H.A.L.T.

Okay, I know it's been too long, but last post, I promised I would share the H.A.L.T. concept that has helped me.

There are four areas in which I need to be aware of a need to halt:

H.ungry

If I am feeling hungry (especially with blood sugar issues!), I need to halt whatever I'm doing and grab a handful of raw almonds, put some nut butter on a multi-grain cracker, or grab an apple... Get something in that stomach.

Can this affect my spiritual walk? Absolutely! When I am hungry, and I force myself on, not meeting that need, I can become grumpy. Next thing you know, I've bitten a family member's head off or I'm just an emotional wreck. All because of hunger. The direction ongoing, unmet hunger takes us can affect our spiritual lives.

Note: Another reason for feeling hunger at times is simple thirst. Most people (myself included) do not drink enough water. You might be amazed how much better you would feel if, when you feel hungry or unwell, you would simply drink a tall glass of water in about 15 seconds! I try to make it a practice to do this first thing in the morning.

Hungry and thirsty, their soul* fainted in them. Psalm 107:5
*Soul=mind, will, emotions!


A.ngry

Angry feelings are a signal that something needs to be addressed. This does not mean that dwelling in the anger is justified. But ignoring it or denying it is not the answer. If I don't know why I am angry, I need to get alone with the Lord and ask Him to reveal to me the root. Once I'm aware of the root, with God's help and His Word, I can lay an axe to that root. Does this mean I should just cut off from my life the person who made me angry? Is that "dealing with it"? I don't believe so. Jesus said to love our enemies (Luke 6). In the same passage He told us to be merciful as God is merciful, because God is kind to the "unthankful and to the evil"! That kind of love in action is only done through a "yieldedness" to the Spirit of God within me. And that's a whole other topic for another blogpost! Ha ha!

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Ephesians 4:26
The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. Proverbs 14:10


L.onely

There are times when I don't realize I am lonely, but if I stop and think about why am I feeling sad or why I just generally feel "yucky" emotionally, I realize I am lonely. God created this need within us first and foremost, so that He could meet the need! I need to acknowledge God as my sole provider of comfort and friendship. He is all I need. My husband can't be with me every second of every day, and even if he is there, he is human and cannot possibly meet every single emotional need I have! So I have to turn to the Source of comfort. Secondarily, there are many times that I need to reach out to someone, even when I don't feel like it. Maybe I need to say hi to a neighbour, take some cookies to them, or set up a time to meet a girlfriend for coffee or have her over for tea.

A man [that hath] friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend [that] sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24


T.ired

Sometimes, I'm just plumb worn out! Moms tend to burn the candle on both ends. So I need to be sure I'm getting enough rest. Maybe that's six hours for you. Generally it's seven to eight hours for me. If something interferes {ahem, a three-year-old girl!}, then I need to take a nap when she does.

[It is] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows*: [for] so he giveth his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2
*Interesting that lack of sleep is associated with sorrow!

Next time you are feeling "yucky" spiritually, physically, or emotionally, and you cannot seem to find a reason, remember this little acrostic: H.A.L.T. There is an answer.

Joy in... Cleaning?!?

Miserable wife?

Proverbs 14:10 says, "The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy."


If I am bitter and mad, my heart knows it... and probably so does my family and other people around me! By the same token when my heart is truly joyful, no one can get in the middle of it!


Now I have had my share of days (quite often, in fact) when I did not want to do my job--clean or "homemake"--in any shape, form, or fashion! And I am coming to understand that my attitude makes the difference. It is always important to make time to rejuvenate my mind and body so that I can be my best as a homemaker, but probably, if I am honest, I just want to be lazy all the time! 


Commercials on TV, billboards, and ads everywhere shout it out: You deserve a break! You're worth it! Self, self, self... take care of YOU. Look out for Number One. No one appreciates YOU. 


I challenge you, along with me, to take a hard look at your motives as a wife. Take your breaks, yes! Drink your water! Exercise! Get a massage! Take care of your body. Go have a coffee with a friend. You do need time to recharge when you're a wife/mom/nana... but take inventory of how much and how often you tend to shirk your responsibilities or procrastinate (Ahem! That's me!) because you are indulging in an entitlement mentality! (Ouch!) Deep inside, do I often tell myself that everyone owes me, and since they don't "pay up," I'll just pay myself? I'll eat the chocolate or the chips no one knows about... I'll put off doing the dishes until later...

OK, I'm off the soapbox! :)

On a practical homemaking note...


