Homemaking
Have you ever thought about what the word Homemaker means? To me it means,
Keeper of the Home. The Proverbs 31
Woman comes to mind. Then there is the Titus 2 Woman. You can read about these
women in Proverbs 31: 10-31 and Titus 2: 3-5. Read those first then you will
see we have a lot of work to do in our own homes.
Under the word Homemaker, comes many categories. We are to Keep, Build and
Bring Up our homes. Proverbs 14:1 tell
us that "the wise woman builds up her home but the foolish woman, breaks
it down with her hands. WOW!!!!! See what happens when you don’t take care of
your home. Some of those categories
include, being a helpmate, raising capable kids, being a maid, chef, chauffer,
counselor, nurse, judge and juror, disciplinarian, accountant, secretary,
coordinator, manager, planner, organizer, CEO, and many more. And we are to do
these just as it says in Ecclesiastes 9:10 "whatsoever thy hands findeth
to do, do them with all thy might".
Reason and Purpose for Homemaking or Being a Homemaker:
You do not have to be married or have children to be a Homemaker. If you
are moving into a home whether you are single or married, you have a home to be
the Keeper of. Let me also say, you do not have to be a Stay at Home Mom to be
a Homemaker. I am not against women
working outside the home. Although it would be nice to see the moms and wives
be home taking care of everything full time, I also know that sometimes 2 incomes
are needed, and women have passions too they want to pursue. Not every woman
has the same passion. Before I became a
Stay at Home Mom, I was in the working field. I've been on both sides of the
fence. More on my journey in a bit.
God chose the women to be the Keepers of the Homes but you can also
accomplish this by carrying out this calling as soon as you walk in the
door from working an 8,10, 12 hour shift
at your job. It is doable and can be done with knowledge in time management
skills and discipline. It's knowing how to bring balance and harmony to the
home so it is a peaceful place of rest for everyone to meet when the day is
done and you all come together as a family. If you choose to be a Stay at Home
Mom, these skills are still important too and will bring the same effect in
your home. Homemaking also requires self- discipline and motivation also. Read
what the Bible says about “idle hands”.
It takes these two qualities to be busy bees.
Our homes should be our safe havens. Our place of rest. We should feel
secure and safe the minute we walk in the door. We should be able to leave the
chaos and insanity out there in the world not bring it into our homes. Ladies, we have to remember, our attitude and
frame of mind sets the tone for the home. If we want peaceful homes, we have to
be the peace makers. We will discuss how to accomplish all these and more as we
learn to build up happy homes for our
families.
My Journey:
I knew I wanted to be a Homemaker at a very early age. I grew up watching
my grandmother. She was a ministers’ wife. She was loving, kind, compassionate,
dedicated and devoted to her family. I always felt safe and secure in their
home. It was my second home. I watched her every move and observed closely. I
always said when I grew up I wanted to be just like her. My mother was a single
mother for just a while and I remember her having to work two jobs at one time
to take care of 3 girls on her own. I admired her dedication too. A time came
later when she was able to be at home when she married again. I watched her
too. I was in my teens then and I was not concerned about cleaning, cooking
etc. I was more interested in other things that teenagers are. I missed
opportunities to learn some things in those years and I regret it. When my time
came to get married and we moved into our first home, some things came back to
me and naturally, some things, not so much. I had to learn a lot starting out.
Our first home was 3,000 miles away from our homes we grew up in. My husband
was in the military and we were stationed in California. I had to learn these things all on my own
because we had no friends yet and definitely no family there. I grew and learned through trial and error. Mostly at the expense of my husband eating a
lot of burnt meals but he never once complained. I guess he was too hungry to
care.
The time for me to become a Stay at Home Mom came later. For several years
I had to work outside the home. My husband knew it was my desire to be home and
raise our children especially when school age came around because he also knew
I wanted to Homeschool our children. He started learning all he could and
gaining knowledge in his work field so he could climb higher and higher and
gain more knowledge to better himself so he could get a better job that could
make up for two salaries. When that time came, I was so happy.
Did I start out knowing everything? Uh, No. Did I still have a lot to
learn? You betcha! I started learning
things to help me run my home more efficiently. This took several years until I
could finally get the hang of things and get into a rhythm and pattern. I
learned time management skills and more life skills. I set with older mentors
and gleaned from all they had to share. I read self- help books. Basically
anything I could use to learn, I tried. Why? Because running a home requires
knowing how to schedule, come up with routines that fits your household, and
circumstances. Just know that when your circumstances change, your routine may
change. Factor in sickness, job loss and emergencies. It requires life skills, time management
skills, budgeting and financing skills. There is a lot to running a home.
I count it an honor and privilege to being the Keeper of My Home and my
husbands’ helpmate. I count it all joy to have raised his children. I am never
embarrassed to tell someone I am a Stay at Home Mom or Homemaker when asked
what my occupation is or what I do for a
living. I do however, get offended when
they ask me, "What do you do all day?"
It is up to us to find our joy in this journey of being wives, mothers, Homemakers
and the Keepers of Our Homes and we can find it together by learning how to do
some things. We have a high calling upon us and I want to carry out my calling
to the best of my ability and I want God to say to me when I get to Heaven,
"Well done, my good and faithful servant!" If it is the desire of your heart to become
this woman, God can equip you with what you need. Trust me, I know.
I have heard so many women use the excuses, “I didn’t have anyone to teach
me when I was growing up.” Or “ I never saw that in my home growing up.” Or “I
don’t know how to do that.” Just stop. The question you need to ask yourself
is, “what do I want?” “What kind of home do I want to have?” If you want better
than what you had or don’t know how to go about getting what you want, GO LEARN
IT! It’s as simple as that. Don’t even start comparing yourself to others
either. You will get discouraged, you will lose your self -confidence and
self-esteem, you will feel inadequate, and you will feel overwhelmed. You don’t
start out on this journey knowing it all. It takes time. I am decades old and
I’m still learning. Sometimes I just like challenging myself. If I see
something I think I want to try, I go for it. If it works, fine, if it doesn’t,
I try to figure it out and try again. Once we learn to do all these things, it
is time for us to teach the younger generations of women just like the Titus 2
woman. You will not believe how many kids leave home and do not know how to do
anything. It makes it harder for the other people who are going to be around
them. I do have to say this, keeping home may not just be for girls and young
women to learn. I taught my boys everything while they were at home. They
learned how to clean their own rooms and bathroom, they learned how to do their
own laundry. They learned how to cook. They needed to learn these staples as
well because if they went off to college or military or just had roommates or
got married, I did not want them handicapped. They have turned out to be very
good husbands and helpers to our daughters in law. I am so glad my mother in
law taught my husband these things too. He was a great help when we were both
working and then when kids came along. If I got behind or overwhelmed or was
sick, he was always there lending a hand. We have always worked together as a
team in our home. Now let’s get to learning.
Preparing for a Home:
This can actually start at an early age while you are still living at
home. Many mothers will start their
daughters what’s called a “hope chest”. This can be a chest or trunk or storage
tote to store things in to save for when you move out. Things like towels,
washcloths, hand towels, dish rags, bed linens, quilts especially homemade
quilts, blankets, dishes, housewares, etc. My husband and I were fortunate to
have mothers who started these for us. Yes, his mother made him one too. When
we got our first home, we were all set. I started one for both of our boys. We
need to bring this tradition back. Then there are bridal showers and
housewarming showers. These are extremely helpful if you never created a hope
chest.
Finding or Purchasing a Home:
Things to consider and talk about before you dive into this is, Do you want
to own or rent? Affordability. Location.
Do you want a new home or fixer upper? Do you still have money left over
after paying mortgage or rent? You have to allow room in your budget for
utilities and extra expenses like, groceries, wants, insurance, and
emergencies. You never want to get into a financial situation that will cause
stress and strain on the marriage, relationship or friendship. Not to mention,
getting into financial debt and losing it all due to bankruptcy, foreclosure,
eviction, etc.
I want to point out some crucial things about renting because young people
get taken advantage of and I want you to look out for these things. If you are
renting anything such as a house, apartment, home, mobile home, camper,
basement, etc., make sure you have an understanding with the land lords of
their rental contract. Read it carefully and be sure to ask questions for
anything you don’t understand. Read the fine print also. Never sign anything
without reading it first. Make sure you
understand what is covered and not covered by them and what your responsibilities
are and what their obligations are. You may want to check into rental insurance
because some rental homes insurance policies only cover damages to the home in
an emergency, not your belongings. Some people have gotten into bad situations
on these two things. If they don’t have a rental agreement, DO NOT TAKE THEIR
VERBAL WORD FOR IT. It will not hold up
in court should anything happen. Ask if you can draw up one and have them sign.
