Making Your Home a Haven

One of my favorite bloggers is Courtney over at Women Living Well. She is inspired to help women understand and become the kind of women God has intended for us to become.

She is starting a new Fall Challenge that I am eager to take on. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I love a good challenge to keep me motivated.

As Courtney writes:

"Stuffed full calendars and to-do lists sky high can leave the entire family feeling tense during the holiday season. I believe we can create a physical environment, as well as a spiritual environment, that can bring peace, harmony and a sense of calmness to our homes if we are willing to be intentional."

This is what I'm after this holiday season. A time to slow down, appreciate the things we already have, and connect more meaningfully with those we love. 

As the week 1 challenge begins today, I've lit my candle in the kitchen. It will be burning brightly all day to encourage me as I work, bring calm over my children at dinner, and catch our blessings as we go to sleep.

Read the rest of Courtney's post here. Then, let me know if you've lit your candle today.

Real Food - Pumpkin Spice Latte

Those who know me, know I love my coffee. I usually drink it black, but when given the opportunity I like the foo-foo drinks at the coffee shop. With my intentions to reduce our discretionary spending and to reduce the processed food we eat, I haven't been able to indulge in my warm cups of comfort that often.

Thanks to Aliesha over at Feathers in Our Nest, I now have a great recipe to make Pumpkin Spice Lattes at home. Of course, this recipe is much cheaper than the coffee shop version and much healthier.

Finding this recipe on Pinterest, made me thankful for all the wonderful ideas shared online, but at the same time a bit wistful. All these great ideas shared, all the pins I've made to my boards, but hardly any of the projects or recipes acted upon. So, I've decided to pick a Pinterest project of the week to try and share the results with you all. I'm looking forward to getting a bit crafty as the holidays approach and adding new recipes to our weekly menus.

So enjoy a cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte with me and share your thoughts.

Throw Out 50 Things - The Kitchen

I tackled the kitchen today as part of the Throw Out 50 Things Challenge. I have to admit that I cut a few corners in going through the kitchen. I didn't exactly sort through each drawer and cupboard, but rather took a cursory look and pulled out a few things. On the plus side, I did manage to gather up a few things to throw out that have remained in the keep pile through a few clearings done prior to my garage sales.

So, my list of 50 things continues:

20. Two serving dishes
21. Five miscellaneous plastic ware items
22. Two can coolers
23. Six assorted cups, glasses, and water bottles
24. One candy mold
25. Five expired bottles of vitamins and over-the-counter medications
26. Four cookbooks
27. One food scale

Well, I'm half way to my goal with only three rooms down. I haven't even gotten to the storage room or garage yet where there's likely to be many more items to throw out. Next, I'll be moving on to the dining room. It's a pretty basic room with only a hutch for storage so it's not likely to add a number of items to the throw out pile, but I'm sure I'll find a couple things we no longer need.

Check back with me in a few days and in the meantime, let me know how your progress is going.

Happy Halloween

Thanks to Anna over at The Princess and the Frog Blog for this awesome idea for healthy Halloween treats. My kids love clementines and adding the faces is so quick and easy. These were a fun treat for their snack to take to school today.

We also went healthier on the treats to hand out at our house with all-natural fruit snacks and Halloween-themed pencils. (Had I seen this clementine idea before I purchased the other treats, I would have done these for the trick-or-treaters instead.) I know some kids might roll their eyes when they see what they are getting from our house, but I also know some parents will be thankful that it's not another sugary piece of candy.

What are you handing out at your house?

Pumpkin Cookies

Given the season, I'm inspired to bake something pumpkin-y. We have a number of gatherings this week, so these iced pumpkin cookies will serve many.

I've made these many times and like to add raisins to some of the cookie dough for variety. When my kids help bake them, we usually end up adding chocolate chips to another portion of the dough. They all taste great!

To add more depth to the flavor, I will also substitute whole wheat flour for half the white flour, and a 1/2 cup brown sugar for some of the white sugar. Get the original recipe here.

