Here is a post from this year first:
Preparing My Heart for CHRISTmas - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2011/11/preparing-my-heart-for-christmas.html
Here are the best CHRISTmas posts from years' past:
Here is a list of links to posts on holiday baking:
Baking Tips - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2011/11/baking-tips.html
Organized CHRISTmas Baking - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/12/organized-christmas-baking.html
Favorite Cookie Recipes - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/12/some-of-my-favorite-cookie-recipes.html
Paula Deen's Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/02/paula-deens-ooey-gooey-butter-cake.html
Awesome Apple Pie Recipe - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/01/awesome-apple-pie.html
Here is a list of how to organize various things for CHRISTmas:
Organized Present Giving - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/12/organized-christmas-present-giving.html
Organized Traveling - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/07/organized-vacationing.html
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge - COMPLETE
Day 10 (A Little Early) - I am thankful for my church. A church is not a building, but the people inside. My church has some of the most amazing Godly, loving, serving people you will ever meet in your whole life. The hearts of the people are just amazing. With all we have been through in the past couple of years, it is so awesome to have people who have/are praying for us, sending us cards and words of encouragement, bring us meals, and just love on us so much. It is my heart to be able to pay it back and forward as much as possible. Specifically, I am thankful for our pastor who brings the whole word of God and nothing but the word of God to the pulpit. He stands for what he believes in and never apologizes for it. He is a true man of God in his pastor role, marriage, parenting, and all that he does. Every church needs a preacher like him. Specifically, I am thankful for my moms' group which is full of ladies who love the Lord, love their husbands, and love their kids. All of these women are walking examples of Deuteronomy 6. I am so thankful each time I am with them we encourage and edify one another. Wednesday night Bible study is one of the highlights of my week. I enjoy our dinners out and nights in at someone’s home. It is just an amazing group of women. These are women I have been praying to have in my life for years.
Day 20 - Today I am thankful for answered prayers and God's faithfulness. 2 years ago on Thanksgiving Day I miscarried our 2nd pregnancy. It was devastating to say the least. I went through a brief (thank God) period of being angry with God and feeling an injustice had been done. Sometime around the end of December or beginning of January, I went to the altar and surrendered my hurt, my pain, my selfishness, and my pride and completely gave my future (or lack thereof) children (biological or adopted) to the Lord. Within a month, I found out that I was pregnant again. God answered my prayers with Nathan. I have been struggling again (not with anger, but more with fear). Today my pastor reminded me that God is always faithful and that even at a crossroads or a crisis, He will go through everything with us. I know He is faithful and can’t wait to see what He does next.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Eat at Home Challenge
We are on a tighter budget this year due to unforeseen medical expenses so I am challenging myself this month to eat at home more. Now I know a lot of you probably already do this, but we still eat out quite a bit even on a budget. My challenge for myself is to cut our estimated eating out budget down significantly this month so that we can put some of that money into CHRISTmas presents.
I decided to get together a list of 25 meals (we are eating at church 3 nights and I did it up until the 23rd) to have this month. Then I decided to go ahead and buy everything we would need for those meals. After doing all of the planning and shopping, I decided to go ahead and freezer prep/cook as much as I could to make life even easier the next 4 weeks since we will be so busy.
What I Did:
I prepped Salisbury Steak - I will only have to thaw and cook and add some rice and veggies.
I prepped Meatloaf - I will only have to thaw and cook and add some potatoes and veggies.
I cooked a pound of meat for Meaty Pizza - I will only have to thaw and toss on the pizza.
I cooked a pound of meat, peppers, and onions for Crockpot Lasagna - I will only have to thaw and toss into the lasagna in the crockpot.
I cooked 2 pounds of spaghetti sauce for Spaghetti and Baked Ziti - I will only have to make the pasta and toss in the sauce (add some cheese to the BZ).
I cooked 4 pounds of chicken for Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Stuffing Pie, and BBQ Chicken Pizza - I will just have to put everything together and bake.
