A Jar Full of Memories

   One year ago I cleaned out an old pickle jar and set it on my kitchen windowsill.  And there it sat, just waiting to be filled.

Anytime we laughed until we cried, I wrote it down.  The silly things my kids said, I wrote it down.  Holidays and celebrations, birthdays and firsts, I wrote them all down and they went into that jar.

By Summertime the jar was starting to fill up, but we added pieces from our adventures: ticket stubs, wristbands, and event flyers.  A few hospital bracelets from some not so fun memories, and the pink ribbon that was tied in a bow around our surprise puppy's neck.

New babies were born into our family, and we had said a sad goodbye, and their names were all added to the jar.

There was an excitement growing as the jar was filling.  Our year was coming to an end, but it had been full.  On New Year's Eve, as we waited for the countdown to begin, we sat around our kitchen table, all of us a year older, a year fuller.  And we took that jar off the windowsill and the memories poured out.

As I read each card aloud, we laughed, we told stories, we remembered, we were thankful.  It felt very much like a goodbye to the past, but there was an excitement for what is to come.

Then I set that empty pickle jar back on the kitchen windowsill, and there it sits just waiting to be filled.

A Simple Christmas

It is 5:30 am and I am sitting here by the light of the Christmas tree enjoying the quiet stillness of a December morning.  The wind is howling outside, but my coffee is hot and my home is filled with gentleness and warmth.

The Christmas season can be so full of excitement and busyness, but I always find a magical peace sitting by the glow of Christmas lights.

I am 39 weeks pregnant.  As my children are counting down the days 'till Christmas, as we prepare our hearts through this Advent season, we are also waiting for our baby boy due on Christmas day.

This has, by far, been our simplest Christmas.  I've given up on my expectations and guilt.  I am only doing what I can do.  We've missed a few traditions, but maybe started some new.

We took off an extra week of schooling and I have used this time to read stories to my kids snuggled up together.  We've cut out paper snowflakes and made ornaments for the tree.  We are baking cookies just for us and watching Christmas movies.

I am just enjoying my children, soaking in their joy and anticipation.  I am learning to rest and quiet my heart.  I've let go of the stress and accepted that this Christmas will be what it will be.

And that, in itself, has been a gift.

The Laundry Room is My Prayer Closet

It is early. I am up before the sun but I've given up on sleep.  I slip into the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee.  The gentle clinking of my spoon swirled through the mug rings loudly in this quiet house.

I warm my hands around this mug as I walk to the laundry room.  Setting my coffee down on the dryer I get right to work.

I fold laundry when I'm stressed.  Or angry.  Or when my heart is heavy with the things that hurt.

This place is where I hide when I need to cry and vent and learn to breathe again.  The laundry room has become my prayer closet.

My hands are busy sorting and folding and my heart feels free to be real with God.  I have cried to Him so many times over the battles I'm fighting, the pain, the worries, the fear.

As I chip away at this mountain, the gentle humming of the dryer creates rings in my coffee like stones skipped across a pond.  It's a peaceful place for me.  A place where my dirty chaos is brought into beautiful order.  It's a place where I let God take the mess of my life and wash it all away, giving me a fresh start.

The hamper is empty (for the moment) and I've poured out all that needed to be said.  The sun is filling the sky and my children are filling the house with their noisy energy.  My heart is no longer carrying this heavy load but full of peace.

The Joy of Helping

A few weeks ago, while trying to get out of bed that morning, my husband told me I looked like a turtle stuck on its back.  I laughed because that is pretty accurate as to how I have been feeling these days.  When I posted it as my facebook status, I never expected that I would learn so much.

Most of the comments I received were funny, but one made me cry: 

"Oh, sweetie...if you look like a turtle than it's probably time to get into your shell and let others help you out.  May I please bring you a casserole and a salad one day next week?..."

At first I was so touched by her sweet offer, but then the panic set in.  I still had 6 weeks until my due date, I felt like I didn't need help, I didn't want to take advantage of her.  I tried to talk her out of it.  I asked her to wait until the baby was born, because somehow I felt then it would be more justified.

But she sweetly insisted and a few days later showed up at my door with a beautiful dinner that fed our family of 8 for two nights (and a lunch!)