Mirrors. 
I love finding new ideas for homemaking--whether unconventional or conventional. One day recently I tried a waffle-pattern microfiber dishcloth (from a discount/dollar store) on my mirrors, using good old Windex. Amazing! Two or three swipes and I was done... no vigorous rubbing... no streaks... practically effortless! Love that!


Vinegar Uses. 
Recently I discovered this on Pinterest:

(1) Remove bacteria and pesticide residue from produce - Use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, wash produce thoroughly.

(2) Clean windows and countertops - Use a 50% water and vinegar mixture to clean windows and countertops.

(3) Remove shower and bathtub film - Use vinegar full strength on an old wash rag.

(4) Toilet bowl stains - Use white distilled vinegar full strength with a scrubber.

(5) Furniture polish - Use a 50% olive oil and vinegar mixture and polish furniture with a soft cloth. Be sure to test furniture in an inconspicuous spot first because vinegar is acidic. 

(6) Clean microwave - Utilize 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Place in the microwave and cook until boiling. Immediately wipe interior of microwave.

(7) Wash no-wax floors - Add 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water. Mop or scrub floor.

(8) Clean kitchen cutting boards - Use vinegar full strength on cutting boards.

(9) Wash grass stains out of fabric - Use a 1/3 cup vinegar and 2/3 cup water mixture. Apply to stain and blot.

(10) Remove molds and mildew - Use a 50% water and white vinegar mixture for light mildew stains, and full strength white vinegar to kill heavier mildew and mold growth.

All-Purpose Cleaner. 
Found this online somewhere... The person who posted it said they use this cleaner on counters, tile floors, tubs, and toilets. I have tried it, and while it doesn't have the same wonderful smell Lysol disinfectant cleaner has, it is great and cheap! I tried mine with eucalyptus oil, since that's what I had on hand. Maybe I'll try some other oil scents I really like!

2 T.white vinegar (only distilled white vinegar)

1 t. Borax

Hot water

A few drops of a mild dish detergent

5 drops of essential oil (Lavender, Orange, Rose, etc.)

In a 16 oz. spray bottle add vinegar, borax and half hot water.
Swish around until borax has dissolved.
Add the drops of dish detergent and fill the rest of the bottle with hot water.
Add the essential oil… & Shake.

Happy Cleaning!

 Yes... Happy Homemaking! Take care of the king of your castle! How about bringing him his slippers tonight when he gets home from work? Then give him a few minutes of rest and peace from the children's inquiries and your chatting :) before supper! 

Anti-Procrastination Day!

I've been trying to put into practice the housekeeping principles my mother taught me as a child and teen. Wow! About time, huh?! But seriously, many of us "learn" these things from our mothers, but until we actually have to "do" them all on our own, scheduling the time for them along with everything else in our lives, we don't really see how much of a challenge it can be to master the art!

Flylady is a great blueprint for housekeeping. It's very helpful to get email reminders that your fridge needs to be cleaned out--somehow we become blind to it!--or that the mopboards/moulding in your house need a wipe down. Though I'm an average height, I still seem to need the reminder to look up and see the cobwebs in the upper corners of the room!

Doesn't that spill on the fridge shelf just give you a wonderful appetite?! Yuck! I can't believe I actually took a picture inside my fridge!!! But yes, this is the ugly truth that I needed this Flylady reminder (below) today!

Who's going to join me in cleaning out the fridge and clearing out some unused kitchen gadgets today? I also have some other "procrastination spots" in the house I want to hit today... the forementioned cobwebby corners I always seem to "ignore." How about you?

Thanks to The Stay at Home Missionary for directing me to Flylady through her helpful blog!

Flylady.net Email Reminder:
It Is Anti-Procrastination Day...
We are diving into the refrigerator!

Grab your trash can and take it over to the refrigerator and throw open the door. First, toss out any leftovers that have gotten pushed to the back and have now started to turn into a science project. Second, check the fruit/vegetable drawers and toss what no longer is appealing to eat. Third, check the meat and cheese drawer, check the expiration dates on your items in there and toss what needs to go. Fourth, check out the doors of the fridge, toss the empty condiment jars and bottles that always seem to magically go back into the fridge when empty, LOL, but when full get left on the counter. Last, grab a damp rag and wipe down the shelves.

Do not take every single thing out of your refrigerator and then take the shelves out to clean them. Just wipe them down. How many times have we decided to tear the fridge apart and three hours later we would rather move out than ever do it again?!

Don't let yourself get sidetracked!! Have fun and enjoy your sparkling refrigerator!

~ Flylady Kelly


Decorating on the FlyZone
This week we are in Zone 2-The Kitchen.

This is the time of the year we begin our holiday baking and gift giving.

