Homemade

I've been misspelling the word homemade. 

 

Been spelling it like lemonade.  Homeade.  Writing it on the menu dinner plate and displaying it for all the world to see.  Seeing it here, with the wavy red line underneath, I see it clearly. 

 

We do a lot of living inside our four walls.  I imagine you may have a picture of my home being perfect all the time, but as you see, we do a lot of living in this space.  Most of the time we clear the floors in the evening and start fresh the next day.  And other times, like last night, we leave the fort up and little boys camp out on the living room floor.

I love the word homemade. 

Made at home. 

Forts, LEGO creations in the midst of the candles and the table runner left over from Sunday evenings sit down dinner, art, music, memories.

 

We all have our spaces that make us happy in our home.  For the kids it is plenty of space to create and play.  For me it is corners of the house where order, peace and beauty reign.

 



 

I have found that it is so important for me to take care of myself every day.  So I do nice things for myself that make me happy.  I make my bed because it makes me happy to see it every time I walk by.  I polish my nails pretty colors.  Every single day I light candles because they make me the happiest.  In the morning I read the Word and get my marching orders for the day ahead.

 

Do you know what refreshes you?  Every day we are building something.  What kind of things are you making in your home?

How I do Flylady

Years ago when I started the Flylady cleaning system, I dove right in.  You can read the Getting Started article and it will set you heading in the right direction.  Just a warning-if you sign up for the email group you'll get a lot of emails!  I liked that in the early days because they kept me motivated.

I've noticed over the years that I use her system in different ways depending on the season of life we are in.  There have been times when I religiously decluttered 15 minutes a day and spent an hour each week "Blessing My House"...aka cleaning it.

This is not that season.  I have always had to modify the system when we were in busier times.  Today I wanted to share with you what I'm doing now.  So, I guess it was about three weeks ago when I got super overwhelmed with how dirty my house felt.  These last 8 months I haven't had the energy to keep my house like I would like to.  You don't understand, for me, dirt on a baseboard drives me crazy!  It has been very, very hard for me to let it go.  My home is my sanctuary.  I am here twenty four seven and I function best when it is in order and sparkling.

Right now I basically have two choices.  Do nothing at all because I can't do it perfectly, or make a game plan and do what I can.  Three weeks ago I decided to go with option two...do what I can.  I went to Flylady's website and checked out her "Zones" for the month.  It is her way of dividing up your home and each week gets a different cleaning focus.

On Living Room week, I spent about 15-20 minutes in that room (and I only worked in that room one day!).  The only things I did that day were: feather dust the blinds, raised them and Windexed the window, Pledged the furniture, Windexed the glass and vacuumed the area.  It was a quick clean in only one area.  Girl.  The entire room smelled so fresh when I finished.  There was still an entire house that needed attention, but just the knowledge that that one room had been tended to made me feel so good.

When I finished, I sat down in my tidy living room and ate some chips and dip and enjoyed!

Last week I was in the kitchen.  I only worked in my kitchen one day last week-for maybe 30 minutes.  I dusted the blinds, Windexed the window, and quickly wiped down the cabinet doors.  That is it.  There was more that could've been done but that was all I had in me last week.  Guess what?  My kitchen has felt so much better this week!

This week is the bathroom and one extra room.  I chose the boys room for my one extra room.  All I have done in their room this week is sort through their clothing drawers to make sure everything is in the appropriate place.  I cleaned out about 5 pairs of too small pj's.  And guess what?  I feel so great about some organized drawers in one room!

Don't be afraid to glance at her system to get a framework to work in, and then modify it if you have to.  Jotting the focus down on my calendar helps me remember where to spend extra time that week.  Even if I only work on the area one day, it still makes a difference.  It adds up.

And try not to be too hard on yourself if you can't get it all done.  For me right now, I'm just in a slower season for awhile.  It truly has been the grace of God that has allowed me to stop and enjoy and be content with the little bit that I am doing.  He is the only one who brings peace within our borders.

