Choosing Simplicity..... Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Soap

I just whipped up another batch of  dishwasher soap this week and it got me thinking about the fact that my second all time most  read post here on this blog is about the homemade liquid dishwasher soap I use.  Isn't it funny what posts become the most popular??  I never would have thought dishwasher soap!  LOL!

I started using homemade liquid dishwasher soap back in 2009 and I enjoy being both frugal and environmentally kind.  I had used a homemade powder dishwasher soap for a long time before that.  I prefer the liquid kind.  We have "hard" well water and I must use a rinse aid (either vinegar or purchased kind) and I have to hand wash our drinking glasses every now and them because no matter what kind of dishwasher soap I use (home made or purchased) a film develops.  This recipe is a keeper in my book, so thought I would post about it again (since it has been a while).

This batch that I made this week will last me about 4 months.  Note that I marked the jug with the date... I like to keep track of usage data... it is the nerd in me!   I run my dishwasher at least once a day and a few days a week it gets ran twice a day.  For a cost of $3 I would say that this is very cost effective!

Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Soap
(This makes 1 gallon. It costs me approximately $3 to make. I store it in 2 1/2 gallon jugs.)

Ingredients:
16 cups of water, divided
1 1/2 cups WASHING soda (this is NOT baking soda)
1 cup borax
1/2 cup Dr. Brenner's Pure Liquid Castile Soap (fragrance of your choice)

Directions:
1) Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in washing soda, borax and liquid castile soap until dissolved.
2) Stir in remaining 8 cups water and allow to cool.
3) Pour cooled dishwasher soap into containers of your choice. It will "gell" up over next 24 hours.

To use:
give dishwasher soap a good shake to make sure everything is mixed well and to make it easy to pour out. I only put a small amount ( approx 1 rounded TBL) in the closed soap dispenser. Experiment with the amount you will need... I have found that it takes very little of this soap.  This batch will last a long time!

 I hope you like it... Let me know if you try it. I enjoy making as many of our cleaning products as possible... I especially like this homemade multipurpose cleaner.  My 7 year old son is the chief bathroom cleaner and he sprays down the sink with this cleaner every day.... love that I don't have to worry about my child cleaning with harsh and dangerous chemicals!  Safe and effective and of course money saving!  :)


****Update*****  This batch I made in January lasted me SIX whole months!!  I run the dishwasher at least once a day and several times a week twice.  I posted about how frugal and happy I am with this Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Soap here.   *****

Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Choosing Simplicity.... corraling plastic bags

What to do with all those store bags??  When you forget more often than not to take the reusable cloth bags to the store like me..... but you probably always remember to grab yours!!

I use them to line our trash cans in the bathrooms so I keep a stash of them under each bathroom sink and under the kitchen sink.  I have found that an empty tissue box works GREAT!!   Compact storage and easy to pull one out at a time.

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING! Heather

Fall pictures!!

Every fall I enjoy taking pictures of my children, Wes (14) Robyn (12) Ethan (8) Nate (7).  It is a fun tradition that I have done since my oldest son was just a baby!  Here is a sneak peak......still editing some of the others.  Taking their pictures as a group is a challenge requiring some posing creativity.  Our Wesley is 6"4" and the other 3 are all between 4'6" and 4'11" making a HUGE height difference between Wes and the others.  Robyn really hates that her brother is almost 2 ft taller than her even though he is less than 2 years older (not that she wants to be 6' 4".... just is on the short side).  I tried really hard this year to "even out" their heights for the pictures.


Also, for the FIRST time ever we had our FAMILY picture taken by a professional…. kind of hard to be IN the picture if I’m always the one taking them!  LOL!  Really looking forward to getting those pictures back!  She also took some really great pictures of my husband and I…. we haven’t had our picture taken since our wedding… only 15 years ago!

Choosing Simplicity.... with my clothing

I just went through my closet and got rid of well over half of my clothing.  I will be the first person to admit that I am in NO way a fashionista!  Any of my real life friends will tell ya that!  I do try to dress a little cute and not totally frumpy and out dated.  I like the 'classic' look over trendy.  Although, a lot of days I'm neither.... working in my barn or garden!

