Thursday, February 28, 2008

SimplyChickens!

I raise Chickens... the feathered kind, not the other kind.... I like to think I am teaching my children to be of strong courage! LOL!

My chickens:
*are a great source of entertainment! They are FUNNY creatures!
*lay WONDERFUL eggs (well not now, they are on winter "break", but will start again soon)
*give me a reason to go outside! (I am always looking for a reason to be OUTSIDE!)
*my kids know where to find me if I am MIA..... mom is getting a sanity break out with the chickens!
*I sell my extra eggs... really helps pay for the feed
*helps me feel connected to my ancestors... I love history, live in a 1911 home and my Great, great grandparents were homesteaders.... kind of gives me a real life trip into history!

*We EAT Breakfast for supper every week!


It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Simple Contemplation....

10 Minute Tuesday: (hosted by faithful chick)

I have to be honest with my blog friends..... My quest for simplicity sometimes comes in conflict with some of my real life daily choices. I really enjoy blogging and spending time on the computer... probably too much. My priorities haven't been right and other things in my life suffer. Why is the computer such a draw for me? I honestly have a love hate relationship with it. I love it because I can find all kinds of wonderful information both for my home and for work (and for activity sheets I will use at Awana's tonight), but some aspects of the internet draw me back into how I felt in high school. The internet and blog world are very similar to high school for me because we are all trying to be popular. I will admit it, I wasn't ever really popular in high school, and now the internet is almost like a second chance! YUCK! I thought I was SOOO over the cliques, the peer pressure, the quest to be noticed! God has revealed that I have some ugly tendencies.... selfish, self centered, hypocritical. All this thinking and soul searching about this topic isn't new for me... God jut brought it up again..... below you will find a post I wrote last fall on my other blog. (why do I have two blogs now? that is another post) I don't think I am alone in this... I have been seeing other posts with the same flavor. I am doing some personal reflection, not criticizing anyone. The bottom line is if I died today, the internet world wouldn't even notice more than a minute, the PEOPLE in my life would feel the loss for a long time. Which relationships do I spend the most time cultivating?? If you can stand to read any more of my thoughts read the entry below....

Blog world vs reality....

Hmmm..... is there a difference in who we are on our blogs vs in real life? As I have been contemplating this whole blog thing and why it is sooooo popular I have come up with many conclusions. (which of course may or may not be correct! LOL) One thing I have decided is that we all CRAVE attention and compliments. In the blog world we can let the world see only what we want them to see! We can post all kinds of cool things, pictures and posts about things we have, done, made, places we have been, etc. We can look awesome on our blog! We don't have to let people see any of the dust, dirty laundry or bad attitudes. We feel great when we get sweet comments, we feel nice when we post sweet comments.

People can "drop by" whenever they want to without interfering with our "real life". In fact in our blog life we want people to "drop by for a visit", we count them with hit counters! Aren't we totally cool when we get a ton of hits? How would we really feel if people were really coming over for a face to face visit? Would suddenly the "realness" of life take over? Would the dirty dishes, toys out, our important schedule, our physical appearance, our attitudes and all the mess of our real life make an actual real relationship difficult? The blog world lets us have the best of both worlds.... we are personally in control of EVERYTHING and we can just live out the life we want others to see. We can receive positive support, we can become popular by counting the number of our hits and we can be a good blog friend by posting nice comments.

Please don't get me wrong, I enjoy blogging. However, what are our true motives? I believe we all crave friendship and positive comments because God created us with a need for fellowship. However, I think that it is possible to become content with blog friendships because they are "easier" than real, in the flesh kinds of friends.... after all you don't have to have a clean house to feel good about a blog friend dropping by.... my site is ALWAYS dust free!!!!! We can interact with our blog friends at our total convenience.... not much personal sacrifice ever required.... a real life friend might need us at an inconvenient time... A time I had other things planned or am tired!!!! So, am I feeding my selfish tendencies with my blog???? Is this just another way I try to exercise control? I have to really ask myself, how would I feel if someone real, in the flesh "dropped by" at this moment? Well, they would see laundry that needs folded, toys out, dishwasher that needs emptied and DUST! Would I give the friend a warm welcome or would I simply be focused on my feelings about my messy house? Oh, why couldn't they have just emailed me?? Couldn't they have just posted on my blog? hmmm.... just some thoughts I am pondering!

Now join me in taking 10 minutes to pray and seek out God's heart in this matter of hospitality and priorities!

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Yummy!