I enjoy baking with pumpkin and stocking the freezer with homemade treats that are easy to pull out for snacks and desserts. By Christmas time, our freezer will be overflowing with a variety of foods from the harvest to take us through the cold winter months.

What's your favorite pumpkin recipe? I'm always looking for something new to bake...

Throw Out 50 Things - The Bathroom

Perhaps this was divine intervention as it made the process easier to decide what to throw out. So with that drawer and the rest of the bathroom, here's my progress toward throwing out 50 things.

It's a good thing it was the week to clear out the bathroom of unnecessary items for the Throw Out 50 Things Challenge. As I opened one of the drawers a few nights ago, I found that most of the contents in the drawer where covered in a blue foam.

So began the process of emptying the drawer and finding the culprit.Thankfully, my husband helped out to make it go quicker. We found his can of shaving cream had blown its top and shaving cream had oozed from the can. As the foam expanded, it worked its way across most of the drawer and everything in it.


9.   Two pair of glasses and 2 extra glass cases that will be donated to our local Lion's Club
10. Six hair accessories
11. Three bottles of nail polish and a nail dryer I didn't even know I had
12. A hair dryer that only blows cool air
13. Two makeup brush sets
14. Six makeup products that haven't been used in years and six product samples way past their expiration
15. Four half full bottles of body lotion
16. A perfume mister
17. Two bulb syringes from when the boys were babies
18. Ten bottles of expired medication - over the counter and prescription
19. Two electric razors

Our box headed for Goodwill is beginning to fill up as is our garbage can.

Next, I tackle the kitchen. This is an area that needs me to be ruthless since I'm running out of cupboard space. I'll see how many items I can pull from this area - my goal is to add another 7 items to my list. Check back with me in a few days to see how I do.

In the Name of Youth and Beauty

As part of the Throw Out 50 Things Challenge, I'm making my way through the bathroom this week. I only had a few minutes between other tasks and appointments yesterday, but this photo shows what I came up with after only going through three drawers.

The health and beauty industry is one of the largest in our country...and most of it is due to our never-ending search for youth and beauty. If any place in our life is susceptible to fads, it's down the beauty aisle. All those little bottles of cream and color give us hope that we can erase the tired, stressed, and hopeless parts of our lives.

Now, don't get me wrong...it will still be a long time before I'm seen out in public without a bit of makeup. But, I'm giving serious attention to the cause of some of the issues I'm trying to cover up with all these potions and tools. If I look tired in the morning, it's a reminder that I need to not stay up late working on the computer. If I looked stressed, I'm reminded I should go for a walk. And if it's a day when things are looking a bit hopeless, I know to pick up the phone to talk to a friend or even better, pick up the bible and see what it has to tell me.

I'm still a work in progress and am thankful everyday that my family and friends accept me that way. I know God won't be noticing if my lipstick isn't the right shade when we meet. So I'll work through the rest of the bathroom drawers to see what's ready to be thrown out and will report back on the progress on Monday.

How are you doing on your Throw Out 50 Things Challenge?

Freezer Cooking - Cinnamon Rolls

The kids are always looking for something a little extra special for breakfast on the weekends. After swearing off frozen pastries and waffles, this is my go-to recipe for our breakfast treats. These cinnamon rolls are so easy to make and best of all they freeze well. I can make a couple batches at once to keep in the freezer or to share with others.

So today the bread machine was doing most of the work while I did work on the computer. Then, a quick 10 minutes and I had three pans of cinnamon rolls ready to put in the freezer. 

This recipe is so versatile too. On occasion, I'll use jam in place of the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon filling called for in the recipe. I've turned out peach, cherry, and strawberry danish using this method. All are great as attested to by the speed with which my kids eat them up. 

For other great freezer meal ideas, check out MoneySavingMom.com. 

