Plant a Garden

Plant a garden with your children. They will learn about so many things from just this one project.

A few that come to mind are:

work ethic
patience
loss
the make up of soil
the process of growing life
about seeds
caring for something young
bugs
nutrition
harvest
eating fresh foods
eating real foods
eating vine ripened foods
accomplishment
weeds and how they try to choke out life
sunlight
natural pesticides
water
seasons
weather
varieties of vegetables
varieties of herbs
team work
physical labor
responsibility
God's provision
God's creativity
God's creation
God's wisdom
and more....

Teach your children to grow their own food and you may have given them the great gift of preventative medicine for their future.

Questions to Ask Your Kids (be prepared to listen)

• How are your devotions?
• What is God teaching you?
• In your own words, what is the gospel?
• Is there a specific sin you’re aware of that you need my help defeating?
• Are you more aware of my encouragement or my criticism?
• What’s daddy/mommy most passionate about?
• Do I act the same at church as I do when I’m at home?
• Are you aware of my love for you?
• Is there any way I’ve sinned against you that I’ve not repented of?
• Do you have any observations for me?
• How am I doing as a dad/mom?
• How have Sunday’s sermons impacted you?
• Does my relationship with mom make you excited to be married?
• (On top of these things, with older kids, always inquire about their relationship with their friends and making sure God and His gospel are the center of those relationships. And I look for every opportunity to praise their mother and increase their appreciation and love for her.)

What I've Learned About House Cleaning

Using the right tools make cleaning faster, easier, and more efficient.
It's worth investing in good cleaning tools.

Using the right cleaning products make cleaning faster, easier and more efficient. Don't skimp on good cleaning products.

When cleaning your own house, keep a full set of cleaning supplies in each bathroom so that you don't have to cart them around your house when cleaning.

When cleaning someone else's house, keep your supplies in an easy to carry cleaning tote.

For hardwood floors, use a microfiber mop made for hardwood floors. Keep 50% water and 50% vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the floor as you mop with a microfiber mop. For really dirty hardwood floors use Pinesol (now safe for hardwood floors) and a kitchen mop...just be sure to soak up as much water as possible.

For ring-around-the-toilet bowl use a pumice stone made for cleaning toilets.

A good vacuum is worth the investment!

Rags are essential. I used to only use a sponge but when I started cleaning houses for a living, I learned how fast rags make the work go. Just be sure to only use bathroom rags in the bathroom and kitchen rags in the kitchen. You can't have enough rags. I buy them in the automotive section of Walmart in a dozen pack.

An extendable duster works great for hard to reach cobwebs and ceiling fan dusting. Get one.

Furniture polish not only keeps your furniture in great condition but it also gives furniture a fresh look.

A good pair of running shoes is vital to cleaning house!

got laundry stains?

Once the washer machine is filled (don't be afraid to use hot water-unless it's blood stains then use cold), let it run for about 5 minutes to mix the soap in good. Then turn it off and let it sit and soak for at least an hour if not longer.

Using Oxiclean helps too. The Oxi spray and the Oxiclean powder both do an amazing job.

For extra tough stains try rubbing a Fels Naptha bar on the stain or soaking in vinegar. Soaking in vinegar also helps remove bad smells.

Hydrogen Peroxide takes out blood stains and other stains on white clothing.

Tea is for Talking

I purposed last year to start having afternoon tea with my daughter once a week. It forces me to put aside the chores that need to be done, the never ending demands of cooking and caring for the home, and just sit back and enjoy my daughter. I also wanted to have a time where we could connect and talk about important things, silly things, questions about life that she has, or things on her mind that are bothering her.... Sometimes we have deep discussions or I am able to impart wisdom to her. Other times I've been able to explain something about the world or subside her fears about something. Sometimes we just talk and enjoy each other's company and our mutual love for all things tea.

My hope is that this habit of having tea will be a constant in our relationship as she grows into a woman and life becomes busy for her as well. I want us to already be at ease with one another when the awkward teen years hit. I want her to always feel comfortable asking her questions or getting encouragement from me over a cup of decaf apricot (our mutual favorite). I pray that our tea times will last long into her adult years and if she has daughters, I hope they can benefit from our time as well or even join us. This is a tradition that I thought through and purposed in my heart to be a priority. It doesn't always happen because life and evil pull me away from being faithful to it.

