A Little Housekeeping for the Soul

Housekeeping.  Keeping a house.  What does that mean to you?  It sounds so grand.  A housekeeper sounds as if they have a plan; a schedule, an orderly way of doing things.  Lately, my Instagram feed has been full of photos of beautiful kitchen sinks full of bubbles (and, supposedly, some dirty dishes in there somewhere.)  It's spring and there are lots of posts about cleaning and organizing.  There's apparently something motivating about a clean sink  full of hot, soapy water and all the lovely scrubby things you can do with it.  

Truth be told, though, my sink wasn't that pretty this morning.  After breakfast was cooked and eaten and the lunches made, I took one look at that mess and it made me want to close my eyes and go back to bed.  However, comma, no Alice, Rosie the Robot or Mrs. Hughes had plans of showing up today , and those dishes weren't going anywhere until I got down to business.  So, I cleaned off the countertops, scrubbed the sink and filled it with the requisite hot, soapy bubbles.  That was a nice start and I made a pot of my favorite Irish Breakfast Tea as a treat to further fortify my resolve.  

Washing dishes is my prayer time.  I can be alone with my thoughts and I talk to God about what's going on, my friends and family who are in need, and give thanks for the blessings I've received.  It's usually quiet enough than I can listen, too.  Not that I'm hearing actual words, but my heart can hear when I'm quiet long enough to be in His presence.  With my hands submerged in the soapy water, washing and rinsing, I feel my own heart being cleansed and cleared of all the things that need to be washed away.  

As I scrubbed those dishes and cleaned the stovetop and swept the floor, the chaos of my kitchen started to disappear and order took its place.  And as I spoke the words of my heart to my Lord and listened quietly for his Word, my worries and stress took their proper place and my world felt restored.

A sink full of soapy water, some pretty flowers and a pot of tea:  they're good for the soul. 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

Making Your Home a Haven

Haven.  That word has been rolling around in my head for a while now and as so often happens, it keeps popping up in unexpected places.  Ann Voskamp is famous for her word themes for the year.  I'm never ready to do that sort of thing in January.  Fall is still my New Year and the time  I think about plans and changes and the future.  For me and my house this fall, Haven is going to be the word of our new year.

The events in the past month have shaken me to my core.  I was speaking of the sadness that seems to be permeating our world and two totally unrelated people spoke of the Great Deceiver and what the author of lies is doing to our young people and to our world.  I do believe in evil, but I have a Hope that is greater than that darkness.  "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him." (Psalm 62;5)  My goal as a mama, wife and keeper of our house, is to make our home a restful Haven where we can find rest in Him and joy in each other.  As we take off our shoes at the door, we leave the world outside, for just a while,  For just a little while, we can enjoy our comfortable home, good food and each other's company.  We can read His Word and nurture our souls and get ourselves ready for another day.

I've been lucky enough to arrange my schedule to have a Home Day.  I now have one day a week that I devote to my home.  I clean, stock the pantry, cook food to freeze for later in the week, putter in the yard, and catch up on any other chores around the house that need doing.  By having all of this work done, I can focus on my kids and be present for them while they're home.  During the week this is so important.  They come home from school tired and hungry and stressed and having a warm, cozy and organized home has made a big difference in the way we all relate to one another.

I am fully aware of what a luxury this is and that not everyone can do this.  But I think each of us mamas can take a little time off from facebook, reality tv or whatever it is that's taking up some of your precious time and spend it making a haven for your precious family.  It doesn't have to be a big, expensive house or gourmet meals.  A loving home is a treasure for all of those who live there, including you.  These last couple of weeks have made me more calm and patient in dealing with my kids (something I'm normally a little short on) and more productive at work because I haven't been worrying about things that need doing at the house.  Being able to focus on work while I'm there because the house work is either done or scheduled for a certain day has been a real blessing.

I sometimes read the Sugar Pie Farmhouse blog, and she said something that made me pause.  "Whatever it is that I decide to invest my time in, I have to be careful that it doesn’t take away from my time with God nor my time taking care of my home and family. " 

Thinking of the use of our time as an investment is a game-changer.  Are we investing in things that last and will bring us lasting returns?  Even "good things" take us away from our families.  We need to be careful of things we say "yes" to, because it always means we're saying "no" to something else.  Take a moment or two and reflect on how you are using your precious resource of time.  Pour out love on your sweet family and take time to take care of yourself.  Our world needs more kindness and gentleness and love--be that for your little corner of creation.

Pinterest Projects That I Actually Completed #4: hair bow organizer

Well, hello, there!  I'm still waiting for the lazy days of summer to show up.  So far, I feel like it's just been a whirlwind.  The last day of school found me and big brother headed on a bus trip with his fellow band students to the state solo & ensemble contest.  We got back from that just in time to get little sister packed up for 4-H camp and for me to get caught up on a large volunteer project that I was glad to do but clearly had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into.  Finished that up just in time to get big brother packed up for scout camp 2 states away.  Add work into that equation and you will find that I clearly need some remedial lessons on telling time and remembering how many hours are in a day.

