A Woman's Place is in the House...and in the Senate.
As we celebrate Women's History month, did you know that Kansas is the only state to have a woman governor, senator and representative at the same time? (Joan Finney, Nancy Landon Kassebaum, and I can't remember who was in the House of Representatives--does anyone know?) Women have made an impact not only in our state, but everywhere. Think of the women who have influenced your life--they may not have been famous, but they left their mark on your corner of the world.
We can all point to a special woman who helped us develop a character trait, spiritual insight, work habit, or skill set that has enriched our life and in turn, the lives of others. My mother was the oldest of six and helped take care of the others plus worked and attended college part-time in Missouri. Her dream was to attend Kansas State University, to major in Home Economics. It took her 9 years of saving money, but she did it! Due to this, I definitely viewed attending college as a priviledge with the responsibility to learn and make the most of the opportunity. (I had plenty of fun,too!) My mom taught me perserverence and optimism. She taught me practical skills that have saved me and my family tons of money over the years--how to sew my own clothes, mend, cook and preserve food. (I have fond memories of stemming strawberries or blackberries to freeze while watching The Johnny Carson Show and actually, I only learned how to bake--I was usually helping my Dad with farm work so didn't help in the kitchen much!)I learned how to garden, refinish furniture, paint rooms and houses. My Mom also taught me that faith was very important and that Jesus loved me. She worked with my sister and our friends in Girl Scouts, 4-H, and church and I was impressed by how much she wanted to help other kids achieve--something that I care about also. My Aunt Sue modeled hospitality and is the person I know who best exemplifies being the hands and feet of Jesus in her service to others. I can think of teachers who taught me about self-discipline and to aim for excellence. Some of the women who impacted my world (and still do) are real life women I read about. My heroes(heroines?) are women who, through their faith in God, kept their families and others going in tough times. (See the Caring for Kids and Others blog for more)
Leaving a Legacy
What will we be remembered for? What impact are we having on the lives of others--in our home? In our community? (Dream big-- we can impact our country and world, too!) I have pretty quilts and recipes from my grandmothers, flowers from my Mom and aunt, but memories of their faith and forbearance are of most value to me. I often wonder what am I modeling for my children and others?
It all begins at home --what do we model? Do we do our tasks at home with excellence and work hard? Do we show our appreciation for what God has given us by taking good care of it?(Stewardship) Do we complete our tasks in a timely manner?(the laundry is my downfall) Do we handle life's frustrations with patience and good humor? The tough thing about being a Mom or even a Christian is that we know what behaviors/traits we'd like to see in our kids and others, but we also know that we fall pretty short of the mark ourselves. Sigh.
This is when we get to model honesty, making a Plan B, laughing at goof-ups, apologizing and asking for forgiveness. Just for starters--do your kids see you reading your Bible, praying, organizing your day, learning and trying new things? We have to walk the talk , or we'll be a "Do as I say, not what I do" kind of person, which is not a legacy we want to leave!
On the Home front...time for a Spring Fling!
One of the things we can model in our home is order and peace. Make room for the things that matter and improve your life by getting rid of those that don't.
Give Me Five
This idea comes from the book, The Art Of Home, by Hannah Keeley. Grab a trash bag and throw 5 things away everyday. ( Establilsh a give away bag, as well) If you get everyone in the family doing this, you can de-clutter a lot over several weeks. You can require everyone to do this little exercise and even offer small incentives...be sure to check kids' throw away bags and make it clear that they can only bag up their own stuff, not someone else's! Teach your kids that stuff is only stuff and God doesn't want us to love stuff more than Him. Some things are important and need to be taken care of, such as family memory pieces or equipment. Getting rid of stuff also teaches us that stuff can't make us happy and actually can make us unhappy when we have to pay for it, clean it, and store it. Let It Go!
See some Spring Break/Spring Cleaning ideas inthe Kids and Others Blog.
On the financial front
(Did you know the first woman cabinet member was Francis Perkins, Secretary of the Treasury for Franklin D.Roosevelt, from Kansas?) As I was de-cluttering, I was purely disgusted with myself for the money I had spent on knickknacks, magazines,and other things that I'm now getting rid of. Slap my hands if you see me near anything like that. Notice I left out books. Books are my addiction. I have been donating many, but have a gazillion still. (I do read them again, andmany are children's books I enjoy reading to young visitors) Even when I buy them at library sales, too many is too many! When you de-clutter, make note of what your spending downfalls are and try to steer clear in the future.
The Power of Women
If you go to Flylady.com, look for last March in the Archives. They had a challenge for women to pay an extra $16 off their credit card bills. Their goal was to pay off about 2 million. When the month was over, an amazing $9 million of debt had been paid--wow! Setting financial goals is important and even small amouunts paid to retire debt or to save can make a big difference.