Then have it notarized. If any changes to the agreement come up, draw up a new
one and resign. I would really invest in a filing cabinet or lock box to keep
up with important papers like insurance policies, licenses of any kind, birth
certificates, bills, signed contracts, tax documents, etc. In case you ever
need these, you will always have them on file at a moments notice. Protect them
with your life even if you have to rent a safety deposit box.
A few thoughts about renovating a fixer upper. When hiring people to do
jobs for you, DO NOT PAY FOR A JOB UPFRONT.
I promise you will get stiffed. There are too many scammers out there
that want money up front and claim it is for materials and such. As soon as
they get some money, you will never see them again. DO NOT pay them for the job
until you inspect everything and it is done to your liking. If you pay them and
then you find mistakes or you don’t like something, you will never get them
back to fix it. DO NOT take verbal agreements from them either. Draw up
contracts that will be legal and binding. Find people who are bonded, licensed,
and insured. This may cost more, but there will be fewer headaches in the long
run. If they have a problem with any of these stipulations, then you know there
is a problem. Find someone else immediately. It is your money. They need to
realize they work for you. You write their paycheck. Do not get taken advantage
of.
Furnishing a Home:
There are a lot of other ways to furnish a home if you start out with
nothing and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Check out thrift, goodwill,
discount stores. Go to yard sales. Check your local newspaper classifieds.
Online selling pages. If you purchase
new products, be sure to fill out all warranty information and send it in right
away.
Budgeting and Finances:
It is a smart choice to know some things about these before getting a home.
You will need knowledge of math of course, paying the bills and book
keeping, and balancing the check books or account. It
would be a great help to have a filing system either on a spreadsheet on the
computer or a physical filing system to keep up with bills, important papers,
taxes, documents, licenses, etc.
Designate someone to keep up with these things. One person in the relationship
or household may be better at this than the other.
A very big tip in this area also is PURCHASE AND USE A PLANNER. I don’t care
if its one you hang on your wall or in book form. A planner is so useful. You
can break things down by the month, week or even each day. In this planner, you
can keep up with important dates, doctors’ appointments, dentist appointments,
school activities, extra curricular activities, the due date of bills and
expenses, grocery lists, meal planning lists, brain dumps, journal, and so much
more. This has saved my sanity on more than one occasion. I get overwhelmed
really quick and anxious that I am going to forget something. So much so, that
it will literally keep me awake at night. Women who struggle with ADD, ADHD,
Anxiety and more, have benefited from using a planner. You can even find planner that breaks it down
even more by the hours in the day. This is called block scheduling. It can help
you break down your day and you can plan accordingly by the hours. This will
help you stay focused and on track. You can schedule your day from the time you
wake up to bedtime. You designate when the beginning of your day will be and
the ending of your day. You can even carve out some alone time for you or time
for you and your husband. How cool is
that?
Women have benefited from making lists too. There is nothing like coming up
with a list, writing it down, doing the things on the list and crossing them
off. It is soothing to the brain and soul. My husband has even reaped benefits
on this one. I bought a little white erase board for our refrigerator. I got so
tired of asking, asking, asking (you know the drill) and asking that one day he
told me it would help him out a lot if I just wrote it down for him to see and
quit nagging him about it. Well, I did. You know what? It actually worked. I
wrote things down on it I wanted and needed him to do and kept my mouth shut.
He would walk by it, accomplish a task on it and then mark it off. I was like,
WOW! He actually did it. He felt a sense of pride over his accomplishments too.
Mostly it helped because I wasn’t nagging anymore. He said it helped him more also by having a visual.
Winner Winner. Now we jot down grocery items to pick up next time someone goes
to town, little tasks to complete, reminders, and even little love notes.
Moving In:
It’s easier to start fresh moving into a new place. You get a visual of
where you want to put things without having to sift and see through clutter.
You get to organize properly and put things where they go. It will be fresh for
that first cleaning. If you didn’t declutter before you packed, now might be a
good time too. Before you put anything up or away, go through it. Whatever you
are going to keep, put it away. Whatever
you are not going to keep, put in a donate pile and haul it off immediately. My
advice is to keep it this way and organized. Stay on top of it and don’t let it
get out of hand and cluttered. Put things away in the proper places so it makes
your house function and flow better. I will cover this especially in the
kitchen later. Be careful where you store things because of weather, humidity,
moisture, lighting etc. These elements affects things especially food items or
pantry items. Remember when storing and organizing pantry or freezer items, use
older ones first and keep them rotated. Make and inventory list if you have to. Cleaning will be different too when first moving
in, than after you have lived it in a while. We will get into cleaning hacks
later.
Stocking Your Home:
Now is when you have to think about stocking your home. You will need to go
grocery shopping, which we will cover, and getting stocked up on items to fill
the home like toiletries and hygiene items.
Grocery Shopping and Stocking Up:
I am going to share all my grocery shopping hacks with you. Grocery
shopping is where math is going to have to play a big roll. The person who is better at math may possibly be the one who needs to be
the one to do the shopping. Possibly set
a weekly or monthly budget beforehand. You can put money back into an envelope
(old school) or deposit or transfer it into an account specified just for
grocery budget. Have a prepaid card that you keep just to put money on it for
groceries. One way to do this is to take so much a week out of your paycheck
and set it aside. This also works for other areas as well like house payment,
car payments, etc. This will help you stay on track and not overspend.
First, let’s start with coupons. I don’t know if clipping physical coupons
is a thing anymore or not. If it is, learn how coupons work and by all means
start clipping and using them. I know digital coupons are a thing now on store
apps and websites. Definitely use them too. Read them carefully. Download apps
on your phone or computer. Sign up for store discount or membership cards as
well. Some stores run sales that are only available to members. Gather all
stores tabloids or search their weekly ads on the app or website. Compare each
stores sales. See if stores honor ad matches anymore. This means some stores
will match another stores sale price.
This may mean shopping more than one place in one trip. If they are
close together, less gas. If they are a little apart from each other, plan a
day that you can make one shopping trip. The day you plan to go, never go
hungry. This makes you buy compulsively
or buy under temptation. If you are taking children with you, lay down
the law before you get in the store. Explain to them you are only getting what
is on the list. Remember this in case you go shopping alone too. Also, when
shopping with children, keep them distracted by getting their help. Have one
that knows how to read, call off the things on the list. The one that can’t sit
still or is impatient, let them get the
items off the shelves and put them into the buggy very carefully. This keeps
them busy. You can also use this as a teaching opportunity. Start teaching them
how to do math, comparing prices, quantities, etc. They will feel helpful and
they will be learning at the same time. Win win situation.
Only get what is on your list. Try
to map out the store. If you know where everything is, you will not be
wandering down other isles looking at everything else and grab something that
is not on your list. Only go down the isles you need to. Take a calculator with
you. I like to round up something to the nearest dollar to compensate for
taxes. Then I will calculate a balance as I go especially if I only have so
much money. This helps me not to go over. If I have to put something back, I
can do it then and not when I get to the checkout and get embarrassed. Think
about shopping online and doing a grocery pick up or delivery if they offer it.
This will also cut out wandering eyes. Let me back up and say something about
tabloids. Sometimes you can find a sale while walking down the isles that is
not advertised in the sales tabloid and it may be a better price. This is just
another trick they use. So be watchful.
Now, the hard part is putting your math skills to use. Retailers know how
to make the system work and they have one. They have so many methods to run
several sales at the same time to make it look like a sale but still making
money. For example; I went shopping one time and they had three different sales
pitches just on cheese. They had buy one, get one half off; buy two, get one
free; and then so many dollars for so many lbs. or oz. Man, by the time I got
done doing the math on these, my brain hurt. They are still going to try to
find a way to make money by making it look like a sale. Sometimes they mark up
things then put it on sale. Yes, I have caught them. Buy generic or the no name
brand if possible. However, sometimes the sale price of a name brand might be
cheaper than the no name. Always compare prices. Compare prices per units,
lbs., oz., and so forth. There are different ways to shop for the same item.
For instance, produce. Is it cheaper to buy it fresh, in the can or jar, or in
the freezer section in bags? You will need to check out all three places. I did
this one day. I wanted a specific item (can’t recall at the moment). I looked
at all three places and found it was cheaper to buy it in a bag in the freezer
section. It required me to take extra steps, but I saved money. Don’t grab the
first thing you see either. Stores place things in locations to attract the
eyes to that spot. You will be tempted to grab it first instead of looking to
see if it is on sale in another part of the store.
Try to buy things that you can cut up and repackage yourself. Don’t buy
they precut, prepackaged items because you are paying extra for someone else to
do the labor and the plastics it took to package it. Fruits are one example.
Yes, the precut is convenient but like I said, you are paying someone else.