I gave away quite a lot and put some up in the upstairs closet (just in case I really can't live with this pared down selection).  I am a big Money Saving Mom fan and she is a MINIMALIST in all aspects.  I am not, but I try not too keep things we don't use/need or love.  She recently posted a few blog posts about her TINY wardrobe.  I found this one to be particularly inspiring.  In fact I printed it off and my daughter and I have talked a lot about it and how we could implement this into our own clothing.

A couple of weeks ago I did a closet purge and then today I really dove in and pulled out another half.  My wardrobe is a little more complicated than some.... I need:

• *work* clothes.... ya know the kind you wear in the barn, garden, butchering animals and to doing home remodel projects.  
• I also need clothes to wear on the job site ( I work part time for (and with) my husband in our Ceramic Tile business...  thus I have to have work shirts with our company logo and  jeans
• I also have my "home days" clothes 
• and clothes for volunteering at the school, going to  church, bible study, date nights and the few extra nice things for weddings and funerals.

 When I was going through my clothes I really tried hard to only keep things that mixed and matched easily with the other things I chose to keep.  I focused on ONE type of clothing at a time.  I also took out the summer clothes that I won't need for several months to come.... sniff, sniff!  When I put it all together it is much more than 13 items like in the Money Saving Mom post.  However, each category of clothing doesn't have much more than that.  I will try to post some pictures soon!

I am excited to live with a small wardrobe again..... I grew up with MINIMALIST wardrobe and home and don't ever remember feeling deprived.  Now I need to go through my kid's clothes and pare down with them, too.  Keep what we LOVE and use and get rid of the rest! 

What about you??  Are you a minimalist or fashion queen??  I want to look *cute* sometimes, but I have to admit that comfort is my main thing. 


Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Words to live by.....

 This sits on my kitchen counter to serve as a constant reminder!  I've had it there for a year and a half and

still love and need the message!

Life really is in the moment..... 
I am trying to focus on each thing I am doing
Living intionally and appreciating the experiences of life.


Rather than focusing on the NEXT thing on my "to do" list
I try to LIVE in the moment I am in.....
Experiencing life to the fullest by living life in all five senses.
It really is amazing when we slow down to EXPERIENCE
life enjoying what we see, hear, feel, taste, and smell.


What to you hear right now??  What do you smell??
What do you feel?


Also living in the moment helps me to RELAX rather than rush.  It helps me to enjoy small moments of 
time and to focus on all the little things that are truly  
huge blessings!!

This post is linked to Ordinary Days

Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

10 ways to CHOOSE SIMPICITY everyday!

Choosing Simplicity is just that.... a choice.  It has nothing to do with where you live, marital status, how many kiddos you have or how much money you have in the bank.  It is daily choices made in the living of life.

We have a quote hanging on our fridge right now (I wish I could remember where I got it so if any of you know please let me in on that)..... 

The HAPPIEST people don't 

HAVE the BEST of everything.....

They MAKE the MOST of everything!

I think that sums up life... it is all in the attitude.

Anyway, I came across a list from a post I did at the start of 2010 and realized how relevent it is for me today so I tweaked it a bit and am re-posting it below.   

10 Ways to CHOOSE SIMPLICITY 

I have put a lot of thought into our family life and am being very deliberate about these 10 choices. I really want to continue to CHOOSE SIMPLICITY for our life... not get so consumed and busy with the ways of life that I miss out on ENJOYING life!!! Life is so fleeting and living life in the moment, in the day is going to be a huge priority for me. I don't want to look back and regret that I didn't cherish these precious days...

Life is just plain hard... just plain complicated. Creating a 'simple life' is actually more like swimming up stream. It requires deliberate fighting of this worlds current. It isn't easy, but it is worth it. As we have done some changes in our lifestyle over the past year I have found that change isn't easy, but rewarding.

As 2010 brings in a new decade I have to face the reality that this is my final decade as a mother with all my children at home. When this decade wraps up my oldest two will be in college and my youngest two in their last high school years. These next ten years are going to fly by... I am going to live them DELIBERATELY!!! It starts NOW!!