I made this cake for our desert. It is about the 5th time I have made it... we LOVE it! It is a recipe that was popular during the great depression because it is milk and egg free!!! Also a great recipe for those with egg or milk allergies. It mixes up quick and it is soooo moist and yummy it doesn't need a frosting! My chickens are still on their winter "vacation" so I am forced to buy my eggs again... wow has the price of eggs gone up (from about 2 years ago when I last bought eggs)! As we all know the price of milk hasn't been going down... this recipe fits the bill for me!! Enjoy!

(The great depression era) Spice Cake
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 cups cold water
1/2 cup canola oil
2 TBL white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1) In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, soda, salt and Spices.

2) In a separate mixing bowl mix together the remaining ingredients.

3) Stir the water mixture in with the flour mixture till smooth. (I use my whisk) The batter will be thin.

Pour into a GREASED 9*13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack! Enjoy!!


You might find it odd that this recipe calls for vinegar! I did...until my Mom explained to me the purpose of the vinegar. Combined with Baking soda it is what makes the cake rise. You will notice that when you pour the water mixture in with the flour mixture it will bubble.... just remember those volcano science fair projects!



It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Monday, February 25, 2008

Tipster Tuesday!


I have been asked by www.becentsable.blogspot.com to join in their Tipster Tuesday! I had to really think.... I don't feel like I really do anything special.... I 'm just a good old fashioned country girl that wants to live my life with the same practical ways my Grandmother's lived..... hmmmm.... what is a tip I could pass on??? Since I am also the "Simple Family Supper" lady I am going to pass on a tip that is related to cooking. Spring is just around the corner (though as I write this it is currently snowing, again, with 4-8 inches expected....) My mind is dreaming of my garden, I am ready to get my shovel out and start working in the dirt!

Frugal Tip:
Grow SOME of your OWN food!!!! Nothing compares to the freshness of something grown in your own yard and you can't beat the price.

Now, I can just hear you thinking that is fine for me, but you don't own 3 acres like I do....
Let me tell you, I don't have that big of a garden, but you would be surprised how much wonderful produce we grow.....

Start SMALL

Use ANY space you have:
Container Gardens are wonderful!!!! Or, sneak some vegetable plants in with your flowers!

  • Tomato plants will easily grow in a 5 gallon bucket as long as they can get at least 8 hours of sun.
  • Stick a Zucchini plant in with some flowers.
  • Grow a salad in a container. (Salad greens don't need very much sun... a few hours will do)
  • Pot up a pepper plant with some flowers.
  • Be creative: Even apartment dwellers can grow one or two things!!
Watch out for interesting containers that you can grow veggies in..... just make sure to add some drainage holes in the bottom and add a few inches of a drainage material. I just heard of something a little lighter and easier to access thing than rocks for the bottom of the pot: Styrofoam. Just break up some Styrofoam into pieces for the bottom 3-4 inches of the pot... It is light weight and gives the roots the air they need. Fill the rest of the pot with a good potting soil blend. Mix fertilizer in with the water once a week.

Do you garden??? What are your plans???
Have a great day!
Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Friday, February 22, 2008

Simple Family Supper Give Away

Simple Family Supper
DRAWING


Want to win a *FREE*MONTH of menu, shopping list and recipes that are published by Simple Family Supper????? For every 20 people that sign up I will be giving away 1 menu!!! To enter the drawing click here and fill out the newsletter form. Let your friends know about this opportunity... I will be giving away one for every 20 entries... the chances are great that it will be you!!!


It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Simply Saving Money!!!

I am a "Country Girl" so this Frugal tip may not apply to everyone, but we save a TON of $ heating with wood! We purchased a free standing wood stove from a neighbor (who had used it in his barn) for $50. We then had to spend about another $100 hooking it all up (the smoke pipes and vents). We live in a 2000 sq ft farm house and heat our home 80% with our wood stove. We only run our furnace on RARE occasions or if we are away for the night. We have access to free wood, so we just have our labor and chainsaw expenses. While cutting, splitting, hauling, stacking, and carrying in all that wood is not for the faint of heart, it is great exercise and we have fun together as a family. For some reason it makes me feel connected with my pioneer ancestors that homesteaded in northern Indiana.... For me it brings historical life alive. Heating with wood saves us about $2000 per year!!!!! Go to Biblicalwomanhood.com for more ways to save!



It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Simply Clean and Frugal

I hate spending tons of money on cleaning products and I like to be environmental kind.... My solution is using this WONDERFUL multipurpose cleaner! I use it EVERY day!

