles on the wall) :P Just keepin' it real!
2. Find and use one new recipe each month. I have not been purposeful about this. Though I would imagine that I probably do come close this without even thinking about it.
3. Pare down our possessions by doing "27 Fling Boogies" or something similar on a regular basis. Keep stuff I/we love and use, but sell, donate or dispose of other stuff. I have done probably all of 2 "27 Fling Boogies" so far this year. But that's okay! That means we now have 54 fewer unneeded or unwanted items in our home!

Personal Goals:

1. Continue to develop friendships with other women...pray for and be on the look out for a Titus 2- type mentor. I think I've done okay with the first part of this one. As far as a mentor is concerned, I still have not really become "connected" with someone like I need to be. My Pastor's wife is an awesome choice, and I actually have had a couple of meetings with her this year, but I know it would benefit me to meet with her more regularly.
2. Continue to blog regularly- make a schedule of posts every month (you know, so I don't sit around wondering what to blog about every day!). Gain 60 new blog followers in 2011. Well, I don't know if I've blogged as regularly as I set out to, but I've posted usually at least once (sometimes twice) a week. And actually, I think I've come at least close to half way on my goal to gain followers! So that's exciting. (Not sure of the exact number, as I did not record my number of followers at the beginning of the year).
3. Read! Commit to two books per month for a total of 24 in 2011! (And, try to read one book at a time! :D) I've been reading...just not sure how much! I have joined the adult reading program at the library, so that has helped motivate me (I so want to win a reusable bag full of goodies! ;-) It can just be so stinkin' hard to stay committed to a book. Mostly because right now, I'm not reading frequently enough that I guess I get bored with whatever I happen to be reading. And I definitely have not stuck to one book at a time!
4. Contribute $400 per month to our family's income (with the purpose of covering "non-essential" expenses like gifts and other nice-but-not-necessary things) through my Pampered Chef business. The closest I've come to reaching this goal is about half way! I need to really get busy on this, at least for now, as it's not really "fun money" at this point. I have a couple other ideas to contribute monetarily (you know, without getting a "regular job" hee hee) so we'll see how those ideas pan out.

How have you done on your goals for 2011 so far? Remember, it's not too late to create some goals if you missed the "resolution making" of the New Year!

Amazing Motherhood in Christ Jesus

Are you an amazing mother? Why, yes! Yes, you are!

Whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom...

Whether you prepare completely nutritious meals from scratch everyday or...not...

Whether you allow hours of television or none at all...

Whether you are peaceful and serene every moment of the day...or you just really wish to be...

I believe most moms are doing the best they can. And if you really don't think you are, you have immediate access to the throne of God to seek His help for every possible "mommy conundrum" that can come your way. (Hebrews 4:16)

Romans 8:1 states "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

There's no room for "mommy-guilt" in Christ Jesus! Are you there?

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men..." Colossians 3:23

We all have our vision of what a "perfect" mother is. I have one, you have one. What really matters is not my opinion of what you do (or even yours!), but God!

If you stay connected to the Vine, He will show you what you need to do. He will direct you and cause you to learn what you need to know. He will make situations line up in your favor, and give you creative ways to get it all done (whatever it may be!).

Seek Him. Trust Him. Do what He tells you to do.

The Bible tells us "But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30 (b)

Are you secure in your status in Christ Jesus? I'm praying that each one of you remains confident in your calling as a mother!

No Housework Party

I was so excited when I heard about the 1^st Annual No Housework Party hosted by Jenn at CoolestFamily on the Block. Finally a day off without guilt (not that I actually feel guilty when I slack off on housework...I just eventually get frustrated with the mess, and start moving)! 

I'm somewhere between being domestically challenged and being a domestic goddess. Sometimes quite honestly a little closer to being challenged. I have other skills, okay? Like blogging! But seriously, I am striving to improve, and I feel that I have improved immensely over the years.

Anyway, so back to the party...you may have noticed that this post is not from two days ago! It's Saturday morning and I'm still composing it! I certainly appreciated the day off but apparently (for me anyway), laziness begets laziness. I took two days off instead of one. (For shame!) That was pretty unintentional, though. I was determined to do no housework on Thursday...and I succeeded.

I didn't put these away:

I also was not the least bit tempted to fold these:

This nastiness did not get taken out:

I did not tidy up this room (though I will say this is really tame for a "mess" in this room!):

This mess was stepped over all day:

And I really wanted to sort through these summer clothes for my daughter and get them ready for wear but, alas, I resisted the urge:

Friday, was a different story, though. We went to an event at the library after lunch time, and then hung around there for a little while after the event was over. Then we came home. And I subsequently continued to do nothing. Actually, my wonderful husband took out the trash and cleaned up most of the dishes while the children and I were at the library. So that was a nice surprise.