10 Ways to CHOOSE SIMPLICITY Everyday
(some of these may work for you, others may not... living deliberately is living in the way that is best for YOUR family)

1. Live DELIBERATELY: Choose what I do, and what I don't do, based on mindful and prayerful thought and purpose rather than randomness or based on cultural expectations. Requires understanding what to keep and what to toss in our schedule, home and heart!
2. Rudder hour is precious: The first hour of the day sets the tone for my remaining hours.... it steers me in the right direction! Guarding this hour and spending it wisely is key. Getting up an hour before my children so that I can shower, dress, pray and reflect in QUIETNESS and without disturbance will give me a chance to get a fresh start on the day without immediately feeling behind.
3. Re-focus/ re-commit to my daily and weekly routines. Rather than thinking "I'll do that later" my mantras have to be "Do it now" and "What can I do now that will make things easier for later"! Flylady has been such an inspiration (and answer to prayer) during the last 6 years (my flying anniversary is January 2004). I have pulled out my control journal and have written up fresh routines. The CREATIVE person that I am has a hard time with feeling confined to routine, but in the end I have so much more peace when I stick to the schedule!!
4. Use up or re-purpose what I already have rather than buy more. This will not only help to reduce clutter, but will save money. I will continue to focus on creating home made gifts (this allows me to tap in to my creative side). Really evaluate any and all purchases to see if there is anyway I can make due without it or create it from something I already have.
5. Focus on being a CON-SERVER rather than a CON-SUMER. This somewhat ties into #4, but goes a step further... it is an attitude of the heart! It is about reducing that "want, want, want, need, need, need" pulse that beats so strong in our modern world. It is also about being a wise steward of the resources we have and using what we have to the fullest. (and not filling up the landfills)
6. Minimize the belongings in our home. Stuff comes with such a cost... keeping it clean, organized and functioning. It also costs money to acquire, maintain and replace. So much of what we have we do not NEED. Evaluating our 'stuff' and shaving off the unnecessary extras will make daily life easier... it is so much simpler to pick up one basket of toys rather than three!
7. Maintain a low level of "Screen Time" in our home. Screen time sucks the life out of developing creativity and being an active participant in this life God has given. It is SO easy to let the hours slip away in front of the tv or computer. Over Thanksgiving break we had a NO screen time week and since then have been very conservative with our screen time. The results: more creativity, more family time, more games, more music, more baking, more laughter... more LIVING!!
8. CHOOSE my attitude and my actions based on walking out the fruits of the Spirit rather than following how I am feeling. Feelings are so fickle and not at all reliable. The fruit of the Spirit will never let me down. I will TELL myself how to act rather than be swept away by emotions. I will also SMILE more.... smiles are a gift we give to others that is usually returned. I am going to LAUGH as much as possible and focus on GENTLENESS!!
9. Self-sufficiency Skills: Pick a few to improve on and a few to learn. The day I stop learning is the day I will stop living..... there is always something to learn and always something to teach to my children!!! I am NOT raising future children, I am raising future adults who will need life skills!!
10. Take time to enjoy life each day. Slow down and enjoy moments with each of my children and my handsome husband! They are gifts from God, gifts to be cherished, nurtured and loved. Find pleasure in life, celebrate and flourish in the moments of life that make up the memories we hold dear in our hearts!

What do you think??  What ways do you "choose simplicity"?  Does simplicity seem like a dream that will never come true or are you living a more simple life??  I would love to hear about what works for you or what you do off of this list of 10.....

Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!!!
Heather

Choosing Simplicity in household management for those of us not born organzied......

I will be the first to admit what anyone who knows me in real life will tell you...... I am not the most detail oriented person you will ever meet!  I am a big picture person, a creative person, an idea person.  However, life with a family requires ME to keep everything together (well except I have given up on the basket of mate-less socks)!  I've give up on being like my super organized, detail loving sister who always has all her socks matched up.....  It just causes me too much stress.