Chicken is another. We love to buy whole chickens on sale, bring them home,
break them down, repackage into meal portions, vacuum seal and freeze. We cut
the middle man out. If we get so lucky that they run a great sale on chicken
like .99 cents a lb. or less a lb., we buy in bulk and do the same as we do the
whole chickens. Buying this way is also a good way to stock pile your freezers
and pantries. Stock piling is buying things in bulk like 10 of something for
$10. Kroger loves to run 10 boxes of spaghetti noodles for $10. This is $1 a
box. By all means grab 10. They do the same with their jars of spaghetti sauce.
Grab 10. You have put 10 quick meals in your pantry for $20.
Try shopping at Bent and Dent stores. What I mean is, in our area we have a
little store that gets almost damaged goods or damaged goods like canned
items. Things like out of date, expired,
or past sale by date. A lot of major stores can not put these on the shelves.
These little stores can purchase these for a big mark down and you benefit from
shopping these little stores. If you don’t mind a damaged can or an item that
is past its sale date, shop there.
When checking out, ALWAYS, ALWAYS,
ALWAYS try to watch as they are ringing them up. If it doesn’t give the
right price, speak up. Be prepared to show a tabloid or proof something is on
sale. Always check your receipts before you walk out. We have caught so many
mistakes this way by them not giving a sale price or something not ringing up
right. It is no nice to get home with several pork butts to find out they
didn’t ring up right.
Don’t make multiple trips during the week. Try to meal plan and make one
big trip. When you make multiple trips you are wasting valuable time and gas
money. If you meal plan for a week, you only make one trip. We will cover meal
planning. That is a whole ballgame in its own.
The last big way to save on groceries is, if at all possible, try to grow
your own. Try to grow a garden. If you can’t have one outside, try container
gardening or raised beds. Try Hydroponic Systems. Green-house. Anything. We have a whole separate page on
Gardening on our blog. We take you from Planning, Preparing, Planting,
Maintaining, and Harvesting each thing we grow. We also have a whole page
dedicated to just Canning and Preserving where we show you all the ways we
preserve the things we grow or buy in bulk on sale. If you can, please learn to
start cooking from scratch. The prepackaged, premade, convenient food costs
more than you buying the actual ingredients to make them yourself. Not to
mention, you can get more out of the ingredients and make them stretch farther.
I can make sausage, egg and cheese biscuits by buying the ingredients, making
them and wrapping them up myself and get more quantity for less than a box of
Jimmy Dean sausage, egg and cheese biscuits cost in the box. I've done it.
Cooking from scratch does save money and you get more quantity for your money.
Have you priced a kids small Lunchable lately? We learned to make our own:
Supplement your meat stash by hunting and harvesting wild game. We are avid
deer, turkey and duck hunters. We have wild game meat in our freezers we pull
out and make delicious meals with.
Meal Planning:
Meal planning goes hand in hand with grocery shopping. Because when I meal
plan I shop from my freezers and pantries first. But I have to have the items
in there hence, I have to grocery shop. When you have stocked pantries and
freezers, it's easy to meal plan. But remember, shop wisely in order to stock
your pantries and freezers. Use all the tips and trick I gave you to save money
on your grocery budget.
I can put a meal together on a whim at any given notice, but there is
something about meal planning that works for so many reasons. Its takes the
stress out of brainstorming at the last minute and it cuts out all the chaos
from busy homes. Meal planning comes in really handy for busy schedules,
chaotic lives, out of whack routines and surprises. If you have a meal plan,
you have a plan and some of your life put together. Who can't benefit from being
prepared?
You can meal plan for just a few days at a time, a week or even the month.
Sometimes the family members enjoy knowing ahead of time what we are having and
coming up. My husband enjoys this so much too. He loves to see our weeks meals
wrote out on our white board. Do you know how many times I have answered the
question, "What are we having for supper?" EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! This
also gives the family something to look forward to and they get excited to see
maybe pizza or taco night is coming up.
There are many ways to plan a meal. You can plan a meal by thumbing through
recipe books, online recipes, etc. However, sometimes planning this way can
cost more because you are going out and purchasing items you don't normally
buy. I'm not saying you can't ever enjoy a special treat or meal by using a
special recipe that you have seen somewhere or something you want to try. It's
ok. But I wouldn't base my whole meal planning around that because of the very
reason of purchasing items you don't normally buy. Then you will have left over
items you may not know what to do with. We will talk about that in a bit. I
have you covered there. You can save a lot of money meal planning by looking through the tabloids
and sales ads and creating a meal with what's
on sale. Let's say tortillas, lettuce, ground beef and cheese are on
sale. What all can you think of right there for some meals? See! You may have
to just buy a few items to finish the meal. If you bought something in bulk in
order to save money, make sure to divide into meal portions, repackage, put in
freezer bags or container and put in the freezer for future meals. Chicken is
one of those to do when they go on sale. When they are put in your freezer, you
are shopping your freezer. Get creative
with this method and use it to your advantage. Every once in a while, get those
recipe books out, especially if everyone is getting burnt out on the same ole
meals.
The next way I meal plan is by shopping my freezers and pantries. I will
start taking an inventory of what is in those and sit down and come up with a
meal. I may only have to go buy a few items to finish the meal. Those few
remaining items, I will see if they are on sale in the tabloid or weekly ad.
Double savings. Our grocery budget is not
extremely high because we grow a garden. It's easy for me to put a meal
together. But if you are buying everything from the store, you really have to
shop wisely and use your knowledge to
make every penny count and save on groceries.
Now for those left over items. Same thing applies here. Come up with a meal
for those. You are shopping your leftover items, hence, shopping your freezer
and pantry. Let's say you have a few potatoes, a few pieces of chicken, maybe a
few carrots, etc. Bam! A sheet pan dinner. Do not let left over items go to
waste. If you don't use them, you will be throwing money down the drain and you
will have to throw them away. Always use what is in the refrigerator first
because they spoil faster. Then the freezer because of freezer burn. Then the pantry.
Pantry items have longer shelf life. Always make items trickle down to the next
meals so they are used up. Don't go buy a lot more items without using those
first. Make your hard earned money work for you. Make it stretch. See how many
meals you can get out of one item. Take a whole chicken for example. Buy it on
sale, then see how many ways you can put it to use. Here is a few ideas. The
first night we will bake a whole chicken with some vegetables. You can keep
eating off of it for leftovers and make it stretch or you can get creative and
shred the rest and use for so many things like, tacos, burritos, casseroles
that require shredded chicken, chicken soup, etc. See how you can make things
stretch and get more meals out of one thing? How many meals can you get out of
a big roast? I'll let you ponder on that one for a bit.
If you have left over whole meals like spaghetti. Man, that is one thing I
can not get the hang of downsizing. I always make too much. The good thing
about this is, you can freezer leftovers buy putting them in freezer containers
and placing them into the freezer. You automatically have another meal on hand
right there for another night. When you shop your freezer you will see it and
use it up. Easy meal for a busy night, you don't feel like cooking or sickness.
We are living in a time when inflation is bad and it will probably get
worse. Who knows? But we can do everything we can to combat this by being wise
about our shopping, planning and preserving. We could also learn from the older
generations who survived the Great Depression era. You want to talk about
having to make your meals stretch with
many mouths to feed and no money.
Cooking:
You can't cook a meal without meal planning and grocery shopping. They all
work together. In this section, I'm not going to tell you how to cook but I am
going to give you some ideas to make your cooking easier and your kitchen flow.
This will also include a few kitchen hacks because you can't cook without
messing dishes up and needing to know where everything is.
Your kitchen needs to be functional so your cooking process flows smoother.
That starts with an organized kitchen. I organize my kitchen according to
stations. Here is an example, by my stove I have my pots and pans close. By my
oven I have my sheet pans, cake pans, muffin tins, etc. close. Also by my stove
I have my spice cabinet. My island is where I do a lot of prepping for baking so
I have my stand mixer and attachments, measuring spoons, cups, utensils, etc.
In a cabinet right behind my island close to where the mixer is, I have my
flours, sugars, etc. located. Everything is right within reach according to
what I am doing and what that station is designed for. Does that make sense? I
hope so. This cuts out unnecessary steps on my part. Organize your kitchen in a
way that it flows smoothly. If at all possible, arrange your appliances
according to zones. If you can't at least stock your cabinets by zones and
stations. If you have a small kitchen, try to find a way to create space. I know
a woman who doesn't have a lot of counter top space so she bought a little
folding table and gets it out and sets it up like an island and uses it. When
she's done, she cleans, folds it up and puts it away. Maybe a rolling cart can
serve this purpose as well. Share space with other cabinets in the home.
Label things in the kitchen so everyone will know what is what in what
container so you will not be answering 100 questions like, "What is
this?" My grandchildren cook with me a lot in my kitchen and when they
want to help, I teach them where everything is. When I need something, I ask
the ones that can read to find it. It is a teaching experience. If someone else
is cooking a meal, this will help them learn and locate where things are. Even organize your refrigerator.