So...if you've been following me on Instagram (@bluejeansandturquoise), then you know that since lil' sis got home from camp, she and I have been redoing her room.  We have cleaned out closets, bookcases and dressers and have a pick-up bed full of stuff for Goodwill, 3 large trashbags of trash and 4 large plastic containers of American Girl dolls, clothes and handmade furniture that my Dad made for Kit & Ruthie.

image found here but be prepared for sticker shock!

Putting the AG items in storage made me sad (sniff) and I may or may not have been replaying this particular Toy Story 2 scene in my head, along with the cryfest-inducing Sarah McLachlan song:

Anyway, back to reality, sans Pixar talking toys...We did a total Marie Kondo on that room and have been doing some fun crafts and projects that I'll be posting.  We're waiting on a couple more items that should be in this week and then I'll post a reveal of the whole room.  It's not perfect and it's not shelter magazine worthy, but it's a sweet, fun room for a real kid who loves to read, craft, create and dream.  And that makes it perfect for us.

The picture at the top of the post  is a hair bow organizer that I made for her bows and it doubles as a sweet piece of art hanging in her room.

Here's what you'll need:


frame--we found ours at a thrift store for next to nothing

cardboard or foam board to fit inside of frame.  If the frame came with a thick enough painting,you could use it.

paper or fabric of your choice--we used a scrap of vintage wallpaper I had picked up on ebay years ago.  Cute wrapping paper or fabric would work as well.

Chicken wire cut to fit around the insert.

Wrap the paper or fabric around the insert and secure to the back of it.  We used packing tape.  Then place the pretty side of the insert down on the chicken wire and wrap the wire around the edges and fold down on to the back side.  Don't do it real tight--leave enough slack so you can easily pin the bows to the wire.

Fit the insert into the frame and start taping.  It's not pretty, but no one sees that part.  I was using up random rolls of duct tape lil' sis had.  The duct tape works great because it protects your walls from the poky wires of chicken wire.

Flip it over and start attaching bows--super easy!

This is a cute and fun way to organize these bows and keeps them from being lost in a drawer somewhere.  I'd love to hear about any organizing tips you have for girly stuff like bows and hair accessories!

Stay tuned for more projects...

My Kind of Crazy-Review of the life-changing magic of tidying up

the life-changing magic of tidying up by marie kondo

This little book has been all over the internet and was featured on the Today show recently.  I can't remember where I read about it first, but I LOVE me a good purging/tidying/spring cleaning.  I downloaded the Kindle version (because, you know, CLUTTER) and went to town.

Let me tell you--this gal must have been a load of fun as a kid.  She talks about spending her afternoons after school tidying her room, rummaging through cupboards and plotting on how to declutter her siblings' stuff.  That'll win you the "Most Loved Sister Ever" award, for sure.

Despite the crazy lead-up, I powered through to the practical section.  Where to Start.  And, thank goodness, she starts with clothes.  She recommended placing all of your clothes on your bed and touching each piece and looking for a spark of joy.  If there is joy when you feel the item, you keep it.  If there's not, you thank it for it's service and put it in the discard pile.  (See?  Crazy talk.  If my kids had seen me speaking to my sweaters, they would have been sitting me down in the recliner and bringing me a glass of sweet tea to try to talk me off the ledge.  On second thought, I may have to try it in the future.)

Anyway, I had a bit of a headstart on this one.  Once a year, usually in the spring when I'm sure I'm past wearing my winter clothes, I go through my closet and turn my hangers around backwards on the rack and as I wear them, I turn the hangers around to the normal position.

Love these Ikea hangers!

When I do my yearly clean out, if there are hangers still turned backwards like that, then it means I haven't worn that piece in a year's time and it needs to go.  That makes the decision process short and sweet.  I don't think twice--it goes in the box for Goodwill.  I finished my side of the closet in record time  My husband gave me the stink eye when I started digging on his side, so, I left that and read on to the next category to tidy.

The next big section is books.  Oh, gracious.  Books.  This one is going to be much tougher for me.  I love to read and try to go to the library more than to the bookstore, but I still have quite a collection.  I've tried listing a bunch of them on paperback swap and I've looked at trade-ins on Amazon, but that hasn't moved very many.  Our library has a big book sale twice a year and they need donations for that, but it's hard to let go.  Marie Kondo, of course, is all about clearing out the bookshelf except for those you absolutely love and re-read.  Those types of books are a very small percentage of all the ones I own.  Two whole shelves in my office are of books I've purchased and haven't even read.  (Yet.)  Just the idea of giving those away makes me feel weak in the knees and has started me on a frenzy of reading. (Must. Finish. These. Books!)  This one's going to be a tough one, but it's a lot easier than the next chapter.

how did they know?