She had such joy on her face when she hugged me tight and made me promise that I would let her help again.

This was so hard for me.  I never ask for help, I never let anyone do anything for me.  I think it has come from all these years of not being able to go out in public with my children without hearing, "Oh, you have your hands full!".  I feel like I need to prove them wrong.  I need to show the world that you can have a home full of children and survive.  You can have joy in the midst of chaos.

But the truth is...it's hard.  Really hard.  I don't care if you have 1 child or 10, motherhood is hard.  Don't let anyone make you think that it's not.  To make you feel that they have it all together and you are a failure (especially me!).

There are so many days where I find myself in tears, crying to God for strength to get through the day (or maybe just the grocery store).  And so many times He calms my heart with a Bible verse to encourage me or a song to fill me with joy. 

But what I have learned through this is that sometimes He doesn't give us more strength...sometimes He brings people into my life to help carry my burden, to lighten my load.  And I need to accept this gift just as freely as any other encouragement.

I thought I had learned my lesson.  And then my best friend showed up with a bucket of cleaning supplies...she wanted to clean my bathroom.

No.  There was no way I was going to let her do that. 

I fought with her over it, but then I remembered what God has been teaching me, and at 9 months pregnant I was not able to clean like I wanted to.  Every time I walked into that bathroom I would tell myself that I needed to get to it, but I never did.

And so I agreed.  I sat there fighting off tears as she cleaned my shower and scrubbed my toilet.  It was embarrassing and humbling...but I knew that I needed to accept this gift, and in the end it blessed me more than I ever imagined.

Her daughter even brought over nail polish and lotion to give me a pedicure.  Of course all the kids joined in and I think I had a year's worth of lotion on my feet, but the kids had the biggest smiles on their faces and I would never deny them the joy of helping.

And now, as I am waiting for our baby girl to join our home, I think I have finally learned my lesson...and all because my husband called me a turtle.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

This past weekend I painted our bathroom.  It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do to a room...and to my spirit.

It's a tiny room.  I thought I could get it finished while my little ones were napping, but it turned into a much bigger project than I had expected.

The painted trim was peeling so I had to start with sanding.  We wanted to remove the towel bar, which left 4 large holes in the wall.  There were spots to patch and more sanding.  I started cutting in with a brush, but the room is too small for a ladder; so I stood on the counter top, then took a lunge of faith to the opposite wall.  As I reached across the room, my legs burning, I tried to keep a steady hand as I painted the line beneath the ceiling.  I was suspended in mid-air on only my fingertips and tip toes.  My 5 year old walking in was very impressed with my spiderman skills. 

Then I needed to contort myself into awkward angles to try and paint behind the toilet, wondering if anyone would really notice if I didn't.

About halfway through, a bit of panic set in.  Is this color too dark?  Did I make the right choice?

Change is hard.

The fears I am trying to conquer.
The hurts I want to let go of.
The bad habits I am trying to break.

It's all hard.  But maybe those days when I feel like I'm not getting anywhere, maybe that's all part of the prep work.  Those days when I'm filled with doubt and wonder if I made the right choice...I need to remember that change is hard.

It's easier to hold on to the familiar, even the ugly, stained walls.  It's easier to hold on to my ugly because change takes time and energy, it stretches me and sometimes puts me in awkward positions.  Change is hard...but it's beautiful.

Every time I walk into that bathroom I smile.  I love the beautiful coffee and cream color of the walls, I love the fresh feeling in that space, and I remember all the work it took to get there. 

I know that I am going to get there too. 

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."  ~Philippians 1:6

In the Shadow of the Cross

It was late and I was tired.  Another day of filling needs, calming tantrums and cleaning up messes that I didn't make.

I made my rounds through the house; turning off lights behind me.  I touched the last lamp.  The glow of the moon filled the darkness.  I had forgotten to close the curtains to the double window.  Moonlight against the window panes cast the perfect shadow of a cross on my living room floor.

It stopped me in my steps.  The image was so large and so perfect, I couldn't pull myself from it.

I had to share it with someone.  I called for my husband to come see.  He was already in bed; wondering why his crazy wife was staring at shadows on the floor.  He wouldn't humor me.