Now that your kitchen is all organized let me give you some cooking tips
that has helped me. I really can't cover cooking without giving kitchen hacks
too so I will give those after this.
One thing I love to do is have Make Ahead Meals on hand. This is accomplished several ways. One way is to take a day and batch cook meals. Take a recipe, double or triple it and make it. You will have one to eat right then, and one or two more to put in the freezer for a later meal when things get busy and hectic. You can go to your freezer and pull a meal out, let it thaw, heat it up and you've got a meal on the table just like that. I love to batch cook breakfast items. I always have pancakes, waffles, chaffles, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, etc. on hand for quick grab and go breakfasts or sit down breakfasts where they are already cooked. All I have to do is pull out a few pancakes, heat them up, and serve. Comes in real handy on busy school mornings when I want to make sure kids get off to school with a good breakfast but I don't have time to start from scratch. The grab and go ones like breakfast sandwiches and burritos are great for eating on the go. When my boys were in high school, you know they sleep until the last minute and then are rushed around getting ready. I had breakfast items in the refrigerator or freezer and they grabbed one, heated it up and ran out the door yelling, "Thanks mom!" They ate it on the way to school. These are some of the make ahead breakfast that we love.
You can do lunch items or even dinner items this way. Take a day and find some recipes. Double or triple these, cook or bake them, wrap them up or place in meal prep container and freeze. Spaghetti, casseroles, sides, etc., are all great for batch freezer cooking. If you work outside the home and meals are a crazy time for your family, this is a winner. You still provide a good homecooked sit down meal with your family. Lunches can even be made ahead. You can make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in batches and freezer them. The trick to them not being soggy is, to spread peanut butter on both pieces of the bread then spread the jelly. The peanut butter acts as a barrier so the jelly doesn't soak through. This make lunch making quicker and easier. You can even make a station for lunch making so age appropriate kids can make their own really quick in the morning and just grab their items and throw in their lunch boxes. You can make the lunches the night before and put in the refrigerator for the next morning.
Utilize crock pots, instant pots, roasters, to maybe have something slow cooking or prepared for who ever gets
home first. Dinner is on the table quickly. This is where meal planning and
prepping come in.
Make cooking from scratch a little
faster by, precooking some meats and
freeze them, dice or cut up
vegetables and fruits before hand and store in containers in the refrigerator.
Freezer leftovers and pull out for meals later. Find ways to repurpose
leftovers. If everyone is tired of having spaghetti because you accidently made
too much like I do, turn it into a spaghetti bake by adding shredded cheese to
the top and place in the oven to melt the cheese. Serve with side salads and
bread. Portion out into smaller meals and freezer for someone to take for a
lunch to work who has access to a microwave. Never waste food.
Make meals stretch and more filling by adding beans, rice and other
fillers. Proteins make you feel fuller for longer periods so you are not hungry
again a few minutes later and wanting to find something else to eat, or snack.
This saves on groceries as well. Don't
be afraid to try new things, new recipes, new utensils, and new appliances. If
you don't succeed the first time, don't get discouraged, don't give up. Try it
again and tweak some things. Make sure to write the changes down so you
will do it that way for the next time
and it will turn out right. Not every stove, oven, pot, pan, microwave, etc.,
cook the same. Gas stoves cook differently than electric ones. Know your
appliances and how they function.
Most of all, make cooking enjoyable. There are women who do not enjoy
cooking and that's ok. I think people don't enjoy cooking anymore because their
lives are too busy and chaotic. When they get home they just don't feel like it
or are rushed. I have been there. Our kids were in extra curricular activities
after school and we were rushed around. I use to pack my supper and eat it at
ballgames and karate practice. I have packed many meals this way and ate on the
go because we were not eating out all the time we were in town. If you
make it fun and enjoyable you will become to appreciate the art and the service
to your family. Do not think of it as a mondaine job or obligation. Think of it
as taking care of and loving your family so much that you want to see them
healthy, growing and thriving. Remember the verse: "as a service unto the
Lord?" He will give you the motivation you need to carry out this task
lovingly with prayer. He will grow your love and appreciation in this area.
Recruiting Help:
Get kids in the kitchen to help. Some people see this as a disaster because
of the mess they can create. I call it creating memories. I taught our sons to
cook at early ages. Our youngest son was on a bar stool sitting at a counter
with a griddle in front of him flipping squash and zucchini. Our oldest son
had more of an interest of outdoor
cooking on a grill. Dad helped with that one. Now they cook meals for their
families. Our youngest loved baking with
me too. He could whip up some cinnamon rolls and homemade pizzas. Our oldest
doesn't enjoy baking as much. They each had their talent and it stemmed into their own homes. I knew they
need to know how to cook before they left home. I didn't know what their future
held for them, but at least they were prepared. My husband use to cook meals
for him and his momma. She worked a full time job and then came home and changed
her clothes and doned her garden shoes and got to work again until the sun went
down. Sometimes she was up until the wee hours of the morning canning. Then go to
bed and get a few hours sleep, just to turn around and do it all over again.
When I was little, I didn't want to cook much. But I did love getting in the
garden and working and then helping preserve the harvest when it came in. I
have to say my momma always cooked but to this day, she still does not enjoy
it. Cooking is not everyone's niche. So,
I didn't learn how to cook a lot before I got married. I was too interested in the things that all teenagers are in high school. I taught myself. I
watched a lot of Food Network. I learned by trial and error. Mostly error for a
while. My husband ate many a burnt meal but he never complained because I was
trying so hard and he never wanted to make fun or hurt my feelings. I finally got the hang of making biscuits from scratch just for
my family to tell me they love Pillsbury Flaky Layer canned biscuits better. Go
figure. I have learned a lot through the years. I finally learned to cook enough
to teach our boys. Good thing. Those were some fun times. Pardon me while I stroll down memory lane and give you some visuals to look at.
They are now helping cook in their own homes for their families and I could not be more proud of the men they have become. Does a mommas heart good.
Now I get to do it all over again with the next generation with my
grandchildren. I have literally wore them while in the kitchen cooking. We went
from car seat carrier, body carrier, bouncy seat, play pen, Bumbo seat, high
chair, chair to now they each have their own stools, aprons and utensils. Even
their own rolling pins. Any time they see me in the kitchen and they think I am
fixing to cook or bake, they immediately go to those stools and drag them out
and say, "What are we going to do?" or "I want to help?"
Our grandkids can make breads, biscuits, pizzas, cookies, and now we are
working on letting them flip and fry things on the stove and griddle. When you
get kids in the kitchen with you, you
are creating memories first of all. You are teaching them life skills, service,
math skills by measuring and using Geometry and basic math, and cleaning up after themselves. I have taught
in the kitchen by teaching sorting, stacking and organizing while in the
kitchen. These are good for developing motor skills in children. If they were not interested in cooking, I set
them free at the sink when they could reach it and let them practice washing
dishes or I set up a little table at the end of the island and had two play
sinks they could play with. They learned to wash vegetables and fruits this
way. Now they help scrub and silk corn when we harvest it from the garden. So
much is leaned just in the kitchen. Children love to be a part of what you are
doing anyway, they just want to be close to you and do what you are doing so,
Why not? Here is more proof that you can start them early and they can learn. Are you ready for memory lane again. My eyes are misting already. Here we go.
Did you see all the things they learned simply by letting them in the kitchen with me? They are learning to make so many things. Hard things, like making our own pasta, our own tortillas, and bread. Then there were times we even showed others how to cook. They so enjoyed our times in the kitchen as well and I think I sent them home with some memories as well.
Cooking is going to be one of the biggest roles you will play in the home. We sure have had and still continue to have learning adventures and good times in our kitchen. Once you learn and find your rhythm you are well on your way to proving healthy and nutritious meals for your family.
Cleaning:
Importance of Cleaning:
Cleaning has to be done for so many
reasons. First there is hygiene. I'm going to start with this one first because
you will understand the importance. Have you ever seen the reality show,
Hoarders? Or do you know a compulsive Hoarder? I will stop there and not go
into detail. If homes are not clean, you are inviting unwanted guests such as
rats, mice, roaches, ants, etc. Critters cause health problems because they
carry diseases which in turn causes asthma, allergies respiratory problems.
That's just to name a few. Floors have
to be kept clean especially in the kitchen for this reason. Crumbs, spilled
liquids, etc. Crawling babies are getting their hands dirty and then putting
them into their mouths and such. Have I painted a picture yet?
A disorganized and cluttered home causes depression which causes lack of
motivation then it's down hill from there. The home spirals out of control.
