Monday Motivation #8

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:  No Bible/Prayer time = No computer time. 

What's one of the first things you do in the morning?  Is it check your email/blog/Facebook?  If so, I'm challenging you to put priorities back in order and begin your day with God.  Before checking email and the like, spend some alone time with God praying and reading your Bible.

 It is pretty easy to get pulled into the computer first thing in the morning or to just take off on a busy day.  As wives and mothers we can go right from one thing to the next all day without taking the time to be still and give our attention to the Lord's voice.  I don't know about you but I definitely don't want to neglect that important time with my Heavenly Father!  I'm putting a challenge in place.  If I haven't had time for my prayer and bible reading then I'm not getting on the computer. 

I cannot remember where I read it, or who said it, but I heard this quote once, "Bible reading is sort of like eating peanuts, the more you eat the more you want".  I agree!  The more I read my bible, the more I want to read it.  And that goes for prayer too.  The more I pray, the more I want to pray.  My days are so much better when I begin them with the Lord.  No day is perfectly perfect.  I don't claim if you read your bible and pray at the start of the day, the rest of the day will go just as you want it to.  No, there isn't a magic formula for perfect days.  BUT, there is tremendous blessing in starting the day with God.  He is peace, comfort and guidance.  He is Healer, Counselor, Father.  There is NO BETTER way to start the day and there is NO BETTER way for a wife/mommy to spend her time.  We are all using our computers more and more, and not just computers but i-pods and i-pads and cell phones.  We must be careful not to get pulled into this electronic era to the point that these things (Internet, blogging, Facebook) become idols.  Make yourself a rule, as I am, no bible and prayer time = no computer time.

Let me know how this is going and if this is a real challenge for you.  Feel free to comment here or email.

Be blessed this week!

THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH AND MY SHIELD; MY HEART TRUSTED IN HIM, AND I AM HELPED; THEREFORE MY HEART GREATLY REJOICES, AND WITH MY SONG I WILL PRAISE HIM. 
PSALM 28:7

Baked Cinnamon Apples

Yesterday my little kindergarten gal and I read this library book

APPLES by Elaine Landau

and we decided to try this little recipe from the back of the book

and here's what we did.......

We washed our hands

and gathered some apples

then we cored the apples

and stuffed them with butter and brown sugar

and covered them in cinnamon

and then we put them in the oven to bake.

Our kitchen smelled heavenly!  And when they came out of the oven

we shared with the boys, and we all decided it was the yummiest treat we had tasted in a long time.

SO GOOD!

  BAKED CINNAMON APPLES

• 4 baking apples
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• tsp cinnamon

Core the apples.  Place apples upright in a baking dish and put 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tsp butter in the center of each apple.  Sprinkle the top with cinnamon.  *recipe says to microwave for 6-8 minutes but we put ours in the oven (preheated, 350 degrees) for 45 minutes.  Very, very yummy!!

Monday Motivation #7

What's this?  A Monday Motivation on Wednesday?  Yes, my dear readers...it has happened.  I have not been able to post since Monday.  The why?  Well, it's complicated and more than this little blog can handle.  Part busyness, part blow to the gut...(not mine but my hubby's, and I've decided for sure this time that I prefer blows to my own gut.  Watching someone you love struggle is far more painful).  God's grace is always sufficient, even in the messiness of this journey and I am THANKFUL to Him today for grace.  Grace, Grace, Marvelous Grace!

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:  TAME THE LAUNDRY MONSTER

This week I want to focus on getting the laundry under control and keeping it under control.  As you know, if you have been reading along, these challenges are born out of my struggles.  And if you were keeping up Monday you saw that laundry-ness is not always my strong point!  I try.  I really do.  I do laundry every single day and I do it all day long.  I start the first load in the morning before I go downstairs (our laundry room is upstairs with the bedrooms) and I am usually unloading my last load from the dryer before I go to bed.  My children regularly switch the loads throughout the day also.  Even still, the hamper overflows, the floor of the laundry room is covered, and baskets of clean clothes line up in my bedroom floor like a choo-choo train.  Part of the reason for my laundry quandary may be the list of characters I have here.  First, I have a hard working husband who wears dress clothes to work and casual clothes when he gets home and is responsible for at least a couple of outfits per day.  Then I have 3 sweaty teenage soccer players including one who doubles as a referee and they dirty enough stuff to keep the washer and dryer humming "son" up til "son" down.  Throw in a couple more children, and myself, plus a little baby, and you've got more than a bit o' laundry.  Babies happen to be little laundry monsters themselves with the throw-ups and blow-outs and leaking and such. 