I am who I am because it is how GOD made me!!  YOU are who you are because GOD made you!  He did NOT make a mistake!!!  YOUR strengths were give to you as part of your divine plan and purpose.  Rather than fight who I am I choose to embrace it!  ENJOYING what I love about me and working to overcome the areas where I struggle.  Each of us has a specific set of strengths and weaknesses.  We use our strengths to overcome our weakness.  God wants us to operate withing the DNA He gave us!  That to me is so freeing!  I don't have to be like anyone else.... they don't have to be like me!

Since I am not born organized, as flylady calls it, and details elude me, I have to WORK to stay organized.  I need systems to guide me without restraining me.   I tend to go in spurts.... really focused for a while on keeping the house clean and de-cluttered and then giving up.  Neither is going to work for my family in the long run.  I need balance.  I have been seeking God on this subject for so long that I wonder how he can even stand to listen to me anymore!  LOL!  However, God is faithful and has brought me oh, so far!

My journey to simplicity all started from a feeling of living life overwhelmed... all... the .... time!  Always feeling like I was ten steps behind where I needed to be.  This journey has taken me so far and I am so thankful I am NOT where I was!  I learn daily to walk in grace and mercy.  I focus to live out the life GOD predestined for me!

Soooo.... how does this all come together for simplicity in household management??  Well, first let me say that I have to make it a daily priority.  There are HUNDREDS of things I would rather do than wash dishes or fold laundry.... hundreds.  It takes that big  scary "D" word....... discipline!  Some days I truly rebel and let the dishes pile up only to need a double dose of discipline the next day to get them done.  yuck!

In proverbs 1:7 it says that a fool hates wisdom and discipline.... ouch!  I don't want to be a fool!  I want to be wise and walk my days here on earth embracing discipline. 
After really seeking God (again.....) on how to better embrace wisdom and discipline in the area of home management He has lead me to a plan that really works for our family.  I'm not saying it is the plan for you because we are all different, but I wanted to share it with you in case you are like me and need a little guidance in this area.

Basically, all it boils down to is getting some BASIC things done EVERY DAY!!  Using discipline in my life to get theses things DONE before anything else!  I love to get sidetracked doing things I enjoy (like being on the computer, reading a book, picking flowers, taking pictures, visiting my chickens, talking with a friend, hanging out with my kiddos and husband.....).  This plan gives me FREEDOM because when these everyday things are done everyday there is MUCH LESS stress in my life!  I can then enjoy other things without the guilt of knowing the dishes are piling up!

I made up a chart and hung in to the fridge.  I gave everyday tasks to each of my children (after all we are a family and all have a role to play).  If they complain about their tasks I will gladly trade them!  I haven't had any takers on that one yet.... darn!

I don't force myself to do these things in the same order every day.... I just can't fit that tight into a mold.  However, I have found a good flow of one leading into another that works really well.  My kiddos do there duties after school.  I try to get mine done first thing in the morning, but sometimes have to finish up in the evening on days I work (a couple of days a week).  Ya know what??  It is amazingly wonderful how doing these simple things everyday really does keep the stress level down and our home running much smoother!  I know... shocker!  Remember.... I'm not born organized like you! 

Mom	Wes	Robyn	Ethan	Nate
Everyday	Everyday	Everyday	Everyday	Everyday
·      Wipe down Master Bath ·      Dirty Laundry ·      Make Bed ·      Tidy Check Bedroom ·      Tidy Check Living room and wood stove room ·      Unload/reload dish washer ·      Hand wash dishes ·      Prep supper ·      Do laundry ·      Chicken chores ·      Zone task	·      Sweep: Living room and wood stove room ·      Dirty Laundry ·      Clean Laundry ·      Tidy Check bedroom	·      Sweep: Kitchen and Dining Room ·      Dirty Laundry ·      Clean Laundry ·      Tidy Check bedroom	·      Take out trash in kitchen and bathroom ·      Clean floor and wall by trash can in kitchen ·      Tidy Check bedroom	·      Wipe down bathroom ·      Sweep bathroom floor ·      Tidy Check Bedroom

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING! Heather

I am living a RICH life!!