There are times you are going to lose motivation such as when you are sick,
pregnant, post partum or physical disabilities. But you have to stay motivated or at least don't be
afraid to ask for help. If you can afford it, hire a cleaner in times of
trouble, recruit help and ask for help. Some ways to combat loss of motivation
is to pray. Ask God to bring your joy back. God blessed us with our homes, the
least we can do is keep them clean and running. He obviously trusted us and
thought we were capable so why not honor him and show him we are trustworthy.
When we were first married, I worked a full time job too. We were able to ask
my mom if she wanted to make a little money and she cleaned once a week for us.
We would come home from work and our home smelled amazing and you could see the
vacuum marks in the carpet. We loved it so much. When I came home from the work
field, it was up to me then. My husband is the main provider of our home. He
loves to walk into a clean home. Why shouldn't he? We are the main Keepers. If
he can work all day and provide for us, I can honor him and make sure his
castle is clean. I take pride in my work and I count it an honor to take care
of the home God blessed us with. Change your
mindset. You will soon develop this feeling of pride and accomplishment.
It is an awesome feeling. Now, let's get up off that couch, get out of those
pj's, take a good long shower, put on something that raises your self esteem
such as a little lip gloss, some fun, comfortable clothes and let's get to
moving.
Cleaning comes in stages like; fresh start: this is where things are
somewhat already clean and organized and only requires maybe a little
maintenance and a little dusting. Next is; a little messy, this is where things
are out of place and unorganized. This may only require just putting things back
where they go and reorganize and then just little maintenance and dusting. Then
there is out of control and overwhelming. This is going to require more because
you have to pick up, reorganize and do a possible deep clean. There are levels to cleaning: tidying up,
maintenance cleaning and deep cleaning. Check into zone cleaning where you set
a timer and clean one little area in that time or room in that time. Little
increments of time here and there can make cleaning go faster and smoother too.
Try accomplishing a big task first thing in the mornings. This will do away
with dread, procrastination, and get it over and done with. You will thank
yourself at the end of the day. Keep clutter to a minimum.
This is where you need to sit down, evaluate, come up with a cleaning
routine and a plan. To me, keeping things maintained is the goal. Cleaning is
much faster and deep cleaning does not have to happen as often. Older women
maintained, cleaned everyday and deep cleaned twice a year, once in the
spring, hence, spring cleaning. Then again in the fall, called fall
maintenance. I have tried many different systems, routines etc., until I
finally figured out which one worked for us and our circumstances. My cleaning
routine was different when we were married and no children, then it changed
when kids came along and I was working, then it changed again when I came home
full time. Change with your circumstances. Like I said, sit down, evaluate,
come up with a cleaning plan and routine.
There are so many different ways to clean. When I was younger, I could whiz
through my whole house, picking up, dusting, vacuuming, mopping etc. As
circumstances changed and I got older I came up with a new plan and I could
change it up every so often if I got bored. You can clean daily, weekly,
monthly or however you want to. I found that if I did a little something each
day, I was not having to deep clean very often and my regular weekly cleaning
was fast and easy. I tried two different scenarios. I tried one chore a day in
every room. For example, I would do a pick up and putting away on Mondays.
Tuesdays, I would dust. Wednesdays, I would vacuum and mop. Thursdays would be
bathroom days. Fridays would be laundry. This worked sometimes until I found I
was getting distracted in a room and wound up cleaning the whole room anyway
before moving to the next room. So, I came up with cleaning one room a day and
doing everything in that one room that needs to be done. This kept me in that
one room and not walking all over the house getting distracted because there
was a toy or something in this room that needed to go to that room. By the time
I walked to that room to put it up, I found
myself in that room cleaning. I had to stop the monotony. I make myself stay in a room, do everything
in that room until I'm done. Then the next day, do the same routine in that one
room. Eventually the whole house was deep cleaned once a week and I could do
away with spring cleaning and fall maintenance. Every once in a while, I would
just have to pick up something here and there. My point being, you need to come
up with a system that fits your needs and home and plan when you are going to
implement this plan. Do you remember me telling you to purchase a planner or
white board? Yep, this will help. Once you get your plan together, write it
down. You can plan daily, weekly, monthly etc. and you can plan what needs to
be done when. There are some things that can wait to do yearly like cleaning
the gutters, pressure washing the house, washing the windows outside, cleaning
the chimney fluke, fireplace, etc. Just make a plan and carry it through. Plan
your days to where you are not trying to do it all in one day and ware yourself
out and you're not spending time with your family. This will take creativity
and balance. At one time, I ran a farm and raised registered dairy goats, and
chickens, we homeschooled, raised a garden, and throw in extra curricular
activities on top of that. You want to talk about having to plan my day and fit
all this in? I made it work. I planned carefully and balanced everything out.
Are things, schedules and routines going to go the same everyday and smoothly?
No. Is everyone going to be in the same mood, at the same time, everyday?
Definite NO. Some days are going to be easier than other. Just step back,
breathe, refocus and start again with a fresh mind and attitude.
Get Everyone On Board:
One place to start is creating habits for everyone in the home. Have a
family meeting and explain how you are going to start doing some things and
what you expect out of each family member. You can start by teaching everyone
to clean up after themselves. If they get something out, put it back. If the
mess up something, clean it up. Instead of everyone throwing their laundry in
the floor, ask them to get into the habit of taking them to the laundry room.
Just simple things like that. We will get more into tips and tricks here in
just a bit that you might can use. I will take you through each room in my home
and give some hacks that works for me and maybe you can use some in your home,
or tweak my idea a little and implement it in your home. If you have children
who can't read, make picture charts or cards and explain each one, they will
memorize visuals. This is great for toddlers and preschoolers. Don't assume that
just because you say go clean something, they automatically know how to do it
or how you want it done. You need to physically teach it for the first few
times, then watch as they do it until they get use to it, then trust and
inspect. This will cut down on being disappointed in their performance,
lowering their self esteem and arguing. Don't set your expectations too high
where children are concerned.
Raising Capable Kids:
If everyone is going to live in the home and reap its benefits, come up
with age appropriate chores and create a chore chart. No, this is not child
labor. You are raising capable kids, teaching work ethics, keeping them off
screens and devices, and teaching responsibility. You can't follow your kids
out into the world when they move out and do this for them. There are so many
young adults who leave home and don't know how to cook, clean or do their own
laundry. Please do not embarrass your kids like this. When our youngest son
joined the military and went to Basic Training, he thanked me everyday for
teaching him to clean because this kept him out of trouble when barrack
inspection time rolled around. Then when it did roll around, and some boy or
girl didn't do it right, and the whole platoon gets punished, you want to talk
about others getting upset. Don't handicap your kids like that.
I taught our boys at early ages to start helping. They were making their own beds at 3 years old. As they grew, more age appropriate chores came. Before they left home, they could cook, dust, vacuum, mop, organize, wash, dry, fold and put away their own laundry. They cleaned their own bathrooms too. Yep, I made them scrub their own toilets. Their rooms and bathroom was their responsibilities. No longer was it mine. They also helped in the kitchen washing dishes, loading and unloading the dishwasher. They helped through the whole house. I had help charts in their bedrooms and bathroom as reminder what to do and I had chore charts for them to help in the rest of the home.
I also had a reward system. They did not get rewarded for their own rooms and bathroom though. That was a responsibility of their own since it was theirs. The reward system was for things and chores they helped me do. I know some people don't agree with rewarding for chores, but we did and this is why. You go to work and do your job for someone else and you get a paycheck don't you? I wanted to teach work ethics so they wouldn't expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter. I wanted to teach them to work for things they wanted. Doesn't the Bible say if a man doesn't work, he aught not eat? We taught them math, budgeting, saving, and financing. Fridays were paydays. They would bring their little lock boxes to us and we would cash out their marbles they collected for their chores and exchange them for dollars. I would take them one day a week to spend their lock box money. This in turn taught them to shop economically or to save and wait for something better if they did not have enough money at that time. They learned to make good choices.
Now, I do the
same thing with our grandchildren. I use buttons for them. I don't know what
happened to our marbles, but I have tons of buttons. We have to pass these work
ethics down to the next generation or we are going to be raising a generation
of entitled young adults.
You can come up with your own reward system that does not require money.
You can reward a treat like ice cream cones, candy, etc. If you make it fun,
you want have a lot of backlash. Just come up with chores that are age appropriate.
Even two year old's can learn and try to fold towels and small things. Kids need
to understand the importance of their contributions to the home and if you show
them appreciation and praise them, they will get a sense of pride, and a
feeling of accomplishment. It teaches self discipline and service too.
I have to give a big shout out to my dear hubby as well. He does his share in helping me as well in the home. I never have to ask him, he just pitches. It can be cooking, cleaning or teaching something. I have the best husband in the world.
