The Spice of Life......

In the midst of my decluttering and reorganising frenzy I decided that the way I had been storing my herbs and spices was not working for me.

I had some in my tiny drawers in the top cupboards and the rest in a spinning carousel.

I cleared out one of the drawers under my hob and inserted some plastic containers then put all the spices in there.

It worked well except that I could no longer read the lables!

I had recently bought three new jars from Tesco (on special offer) and notice that the had lables on the top too.

Some of mine were a little past their best so today I bought 10 new jars at Tesco (all on offer at 50p each (cheaper that a refill).

They were also doing an offer "spend £20 get £5 off £40 next week", so I split my shopping into 2 lots £20.25 and £20.55 (I also picked up 2 £1 off coupons in the leaflet on the way in and used them) so next week I can get 2 lots of £40 with £5 off each.

Planning for an Organised Christmas

When my daughter was here the other day we were discussing Christmas activities. I said that I was considering not putting up any Christmas decorations this year because we have so much we need to accomplish in the house and when I added that to my sons illness it all seemed a bit much.

This year there will only be my husband, my son and myself here for Christmas.

My husband does not bother with Christmas decorations and my son is now 15 and his illness makes him sleep an average of 18 or 19 hours a day so I doubt he will even notice the difference.

So you see I can't get away with pretending that I just "do it for the kids"!

But my daughter pointed out that if I don't decorate it will make me miserable and that will make other people miserable too.

So today I sat down and started to make my plan.

I am going to spend the next two weeks carrying on with my cleaning, organising and de-cluttering of the house.

I avoid doing "stuff" on a Sunday so that gives me twelve days.... That's twice round the house and two shopping days.

The following six working days will be for decorations, get them out, put them up, put the boxes away.

That means the advent decorations will be out in time and the rest up and the mess tidied away by the first Monday in December.

That means from then till Christmas week I can concentrate on my big homemaking project which is to swap our bedroom into the largest room and make our old room into a room for fostering.

We did originally use the biggest room for fostering, but once we had a child in place I realised that I did not have anywhere to have my quiet time in peace.

The young man we had in place wanted a smaller room anyway so when he moved into another room I made the corner of the large room into my prayer place.

It is going to be a big job to get the two rooms as they should be, but if my decorations are up then I will have somewhere lovely to relax in between working on them.

That Classic Mummy Bear, Daddy Bear Problem!

Be careful what you wish for....

My wonderful new mattress came and it was just what I wanted.

My poor husband on the other hand was not so impressed, he felt it was a little on the soft side....

Poor man cant even turn over because it is so soft he is stuck down a hole.

Unlike Mummy Bear (with her soft bed) and Daddy Bear (with his hard bed) we don't want to have to have separate beds so hopefully we can find a solution to our problem.

I will try putting some added support under his side and if that does not work I will have to fit his side with an escape hatch!

Not So Frugal

I am getting a new mattress delivered today.

I was originally going to have a new bed, but I just could not find one that I liked as much as my old one.

I couldn't wait any longer for a new mattress as I have had terrible problems with my hip (on the side I lie on) and I think it may be because of the mattress.

I hunted down a good bargin, so why "not so frugal"?

Because I am getting a new mattress I was suddenly struck down with a terrible urge for a new quilt and new bedding!

I know it is pure greed! So I am resisting the temptation.

I will buy a new mattress protector and pillow protectors for the free pillows that are coming with the mattress (to protect my investment!).

Strange how getting one thing new can make you want even more!

Watch out for the greedy bug (I have stommped on mine, but it comes from a big family).

Finding Beauty in the Ordinary....

My calling to be a wife and mother involves a lot of mundane and routine tasks. These can seem so unimportant and even worthless by the standards of the world, until I consider that they are part of a bigger plan God's plan for my family. Joy and beauty can be found in the simplest of things especially when you realise you are seeing them in the presence of Almighty God. The trouble with home making is that the list of "to do's" is never ending. I make this worse because by nature I have no sense of balance.... I don't mean that I keep falling over, but I have a bit of an obsessive personality. This means that I am great at big projects, such as decorating a room where I like to get stuck in and will literally work till I drop and get it all done in record time, ending up with a real sense of accomplishment. I am not so suited to the maintaining the daily tasks which make for smooth running of a household. This is where discipline comes in, together with planning and scheduling. I am great at planning and scheduling.... not so good at sticking to it. There are so many thing I know make my life easier, menu planning, keeping an inventory of food we have in, keeping to a set bedtime, but still I wrestle against them. I have read and researched lots of information on homemaking and some has been useless to me and some has been really helpful. The Flylady site is a great resource for anyone who is in a mess and overwhelmed with taking care of their home. I love her principles and although I think there are a lot of great ideas on her site her system does not quite "fit" my families needs. I took from it what works for us. One of the things I did like was how she splits the home into "zones" which is a great idea, but where she spends a week at a time in one zone I prefer to do a different zone each day.