I CHOOSE to live RICH! "Poor" is a mindset. There is a HUGE difference between 'poor' and 'broke'. There is a HUGE difference between 'wealthy' and 'rich'. We are living RICH, we are living life with a heart of gratitude, focusing on the blessings in life. Wealthy is a matter of money, RICH is a matter of the heart.

We are living RICH by living life to the fullest enjoying all the wonderful blessings God gives. Life is 'rich' when you choose to open your heart to all of the little things that make life so sweet. Cherishing simple things like breathing in fresh air, receiving flowers from a child, relaxing in a warm bath, sinking in to a freshly fluffed pillow, driving a paid for vehicle, soaking up a beautiful sun set, eating a meal fresh from the garden.... Experiencing and reflecting on special times spent with family and friends. Mary, the mother of Jesus, 'stored up these things in her heart' (she stored the experiences of Chirst's early life in her heart to reflect on later). Life's greatest treasures are not things purchased at the mall (or even at Target... gasp....), the greatest treasures are the every day blessings of life.

Choosing to be RICH means slowing down, FOCUSING on the positives, SPEAKING gratitude and slaying the "gimmies" (children are not the only ones that get these). Choosing to be rich requires a heart of contentment. Thankful for all we have, not restless for things we want, realizing that having more will never satisfy the deep longings of the heart. The heart longs for things that really matter, trying to fulfill these longings with stuff only deepens the need.

I AM rich! I CHOOSE to focus on the little blessings in life that add up filling my life to the brim with true treasures!!!! Count your blessings and name them one by one!

 Think about the longings of your heart. Can they really be filled by that next purchase?? You are not poor because your budget does not allow you to spend freely on all you want. CHOOSE to be rich by living a RICH life... a life lived enjoying the simple things! Challenge yourself to LOOK for the many wonderful simple things that make your life RICH!! Dwell on these, not on any lack.

(I originally wrote this back in march of 2009, however this has been on my mind quite a bit lately so I thought I would post it again.  Hope ya don't mind!)

Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Choosing Simplicity in the school morning rush!

Back to school  time is here.  My kiddos went back to school yesterday.  Lazy summer mornings are now a thing of the past and the school morning rush has returned.  Whether you home school (I was raised as a home school kid) or whether your kids head out the door to school we share in the fact that school mornings are different from summer. 

5 ways to Choose Simplicity 

on school mornings:

1)  Alarm Clocks
As a mom I set mine so that I am up 30 minutes before my children.  Flylady teaches this principle, too.  This gives me time to get dressed, make a pot of coffee and spend a few much needed moments in the word of God before I face the morning with my family.  When I miss this time we all feel it!  It gives me time to ease into the new day with joy in my heart rather than hit the floor running.

My children set their alarms and they are responsible to get up at the established time.  If I have to go upstairs to wake them up they face consequences.  Harsh?  No.  Self Responsibility.  I am raising future adults, not future children.  Kindergarteners are capable of using an alarm clock  and it will free you from years of being the bad guy that has to wake up a sweet sleeping child!  I want to see their smiling face as they make their way down the stairs, not them grumbling at me for waking them up.  Let the alarm clock be the bad guy, let me be the one they greet with good morning hugs!


2)  Clothes

Have the outfits ready.  For my young children I create outfits as I fold clothes so all they have to do is open up the dresser drawer and grab one.  This has been especially helpful for my boys!  The older children can make outfits as they put their clean laundry away.  Planning ahead makes the mornings so much less stressful.  For example, tomorrow my 7th and 8th grader have spirit day at school (first football game is tomorrow night) and they have to wear neon colors.  They came home from school yesterday and got those outfits ready.... tomorrow morning their will be no scrambling!

3)  Back Packs Ready

The night before we get the back packs ready to go out the door.  Homework, papers that needed signed, library books, etc go in the back packs and the packs get hung on their designated hooks by the back door.   In the morning we simply grab and  go!