I prepped a bunch of different marinades for chicken - I will only have to thaw and bake and throw together with some rice and veggies.
I prepped a few pounds of plain chicken for a few other recipes.
I am super glad that I won't have too much to do. Most of these things will go in the crockpot or oven and require a few things. NICE.
I will update on how it goes.
I would love to hear your favorite ways to save time and money on recipes. Do you freezer cook, crockpot cook, and/or cook for the week? I would love to hear some great recipes. :)
I decided to get together a list of 25 meals (we are eating at church 3 nights and I did it up until the 23rd) to have this month. Then I decided to go ahead and buy everything we would need for those meals. After doing all of the planning and shopping, I decided to go ahead and freezer prep/cook as much as I could to make life even easier the next 4 weeks since we will be so busy.
What I Did:
I prepped Salisbury Steak - I will only have to thaw and cook and add some rice and veggies.
I prepped Meatloaf - I will only have to thaw and cook and add some potatoes and veggies.
I cooked a pound of meat for Meaty Pizza - I will only have to thaw and toss on the pizza.
I cooked a pound of meat, peppers, and onions for Crockpot Lasagna - I will only have to thaw and toss into the lasagna in the crockpot.
I cooked 2 pounds of spaghetti sauce for Spaghetti and Baked Ziti - I will only have to make the pasta and toss in the sauce (add some cheese to the BZ).
I cooked 4 pounds of chicken for Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Stuffing Pie, and BBQ Chicken Pizza - I will just have to put everything together and bake.
I prepped a bunch of different marinades for chicken - I will only have to thaw and bake and throw together with some rice and veggies.
I prepped a few pounds of plain chicken for a few other recipes.
I am super glad that I won't have too much to do. Most of these things will go in the crockpot or oven and require a few things. NICE.
I will update on how it goes.
I would love to hear your favorite ways to save time and money on recipes. Do you freezer cook, crockpot cook, and/or cook for the week? I would love to hear some great recipes. :)
Friday, November 25, 2011
No Black Friday Shopping for Me this Year
For the past 2 years I have been one of the crazy people (I mean that in the best way) that gets up early or stays up late and hits up Walmart for the deals to be had. The first year we got up and went around 2am and got in line for TVs. Last year we went before midnight and got in line for various outdoor play toys. We snatch up some other great deals while we are there.
This year I didn't do Black Friday because we were at home and I didn't have my mom and sister to go with. It is always more fun (and safer) to go with someone. I was a little bummed but quickly got over it when I was in my PJs and in bed for the night by 11pm and slept until 9am. Thanks kids!
I still hope to grab some good deals over the next few weeks (probably will be shopping on Cyber Monday). It is always nice to stretch those dollars as far as you can and bless your children. My husband and I make a budget and try our very best to stick to it. We generally pick one big item and then do smaller things as well.
I would love to hear from those who went Black Friday shopping and your experiences and what deals you got.
This year I didn't do Black Friday because we were at home and I didn't have my mom and sister to go with. It is always more fun (and safer) to go with someone. I was a little bummed but quickly got over it when I was in my PJs and in bed for the night by 11pm and slept until 9am. Thanks kids!
I still hope to grab some good deals over the next few weeks (probably will be shopping on Cyber Monday). It is always nice to stretch those dollars as far as you can and bless your children. My husband and I make a budget and try our very best to stick to it. We generally pick one big item and then do smaller things as well.
I would love to hear from those who went Black Friday shopping and your experiences and what deals you got.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Delegating to Children
I know that I have posted on this topic before but I cannot express enough how important it is for children to help out in a household. Kids need to have a role in a family and chores is another way of giving them that. I think it gives them a great feeling when they serve others. Maybe Luke is different but he actually likes helping out. He feels part of the team.