Cute Schoolroom Dry Erase Board

The biggest need I've had for our school room which is also our eat in kitchen area is a cute dry erase board or chalkboard.  I wasn't about to put a stark white dry erase board in the kitchen and I don't really like the way chalk feels-but chalk boards are super, super cute.  My idea was to find a huge picture, line it with burlap, and voila!  Did you know you can use dry erase marker to write directly on glass?

I did not want to pay more than $25 for this project and I wanted a big, chunky frame.  Yesterday I scored big time.  This frame retailed for $150.  It was marked down several times and I got it for $10 at a Flea Market.

It has a double matte inside which I loved.  It was easy to loosen the back and remove the waiter picture.  When you are shopping for a frame, just make sure to look at the back to make sure it is going to come off easily.  This picture was secured with staple things that just needed to be lifted up.  I bought one yard of cream colored burlap (Have you seen the cream burlap?  Shabby Chic heaven is all I'm sayin')  One yard of burlap cost $6.

It was incredibly hard to photograph this with my phone :) but you get the idea...

How cool is that???  This entire project cost me $16 and I love how cute and functional it turned out to be.  And when company comes?  You better believe the Menu will be posted.

Weekly Focus

I decided our days needed some more structure.  We needed a little road map to make sure we were heading in the right direction and not just wandering aimlessly through the days.

This is why I'm trying my hand at a weekly focus for all of us, including the kids.  This is Master Bedroom week.  My room stays pretty good all the time because I've established strong habits over the years.  But the kids?  Their room can stay disastrous.  One night last week, as I went in to check on them, I literally thought, "I hope there is not a fire tonight!  We'd trip and break our necks on this toy/clothes covered floor!"

When their sleeping space gets like that, which happens with great frequency, I have to stop and ask myself if it is a reflection of them or me?  If I have not taken the time to train good habits into their lives, then the brunt of the blame falls on me.

New habits take time to establish.  That is why all week we are focusing on making beds and picking up clothes every single day.  We started the focus Sunday and it has been going great.

It is simple and it is manageable.  We had to start in the kids room with an overhaul.  I brought in two clothes baskets and a trash can.  All clothes on the floor went into one basket.  Toys to be taken to the man cave went in the other and trash went...you guessed it...in the trash can.

So that's it.  Our focus this week is on making the bed each morning and making sure we put our clothes away when we take them off.  I am training them that underwear and socks always go in the laundry room.  The only reason a shirt or pants get washed is if they are visibly dirty or smell bad.  And if you wear your pajamas one time and toss them into the laundry, well, I will cut you.

Ha ha haaaaaaa!!!

15 Minute Makeover

Time Commitment: 15 Minutes in one room
Cost: Free
Results: Every bit as gratifying as shopping 90% off at Steinmart
How'd I do it: Flylady

For over 10 years I have been using Flylady's system for decluttering and cleaning my house.  I am always amused when people walk into my home and comment on how clean it is, even with a house full of boys.  It amuses me because I do not slave away for hours on my house.  I knock away at it in 10-15 minute chunks {most} every day.  At first she overwhelmed me with emails but in the long run it was simple.  Divide the house up.  Spend 15 minutes a day in one "Zone."  That is not overwhelming at all.

Today I'll start by showing you my bedroom.  I'll tell you that in 15 minutes this room was picked up, dusted, windexed, vacuumed and looking like the very last picture.  The only way I was able to whip it into shape that quickly is by throwing stuff away over and over and over through the years.

You can't organize clutter.

You can only trash it! 

I set the timer and got busy.  The first thing I did was clear every surface into two piles.  I had the put away pile and the trash pile.  Easy.  The key is to move fast and not overthink it. 

My goal in my head is always to throw away 27 things when I enter a room.

This is called a hot spot.  A hot spot is a flat surface that is cluttered.  Clutter attracts more clutter.  If you don't believe me see Exhibit A.  The trashcan nightstand.  I hate waking up to this.  It is about the most unpeaceful way to start a day that I can imagine.  It took 30 seconds to clear this spot and put the things away in their appropriate homes.