4)  Lunches

I will admit that getting the school lunch is the easiest way to go on this one.  However, they do cost more and are generally less nutritious than what we can pack from home.  To make lunch prep simpler in the mornings I pre-package as much as possible ahead of time.    I make individual baggies of things like pretzels, crackers, chex mix, carrot sticks, peanut butter balls, brownies, cookies, etc. (I will often make up a big batch of muffins and freeze them in individual baggies)   My children are responsible for assembling their lunch boxes.  Lunch paking if fairly quick.... make a sandwich or grab a container of left over supper, a piece of fruit and pre- prepared baggies.  They can either pack a reusable bottle with water or juice or buy milk at school.

5) Breakfast

I am a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day..... especially for school age children.  Their bodies and brains NEED a healthy breakfast to help them learn.  They need the energy and brain power that a quality breakfast provides.  They need good protein, complex carbs for energy and fiber to help keep away the hunger pangs till lunch time.

Things we eat for breakfast:

• whole wheat toast with Peanut Butter (or just a whole wheat PB&J sandwich)
• whole grain pancakes or waffles (warmed up from the freezer.... I don't cook in the morning)
• whole grain cereal with milk
• smoothies (we have several different recipes.... just use what we have on hand)
• supper left overs (my husband thinks this is weird, but hey if left over spaghetti sounds good to them, why not?)

Our mornings are not *perfect* (nothing ever is)!  However, these 5 things make our mornings much, much, much smoother!  So cheers to school mornings and CHOOSE SIMPLICITY!!!!


Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING! Heather

Getting myself straighted up!!

I look around and my eyes automatically head straight for the "undone" things... the basket of laundry needing folded, the games at the bottom of the stairs, the boots sitting out..... My ears prick to the whining, to the disrespectful tones.   My fleshly nature is to see and hear the negative, the undone, the frustrations.... the total opposite of how I want to be!!  It takes a deliberate effort to focus on the positive, the good, the fun, the right.   However, I know I am not alone and I know that she has also found the wonderful antidote to this heart matter.... gratitude.

CHOOSING simplicity = CHOOSING to focus on the GOOD!!  This is not automatic in my life... yet.. but as I CHOOSE this way of life it is getting easier and easier!!

This morning as I was getting myself and the kids (plus the 2 children that come for before school childcare) ready for the day my mind was at battle within my.  My silent litany on all the things I should have gotten done over the weekend, the things I need to do, the ways I'm not 'good enough', etc.  I was working myself up in a tither... why????  Why do I this to myself.  Finally, I had enough and deliberately CHOSE to change the direction in my mind and start telling myself all the good!!  There is a TON of GREAT things about the last several days and as I focused on them my heart began to relax, my mind began to have peace and my Spirit thanked me for following the way of gratitude.  Ahhh... so much better!!

So what kind of GOOD things do I have to focus on??

Thursday mornings I spend with a fantastic group of ladies as we are working our way through Elizabeth George's book A Woman's High Calling.   You all know how much I value real life friendship and this new group of ladies is a HUGE blessing in my life!!  I have been a part of a Women's Bible study for the past 4 years.... it is vital to me.  However, I felt God calling me to start a new group at my house with local ladies from my own rural area and small town.  (the group I was in before was in the "big town" about 30 minutes away)  It was hard to pull away from my previous group... such a fabulous group of women after God's own heart!  In fact it took me nearly 6 months to follow God's leading.  God's growth sometimes requires us to step out of our comfort zone!!

On Friday I spent the morning with a friend teaching her how to make bread.  We laughed, we talked, we kneaded dough!  We had a blast and we enjoyed a big cinnamon role fresh from the oven.  Another day of friendship and fun time in the kitchen... two of my favorite things!!

Friday evening my husband and our only daughter, Robyn(age 11),  joined other Dads and daughters from Robyn's Bible study group for a Daddy Daughter date night at a nice restaurant followed by a movie.  They both got all dressed up and had a great time together.  Robyn enjoyed it so much and she felt so special.  It means so much to a girl to hear her Dad tell her she is loved and beautiful and to be treated like a lady.  It fills her heart so that she doesn't need to be out looking for other guys to tell her these things!!  I am so thankful that my husband does a good job of telling her she is pretty, loved and valuable.