I stood there overwhelmed by the shadow.  A cross in the center of our home.

By sunrise the shadow was gone, but it will stick with me forever.  What if we really lived in the shadow of the cross?

Would we be more loving in the presence of the greatest love?

Would we forgive more freely, being reminded of how much we have been forgiven of?

Would we speak with more grace in the shadow if His amazing grace?

Would we allow the same things in our home?  Would we just have to share it with someone?

Because, the truth is, if we truly believe in His love and have accepted His gift of grace...if we stand up and say, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord"; then our lives are lived in the shadow of the cross.  

Our Frugal Summer

Early in the Summer I was having a bit of a pity party for myself.  Money is tight and we couldn't give our kids a lavish family vacation (or any vacation at all).  There weren't going to be trips to the amusement or water parks.  We committed to the bare necessities and I worried that my kids would resent me for it.  We were just weeks into summer and already they were singing the "I'm bored!" blues.

They didn't want to be home...when their friends had swimming pools.  I felt like I was always filling their requests with "No" or "Not right now...", and it all didn't seem fair.

I was frustrated.  Frustrated with all that I couldn't give them, and with all that they were asking for.  Wasn't I raising my children to be grateful?  Weren't we striving for a simple life full of love and laughter and not just things?

How had we lost our focus?  We were not being thankful for all we had and allowed things to control our happiness.

I had had enough.  I didn't like who I was becoming and if I wanted my children to change, it had to start with me first.

I started a Summer Bucket List:

I filled it with simple things we loved that we could enjoy as a family for free or almost free.

Waiting for the fireworks to start

Eating watermelon outside

Taking a walk on the beach

Backyard campfires and lots of S'mores!

Blueberry picking

Growing sunflowers

Our Summer was full.  As we learned to enjoy the simple things again, we became even more creative.  We made so many beautiful memories.

One hot afternoon we set up a $5 slip and slide and borrowed a kiddie pool.  When the kids were exhausted from playing we handed out ice cream sandwiches and ate them under my willow tree.  I overheard my daughter exclaim, "A water park in our yard and ice cream?!  This is the best day ever!"

I looked at my husband and smiled.  Our water park looked rather pathetic, but to our children it was glorious.

As our summer is winding down we crossed one more memory off our list.  We set up our tent in the front yard and slept under the stars.

I laid there in the stillness of midnight, listening to the crickets and even catching a shooting star.  I looked over at my sleeping family, all 8 of us crammed in a tent on our lawn.  I just had to smile.  It was ridiculous, but it was beautiful.

It was in this moment that I remembered how blessed we truly are.  I thought of all the families who live like this everyday because it is all they have, and the families who just wish for a roof over their heads. 

This morning I am tired and sore from sleeping on a lawn that is more dirt than grass.  But I think it was one of the best night's sleeps I have ever had.  My body may not feel refreshed, but my heart is renewed.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18



Join me at Smalltown Simplicity!

Morning Moments

It's 5:30 am.  The sun is just starting to brighten the sky.  I can see the color of morning peeking through my bedroom curtains as I pull myself out of bed.

It is a rare moment when my house is quiet.  I tie on my sneakers, kiss my sleeping husband goodbye and head out the front door.

I'm not a runner, but I pretend to be.

I don't know what sparked me to take this up now.  I was the girl who tried to hide in the bathroom on Mile Run Day in gym class.  But here I am, a 30 year old mother of 6, getting up with the sun...to run.

I hop off the last step, breathe in the clean morning air and try to keep up a good pace.  I'm not impressed with myself.  The road feels so much longer than it looks.  But it feels good to sweat, to feel alive.

I drag myself back up the steps and sneak into that still sleeping house.  No one even noticed I was gone.  No one waiting to cheer me on.  My legs are weak and I'm out of breath, but it's a beautiful pain.

I shower and dress and start my coffee.  I wrap my hands around my mug and take a seat on the front step.  I soak in the moment.  The birdsongs are filling the air.  Dew drops are sparkling on the grass and lining a spider's web.  My Bible lays open on my knees and I pray for strength for the day.

This moment is pure peace.

I take a walk around my yard.  I look for new blooms on my plants and pull a few weeds.  I say good morning to the chickens.

