I want my house back (under control)!

With all the illness that has gone through our house in the last couple of months, CHAOS abound.  And if you know anything about Flylady, you know what I'm talking about!  It seems that people either really love or really hate the Flylady system.  I'm one of those seemingly rare "in-between" people.  There was a time when I stuck to the system faithfully and it really worked for me and my home.  I've gone between Flylady and other "systems" over the years, and it seems like Flylady is the one I keep going back to, especially when I feel like things are getting out of control.

This scene may not look that bad, but add little pockets like this all over the house and intensify some of them and well, you can probably imagine.  And please, DO use your imagination, because honestly, I don't think that would be as bad as posting the actual pictures.  ;)

Seriously, though, Flylady works for me, I think that's because I am a person who LOVES lists!  And, if you ask those who have to live with me, it seems that since I was diagnosed with MS, I NEED lists more than ever.  If I don't write it down, it's not happening/getting bought/getting done.  Detailed lists are my friends.  :)

So, for the month of May I will be going through the Beginner's Baby Steps over at Flylady.  If you would like to join me, please leave a comment and let me know.  Tomorrow I'm going to be power cleaning my sink.  :)

Finally Friday!

Weekend plans, anyone?  I think this is the first weekend this year that is both A) supposed to be nice (weather-wise, anyway), and B) is a weekend that my hubby has off at the same time.  :)

Number one priority for me is getting my 2 1/2-year-old boy potty trained.  We just started today, and so far, we've had 2 accidents and NOTHING in the potty so far.  This time, I'm not worried or stressed in any way like I was with the first two.  I'm just going to keep on with the training, and it will happen in God's good time.  :)

Another big happening this weekend is the spring cleaning of our shed.  Hubby and sons will be going through the shed, sorting, getting rid of things, and making room.  Then, we can finally put away the Christmas bins that are taking up precious space in my laundry room.  LOL!  Yes, I am very excited.  We had meant to do this for the last few weekends now, but the weather just did not want to cooperate.  Now the chilly, gloomy part of the week has come to a close and has made way for blue skies and sunshine!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Proverbs 31 Study...FINALLY!

My first order of business in getting back to regular blogging will be to pick up the Proverbs 31 Study and see it through to completion.  I had been attempted to just drop it and move on to other things, but the Lord has really been tugging at my heart...not only to look at this passage more closely, but to finish what I started.  :)

I also have decided to pick up on scripture memorization and memorize this passage.  I'm big on reading, but I've never really taken the time to memorize, except the occasional verse here and there.  I've really felt led lately to change that, so this past week, my memorization project has been Proverbs 31:10-31.  I can't even begin to tell you how rewarding it is to have God's Word written in your heart.  Not to mention, it can get pretty addicting, and you'll want to do more.  ;)  Trust me, this one is definitely a good addiction to have.

So on Monday, I will post the next installment of "On Being a Proverbs 31 Woman."  Since I am not starting this over from the beginning, and it's been so long since my last post, I will leave you with links to my other posts about it.


On Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 1
On Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 1a
On Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 2
On Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 3
On Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 4
Proverbs 31 Review 1

I also want to mention a point that I didn't really touch on in the beginning of this study.  I have seen at least a few women around the net practically killing themselves trying to achieve this ideal every day in their home and when they can't "get it all done," they either have breakdowns from stress, or they develop a martyr attitude toward the rest of their family.  Sound extreme?  I'm not sure how common it is, but I have read comments on other blogs that speak of it.

At first glance at the overall Proverbs 31 woman, many women (myself included!) are overwhelmed and give up before they even start because let's face it, the perfect Proverbs 31 woman seems equivalent to the ultimate Supermom!  Do not stress out if you're not doing everything the way this passage says you "should."  I daresay almost none of us are!  I believe we are to look at this passage as a vision of sorts, something definitely to strive for, but to also remember, we are not perfect and never will be this side of heaven.

Won't you join me in studying this wonderful passage of scripture?  If you have any suggestions, PLEASE let me know!

Almost there

Obviously, I've been away from the blogging world for awhile.  For Lent this year, I decided to give up being on the internet when my 2 youngest sons were awake.  :)  So the only time I've been on lately is nap and bed times.  That time has been mostly given to Facebook, posting an occasional update and keeping up with family and friends.