A Woman's words to remember...
These words from Martha Washington are on a large poster hanging on one of our high school teacher's classroom door--they provide a good lesson for all of us.
"I am determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have learned from experience that a greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."
(This is the equivalent to the apostle Paul's statement that he had learned to be content in whatever circumstances he was in--even in jail for preaching about Christ. And one of my favorite bible verses urges us to..." be content with such things as you have for He himself has said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake You.")
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Kitchen Wonders
How are things going in your kitchen, the heart of the home? I am doing the things I write about so I have been decluttering, cleaning and improving my kitchen,too. I have turned up some interesting finds and discoveries.
For instance, cleaning out the pantry, checking expiration dates on cannned goods, I found a can of cranberry sauce that expired in 1995. We also have 4 more cans as every year I buy more at Thanksgiving when I am the only one who will eat it--why do I keep doing this? We also have, for reasons unknown to me, 12 cans of pineapple--crushed,rings and chunks. I don't even use pineapple much.
This leads me to wonder, "What was I thinking, buying so much of some things?" Note to self--just because something is on sale doesn't mean it's a good buy if no one eats it! I'm also wondering how to use all this pineapple!
I got really brave and cleaned out the broom closet, where we store (besides the broom!)cleaning supplies, dust rags, household tools and odds and ends. Some finds turned out to be odder than others, such as a bottle of stuff to take the chlorine out of tap water when cleaning your fishbowl. We haven't had a goldfish in the house since about 1998. From the number of different cleaners I have, you would expect our house to be a whole lot cleaner than it is. I end up using plain old vinegar a lot, but have been lately led astray by all the new aroma-therapy type cleaners. They do make mopping the floor more fun, though probably no more clean. Another note to self--quit buying this stuff when you still have plenty!
I am wondering if any of you want to share any of your unexpected "finds" with us--we'd love to hear from you!
Here's the big "I wonder..., as in I wonder what to have for supper/dinner?"
Cooking is not my favorite thing so I have struggled with this over the years. However, I firmly believe in the importance of family mealtimes and serving healthy food. Some of our best family bonding and just catching up happened at supper. I felt really good about those evenings when I had planned ahead and the food was ready, and not so good when meals were late or not all they could be. Just like with everything else, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Enlist everyone's help and fill out index cards with complete meal ideas starting with the entree, bread, a vegetable, fruit and/or dessert. Each person can plan one or two favorite meals and you can get 14-21 index cards of meals and rotate. Theme meals are my favorites--Mexican, Italian, BBQ, Cajun, Soup and sandwiches,etc.
Each week, pick 7 of your meal cards, then plan your grocery/shopping list. Make your list of needed items, (check your pantry first!) choosing entrees according to what's on sale. Keep an"emergency" meal on hand, such as makings for pancakes, spaghetti, or pizza. Just pull your index card meal for each day and you're good to go. I enjoy using the crockpot as I start supper at 8:oo a.m. and can do something else the rest of the day without having to stop to make suppper later. (Especially if spring ever gets here, as I will be outside gardening and I forget to come in to start supper!)
Adding wonder... since my cooking is so-so, I go for presentation or "style" points. Light candles, use different dishes, put some flowers or other decorative items on the table to make family meals special. A theme night meal with corresponding music is fun--we would replicate a meal we'd had on travels or from a book we'd read. Once we did a "land run" supper after reading a book about the settling of Oklahoma with the land run where people raced to stake out a claim. We ate beans and cornbread off granite wear plates (camping kind) and had used sticks and twine to make "claims" in the backyard. The kids lined up and raced to choose the best "farm" location, tying a bandana around the twig to "claim" it. Our next-door neighbor got in the act by being a "sooner", he tied a bandana to a claim before the "run" started! As you can tell, I enjoy the details surrounding a meal more than the preparation!
Whatever you serve, serve it with love. Remember to give thanks and ask God's blessing for your food. Ask too, for God to help you make your kitchen a fun, productive and welcoming place--and to use family mealtimes to strengthen and encourage your family.
I hope you've been able to add some fun and better function in your kitchen this month. And if you have a good recipe for canned pineapple,let me know!
For instance, cleaning out the pantry, checking expiration dates on cannned goods, I found a can of cranberry sauce that expired in 1995. We also have 4 more cans as every year I buy more at Thanksgiving when I am the only one who will eat it--why do I keep doing this? We also have, for reasons unknown to me, 12 cans of pineapple--crushed,rings and chunks. I don't even use pineapple much.
This leads me to wonder, "What was I thinking, buying so much of some things?" Note to self--just because something is on sale doesn't mean it's a good buy if no one eats it! I'm also wondering how to use all this pineapple!