Empty spray bottle (Windex size)
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol (I use mint or citrus fragrance... I get it at the dollar store)
fill the remainder of the bottle with water

To use it to clean windows just use 2/3 cup rubbing alcohol to speed up dry time even more.... NO streaks and just great SHINE!! You will LOVE this cleaner as much as I do!!!! It doesn't smell at all like vinegar (a smell I'm not a fan of). I have been using this for almost 2 years and haven't bought a spray cleaner since.
It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Simply Saving Money!!!

Amy, over on the Motherload, has written a very good post on the art of "stockpiling".... groceries that is. Saving money by stockpiling was how I was raised. Both of my grandmothers have always done this and passed on this method to my Mother and in turn to me. When I plan menus for Simple Family Supper I use food that is commonly on sale so that "stockpiling" money saving can be applied. Check out Amy's article, it is very well written and simple to understand.
Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Simply Wonderful!!!!

This "simple living" gal has had some simply stressful days..... YUCK! I tend to struggle during February EVERY year.... I am soooo over winter, but the grip of cold still has a firm hold. I am ready to be outside soaking in the sun getting dirt under my nails as I dig in the garden! I want to escape the four walls and four children (I do enjoy motherhood, but am ready for a BREAK!!!). It has been weeks since I have had anytime alone..... OK, enough with my pity party..... My husband has the weekend off (that in itself is wonderful) and he has offered to stay here with the kids while I get away for the weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My Grandmother has a condo about 2 hours north of me (she winters in Texas) that is completely available for me to stay at!!!! I am SO OUT of here come Friday evening!!!!!!!! I am going to be refreshed as I sleep, read, pray and praise!!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!
Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Monday, February 18, 2008

Homemakers Homestead

I just had to let you all know.... my FAVORITE forum, Homemakers Homestead, is now accepting new registrations!!! Crystal tries to keep the group small, but active and doesn't open it up for new members very often. Check it out... I love it there!
Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Simple can be smoky!!!

Who would have thought that living simply could be soooo complicated sometimes!?!?
Sunday morning was an example of a day I just wanted to through it all in, sell the "farm" and move to town! We heat with wood (seriously we can't afford to heat any other way) and sometimes the wood stove can have a mind of its own! Between a sick husband, BIG mud puddles (that my two youngest decided to walk THRU on the way out for church), two wet puppies and a smoking wood stove I really wondered about my sanity for choosing this "simple" life!!!!!! I sent the kids out to load up for Church while I told my (still in bed) sick hubby we were leaving. I walked out to find my youngest two standing in a GIANT mud puddle while my daughter was yelling for them to come out with out going in herself. Uggh!!!! Muddy wet shoes and pants to change... I went in for clean ones and while I was out for just those couple of minutes the wind shifted and came straight from the south... my stove has an animosity with south wind and instantly filled our home with smoke!!!! I hurried to open windows and close the draft on the stove..... there was now no way of escaping the "camp fire" smell that now perfumed me!!!! I sat down and cried! Looking back at it now it doesn't seem sooo bad, but we still missed church and I still had extra messy laundry...... I am SOOOO ready for summer!!!!!!
Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Simply Saving Money!!!

I just had to pass along this link I found for some great CVS coupons!!!!!!!!!
Also, check out Money Saving Mom for the run down on the best CVS and Walgreens offers for the week.

Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Saturday, February 16, 2008

T'was the night before.....



....CHURCH!!! I don't know what it is like in your home on Sunday mornings, but around here it can be crazy! What makes Sunday mornings so difficult to get out the door for church? To ward off some of the stress making sure that the following things happen on Saturday evening will help a ton....

  • Showers/baths for the children
  • Pick outfits and have them completely ready
  • Bibles laid out
  • Coats and shoes ready
  • Breakfast food organized
  • Get to bed on time

It is amazing how these steps can help keep the peace on a Sunday morning. I do think that the enemy attacks... he doesn't want us at church and if we do make it to church he wants us distracted and stressed! I don't want to give him an inch!

Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Friday, February 15, 2008

Choosing Enjoyment....


I LOVE to read.... anything from books to blogs, magazines to billboards... if it has a written word I want to read it. However, I have 4 children, a husband, 25 chickens, 7 cats and 2 dogs to take care of in addition to our home, laundry cooking etc!!! So what is my favorite option since I haven't figured out a way to fold laundry and read at the same time??? Books on tape... from the library of course... frugal gal I am! There are all kinds of books on tape and if your library doesn't have the one you want try the interlibrary loan program. My day flies by as I accomplish household duties with a good book playing!!!!! The current one I am listening to is by my FAVORITE author, Lauraine Snelling. So here is to getting work done while being taken away to a different time and place! Have a GREAT weekend!!!
Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Simply Saving Money!!!