It's been nice, and I know I'll probably keep a good habit of not being online as much as I used to, I gotta say, it will be nice to be back to a not-so-restrictive schedule.  I have found during this time, that I REALLY like using the boys' nap time to either take a nap myself or to curl up with a book and just read...no internet and no TV.  And of course, by bed time, who cares what we had for dinner?  ;)  That's one of my favorite things to post on Facebook, as it somewhat keeps me on my toes in making sure I'm not slacking on menu planning.

So, there's only a couple of days left of my self-imposed internet restriction, so today for nap time as well as a bit last night at bed time, I've been preparing my Twitter account.  I've had an account there for awhile, but it's been dormant for some time, so I decided to spruce it up a bit and start using it.  :)  I've also connected it to my Facebook and connected both to my blog feed, so this blog post is also sort of a test to make sure it works.

Plans for my blog?  Yes, I know I keep saying I want to write more regularly, but what I'm thinking I'll do is write some posts ahead of time and schedule them to come out on certain days.  That way, when I know I'm going to have a chunk of time, I can dedicate it to writing and stop flying by the seat of my pants so much.  ;)  I also have plans to get my food blog back out of dormancy as well.

Renewed Goals: Wifely Habits

Yes, I realize it has taken me forever to get to this post.  I had a post all written up, but I was suffering from writer's block and it seemed so vague and ramble-y (if that wasn't already a word, it is now!).  So, I decided to think and pray on it a bit more and start fresh when I've been away from it for a few days.

Hmmm...wifely habits.  I'm not sure why I have such a hard time writing about this subject.  I can spend all day talking about it with a woman who is honestly seeking out my advice on the topic.  But when it comes to writing about it without any prompts, I'm never sure which direction to take.  Maybe it's because even though the Lord has given me a passion for biblical marriage, I just don't feel worthy to be actually instructing on it, you know?  While the Lord has shown me many things and has done many miracles over the last few years, I am certainly no expert.  But then again, that could be a good thing.  :)  Not to mention, the purpose of this post is not necessarily instruct, per se. But rather, to think "out loud" about goals for my part in how I want to improve my behavior in my marriage this year.  And hopefully, they will inspire anyone reading this to do the same.

While I have come a long way since the day I got married (believe me, I was a young and immature bride!), there is still so much for me to learn and so much more room for improvement!  I kept writing, deleting, and re-writing different goals I had wanted to focus on, but as I think and pray on this, I simply come to the model of the Proverbs 31 woman.  I certainly won't bore you with starting the study over from the beginning, but my goal this year is to shore up those character traits that I've already covered here on this blog, and then continue with the study to the finish.  I know I can never perfectly BE the Proverbs 31 wife.  But, I want to memorize that section, have it written on my heart and meditate on it, and use it as a springboard for my goals.

¹⁰Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

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

 ¹²She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

 ¹³She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

 ¹⁴She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

 ¹⁵She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

 ¹⁶She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

 ¹⁷She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

 ¹⁸She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

 ¹⁹She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

 ²⁰She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

 ²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

 ²²She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

 ²³Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

 ²⁴She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

 ²⁵Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

 ²⁶She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

 ²⁷She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

 ²⁸Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

 ²⁹Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

 ³⁰Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

 ³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.  ~Proverbs 31:10-31

I can sit here and write goals all day, but in the end, I know that God knows best, and it's in His word that I find exactly what I need.

Product Review: Oster 6-Slice Brushed Stainless Steel Toaster/Convection Oven

This was my birthday gift last week, and I have to say, I LOVE it!  I had been hinting to my hubby that I wanted one now that we're trying to go completely gluten-free, as our regular toaster was 10 years old and seriously contaminated with gluten.  :)  So, if I had to get a new toaster, I wanted something that would serve multiple purposes, and this toaster oven does it!

I use this toaster oven practically daily.  It comes with 5 functions:  toast (of course!), bake, convection bake, broil, and warm.  In addition, it has a temperature knob that goes up to 450 degrees, and a timer knob that goes up to 60 minutes.  It also comes with an adjustable wire rack, a broiler/roaster pan with rack, and a pull-out bottom in the front for easy cleaning.

Just yesterday, I used it to make toast as a base for make-it-yourself individual pizzas for my family.  The toast function does take a little longer than a regular toaster, but I think it's definitely worth it, as you have more control as to how it turns out.  We pulled the toast out, added sauce, toppings, and cheese and put them back in under the broiler for a few minutes.  They came out perfect!  This was a huge hit and very fun for my little ones.