Ahh, the root of all evil, the unmade bed.  Throw in the fact that I haven't washed the sheets in a few weeks that makes it doubly uninviting. 

 

And then there is this.  While you are decluttering keep an eye out for spaces that do not make you happy.  This little nook is the first thing my eye sees in the morning and I always have the same exact thought.  Well, sometimes my first thought is, "Dang, I am hungry."  But then this is always the next thought, "This space feels so clutter-y-ish."  {I just gave spell check a heart attack}

I have been reluctant to move the leather book caddy because I love the book caddy and think it is cute.  And I use it all the time.  I just didn't love it in this space.  And my phone charger cord looked junky in this space. 

Moving those two little things made this space look a million times cleaner and more pleasing to the eye.  See what I mean?  It is the little touches like this that make your home look and feel cleaner.  I moved the caddy to another room and love it in its new home!

This is the time to insert a friendly reminder.  Spending 15 minutes in one room is not the time to unearth every overstuffed drawer and closet.  The rest of your house will probably look like this.  Leave it!  You are focusing a 15 minute effort in one space that is going to yield very happy results for you.

This is the room after 15 minutes of loving.  It always amazes me how the rest of the house can be in shambles but just knowing I have one space that looks good is very motivating.

The fruit is waking up to a peaceful room. If you are interested in doing this, start in your master bedroom this week.  Get the surfaces cleared as best you can and make the bed.  When I got started it literally took me almost a year to get our small apartment decluttered.  We had so much stuff and I only chipped away at it 15 minutes at a time.  Over 10 years later the results have paid off.  I can breeze through a room in no time and get it whipped into shape.

 {Linked to the Hearts For Home blog hop}

Defiance

One of my sons has slipped into the habit (sin pattern) of being defiant.

There are different ways to label disobedience and defiance is the label for our most recent issue.  Defiance is not just disobedience, it is disregard.  Back talk.  It is challenging me in opposition.

It usually takes me about a week to notice that we are dealing with an issue like this.  It could be noticing anger in the boys, fighting, fear, seeing discouragement in them, etc, but this week defiance is on the menu.

The way I finally wake up and notice we have an issue on our hands is that I find myself responding in harsh anger to the boys. 

If I am having to raise my voice and my tone has to change to a harsh tone in order to get obedience, that is my red flag that a deeper issue is on our hands.

Take yesterday morning for example.  I was in the bathroom, with the door locked, getting ready for the day.  My son knocked on the door telling me I had four really long text messages.  Ok I said, lay my phone down and I will deal with them when I am done getting ready.  He said, "But Mom, they are really long" and kept on giving me some more reasons why I should open the door and take the texts.  That is when I closed the deal by responding with the final line in the dialogue we were having.  I did it by raising my voice and speaking in a harsh, authoritative tone and told him to put my phone down-I would deal with it when I was done getting ready.  He finally obeyed but only after I got angry on the inside and spoke in an ugly tone.

That is one way to run the house and I hate that way.  Having to yell or talk harshly to get obedience just creates the most ugly atmosphere in the home.  Ick.  We've been dealing with this issue for a good week so that means for a good week the atmosphere has been gross around here.

Yesterday I was so frustrated because I just wasn't sure how to handle the situation.  How do I get this child to start obeying the first time?  And that is not even the biggest issue for me.  I wanted to figure out how to get to the bottom of the issue-some call it reaching the heart.  Yes, I can demand first time obedience but the buck doesn't stop there.  There are more layers to be addressed and I was at a loss.

Later yesterday morning we had some friends over to bake cookies together.  It was almost time for them to leave and the candy centered cookies were hot out of the oven.  I knew they needed to cool because the candy center is really hot and burns you if it is not completely cooled.  My son was excited to call the other kids in to see their candy creations.  I told him no-we will wait to call the kids in until the cookies are cooled.  He started to call them in anyway.  I blew my cork, sent him tearfully to his room, we said our goodbyes to our friends, and then I went in for some training time with my son.

Demanding first time obedience is one thing.  Taking the time to get to the heart and explain why is another thing that takes time.