Yesterday I read on Money Saving Mom that Kroger is having a sale on Pizza Pockets... and she gave links to coupons. Yeah! I was going there anyway so I printed off the coupons and went. I should have printed off more coupons..... I only had 6 and I bought 10. Anyway, I purchased:

10 Pizza pockets (reg price $1.99) sale priced at $1 = 10
Kroger Bonus - $2
Coupons (with doubles on some) - $6.50
_____
Total I spent = $1.50 or .15 per box!!!!!!!!!!
AMAZING!!!!
I am new to this whole coupon thing!
I think I am going to like it!!!!!!

I also found SEVERAL yogurts marked down and some Kroger brand dip for $.10!!!
Thank you Lord for leading me to these GOOD deals.... God really helps stretch my husbands income!

Heather

It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Choosing simplicity by walking in Forgiveness


Resentment and grudges use up a lot of time and energy in our lives. YUCK!!! I hate days wasted in bitterness.... never has done me any good! This week as I have focused on "Romance" this Valentines week guess what my husband has been doing every evening???? Sleeping!!! How dare he! By the time I have gotten the kids down (between 8-8:30) he has been asleep...... so much for "romance"! I have had two Choices:

*Frustration, anger, bitterness, self pity
*Forgiveness, understanding, grace, mercy

At first I could feel option 1 welling up inside.... then I CHOSE (made a direct decision to go against what I wanted to feel) to go with option 2. I really thought about things from his perspective and began to THANK God for all the wonderful things about my husband. I went from frustration to feeling very blessed... all because I CHOSE to follow forgiveness, understanding, grace and mercy. My husband works HARD (physically) as a custom ceramic tile installer. The past several weeks have been LONG.... he is exhausted!!! Sleep is what he needs right now.... Romance will wait for him to be rested up!!!! The weekend is coming!


It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Choosing Simplicity when the family is sick.....


I don't have TIME to be sick or to have sick children!!!!!
I find it incredibly inconvenient to deal with being under the weather....
What is a mom to do??? Well, since I won't be venturing far from home today (if you get what I mean) and I don't have much energy, how in the world am I going to get everything done??? Simple: I WON'T. However, I can muster up the strength to do 15 minutes of a light housekeeping job about every hour. So, the day won't go down in the record books for productivity, but I will get some things done.... and still REST... which is the most IMPORTANT thing the children and I need to be doing right now. So, we will watch some more eppisodes of my current favorite TV show I have on DVD....The Waltons.



It is 5 o'clock.... What is for supper???
To end this daily stress join me at www.simplefamilysupper.com

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Back to Basics

We have had some challenging behavior to deal with in our home. (Child's identity will be protected) Chris and I have decided to go "Back to the Basics" in our home and see if that helps.

*Eliminated the TV.... literally.... it is out in the garage

*Looked over the schedule.... get back on track
*Expectations Clearly written down

.......I wrote down the after school - evening schedule for all the children
....... If they complete everything without arguing or complaining then I will play a game with them from 7-7:30 before reading books (I still read aloud to all of the children. The younger 2 each pick out a story book and then I read a chapter out of the children's Bible for the older ones.)

Today went MUCH better and we had a fun game time!

Heather

Simply Frugal Romance Game

Create some new fun in the Romance Department!!
It is easy to let things go as "usual" in the area of intimacy. However, with a little creativity this game helps mix things up!


The Love Dice
This game can be purchased, but why when you can make it yourself for next to nothing
(and it will be personalized just to your style).


What you need to make the game:
* 1 dice
* 1 3*5 card

Directions to make the game:
* On the 3*5 card number it 1-6
* Next to each number list an action (kiss, touch, show... etc... this is a G rated site... be creative)

How to play:
*Each take a turn rolling the dice three times in a row....
*Then the spouse follows the numbers and does what the card says
(for example, He rolls a 3, then a 5, then a 1... so you will do what the card says for 3, then for 5, then for 1)
*Take turns
*Have fun... don't be surprised if you ditch the dice after a turn takings... it has a way of creating the mood!