Other things I have made so far with this is baked chicken breasts, candied sweet potatoes (both with the convection mode), and cornbread (with the traditional bake mode).  All turned out perfect, and the chicken came out really moist.  The convection method didn't really save a whole lot of time, but it DID cut the time down some, and I imagine it would cut the time down significantly if you baked something like a whole chicken, which traditionally takes longer.

I love that I can fit a normal sized casserole dish in this oven, which not only frees up space in my regular oven if I need it, but also saves energy from having to turn on the big oven if I'm just baking one thing (like a few baked potatoes for lunch, or banana bread or a cake for dessert).

The only drawback I have observed so far is that it does get hot, especially on the top.  I learned this the hard way when I was making toast right on the rack for the pizzas, then grabbed the pan which I set on top of the oven to put the pizzas on.  It wasn't by any means scalding hot, but it did take me by surprise.  So, you definitely need to keep things off the top of it and give it a little clearance on the sides when it's in use.  And of course, keep little hands away!

All in all, I would enthusiastically recommend this oven to any of my family and friends who are in the market for either a toaster OR a convection oven.  In case I forgot to mention, I LOVE this appliance!  :)

Renewed Goals: Godly and Bible Habits

This first goal really needs to be dealt with by getting my heart, mind, and body aligned to the right priorities.  The very first thing I need to do each day to make sure things go right (and to make sure I'm truly ready when things go wrong), is to make sure that line of communication is open between me and God.  Of course, on His end, He is ALWAYS ready, but there are days when *I* forget to turn to Him, especially before I react.  And, those are the days when I didn't get up early or just plain "didn't have time" to just start out spending time alone with Him...talking with Him...and most important of all, LISTENING to Him.  And my excuse for those days?  I couldn't concentrate because the kids were distracting me.

But, let's get to the real heart of the issue here.  WHY were the kids distracting me?  Because that's what kids do, especially when they first get up in the morning and there is so much activity.  Did I know about this?  Yes.  Do I do anything about it?  I try, and I've had some good stretches in the past.  But, let's face it.  With all the sickness we've had in our household over the last couple of months, and then all the holiday chaos taking over after that (complete with some time off from homeschooling), trying to sleep in has become the norm lately.  And it has been showing, not only in where my heart is a lot of the time, but also in the behavior of my kids.  So, it's time to re-purpose to work on my morning wake-up time.

Now, in a way, this is going to go against my wanting to NOT go into things full-hilt.  But, there are just some things that are not an option.  I always say I'm "working on it," which leaves room for the option of just plain not doing it because I don't feel like it.  So, this is one of those things that I need not say "I will work on it," but rather, "I'm going to DO it."  From past experience, I know getting up in the morning with sufficient time before the kids get up is not something that I can "work towards."  Don't get me wrong, there ARE times where I need this option...this just isn't one of those times.

So, 6:00 AM.  That's it!  It's not a "goal," where I'm going to set my alarm clock 15 minutes earlier until I reach it, that's just when I am going to get up from now on.  Some people need to work toward it gradually, but I have learned that I can't do that because I will never get there!  ;)  Now, once I'm at it for awhile, I can always change it to an earlier time if I feel like I need to (for instance, if I'm barely making noise but the kids are still getting up 10 minutes after me...ask me how I got that idea...wait, don't).  And, of course, I WILL be going from a very simple morning routine at the start to adding things as I get used to it.  But, 6:00 is my desired wake up time, so that's when I'm going to wake up at the get-go.  No, I will NOT like it at first, and it WILL be tough, but as long as I'm sticking to it, my bed time will automatically adjust and before I know it, it will become second nature.  :)

Okay, ALL that build up, and then, here comes my teeny, tiny morning routine to start out with:
Wake up
Get dressed (because I know from experience, reading in bed usually ends with me waking up later using the book as a pillow LOL!)
Daily bible reading for about 30-60 minutes
Get the kids up and started on their chores
Breakfast

Tomorrow is not going to be pretty, but hopefully by the end of the week, I'll be used to it and ready to tackle the next things.  :)

No Resolutions Here, Just Renewed Goals

While I have come to view New Year's Resolutions with slight distain, I can't help but think about changes that need to be made and a renewed sense of purpose as the year comes to a close and a new year approaches.  In my head, resolutions are easily broken, too "set in stone."  It's either do it or don't, with no gray area in between.  However, I do recognize changes that need to be made, especially since the chaos of the holiday season usually throws many good habits to the wayside in our home.