My Cleaning Routine, Tips, Tricks and Hacks:
Chores:
Consider what your chores will be. For me, it is dusting, sweeping,
vacuuming, mopping, wiping down and scrubbing certain things.
Dusting: I use a dust mop for crown moldings, baseboards, walls and big
areas. To me, a dust mop covers more area in a faster time. I can zip around a
room in no time dusting the crown molding and baseboards. I am too old to be
getting on my hands and knees with a rag scrubbing baseboards and too old to be
climbing trying to get the crown molding. These two things are pet peeves of
mine along with ceiling fans, light fixtures and blinds. I can spot dust on
them a mile away. Sometimes they are the most neglected. I will spray my dust
mop too with my homemade cleaner. (I will leave my recipes for these below). I
remember when I was younger, we had to use a rag and furniture polish to dust
with. Then we just started using a rag. Now I use a Swiffer Duster and the
wand. I have a short one and one that stretches out to reach taller items that
I can't reach. My husband grew up being the one who had to do the dusting with
the furniture polish. He is no stranger to that. His momma had so many small
what knots in places and he said it would take him forever to get everything
done piece by piece. And she was watching too. She would be in there washing
the walls with bleach water and a rag. Anybody else's mommas do this? I wash my
walls by using my dust mop too with my homemade cleaner on them. Makes it so
much easier. I use my smaller Swiffer duster to get trinkets, what knots,
picture frames, dressers, chest of drawers, blinds, ceiling fans, lamps, light
fixtures, etc. This is how I dust and it is always done before vacuuming.
Reason being, you want to start from the top of the room, middle of the room
and to the bottom. This pushes everything to the floor, hopefully, to be
vacuumed up. If I have gotten behind on dusting and skipped a week or two, I
will do a damp dust. This is when I take a rag and slightly dampen it and wipe
everything down, making sure to touch every single thing. This cuts down dust
from spreading also. When I dust, everything gets touched and moved. I try to
do my dusting weekly to cut down on allergies. Dust sticks to everything, even
bedding, curtains, and upholstery. Choose when and how you will dust and what
you will use to do this chore with. Choose what works best for you and is
easiest for you or the members of your home. (Consider getting you some little helpers like I have.)
Vacuuming: Vacuuming is done after dusting unless I just need to get
something up out of the floor really quick like glitter from crafting or
playdough, even sprinkles from baking. I dust first so it can be vacuumed up. I
choose to use a heavy duty vacuum cleaner with attachments so I an get up
against baseboards, under cabinets, under beds somewhat, and tight places. I
try to vacuum once a week. My husband
invested in me a Robo Vacuum. It is so neat. I can set it in the floor, program
it, turn it on, and watch it go. I love it. Choose when you will vacuum and the
appliances that work for you and your family.
Sweeping: It kills me now to sweep. It hurts my back but it has to be down.
Yes, I do have a broom and dust pan. I use it on occasion. But my husband
invested in me a Swiffer Wet Vacuum and a Bissell Crosswave that vacuums and
mops at the same time. This has become a life saver on hardwood floors. It
helps me to two thins at one time. By all means, you can use a broom and
dustpan if you can. Sweeping will probably be done daily because of cooking,
baking, spilling and traffic. I can not
stand to see a baby crawling on a dirty floor knowing they are going to be
putting their hands in their moths and in their faces. They will pick up anything
and try to eat it.
Mopping: This chore kills my back and arthritis too but it has to be done.
Gone are the days of me using a mop and bucket of water. For two reasons: one,
it hurts my back. Two: I have realized now it is unsanitary. You see, you fill
a bucket with clean water, wet your mop, mop a dirty section, stick your dirty
mop into your clean water, ring out and mop another dirty section. And repeat
this process. What eventually happens to your clean water? It gets dirty after
every dip. So you are repeatedly mopping your floor with dirty contaminated
water. YUCK! This defeats your purpose of cleaning your floors if you are just
spreading dirty water around. Picture this, a janitor with that big yellow
bucket on wheels and a big mop mopping down a long hospital floor. Doesn't look
so sanitary now does it? I changed my way of mopping. I bought a mop with a
removeable, washable mop head. I wet my mop in the sink or bathtub (depending
on where I am), mop a section, rinse my mop out under hot water for a bit, ring
out and repeat process. I am mopping with clean water on each section. I also have a Bissell Crosswave and Swiffer
Wet Vacuum that helps mop at the same time. I use these for quick maintenance.
My mop I use for deep clean mopping. I also have a Shark Steam Vacuum I love to
use to sanitize the hardwood floors especially in bathrooms. Choose what method
you want to use and purchase the essential items needed. Decide when you want
to do this chore. I try to deep mop weekly or bi-weekly. I maintain with my
other essentials.
Wiping Down Surfaces and Other Furniture: You are always going to be wiping
down something. Dirty hands, spilling, dropping things, maintenance, etc., this
all causes us to have to walk around with a rag or something to wipe them down.
I always use microfiber cloths for this and some of my homemade cleaners.
Empty trash as soon as a trash can gets full. Keep some trash bags in the
bottom of the can to grab and refill right then. I love to keep grocery bags and
reuse them for small trash cans. Boy, talk about repurposing and saving money.
I also save the plastic containers that baby wipes come in. I stuff the grocery
bags in there and keep in each bathroom and one under the kitchen sink. I will
spray some deodorizer or a few drops of essential oil in the bottom of the
trash can then put the trash bag in. Cuts down on smell. You can also use a
dryer sheet.
No matter what room I clean that day, my method is the same. I start at the
top of the room with the crown molding and baseboards, dust everything in the middle of the room and then vacuum or mop up.
Room By Room:
If you will allow me, I would like
to share my cleaning tips and tricks as I go through each room in my
home and show you how I clean or perform routine maintenance.
Kitchen:
Since I spend the majority of my time in the kitchen, I will start there.
My main motto for my kitchen is: CLEAN
AS YOU GO!! I can not stress that enough. As I mess up something I try to clean
it right then, or it will go into the sink where it will go into the dishwasher
as soon as I can load it. If I wash it right then, I have one of those little
scrubbing wands that has the dish soap in the handle or soap and a sponge.
While something is cooking or baking in the oven, I wash something or load the
dishwasher and get it out of the way. Then wipe down surfaces and cutting
boards and put away things. I can't function in a dirty, cluttered kitchen. Put
things away right after using them. If I
am mixing something and I get out flour, sugar, etc., I put them right back in
the cabinets when I'm done scooping out what I need. It's out of my way. Some
pots and pans may have to be washed instead of going into the dishwasher
especially if they are big and take up a lot of room. I try to wash these as
soon as I dish something up or pour into a serving plate or bowl. If I can't
get to it right then, I get it after I get done eating. I always try to clean
my kitchen after I eat. This keeps me from going straight to the living room
and sitting down to watch tv. If I prolong it, I will not come back to it. I
have to stay disciplined where my kitchen is concerned. We will cook, eat, load
the dishwasher as much as we can get in there, wash and rinse what doesn't fit
in that load, put away leftover food into the refrigerator, wipe down
countertops, stove, microwave, cutting boards, cabinets and table. I'm a
stickler for my microwave getting dirty with splattered food. I have a foldable
plate cover or a roll of paper towels by the microwave for people to cover
their plates when heating something up.
Try not to mess up as many dishes. You can pour, mix and bake all in one
pan when making a cake or casserole. See? Bake something in a dish that is also
functional and can go in the refrigerator with a matching lid. I prepped, baked
and stored in one casserole dish. When using a muffin tin, invest in silicone
liners. This makes my clean up so easy. I hate scrubbing a muffin tin with
stuck on things. I don't have to replace a muffin tin either. I purchased
silicone liners one time. It has been a game changer.
I will repeat again what I repeated earlier. Stock and organize you kitchen
as to how and where you will be using
those items. Baking things by the island for mixing, pots and pans by the stove, etc. This saves
on time and steps.
Keep surfaces wiped down, and floors swept at night. Keep your refrigerator
cleaned out and wiped out. Things spoil and get spilled. Use
your time wisely in the kitchen. Don't get distracted. I use to think
that while something was cooking or baking, I could go throw a load of clothes
in the washing machine or something. This created a problem. I was all over the
house and supper would burn. It took me away from my task. Staying in the
kitchen helps me to stay focused and keep that one area clean. I can worry
about another area at its appointed time. This is why I developed my motto, CLEAN AS YOU GO. I cleaned something in my kitchen as I went
while food was cooking or baking. I can not stress that enough. I love closing
my kitchen at night. It is so peaceful.
When it is time to deep clean my kitchen when I get to it, I use my clean
dust mop and clean my high and low cabinets, I clean and wipe down my
appliances, surfaces, microwave, and small appliances on the counters. I do not
like cluttered counters either. I try to put small appliances in cabinets. Then
I will sweep or vacuum, then mop. If the floors are too bad, I use my steam mop
especially after major holiday baking. I have taught my grandchildren how to
use some of my essentials like the Swiffer Wet Vacuum and steam mop. It is not
too big or heavy and now they fight over who is going to use it. They love
helping me dust too.