Choosing Anticipation

I am in a "Mom's Group" Bible study that meets once a week. Currently we are studying Songs of Solomon. It has been a wonderful study and we are a well bonded group (that helps with this topic). One member, Melissa, has been giving us weekly "challenges" for us to do. It has been such a fun thing.... we are all working on our marriages at the same time. Anticipation is a good thing... think about the way we anticipate Christmas, birthdays, vacations, sports events, shopping, etc. Creating anticipation in our marriage creates a spark! Anyway, here is a "challenge" from a couple of weeks ago:

Create Anticipation:
*Choose a day (one that you won't both be dog tired)
*Makes plans to get the kids to bed on time or early
*Create the anticipation by leaving a note in his vehicle, calling or emailing with a message that goes something like: "Can't wait to meet up with you tonight AFTER the kids are in bed. I want to _______ (fill in the blank... this is a G rated site!).
*Get a nap in... you will want some extra energy...
*Focus on the upcoming event... build up lots of positive excitement... anticipation
*Have FUN!!!!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Simply Romance!


Since this is valentines week I am going to do some postings on ROMANCE!!! My hubby and I have never really gotten in to Valentines day for the simple fact that our "together" anniversary (from our first date) is February 5, 1993.
This Year we celebrated #15!!! Our 12th wedding anniversary is in May. Anyway, Romance is wonderful anytime of the year!

To start off with......
What is Romance???? For some interesting broadcasts from Family Life Today click here.
I listened to several of their broadcasts last week and found them to be very interesting. They talked a lot about the differences between men and women and our individual deffinitions of Romantic. We definitely have differences! That is ok, we just need to be aware of them.

For example, my hubby and I try to have a "Date Night" away from home once a month. Our last one ranked at the top of my husbands favorite date nights.... he thought it was Fabulous. I didn't have the exact same feelings about it.... it was fun and nice, but not "romantic" in my book. We had a very nice dinner at TGI Fridays (some of the best service we have ever had anywhere) and then we spent the remainder of the night going from one store to another looking at kitchen cabinets. I don't think he even held my hand once (other than when we prayed at dinner) and I know he didn't say anything romantic about me or our relationship. However, he loved it because he LOVES doing things for me. He takes his role as provider very seriously and he wants me to have a BEAUTIFUL kitchen..... (we won't be doing any extensive remodeling for several years, but that date did give us LOTS of ideas to go along with our plan. We also have now done some "temporary" (less than $500) remodeling to get us by till then... I will post pictures next week.) I enjoyed our Date because I was with HIM!! I didn't fuss once about it not being my ideal date, because just being alone with him was wonderful.....

We are different. That is ok, though challenging..... we won't have it "our" way every time.... we need to be willing to make time romantic in our own way and in their way, too. I think one of the biggest "romance" killers is unmet expectations..... I think a date should go X and when it doesn't I am let down.... hmmmm.... maybe I should have an open mind, then I will have a great time regardless of whether he holds my hand or not! I think that the biggest downer to valentines day is when things aren't as wonderful as we believe they should be. This week lets focus on creating romance without big expectations.... we can only control ourselves.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Choosing Simplicity.... Living a life of gratitude

Count your many blessings name them one by one.
Being a grateful person has many benefits.

Research (as read in Thank You Power by Deborah Norville, done by Robert Emmons of the University of California-Davis and Micheal McClulloghhas of the University of Miami) has shown that people that make a conscious effort to live gratefully exhibit the following:

*They felt better about their lives as a whole
*They were more optimistic
*They were more energetic
*They were more determined
*They were more interested
*They were more joyful
*They felt stronger about handling challenges
*They exercised more (nearly an hour and a half more per week)
*They had fewer illnesses
*They got more sleep
* They were more likely to have helped someone else
*They were perceived by others as more generous and helpful
*They were less envious of those with more possessions
*The were less cluttered
Other studies have found:
*Clearer thinking
*Better resilience during tough times
*Higher immune response
*Less likelihood of being plagued by stress
*Longer lives
*Closer family ties
*Greater religiousness

I want all that!!!! Choosing Simplicity sounds like living a life of Gratitude!!!!!

Heather

Friday, February 8, 2008

Real Expectations.....


Do you ever have days you want to just disappear from your reality? If you are like me I often wish I had a magic wand to wave at the dirty dishes, laundry and other messes. I would love to have a housekeeper like on the Brady Bunch..... Since neither of these options are viable for me I am learning to use real expectations. First and foremost I have to be honest with myself.... I cannot be everything for everyone and cannot do all that needs done in our home alone.

