Category Archives: Homemaking

Three Resolutions You Can Cross Off Your List Today

Honestly, I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions anymore. What seems like a great idea on December 30th (when real life is on pause for a week) often loses its do-ability around the sixth of January.

Or sooner.

But I love the time of reflection and resolve that naturally occurs with the beginning of a new year. As I think about what I want to do differently, it helps to focus on things that I can put into motion right away.

Things I can put in place while life is slow that will change how we live when it speeds back up.

Resolutions/Goals/Whatever-You-Want-to-Call-Them

#1: Be More Hospitable

This one is always on my list. We’re social people, energized by connections with friends. But life gets going, the house gets “lived in” and too much time passes without bringing others into our home. There is one thing, however, that is guaranteed to light my fire, get the house clean, and ensure there’s a hot meal ready to serve.

A doorbell.

If I know the time when my doorbell will ring, things happen. Friends come over, we laugh, and I’m always glad I went through whatever it took to be willing to open my front door.

So what can do today that will make all this happen? Look at my calendar and pick up my phone. It takes five minutes to text (or even call!) two or three of those people we’ve been meaning to have over for dinner. Mark down some dates, and this resolution is well on its way to being met.

#2: Be a Fun Mom

I love it when my kids get crafty. I just don’t love it when their bursts of creativity happen in a moment when we don’t have time to unearth the stack of recycled paper or the package of popsicle sticks I know I stuffed somewhere.

Filling a kid-accessible shelf with scissors, markers, glue and duct tape means my kids know just where to go when inspiration strikes. (It also creates a home for those random items.)

An hour of fun-and-focused supply-gathering today means hours of spontaneous creativity can happen in the future.

#3: Feed My Family Home-Cooked Meals

Oh, the guilt that creeps into my Mommy Soul when life gets crazy and the drive thru starts to feel way too familiar. I’m passionate about eating together as a family every night, but sometimes gymnastics and baseball and church activities combine to make it almost impossible to spend any leisurely time in the kitchen.

I’ve found my own version of freezer cooking to be the solution that allows me to get home-cooked meals on the table in minutes. We aren’t casserole-a-holics around our house, but if I will take an hour or three to brown a jumbo pack of ground beef or bake two cookie-sheets full of chicken breasts, future meal-prep is significantly simpler. Once the meat has cooled, I bag it in meal-sized portions to freeze. This lets me skip the time-consuming and messy step of cooking the meat for most meals.

A few hours (or less) of work today, and my big, daunting resolutions seem significantly more realistic. What resolutions can you check off your list today?

All I Want For Christmas…is My Sanity!

1 Reply

“Holidays can be fairly bloody”…a great quote from one of our favorite Christmas movies. Sadly, there can be some real truth to that statement. When our daughter was very young, she would refer to this time of year as the “holler days”. In many families, that can also hold true.

I do enjoy the holidays…I love the baking, the decorations, the traditions we have established, the gift buying and the anticipation of Christmas Day. But that joy can quickly be sucked into the vortex of unmet expectations…sometimes our own and maybe someone else’s. Often it can be the members of our extended family.

So as wives and moms who want to honor God, what do we do when we have expectations and obligations heaped upon us? What about that difficult relative that we have to spend time with?

First and foremost, I think it’s a priority to pray about what God would have you to do and talk with your husband about the way that you want to spend the holidays. What are your priorities as a family? Although we do not want to be selfish with our holiday time, we also need to preserve our own family core unit. We need to have time for our own traditions and enjoy part of that time together. If you have younger children, making sure that they are getting enough rest and aren’t being pushed to the point of sheer exhaustion is important. That goes for you too, Mom! The best way that we can really be engaged in the activities we ARE doing and honor God through them, is to guard our hearts and sometimes that means resting, taking time to process and refresh.

Secondly, pray that we will have the ability to be gracious with others. We all have family members that are difficult to get along with, maybe thoughtless, even rude. I was thinking about this the other day and praying for wisdom as to how we might have grace toward people like this and I was led to Psalm 25. I encourage you to read the entire chapter, but David is crying out to the Lord for guidance. “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way”. I need to humble myself and remember that I have been saved by grace alone. And though I sometimes feel like others are “worse” than me, it’s the same grace that saves each one of us. Jesus loved me while I was still a sinner. I had nothing to offer him, but he offered himself in my place. If the Son of God would humble himself in that way for me, I certainly can do this for that difficult person. Maybe for no other reason than out of gratitude to God for saving me.