At 5 years old he:
1) Makes his bed daily. We probably started having him make his own bed around 3 1/2 to 4 years old. WARNING: When you start having your kids make their bed, it won't look great the first time, or even for months, but eventually they will do it better and better. Don't go behind and fix it or it will squash their feeling of independence and helping out.
2) Removes his sheets and brings them to the laundry room to be laundered once a week. He doesn't put the fitted sheet or pillow case on yet because he can't seem to get it to work, but he does put his comforter back on his bed.
3) Puts all dirty clothes in his hamper daily and brings the hamper to the laundry room to be laundered once or twice a week. He can fold some clothes. He takes the clean clothes and distributes them in his dresser and closet.
4) Cleans the sinks in their bathroom. I give him a Lysol wipe and he scrubs the sinks and counters.
5) Cleans up all toys. He started cleaning up toys around 18 months. I absolutely refuse to clean up toys.
6) Sets the table. He climbs up on his stool and gets the dishes, paper towels, and utensils. He sets the place settings. He also helps take over other things as I need (ie condiments, food that is ready).
7) Clears the table. He brings over the dirty dishes to me so that I can wash them and load the dishwasher.
8) Wipes down the table and chairs. I give him a clean washcloth and he wipes everything down.
9) Sweeps up the crumbs. He has a little dustpan and brush and he goes around getting up the crumbs. This is one of my favorite things that he helps with.
10) Dusts. I give him a Swiffer duster and he goes to town.
I think it is great teaching our kids in phases to help out. A it gives me less to have to do and more time to spend playing with them. B it gives them a sense of responsibility and teaches service and hospitality.
What do you have your kids do?
At 5 years old he:
1) Makes his bed daily. We probably started having him make his own bed around 3 1/2 to 4 years old. WARNING: When you start having your kids make their bed, it won't look great the first time, or even for months, but eventually they will do it better and better. Don't go behind and fix it or it will squash their feeling of independence and helping out.
2) Removes his sheets and brings them to the laundry room to be laundered once a week. He doesn't put the fitted sheet or pillow case on yet because he can't seem to get it to work, but he does put his comforter back on his bed.
3) Puts all dirty clothes in his hamper daily and brings the hamper to the laundry room to be laundered once or twice a week. He can fold some clothes. He takes the clean clothes and distributes them in his dresser and closet.
4) Cleans the sinks in their bathroom. I give him a Lysol wipe and he scrubs the sinks and counters.
5) Cleans up all toys. He started cleaning up toys around 18 months. I absolutely refuse to clean up toys.
6) Sets the table. He climbs up on his stool and gets the dishes, paper towels, and utensils. He sets the place settings. He also helps take over other things as I need (ie condiments, food that is ready).
7) Clears the table. He brings over the dirty dishes to me so that I can wash them and load the dishwasher.
8) Wipes down the table and chairs. I give him a clean washcloth and he wipes everything down.
9) Sweeps up the crumbs. He has a little dustpan and brush and he goes around getting up the crumbs. This is one of my favorite things that he helps with.
10) Dusts. I give him a Swiffer duster and he goes to town.
I think it is great teaching our kids in phases to help out. A it gives me less to have to do and more time to spend playing with them. B it gives them a sense of responsibility and teaches service and hospitality.
What do you have your kids do?
Baking Tips
With Thanksgiving and CHRISTmas upon us, I thought that I would share some of my favorite baking tips. I LOVE TO BAKE!!! I love getting in the kitchen with all of my supplies and ingredients and just baking away. I also (obviously) love to be organized with it. ;)
Favorite Baking Tips:
#1 - Keep a good supply of baking needs (flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, cinnamon) on hand. Stock up around the holidays because that is when they put stuff on sale the most.
#2 - Have a few sets of measuring tools (tsp, Tbsp, cups) and bowls so that you can bake more efficiently.
#3 - Use the same dry measuring tool as much as you can to cut down on washing. For example, if you need 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup of flour, just use the 1/2 cup measuring cup for both.