What are real expectations??? Simplicity boils things down to the bear essentials. I am determining what those are for myself and for our family. God says His burden is light.... I want that! I am the one who loads myself up with a lot of burden by placing expectations way toooooo high. God gives us each gifts and talents..... we are to use them to his Glory.... Trying to operate outside of our giftedness will only lead to stress. For example, I have a real life friend that is INCREDIBLE at decorating. Her home looks ready for a magazine spread at any given moment of every day (even with 2 young children). I have not been gifted in this area... when I try to live up to her house I am always stressed! That is NOT what God wants for me!!! I am tired of trying to fit myself into "everything"!!!! I have the gift of hospitality... I really enjoy having others over.... God wants me to extend love with the gifts I have, not to stress myself out trying to impress others with my decorating. (HA... that is not going to happen any time soon!) Creating an atmosphere of friendship does not require my house to be perfect! Praise God!!!!

Real expectations....... Keep it simple!!!!! Focus on the Gifts God has given!!! His burden is LIGHT!!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Personality Differences……Are HUGE!!!

My sister is BORN ORGANIZED, I am not!!! We shared a room our entire childhood…up till the day I got married. For a couple of years we literally had the tape down the middle…. It was mostly a visual reminder for me…. She did NOT want any of my clothes or belongings to creep over the line to her side. Now that I am looking back, she was more than gracious. Frankly, at the time I couldn’t understand why anyone would waste time making their bed when you were just going to mess it up again later. Why bother putting your clothes away when you were going to wear them again in a couple of days?? She on the other hand, made her bed EVERY morning, put away her clean clothes, kept her desk cleared off and she actually DUSTED!!! Holy Cow!!!!

Fast forward to our adult lives…… I have developed an appreciation for order. In fact I like order, I want order and I enjoy the results of order. However, achieving order and maintaining order still does not come naturally to me.

I had a conversation last week with my sister that brought these personality differences to light. She was sharing a frustration she felt with her 4 ½ year old daughter. Her daughter loves to play in her room, but she gets all of her toys out then wants help to put them away. My dear niece wants the order of everything put away, but feels extremely overwhelmed if Melissa doesn’t help. Little Melissa (my niece is the spitting image of my sister) will happily work along side her mother but left on her own to complete the task she sinks to the middle of the room and just cries. My sister’s response: Crying won’t get anything done, you are just wasting time…. Just get busy. My sister wanted to know how long Little Melissa would feel overwhelmed by the mess rather than just tackle it. (Her oldest is a born organized child that cleans his room for FUN!)

I suddenly felt a connection to my niece that I hadn’t felt before…. She is one of MY KIND… aka…not born organized!!! She wants order, but it overwhelms her, too. I didn’t want to discourage my sister, but admitted to her that I often want to sit down in the middle of a room and cry about 3 times a day!!! Dishes, Laundry and Paper Work make me feel on the verge of tears EVERY day!!!! Her shocked response: “Really??” She honestly couldn’t relate, she just does everything that needs done with out having to hardly think about it… it just comes naturally!!! She said our conversation helped her understand her daughter and helped her have some compassion….

I have often wondered why God didn’t make me a born organized person…. After all, he knew I was going to have four children!!! My sister makes keeping house look soooo easy (on top of working full time and spending time with her children and husband), why is it so hard for me????? She would respond that God gave me strengths she doesn’t have. I do tend to be a little more creative, more out going and definitely more talkative…. Those do all have their good points, I wish they just made me want to fold laundry!

What is your personality like? How does it impact your house keeping?? Does your personality impact how you set your routine and what your standards are??

Saturday, February 2, 2008

The Good Old Days.........


Oh, if only we could go back to the "Good Old Days" when life was simple!!!! How many times have I thought that. Yet when I talk about the "old days" with my maternal Grandmother she always says the the "Good Old Days" were really a lot of work! Yes, they were simpler in some regards, but she worked from sun up till past sun down to care for her large family and farm hands. Just doing laundry was a 2 day a week job.... she had a wringer washer in the basement till 1988!

If the olden days weren't easy, they did at least live at a slower pace. They didn't have quite as many expectations for all the activities, events and lifestyle we face today. Debt was low, families were larger and most women were full time home makers.

It is my desire to CHOOSE each day to live a simple life.... if I don't choose it the natural tendency of our modern life is CHAOS! How do you choose simplicity? How do you keep your days from being ruled by CHAOS?? I would love to hear your ideas....

Have a Blessed Day!
Be a BLESSING!
Heather