Another thing that can be very helpful is to think about what that difficult person has taught you. Even if what he/she has taught you is what NOT to do, say, etc., that is a blessing. It’s something to bear in mind and be thankful to God for and the spirit that comes with a thankful heart can be a way for God to pour out His grace through you.

Lastly, never forget that our first purpose is to honor and glorify God. May your heart be able to rest in Him throughout this busy time of year and find complete and utter joy in the fact that Jesus is “Emmanuel”… God WITH us. He is right here walking with us, not expecting perfection, just wanting to fellowship…we are His. We welcome you Lord Jesus!

“We will keep our eyes on you

We will keep our eyes on you

So we can keep our hearts on You

Lord, we will set our eyes on You”

-A Mighty Fortress is Our God

Budget friendly holiday decorating ideas

4 Replies

The holiday season is such a beautiful time of year. It’s a time when families come together, and we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We spruce up our homes a bit more than usual, we bake more often, get a bit craftier with the kids, wear festive clothing, and decorate our homes with lights and excitement!

Something about holiday décor is just so inviting and exciting! Isn’t it? I love seeing my children’s reaction to all the festive decorations and excitement!

But, what if you don’t have a huge budget to make your home look and feel festive? Is it possible to make your home feel and look festive for the holidays without draining your bank account?

Here are some very simple (and affordable) ways that you can decorate your home for the holidays without breaking the bank.

Don’t underestimate your local dollar store. I think I have a slight obsession with the dollar store. I know it’s not a popular place for most to turn to, but if you are looking to decorate on a budget – go there first! I have been surprised every time I go and come out of there with some really great decorative items. Everything you see in this picture below is from the dollar store. Best 10$ I’ve ever spent on holiday decorations! I placed it on a large round tray (also picked up at the dollar store a few years earlier)

Get creative with what you already have. Most of us have items stored away in closets that we just don’t seem to have use for throughout the year. Go through those items first, and see what you can do to make them look festive. Is there a random box? Grab some wrapping paper and wrap the box, toss on a bow, and it’s an instant Christmassy decorative accent that you can put anywhere in your home. I have had this hurricane vase for a few years, and it was just too bulky for my personal taste. Last year I wanted to make use of it for something, so I place several ornaments in it, and it was a hit! You can do this with bowls, a regular size vase, or any open container really. This same vase would look really nice filled up with red and white bows, or with candy canes!

Decorate the table. Our table rarely stays clean all day…okay, it never does. But, I still love getting it “set up” for the holidays. I keep it really simple. Something as simple as a table runner, stacked plates, and a hurricane vase with a candle can add an instant holiday touch and feel to any home. If you have a coffee table you can grab one of those tin round cans that cookies come in and fill it up with tree ornaments.

Scented Candles. There is something about scented candles that can instantly set the tone and mood in a room. I’m really big on getting seasonal candles. Candles remind me of a cozy night snuggled under blankets, sipping on my favorite warm beverage.

I would love to hear some ways that you decorate your home for the holidays on a budget!

The Hospitality Blues

2 Replies

What happens when you hear the word hospitality?

Do you feel warm and fuzzy inside? Can you picture yourself curled up on the couch with a hot cup of coffee, laughing with friends in front of a fire?

Or do you panic?

Do you feel the pressure of unreachable expectations? Do you resent the cold weather that means you can’t suggest celebrating Thanksgiving at the park?

This time of year brings natural opportunities to host others in my home. I used to have big dreams of being the hostess with the mostest who threw big shindigs at every opportunity. I gathered ideas for decorating and entertaining. I imagined cooking all day and serving multiple courses to my guests.

I read the magazines. I watched the shows.

When my husband and I had our first home, I looked for opportunities to entertain. I would clean like a madwoman to get my messy house presentable, and then spend all my remaining energy (and money) creating a delicious (and complicated) meal.

When it was over, I was exhausted. Each party required weeks of my time and most of my energy.

And then I had kids. Suddenly, blocking out weeks of time to obsess over a party was not an option.

My hostessing became less frequent and eventually almost non-existent.

My heart longed to have people in my home, but I didn’t think I could.

And then I opened my big mouth (and my trembling heart) and volunteered our home for weekly small group meetings with our church. My husband looked at me with panic in his eyes.