Throw Out 50 Things - The Bedroom

We're off to a great start in our Throw Out 50 Things Challenge. This past week, I tackled the master bedroom. This area tends to be a catch-all for things in transition - extra blankets, pictures that need to be hung, gifts that need to be wrapped. So after moving items to there proper space, I still found a number of items to throw out.

So my list of 50 things begins:
1. 5 pairs of socks
2. Cat scratching post
3. 5 books
4. Tote bag received at a trade show
5. 5 shirts
6. a pair of sweatpants
7. Jewelry - watch, necklace, 4 pair of earrings, 6 pins
8. Rose figurine

Even though I go through our house at least once a year to find items to get rid of, it still amazes me at what I continue to find. For me, the clothes were easier to get rid of this time since I hadn't worn them since my last round of decluttering. And the figurine, even though it was given to me by my husband during our courtship, I have another figurine given he gave to me on our first anniversary that means more...and I like better.

To add even more satisfaction to this decluttering, we're already dropped off the items for donation at Goodwill so they are completely gone. I'm sure we'll be making another trip there in the next couple weeks...I've already got my box ready to fill up.

Can't wait to tackle the bathroom this week. Let me know how your progress is going. I'm cheering you on...

Cabbage Soup

Years ago I followed the Weight Watchers diet. This recipe for cabbage soup is still one of my favorite soup recipes. I usually double the recipe and divide it up into single serve portions. It freezes well and tastes even better after reheating.

Since my favorite grower at our local farmer's market gave me a huge head of cabbage this week, I'm making a big pot of this vegetable soup today. But instead of freezing the extras, I'm going to be delivering some to a couple neighbors. One family just had a baby; so this along with a warm loaf of bread will be a no-hassle dinner for them. Another friend is recovering from surgery and I plan to visit her tomorrow. This will be easy enough for her to heat up and have for lunch or dinner this week.

There's nothing like a warm bowl of soup and a slice of fresh bread to welcome friends and build community. What's your favorite soup? We usually have a pot on every weekend and I'm always looking to try a new recipe.

Throw Out 50 Things Challenge: Rules of Disengagement

We're starting this week with our challenge to Throw Out 50 Things.

As Gail Blanke states in her book and the accompanying workbook, to be successful in this process you need to learn the Rules of Disengagement:

1. If it weighs you down or makes you feel bad about yourself, throw it out and move on.

2. If it just sits there and doesn't contribute to anything positive in your life, throw it out and move on.

3. Don't make the decision to toss or keep it a hard one. If you are taking too long to make a decision, throw it out and move on.

4. Don't be afraid. You don'e have the time, energy or room for physical or psychic waste.

So, with your garbage bags, sticky-notes, marker, and the Rules of Disengagement, you are ready to begin.

I'm tackling the bedroom first and will report on the results on Monday. I encourage you to do the same and I look forward to hearing from you along the journey.

Throw Out Fifty Things

When I first read Gail Blanke's book, Throw Out Fifty Things, I knew I had to go through the process. The idea of removing clutter, both physical and mental, was enticing. However, life got busy...as it usually does...and I read through the book without implementing any of the steps.

Well, now's the time! I'm going to do it! I'm going to throw out 50 (or more) things. I'm going to clear my home, office, and mind so that I can focus on what truly matters in my life now.

I invite you to follow along with me on this journey. Pick up a copy of Gail's book at your local library or on Amazon. Then, download a copy of the corresponding workbook here. I'll be moving through each chapter of the book and posting my results here.

Watch this message from Gail to get started on your journey. Chapter 1 awaits...in the Bedroom. How many things can you throw out in there? I'll post my results next Monday. Can't wait to hear your results.
 
Find more videos like this on Throw Out Fifty Things

Living and Active - 5 week challenge

I've been waiting for September...I love fall...and it feels to me like the start of a new year. With kids, my new year begins with the start of school...not January. So, I've been thinking about things I want to accomplish this year.

I came across the Living and Active 5 Week Fall Challenge and it seems perfect for jump starting a number of the goals I've set for myself. Consider joining me for this challenge. I'd love to have the company.