DIY Stain Remover

Okay, wait until you see this! It is awe-some!!!

I hate spending tons of money on special cleaners just so that I can have a million bottles in my cabinet for every little cleaning need. So, I am always looking for more ways to use the same products over and over to make cleaning products to use around the house.

Here's another great one. See these? They are my 4-year old's T-Ball pants from practice this week.

 

YUCK!

 

 

 

DIY Stain Remover

 

2/3 cup Dawn Dish Soap

2/3 cup ammonia

6 Tbsp baking soda

2 cups warm water

 

Mix together and pour into a spray bottle. This tends to separate easily so you'll have to shake it up each time you want to use it. Spray it on the stain and rub! Then wash as normal. Since these are white, I dried them outside in the sun. Here's the result...

 

 

Is that amazing or what?!?!?!?!

 





DIY Fabric Softener

I have been making my own laundry soap for about a year now. I am pretty proud of the money I am saving and the cute little glass jar of soap that sits next to my machine.

I was still buying fabric softener, however, because I really like the way it makes the clothes feel and smell--especially since my husbands clothes stink like grass and dirt every day.

Recently I found a way to make your own fabric softener and I am giving it a try.

It's so easy. All you need is:

• 6 cups HOT water
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups conditioner (yup! for your hair. pick your favorite scent. cheap kind.)

Mix the water and conditioner together. Don't go too crazy. It will foam up a bit. Let it settle and then add the vinegar. Store in an airtight container. I use an old ice cream bucket. I pour some into an old fabric softener bottle and just keep refilling it from the bucket. This way I can pour it in easily. I use about 2 Tbsp per load.

That's it! Thanks FrugalGirls for the idea and detailed explanation!

Additional thoughts:  Recently I have researching what to do for smelly laundry and my searches have found ideas like soaking smelly clothes in vinegar, adding baking soda to the load, separating my clothes even further and washing with smaller loads, adding more soap to the load, add less soap, and washing for shorter periods of time. So! I am going to investigate this further and will return with [hopefully] a solution for smelly laundry. Yikes!

Cleaning Your Dishwasher *UPDATED*

Original Post 10/18/2011

WARNING: You need to have a strong stomach to try today's suggestion!

So I recently discovered directions for cleaning your washing machine on Pinterest and it was a very helpful and successful project! I decided to also try out the suggestion to clean your dishwasher. I didn't even know this was possible, besides the occasional wipe down!

The process is very simple. Depending on your model, there are one or more little filters and compartments that you can remove the cover to and clean out the (ew, gross) gunk behind. The directions had warned me that this was a pretty gnarly job and boy was that the truth! Wear gloves. Hold your nose. Avert your eyes.


Anyway. I removed what I could--carefully prying things open, not forcing anything--and soaked the pieces in bleach and water. I was also able to unscrew the spinning sprayer from the bottom of my dishwasher to reveal areas underneath where I found something that will remain nameless--because I have no idea what it was, but it sure was jammed under there and it sure needed to go! Then I put it back together and ran the hottest/hardest cycle that I could with a mug of vinegar sitting in the basket. I actually did this two times, after wiping a few areas inside with a bleach soaked sponge. There were some spots that really needed the bleach due to a build up of mold that I had not even noticed (told you this is gross)...

I also checked each little hole in the sprayers for debris and cleaned that out as well. Use Q-tips or pliers or whatever you have on-hand. I keep an old toothbrush under my kitchen sink for jobs like that.

Anyway, let's just say I feel so much better knowing that there is nothing living in my dishwasher and it can do a better job of cleaning my dishes!!!

Extend the life of your dishwasher and try this idea, too! It won't be fun, but you'll be glad you did it!!!

**October 2012 Update...  a year later!**

A couple of weeks ago our dishwasher made this strange "I am dying sound" and then quit working before it finished draining... Very disappointing... not something we really wanted to be dealing with at that moment, not that anyone would want to deal with that EVER... anyway, let's just say that putting the above suggestions into practice became VERY IMPORTANT!!! We took apart the filter and discovered broken pieces from when the crockpot lid handle and a wine glass had been broken several months ago... there were little pieces stuck down inside there and they were ruining the dishwasher! We cleaned and cleaned and tried not to throw up and when we were done the dishwasher ran again! Not sure how long it will last, but we'll take it for however long we have. When we were reading about what to do when this kind of thing happens, we discovered that if you allow something like this to go on for too long you can burn out your motor and have to replace the entire thing... so

Moral of the story is: Clean Your Dishwasher. For realz.

DIY: Carpet Cleaning

I remember this one particular night when we were awakened by our son crying pretty hard in the next room. He sleeps on the top bunk and he unfortunately had gotten sick all over the edge...down into his brother's bunk below...and all over the floor. Suffice it to say we went out the very next morning and purchased a steam vacuum cleaner. I am not really sure how we did without it until now! It's another one of those investments that mothers of young ones should really consider. It makes what seems to be a constant cleaning up process go a little bit quicker with a little less headache.

Unfortunately the soaps used in steam vacuums are kind of expensive. I have been doing some research and trying some different homemade versions. I think I have finally found one that will work for us! This one is super easy and very inexpensive to make.