Weekly. That meant every week. Like, every single week. He knew how crazy I got when I was expecting the doorbell to ring.

Four years later, I look back on that what-was-I-thinking moment as one of the best decisions I ever made.

My entire view of hospitality has changed. The relationships my husband and I have made with those in our small group have meant so much to us.

And that’s what it’s about. Relationships.

True hospitality isn’t about impressing people or creating the most gorgeous fall display. It’s not about serving bacon-wrapped shrimp or filet Mignon.

It’s about providing a place to be. A place to sit. A place to relax and let down your guard.

A place where people can be themselves and share their lives with one another.

There have been weeks over the past four years when I have served a meal and there have been weeks when I popped popcorn. There have also been times when friends stopped to pick up pizza because no one had time to cook.

There have been weeks when my sink was full of dishes that wouldn’t fit into the dishwasher because I got off my kitchen-cleaning rhythm over a crazy weekend. There have been times when people had to walk across newspapered floor to get through a half-painted entryway.

And no one minds. We’re all thankful just to be together. To have a place to be.

I rarely host the big events anymore. I prefer to host people.

Balance {Part Three} – Relationships Always Come First

3 Replies

Keep up to date with RSS or iTunes

Do you ever wonder how others perceive you? Are you keeping a finger on the pulse of the most precious relationships in your life?

Today, we are on part 3 of 4-talking about finding balance in your life. I want to direct you to Colossians 3:12-14. It says,

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones (that’s YOU), holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

The “T” in this series that I am doing is for Take the pulse in the relationships in your life. Remember, the H is for have the right priorities and A is for Act accordingly upon those priorities, and now T is for Take the pulse in the relationships in your life.

Moms, relationships always come first. I have said many times, especially to my homeschooling friends, we should never let a math book come between us and our children. The relationship of the child will always be more important than the math lesson. So, relationships always come first. People come before processes, people come before possessions.

It’s so easy in this life to carelessly railroad our way through as we try to get school done for the day or tasks completed that are weighing on us. We say things that we shouldn’t say. We’re unkind to those who are closest to us. Most moms I know want to set an example for people who are watching. Let’s be real—and start with those whom we are closest to. It’s often easier to be kind to the man behind the counter at the bank than it is to treat our own family with kindness.

I believe this is because we’re most secure with our closest relationships. The guy at Walmart doesn’t have to live with me, so he can call the manager over and throw me out of the store if I’m rude to him, right? Our kids don’t have that option—so it’s easier to show the ugly side of ourselves to them.

We have a choice about how we treat others. Colossians 3 starts with, “Put on then…” I love that! It means we have a choice! We either put it on, or not. Paul is saying, put it on, as God’s chosen one, a holy and beloved. He is trying to make a point to us! He’s saying God loves us, and because of God’s great love for us, we can put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another.

I love this one, because it’s the hardest one for me:

“If one has a complaint against another, forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

It makes me wonder, how many times have my children seen me be a person I would not want others to see? How do I react to them when they sin against me, when they disobey me, when I’m frustrated? It’s easy to lash out and say things that I do not mean, or (let’s be honest) things I do mean them but I should not say.

Are we keeping our finger on the pulse of the relationships at home?

Ask yourself, “How do others perceive me? How do my children perceive me? How does my husband perceive me? How am I treating my husband?”

As you go about your day today, ask the Lord to put others first in your life; take the pulse of the relationships in your life.

When I was a young girl, I went to an evangelical free church and we used to sing a song called Jesus, Others, and You, some of you might remember it. The point of that little song was to help us learn to prioritize our relationships. Jesus comes first, then others, and then ourselves.

We don’t live in a culture that backs that up anymore, but the Bible says that we are loved with an everlasting love. For the Christian, this means that we not only have the privilege, but also have the responsibility to share that love with the people around us.

We live in a world that is hungry for real relationships. Not online relationships, but the kind that survive missteps and hard times. Relationships are worth investing in. Take the pulse of the relationships in your life, moms.

As you work to find balance in your life, remember that relationships always come first.