He was on his bed crying and feeling unheard.  I had to pray for wisdom in talking because I was at a loss.  With my Child Training Bible in hand, we got to talking.  We talked about how Romans 13:1 says that all authorities that exist have been established by God.  That means that the authorities in our life are ordained by God and given for us as an umbrella of protection.  When we choose to submit to that authority we are safe under the umbrella.  When we choose to challenge/disobey that authority we move outside the umbrella of protection and we are open to attack and hurt.

"Son, today when you called the kids inside after you were told to wait, you moved outside the umbrella of protection.  That is why you were not allowed to engage in telling me why you did what you did.  It is why you lost that privilege and ended the play time alone in your room."

We talked about two Bible verses.  "Those who turn away from their training become poor and ashamed.  But those who accept warnings are honored." Prov. 13:18  We talked about how poor can mean you feel poor in your heart, you are lacking something inside that you need.  It can also make you feel ashamed, like having to end the play time alone in your room.  But accepting a warning will bring honor to your life.

We also talked about how Jesus left heaven, came down to the lowest level, and obeyed God completely, even though it ended in death.  (Phil. 2:8)  Sometimes obeying completely leads to death for us as well-the death of not getting our own way every time.

Lots of tears were cried as his little heart began to soften under the truth of God's Word.  I really wanted him to know not just what he was doing wrong, but that dealing with sin is normal and it is possible to overcome it.  God is the one who can change us.

He said, "Mom, I've been trying to change," and that is when I crumbled on the inside.  As we talked I saw a little boy who was struggling.  He knows he has been wrong and like Paul, he keeps doing what he doesn't want to and the thing he wants to do-well, he doesn't do it.

Our time together ended with me scratching his back and praying for him.  He did not want to pray out loud for forgiveness so he prayed in his heart.  In my prayer I affirmed his character, affirmed the fact that God forgives us every time we come to Him, and tried to bless my son in my words prayed over him.

His last assignment was to stay in his room to think about what we had talked about and to write Philippians 2:8 while he thought through things.

This is what getting to the heart looks like.  I can get the response I want by talking harsh and ugly and they'll do it but this way is so much better.  It is the way that takes time and effort.  That child came out of his room and he had a different demeanor to him.  His face was filled with life and joy.

I don't always get it right and even yesterday there were times I got it wrong but I wanted to share this with you that maybe it would encourage you.  The Child Training Bible is the best resource I have ever found to help me in training my boys. 

Not only does it give you scriptures that speak to different sin issues, but it gives questions to ask your children.  Are you receiving instruction with a good attitude?  Has your behavior demonstrated wisdom?  Did Jesus ever have a stubborn and defiant attitude?  What attitude did Jesus have? (Phil 2:5-8)

Lord, help my child to have a compliant and humble heart that heeds reproof.  (Phil 2:8, Prov 13:18). Thank you Jesus for always having a perfectly righteous attitude. (Heb. 4:15)

Another Choice

Bible time was heading down the tubes fast this morning.  Everyone of us was in a somewhat bad mood and one boy had his feathers ruffled more than the rest.

He was in a rotten mood and his responses were not obedience with a quick, cheerful heart.  The child in question and myself excused ourselves from the school table to go have a talk in the playroom.

I asked him what was going on.  He felt angry at everyone.  It manifested itself in grumpy responses and rolling his eyes.  At this point I had choices.

The first choice was to put on my matter of fact voice and in no uncertain terms tell him that is not how we show respect to authority.  Responding like that to family does not show them honor.  Administer consequence, dry the tears, carry on.

I am learning that I have another choice in these situations.  It is a choice to minister to the hurting child by asking questions and seeking to understand what is going on inside of them.  This guy was just in an old fashioned bad mood.  As tears streamed down his face he didn't know why he had a bad mood. 

So I planned a different course of action.  I asked him if he'd like some time by himself in the playroom.  I told him I could set him up so he could have some time to work without all the rest of us around.  I brought in little tables. 