Depending on the size of your tank, you will need to make the amount that your manufacturer calls for. For example, my machine requires 5 capfuls per tank of water. Here is what you need:

1 part Dawn dish soap (the blue, original kind)

2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide



If all you need is to do a little spot treating, try this:

Sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch over the stain. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Vacuum it up.

Then mix:

1 Tbsp Dawn dish soap (again, the blue original one)

1 Tbsp Vinegar

2 cups Warm Water

Spread it on the stain and allow it to sit. Use a white cloth to sponge it around and wipe with cold water. Vacuum when dry.

Thanks, Lizzy and Modern Day Moms for the great tips!

Heart and Home Challenge (Clean Sweep 2012)

In the mood to do some spring cleaning?

Probably not.

But it would be a really good idea.

I found this website recently and love their idea for doing a "clean sweep" of both your heart and your home. The week-long challenge gives you jobs to do in different areas of your house, but above each assignment there is a "heart scrub" ... a devotional of sorts to remind us to clean up our hearts and our minds each day.  Go try it out, even if you don't have time to do it this week -- it would still be a blessing both to you and your family any time of the year!

Yesterday I did the Living Room and Entry. It was a great feeling to open the windows wide and put on some music and really get down to it. The room looks so much better. I know that with three little ones it probably won't stay that way for long, but at least I know that under all those toys and clutter there aren't any crumbs or cobwebs or dust bunnies!!!

Today is Kitchen and Dining areas. Here's hoping I can do it!

If nothing else, go over and read about "A Temperant Heart of A Homemaker" and be encouraged.

She Tips: Pre-Schooler Sweeper

Here's a great way to help your pre-schooler help you! If you have a sweeper/duster/mop with sections that snap together to make one long handle, take one-two of the sections out and then put it back together. You now have a mini-one just the right size for little helpers! If you don't have one, go get one! I especially find these to be a great choice because of the dry pads and the wet pads. My guy feels like he is helping right alongside Mommy and in reality he is because he is picking up whatever I didn't get when I went over it the first time with my regular mop or broom. :-) Everybody's happy and the floors are getting clean!

Make Your Own Dishwasher Soap

A batch of homemade dishwasher soap will wash between 86-90 loads of dishes. The ingredients cost roughly $6 which makes this soap $0.06-0.07 per load.

What I used to purchase cost me

$0.18-0.20 per load.

WOW! Coolness.

Making your own dishwasher soap is actually really easy and as stated before, super inexpensive!

Here's what you need to pick-up at the store:
Borax, Super Washing Soda, LemiShine, Kosher Salt and Distilled White Vinegar (to use as a rinse agent if desired)

Combine 2 cups each of the Borax, Washing Soda and LemiShine in a bowl with 1 cup of the kosher salt. Mix this together. You may have to use a knife or your fingers to break up some of the chunks that will form. A few chunks is okay, though!

Store in an airtight container and use 1 Tbsp in each load of dishes.

If you want a cheap alternative to buying a rinse agent, just pour some vinegar in your dispenser!

I think that the next time I make this, I will grab 2 containers of the Lemi Shine so that I can fill my container of soap up to the top. I didn't know how much it would make at first. I keep the other ingredients around all the time for making my other homemade cleaning supplies so overall, this was really easy for me to add to my routine of creating my own cleaning products!!!

Thank you, Simply Designing for the instructions!

Lenten Challenge: Junk Drawer

So last week began my Lenten Challenge. I started with the junk drawer in my kitchen because I felt that it would be the most rewarding and motivating in my efforts! Here is the before.

The during. -- Notice my bag next to the empty drawer; this is the trash that I threw out. I also had a pile of stuff to add to my ever-growing "yard sale" boxes. I sorted everything out and then put things away where they were supposed to be!

Bag #1 is ready to go out for the trash. It's interesting.... as I was going through the stuff in the drawer, I found myself thinking about my kids and their chore of setting the table. There was no good spot to keep the placemats and emptying out the drawer made just the right place! Ultimately the "junk" drawer was supposed to be a place to keep pens/pencils and other items that you need in a pinch.... so hopefully it will return to its original purpose, plus a placemat holder! ;-)

As I emptied my drawer, I prayed for:

• my children as they obey their parents in doing their chores
• my oldest son, as he does his homework (he's always asking for a pencil!)
• myself as I prepare meals with a cheerful heart
• safety for my baby girl -- I thought of this because whenever I find something too small on the floor (LEGOs!) I stick them in the drawer so she won't choke!

The after.

Lenten Challenge: 40 Bags in 40 Days!

As we enter into the Lenten Season, I have a challenge for you.

This time of year should be an opportunity to simplify. Strip things down to the basics. Remove distractions from your day so that you will hopefully have more time and space to focus on preparing for the coming of Easter!

So how about this -- on each one of the 40 days of Lent, collect a bag of "stuff" from one of 40 different areas in your home.  Once you have your (big or small!) bag full, you can then toss, recycle, or donate the stuff in it!  A simple step to achieve more freedom from the too-much-stuff that may be in your life.