#4 - For consistency in baking, measure everything. When I make a batch of cookies, I use the same sized spoon to make equal sized cookies.
#5 - Invest in good supplies. Wilton has the best cookie sheets (I got my set with a 40% off coupon). I also like Pampered Chef tsp, Tbsp, and measuring cups. They are gradual so you can measure lots of things in the same spoon.
#6 - Enjoy yourself. Put on some music. Have a beverage or snack to keep you going. Get your kids to help where they can.
Favorite Baking Tips:
#1 - Keep a good supply of baking needs (flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, cinnamon) on hand. Stock up around the holidays because that is when they put stuff on sale the most.
#2 - Have a few sets of measuring tools (tsp, Tbsp, cups) and bowls so that you can bake more efficiently.
#3 - Use the same dry measuring tool as much as you can to cut down on washing. For example, if you need 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup of flour, just use the 1/2 cup measuring cup for both.
#4 - For consistency in baking, measure everything. When I make a batch of cookies, I use the same sized spoon to make equal sized cookies.
#5 - Invest in good supplies. Wilton has the best cookie sheets (I got my set with a 40% off coupon). I also like Pampered Chef tsp, Tbsp, and measuring cups. They are gradual so you can measure lots of things in the same spoon.
#6 - Enjoy yourself. Put on some music. Have a beverage or snack to keep you going. Get your kids to help where they can.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Great Fall Dish
Even though it isn't cold today (YAY!), I decided to make a hearty dinner of Salisbury Steak, rice, and veggies. I am really getting into using my crockpot more so I can prepare dinner in the morning/afternoon and do very little around dinner time (AKA "crazy hour"). So today I made the Salisbury Steak using this recipe:
http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/01/salisbury-steak.html
I decided to just brown the patties on both sides and threw them in the crockpot with a couple jars of the beef gravy on high (probably could have done low) for a few hours. They finished cooking and got very tender so I just diced it all up and it was a great mixture to throw on top of rice. Around dinner time I just cooked some green beans and some rice in a bag. Easy peasy to quote Rachael Ray. ;)
http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/01/salisbury-steak.html
I decided to just brown the patties on both sides and threw them in the crockpot with a couple jars of the beef gravy on high (probably could have done low) for a few hours. They finished cooking and got very tender so I just diced it all up and it was a great mixture to throw on top of rice. Around dinner time I just cooked some green beans and some rice in a bag. Easy peasy to quote Rachael Ray. ;)
Friday, November 18, 2011
Preparing My Heart for CHRISTmas
I know that we haven't celebrated Thanksgiving and this post is not to jump over Thanksgiving. I LOVE THANKSGIVING as I said in my previous post. It seems like the hustle and bustle of CHRISTmas seems to start November 1st. We prepare our CHRISTmas present list (whether it be for presents we will be buying or ones that we desire for ourselves), cards we need to send, foods we are going to make. We fill in our calendar with what seems like a never ending list of activities. We get our homes all decorated. As we prepare our lists, our calendars, and our homes for CHRISTmas, let's not forget to prepare our hearts.
What in the world am I talking about? Well, CHRISTmas is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and remember that the little baby in the manger was/is the Savior of the world. He is also the 33 year old man who lived a sinless life and died an unfair, unjust, unmerciful death on the cross to take away the sins of those who would believe in Him. He is also the King of Kings who sits at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf. And He is the Lord of Lords who is coming again. We think back on the past, are thankful for the present, and are hopeful for the future we have in Christ Jesus.
I will share a few things that we do in our home/family in case anyone is interested and I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU DO IN YOURS.
#1 - We celebrate Advent for the 25 days of CHRISTmas. We use a very cute program called The Advent Event - http://theadventevent.com/index.php. *I did not get paid to endorse this program.* Each day you read a story working your way through the Bible and the kids color an ornament. Last year we just taped them across the wall in sequential order. It is a great way to show how Jesus is prevalent throughout the whole Bible. In the Old Testament people were waiting for Him and in the New Testament He arrives. We finish by talking about how we are waiting for Him to return again.