My coffee mug is empty and I walk back inside just as the children are starting to stir.

Within minutes this quiet house erupts with energy.  6 little ones are recharged and calling for me.  My husband's alarm clock is screaming.  I'm making breakfast and filling bellies.

My moment is gone...but I carry the peace with me.

Linking up with Lydia!

God knows my favorite color

Our kitchen truly is the center of our home.  It is where we cook and eat, homeschool and make crafts.  The walls are lined with little fingerprints, spills and crayon art.

I have been wanting to paint for the last year and a half that we have lived here but it was never within our budget.  Every time I tried to save up for it, something else always came up.

It was hard to be patient and I tried to be content, but this is where I spend most of my day, every day and the stained walls were really getting to me.

A few weeks ago I was going through the stack of paint samples that I had been collecting.  I finally decided on one, "Sanctuary" by Behr, and stuck it on my fridge.  I was determined to save up for it this time, even if only with my change jar.

One morning over coffee, my sister-in-law's eyes began to sparkle, "Do you want to paint your kitchen?"  She ran up to her attic, pulled out the cans of leftover paint she had and marched over to my house. (She recently moved in next door!)

The next thing I know, she is brushing dark green color on my kitchen wall.

Her home is beautiful with rich, warm colors, but I know they are too dark for my husband's taste.  I really liked it but she suggested that we add a little white to it.  She poured her whole gallon of green paint into a bucket of white and when she stirred it, it became this beautiful and soft green; the color of rosemary.

I grabbed the paint chip off of my fridge and held it up to where she had brushed it on the wall.  It was a perfect match!  We could not have made it any closer if we had tried.

I started to cry.  Here were 3 gallons of paint, in my favorite color, just handed to me.

God gave me "Sanctuary" just to make me smile.

Sunshine in my kitchen

I love beautiful things.  I am guilty of ripping pictures out of magazines and cutting up junk mail advertisements, just for the beauty I see in it.  I save greeting cards and scraps of pretty wrapping paper to use in other projects. 

I love to make cards for friends and I've even used these pictures to make a pretty cover for my Bible and journals. 

Here is my latest project:

I have been saving this picture of a sunflower for something special...and then I saw my ugly knife butcher block and decided it needed a makeover. 

I grabbed my bottle of ModPodge and set to work.  I applied a thin coat to the block, smoothed out the picture and then added another coat to seal.  Once that was dry, I added a few more coats to protect the image.  Super simple...but it added a little sunshine to my kitchen!

A Day in the Life...

This morning I awoke to my oldest daughter a few inches from my face.  "Mommy!", I rubbed my eyes as I tried to focus.  "He ripped open a bag of chocolate chips and now they are all over the floor and he's eating them!" 

I sigh.  I really don't want to wake up to this.  I just got back to sleep after a night of nursing the baby.  I mumble something about telling him to clean it up and drag myself to the bathroom.  I throw my hair into a ponytail and splash water on my face.  As I stare into the mirror at the dark circles under my eyes, I wonder what I am in for today.

I walk out to the kitchen to check the damage.  Chocolate chips are scattered all over the floor, the bag torn in half and thrown to the side.

"Where is he?"
"Sitting in his room eating chocolate."

And then he appears.  My 3 year old.  Mr. Independent  who likes to take matters into his own hands.  He thought chocolate chips made a perfectly acceptable breakfast and helped himself to it.  His ornery brown eyes only showed a slight look of guilt.  Mostly he seemed proud of himself.

He was holding a bowl full of chocolate chips and as he walked down the hall, his little sister followed behind with her own bowl and melted chocolate all over her face.

Well, at least he shared.

Coffee.  I need to refuel before I tackle this day.  The baby has found his way into my arms again as I fill my coffee maker with water and press start.  The sound of my morning energy brewing is interrupted by my husband walking past me to the laundry room.

"Do I have any clean T shirts?", he asks me sheepishly as he digs through the hamper of yesterday's unfolded and forgotten laundry.

He's gentle with me...always.   He knows the morning I am having.  I hand him the baby and peek into the washing machine.  Oh. I forgot to dry his work uniforms.  I toss the damp and twisted clothes into the dryer and search again for my coffee.

As I take a sip I try to shake off the insecurities and thoughts that I am not doing enough, that I am failing everyone.

I serve breakfast, wipe some runny noses, change countless diapers and sit to feed the baby again.  In this rocking chair I can see the cobwebs by the ceiling and the toys hiding under the couch.  I should really get to that today...someday.

My toddler serves me a cup of invisible tea, and I can hear a princess, firefighter and superhero playing dress up down the hall.  I'm thankful for this moment.  These innocent giggles.  I remind myself to slow down and savor every second, every sip of imaginary tea.

I glance at the clock.  It's 10 am already?

I set the sleeping baby in his bassinet and go to my room to get dressed.  The smell of baby vomit still lingering on my shoulder, but there's no hope of a shower this morning.  I throw on some fresh clothes, try to make this mess of hair look intentional and sweep some color across my cheeks.  A dab of lip gloss makes me feel more put together, though my life really does not.

The baby calls for me.  His nap lasted 5 minutes.  As I reach for him I hear a splash and my toddler is standing next to a puddle of milk.  I throw a kitchen towel over the spill and as I mop it with my foot, I realize that I have yet to sweep up the chocolate chips that are still scattered under the kitchen table.

I struggled out the back door with an overfilled trash bag.  I disciplined children and defused a temper tantrum.  I attempted to teach 3 math lessons and cleaned up the bag of cat food that someone had left on the floor....all before lunch.

I never did bake the cookies I had planned to.  The cobwebs are still in the corners and yesterday's laundry is still sitting unfolded.

But today, I decided to choose joy.

Today wasn't anything special and I certainly didn't wake up with the best attitude, but this is my life.  It is full of messy chaos, but it's a beautiful mess.  I am learning that a little laughter can calm a heart.  Seeking joy in the simple moments can overcome the stress of all of life's little emergencies.

All I Need

My first day home alone with all 6 children felt like a bit of a disaster.  Everyone needed me and there was never enough.

I wasn't trying to do it all, but with even the bare necessities of life I felt like a failure.  I hadn't showered or eaten.  I yelled...a lot.  I even burned the kids' lunch while I was nursing the baby.

Then my husband walked in the door and I burst into tears.  He had stopped by during his lunch break to check on me and just seeing him brought so much relief, but I was also embarrassed.  I felt like I should be better at this.

Maybe I cried out of exhaustion or my hormones, or maybe it was the fear that maybe I just can't do this.

The next day my mother came over to help me.  She brought me a list titled "10 Real Helps for Really Busy Moms"  by Ann Voskamp of One Thousand Gifts.

I placed it on my refrigerator and have been reading it throughout my busy, overwhelming days. They are all encouraging, but here are two of my favorite quotes:

Homemaking is about making a home, not about making perfection.  A perfect home is an authentic, creative, animated space where Peace and Christ and Beauty are embraced. (Perfect does not equate to immaculate.)

Believe it:  I have all I need for today.  The needs of our day are great, but God is greater and we call him Providence because we believe: He always provides. (And when God provides, He should be praised, and if God always provides, shouldn't praise always be on the lips?)

My days are still crazy.  The laundry is piled up and there are dirty dishes in my sink.  But I'm taking it slow.  There is a sweet baby in my arms and love and laughter in our home.  This moment won't last forever and soon life will feel normal again...our new normal.

Love's Simplicity

I just wanted to share this short video with you.  It is a documentary that was made about my sister-in-law, Suzanne.  I think it summarizes everything that I want A Simple Heart for Home to be.  I am inspired every time I go to her house.  It is a tiny home, but so full of love and joy.  There is always an open door and a cup of coffee waiting for me. 

She never complains.  I was so stressed trying to fit our family of 7 in our 900 square foot home, and then I would see what she lives with and how she makes it work.  I felt so spoiled and humbled.  Her home is a beautiful place of blessing, to her husband and family, and to everyone who enters.

I hope you are encouraged and inspired...

Love's Simplicity

Our Schoolroom

I woke up this morning to a quiet chill in the air.  Autumn is almost here and a new school year is about to begin.  Our new schoolbooks have arrived and we've cracked open the fresh boxes of crayons.  I've spent the past few weeks rearranging things and making room on the bookshelf.  Things are fitting into place and there is a new season of excitement in our house.

But lately, I've found myself coveting my friends' schoolrooms.  These perfect and sweet little classrooms inside their homes.  There are desks for the children, matching shelves for supplies and precious nooks for curling up with a storybook. 

But I don't have any of that.  We do our lessons at our kitchen table.  I have a crowded bookshelf that holds our supplies and everything is packed up again before each meal.

Today, as I was putting things away, I was thinking about our homeschool.  We are not a school...this is our home.  I want our home to encourage a love of learning.  That doesn't only happen in a beautiful schoolroom, it happens because we are living a life of curiosity.

Yes, these rooms are beautiful and inspiring, and I'm sure they make managing home and school much easier, but I realized today, that for me, having a school room would be all about me.

I'm the one who doesn't want a world map on my dining room wall.  I'm the one who doesn't want science projects growing on my kitchen counter.

But it's not about me.

Kind of like all those baby nurseries I never got to decorate, and my babies never missed.

No, this is our home, and in our home we learn.  It may not be pretty, but we make it work and we are having fun.  And that...is a thing of beauty.

Since I don't own a microwave...

I thought you might like to see what I did with that space over my stove top.

I hung a small chalkboard so I could write inspiring quotes and Bible verses.  I love having sweet words of wisdom on my walls and it's the perfect place to read throughout the day.

Trash and Treasure

"I have a surprise for you!", my husband excitedly told me over the phone.  While he was driving home, I was making a million guesses as to what it could be.

Then he walked through the door with this:

Oh. 
This was not exactly what I was expecting.

"Where did you trash pick it?"
"I didn't, I passed by a yard sale."
"You paid money for this?!"
"Yeah, it was only $12!"

I'm thinking we have very different ideas of what a good deal is.
But, the more I looked at it the more potential I saw.

It's a handmade trunk that some little boy had used as a toy box and covered in his sticker collection.

It took me over an hour just to get the top clean and I spent the rest of the day scrapping off stickers when I had a spare moment.

It was really sweet of my husband to think of me.  I've been looking for a bench or trunk to keep in our mudroom.  It's the perfect place to sit and take off your shoes and then toss them into, out of sight.

I wonder how many people walked by it, thinking it was just a piece of junk.

The owner himself thought it wasn't worth his time.

How many times have I been just as judgemental with things, or worse, with other people.
One glance at the imperfections and I walk away, never seeing the treasure that is hiding inside.

Laundry

Just the mention of the word brings out a sigh, doesn't it?

I have yet to meet a mother who hasn't complained about laundry.  But why is that?  Laundry really is one of our easiest chores.  Most of us are blessed to have a washer and dryer right in our homes.  We do not have to drag the laundry basket down to the creek.  We just throw the clothes in and walk away.

But maybe that's the problem.  Maybe it's too easy to do the laundry and not so easy to finish the laundry.  We wash and dry load after load, but then we end up with piles that never get put away.

I think I've finally found a system that works for me. 

I wash and dry one load at a time.  I sort, fold and put it away before starting another.  It goes against everything I feel like I should be doing.  It is surprisingly hard to walk by the empty washer and resist the urge to just throw another load in.  But, if I can get one load fully finished and away before I start another, I am actually being much more productive.

I fold them right on top of the washer.  It is a 15 minute chore, not a mountain of laundry.  I still do about 3 loads a day, but it doesn't feel like it.  For the first time ever, I have empty hampers...that have stayed empty. 

Before, I would have a load in the washer, one in the dryer...and then forget about them until my husband would come home and need his work uniforms washed.

He would take the clothes out of the dryer, dump them somewhere, switch over the wet clothes, put in his load and go to bed.  In the morning, more clothes were piled up and his were in the dryer. 

So I would wake up to 3 loads to put away.  This, of course, was too big of a job to tackle while I'm trying to feed the little ones breakfast and start our school day, so I would throw another load in the wash.  At least I was doing something. 

But really, it wasn't helping at all.  Does this sound like your life?  I would encourage you to be a little lazy and just do one load at a time. 

Laundry is a part of life, but it doesn't have to take over your life.

My Simple Household Notebook

I'm a list maker.  I can't help it, I just love to write out everything and see my thoughts all neat and organized.  I've actually written out a to-do list with things I've already done, just so that I could have the satisfaction of crossing them off.  But, my lists were getting out of control.  A shopping list here, a Christmas list there, little scraps of paper with my precious reminders were getting lost in the shuffle of life.

Then I started to read some wonderful homemaking blogs, and all these supermoms had a household notebook.  They would share pictures of these pretty notebooks packed full of their cleaning schedules, menu plans, to-do lists and everything else a list-addicted girl like me could want.  Everything was typed out in cute fonts and printed on pretty paper with matching dividers. 

Surely this was the badge of an expert homemaker.

I had to make one.  I gathered all the supplies and then set to work printing all the forms.  I had daily and weekly schedules, monthly menu plans, calender pages, cleaning schedules, pantry and freezer inventories, budget sheets...it went on and on.

I filed them all into a notebook and then had to smile at the organized beauty of it all.  "This will make my life so much easier!" 

Right.

The first thing I realized was that my meticulously planned cleaning schedules made no sense in this house full of kids.  Why would I be worried about dusting the ceiling fan when my 2 year old just poured a whole gallon of milk on the floor?  I had so many emergency messes to deal with during the day, I never had the time (or energy) to work on my daily assigned cleaning.

Then there were the inventories that I never remembered to update, the menu plans we didn't follow and the daily schedule that was completely unrealistic to my real life.

I was left with a notebook that made me feel like an unorganized mess...a failure as a homemaker.  So I tucked it away and went on with my life.

A few months ago I dug it out again.  I decided that I could make this work for me, if I made it for me.  I can't live on someone else's schedule.  This is my life and I need to keep it simple.  I ripped out all the pages and started over.  So here is my simple household notebook:

Homemaking:

This is my main page that I use daily.  I printed it from Money Saving Mom.  I used the customized version of the Daily Docket.  I keep it in a page protector and I cross things off with a dry erase marker, at the end of the week, I just wipe it off and start over.

On the left column I keep a list of weekly cleaning projects (clean bathrooms, dust, vacuum bedrooms...)  When I finish one, I cross it off.  Then, when I have a few free moments I can look at my list and see what still needs to be done that week.  I do what I can fit into my day.  Some weeks, I get everything done gradually, other times they are all left for Saturday.

In the middle is my list of daily chores (laundry, dishes, make beds, dinner prep...)  It just helps to keep me on track.  There is also a space to check off how much water I drink, if I exercised and when I take my vitamins.  This has been so important in reminding me to take care of myself.

On the right column I have our weekly menu plan.  This is a list of dinner meals that I come up with during my grocery planning.  I don't always make everything on here, but it gives me ideas when I need to prep something in the morning.  I just cross it off after we have one.

Everything on this page is written in pencil (which kind of annoys me).  This is so that I can easily change things without having to print a new page all the time.

On the opposite side is a monthly/seasonal cleaning list.  I also printed this from Money Saving Mom.  Then I keep a few pages of notebook paper for my lists:

My Wish List
Yard work Projects
Sewing Projects
House Projects and Repairs

Grocery/Menus:

This section is where I keep paper to jot down menu ideas and new recipes to try.  I keep my grocery shopping list on the fridge so I can write things down as we run out of them.  Nothing fancy, but it works for me.

Celebrations:

The first page in this section is a list of family birthdays.  I found it here.  I like it because I can see the whole year at a glance and plan accordingly.  Then I have pages for birthday and Christmas gift ideas, handmade projects, and supplies needed.

Financial:

I have a list of our debts (It feels so good to cross those off!) and a list of large and small goals that we are saving up for.  I also have some budget pages in there, but they are still a work in progress.

And that's it.  It's pretty simple, but it works for me.  I hope it inspires you to find what works for you.

My Wish List

Before we moved in I began a wish list of things we would need for the new house.  There were immediate needs, like a mailbox and shower curtain rods, and then things I just wanted, like paint for my kitchen.

Slowly, as our budget has allowed we've been picking up things here and there.  But, we are trying to be responsible and have committed to becoming debt free...and that meant that the needs would take top priority and the wants have moved further down the list.