Dearest Emilee, I hope I can keep our tea times constant through your growing years and that I will not fail you by letting them slack off. Keep asking me "mama, can we have tea?" When you ask me, it causes me to take a deep breath and stop. In my mind I'm thinking of all the things that need to get done today but I quickly remind myself that there are ALWAYS "things" to get done.....and they'll always be waiting for me....but you- you won't wait for me. You keep growing up and I have to be the mom I want to be NOW. Right now, I need to be the image of the mother I long to be in my heart....I have to choose to be her today. And so we stop, we sit, we sip, we talk. And OH how I cherish our talks. I love you little one.

the calling of "mother"

In every generation, mothers must answer the call to be what no one else can be, to do what no one else can do for their children. It isn’t that mothers can’t do many other things, but if they refuse to accept their calling as a mother, some child ends up shortchanged, and the empty space that mother leaves echoes for generations. Mothers are neither the cause of all of society’s ills, nor the saviors of the nation. But the future of society does depend in part on what we do with the children under our care. What calling could be more significant or more glorifying to God?

A Mother’s Heart by Jeanne Fleming

a vision statement for a mother

"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse into the future of that life as it reaches into eternity; could she look into it's soul to see it's possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for it's destiny,- she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no other hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." - JR Miller

Homemaking Internship

"But the truth is that homemaking involves so much more than just cleaning a house. The commands in Scripture to love, follow, and help a husband; to raise children for the glory of God; and to manage a home encompass a vast responsibility. Homemaking requires an extremely diverse array of skills—everything from management abilities, to knowledge of health and nutrition, to interior decorating capabilities, to childhood development expertise. If you are to become an effective homemaker, then you must study these subjects and many more.

Finally, back to you, daughters. Let me encourage each of you to embrace your mother’s domestic teaching. Allow her to probe your heart and direct your affections toward the home. And take it one step further. Appoint yourself as your mom’s homemaking assistant. In addition to your assigned chores, be on the lookout for practical ways you can shoulder more of her homemaking responsibilities. In so doing, you will not only receive vital training for your future mission, but you will honor God by expressing your femininity today. In conclusion, let me leave you with these words from John Angell James:

My young friends, let it be
your constant aim, and at
the same time your earnest
prayer, that you may first of all
thoroughly understand your
mission, and then diligently
prepare for it, and hereafter
as successfully fulfill it."

Carolyn Mahaney

Read the whole article here. I'm printing it for my daughter.

Home Remedies for the Natural Mother

I want to write down the home-remedies that we use in our family for my daughter to have on hand when she is grown. This is in no way a guide for others. I may not be held responsible for any course of action that you choose in regards to your own health or that of your family. I plan on adding to this list as we discover new things that work great for our family.

Castor Oil

• warts- dab oil on warts 3 times a day until wart falls off (or put drop of oil on bandaid to cover wart and change bandaid daily)

• sore muscles- massage into skin for muscle pain; from leg cramps in children to backaches in adults

• menstrual cramps- massage onto abdomen

• eczema- put castor oil on eczema daily until it goes away

Onion

• sore throat- cut onion in half and rub the cut side on throat several times a day until pain is gone. It usually will improve within a few minutes.
  

• virus- chop onions into chunks and place in bowls around the house to kill virus and help prevent the others in the household from getting sick. Place bowls on nightstands of the ill to help with respiratory congestion when sick and to kill virus.

• shingles- rub cut side of onion (squeezing juice out) directly onto shingles to help relieve pain and kill virus

Magnesium

• constipation- take 2-6 magnesium in the evening before bed until you find the right amount to keep you regulated. Magnesium taken at the right dose for your body should produce a movement by morning without stomach cramping or other over-the-counter side effects. Healthy digestion is key to good health (it's the core of our body which fuels every other part of our body) so be sure to watch for Dr. Oz's 3 "S"s (smooth, silent, and "s" shaped).

• detox- magnesium helps pull the bad out of our bodies so be sure to get magnesium when sick.

Ginger Root

• upset stomach- 1-2 pills taken for an upset stomach having to do with digestion, indigestion, heartburn, etc.

Ginger Powder

• detox and sickness- 3/4 cups in bath water. After bath rinse in the shower thoroughly.

Marshmallow Root

• reflex/heartburn/stomach ache- dissolve 2-4 capsules into a cup of hot water (making it into a tea) and sip till symptoms subside.

L-Lysine

• cold/flu- take 8-10 capsules a day with the onset of cold/flu symptoms until well.