#2 - We get an Angel Tree child and shop for him/her. Before the twins were born we would just pick a child, but now we get one the age Alexis would have been and do it in memory of her. It is a sweet way to remember her and bless another child.
#3 - We go CHRISTmas caroling with our church. It is so fun to go with a big group and sing CHRISTmas songs and bless people. It is so much fun.
#4 - We go to our church's CHRISTmas musical.
#5 - We do a countdown to Santa. We draw a Santa and put the numbers on his beard. Then we glue a cotton ball each day to show how many days until he will be here.
#6 - This year we will write a letter to Santa since Luke knows how to write better.
#7 - We make homemade ornaments. The last 2 years we made dough ones and baked them and Luke painted them. It is really fun because he gets to make the dough and cookie cut and paint.
#8 - We make homemade cookies. I love to get Luke in the kitchen and bake batches of cookies. We have so much fun and make a mess but turn out some yummy cookies.
#9 - We make a gingerbread house. We use a kit and it is really easy and fun. You can find these on major sale after CHRISTmas.
#10 - We watch CHRISTmas movies and eat popcorn.
My goal this year is to have an activity to do every day until CHRISTmas. I am still coming up with more ideas.
I would love to hear things you do.
What in the world am I talking about? Well, CHRISTmas is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and remember that the little baby in the manger was/is the Savior of the world. He is also the 33 year old man who lived a sinless life and died an unfair, unjust, unmerciful death on the cross to take away the sins of those who would believe in Him. He is also the King of Kings who sits at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf. And He is the Lord of Lords who is coming again. We think back on the past, are thankful for the present, and are hopeful for the future we have in Christ Jesus.
I will share a few things that we do in our home/family in case anyone is interested and I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU DO IN YOURS.
#1 - We celebrate Advent for the 25 days of CHRISTmas. We use a very cute program called The Advent Event - http://theadventevent.com/index.php. *I did not get paid to endorse this program.* Each day you read a story working your way through the Bible and the kids color an ornament. Last year we just taped them across the wall in sequential order. It is a great way to show how Jesus is prevalent throughout the whole Bible. In the Old Testament people were waiting for Him and in the New Testament He arrives. We finish by talking about how we are waiting for Him to return again.
#2 - We get an Angel Tree child and shop for him/her. Before the twins were born we would just pick a child, but now we get one the age Alexis would have been and do it in memory of her. It is a sweet way to remember her and bless another child.
#3 - We go CHRISTmas caroling with our church. It is so fun to go with a big group and sing CHRISTmas songs and bless people. It is so much fun.
#4 - We go to our church's CHRISTmas musical.
#5 - We do a countdown to Santa. We draw a Santa and put the numbers on his beard. Then we glue a cotton ball each day to show how many days until he will be here.
#6 - This year we will write a letter to Santa since Luke knows how to write better.
#7 - We make homemade ornaments. The last 2 years we made dough ones and baked them and Luke painted them. It is really fun because he gets to make the dough and cookie cut and paint.
#8 - We make homemade cookies. I love to get Luke in the kitchen and bake batches of cookies. We have so much fun and make a mess but turn out some yummy cookies.
#9 - We make a gingerbread house. We use a kit and it is really easy and fun. You can find these on major sale after CHRISTmas.
#10 - We watch CHRISTmas movies and eat popcorn.
My goal this year is to have an activity to do every day until CHRISTmas. I am still coming up with more ideas.
I would love to hear things you do.
Italian Chicken Subs
I am always looking for good lunch ideas. I am not a big sandwich girl, unless it is a hot sandwich or at least the bread is toasted. Today I came up with one really quick and it turned out delicious. Best part, it is really easy.