Would you like a candle?  YES!  So I lit a candle on a table.  I fixed him a glass of ice water in a fun glass and I wish you could've seen his little face light up when I walked in the room and sat his water down on his little table.

It took very little time and effort to serve the little guy and show him love.  You want to know how he responded?  He emerged from his room, finished schoolwork in hand, all smiles.  He felt important, special, loved and taken care of.  All because of a little extra love vs. a lecture. 

Tonight is couch bed night.  Every Thursday we make out the couch bed and the boys get to camp out with us.  This guy has a strict snuggle Daddy on the actual couch bed policy.  At lunch he snuggled next to me and said guess what Mama!  I'm snuggling YOU tonight and giving you all my best snuggles!!!

I am amazed over and over that choosing to put on love produces significantly more peaceful outcomes.  We've still had talks about attitudes today, but I feel like the words have fallen on soil that received it so much better because it had been tended to with love and understanding.

This is a lesson that I pray continues to make its way deeper into my heart and that continues to become more and more of our reality.  It does not take much to minister to these little hearts.  A little time and effort sown reaps a huge harvest of goodness.

Mary Jane's Farm

I adore Mary Jane's Farm. Her motto is,

"It's Not Where You Live, It's How You Live."

(all photos from Mary Jane's Farm)

 

She has her own quaint Bed & Breakfast, along with a full line of bedding.  A couple of years ago I was shopping at Belk when the most charming bedding set caught my eye.

I purchased the mint green and floral bedding with birthday money and have loved it every day ever since.

 

So this week we are creating our own Bed & Breakfast getaway right here at home.  This is the third year we have done this.  I fully agree with the motto, "It's not where you live, it's how you live."  For me, this little project is about creating beauty in our lives.  It is fun to think about creating a pretty, relaxing space for us.

 

The boys like dreaming together about the fancy breakfasts we'll eat this weekend.  I like thinking about the freshly ground Butter Pecan coffee I'll be purchasing on Wednesday morning.

 

So, the first element in a well appointed Bed & Breakfast is a fantastic bed.  We needed a new bed but did not want to spend $1,000 plus on a mattress.  We found this 4 1/2 inch foam mattress topper on Overstock.  It.  Has.  Been.  Heaven.  Ever since we put it on our bed.  Now we have the most plush bed to sink into every night and it was under $200 to revitalize our existing bed.

 



We also purchased an inexpensive set of 1500 thread count sheets in Mint Green which have been equally luxurious.

It doesn't have to cost a fortune to breathe new life into your bedding and it is such a luxurious gift to give yourself.

(Linking up with Women Living Well  and Knick of Time)

Shirkers & Slackers

The Bible reading plan for Shirkers & Slackers.  Yesterday I was talking to a dear friend telling her my desire to read through the Bible.  There are so many ways to do this.  I didn't want a different Bible, I wanted to settle into my very own Bible.  Reading my very own Bible allows me to settle in and get to know it. 

It begins to take the shape of a well appointed home.  I love to move.  Houses not Bibles.  But they are very similar events for me.  Moving into a new house or Bible is the same.  Everything feels new and different.  It takes awhile to find a good rhythm and to begin to feel like home.

On the housefront, when we move into a new  house the first thing we do is clean till it sparkles.  Move all our stuff in.  We hang the curtains, hang the pictures, arrange and move and get to know our way around the new space.  Over time little touches here and there continue to make it home.  The only place I want to be.

Same thing with my Bible.  The more I settle into the words on the pages, mark them, and write in the margins, the more familiar it begins to feel.

But where to begin is always the million dollar question.  This Bible reading plan for Shirkers & Slackers is money.  Simply click on the link and print off the PDF file (for free!).  Fold it in half and tuck it in your Bible. 

It is arranged by days of the week.  That way you don't feel like a failure.  If you skipped yesterday or the month of November entirely, you are not behind.  Simply pick up today and keep going.  And the article attached to the link-worth its weight in gold because it is hilarious and makes you feel normal.

Page, thanks for the info about this great reading plan!

I'm linking up with Flower Patch Farmgirl today.