• achy muscles- take 4-6 capsules for an achy muscles where it seems a virus is settling.

• cold sores- take 8-10 capsules the first few days you think you are getting one until it goes away.

6-X

• cold/flu- taken as drops in water as prescribed to shorten the length of illness

Silver Shield

• stomach flu- take 1 tsp for stomach flu symptoms. Repeat 3-4 times daily until symptoms subside. Follow-up with bifidophilus or acidophilus.

Valerian Root

• muscle tension- take 2-3 capsules before bed to help with muscle relaxation. (Valerian Root is a nervous system relaxant not a muscle relaxant but it has the effect of a muscle relaxant.)

• anxiety- take 2-3 capsules before bed for anxiety/sleeplessness.

• insomnia- take 2-3 capsules 1/2 hour before bed.

Calcium

• insomnia- take 1 tsp powdered calcium gluconate or coral calcium powder dissolved in a little water with some juice added to it before bed.

• stress- take 1-2 tsp powdered calcium 1-2 times a day for stress.

• canker sores- take a pinch of calcium powder and rub it directly onto the canker sore several times a day until gone. It relieves the pain and heals the canker sore quickly.

Tea Tree Oil

• foot fungus- rub onto feet 2 times a day.

Taken daily for good health-

• 1 tsp calcium powder- balances ph, helps with stress and good sleep, helps kids not be hyper

• magnesium- taken daily for regularity and detox

say "thank you"

When I was a child my mother taught me to say "thank you" 3 times for every gift I received from someone. Most children painfully had to offer up one "thank you" for a gift outside their family but my siblings and I had to find THREE opportunities to say it. You can be sure that my mother watched us and counted waiting to hear our 3 "thank you's". Mom said that this insured that the giver heard us say "thank you" and insured that they knew we were grateful. Not that I was to say "thank you, thank you, thank you" all in one sentence....but rather something like this:

1. "thank you" when given the gift or opening the gift
2. "thank you again for the gift" when we part from our visiting to say goodbye
3. send a thank you card in the mail

That was three times. Depending on the gift it was more appropriate to say "thank you" 3 times before parting instead of sending the "thank you" card. But thank you cards were always encouraged as well. I was always taught to send a "thank you" card and in a timely manner. I've not always been good about sending them in a timely manner but it's never too late to say "thank you".

It's especially important to send thank you cards for bridal shower gifts and wedding gifts. These are expensive gifts that guest often have taken quite a bit of time to pick out for you. Showing gratitude is the least you can do. It's very little trouble you have to go to to send a card considering the blessing you have received by the gifts.

In a world that is selfish and usually ungrateful, you can be a testimony of Christ by your thankfulness. Scripture tells us to have a thankful heart more than once in it's pages. Thankfulness will go against the general flow of society that thinks it deserves everything. Don't be the lazy bride or the selfish child. Be thankful and be sure the givers around you know you are thankful.

Shut the World Out

Sometimes as a mom, we have to shut the world out. Life can get hectic and stressful when there are too many people taking from us at once. It can be as complicated as over committing yourself to things and demanding relationships outside the walls of your home to as simple as the phone ringing too many times in one day. Moms know when those moments are because signs of stress start to overcome us. The baby is crying, the laundry needs to be switched to the dryer, your inbox is full of emails to reply to, the phone is ringing, you never ran the errand your husband asked you to do this morning, the toddler just spilled something, dinner is burning on the stove, and the doorbell just rang. I won't even describe the day where this all happens and you are supposed to be at the dentist in 15 min.

No matter how organized we try to be and no matter how well we master managing our time, Mama said there would be days like this. These are the days when shutting out the world to just focus on what goes on inside the walls of your home is necessary.

Let the phone ring
Ignore the email (in fact don't turn the computer on)
Close the front curtains so no one knows you are home
Reschedule appointments
Stay home (unless it's of course to run that errand for your adoring husband)

So many times I've wanted to run from the house screaming and pulling my hair out when what I really needed to do was stay in the house and shut the world out. It's a protective mode to protect the sanity of what is on the inside of our house...our family. It's like calling a huddle and getting the team to regroup. Sometimes this shut-out lasts just for the afternoon but other times it has lasted for days! Instead of freaking out, stressing out, having a break down, just shut out the world until order has been regained.

It's not always easy to shut out the world when we've over committed ourselves. That's when some serious pruning of our schedules may need to be done. I've had to prune and re-prune, and re-prune again when it comes to my always evolving schedule.