Bathrooms:
This is an area that gets out of control and nasty really fast. You can
clean your bathroom all at one time if you want to and sometimes I do, however,
I have found a little trick that helps me keep my bathroom clean on a daily
basis. I choose to clean at little increments and zone clean daily. For
example, I put my makeup on and fix my hair in front of my mirror on the
counter. As soon as I get done doing that, I immediately put all my things away
back in their proper places and wipe down the counter top, sinks and cabinets. I can also do this at
night after brushing my teeth. Nothing stays out on my counter in view. After
anyone takes a bath in my big bathtub, we clean and wipe it out. Only take like
2 minutes. We keep the toilet clean constantly. It only takes like 2 minutes to
clean a toilet. The wand is right down beside the toilet in the floor and there
are some wipes on the back of the toilet at all times. Here is a trick for my
shower. I will spray my shower and glass doors down with my homemade cleaner
and let it sit overnight. The next morning after I take a shower, I will turn
right around and take a cleaning rag and wipe it all down while still inside
the shower. Call me crazy if you want but it works for me. If I don't get it while I'm showering one day, then dear hubby bought me a scrubbing extendable wand to clean with. The bathtub is usually used by our granddaughters and they help keep it clean also. You give them a wipe or a cloth and they will scrub it down. Sometimes after they take a bath or should I say try to swim and splash like whales in the tub, when they are finished, one washes all the toys off and puts them into a mesh bag to dry, the other will drain and rinse the tub out and clean it. Couldn't ask for any better help. When it is time to
do the floors, I do get these all at once in one day including the big mirror
on the wall above both sinks. When our boys were young they were responsible
for their own bathroom. Yes, I taught them to scrub their own toilet. I made
them divide the bathroom up and rotate jobs from week to week so eventually
they knew how to clean everything in the bathroom. How smart is that? Now it is
a spare bathroom but I am also teaching our grandchildren how to keep it clean
when they spend the night. Now, I clean that bathroom all in one day. It is
small. No problem. Same goes for bathrooms, I start at the top and work my way
down. That bathroom has a mold and mildew resistant washable liner and curtain
which gets taken down often and sanitized in the washing machine.
Living Room:
This room has to be picked up constantly EVERY DAY ALL DAY! Why you ask? I
have had and still have kids who play in this room. Our kids nor our grandkids
like playing in a room by themselves. They have to be where we are and drag
their toys in there. They have to be where they can see us. That's ok. Some
toys are kept in there, um, because we are running out of room and I keep
buying them. Ha! It's ok. At an early age I started teaching them to pick up
their toys when they were done and put them in the correct places. I also taught organized play.
This is where they get one thing out at a time, when they are done, they put
that away, then get out the next. This takes time for them to catch on to and
you will constantly have to keep reminding them. They eventually get it. If
they get crafting supplies or Playdoh in the floor of course I vacuum it up. I
learned to put a table cloth down in the floor under their little table and
chairs. When they are done, we gather up the table cloth and take it to the
front door and shake it out, fold it up and put it in a cabinet. We try to keep
snacking in this room to a minimum, but popcorn and water bottles are necessary
on movie nights. Ha! When I clean this room I start from the top and go to the
bottom and vacuum it all up. Before I vacuum, I will take a microfiber cloth
and my homemade cleaner and wipe our living room suit down which is couches and
recliners. Fireplace and flue gets cleaned before every season. When the season
is over, we clean out the fireplace from the ashes and I wipe everything down
including the doors and we pack it all up and store it for the winter. Before
that first fire, dear hubby climbs on the roof and cleans the flue. So many homes
have caught fire due to this reason as well. So sad.
Bedrooms:
The first thing I do every morning is get out of bed and immediately turn
around and take 3 minutes to make my bed. For some reason, this automatically
motivates me and sets my mood. Just by making your bed, your room already looks
clean. We keep things put away in these rooms like our clothes and we keep our
nightstands (bedside tables) cleaned off. I have a little reading nook on my
side of the room and I keep it organized as well. This room is done the same
way. Start at the top, work the middle to the floor then vacuum. Our boys kept
their own rooms clean and I taught them to do the same and now they are
grandkids rooms and guess what? I'm teaching them the same thing.
Storage Room:
It somewhat stays clean. It houses our freezers and my sewing area. I try
to keep things put away as much as possible. Same routine goes in here.
Utility Room:
Our utility room is not that big and is by our back door. We have to keep
it clean because of tracking in dirt, hay, grass, possible barn or pasture poop
(just kidding, we scrub our boots off outside) but it has been known to
accidently happen by children who run in and forget. We have a closet that
keeps our shoes and laundry basket along with home tools and extra gadgets for
home. We take our shoes off at the door and we wear house slippers through the
house. We have a runner in the floor which I can vacuum the debris up when
needed. This also houses our washing machine and clothes dryer and our furnace
is in this area as well. When it is time to clean this room, same goes as the
rest but I take the runner outside and clean the floors. Bring the runner back
in and vacuum it and place it back. I vacuum the vent where the furnace is and
check the filter. I don't like seeing dust clods in there either. I put up any
shoes that may be in the floor and put them back into the closet neatly.
Everyone has a place. I keep our washing machine and dryer wiped down and keep
those appliances clean and maintained. I will take my vacuum cleaner and the
crevice tool attachment and clean where the lint filter is and try to get all
lint out. I have seen too many homes catch on fire just because of the dryers
not being cleaned out.
Laundry System:
There are so many different ways to have laundry washing days. I use to
separate every single thing until I would have 4 to 5 different loads. This was
getting to me. I have learned now that you can wash multiple things together.
Cold water can wash everything just as good as hot water. Clothes are washed
all together unless they fade and I will wash them by themselves until they do
not fade anymore. Whites are washed with the towels, hand towels, wash cloths,
dish cloths and dish towels. Reason being, I use vinegar and baking soda in the
wash and softener cycles on hot water. Vinegar and baking soda are whiteners
and sanitizes. This helps remove mildew smells and deodorant arm pit stains.
Yep, it sure does. Then there is a little basket for delicates which may be my
under garments, silky or lacey items and baby clothes. The last load is bed
linens, quilts, blankets, and throw blankets on couches. It depended on how
many people were in the home as to how often I did laundry. When our children
were home and before I could teach them to do laundry, I washed a load a day. I
started it first thing in the mornings. This helped tremendously by keeping up
with the laundry and not piling up. We all took our items to the laundry
baskets and sorted them out according to loads and closed the door. Try to get
everyone into this habit or have a basket in the bathroom or everyone's bedrooms
and then collect the laundry when it is time to wash. This keeps laundry picked
up out of everyone's floors and bathrooms. You can take one whole day and
separate laundry, wash, dry, fold and put away if that is better for you. But
for me, I just got tired of spending one whole day doing this, so I broke it up
and do a load a day. Now that it is just me and my husband, it may be every
other day or until a basket fills up and we throw it on to wash. You guessed
it, I taught my boys to do their own laundry and now my grandkids help me with ours and theirs.
Kids can be taught how to fold towels and rags easily and they are so happy to
help. They can even put them away. After they are washed, have them go through,
pick their items out, fold and put them away. In the older days, women had days
when they ironed. I love clean, ironed, button up dress shirts. If we need to
wear one now, we iron it as we need it. It is going to get wrinkled back up on
the hanger in the closet. I iron church clothes on a Saturday night.
I have also learned, most all laundry detergents have the same ingredients
and clean the same way. You also do not have to use as much as they
recommend. It only takes two or three
table spoons of laundry detergent to do a large load provided you didn't stuff
the washing machine full. An 1/8 th of a
cup at the most. They want you to use more so you go through it quicker and
have to keep buying more. Same goes for softeners. I tear a dryer sheet in half
and use per load. If your towels and clothes are feeling gummy, you are using
too much. Find a system that works for your family and how often you want to do
laundry. Take a whole day or break it down. Test and see which works best. It's also amazing what kids can do too.
Spring Cleaning:
If there is any spring cleaning for me to do it is usually windows, glass
screen doors, taking all curtains down and washing them. Sometimes I can
squeeze these in with my weekly or bi-weekly cleaning.
Appliances:
When you purchase an appliance you are spending your hard earned money.
Make sure you take care of them. Fill out those warranty cards and send them
back. They are worth it. We have had to replace something within a years time
and got a new one. No money spent on our part. They even came to get the broken
one, deliver and set up the new one. Please keep them clean and maintained at
all times. Read the owners manual for cleaning and routine maintenance. I keep
my oven clean especially after holiday cooking and baking. Some appliances have
self cleaning cycles on them. Use all the bells and whistles on it. I keep my
dishwasher cleaned. Have you taken the filter out and looked at that thing?