"Papers" is the category after books and that may just send me right around the bend.  Every summer I vow to get a grip on scrapbooks and my children's school keepsakes.  I've got most of my digital photos labeled and organized on Shutterfly, but I don't ever finish the scrapbook because I'm afraid I'll find one more little art piece or keepsake I want to scan in.  And, of course, if I don't, then the scrapbook would be missing something and WE CAN'T HAVE AN INCOMPLETE SCRAPBOOK.  Yep, I've got my own kind of crazy going on with this category.  

So.  Books and papers.  They're my new tidying goals.  The laundry room and the purse are still in good order, so, onward and upwards, my friends.  I'll do an update on the bookshelves and share some of my favorite Shutterfly tips in the next couple of weeks.  Once that's done, I'll touch on the rest of the tidying tips Marie Kondo gives.  By that time, I'll probably be stroking my books, patting my jeans and rolling my socks like sushi rolls, but there won't be any clutter, doggone it!

How do you feel about "tidying"?  Love it or dread it?  Any good tips you'd like to share?  I'd love to hear from you.  If you'd like to have future blogposts delivered right to your email, I'd love it if you'd subscribe! Have a a great day!

It's my happy heart you hear-Review of Speed Queen Washer & Dryer

or "How $12 spent at the Dollar Tree can make everything right".

(after)

I love a good clean-out.  It helps keep the household chores to a manageable level and gives me back time to do things that I love to do and that matter.  Not that household chores don't matter.  You know what I mean.

My laundry room was beyond anything I could describe, so, I'll just show the embarassing photos.  (#keepingitreal)

Apparently, somewhere down the line, we became hoarders of light bulbs and dead succulents and I cannot for the life of me explain why.  I need to do a whole house clean out, but this is the smallest room and it was a good jumping off place for me, with the first task to give the sad little aloe vera plant and his friends a proper burial.

So, off to Dollar Tree I went and bought 12 cute little plastic baskets to hold the plethora of light bulb types, gardening gloves and various and sundry doo-dads.  These items may or may not be worth keeping, but they get a one year reprieve from being thrown out.  If the basket hasn't been touched by human hands in 365 days, out they go.  I did end up throwing away a big bag and packed a large box of items to take to Goodwill.  So, here are my newly organized cabinets!

The end cabinets need another shelf installed to make use of the wasted space.  The larger expanse of cabinets have the same tall middle shelf, but it's a good place for thermoses, coolers and larger insulated bags, so, I'll leave them like they are.

If you're looking closely, you'll see the washer & dryer in the second set of pics is different than the first set.  The real reason for the big clean out (besides the pitiful little dead cacti) was we got a a new Speed Queen washer and dryer.  If you listen closely, you can still hear the angels singing "Hallelujah".  The old Sears Kenmore set just wasn't cutting it anymore and had already been repaired a few times.  I was dreading this purchase decision almost as much as I had been dreading the whole mattress thing.  (Update on the Tuft & Needle mattress--still firm, but we've adjusted and are enjoying it--yea!!)

We bought a high end Maytag front loader set when we first got married and we may have been on the early side of that particular trend, but I HATED them, especially the washer.  It smelled and broke down regularly and we finally just called it quits and bought a very basic set from Sears.  They've held up for about 10 years, but I felt like our clothes just weren't getting clean and the dryer took at least 2  cycles before the clothes were dry.

So, I was listening to an old Big Boo Podcast from 2014 ( I think it was this one) and I heard Melanie Shankle talk about her washer/dryer research and how she had bought a Speed Queen.  I had never heard of one before, but I did my due diligence in research and found a set for sale right here in our town at a great price.  Sold!  They are heavy-duty commercial grade and have VERY simple dials, which are perfect when your brain is tired of making decisions and you don't want to think about water levels, soap types, and fabric specifics and you just want to have some clean, dry clothes, for the love of Pete.  Here are the dials on my new loves:

Water temp and load size--I got this!

A little more to think about, but still doable!

I've done about 10 loads, so far, and I love them.  They're not sold at big box stores but local appliance stores should have them and sometimes you can find a scratch and dent  or an open box deal.

These were definitely more than my $12 dollar store plastic baskets, but the whole new laundry set up makes a necessary chore more fun to do.

Here is my still-to-do list for the laundry room:

*install shelf in end cabinets

*get a double laundry hamper

*get an organizer/hanger for my ironing board

*hang a small pegboard behind door for household tools

*some day--paint cabinets white

*some day--paint walls a blue/gray color (a faded denim color?) like this laundry room at The Handmade Home:

Her home is BEAUTIFUL,  The link above takes you to a full tour.  Enjoy.

Have you done any spring cleaning?  What room did you tackle first?  

What other plans do you have for your home this summer?

*affiliate link in post