While Chris and Robyn were out Friday evening the boys and I ate FUN food (corn dogs and french fries), played rounds and rounds of UNO and then watched two movies.

When I start to feel the pressure of so much to do (there is always a ton to do) I CHOOSE to focus on all that I did get accomplished over the weekend:

• Planted seeds inside by our south window in preparations for the GARDEN!!  Yippee!!  I planted peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, sage, chives, leeks and a flat of aster flowers
• Planned menus for the next two weeks and wrote out the shopping list
• Went shopping with my daughter... fun time... haven't been shopping with her in a few months since I normally shop while they are at school.
• Unloaded and put away all the groceries with a bunch of help from my family.... :)
• Finished up our new black board wall (I will write a post about that soon) and filled it with a BIRTHDAY drawing in celebration of our Ethan's 8th birthday this week.
• Made a big batch of "Better Butter"
• Packaged up individual baggies of things for packing school and work lunches (this makes the moring rush so much easier).
• Made a batch of cookie bars (didn't turn out as good as I hoped, but we are not having any trouble eating them)
• READ for several relaxing hours!!!!

I do have SO very many wonderful accomplishments to focus on and I also need to remind myself that my VALUE does not come from what I DO... It comes from WHO I am in CHRIST!!

Well... I need to get OFF the computer and start my day strong.  I have an extra special task today: baking cupcakes for our Ethan to take to school tomorrow in celebration of his birthday!  I'm also going to brown up 10 pounds of ground meat to freeze for later use (Efficient Cooking) and have a mountain of laundry to tackle.  I am CHOOSING to have a GREAT day and a day full of living out the plan and purpose God has for me.  Doing laundry, cooking and baking cupcakes are all MINISTRY work that God has given to me as wife and mother!!  Praise the Lord!!



Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

What is for supper?? Eliminate this daily stress from your life! http://www.simplefamilysupper.com

Babies on the way!!!

25 Baby Chicks to be exact! They will be here the middle of April.... really ready for spring, now!!
We haven't had any chickens since last fall and I'm ready for farm fresh eggs again. Nothing compares to an egg collected right out your back door. Here is a picture of my old flock... so much enjoyment!

Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Choosing Simplicity: Choosing to ENJOY what we have

Sometimes it is easy to think that living a "simple life" is all about giving things up. To some extent that is very true. We have chosen to "give up" many things that a majority of Americans live with. Some of the things we live without are a bit more radical (such as NOT using our furnace) and some are pretty easy (such as not eating out much). My favorite thing to live with out is DEBT!! We only have our very affordable mortgage and a SMALL work truck loan that will be paid off soon. Talk about less stress than when we began our journey to simplicity 6 years ago!

Instead of focusing on giving things up we choose to focus on enjoying what we choose to keep. For example, my husband and I both LOVE coffee. We do not buy coffee out, but instead choose to ENJOY good coffee made at home for a fraction of the cost. I even splurge and buy real half and half to put in my coffee. Every morning we enjoy a nice cup of coffee together in our own kitchen and Chris packs a thermos to go along with him to work. We have travel mugs that we put to use also. We ENJOY the coffee we make at home and don't lament about "not being able to stop at starbucks". I have also experimented with some great coffee recipes and make a mean Frozen Mocha Frapachino!

Choosing Simplicity is about BALANCE! Some things you give up, some things you keep. The bottom line is that we really ENJOY and appreciate the things we keep in our life. We choose to have a POSITIVE attitude and focus on ENJOYING life rather than have discontentment for all the things we don't have. There are days that one of use will slip into discontentment, but it doesn't take long to get back on track when we are reminded of the many wonderful blessings of living a simple life.

Last night my husband and I went out on a date! We did eat out (!) and we ENJOYED it!! However, we also enjoy our times out when we eat at home before we leave. It really is all in the way we CHOOSE to enjoy it.

ENJOY what you have in your life and CHOOSE carefully what you keep. I have been surprised by how much sheer delight I can have in the most simple of things.


Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather


ENJOY supper together with your family!!!! Download your FREE copy of my February Simple Family Supper menu plan kit E-book today!