Here's what I've got planned to get things back under control and maybe these things can help bring peace, order, and cleanliness to your laundry room. 

1.  I am designating one day a week to be laundry day.  (No, I can't just do laundry once a week but I am going to have one day that is for focusing on laundry and the other days will be used to maintain.)

2. I am going to use my friend, the timer, to keep me on track.  When a load goes into the washer I will set my timer to remind me to send a kiddo to put the clothes into the dryer when the washer stops.  I will also use the timer to push myself to get the laundry folded and put away (more on that later).

3.  On designated laundry day, each time I start a new load I will work on cleaning an area of the laundry room.  For example, wiping down the washer and dryer, sweeping the floor, putting away any clutter that has collected on top of the washer and dryer, etc.

4.  As I fold each basket of clothes I will weed out clothing that needs mending, or clothes that are out-grown, out of season, severely stained, or beyond repair, and put them in their proper place.  I'm starting a basket for clothes that need mending, already I have an item in need of a button and another with a broken zipper.  Out-grown clothes are packed away in boxes to save for younger siblings, and if something is severely stained or beyond repair it goes in the trash.  No more taking up precious space with things we can't use!

5.  Have you ever timed yourself when folding a basket of clothes?  It actually only takes minutes!  I'm going to race my timer and try to fold and put away laundry as quickly as possible so the baskets of clean clothes are not lining up in my bedroom.  I will set the timer for 15 minutes and race against it trying to finish before it goes off.  If I fold the laundry and put it away as soon as it comes out of the dryer we will not have the choo-choo train to deal with.

6.  I'm going to learn to love my laundry!  Weird?  Maybe, but that's what I am going to do.  I am THANKFUL for the husband God gave me, THANKFUL for the half dozen babies God has blessed me with, THANKFUL that I am home to tend to these things, THANKFUL that I am healthy and able bodied and can run up and down the steps and into each room and bend and stretch without any trouble and I am THANKFUL for my machines and detergent and easy to care for clothes.  Years ago women didn't have it so easy!

I hope some of my ideas for getting my laundry and laundry room under control will be of help to you.  This time of year I find it is really important to stay on top of the laundry.  With the holidays coming I like to keep the house clean and be able to decorate and cook and bake and do projects with the children.  All of these things are easier when the laundry is being kept under control.  Plus, fresh clean laundry is another way to bless our hubbies and kiddos and that is for sure something we all want to do!

I found this picture inspiring.  I mean, we can dream can't we???

The Family's Dirty Laundry

I vowed not to air our family's dirty laundry when I started this blog.  Wanting to keep true to the name I assigned my blog I decided to keep all topics "cozy".   I thought I cared too much for my husband, children and various other relatives to air our dirty laundry for the world to read about.

Well, no.  All has changed.  Today I have decided it is time to air the family's dirty laundry.  To let my readers know exactly how it is.....

THIS is what I woke up to today.  Getting up at 5:55 a.m. was hard enough, especially since I went to bed at 1:30 a.m., but then stumbling upon this...well it's just too much.  Today in and around and through our school time I will be working at taming this monster.  I have begun to climb Mount Washmore and I won't stop until I reach my goal...a clean laundry room with clean underwear for all!

Oh, and, the Monday Motivation post will be up shortly.  Can you guess what we might be getting motivated about??  Stay tuned! 

Spinach Squares

Even though we have a house full of children this is honestly a family favorite around here.  I've been making it for over 17 years and I still get requests for it all the time. 