4 Keys to Finding Balance {part one}

3 Replies

Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Have you ever struggled to find balance in your life? Balance is an elusive thing for many moms, because mothers wear so many hats. Recently I spoke at a conference in South Carolina and my audience was primarily working moms. Now, we all know that every mom is a working mom—can I get an amen–but there are many moms who work both inside and outside the home. It is challenging to try to juggle so many things and to try and please so many different people, isn’t it? From our children to our husbands, employers, We tend to put an awful lot on ourselves, and the weight of struggling to be “everything to everyone” causes so much heartache and so many difficulties—more than I could have anticipated.

This fact resonates with other moms. No matter where I’m speaking, I hear the same stories of women trying to wear different hats throughout their day: mother, lover, teacher, chauffeur, coach, cook.

Finding balance while juggling a family, marriage, homeschooling, career, children… it can be overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be. Continue reading →

Fall Craft Keepsake

2 Replies

I’ll be honest and admit that I am not a crafter. I want to be! I yearn to sew and knit and crochet. I want to be one of those moms who has a closet of craft supplies (which she knows how to use) at the ready. The mom who can make something beautiful out of a snippet of construction paper and a sprinkling of glitter. But I’m not.

I’m the mom with one small drawer of crayons, glue, and construction paper. Craft days are saved for “when we have time”…and we usually don’t. I don’t own a glue gun. And, until recently, mod podge was an intimidating foreign substance.

It’s not that I don’t like crafts, I love them. They excite me! However, crafts simply overwhelm me. Projects seem more complicated in my mind than they are in reality. However, I’ve learned a very special lesson that is helping me overcome my craft aversion.

Crafts are not about the project, the mess, the detail or even the outcome. Crafts are about making memories with your children.

When I look at it like that, crafts suddenly seem much more important. That’s why I’m making a conscious effort to add more crafting to our life. I want to make memories! So, for my first project, I decided to make an autumn keepsake with my son, not just another “craft”.

I love this keepsake craft for four very specific reasons. 1) It has variety! The different materials give it more depth. 2) It can be broken down into several smaller projects. We had 4 different days of crafting. 3) You can make this keepsake no matter what climate you live in, using whatever items you have outside. 4) It easily adapts to different seasons by changing the outdoor items you collect and paint colors.

Supplies:

Leaves or other outdoor items (autumn grasses, pine cone bits, pebbles, etc)
Waxed paper
Books for pressing
Metallic permanent markers (silver, gold and/or bronze)
2 sheets white cardstock paper
Foaming shaving cream
Scissors
Acrylic paint (autumn colors, red, orange, gold, green, brown)
Toothpicks
Rubber/silicone spatula
Mod podge
Paintbrush or sponge
Frame (your choice of size)

Step 1: We started with a “leaf walk”. The kids had a blast walking our property and collecting leaves of all different shapes, sizes and colors. If you live in a hotter climate, or your leaves have already dropped, collect pebbles, wide-leafed grasses, etc. You can even use brown, dried leaves if they’re not too brittle. Don’t forget to collect a few green leaves for contrast.

Step 2: Press the leaves between the pages of the books, lined with waxed paper.

Step 3: When the leaves are sufficiently pressed, carefully color them with the metallic markers. Get creative with designs. The colors really pop! When you’re happy with your leaves, set them aside.

Step 4: Using scissors, cut leaf shapes out of the cardstock. You can do maple, oak, or freestyle it! This is about memories, not perfection, right?

Step 5: On a piece of waxed paper or in a rectangular dish, spray a layer of shaving cream and smooth it out. Next, add drops of the acrylic paint all over. Then, using the toothpick, swirl the paint until it has the design and pattern you like.

Step 6: Press the cardstock leaves face down into the shaving cream/paint mixture. Let is sit for just a moment, then carefully lift out the leaves and lay them paint side up on a piece of waxed paper.

Step 7: Allow the leaves to sit for a minute or two. Then, using your spatula, scrape off the excess paint and shaving cream. Allow your leaves to dry well.

Step 8: Once everything is sufficiently dry, arrange your varying leaves on another piece of cardstock in any design you wish. Then, use the mod podge to glue the leaves securely. Apply a very thin layer with a paintbrush or sponge. Also, be sure to coat the tops of your leaves with mod podge as well. It will enhance the colors and give them a bit of luster! Dry well.

All that’s left to do now is frame your masterpiece. Ours is hanging (on proud display) in our living room. My son likes to gaze at it every so often and comment on the fun we had making it. And that’s what crafts are all about. The happy memories!

Are you a crafter? How often do you incorporate crafts into your home?

Heidi St. John

Speaking the Truth in Love