Let's work on retiring those unused, unloved kitchen appliances by blessing others with those "smart" gadgets that we still have not figured out how to use, as well as decluttering our junk drawers. Spend 15 minutes doing this.

If you have not used an item for over 6 months, chances are you will not in the next 6 months.

You may even find that you "freed" up some space for the items you douse. No more "mad searches" for that spatula in the middle of your stirring!! LOL

Have FUN and Happy Holidays!!!

~ Flylady Laura

http://www.flylady.net/

Winter Crock Pot Hot Cocoa!

Can't wait to try this when winter hits! This recipe copied from Comfy in the Kitchen blog.

Homemade Hot Cocoa
(Serves 10)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp salt
1 cup hot water
1/2 gallon milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-8 oz whipped cream (Cool Whip)
*extra whipped cream or marshmallows to garnish

In a medium/large pot on the stovetop (medium/high heat) pour in hot water, sugar, cocoa powder and salt; whisk well. Add chocolate chips; whisk well until melted. Add milk and whisk again until well combined. Add vanilla and cinnamon then stir in whipped cream. Serve and garnish!

If you are making this in advance (for example, going caroling, etc.) simply place in the crockpot on low heat--it will be waiting for you when you come in from the cold!!!!

Source: http://comfynkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/10/homemade-hot-cocoa.html

"Clutter Clear!" Celebration

Courtney at Women Living Well is hosting an autumn challenge: Making Your Home a Haven. Being in the thick of fall cleaning, I think this week's challenge fits right in! Hope you'll go over and read the challenge along with Courtney's encouraging words.

My clutter challenging spots are:
1. The small room where my deep freezers are. Here a coat rack with a shelf above it is the lucky spot in which our outdoor wear has accumulated, including a row of boots on the floor beneath. It's not time to completely "revamp" this space, but I want to straighten it up and clear out the items not being used.
2. My desk area! I'll be honest, this is a continual problem for me and has been ever since I can remember. As a teen, I always fought the messy desk syndrome in my bedroom. I want to make a more efficient system for the papers on my desk to be filed away quickly and easily so that things do not pile up quite so much.

Comment (or email me) and tell me what areas you're working on decluttering. Clearing clutter feels great! Especially clearing clutter from your heart! Don't forget the inside of you too!

Happy Autumn Organizing!

I'll close with another one of my favourite fall photos of late:

This is my grandbaby Kyla (23 months),

"asking" the kitten to smell her Chinese Lantern flower!

So precious!

Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings!

Fullness of Joy

Joy Forney is a blogging friend I have never met face-to-face. Yet she encourages me so much!




















Joy is a missionary wife and mother in Indonesia. Her husband is a missionary pilot who is frequently gone for days at a time in places where there is no way to reach him. Joy is left at her home on foreign soil with her five young children--homemaking in the truest sense of the word, homeschooling, and on top of it all, inspiring hundreds via her blog.



Her recent post In His Presence especially encouraged me:

I am a mother, wife, missionary, friend, neighbor, daughter, sister, and many other things. And as such, there are so many times in my life that I feel that I am just surviving. Surviving from one mess, one meal, one exhausted morning, one tantrum, one homeschool day to the next.

However, as I am (slowly) learning, there is so much more to my life than merely surviving. I can choose to have deep, rich communion with my Heavenly Father in the midst of these seemingly mundane things that fill up my life.

I can choose to live my life in His presence, minute by minute. In Psalm 16:11 it says, "in His presence is fullness of joy." I can have the fullness of joy each and every day, no matter how difficult it may seem to do anything more than simply survive!!

I pray that this will be a reality in your life and mine as we serve the Lord in whatever He has called us to do!

In His strength and for His glory!
Joy

Will you pray for Joy and other missionary wives around the world today?

...And will you live in HIS presence today? There you will find "fullness of joy"!

Home Is My Haven

As a Christian homemaker, I truly believe that my home should be a haven for my family--including me!

I absolutely love my backyard! Of course, there is always weeding... and more flowers to be planted.

And I'm working on redecorating our 1960s home. Sometimes I get discouraged and leave a project for weeks.

I confess there are days when I don't keep up with homemaking: dishes, laundry, and cleaning, as I should. I admit that I have a mountain of mending that I never seem to get to!

Currently my focus is on reestablishing my weekly homemaking routine. And my biggest helper is FlyLady.

Here's a gal who inspires me as a homemaker. (I really like her advice on her morning routine and planning her day.)

And another.