Here's a good sign for a recipe at our house.  The card is a mess!

SPINACH SQUARES

4 Tbsp. butter
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 lb cheddar cheese (grated)
2 pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 Tbsp onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put butter in 9x13 and melt in oven.  Remove.

In large bowl, beat eggs well.

Add flour, milk, salt, and baking powder.  Mix.

Add cheese, spinach and onion.  Mix.  (Notice here I have chunks of cheese.  My cheese grater broke recently and I haven't replaced it.  The recipe turned out just fine with cheese chunks if you want to do it that way.)

I add extra onion because our family LOVES onions.

Spoon into pan, level off and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.  Remove.  Cool.

  Cut into squares.  (Ours are more like large rectangles.  Keeps you from having to get seconds so soon!)

Freezes well.  If frozen, defrost and reheat at 325 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes. 

Super delicious!

Monday Motivation #6

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:  Start getting ready for Thanksgiving.

Yes, you read that correctly.  This week we are going to start getting ready for the holidays and since Thanksgiving is up first, we will start there.

This week decide where you will be spending Thanksgiving.  Are you traveling?  If so, work on making a list of what you will need to pack.  Decide when you will be leaving and returning home.  Determine who will care for your pets and if necessary book airline tickets or schedule vehicle maintenance.  Are you staying home?  Are you having company?  This week start working on your menu plan and from that develop your shopping list.  As you do your normal grocery shopping pick up a few things that are on your Thanksgiving list.  Make a list of things you need for your home also.  Do you need a new tablecloth?  Or if you are having company from out of town, do you need to purchase an air-mattress or a new set of sheets?  Having a list and picking these things up little by little, instead of buying it all at once, will be easier on your wallet.

Challenge yourself to do as many of these things (as they apply to you) this week as you can.

For travelers:

• Decide (with hubby) where you will spend Thanksgiving
• Plan for pet sitter or boarding
• Book airline tickets
• Schedule oil change and other maintenance for vehicle
• Make a list of things to pack for each member of the family
• Consider how you may contribute to the meal
• Buy hostess gift

A neat hostess gift...fill a basket with treats and such that the hostess would most likely never buy for herself.  Expensive chocolate, special nuts, flavored coffee. Add a candle, or some potpourri, or even a cute Christmas ornament as most folks decorate their Christmas tree shortly after Thanksgiving.

For hostesses:

• Make a menu plan
• Develop a grocery list
• Take inventory of linen closet (towels?  bed sheets?  tablecloth?)
• Pick up a few things on your list when you do your regular grocery shopping
• Phone family/friends you want to invite
• Make a list of projects you want done around the house (painting, repairs)

It's never too soon to start getting ready for the holidays.  By inviting your guests and planning your menu this week you will have a good head start on Thanksgiving.

 Knowing what you are serving enables you to begin shopping for needed ingredients and I personally think it is so fun to go through the recipe cards and choose which things to make.  (I like to do this while sipping some warm apple cider.  It gets me in the mood!)
Instead of running around at the last minute looking for an air mattress, or trying to get an appointment with your mechanic, or going store to store in search of canned pumpkin,  you can rest easily because you took care of these things in advance.

October Decorating

Here is a peek at of some of the fall decorating we've been doing around our house.  I love to add special touches to our home with each new season.  My daughter loves doing this too.  This year she did more of the decorating than I did.  I plopped our box of goodies in the family room and let her put things wherever she wanted.  She completely enjoyed being in charge of this project.



Front porch

Near the front door

 During the month of October I use the jack o'lanterns and such, but when November gets here we change those out for turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indians.  We slip out the trick or treat items after Halloween and continue to use the leaves and plain pumpkins with our Thanksgiving decorations.

You don't have to spend a lot to decorate for fall, or for any season.  Think of things you already have and add something special.  This sits on my kitchen island.  The pumpkins were 2 for $1.00 and a bag of candy corn is around $2.00.  The only problem is part of this tends to disappear.