When I set a goal or purpose to do something, I tend to pursue it full hilt, until I crash and burn.  With the list of changes I want to make floating around in my head, it seems as if that may be the case again, so I want to make sure and do this right.  No pressure.  :)

One of my goals for the upcoming year (although certainly not the first priority!) is to blog more regularly.  So with that, I intend to blog each of my goals in detail over the coming weeks.  Not only will that give me writing material, it will also help me really work out these goals in my mind, solidifying a good plan to actually carry them out and see them through to accomplishment.

So, for this, my first post in this "series," I really want to get a general idea of what I (and my family) want to accomplish this year.  Most of my goals have to do with habits.

1.  Godly/Bible habits
2.  Wifely habits
3.  Mommy habits/schooling habits
4.  Eating habits
5.  Exercise habits/health goals
6.  Internet habits
7.  TV habits
8.  Clutter-collecting habits
9.  Cleaning/homekeeping habits
10. Having fun habits :)

So, right there, it looks like I have ten posts coming up.  ;)  But, as someone who really doesn't like most things being absolutely resolute, they will be written as I have time.  And who knows, I may decide to do a few sub-posts on one habit, while skimming over another.  LOL!  But, it will be mine, and it will come from my heart, with guidance from the Lord.

Today, I have my son's birthday party to get ready for tomorrow (which is also my birthday, although his was earlier this week).  So, I will be busy with preparations for that as I hope for the family to be able to relax later.  :)  So, I wish you all a wonderful and blessed New Year's!

Restructuring the family routine, and a few new rules

It all started with sewing patches.  My oldest son is in his first year of the Boy Scouts, so I found myself sewing a lot of patches onto his new shirt a few days ago.  I'm a pretty amateur sewer on the machine, but especially with hand stitching.  I definitely improved my skills and patience, though!  :)  Hubby and I were talking about improving my sewing capabilities, and he said he was thinking of getting me a new sewing machine.  The machine I have now was his grandmother's, who passed away before he and I met.  She got it in the 60's, I believe.  When I first got it, I couldn't get it to sew without breaking thread, so he took it in for a tune-up, after which it worked pretty well.  That was about 3 years ago.  Shortly after we moved into this house, not quite 2 years ago, it started acting up again and I haven't been able to use it.  I've been wanting to get it in for another tune-up, but hubby said with what it costs for a tune-up every year or two, we'd be better off getting a new one.

That long story to say, I knew the first thing I wanted to make once I get my new machine and get a little more proficient at sewing:  a cover for the TV.  We have a LCD mounted on our living room wall, and I'm thinking something with elastic around the edge, kind of like those plastic wrap bowl covers that you just slip over the top.  But bigger and made of fabric.  And for the TV.  :)  We had gotten in the habit of having the TV on A LOT lately...even if we weren't watching, it was background.  The day after my TV cover idea, hubby came to me and said he wants the TV off from now on.  The only time we will have it on is as a treat or for special occasions, like football.  ;)  Hubby and I do have kind of a nightly "date" thing going where we watch an episode or two of CSI: NY on the blue-ray player before we go to bed, but it's always after the kids are all in bed and sleeping.  Yesterday was our first full day with no TV, and it didn't go quite as bad as I thought.  In fact, I swear the kids were in a better mood.  We're doing more fun things now, like playing board games or Go Fish, or reading together.  And doing more not-so-fun things, but things that really need to get done, like getting the house clean and organized, and thinking about getting ready for the upcoming holidays (okay, that last part is fun, at least for me!).

Another bad habit we had gotten ourselves into (and I think this one just naturally goes with having the TV on all the time) is not eating at the dinner table.  So, we re-instituted that rule yesterday as well.  And it has been nothing but wonderful.  :)  I really thought there would be protesting about this one, but the kids were actually excited.  And we're not just doing dinner, or just when Daddy's home.  EVERY meal is eaten together at the table.  I can't even describe to you what a wonderful time of fellowship and bonding this has been for us as a family already.  Not to mention, eating meals at the table forces me to make sure that I have meals planned out.  Yikes, I have let myself slip into these bad habits around the house lately, and meal planning (or lack thereof) has probably been the most disastrous.  It becomes too much of a free-for-all and it's too costly!