But remember that our first priority is our family; our husband, our children, our home. Everything else has to come after the first most precious things are cared for. Shut out the world if you have to. It's worth it from time to time.

I'm writing the future

what will my kids say about me? "growing up, my mom......." They'll be finishing that sentence in many ways. I hope that as I'm writing their history right now that the sentence will be finished with good things.

No mom is perfect and there will always be an element of what I call "mom guilt" no matter how hard I try to be a good mom. But I've learned that I need to always keep in the back of my mind the fact that what I say, how I act, the choices I make, and the responses I have to life are all being watched by little eyes and listened to by little ears. My children observe my frustration, my anger, my joy, my unfairness, my happiness, my smile, my tears, my unkind words, my temper, my love, my gossip, my attitudes, etc. With all of those things I'm writing their "childhood history". I write it with my tone of voice, I write it with my facial expressions, I write it with my disapproval, I write it with my relationship to my husband, I write it with my respect or disrespect, I write it with the attitude I choose to have each day as I face trials.

What will they say about me? "When I was growing up my mom.....was rushed all the time?" or "was always sitting at her computer" or "was rude to Daddy" or "was lazy" or "yelled at us" or "didn't spend enough time reading her Bible" or will they say things like "she always found the joy no matter what the circumstances" or "she was faithful to her God" or "she taught us to love Jesus more than life" or "she admired Daddy and never spoke poorly of him" or "she taught us to live Godly by example".......

Wouldn't those be wonderful things to have said about me one day. I have influence over what will be said about me in the future by how I live today! I can choose to be the calm mother with a smile, gentle guiding hand, peaceful voice, with love in her eyes for all around her or to be flustered, overwhelmed, with anger and tears often on my face.

Emilee, if you are a mother some day, I hope you will forgive me for my short comings and failures but mostly I pray that you will forgive yourself for your own short comings and failures and strive to always be growing as a Godly woman. Satan will always tempt us to despair as a mother and tell us of the guilt within (that "mom guilt" that says we are never good enough). Don't allow Satan to convince you that your progress is anything but glorious and honoring to God. I love you my sweet girl. Thank you for always forgiving me now and for being so precious and forbearing with me. You are an incredible 8 year old and I can't even imagine how blessed you will be as a Godly woman.

Be home

It took me a while to learn that when my children were little I needed to be home as much as possible. I liked being out and about most days as it was my nature and habit but I soon realized that little children (infants included) thrive on being home. They need routine and the security of home. Dragging my children out of the house every day from place to place only created chaos. Babies and children need the habit of good naps in the same place every day to establish healthy sleep habits. Taking them out of the house every day is over stimulating for their little bodies and minds. Once I learned that being home was best life became more peaceful and my children became much happier. I purposed to only leave the house twice a week if I had to which included my grocery shopping, errands, and play dates. Only 2 times during the work week was my rule. As a family, on the weekends there was already church on Sunday, errands to run as a family or other commitments to attend so we were out plenty as it was each week.

Being disciplined in this area (as much of an adjustment as it was for me to be home almost every day) came in handy when it was time to do potty training. I realized that I needed to be home as much as possible when we potty trained as well. It also became a beneficial discipline when I began homeschooling.

Being home more actually brought myself more freedom. At first it felt restricting because I was not a homebody and I thrived on social contact. But over time I adjusted and benefited from the peace that being home brought. Suddenly there were other benefits that I didn't realize. Like how much better in control of my house I was....the house stayed cleaner, I was more organized, meals were prepared on time more often, my husband came home to happy well rested children, a clean and welcoming home, a hot meal ready, and a happy wife who was also more rested and organized. I was free to enjoy doing what I was called to do....I was free to care for my children, free to keep my house clean, free to prepare healthy meals, free to play with and enjoy my children, free to rest, free to stay home and enjoy being a wife and mom. By allowing me to be a stay-at-home mom, my husband gave me the greatest gift which is to enjoy fulfilling my role as wife and mother in a Biblical fashion. Enjoying it to the fullest and disciplining myself in my role became my joy and peace.

Being home provides the opportunity to be organized and disciplined with caring for my home and my children. I still have the choice to be home and be lazy or be home and be disciplined. Being home merely provides the means.

Now, I am a homebody. I love being home and truly hate when I have to leave for the day to run errands or grocery shop. The best spent day for me is a day spent home soaking up my children's youth, preparing my home daily for my family and making a home that welcomes my husband back each day from the strains of life.