In the entry way, near the front door

Dining room

Dining room

Family room

Guest bathroom

 A favorite part of fall decorating for me is the use of candles.  I enjoy lighting a candle when I get up in the morning and letting it burn all day.  I love Hazelnut and Cinnamon and Pumpkin Spice candles.  A yummy smelling candle sets a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Guest bathroom

Kitchen
 (These roses came from some friends who joined us for dinner the other night.  I was elated when they showed up for dinner with these!  Our friends are an older couple with an AMAZING rose garden.  Wish I had that kind of green thumb.)

By the back door

Well, there you have it, a little tour of our fall decorating.  Not fancy, but fun.  It's fun to make the house cozy for fall, especially if you get the kids involved.

EIGHTEEN WAYS A WIFE MAY BE THE GLORY OF HER HUSBAND

From The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace

1.  Ask your husband, "What are your goals for the week?"
2.  Ask your husband, "How can I help you accomplish these goals?"
3.  Ask your husband,  "Is there anything that I can do differently that would make it easier for you?"
4.  Be organized with cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry and cooking.  As you fulfill you God-given responsibilities, you husband is then free to do his work.
5.  Save some of your energy every day for him.
6.  Put him first over the children, friends, ladies Bible studies, etc.
7.  Willingly and cheerfully rearrange your schedule for him when necessary.
8.  Talk about him in a positive light to others.  Do not slander him at all, even if what you are saying is true.
9.  Do whatever you can to make him look good, to accomplish his goals.  Some examples are offer to run errands for him, organize you day to be available to help him with his projects, pray for him and make good suggestions.  Give him the freedom not to use your suggestion, and do not be offended if he does not follow it.
10.  Consider his work as more important than you own.
11.  Think of specific ways that you can help him accomplish his goals.  Examples are get up early in the mornings to help him get off to work having had a good breakfast, take care in recording phone messages for him, anticipate any needs he may have in order to attain a specific goal, and keep careful records of money spent to keep up with the budget. 
12.  Consider the things you are involved in.  How do they glorify your husband?  Ask his guidance.
13.  Be warm and gracious to his family and friends.  Make your commitment to him obvious to them. 
14.  Do and say things that build him up instead of tear him down.
15.  Dress and apply your makeup in an attractive manner that is pleasant to your husband.
16.  When your husband sins, reprove him privately and gently, always giving him hope and pointing him to the Lord.
17.  Encourage him to use his spiritual gifts in ministry.
18.  Realize that just as God is glorified when man obeys Him, your husband is glorified when you obey your husband. 

Monday Motivation #5

I know...I'm really late getting this up today.  If I waited much longer it was going to be Tuesday Motivation and that doesn't sound nearly as clever and I sure don't have time to think of something smart to go with Tuesday.  I didn't even come up with the name "Monday Motivation".  A cute little (huge, actually) 14 year old boy who lives in my house came up with that.   Today has been a joyfully busy day and this is the first time I have had a chance to go near my laptop.  With it being Columbus Day I decided to add a little extra fun into our school time so we read 3 books about Christopher Columbus followed by coloring little Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria ships.  Needless to say our school day took extra time and we also had a delightful visit from a neighbor and...and...and, well suddenly it's evening.


I am so excited that we are on the 5th Monday of doing challenges and I'm thrilled with the feedback I'm getting from those of you following along.  Last WEEK I scheduled a plethora of appointments.   I will be running around a lot for the next few weeks, but at least I will be doing so with kids who have clean teeth and they will even be able to see where we are going!

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:  Do something to encourage your husband every single day this week.

 Our husbands work hard and need to know they are appreciated.  They are gifts from God and it is our job to let them know how thankful we are God placed them in our lives.  Our husbands deserve to be the kings of their castles so let's work this week toward making them just that!

Here are a few ideas I came up while I was thinking about this week's challenge.