I got really brave and cleaned out the broom closet, where we store (besides the broom!)cleaning supplies, dust rags, household tools and odds and ends. Some finds turned out to be odder than others, such as a bottle of stuff to take the chlorine out of tap water when cleaning your fishbowl. We haven't had a goldfish in the house since about 1998. From the number of different cleaners I have, you would expect our house to be a whole lot cleaner than it is. I end up using plain old vinegar a lot, but have been lately led astray by all the new aroma-therapy type cleaners. They do make mopping the floor more fun, though probably no more clean. Another note to self--quit buying this stuff when you still have plenty!
I am wondering if any of you want to share any of your unexpected "finds" with us--we'd love to hear from you!
Here's the big "I wonder..., as in I wonder what to have for supper/dinner?"
Cooking is not my favorite thing so I have struggled with this over the years. However, I firmly believe in the importance of family mealtimes and serving healthy food. Some of our best family bonding and just catching up happened at supper. I felt really good about those evenings when I had planned ahead and the food was ready, and not so good when meals were late or not all they could be. Just like with everything else, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Enlist everyone's help and fill out index cards with complete meal ideas starting with the entree, bread, a vegetable, fruit and/or dessert. Each person can plan one or two favorite meals and you can get 14-21 index cards of meals and rotate. Theme meals are my favorites--Mexican, Italian, BBQ, Cajun, Soup and sandwiches,etc.
Each week, pick 7 of your meal cards, then plan your grocery/shopping list. Make your list of needed items, (check your pantry first!) choosing entrees according to what's on sale. Keep an"emergency" meal on hand, such as makings for pancakes, spaghetti, or pizza. Just pull your index card meal for each day and you're good to go. I enjoy using the crockpot as I start supper at 8:oo a.m. and can do something else the rest of the day without having to stop to make suppper later. (Especially if spring ever gets here, as I will be outside gardening and I forget to come in to start supper!)
Adding wonder... since my cooking is so-so, I go for presentation or "style" points. Light candles, use different dishes, put some flowers or other decorative items on the table to make family meals special. A theme night meal with corresponding music is fun--we would replicate a meal we'd had on travels or from a book we'd read. Once we did a "land run" supper after reading a book about the settling of Oklahoma with the land run where people raced to stake out a claim. We ate beans and cornbread off granite wear plates (camping kind) and had used sticks and twine to make "claims" in the backyard. The kids lined up and raced to choose the best "farm" location, tying a bandana around the twig to "claim" it. Our next-door neighbor got in the act by being a "sooner", he tied a bandana to a claim before the "run" started! As you can tell, I enjoy the details surrounding a meal more than the preparation!
Whatever you serve, serve it with love. Remember to give thanks and ask God's blessing for your food. Ask too, for God to help you make your kitchen a fun, productive and welcoming place--and to use family mealtimes to strengthen and encourage your family.
I hope you've been able to add some fun and better function in your kitchen this month. And if you have a good recipe for canned pineapple,let me know!
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Heart of the Home
If your household is like ours, everyone spends alot of time in the kitchen.
The kitchen is truly the heart of your home. Think of the activites that take place here: food preparation, food storage, meals and snacks, clean-up, and possibly desk work or homework. Our kitchen has also served as the place for preschool activities, 4-H club crafts meetings, birthday parties from age one to 50, high school and college friends hang-out, and a home hair cut parlor. Throw in the occasional bedtime snack and late night talk session ,family meeeting and staging area and even science laboratory with experiments gone awry. (Some of these have been inadvertent--such as the time we tried to make root beer at home. My kids have a memorable impression of fermentation as upon uncapping our root beer, it sprayed all over the ceiling, cabinets and floor.)(This is what is called false economy--it would have been much cheaper to buy rootbeer!) Since our kitchens are so important, this month let's put our"hearts" into making them fun and functional.
Move It and Lose It--yep, just another way to say Declutter! Take back your "prime real estate", the areas best for storing the things you need/use the most. Get rid of duplicates(how many cool whip containers, let alone stray lids, does a family need, after all?) Make a game with the kids of matching up other plastic containers and lids--pitch loners and extras. Try to get as much off your counters and out of your cabinets as possible. I gave away a bread machine and a ice tea maker because I considered them space hogs. I'd rather have workable space than gadgets--I make tea by boiling water and make bread dough in my mixer. Move out what can be stored elsewhere--my canner and turkey roaster live on shelves in the garage most of the time. I use my coffee maker at most once a week, so it doesn't get a spot on the cabinet either. Move out seasonal or rarely used items from prime space.
Get In the Zone-in kitchen design,we try to store things at their point of use. In the mix/bake zone store mixers, blenders, food processors, baking ingredients, baking spices, measuring cups, spoons, and spatulas. In the cook zone around your range you would store pots, pans, potholders,utensils like spatulas, big spoons, cooking spices like basil, tumeric, dill, garlic salt, pepper, etc. I have acrylic cutting boards, knives and peelers next to my sink for food preparation.