It's only been a day, but I am absolutely loving the changes that are already taking place because of these new "rules."  I'm already thinking about other things I can do to minister to my family and make this a more joyful household.  The next thing to work on is definitely my computer time.  I'm not constantly on the computer, but it's always ON (with the internet always up), and so easy to slip on for "just a few minutes."  It doesn't help that the chair at the computer desk has sort of become "my chair," either.  Even if I'm not on the computer, it's where I gravitate to when we're relaxing, or when I'm knitting, or reading, etc.  So, of course, that makes it even easier to slip on and see what's going on around the internet world.  So, I'm trying to change that.  I'm not there yet, but my goal is to have the computer logged off the internet and on sleep mode unless it's nap time or the kids are sleeping for the night.  Or, unless I need a recipe or something else pertinent that I need to look up while we're homeschooling.  The good thing is, is that when I AM on the computer, my time will be more focused and purposeful (such as planned blog posts, as I've been wanting to do!), as opposed to the "mindless wandering" I sometimes do.

I'm really excited about these changes, and, as always, I can't wait to see the plans that the Lord has for my family!

Frugal Friday: Books Revisited

I am a lover of books.  Anyone who knows me well knows this.  In my precious free-time, I can usually be found with my nose in a book...sometimes I can be found with my nose in a book when I technically shouldn't be having free time, but that's another story.  :)  Lately, I've been noticing that I've passed on my love of books to my kids, and I love that!  While I have been making frequent use of our local library--especially now that school is in full swing with my older two sons--I've been working on building our own library here at home, full of living books and classical literature.  And all at practically no cost to me.

How do I do this, you ask?  There are a couple of ways.  First, I registered for free at Paperback Swap (if you sign up, please use living4him2007 as your referrer!).  Upon signing up and posting 10 books, you get 2 free credits.  Each credit is good toward any book, or audio books cost 2 credits.  Then, when someone orders one of your books, you pay postage to send it to them.  When they receive the book, you get a credit.  Obviously when you order a book, the sender will pay the postage and you get it for free.  I have gotten quite a few books this way, and they come in very good condition.  I'm always on the lookout for free books or really cheaply priced books at garage sales, just so I can post them on Paperback Swap and keep my list fresh and keep my credits coming in.

Another way I get free books only costs me in time, and little at that.  I am registered at Swagbucks, and that is also a free registration.  Now, having been a member of quite a few "points" programs online, I have gotten very wary of these types of programs.  But, Swagbucks is completely legit!  All you do is use their search (as opposed to Google or yahoo).  Each search you do has a potential for getting Swagbucks.  That doesn't mean you will get Swagbucks every time you search--you won't!  But, if you like researching things like me, you can earn quite a few Swagbucks in a day.  Each search gives you the potential to earn up to 50 Swagbucks (realistically from my own experience, when you do get Swagbucks, it will be anywhere from 6-10 at a time), and Fridays are mega Swagbuck days, so then, the max you can earn per search goes up to 1000!  I haven't gotten that one yet, but I try!  :)  Plus, when you refer your friends to use Swagbucks, they will match what ever Swagbucks THEY get to YOUR account for their first 48 hours of being registered.  Take a look through the Swag Store and see what kind of things you can buy with your Swagbucks.  I always go for the $5 Amazon gift cards, which cost 450 Swagbucks each.  I have redeemed 6 of those in the past 3 months, and have been chipping away at my extensive Amazon wishlist with them.  I have my Swagbucks almost down to a science now...I just got a book in the mail that I ordered with a $5 gift card I earned, while I'm waiting for the last gift card I snagged to be credited to my account (it usually takes 5-7 days), AND I'm almost ready to snag another.

With just these two programs alone, I have a pretty steady stream of free books coming in the mail.  And, the kids love it, because most of the books are for them.  :)

One more way that I could earn more Amazon gift cards is through my Amazon Associates program.  There are 3 ways to get your commission: by check in the mail, by direct deposit, or by Amazon gift cards.  Right now, I have it set to gift cards, just because I don't want to wait to get $100 and pay the processing fee required for a check, and I haven't set up direct deposit yet, but I will eventually.

So there you have it.  If you love books and would love to build up a collection, but don't have the money, there are ways to do it very cheaply or even free.  It takes a little more time and patience, but--at least to me, anyway--it's worth it!