Just One Thing…………….

What one thing could you do to improve your life?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your walk with the Lord? (to make it closer, more committed, more regular or more joyful) What one thing will enable you to have a better relationship with the one you were created to have fellowship with?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your relationship with your husband? (to remove tension, create love and honour the man God gave you to look after and be a helpmeet to) Think about the things which come from your mouth which can tear down your husband instead of building him up - what one change will make the biggest difference?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your relationship with your children? (to make them safer, more secure, better trained or just to remind you that they are a blessing and not a curse) - what one thing is their greatest need?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your home? (to make it better, cleaner, more organized, more welcoming, prettier or more homely). Look around - if you were about to have visitors what one thing would you want to do before they arrived - what one thing will make the biggest difference?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your organization? (to make things run smoother, better, easier and with less stress) What is the one thing that you know makes your life easier - but you still do not do regularly?

Lord give me the grace I need this day and grow in me the gentle and quiet spirit that is so precious to you.....

I found this beautiful Letter by Laine - Truly an inspiration.
If you would like to read more of her lovely letters just click on the title of this entry and it will take you to this letter the link to the archive is at the bottom.
What an amazing message this is and how intimately Laine draws us into her world. There is so much to think about in it, I don’t know about you, but part of me just wants to “be” Laine. That of course is not the point tut tut naughty me.

Laine’s and God’s intention is that we learn from her and women like her and I am so glad that she took up the gauntlet and gave us a window on her life in true Titus Two fashion.

When you find something like this what do you do with it? Do you just get teary eyed and then forget all about it as the demands of daily life take over once again?

What is the point of a Titus Two Sister putting in the effort to share if we do not find a way to apply the relevant advice to our own lives.

I am going to reply to this letter (the beginning of my reply is marked by more stars) and in doing so I will glean wisdom from this lovely sister and (hopefully) make it my own…..


Dear Sisters,
Oh, it was a lovely weekend. I made an angel food cake and calzones. Abbie and I made molasses-chew cookies. I was thinking this weekend of the pleasures of homemaking and thought I'd share a few with you.

I love homemaking because my time is my own. I dictate how my day will go and that is an awesome thing in this world. Many high paid executives do not have the freedom that I have almost every day.

I love homemaking because yeast, water, and flour make the best smell in the world!

I love homemaking because I get to decorate a corner of God's Footstool in exactly the way I like it with total creative freedom. No other person on earth will decorate in quite the same way.

I love homemaking because my kids get to lick spoons and bowls and smile with whipped cream and sugar on their lips.

I love homemaking because I can sit and read to my children all day if I want with every pillow we own under us.

I love homemaking because my uniform is a simple apron. When I put it on I feel like my grandmother and want to do so many "homey" things for my family.

I love homemaking because I get to keep learning new things to make my home a special place for my kids and my husband. Last year I learned decoupage and tole painting. (Many things from a library book!)

I love homemaking because I get to work in my garden and cut beautiful plants from it to bring into my house.

I love homemaking because I get to listen to beautiful music all day long which causes me to think of my Savior and LORD. My work doesn't even seem like work with Him on my mind.

I love homemaking because I get to cook some of the most wonderful food on a slim budget causing me to give thanks and praise to Him who shows me the way.

I love homemaking because I can go to the library and check out other women's wisdom which inspires me in my own kitchen and home.

I love homemaking because I can stop my kids at any time of the day and say, "Let's pray."

I love homemaking because I can lay on my bed and have great talks with my kids about the LORD and life.

I love homemaking because I get to smell up my house with some of the best smells on earth: homemade bread, apple pie, fried chicken, baked beans, and cole slaw. And that's just one meal!

I love homemaking because I can feel the softness of yarn flowing through my fingers as I knit an aphgan for my kitchen chair.

