Home/Time Management
Our job as a homemaker is precious work. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise and never allow the enemy to come in and flood your thoughts out of your home and wash away your commitment to improve and be strengthened in your role as wife, mother, and homemaker.
There are many things to consider when thinking about managing your home, and doing it in a way that will help maximize your time. There are constantly people and things that are coming in and out, not to mention all the things that are accomplished inside the house every day. Its no wonder things can so easily get hectic and messy, so we need to be intentional about our homes, have a plan and a healthy vision for your home. I would like to give you some advice, first of all on different rooms in your home, and secondly some recipes and products to use in and around the home.
The Bedroom- This is the first and last room that you see every day. Find a way to organize your closet to make it work for you and so you can find things easily. Your bedroom should also be a place of relaxation, not a cluttered mess.
Children's Bedroom- “That mysterious space underneath the toys is called a floor.” If you can relate to this quote, get rid of some toys, no matter which are of the house it is! An overload of toys is not beneficial to any child, but rather it decreases their personal creativity and creates in them a feeling of a need to be constantly entertained. When we see our children enjoy a specific toy at friend’s house, the store or a yard sale, we often feel like we want to get it for them, naturally, because we love seeing our children having fun and enjoying themselves! We do though, need to keep a proper perspective. Are you teaching them that joy comes from materialistic things or relationships? Purposefully keeping your children's toys at a minimum will also make them enjoy new and different toys at others’ houses and will keep them busier. Teaching your children to clean up their own toys should be obvious, teaches them personal responsibility, and saves you time.
The Entrance- This is the First room that everybody sees when walking into your home, so its important to keep it tidy. Teaching your children to put their own shoes and coats away should be a given, but have some mercy on your husband. He comes home from a hard day at work, and you don’t know what he has gone through all day. Its pleasant to greet him at the door when you can, and help take off his load. You can do this by putting his coat away for him, and taking his lunch pail from him and emptying it right away yourself. No nagging, let him unwind and adjust to being at home peacefully.
The Kitchen- A clean organized kitchen can make the whole house feel clean and organized, even when its not. It is a good habit to keep a grocery list in the kitchen at all times, and write down items to buy as they run out. The same goes with meal planning; planning your meals for the next week can save you buying much unnecessary groceries and save money. It will also save you time wondering what to have for supper every day, and save you the little grocery store stops throughout the week which can really add up. Another tip that can help you save time is to make double portions of meals and freeze half of it for those days when you are very busy. Planning ahead takes time, but will save time in the long run. A little note for buying sale items, it can waste your money! Only buy sale items if you normally use it anyways or you know you will make use of that item.
The Living Room- This seems to be the room in the house that needs constant tidying up, because for most families, many things are done here. When cleaning and organizing this room, it is important to remind yourself of what you and your family want to be accomplished in this room. Is it the entertainment or toy room, or could you perhaps designate another room for those things? When I think about the Living room, I think of a place where family can sit comfortably and relax, relationships built, and a place where we bring our visitors. If this is the case for your home also, why not take the entertainment unit out, but introduce things that encourage growth in relationships and edification such as games and maybe books and hymnals. Sometimes it is good to put the majority of the toys in the children's bedroom or a rec room, but keep a few toys in the living room for little ones that you want to keep close by. By keeping “stuff” to a minimum, your mind will be less cluttered and you will have more freedom.
End note- If you take time to do the little things right away it saves much time later on, for example, your bills and important papers. If you keep them organized in an office, have a bin or shelf marked “to be organized.” This way, if you don’t have time to organize them right away and you are looking for something, you still know where it is.
Homemade Yogurt
There are some recipes for homemade yogurt in the church cookbook, but you can also find one at
Simple Body Oil
You can use just coconut oil as a lotion, or simply mix a few drops of your choice of essential oil into a small amount of olive oil.
If you enjoy getting a little more creative, here is a recipe for a body butter that you might need to buy a few things for.
Body Butter
1 1/2 cups Shea butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 Tbs jojoba oil
9 drops Tea tree essential oil
12 drops Lavender essential oil
Grate the Shea butter, mix with coconut oil and melt on low heat on a double broiler. When melted, remove from heat and let cool for a half hour. Once cool, whip with a hand mixer on high for 5 minutes, put in fridge for 5 minutes, and whip again until it starts to peak. To finish, add oils and blend until it is well incorporated. You can add as many drops as you like, or even vanilla extract, whatever you prefer.
At http://www.bulkapothecary.com/ you can get many different bulk items for soap making.
Essential Oils
These should be a staple in every home. They are excellent remedies for so many things, such as; allergies, asthma, bloating, colds and choughs, infections, menstrual cramps, snoring, stress etc.
You can find a chart at the following link if you want to look for an essential oil according to ailment. http://www.family-essential-oils.com/essential-oil-use-chart.html
The following site has many very inexpensive essential oils that are worth checking out, and you can have it shipped from in Canada! http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/
Insecticide
The following is a picture of an insecticide that I have found works wonderfully and I would like to share it with you. It is very strong though so handle it with care and be careful around children. You can purchase it at home Hardware.
Beattitudes for homemakers
Blessed is she whose daily tasks are a work of love; for her willing hands and happy heart transform duty into joyous service to all her family and God.
Blessed is she who opens the door to welcome both stranger and well-loved friends; for gracious hospitality is a test of brotherly love.
Blessed is she who mends both stockings and broken toys and broken hearts; for her understanding is a balm to her husband and children.
Blessed is she who scours and scrubs; for well she knows that cleanliness is one expression of godliness.
Blessed is she whom children love; for the love of a child is of greater value than fortune or fame.
Blessed is she who sings in her work; for music lightens the heaviest load and brightens the dullest chore.
Blessed is she who dusts away doubt and fear and sweeps all the cobwebs of confusion; for her faith will triumph over all adversity.
Blessed is she who serves laughter and smiles with every meal; for her cheerfulness is an aid to mental and physical digestion.
Blessed is she who introduces Jesus Christ to her children; for Godly sons and daughters shall be her reward.
Blessed is she who preserves the sacredness of the Christian home; for hers is a divine trust that crowns her with dignity.
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Margaret Bueckert