• Leave him a sweet note praising him as a father.  Think of specifics.
• Dress more femininely, lose the sweats. 
• Fix his favorite meal.  Consider adding candles to the table.
• Iron his work clothes. 
• Write him a long love letter.
• Make a list of all the things you love about him and tuck it somewhere for him to find.
• Give him a back rub.
• Listen to him.  My husband has been going through a very difficult time recently and he loves for me to listen.  I have to stop and choose to do this otherwise I stay busy with the house and children.
• SUBMIT.  Is there an area that you and your husband disagree on?  Something he has asked you to do?  Or not do?  Is it an issue with the family budget or the house?  Try submitting!  There is blessing in obedience to God and to our husbands.  I have found when I submit and stop fighting for the way I think is best there are tremendous blessings!......ask me sometime and I'll tell you my story.
• Pray for him.  Ask him what his needs, fears, and concerns are and commit to praying for him daily.  Thank God for him every chance you get!
• Do some of his chores for him so he doesn't have so much to do when he is off work.  My husband works a lot.  I try to do something for him that he needs to get done on his off day.  He is always so happy when I say, "Oh, I've already taken care of that".
• Put a note in his lunch if he packs.  This one is so easy and will certainly be appreciated.
• Make his favorite dessert.  Share it after the kids go to bed.
• Send him a card to his work.
• Throw his towel in the dryer while he showers and hand it to him warm and fresh.
• Plan a date night.
• Clean out his car.
• Straighten the house and freshen up right before he comes home from work.  One day right before going into Walmart I pulled out my mirror and applied some lipstick.  I always do.  My husband said to me, "Do you do that right before I come home from work?".  
• Show him respect.  Watch your tone and response and let him be the leader.
• Make his coffee and breakfast. 
• Tell him you are glad he is home when he comes in and wait until later to discuss anything negative.
• Do what he wants to do instead of doing your own thing.  If necessary turn off the TV or computer or get off the phone.  Tell your friends when your husband comes home from work you've got to hang up.

I know you will think of many more ways to encourage your husband and I would love if you would comment on them here. 

Have a great week loving your hubby!

TOO MANY PUMPKINS!

I just finished reading one of my FAVORITE books to the kiddos!

We love this book!!!

The illustrations make my mouth water and the story is just so sweet.

I love fall and I love reading to the children and this book is perfect for both.

Order yours HERE.

You are sure to love this book and it will become a family treasure.  As soon as you finish reading it you will want to make a pumpkin treat.  You can find my pumpkin cake recipe HERE.  It's easy and delicious! 

12 Lessons Worth Repeating

1.  Be honest.

2.  Set goals and work quietly and systematically toward them.

3.  Assign a task to yourself.

4.  Never give up.

5.  Be confident that you can make a difference.

6.  Don't ever stop learning and improving. 

7.  Slow down and live.

8.  Choose your friends carefully.

9.  Be a can-do and will-try person.

10.  Try to live in the present.

11.  You are in charge of your own attitude.

12.  Always remember that you are never alone.



MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN
CONDENSED FROM "THE MEASURE OF OUR SUCCESS"

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!

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Here's a code for you to save $10 off the purchase of the MyMemories suite scrapbook software AND you can use this code to get a $10 coupon for the MyMemories store.  Just enter this code at checkout:
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You will love all the fun you can have with your photos too! 

Monday Motivation #4

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:  Get caught up on scheduling appointments.

Do you need to schedule a mammogram or an appointment for a physical, or perhaps there is an appointment you need to schedule for one or more of your children?  Are you like me and you tend to procrastinate making these appointments?  I hope most of you are not like me in this.  I jot these things down on my to do list but put off making the necessary phone calls.  At our house right now there are 7 of us who need physicals and 7 of us who need dental appointments.  There are 5 of us who need an appointment with the eye doctor also.  I need to schedule a 6 month check-up for our littlest gal and make an appointment for an orthodontic consult.  So, for this week I am challenging myself to schedule ALL of the appointments everyone in our family needs.  I already have my annual check-up with the OB-GYN scheduled for November.  When was your last?  Do you need to schedule that?  Do it today!  This week we are working on getting these appointments on the calendar!  I hope you are motivated to pick up the phone right now!