I still believe that the most important thing is to seek the Lord daily in my quest to be a better homemaker and make my home a haven. I just tell Jesus when I feel overwhelmed, and then claim a Scripture verse to help me to the next level! I print it or write it out on a brightly coloured sheet of paper and tape it above my kitchen sink, or another place I will see it often. (Another favourite spot is on the fridge next to the stove, so I can read it over as I'm stirring our dinner!) Whenever I see it, I read it, aloud or silently. Before long, I have it memorized.

If you're a homemaker, I would encourage you to do this with Scripture. It's also great to bookmark or subscribe to a few of these homemaker blogs, as well as FlyLady, to help you stay encouraged, focused, and disciplined as a mom and homemaker.

Oh, by the way, the Scripture above my sink right now is I Peter 2:22-23.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Sometimes as homemakers and moms we feel that we give and give and give... and sometimes we're exhausted or just plain tired of "giving out." Though retribution should not be our focus, at times, we can't help thinking about it, especially on those trying days when it seems everything is going wrong! But God does give us encouragement along the way, and we need to choose to watch for those little things, and focus on them, not on the things we dislike. Attitude is key!

Lord, please live Your life through me; I commit myself to You, my Righteous Judge. I choose to trust Your judgment in my life. I will discipline myself now to plan my day and then just do the next thing. I can do anything for fifteen minutes!

Get Dressed--Day 4

The "Get Dressed" Challenge!
Saturday--Choir practice and get ready for Sunday (music, noon meal, etc.)

Note: I did remove my scarf when I started getting food ready! :)

Successful Homemade Yogurt!

Yes, you can! I did it!

I made my first successful batch of yogurt this week, and it's super easy! Here's the recipe:

Homemade Yogurt
You need:
1 quart milk
3 T. plain yogurt (just purchase 1 small individual serving-size container) or 2-3 packets yogurt starter
1 candy thermometer
1 stirring utensil
1 quart-size Mason Jar (with a lid) or Yogotherm
1 picnic cooler with a tight fitting lid (if you don't use the Yogotherm or have a gas oven)--large enough to hold all your Mason jars and a cooking pot or tea kettle

1. Heat the milk to 180-185 degrees (using candy thermometer to be exact).
2. Allow milk to cool down to 110-115 degrees (again using candy thermometer).
3. Stir into the milk either your yogurt starter or the container of plain yogurt.
4. Pour milk into your quart Mason jar (or Yogotherm container).
5. Put on the lid of your Mason jar.
6. Place your Mason jar in the cooler with a pot or tea kettle of hot water. (I put a towel around it inside the picnic cooler.) Another option is to fill a small cooler with near boiling water coming nearly to the top of your Mason jar. Another option, if you have a gas oven, is to put your Mason jar into the gas oven, as the pilot light keeps the oven at a warmer temp. Don't turn on the oven! If you live in a tropical zone, you can just put a towel over your jar and set it on your kitchen counter.
7. Put the lid on your cooler and let set for 4-16 hours. Don't peek or move it!
8. Done. $10-12 worth of yogurt for $2-3! One woman estimates she saves $200/year just on this one make-at-home project.
9. To serve, you can add the fresh or frozen fruit of your choice. If you put it all in a blender with some extra milk, it makes a great smoothie!

Thanks to Joy for the idea and recipe.

Get Dressed--Day 3

Working on a manuscript and a bit of cleaning today, so again, not fixed up very much... nevertheless, I am dressed! Yeah me!

How are you doing with this challenge?

Get Dressed Challenge-Days 1-2

Well, now that our Internet is working, I can post photos. Unfortunately I have somehow lost the photos from Days 1-2. (I believe I must have copied them to an incorrect file folder when I was moving other photos around.)

So, first is a photo of me on another ordinary at-home day.

And second is a photo of what I'm wearing today... not quite as fixed up because I'm cleaning house today.

Get Dressed!

Okay, I think I'm up for this challenge. Are you? Check it out, and join the fun here.

I have to admit, many days I do my computer work in the frumpy clothes I wore to feed our horses, waiting to shower and really get dressed until late morning. On days when I do shower and dress first thing in the morning, I feel more energetic and I am definitely more productive!

So, for those of you who are homemakers, are you with me in this challenge? Let's get dressed!

(Tomorrow I will continue my thoughts on the ways we yield to the soul rather than the Spirit... see you later!)

Haven or Haywire?

Is your home a haven for your family, or does it look everything's gone haywire?

I have to admit there are times my home looks more like the latter. There are times when we have sickness in the household, or things get extra busy, and we get behind on things. But, I'll bet you're with me when I say that I truly want a home and haven--not just a house. And the Bible teaches us women to be "keepers at home" (Titus 2:5) and to work "willingly with [our] hands" (Proverbs 31:13).