Home Management Folder

I love my home management binder. It's just a 3 ring binder with dividers and page covers. It's the brain of my home (since my brain is mostly gone). Anything and everything I could possibly need is in there. It keeps me on schedule, it keeps me organized, it keeps me in contact, which all keeps me happy.

What I use to make it:

1. a three ring binder
2. page dividers
3. page protectors (great for holding receipts, coupons, cards, and such.)
4. a three ring binder whole punch (unless you put all your pages in page protectors.)
   
5. post it notes (are a must for me so I keep a little stack in the front pocket
6. a pen (you'll use this often and not want to search for one.)

Here's what is currently in my home management folder divided by the bold categories:

Meal Planning-

• calendar month of meal plan
• printed recipes that I use almost every week (ie. bread, snacks, etc.)
• dinner ideas list
• lunch ideas list
• azure standard schedule
• azure standard order receipts
• recipes I want to try
• the basic recipes I use almost every week
  

Homeschool-

• school year calendar
• kid's Bible reading chart
• kid's individual weekly curriculum plan
• kid's course of study and scope
• kid's weekly lesson plans
• reading list for library books

Coupons-

• sorted in page protectors by expiration date

(coupons are for eating out mostly but also specialty items that we regularly buy, coupons the kids earn at our library reading program, gift cards, etc.)

Communication-

• important information I don't want to forget! Especially with coming up events
• next month's cards for birthdays and other events
• church directory, neighborhood directory, family directories
• list of new neighbor's names (so that I don't forget them!)
• medical results, doctor appointments, current research I'm doing of any sort
• a list of questions to as your kids to connect with them spiritually
• things I need to respond to or follow up on (ie. wedding invites, letters, orders, etc.)
  

Finances-

• monthly cash flow plan
• budget
• receipts to keep
• other financial notes (ie. goals, etc.)

At different times my folder has also included categories such as:

Home Decorating-

• I save paint chips
• magazine pages of things I like
• list of items to keep my eye out for at garage sales
• etc.

Christmas-

• Christmas gift ideas
• list of gifts bought previously
• menu plan
• Christmas card list and check list
• postage
• etc.

Cleaning-

• daily cleaning schedule
• weekly cleaning schedule
• monthly cleaning schedule

Marriage-

• date ideas
• baby sitter contact list
• spontaneous ways to show love ideas
• plans for anniversary
• plans for valentines
• gift ideas
• etc.

My current binder had a window pocket design on the front. So, I wrote Home Management on a piece of paper and slid it in the pocket. I found it at Walmart. Yes, it can get a little messy at times since life is busy but at least it's all there and I know where it is!

Advent

We've been using the advent as outlined in the book Disciplines of a Godly Family by Kent and Barbara Hughes for several years now. The advent in the book goes along with hanging ornaments on a Jesse Tree. The name “Jesse Tree” comes from Isaiah 11:1-2: A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” It's pretty in-depth so when the kids were younger and couldn't understand everything I paraphrased it a bit.

If you are interested in doing a Jesse Tree check out some of these other resources as well.
The Glorious Coming by Graham Family Ministries
Printable Color Your Own Pictures for a Jesse Tree
Purchase Handmade Jesse Tree Ornaments

There are several other Jesse Tree ornament Kits out there if you do an internet search. There isn't a "right" way to do a Jesse Tree. There are so many stories in the Bible that all point to the coming Savior. For a basic understanding of this concept, I would suggest reading The Jesus Storybook Bible with your children. This book teaches us how the Bible is one story about a Savior coming to rescue us and how most of the OT stories are symbolic of that coming Savior. Of course, I would recommend reading this book no matter what because it's funny and incredible and my kiddos love it!

I've since found more resources and I like this one for little children. I would copy and paste it here but it's copyrighted-instead you can go to the site and see it for yourself. You of course don't have to buy the sticker book but you can see the 25 daily verse readings which are very short for small children.

This one is a little more in-depth with longer readings and again you can go view it but I can't copy and paste it here because it's copyrighted as well. You can see the daily readings and use them with your own Jesse Tree or other way of doing Advent.

Advent starts on the 4th Sunday before Christmas which means that it's a different amount of days each year depending on what day Christmas falls on. You can either do the math and do the full amount of days or you can just start with December 1st and do 25 days. If the advent you've chosen has more days on it than you want to use, then choose which ones to skip.

Hope this tradition carries on in our family to every generation!