I love homemaking because I can sit with other women and their babies and compare struggles and trials; then come away feeling so much better to handle my own babies and struggles and trials.

I love homemaking because I can look at each room in my house as a blank canvas to paint a beautiful picture on for my family. And slowly, here and there, I pick up the beautiful treasures at thrift shops or swap meets to make those canvases come alive with love.

I love homemaking because I create the atmosphere all day in my home. If I am at peace, they are at peace. And the King helps keep me at peace because I have spent time at His Throne in the early morning hours learning from Him.

I love homemaking because I have permission to fail while I learn. I have granted permission to myself recently which makes me feel a whole lot better about learning new things and not being afraid to fail.

I love homemaking because I can plan special little surprises for my husband that bring him such delight: homemade pickles that taste like Claussen's.

I love homemaking because I fill little mason jars with homemade jams and watch my kids open them in anticipation for breakfast.

I love homemaking because I can make lemon butter, scones, and devonshire cream for my daughter and all her little friends for "tea".

I love homemaking because all the little girls can dress up in hats that hang in my living room waiting for their next visit.

I love homemaking because when my kids are sick it is no inconvenience. I get to put them right to bed in their pajamas and bring them a "tea table" with a flower, tea, and some special treat to make them smile.

I love homemaking because I get to do things with beautiful fabrics.

I love homemaking because I can gather my kids in my room if I am sick and have them take care of me or just lay next to me and play.

I love homemaking because I get to cut my kids' hair and have them sit on a special stool I designed for them. Then I get the pleasure of looking at their hair for days knowing that I cut it.

I love homemaking because I get to scrub my floors by hand just the way my grandmother did. Then I get to tell everyone to stay off the floor just like she did.

I love homemaking because I get to hang out my clothes on the line just the way my mother did and smell the sweet air in them when they come back in the house.

I love homemaking because I get to stretch a budget beyond measure which gives me great joy to see so much done with so little.

I love homemaking because I get to put a fluffy feather down comforter on everyone's bed and run them out to the clothesline on a windy day.

I love homemaking because I get to smell a freshly bathed child.

I love homemaking because I can put a fresh tablecloth on my table and transform it into a fancy restaurant with a rose in the center.

I love homemaking because there is always a new recipe to try.

I love homemaking because I can cover up "holey rugs" with beautiful handmade throw rugs that someone's grandmother probably made.

I love homemaking because I can cover up stained couches with beautiful couch covers in a rose pattern my grandmother would have worn to church.

I love homemaking because I can sit in any room in my house and it is used to its fullest. No room is for show. Every room is pleasantly occupied.

I love homemaking because no one can make me laugh like my kids.

I love homemaking because I can grab my camera and capture three muddy kids in a moment.

I love homemaking because I can take full advantage of all the seasons. Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring never get by me. I enjoy each immensely.

I love homemaking because I can bring home some of the best books in the world and know they will get read.

I love homemaking because I know my kids very well and can work with them like no other.

I love homemaking because if I am sick of being inside I can go outside. And if I am sick of being outside I can go inside.

I love homemaking because I can kiss my kids thirty times a day if I want.

I love homemaking because the weather never affects my plans to stay home.

I love homemaking because it makes me more in awe of my mother, grandmother, and favorite aunts causing me to notice their work in great detail.

I love homemaking because my kids can get really dirty and jump in the tub before anyone's the wiser.

I love homemaking because I am the " LORD's Home Servant."

I love homemaking because no one can run this home like I can. No one knows that man of mine like I do. And no one can tell you about those kids that I live with like I can.

I love homemaking because I can watch a "Leave It to Beaver" or "Andy Griffith Show" and be inspired by June Cleaver or Aunt Bee to do a better job in my home.

I love homemaking because I have time to light candles, put on soft music, and start a fire in the fireplace.

I love homemaking because I know where my kids are, and that gives me great peace because they are beside me.

I love homemaking because I get to be HOME.

I love homemaking because God called me to this job and I love it!!!!

Love,
Laine
called to be a Homemaker of God

Dear Laine,
I am replying to your letter possibly several years after it was written, but time is no barrier to sisters in the Lord….

Your weekend sounds so lovely, so homely, I can almost taste the cookies lol. Your attitude makes me smile.