Today, I thoroughly intend to get stuff back in shape around here. I might even fold the laundry!

What did you do for No Housework Day? And if you missed it, don't despair! It's happening until tomorrow and there's still time to link up!

My Home Management Binder

Okay, so would you all believe that we JUST got our van back (yes, from the "great van towing of 2010")! Now, I can finally finish moving in (because you know I had already done as much moving in as I could, right? Umm...not so much!)

Anyway, I'm super excited to have all of our stuff in our possession once again (including the two hampers full of dirty laundry- ahem!) By the way, our cup now officially "runneth over" and my new stance is that no more stuff can come into our home until further notice!

In the recent influx of stuff, I came across my handy-dandy Home Management Binder, or Control Journal, if you will, (a la Fly Lady).

As you can see by the picture, the last time I used it and actually adhered to my routines, was November 18^th! I was still getting ready for the move. I really believe that this will help me get back on track with my housekeeping and such.

Here's a tour of my Control Journal:

Here is the front cover. I had sent my husband to the store to pick out a new binder for me after back to school time (when all the school supplies were on clearance) and told him to pick out a "fun color". He picked out orange! Now I know you're all wondering how much we paid for it, but I don't remember now. Sorry! But you can likely get a binder like this for just a few dollars. Anyway, in the front cover, I inserted an inspirational confession that I adapted from Women Living Well. The title says "Your Home is a Haven" and basically, I changed all the pronouns from the example of Home #2 so that I could confess it over myself during those times when I need some motivation in my homemaking everyday. I think it's important to put something here that represents the vision that you have for your homemaking. It could be a picture from a magazine (or of your own home on a really great day), a Scripture, or something else inspirational that represents the goals you are working toward.

Here is the first page in my Control Journal. I took Fly Lady's advice, and used sheet protectors, and I also picked up some fine tip dry erase markers so that I could cross off the tasks that I complete. (And then wipe it off to start anew the next day!) I once learned in a Franklin Covey workshop that when you cross off items on your "to do" list, it releases endorphins. I'm all about any kind of perks that come with being diligent! The Fly Lady says that one should have a morning routine and an evening routine. You can even add in an afternoon routine if that helps you. I could see that as being something helpful for those with children that go to school or working moms (depending on what time you get home) or for college student wives, as I know some of you are. :)

Next is my evening routine. (Note in bold lettering the admonition "GO TO BED AT A DECENT HOUR!" I really need to read that everyday!) You can't really tell by this blurry picture, but this routine includes getting your clothes ready for the next day, as well as shining the sink. Can I just say that it is so refreshing to wake up to a nice, clean, shiny sink? Try it sometime if you aren't in the habit, and you'll want to make it a habit in a hurry!

Your Control Journal can include many other things, like important phone numbers and other information. Even a monthly calendar! Check the Fly Lady's site to get some more ideas. In the back of mine, I have past weekly menus along with shopping lists. One of these days, I'm going to get uber-organized and make some kind of master shopping list. Maybe even a master list of meals my family enjoys along with ingredients that are needed to prepare them. You can get really creative and make up all kinds of helpful sheets- whatever may help you run your home more efficiently.

Using my Home Management Binder helps me answer the question: "What do I need to do today?" I already know, at a glance, what I need to do to keep my home in order and when to do it. And, the more in the habit I am of doing all these things, the faster it goes, and the more time I have to spend doing fun things with the children during the day (and of course other stuff too)! 

She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Proverbs 31:27, NLT

What helps you to stick with your routines?

A Good Drink and Some Good Reads!

On the home front, we have become OBSESSED with smoothies! It all started when we attempted to go grain-free on the Maker's Diet (that didn't work out for too long- you can read my previous "Happy Tummies" post for the back story on that). I came across this post at Passionate Homemaking, and I was inspired to make a green smoothie. It was actually really good!

I love this idea, especially as a homemaker with young children, I could use a boost during the day- and a green smoothie provides just that! The ones I make are usually heavier on the "green"- but since my husband is the Chief Smoothie Maker in our house, most of the time, they look like this:

Would you believe that actually contains spinach (a good amount, too)? And carrots? Yes, carrots. The one in the picture has frozen strawberries, blueberries, spinach, carrots and orange juice. He's even started making them with tomatoes. (I'm still not quite sure how I feel about that- and I like tomatoes!)