Italian Chicken Subs
Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
1 small can tomato sauce
More Italian seasoning
Shredded Italian cheese
Hoagies/sub rolls
Directions:
Cook the chicken in a pan with a little olive oil and Italian seasoning.
Add the tomato sauce and more Italian seasoning.
Let simmer about 10-15 minutes.
Put on warm hoagie/sub roll.
Add some cheese.
I tossed it in the microwave to melt the cheese.
YUMMY! :)
Italian Chicken Subs
Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
1 small can tomato sauce
More Italian seasoning
Shredded Italian cheese
Hoagies/sub rolls
Directions:
Cook the chicken in a pan with a little olive oil and Italian seasoning.
Add the tomato sauce and more Italian seasoning.
Let simmer about 10-15 minutes.
Put on warm hoagie/sub roll.
Add some cheese.
I tossed it in the microwave to melt the cheese.
YUMMY! :)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Preparing for Thanksgiving
I LOVE THANKSGIVING!!!! It is one of my favorite holidays. I love taking time out to really think about what I am thankful for and I am all about any holiday involving yummy food. As much as I love to cook and bake, I don't host Thanksgiving. We are going to my in-laws' house on Thanksgiving Day and my family's the day after. The only thing I will be making is homemade apple pie. Pretty easy.
I really like to take time to think about what I am thankful for. Each year, I write up a list of what I am thankful for to see God's provision that year as well as anything new that has happened. I love going back and reading them to see what awesome things God has done in my life. I encourage you to put to paper what you are thankful for as a way to sort of journal your life each year.
I also like to spend time with my family talking about what we are thankful for, not just on Thanksgiving, but the days leading up to it. It is a great way to really think about what we have and it cuts down on complaining about what we don't (or even things we do).
I would love to hear your Thanksgiving traditions.
I really like to take time to think about what I am thankful for. Each year, I write up a list of what I am thankful for to see God's provision that year as well as anything new that has happened. I love going back and reading them to see what awesome things God has done in my life. I encourage you to put to paper what you are thankful for as a way to sort of journal your life each year.
I also like to spend time with my family talking about what we are thankful for, not just on Thanksgiving, but the days leading up to it. It is a great way to really think about what we have and it cuts down on complaining about what we don't (or even things we do).
I would love to hear your Thanksgiving traditions.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Homemade Dish Detergent
Ingredients:
1 cup Borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup citric acid (or unsweetened lemonade packets)
Directions:
Mix all together.
You use 1 Tbsp per load.
1 cup Borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup citric acid (or unsweetened lemonade packets)
Directions:
Mix all together.
You use 1 Tbsp per load.
Homemade Laundry Detergent
3 Ingredients:
Soap: A whole bar of Ivory soap.
Washing Soda: Found on the laundry aisle - Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. THIS IS NOT BAKING SODA!
Borax: Found on the laundry aisle - 20 Mule Team.
Recipe:
1 bar Ivory soap
½ cup washing soda
½ cup Borax powder
2 gallon sized bucket
Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.
Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.
Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.
Remove from heat.
Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.
Now add your soap mixture and stir.
Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.
Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.
You use ½ cup per load.
I also found another one that I haven't tried yet:
Same ingredients.
Grate the soap.
Add the Borax and washing soda.
Shake well.
You use 1-2 Tbsp per load.
Homemade Pumpkin Cake
This is a tasty and easy recipe for pumpkin cake. I LOVE AUTUMN and anything pumpkin.
Homemade Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 can (15oz) pumpkin
1 cup oil
4 large eggs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together really well.
Grease and flour (or spray with PAM) 13x9 pan or bundt cake pan.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake for roughly 1 hour or until done (I did like 45 minutes - my oven is fast).
Let the cake cook.
You can put icing on it, but I like it without.
You could do a cream cheese frosting or light icing.
Homemade Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 can (15oz) pumpkin
1 cup oil
4 large eggs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together really well.
Grease and flour (or spray with PAM) 13x9 pan or bundt cake pan.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake for roughly 1 hour or until done (I did like 45 minutes - my oven is fast).