Nasty. I take my pieces out of the dishwasher, clean and scrub them and put
them back in. I keep the lint vacuumed out of the dryer and dear hubby will
scrub out the lint pipe on the outside of the house. My washing machine has a cleaning
cycle on it because it is a front loader. Clean out the trays where your
powders or liquid detergent goes. Keep a check on all filters in appliances.
Unless you have a frost free freezer, you will need to defrost it on occasion
to keep it from struggling and using power. Change the filter in your HVAC unit
every 6 months. Take the vent covers off your vents and vacuum them out. Keep a
check on your hot water heaters and pipes. Oh man, pipes. Please maintain these
and wrap them for winter time. Please take the time to do this. So many people
get busted pipes in the winter and it can cost a bunch. Clean the gutters from fallen leaves and
debris. They can get full and heavy and strip away from the roof edge. Same
goes for the drain pipes where the water runs out. They can get full of leaves
and debris and bird nests. They will not
drain properly. It takes a lot of thought to remember these things. But write
them down somewhere and when they need to be maintained. Seasonally, annually or
yearly. When something tears up, please fix it ASAP. There is nothing like
letting things become an eye sore.
Are You In A Rut?:
Are things getting out of hand and out of control? Is everything disorganized and chaotic? Are
you getting overwhelmed? Are you loosing your motivation? Are you getting burnt out? Sometimes we are the
victims of our own downfall. The best thing to do is sometimes just start all
over and whip it back into shape. Find out what happened and where you got slack.
Step back, breathe, look around, focus, and come up with a different plan if
needed. Did you get out of your routine or schedule? Get back on track. Just have a do over and start fresh.
Declutter, pick up, put away, organize, and deep clean. That wasn't so hard was
it. If there are too many chores, break the down weekly, bi-weekly, annually, or
yearly. Designate chores to other members of the household. Remember raising
capable kids?
Come up with a morning routine that makes your mornings go smoother. Here
is one: lay out everyone's clothes the night before. This cuts down on not
knowing where anything is, can't find anything, arguments and running late
because all this has transpired. That is one major reason for chaotic mornings.
Find some more hacks that make mornings go smoother. Then come up with a night
time/bed time routine. Have everyone who doesn't mind, take showers at night.
While one is giving children baths, maybe the other can clean the kitchen and
close it for the night. My husband and I double teamed when raising our boys.
Things happen, life goes on, we get in a hurry and things start to go a
muck. Don't be a victim of homemaking.
Don't let your home control you. We are to control our homes. Try to stay focused and keep on top of
things. Make Homemaking enjoyable. Be proud of your home.
I know it is hard to live up to the Proverbs 31 Woman. Trust me, I fall
short everyday but I don't give up. I keep looking for the prize and it is the
feeling of pride that I am honoring my home. My castle. My domain. Mine and my
families safe haven. When you find yourself loosing motivation, sit and read
Proverbs 31: 10-31.
Try Romanticizing Your Home. Mondaine tasks can become beautiful and romantic with a little bit of effort. Here are
some ways:
1- Put on an apron when cooking or baking.
2- Listen to music while you do your chores or wear some ear buds and
listen to a book or podcast.
3- Wear a favorite, comfortable outfit that makes you feel beautiful even
if you are not going anywhere.
4- Buy fresh or artificial flowers for an arrangement for your table or
somewhere.
5-Cook or bake by candle light. Light candles throughout the home. Maybe
some scented ones.
6-Use special dishes on holidays or maybe an occasional day here and there.
7-Store dried good items in cute little jars or containers and display
them.
8- Take time to do your hair and makeup before your day starts. This
automatically raises your self esteem and self confidence.
9- Enjoy your favorite beverage in a pretty glass or mug.
10-If you don't care for scented candles with the toxins, diffuse essential
oils in a diffuser. Add them to your homemade cleaners.
11- Decorate with inexpensive decor. Home decor does not have to cost an
arm and a leg. You can find cute things at yard sales, thrift stores and second
hand stores. You know what they say, someone's trash is someone else's treasure.
12-Get a cute cleaning cart or cubby for all your cleaning supplies.
13-Create some coziness throughout the home.
14- Open windows and screens when possible to let in fresh air and sunshine.
15- Do something old fashioned just for the reminiscence of times past.
15-Set a proper table again with place settings. Table cloth and cloth
napkins. Beautiful.
16- Find your joy again. Stay away from magazines, blogs, music, tv programs, books etc., that
downplay, criticizes, and mocks Homemaking. We are stripping chivalry and
masculinity from our gentlemen and our
ladies are loosing their femininity. Stay in the word. Stand your ground. Surround
yourself with positive people, stay sway from naysayers, find like minded women
who love their homes and families, find women who use their homes for good
works, and stay away from social circles that try to pull you away from your
responsibilities. If you find yourself caught up in busy chaos, find balance
and most of all, peace.
Here are the recipes for my Homemade Cleaners and such:
Homemade All Purpose Cleaner:
To a spray bottle, large or small, I add (no measurements) some vinegar,
lemon juice, anti-bacterial Fabuloso and a little Awesome cleaner. Next, I
fill the bottle with water the rest of the way reserving a little space to add
a few drops of Dawn Dish Soap. Put the cap on and shake.
The reason I don't have measurements is because you can adjust these to
your liking. I will recommend using just a small amount of the Awesome because
it is concentrated. The reason why you wait until the end to add the dish soap
is so you don't create a lot of bubbles while you try adding water. The water will
force it out. So put it in last. If you do not want to use the Fabuloso and
Awesome, omit them. The rest will be fine. You can add a citrus essential oil
like Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit etc.
I use my All Purpose cleaner on everything from, kitchen countertops, sink,
cabinets, appliances, stove, table and
chairs, to shower, tubs, toilets, sinks, bathroom countertops, cabinets,
basically everything.
Homemade Disinfectant:
To a spray bottle (large or small) add equal amounts vinegar, alcohol, and
peroxide. Then fill the rest of the bottle with water. I didn't give
measurements because you can make this as strong or weak as you want. Then add
10 to 20 drops each of tea tree essential oil and a citrus essential oil of
your choice. Lemon and Orange smell really nice. Give it a shake and
spray. All of these ingredients are
super power anti everything. Use this just as you would a can of Lysol or off
brand disinfectant. Allow to dry.
Homemade Upholstery or Linen Spray (Mock Fe-breeze):
To a spray bottle add the amount of your choice of a floral scent warming
oil like the kind you put in a candle warmer. I love the smell of Lilac or
Rose. It doesn't take much oil, probably a capful to a small bottle and maybe
two to three capfuls for a large bottle. then fill the rest of the bottle with
water. A second choice is to use liquid fabric softener. To a spray bottle pour
the amount of liquid fabric softener of your choice, then fill the rest of the
bottle with water. Give a shake and spray. Your house will smell amazing. Use
this just like you would Fe-breeze Upholstery Freshener. I love using this on
our couches and bedding. We go to bed at night and our sheets smell like they
were just wash. Comes in handy refreshing them between washings.
Another homemade cleaner you can make is by using the peels of oranges,
lemons, limes or grapefruits. Yes girl, save those peels and add them to a jar
with a screw on lid. Maybe a Mason jar. Then fill with vinegar all the way to
the neck of the jar. Let this steep for about a week maybe two. This will be a
concentrate so it will need to be diluted. When it is done steeping, pour a
small amount into a spray bottle and then fill the rest of the way with water.
Give a shake and spray. Great all natural cleaner.
Vinegar, Alcohol, Peroxide, Citrus Oils, and Tea Tree oil all have
anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral properties. They are great for killing
germs. You can also use Tea Tree Oil and a citrus essential oil in a diffuser
to kill virus's in the air as well.
Book Recommendations:
I would love to recommend some wonderful self help book from some wonderful, trusted, Christian women.
I will give you the authors names and you can search their book titles.
Some authors have multiple books and I don't have every one of them, Yet.
Elizabeth George
Sharon White (blog, Legacy of Home)
Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Susan Hunt
Mary A. Kassian
Carolyn Mahaney
Barbara Hughes
P. Bunny Wilson
Dorothy Patterson
Elisabeth Elliot
Stormie O'Martin
Sally Clarkson
Susan Schaeffer
Nancy Wilson
Dr. Alice Mathews
Anne Ortlund
Debi Pearl
Martha Peace
I have a lot of their books stashed in my library and read them over again
sometimes. I have loaned them out to other women and young ladies who want to
get on board with this journey.
If you like video versions of this
written tutorial, they are all linked below. When I make a new one, they will
be added so always check back.
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