Anyway, they're really easy to make, and we just have a regular blender- nothing fancy. The only one in our house who doesn't love a good smoothie is my son (who calls them "smoozies" by the way), and I think that's only because he hasn't been brave enough to try one. My daughter LOVES them- as soon as she sees one in my hand, she is on me like white on rice! I love knowing that I'm getting a good serving or two (or more) of vegetables, and it tastes so good! Here are some ideas of what you can add (that I've tried) that I really like:

• Berries
• peaches
• mango
• pineapple
• spinach
• parsley
• coconut milk (the stuff in a can- it adds a lot of fat which helps you stay full longer- and has many other benefits- that's a whole 'nother post!)
• plain yogurt
• bananas
• orange juice
• pomegranate juice
• cranberry juice

Jordan Rubin even recommends adding a whole raw egg for protein (and all the extra good stuff eggs provide). Just make sure you use a good quality egg (like organic or free range) and wash it before you crack it- that's where the risk of Salmonella is for the most part. I actually did that for a while years ago during another "smoothie kick", and you can't really taste the egg- so it's not an issue if the thought of that grosses you out. :)

Anyway, now for the reading: I've come across SO many great food/wellness blogs lately and some really great posts that I just have to share...so go make yourself a smoothie, and then come back and read them!

12 Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic

10 Reasons to Cut Out Processed Foods

An interesting article about breakfast cereal and why you should consider avoiding it.

Slay the Sugar Monster in Four Steps- I love this article! So informative about different kinds of sweeteners and why you should kick the sugar habit. 

So, what kind of smoothie did you make? What did you think of the articles? Share with me in the comments!

Laundry, Laundry Everywhere

I used to have a major issue keeping up with the laundry in my life.  See, when I was single, I think I had about one load per week...maybe two!  Then my husband moved in (yes, he was my husband before he moved in).  That man has more clothes than any person should be allowed to have!  

Well, I got pregnant pretty soon after we were married, and never quite adjusted to the extra items to wash on a regular basis due to working full time and not having any energy left over to devote to keeping up the laundry.  

Then came baby!  Whew, that's a lot of little tiny stuff to wash!  I was kind of hit and miss with baby's stuff, I would wash it, but then pull his stuff out of the dryer or the basket in the corner of the room.  Eventually, I got into the swing of things and would diligently wash, dry, fold and put away his clothes.  That made life so much easier.  Anyone who has had a baby knows just how aggravating it can be to locate two matching itty-bitty socks mixed into a pile of other similarly colored itty-bitty items!  I can think of so many things I'd rather do. 

Well, fast forward a couple of years, and along came baby number two.  I still wasn't really "in tune" with our soiled clothing to the point of it being second nature to wash, dry, fold and put away in one fell swoop.  So, new baby, with all her extra laundry (from all the spitting up- see here for more on that)  was certainly a motivating factor for me to finally get it together. 

Actually more recently, it's been easier for me to keep up with it.  I've started making a daily list of chores to do, and what laundry to do when.  I also came across Fly Lady's amazing site in recent months and that has been a big help too.  Her mantra concerning laundry?  "A load a day keeps the CHAOS away"!  How true that is!  

For me, it's really been a change in attitude or perspective.  I've always been big about procrastination, and I think it's just a dread thing for me when I think about laundry or some other chore that needs to be done.  I build it up in my mind as something terrible and time consuming, but it's so so simple when I get down to actually doing it (a little everyday).  It's really rewarding to look into a drawer and see clean clothing neatly put away, ready for my family to wear as needed. 

Now I'm certainly not perfect about it yet, but I'm really much happier about my approach to laundering our family's clothing and towels and bedding...I like having clean items on hand and knowing where to find it quickly without having to dig for it!  It may not seem like that big of a deal, but it really is a huge step to achieving more order in your day and ultimately your life.  Don't let the chaos that is your hamper control your life any longer!  You'll be so glad when you finally realize that it's not as overwhelming as it appears to be to get a handle on it! 

Create a Peaceful Day

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Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you're stuck in a whirlwind? I know I have! With little ones around (and big ones too, I'm sure!), it's easy to start the day that way, and stay there. Here are a few tips to avoid a crazy day, and have a great day filled with peace and order instead!