Let the cake cook.
You can put icing on it, but I like it without.
You could do a cream cheese frosting or light icing.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Sorry and New Post
First let me say sorry that I haven’t posted in nearly a month. The month of October always seems to be a busy month for us, especially now that we have a baby with an October birthday.
I know that I have posted about this before, but it’s been awhile so I figured I would post about it again hopefully with a different spin.
People think that my home is always perfectly clean and organized, but that is not always the case. I would love for it to be and at times it has been, but in the past 2 years with upgrading to a bigger home, being pregnant, officially starting homeschooling, and adding another child to the mix, it has been pretty much impossible to keep this house perfect.
I have figured out the key areas in my home and life that have to be organized and decently clean in order to help me function as a human being, wife, mom, homemaker, and homeschooler.
#1 – The Kitchen
I don’t know about you but the kitchen seems to be the place that needs to be cleaned the most in my home. With 4 people, 3 of which are home most of the day, eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks each day in there, it is a 24/7 cleaning job. How do I keep it up? I have daily benchmarks that I aim to meet.
Morning:
In the morning I come down and make sure that everything is clean. If the dishwasher was run the night before and dishes are in the left side of the sink dry and ready to put away, I put all of the dishes away. Any dirty dishes get done. I make sure all counters, table, chairs, and high chair are clean. I make sure the floor is pretty clean. On a good morning all I am doing is putting away clean dishes. On a bad morning I am scrubbing and washing dishes left from dinner. J
After Each Meal/Snack:
I really try to wash dishes, load the dishwasher, and wipe surfaces after each meal/snack. If I do this, it doesn’t pile up and each time we come to the kitchen for another meal/snack, we have a clean work area.
After Dinner:
I really try to wash all cooking dishes as I cook (that is a major help). After dinner, my goal is to wash all dishes and pots and load the dishwasher or put in the left side of the sink (where clean dishes dry). I wipe all surfaces really well. I sweep the floor. If it is dirty, I try to Swiffer mop the floor (especially under the table). It is helping having Lee do baths after dinner giving me more time to do this.
#2 – The Living Room
We play, watch TV, rest, and snack in our living room. My goal was that it wouldn’t be a play room but it is. It just has to be with the myriad of tasks that have to be done in the kitchen throughout the day. Again, I have daily benchmarks that I aim to meet.
Morning:
In the morning I come down and make sure the living room is straightened. I put away blankets that may have been used the night before. I straighten up any snack refuse. I put away remotes. I make sure the toys are not out of control. Ideally, there aren’t toys everywhere because they have been cleaned up the night before. This takes just a few minutes.
Afternoon & Before Daddy Comes Home:
We try to do a quick clean up of toys.
Before Kids Go to Bed:
We aim to clean up the toys.
#3 – The Homeschool Room
Since we homeschool 3-4 days a week, this room has to stay straightened up for my sanity. We have a shelf for all supplies with little plastic containers for each thing (crayons, markers, pencils, etc). We have another shelf for all of our materials. As we do school we straighten up and when we are done we do a big straightening. It is nice to come in each day to an organized, straightened room.
Other Tasks that Make Life Smoother:
Making Beds
I make the master bed and Luke makes his bed. I love the way a room looks when you walk in and the bed is made. It seriously takes like 1 minute but it makes a huge difference in a room. I also think it tends to make you make less mess in that room throughout the day.
Straightening Up Toys
I love the way it looks when toys are organized and straightened up. I aim to train my kids by about 2 years old to clean up their own toys.
Laundry
I aim to do at least 1 load of laundry each day or 2 loads every other day. I don’t like for it to pile up. I try to toss a load in first thing in the morning and have it done by lunchtime.
I have found that these things help my life run smoother and make my home appear cleaner when people come over.
What are the things you have to have clean and/or organized to run smoothly in your life/home?
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