It's OK to have some convience foods in your kitchen!!

Really, it is OK!! Big weight off the "cook from scratch" shoulders.

Perfection is a killer. We too often hold ourselves to unrealistic expectations. Yes, I want the BEST for my family. I want them to eat healthy and yummy food. However, ultimately what is BEST for them is having a CHEERFUL Mom!! When I get over stressed I'm not always so cheerful... in fact we had some extra stress this week and some things had to give.

There are days that convenience food is PERFECTLY perfect for our family. This week we had cold meat sandwiches and frozen pizza!! Yep, and they were yummy! Yesterday was a more "normal" day and I was able to get some yummy bacon, cheddar and veggie chowder in the crock pot. We sat at the table and ate a made from scratch, whole foods meal. Know what?? It was great food but the time together at the table is what matters most! Whether it is a frozen pizza, PB&J's, cereal or a made from scratch meal it is the FAMILY time that matters most!!

So, let me give you some encouragement.... it is OK to have some convenience foods in your life. Your kids NEED a smiling mom!

For the LOVE of FAMILY I want to help you be a smiling MOM! Download your FREE copy of my Simple Family Supper Menu Plan kit E-Book today!!!! It has everything you need: 4 weeks of menus, easy to prepare recipes and detailed shopping lists.


Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Choosing Simplicity... Back up Coffee maker

Paradise = Morning Coffee!!

Back up comes in VERY handy when the coffee pot decides to be DONE! I knew that our coffee pot was on its last leg but I wasn't worried about replacing it just yet because we have a CHEAP extra one stored in the basement.

This week our well worked coffee pot decided to completely QUIT. My husband woke me up at 5 am in distress.... "The coffee pot is dead!". I calmly reminded him about the extra one and we didn't have to fumble our way through the day without our morning jump start!! Yeah, for the extra one!

We have now replaced the daily use coffee pot and the extra (mega CHEAP) one is back in its box to be used some other day. We also use this extra coffee pot when we have company and we need both regular and decaf.

Happy coffee drinking husband!!


Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather


For the LOVE of FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!
Download your FREE Simple Family Supper E-book today.

The fight is on and my family is not going down!

The battle line has been drawn. We will not give up. We will FIGHT to the end.

What are we fighting for?? Our FAMILY! Family in our modern world is under attack and the casualties are continuing to mount.
It is war and we have to stand up, take up our weapons and fight.

In my own family we have had a couple of seasons where we took some good hits and had some deep wounds to bind. With the power of God He heals and restores. It takes constant determination to keep family the focus and keep us strong, connected and operating in love.

One of the best weapons to use in this war for our family is shared meal time. Eating together brings us closer to each other. Conversation, laughter, TIME! Jesus set this example for us by sharing meals with his disciples and with many others. We all have to eat.... we can use this time to BUILD relationships!!!

I want to help you!!! The entire month of February I am giving away a FREE complete copy of my Simple Family Supper February Menu Plan Kit E-book. Download your copy today and use this tool in your fight for your family. Treat your family to a SIMPLE, easy to prepare, meal tonight!!!!

This menu plan kit includes:
*4 weeks of menu
*all the easy to prepare recipes
*weekly shopping lists
*tips and techniques

Please share this give away with others.... It is my heart's desire to equip as many families as possible with some meal time help!!!!

Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Eating at home can save your life......

"The slow insidious displacement of home cooked and communally shared family meals by the industrial food system has fattened our nation and weakened our family ties. In 1900, 2 percent of meals were eaten outside the home. In 2010, 50 percent were eaten away from home and one in five breakfasts is from McDonald's. Most family meals happen about three times a week, last less than 20 minutes and are spent watching television or texting while each family member eats a different microwaved "food." More meals are eaten in the minivan than the kitchen."

***Read the complete article by Dr. Mark Hyman.

This is why I have such a passion for the family supper!!!! I know modern life is crazy and busy and that cooking skills are often limited. It is for these reasons that I created my Simple Family Supper menu plan kits. EASY meals, complete organization.... ENJOY and build your family life. I want you to experience GREAT family time without stress.

Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather