It's been very different! I miss you all tremendously...but I'm starting to see some real benefits at home.
27.8.11
Is the Grass Really Greener on the Other Side of the Bloggy Fence?
August 27, 2011
It's been very different! I miss you all tremendously...but I'm starting to see some real benefits at home.
Matthew's Safely Home....Precious Pictures..
August 27, 2011
I'm glad to share with you all that my son, Matthew, is home from Afghanistan. Amanda and the kids, Colin, Brennan, and Nikolai were so excited to see Hubby and Daddy again. Thanks every single one of you for your prayers and kind notes. They meant so much to Matthew and to me. :o)
25.8.11
What Would Your Dream Home Look Like?
August 25, 2011
credit
Did I Steal it All? No...But I Did Get it for Half-Price!
August 25, 2011
I just got home from grocery shopping and Skyping with our kids and grandkids in Seattle. (Lena, my granddaughter, wanted to show me her new dress, new kitchen and especially her new big girl panties with hearts on them. Precious! How I miss her and Augy.)
18.8.11
How to Buy School Books, Textbooks, Homeschool Curriculum....any Books for Less!
August 18, 2011
It's that time of the year!--Time to buy school books if you are a homeschooler or textbooks if your kids are starting college. It just so happens that my friends and family are all the 'thrifty' type and we've learned a thing or two about getting books cheap. (Thanks Angela F., queen of Ebayers, for getting me started.)
I always assume that everyone knows the cheapest way to buy a book, but then I get feedback from friends and learn that this isn't always the case. So today, I thought I'd share the fruits of my labor this week. Just be careful when buying college textbooks to get the right edition. You can read more about buying cheap college books at this College Experience.net
16.8.11
Using the 80-20 Pareto Principle to Declutter
August 16, 2011
I love cleaning house. I know...it's a little nerdy, for sure. Ah well.. That's why you read my daily dribbles right? So we can celebrate the mundane..and find joy in a clean drawer or cabinet? I admit that I'm completely happy because my 1-2-3 approach to decluttering is still working like a charm. Perhaps..that just means that I'm easily pleased.
I've never forgotten how amazing it was to see the inside of my mother-in-law's cabinets (20 yrs. ago). Picture having ONLY what you NEED in a cabinet or drawer and ABSOLUTELY nothing else! Not one extra bit of fluff...just the essentials.
Homemaking perfection is what I call it. :o) That's been my 'dream' ever since. And I found a principle that makes all the difference in the world. It's called the 80-20 Pareto Principle....
There Once was an Ole' Blogger...who Lived in a Shoe...
August 16, 2011
(Can't believe I couldn't come up with my own poem.Sheesh! I do write poetry fairly well... )
For almost a year now, I've been torn between my love for our sweet blogging community and my love of sharing my heart and the multitude of 'bright ideas' that pop up, unbidden I might add, into this nutty brain of mine...
VS... the love I feel for my hubby, children, family, and community (real life as we call it) not to mention the myriad of responsibilities that come with a large family all heading out into that great adventure called 'life'.. en masse'.
8.8.11
Comin' Home on Facebook.... A solution?
August 08, 2011
This morning, I had to say SOMETHING so I wrote it on Comin' Home's Facebook page.
I think this will be the perfect solution for my need to 'share' sometimes without the focus and pressure of a blog. If you would like to keep in touch..you're welcome to drop by.
I wrote about our 'car adventures' yesterday in a note called The Test. I don't know how often I'll be popping things up on Facebook..but they won't be 'posts' in the traditional sense. Just things that pop in my head and perhaps a photo now and then.
6.8.11
Good, Better, Best... A Time to Shift Gears...
August 06, 2011
Dear Sweet Friends...
This will be my last 'tea chat' for a while, I'm afraid. And this post is difficult to write. No question about it.
That even though, objectively speaking, what you were doing was good..or even wonderful...that it was still not quite what it should be? I once heard a pastor say that if you and your husband don't have peace about a decision..then you shouldn't do it..until you DO have peace. I agree 100%.
The only problem is that Hubby and I never discussed blogging..it just 'happened'. I can't say that I've ever really had complete peace about it even though there were so many GREAT reasons to do it. I've ENJOYED it tremendously but I've always had second thoughts about the appropriateness of the time and energy at this stage of our lives as parents.
Friends have encouraged me not to give up too because my blog helps so many people. If that is the case...then all I can say is that it's all God. And He should get the glory for that. I think bloggers are some of the most giving and wonderful people in the world and I will never think differently about that. You are amazing--really!
The reasons I started blogging...to help others..has not changed at all. And it's the number one reason not to stop. The reason that I need to quit is also completely compelling. Even though my blogging is good and the way I do it is better than it used to be..it is still not the BEST thing I should be doing with the given amount of time in my day.
The heart of problem is not that blogging is 'bad'...it's that it has displaced things that truly are more my responsibility. If there is any truth that has 'come home' to me in this last few months, it's that we all have too many demands on our time.
Each day is precious and we have the responsibility to live deliberately...those 24 hours have to be used very carefully. For me, the season of life, I'm in...there is just an incredible amount of legitimate demand. We have downsized in so many ways..our schedule..our committments..everything! Still...it is not enough because it's not just a matter of time but of focus.
This article says it best....
Good, Better, Best
byDallin H. Oaks
We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.
Most of us have more things expected of us than we can possibly do. As breadwinners, as parents, as Church workers and members, we face many choices on what we will do with our time and other resources.I.We should begin by recognizing the reality that just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives.
5.8.11
How are ‘Piles of Stuff’ Like Mushrooms?
August 05, 2011
For one thing…they spring up overnight don’t they? I’m always amazed that you see nothing one day and the next..there are these BIG GIANT and… (to be downright honest)…UGLY mushrooms in the yard!
Makes me think of piles in the house. All you have to do is leave a ‘seed’ and the next thing you no…Voila! A mushroom!—I mean.. a mess.
They often grow in dark corners in out of the way places too…just like piles. Out of sight..out of mind. Right?
I’ve been tackling my piles with a vengeance this week. Funny how if you leave something out long enough..it starts to look like it belongs there…. have you noticed?
It’s hard to notice a pile..until 10 minutes before company arrives.. Then, suddenly, we’re grabbing our piles and literally running…for the master bedroom (#1 hidey spot of choice for most women).
The child sleeping at the left…did NOT get left out. He got bumped by overnight guests. Tee-hee!
I’ve been working hard this week to LEAVE NOTHING OUT. I can’t get over how BEAUTIFUL my home looks! I wrote all about this in one of my most popular posts, Which Would You Rather Clean..A Messy Home or A Clean One?
You have to be careful…piles can become addictive! My mom once took my sisters and I, when we were teenagers, to visit a lady who had a problem with piles…paperwork mostly.
Mom said she was a very nice lady..but she had this problem with paper and piles. Talk about an understatement! I was fascinated in a weird sort of way. The papers were stacked all over the house…lots and lots and lots of paper.
She also had everything she owned from her cabinets sitting out on the counter in the kitchen. As mom had said, she really was a pretty ‘clean’ lady..but she had this problem…with piles.
It kind of shook me to see someone live that way. It turns out that it really IS a mental condition called ‘Compulsive Hoarding and Acquiring”. I didn’t know that until I did a little research for this post.
I found a website that even had photos for each room of the house to show a ‘clutter’ scale. This woman’s house was definitely on the list.
I think it was wonderful that FlyLady was often mentioned by a support group for this disorder because she helped them take babysteps to overcome their mess. Bravo to them—and her!
If you are struggling with more than usual clutter or mess.. do drop by and visit these women who for various reasons can’t function like normal people do when it comes to their home. Their website is called Squalor Survivors.
Four causes are…
- Clinical Depression
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Post-partum Depression
- Physical problems like CFS or Fibromyalgia.
- SAD syndrome (need sunshine)
One of the signs you are heading for big trouble is when you begin to lose the use of things like the bed…or a table..or even a whole room.
However…there is hope! People like the Sidetracked Home Executives, FlyLady, and Squalor Survivors…can help you get back to normal whatever your situation..whether minimal or severe.
On the other hand…temporary piling for the sake of cleaning up in a hurry is a great help. When I get up in the morning to straighten up and things seem a little overwhelming… I use a little trick which I call ‘piling’.
I do this because I’m a ‘visual’ person. If I see too much mess..I start to get depressed. Funny how the clutter in a room can usually be piled into a chair and the whole room looks lovely..except of course for that chair. LoL!
I can make the whole house look really nice..in just under 15 minutes this way. THEN I go back through the house with some nice music playing…and put away the piles with a much lighter heart.
Before…
After
You should try it one day and see if I’m not right! It’s amazing! If you have kids..you can have them do the putting away…considering it’s often THEM who got the stuff out in the first place. Tee-hee!
Before….
After…
I used to make a big game out of it…plus it was my attempt to train them. I would ask them (all five) each..where does this go…and where does this go..? They always knew exactly where the out of place items belonged. It was good practice—I thought.
However, if you have trouble in this area..please..don’t even start with a pile! I’d hate to be responsible, however inadvertently for a relapse.
It’s like the Sidetracked Sisters said in the book…”Just remember that a S.H.E. (Sidetracked Home Executive) is like an alcoholic when it comes to disorder. If you ever allow yourself to put that first book on top of the dresser, then all of a sudden it’s going to have shoes and books and BANANAS on it again.
Knowing our nature, we are consciously aware of every banana we put down. That false convenience of temporarily setting something down to be picked up later is an open gate back to the pigpen.”
What about you? Are piles a ‘bane’ or a blessing in your house?
3.8.11
Wordless Wednesday... Back to School Wall Paper
August 03, 2011
2.8.11
Tuesday Tea No.36~ Breaking Out the China…
August 02, 2011
1.8.11
After The Party… Monday Morning Blues got you down?
August 01, 2011
Mondays have gotten such a bad reputation that I often feel the need to stand up in their defense. :o) Yes, it’s the start of a new work week, but it doesn’t mean all the fun is over!
I like to think of Mondays as ‘marvelous’ because you get a fresh new start on life..every Monday.
I never feel behind on Mondays because the whole week is before me—seven precious days to use wisely…. to make a difference in my home… and the lives of those I love… or to learn something new..or to celebrate special moments…
Yep, in my book, Mondays are marvelous!
I admit that Mondays are usually ‘catch up days’ for me too. The weekend was full of fun and activity but the day ‘after’ the party is always kind of a mess. Perhaps this is why people dread Mondays so much.
We had quite a birthday party this weekend. It started on Friday with my son and his buddies and carried on until late Saturday evening. Then we went to church Sunday morning and enjoyed a lovely lunch and visit with friends…
The kids were out with friends so Dear Hubby and I returned to house that wasn’t quite a disaster (because I cleaned while they partied), but it wasn’t quite in order either.
Still it was deliciously quiet. :o)
Tim had several phone calls to make so I had most of the evening to myself. Is there anything quite so pleasant as the evening after ‘the party’?
After vacumming, mopping, and straightening up a bit, I sat down to a nice tall glass of iced tea, and a REALLY good book! In fact, I hate to say it, but I read till 2:00am! (I need to get the book back to her ASAP because other friends are ‘in line’ for it. )
It has been SOooo long since I indulged in a good read! Thank you Laurie for the recommendation! It’s called ‘The Help’. The new movie that is coming out is based on it.
Laurie was right—this was the perfect way to relax on a Sunday evening.
Fascinating, heart-warming, a little poignant… I can’t imagine any woman not enjoying this story about the ups and downs of several women in the 50’s from several walks of life. It’s a bit about social injustice too…but in a very fair way, I thought.
For homemakers..this is a great read!
Laurie said that several of our mutual friends have now read it and we both agreed we will have to work in a ‘girly-date’ and go out to see the movie in the theatres. (See Mom—I’m not ALL work and no play. :o)
Of course, this morning, I had to get back to ‘real life’. I whipped through the house putting away the clutter…
took out the meat to defrost for supper….
and mopped the floor (oh the joys of caring for a new puppy..sigh..)
checked the balance in the checking account (Yipes! It’s the last day of the month!)….
and now it’s time to get ready for hubby’s birthday party tonight and perhaps a guest too. (Did you know that a plastic knife will slice right through brownies like butter? Thank Rebekah, my daughter, for that discovery.)
I’ll be making my ‘Six List’ for this coming week so I make sure all the important things get done.
But at least the house is at a ‘minimum’ of peace and order. And Hubby smiled… so we’re off to a great start!
Gee.. now where did I leave that book?
Hope you had a great weekend and that today you feel ready to ‘tackle’ the week’s activities with enthusiasm.
Plan something fun! Read a new book! The summer will be over before you know it.
How was your weekend? Do you dread Mondays? Are you planning to do anything fun this week?
Hope you have a really great day today…
PS. Thanks so much for all your great comments and input this weekend! I hope to spend some time visiting tonight after Tim’s birthday party.
Social Buttons