1. Get up before everyone else! This way, at least you are sure to have some time to yourself! Fix yourself a cup of tea or coffee and ease into your day instead of hitting the ground running. 
2. Spend some time with your husband before he's off to work. Oftentimes this is the only time of the day when it's just you two, and you don't have to compete with the television or your little ones to get a word in. Better yet, have a devotional time with him. Pray for each other's day to go smoothly. If for whatever reason you can't connect with your husband over a spiritual discussion, well...just spend time with him, have that cup of coffee or breakfast together and talk about the day ahead. For many at home moms, this might be the only grown up conversation you get that day- so take advantage of it!
3. Spend time with God! Take at least a few moments every day to read your Bible and pray. Some days it might have to be "condensed" because you hear the baby crying in the other room, but at least you had some time! Ideally it should be done at the same time and place everyday, but sometimes you just need to be flexible and take whatever time you can get. Some days that may mean praying in the shower, but that is certainly more condusive to you having tranquility in your day, than not praying at all. To make it even easier, print out a Bible reading plan like the one here and keep it in your Bible, or use a Bible plan app. 
4. Plan your days ahead of time. In my house, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays mean vacuum days. Now, I'm not going to add to my stress and commit to doing it every day (though sometimes it may need it!) but at least I know that a "vacuum day" is coming up, and I don't have to think about it. Likewise, you can plan which days to do laundry and other chores. Keep a list on your computer of which tasks are done each day, that way you know that each thing will get the attention it needs...eventually. 
5. Take a shower and get dressed- even if you aren't going anywhere and nobody (but your babies) will see you! This can be a struggle for a stay at home mom, but it really makes a big difference in your attitude and approach to your day. You will feel much better, and get that positive momentum going for your day.

Obviously, there are probably many other things you can do to add to your peace throughout the day, but this is just a start!

What do you do to create calm in your day? Share in a comment!

My Journey to Stay-at-Home Motherhood

Getting pregnant was a piece of cake for me (stop snickering!). Being pregnant was (mostly) fun; and I pretty much thought that I would resume life as usual once the baby was born. I worked full time at a job that I loved, for employers that I was devoted to. In fact, I was working in the same office as my husband, and we shared enthusiasm for our work. It was meaningful and fulfilling. Toward the end of my pregnancy, however, I had the notion that I should try to work out more flexible hours at my job. I managed to reach the agreement of working part time (which meant four days per week, five hours a day).

Then it happened. My darling baby was born, and I fell in mommy-love. My amazing employers allowed me to keep him in the office with me, as they believed that newborn babies slept most of the time (they didn't know my darling P had other plans!) and they supported my breastfeeding relationship, thus they thought it would be easier on me to have him right by my side (and it was to a certain extent). Well, that worked out for about two and a half months. It was extremely difficult for me to focus on my work and give P the kind of care he expected (I always lovingly thought of him as a "first-class baby"). Well, after much prayer and an agonizing decision process, we enrolled him in the on-site day care facility. It did not help matters that the first day he attended he came home with hives all over his body (a reaction from the detergent used on the baby swing).

Ultimately, that arrangement lasted until he was 19 months old. There was a longing in my mommy soul that was pulling my heart to my home and my family. And the fact that I kept coming across Titus 2:4 "...admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers..." Wowsers. Something had to change. I was being pulled in too many different directions, and not doing a great job at anything. My work was important...but my child is more important, and as God would have it, someone else ultimately came along who filled my job description in my place.

The Word of God says "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart." (Proverbs 37:4 Amp.) Well, my petitions weren't so secret. I had been discussing stay-at-home-mommyhood with my husband for months, this even in the midst of him saying things like "if you worked full time we could...". Well, eventually my prayers paid off, he finally said that I could resign from my position and we could go to one income. Mind you, we didn't go through any kind of financial preparation...we were deep in debt and really behind in our bills. But I knew that coming home to take care of our son was the right thing for me to do. When you follow the voice of the Lord, He causes things to line up for you. A couple of weeks before I ended up giving my notice, my employer began talking about needing to "make some changes" due to financial concerns. He mentioned needing to put people on shorter hours/shorter work weeks, etc, and I knew that it was the right time.

When I went to my boss, I explained my decision, and my conclusion that it was the right time for me to stay home. He was supportive, and actually said that my position was one they were planning to eliminate. I stayed in my position until the end of the year, which was about another six weeks.

Deciding to become a stay at home mom has been one of the best parenting decisions I've made. God has provided every step of the way, and admittedly some times have been seriously lean, and we've been close to having no place to live more times than I care to admit, but note that I said "close". By the grace and provision of God, we've stayed in our home, and my husband got a much better job than he had at the time we decided that I would quit my job.

For me, and many other women, staying at home means a lot less stress (even with financial challenges), happier children, and a happier marriage. What about you? What positive changes have you seen since becoming a stay at home mom?