Apple Scones & Devonshire Cream

What better way to enjoy an apple a day than when tucked happily inside a scone and topped with Devonshire Cream?

This is a simple recipe.  Takes under 15 minutes to whip up.

His & Hers

This in essence is a Hot Apple Cake topped with bubbly butter and sugar.  You cut the squares into scone shapes and top with the cream.

Apple Scones:
2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
3 T butter
1/4 c sugar
1 c diced apple
1 egg
2/3 c milk
Garnish: 2 T butter, 2 T sugar

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Cut in butter; add sugar and apple.  Mix in egg and milk; stir until soft dough forms.  Knead until well blended.  Spread in a greased 8x8 pan.  Top with melted butter and sprinkle sugar on top of dough.

Bake at 450 for 25 minutes.  Cut in 2x2 squares.  Cut each square in half diagonally.

Serve warm with Jam and Devonshire Cream.

Devonshire Cream:
3 oz cream cheese
1 T sugar
pinch of salt
1 c heavy whipping cream
Cream together cream cheese, sugar and salt.  Beat in cream until stiff peaks form.  Chill until serving.

Goodwife

Goodwife.

It's what the woman in our story was called today.

Goodwife kept a fire burning in her home for two solid years.  There were no matches in her day, so it was very important that she kept the fire lit.  Other women would carelessly let their fires burn out.  When they needed hot coals to rekindle the fires, they'd go to Goodwife for help.

Something about that story makes me happy.  The picture of a woman keeping her home in such a way that the fire stays lit.  Goodwife needed the fire to cook.  Don't you know the family found comfort in the crackle of the fire day in and day out.  Provision.  Comfort.  The familiar.

Two things I like to do in the evening, around 5:00pm are,

~light a candle in the main room

~turn the lamps on

It signals that dinner is almost ready.  As you get busy with homework, dinner, dishes, baths, stories, the sun goes down and your living room has a nice ambiance.

Last night I ran by a friend's house to borrow something around 8:00pm.  Her house was so peaceful.  Dinner was over, the dishwasher was humming, counters wiped, the kids were in bed and the lamps were on.  It was a place of peace.  Everything was neat and tidy and her house was cozy.  It made me want to stay for hours visiting because it was so inviting.

Your home have the exact same feel.

Goodwife.

Candles.  Lamps.  Two simple things you might want to try tonight.  See if it makes your home cozy and blesses your family.

Put It Away

Our motto around our house is, "Don't put it down, put it away!"

This one tiny practice will make a world of difference in how your home looks.

As you go from room to room, if your eye catches something out of place put it away right then.

This little step, repeated over and over throughout the day will start to pay off big dividends in the tidiness of your home!

Don't put it down, put it away!

Surprised!

This morning I opened up my box of Swiffer Duster refills.  My bedroom ceiling fan was beyond dusty.  I've been putting off cleaning it.  Tonight I want to sleep on clean sheets, so I decided to dust the fan, shake the sheets outside and toss them into the wash.

When I opened my new box of Dusters bright light and a heavenly chorus began playing right there in my laundry room.  It was the smell of heaven I'm sure!  The dusters smells amazing.  The perfect clean smell.  Ahhh.  What a pleasant surprise!  I had no idea they smelled.  Citrus and Light.  What a great description of the smell.  The dusting was needing to happen, it was going to happen today, and the beautiful smell was a wonderful surprise for me.  It caught me completely by surprise and off guard.

Something opened to complete a mundane, dirty job revealed beauty and joy.

I want this smell everywhere in my home.   Happiness, sheer happiness.

This leads me to something else I can't wait to share with you.  It's a thought from the book Simple Obsession I've been reading and the concept is from a Pastor named Hal Perkins. In talking about the fruit of the Spirit and if it is evident in your life.  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

"Pastor Hal Perkins described it this way.  He likened people to vessels that hold liquid.  Every time someone "bumps" us, something spills out. Will it be ugliness or will it be the sweet, refreshing Spirit of Christ?  The "bumping" is the test of what is truly inside.