I love homemaking too because it is wonderful to be able to arrange my own schedule, especially in this day and age. I live beside a nursery, which also provides both before and after school care for slightly older children. I see these little mites being dropped of in the wee small hours of the morning, often in the dark and often having to be carried because they are so sleepy. They are eventually picked up and it is a repeat performance except that by then many of the mothers also look so tired they could do with being carried too.

When I was a young single parent I often has to go to work and leave my two babies only thirteen months apart with my mother and I do understand the position of those who “have” to go to work and leave their children with someone else. It often left me feeling empty and jealous that someone (even my own mother) was getting more of them than me. But I think that many of the mothers I see dropping off their children are not in that position.

People are so convinced these days that they need to be a double income family because they think they need so much “stuff”. They forget to include the expenses which are incurred in going to work when they make this choice as well as the joys they are leaving behind. You can always make more money - try making more time!!

I pray for these families and count my blessings.

I love homemaking too because I also like to take my little corner and shape it to suit my family and if no one else likes the style it does not matter because it is for our joy and comfort and not to impress others.

I love homemaking because no fancy chef can whip up anything which tastes as good as our home made cakes - especially when we serve it up on a fancy china tea set bought (for a couple of pounds at a charity shop) just for this purpose add a pot of tea and call it a party. This is even better if we have just been reading a cosy story like one about the Brambly Hedge mice who always manage to celebrate something.

I love homemaking because when it is cold and miserable outside we do not have to go out there and if we want to “do school” snuggled up under my covers with the electric blanket on we can call it extra cuddling credit!

I love homemaking because no one I know wears on apron anymore - except me and in my home what I choose to wear is “normal” hee hee. That goes for the rest of my crew as well and if we want to stay in pj’s or dressed as pirates that’s normal too!

I love homemaking because I can watch over my family and pray for them as I cross stitch and then hang the results on the walls of my home to serve as a reminder of those prayers.

I love homemaking because I learn along with my children as I homeschool them.

I love homemaking because I can stop what I am doing at anytime time to pray for or with my family, or to hold “important” conversations with them.

I love homemaking because I can listen to worship music while I work, or teaching audios, or messages from mentoring women, or simply listen for my Saviours voice.

I love homemaking because I don’t have to worry that the world is a bigger influence on my boys than I am and more than that I love when I hear them praying in another room because they want to not because they were told to.

I love homemaking because I can fit our life around my husbands job.

I love homemaking because I can invite my friend’s little girl to come here to learn to knit and crochet.

I love homemaking because my husband and I can take my mum shopping every week - we even go to different supermarkets each week not just for different special offers, but se we can go to all the charity shops we know, to look for treasure.

I love homemaking because I can create my own special quiet time corner with it cosy prayer chair and little desk to hold my bible and prayer books.

I love homemaking because I can make up homemade meals for my hubby (who works nights) to take to work with him so that he can feel my love and care for him even when I am asleep.

I love homemaking because I can host a Titus Two Tea Party in the evening for some ladies from my fellowship and then have a sneaky cuppa with my teenage son afterwards (he calls it the after tea party, party). If we stay up far too late talking and smiling that’s fine because he can sleep late in the morning and I can cherish the joy of having a teenager who counts me as his friend and companion.

I love homemaking because I can make even the laundry into a homey pretty room.

I love homemaking because I don’t have to worry if my clothes are “fashionable” only if I like them (and if they are modest and comfy).

I love homemaking because we make fully use of our home which is after all our biggest asset.

I love homemaking because I know that this is where I was called to be.

I love homemaking because when my living room is tidied and dusted and I light my fire and lamp everything feels so right and restful.

I love homemaking because my chair swivels and if it faces one way I am in my quiet time corner, if it faces the other I am in the living room sharing my family’s joy and laughter.

I love homemaking because there is always something to do to serve my loved ones.

I love homemaking because I can make beautiful pages for my household organiser and my prayer diary.

I love homemaking because I can colour code things - yes I am that sad (grin).

I love homemaking because I can put my hand in a cupboard and pull out what I am after without looking because it has its own special place.

I love homemaking because I can have embroidery in three different rooms ready to do when I have a spare few minutes and I have many other projects planned for the future. I also love the peaceful feeling I get when I am sewing.

I love homemaking because of the never ending supply of hugs and kisses.

I love homemaking because I know my hubby and boys so well.

I love homemaking because I don’t have to do it someone else’s way.

Laine, I also love homemaking because I can find, enjoy and grow from things like your wonderful letters.

Love from your sister in Christ.