Writer Emilie Barnes inspires me. Her book The Fifteen Minute Organizer has many good organization ideas and lists to help keep the home. I confess that I tend to be a perfectionist in that if I can't do a project completely and perfectly in a given timeframe, I won't even start it. This keeps me from accomplishing a lot of things that I need to do, and becomes a plain old excuse! Emilie's title reminds me to ask myself, if I just spend fifteen minutes right now on something, what could I accomplish?

My blogging friend, Monica, is bringing us some ideas, starting January 15, with her "Make Your Home a Haven" challenge. Click
here to find out more about her idea.

By the way, making your home a haven isn't just about organizing or cleaning--though that's a big part of it. There's some fun stuff in there too!

Here are some fun ways I like to create a haven:
-Light candles around the house on any given evening. (Don't forget to blow them out before bedtime!)
-Purchase pretty napkins from the dollar store. Use them for supper on an ordinary night.
-Use bubble bath that you've been saving for... when?
-Just before your family comes home, spray your favourite Febreze scent throughout the house. -Use linen spray on your bed sheets just before your husband comes in for bed. (He may poke fun at your "girliness," but, I assure you, he appreciates your effort to make his house a haven.)
-Be sure your house shoes/slippers (and your husband's too) are next to your bed before you turn in. You'll love the feel of them when you get out of bed in the morning!

Comment and tell us a special way, or two, that you are making your home a haven for your family.

Kitchen Money-saving Tips

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil." ~ Proverbs 31:11

I occasionally purchase lettuce in handy square or rectangle plastic containers. These are great to hang onto and reuse when I buy heads of lettuce. I tear the lettuce heads up into the container, which keeps the lettuce fresh and crisp much longer than normal, and the lettuce is easy and quick to use.

Lately I discovered another use for the containers: freezing my Christmas baking in them, between sheets of wax paper!

Speaking of wax paper, a friend gave us some homemade, frosted donuts recently and I noticed that her wax paper was actually cereal bags (the kind from inside cardboard cereal boxes)! She carefully opened them up along the seams to flatten them, wiped them clean, cut them to fit the plastic container, and used them for between her donuts! So now I save all my cereal bags and make use of them the same way! Free wax paper--and much more sturdy! Great idea, Sara!

Another money-saving tip I learned from another friend: save and rinse out your milk bags. These make great freezer bags for garden vegetables in the summer and fall! Thanks, Monique!

More on the Proverbs 31 Woman...

"She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." ~ Proverbs 31:27-28

Peppermint Cream-filled Cake

Some asked for the recipe for Kali's birthday cake, so here it is:

Peppermint Cream-filled Cake
From Betty Crocker's Chocolate Cookbook

For the cake:
1/2 C. cocoa
3/4 C. boiling water
1-3/4 C. sugar
1-1/2 C. flour
1-1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla
7 egg yolks
1 C. egg whites (about 7-8)
1/2 t. cream of tartar

For the Peppermint Cream:
1 C. powdered sugar/icing sugar
2 C. chilled whipping cream
1 t. peppermint extract
6-8 drops food colouring

Heat oven to 325F.
Mix cocoa and boiling water; let stand until cool.
Mix sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt in 3-qt. bowl. Beat in cocoa mixture, oil, vanilla, and egg yolks with spoon until smooth.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a 3-qt. bowl on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Pour egg yolk mixture gradually over beaten egg whites, folding with rubber spatula just until blended.
Pour into UNGREASED tube pan, 10x4 inches.

Bake until top springs back when touched lightly, about 1 hr., 15 min.
Invert pan on heat-proof funnel (or on a glass bottle with a thin neck); let hang until cake is cold.

Remove cake from pan; place cake upside down.
Slice off top of cake about 1 inch down; reserve top.
Make cuts down into cake 1 inch from outer edge and 1 inch from edge of hole, leaving substantial "walls" on each side.
Remove cake within cuts with a small spoon, being careful to leave a base of cake 1 inch thick.

Prepare Peppermint Cream, beating all the ingredients together in a chilled bowl until stiff.
Spoon mixture into the cake cavity.
Replace top of cake; press gently.
Frost side and top of cake with remaining Peppermint Cream.
Just before serving, garnish with chocolate leaf mints, crushed peppermint candy, chocolate shavings, or other garnish of your choice.

Keep uneaten cake refrigerated.

Enjoy!

Homemaking Helps

I have been so blessed by this missionary wife's blog! She has many home organization ideas and helps on being a committed Christian wife and mother. Take a look when you have a few minutes: The Stay At Home Missionary.

What's on your To-Do List today?