We must examine the fruit being produced by our internal attitudes, and if we find that we see and smell little or nothing of the character of Jesus, our bridegroom, then we must return to intimate fellowship with him.  There, he can begin to transform our nature and begin to produce the fruit of righteousness and holiness-that of the fruit of the Spirit."

If you are like me, you were bumped this week and maybe something ugly spilled out.  If you are like me, you want beauty to spill out.  Beauty and light.

Christ's greatest desire is to fill us of more of Him.

To smell like the fragrance of him, even in ugly, messy situations.  That right there is evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in you.  When you are opened up expecting the ordinary only to be surprised by beauty and the smell of sweetness.

Read something in the Word today.  Anything.  Proverbs 7.  Psalm 23.  2 Corinthians 6-8.  Genesis 50:2.

You can read for 2 minutes or 20.

Open your Bible and receive a Word from your Father.

This morning after I'd dusted my room, I brought the vacuum in to sweep the carpets.  I had laid my Bible on the floor and there was something blue peeping out from a blanket right beside it. It was one of the boys swords.

How symbolic.  Two swords on the ground, right there for the taking to fight battles with.

The Sudsy Truth

Well friends you might as well know about my new bad totally liberating habit.

You know the drill.

The whites are done.

The darks are done.

The sheets have all been washed and put back on the bed.

The towels are done.

And you look into that pesky basket only to find some stragglers. How'd that black sweater, hand towel, 14 pairs of white socks and a blanket that needs to be washed on delicate make it's way into my empty basket.

You may remember this incident.

Something changed it me that day.

Don't even think I haven't gotten myself into a little habit of taking that annoying load of mis-matches and closing my eyes while I dump. it. all. in. without. even. consulting. the. labels.

Bugs & Sunshine. Getting it cleaned one medium sized jumbled load at a time.

Rest

What do you need to feel rested? If you are married, what does your husband need to feel rested? At our house we've been talking about what we each need to feel rested. Boy, the hustle and bustle of the mundane can squeeze every second out of every day if you aren't careful, can't it?

Two nights ago 3 pairs of big brown eyes were looking up at me as I stood in the bathroom brushing my teeth before bed. "Mommy, can we please snuggle ya'll tonight?" "Please, can we?" I cannot irresist those big brown eyes when they're looking so sweetly at me.

Contentment.
Utter Peace.

Stillness.

Sunday at church we were reminded that we can surrender every care into the loving hands of God. Is that a relief for you as it was for me? Big sigh. You can sit back and fall into the most comfy chair, kick your feet up and you can rest.

Yesterday I was blessed with the most wonderful treat. My friend invited me and the boys over for lunch. I brought lunch for my boys and she cooked us the most wonderful soup. She had the dining room table set for two with beautiful cloth napkins, chargers and goblets. We enjoyed soup in the dining room while the kids ate chips and sandwiches in the kitchen. Then she made a pot of freshly ground Pumpkin Pie coffee with Italian Creme creamer and we enjoyed it over a sinful, and I do mean sinful Pumpkin Delight dessert.

After lunch we sat around the table and looked at our favorite recipes and magazines and talked about ideas for the Holidays coming up.

What a treat. It was Thursday. My house has been neglected all week. It is a sticky mess. My 3 year old may or may not have worn the same tshirt and shorts 2 (today we're on 3) days in a row. And I stopped and smelled the roses thanks to a sweet friend.

Which leads me to today. Today is get my house in order day because there is a time for everything. The windows are open. The breezes are blowing through my house. My hair is in a pony tail and my bangs bobby pinned back. I've got on athletic shorts, a tshirt and tennis shoes. The washing machine is in full speed. The wood is about to get dusted. The bathrooms are going to sparkle when I'm done. The candles will be lit. Music will be filling the house with joy. And tonight I will enjoy my home.

Rest is not laziness. Rest is intentional. It is setting an example of slowing down for your kids and those around you. It recharges your batteries. It allows you to stop and think about allowing the Holy Spirit to fill your thoughts and words and spirit fully with Him. It is the place where you find peace amongst chaos.