You get the idea. A lot of frustration can be avoided if you have room to work and can find what you need.
Who's the Mom? Freeing up space can help you be amazing. Create an "emergency hospitality" shelf where you keep dips, chips, crackers, pizza crust mix, fancy cookies for tea parties, etc. You can freeze cookies, chili and other items also. (Just keep them hidden from your family) You will be prepared when friends drop by or your son brings 30 people home from school for lunch on the spur of the moment. (You will remember your emergency stash and can quit hyperventilating.) You can also use space to make room for other activities, too. I still have a cabinet full of play dough, crayons, coloring books, and puzzles that younger kids would use at our kitchen table while I worked.
Pace Yourself--do only 1 drawer, shelf, etc. at a time. Don't forget to clean out and reorganize your pantry. Throw out expired items and make a list of what is needed.
Heart and Soul-after decluttering and reorganizing, make your kitchen fun as well as functional. Clean, shine and add "heart". Display a few items that make your heart happy, play soothing or peppy music, burn candles at dinner, post bible verses and quotes to inspire you and most of all--do a heart check. Your attitude and energy put the heart into your kitchen and everywhere else. Nothing says love like a happy mom/wife and great smells coming from the kitchen. (I still remember the smell of blackberry cobbler greeting me after getting home from school--yum!) Remember, you're not just making supper--you're making memories! You're feeding body and soul, so do it with all your heart!
The kitchen is truly the heart of your home. Think of the activites that take place here: food preparation, food storage, meals and snacks, clean-up, and possibly desk work or homework. Our kitchen has also served as the place for preschool activities, 4-H club crafts meetings, birthday parties from age one to 50, high school and college friends hang-out, and a home hair cut parlor. Throw in the occasional bedtime snack and late night talk session ,family meeeting and staging area and even science laboratory with experiments gone awry. (Some of these have been inadvertent--such as the time we tried to make root beer at home. My kids have a memorable impression of fermentation as upon uncapping our root beer, it sprayed all over the ceiling, cabinets and floor.)(This is what is called false economy--it would have been much cheaper to buy rootbeer!) Since our kitchens are so important, this month let's put our"hearts" into making them fun and functional.
Move It and Lose It--yep, just another way to say Declutter! Take back your "prime real estate", the areas best for storing the things you need/use the most. Get rid of duplicates(how many cool whip containers, let alone stray lids, does a family need, after all?) Make a game with the kids of matching up other plastic containers and lids--pitch loners and extras. Try to get as much off your counters and out of your cabinets as possible. I gave away a bread machine and a ice tea maker because I considered them space hogs. I'd rather have workable space than gadgets--I make tea by boiling water and make bread dough in my mixer. Move out what can be stored elsewhere--my canner and turkey roaster live on shelves in the garage most of the time. I use my coffee maker at most once a week, so it doesn't get a spot on the cabinet either. Move out seasonal or rarely used items from prime space.
Get In the Zone-in kitchen design,we try to store things at their point of use. In the mix/bake zone store mixers, blenders, food processors, baking ingredients, baking spices, measuring cups, spoons, and spatulas. In the cook zone around your range you would store pots, pans, potholders,utensils like spatulas, big spoons, cooking spices like basil, tumeric, dill, garlic salt, pepper, etc. I have acrylic cutting boards, knives and peelers next to my sink for food preparation.
You get the idea. A lot of frustration can be avoided if you have room to work and can find what you need.
Who's the Mom? Freeing up space can help you be amazing. Create an "emergency hospitality" shelf where you keep dips, chips, crackers, pizza crust mix, fancy cookies for tea parties, etc. You can freeze cookies, chili and other items also. (Just keep them hidden from your family) You will be prepared when friends drop by or your son brings 30 people home from school for lunch on the spur of the moment. (You will remember your emergency stash and can quit hyperventilating.) You can also use space to make room for other activities, too. I still have a cabinet full of play dough, crayons, coloring books, and puzzles that younger kids would use at our kitchen table while I worked.
Pace Yourself--do only 1 drawer, shelf, etc. at a time. Don't forget to clean out and reorganize your pantry. Throw out expired items and make a list of what is needed.
Heart and Soul-after decluttering and reorganizing, make your kitchen fun as well as functional. Clean, shine and add "heart". Display a few items that make your heart happy, play soothing or peppy music, burn candles at dinner, post bible verses and quotes to inspire you and most of all--do a heart check. Your attitude and energy put the heart into your kitchen and everywhere else. Nothing says love like a happy mom/wife and great smells coming from the kitchen. (I still remember the smell of blackberry cobbler greeting me after getting home from school--yum!) Remember, you're not just making supper--you're making memories! You're feeding body and soul, so do it with all your heart!
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