This week a friend stopped by.  I have known her a very long time and she has truly become a Titus 2 Mother in my life.  I am always excited to receive an encouraging visit from her.  She stops at my door and says, "God gave me something for you.".

I followed her out to her car, and as she opened up the trunk I saw 3 beautiful bar stools.

She went on to tell me how a few days earlier her daughter just happened to mention that we haven't been able to buy stools for our kitchen yet.  Then, that day she passed by a yard sale and these were sitting at the end of someone's driveway.

As we brought them into the house and put them in place I was holding back tears.  They fit my breakfast bar and matched my kitchen...they were perfect.

Bar stools had moved so far down my wish list that I hadn't even thought about them in a long time.  It is so amazing to me that God orchestrated this whole thing without me having any idea.  He supplies all our needs, but sometimes He throws in our wants too, just to show us that He loves us.

The Atmosphere of Our Home

A little while ago my sister in law walked into my house.  She stopped in the doorway and said, "Awww, your house is so homey!"  I thought "homey" was just a nice way of saying "lived in", but then she went on...

"It's the atmosphere of your home.  You can feel that it's full of love."

I think this is one of the sweetest compliments I have ever recieved.  I've been dwelling on those words ever since.  She has too and you can read her beautiful blog about it here.

What makes a house feel like home?

Before our house was finished, we had stopped by to check on the construction.  It was an empty house with bare walls and no couch to curl up on, but as my children ran around laughing and playing hide-and-seek, this empty house was full of life and for the first time...it felt like home.

I think that to truly experience something we use all of our senses. 

Sight:
This is probably the first thing we think about in making a house a home.  We paint the walls, pick out the furniture and add our collections.  But sometimes it's not just what we add, but what we don't.  Clutter can add anxiety to a beautiful room.  It just feels chaotic and overwhelmed.

I have been working on clearing out all the clutter and only keeping what I love.  Beauty doesn't only come from matching furniture and the perfect accesories.  I love filling my home with things that tell a story, things that hold a memory.

Smell:
Isn't it amazing how a scent can instantly take you back to a favorite moment?  I love when my house is infused with the smells of dinner simmering on the stove or fresh baked bread or cookies from the oven.  But even if you haven't been busy in the kitchen, you can freshen up your home.  Light a scented candle for no special occation or throw open the windows and let the smells of the season blow through.

Hearing:
We are blessed to live in the middle of the woods.  In the stillness of the morning I am awakened by birds singing and the occational wild turkey gobbling through the yard.  Then my children rise and our house is reenergized for the day.  Little feet running down the hall, cereal bowls and spoons delicately clinking.  The sweet sounds of a busy morning.

But there are many times in my day when the noise can be overwhelming.  The TV is on.  Video games beeping.  Kids are fighting.  The baby screaming.  I just need peace! 

We turn off everything and turn on worship music.  It is amazing how this calms my home.

Taste:
Of course we think of homecooking and elaborate holiday feasts, but how good do these foods really taste when there is no one to share it with?

Our times at the dinner table are not just for nourishment, but for nurturing and reconnecting.  This is where our family is reunited and shares about our day. 

It is also a place for hospitality.  God has really been stretching me in this!  "Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality."  God doesn't ask us to be stressed out and host the perfect dinner party, He just wants an open door and an open heart.

So brew a pot of coffee and invite someone in!

Touch:
I have flipped through so many magazines looking for decorating ideas...and at first glance these rooms are beautiful...but then I picture my family there and it just doesn't look comfortable.  Not just the furniture, but the museum feeling.  A room you can't touch.  I would be so scared that my kids would break or spill something.  I would constantly feel on edge.

I felt that way when we first moved in.  Brand new carpets and 5 kids...I was having an anxiety attack over it.  But, then the first spill happened, the house has been broken in and the world did not come to an end.

A friend shared with me that she lets her little girls have tea parties with her grandmother's cherished tea set.  She knows it would be safer locked up in the china cabinet, but who ever made memories while staring at a china cabinet?  Take a risk.  Let them touch.  Stuff is just stuff, but memories are cherished.

So today, I hope I encouraged you to take a look around, breathe in deeply, listen intently, savor every bite and grab hold of everything that makes your house a home.