[Note: Lent includes the days that start with Ash Wednesday and end on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday), except for Sundays!  Sunday is a feast day and is not part of Lent.  You can read more here.]  

Consider praying for the people that come to mind as you go through your home.  Use this exercise as an opportunity to be grateful for all the blessings in your life.  As you go through home and your day, pray about anything that is concerning you -- leaving that concern where it should be, with your loving Father! 

Here are the 40 areas in my house that I hope to collect from -- this list should give you some ideas for what you might do in your own home. As you can see from my list, I didn't necessarily come up with 40 separate locations to clean up!  Some of them are too big to do in one day or in one bag, so I gave myself a couple of days to do them. 

I can't wait to get started!

40 Bags in 40 Days

1. Junk Drawer in Kitchen   
2. Toy Cabinets in Living Room  
3. Storage Drawers in LR 
4. Linen Closet 
5. Baby Girl's Closet 
6. Baby Girl's Bedroom 
7. My Closet 
8. My Closet, Pt. II 
9. My Bedroom  
10. Boys’ Closet 
11. Boys’ Bedroom 
12. Boys’ Dresser 
13. Bathroom Cabinets 
14. Laundry Room/Cabinets 
15. Utility Area in Studio 
16. Pantry 
17. Pantry, Pt. II 
18. Pantry, Pt. III 
19. Desk 
20. Scrapbooking Lower Cabinets 
21. Scrapbooking Upper Cabinets 
22. Filing Cabinet 
23. Front Porch 
24. Back Patio 
25. Shop 
26. Shop, Pt. II 
27. Shop, Pt. III 
28. Shed 
29. Shed, Pt. II 
30. Shed, Pt. III 
31. Front yard / Back yard 
32. Minivan 
33. Jeep 
34. Truck 1 
35. Truck 2 
36. Kitchen Cabinets 
37. Bookshelves 
38. Attic 
39. Attic, Pt. II 
40. Attic, Pt. III

"Simple Solutions for Everyday Organic" (#3)

"7 Ways to 'GREEN' Your Spring Cleaning"
Tips from an article in Mary Janes Farm magazine...

1. Love Your Laundry -- Use half of a dryer sheet each time you run your dryer. It will still help your clothes smell nice and prevent static cling and you'll have less garbage!

2. Seek Out Simple Tools -- Use traditional cleaning tools like lamb's wool dusters, metal dustpans, straw brooms and don't use the more modern cleaning products that require throw away pads and dusters. [I personally still use some of these because it is easier--but there are a few kinds out there that you can wash and reuse.]

3. Clean without Chemicals -- This is also safer for children! A lot of the cleaning products out there "have been linked to allergies, skin irritations, breathing problems, and even nerve damage."

4. Pass the Vinegar, Please -- Vinegar can kill a lot of the mold, bacteria and viruses that are out there. Use it in a spray bottle. Add 1-cup of vinegar to your load of towels in the washer. Suggested website for vinegar tips: www.vinegartips.com/cleaning

5. Get a Baking Soda Boost -- Pair baking soda with your vinegar and together they will give you a great scrub! Deodorize drains and disposals with 1 cup soda followed by 2 cups boiling vinegar.

6. Put Peroxide to Work -- Removes stains in carpets!!! Pour on some, from the brown bottle under your bathroom sink, and let it dry.

7. Mix Your Own Furniture Polish --

• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 tsp jojoba oil

Mix together and apply to furniture with a soft cloth!

Whiten Your Tub

(Can you see the streaks from the
last time I tried to clean this up?!)

Here's a non-toxic way to clean your tub to taking-a-bath-worthy-whiteness!!!  I read about Martha Stewart's Tub Scrub and made my own version with what I had on-hand.


You'll need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 tsp dish soap
• enough water to make a paste
• scrub brush
• container 

Mix it all up and apply it with a scrub brush.
Rinse and you're done! 
Check it out!!!

Time to take a bath!

Thoughts on... Laundry!

It's not pretty... but it works!

Winter is the time of year when I do the most laundry. My husband works outdoors and often wears layer upon layer--adding to my pile! The kids and I have been helping lately, so that of course means more layers for us, too. Not to mention the fact that long sleeves and jeans take up way more room in the washer than shorts! So, with all of this laundry around me, I've been thinking more and more about how to make the process go smoother for me.

Here are some ideas that I have come up with:

• Have the kids fill the laundry basket(s) and carry them to the laundry room if they are able. I often send them through the whole house, looking for burp cloths left lying around, forgotten socks, towels, etc. Make it a game! See who can collect the most items or time them and see how long it takes, etc.
• When filling the washer, zip up footie pjs or jackets so that socks don't get trapped inside, and it makes it easier to fold or hang later on. Velcro all tabs so that they don't stick to more delicate items. Turn things right-side-out if needed (again to help with easier folding later).
• When filling the dryer, give everything a good shake to help with less wrinkling or things getting wadded up so they don't dry properly. Turn socks right-side-out so they dry evenly. Remove items that really should be line-dry to help them last longer. And even if you don't have an ideal laundry room (like me!) you can make it work. I have two drying racks--one that is permanently hung in the laundry room for small items and unmentionables and then one that I can move around for delicate blouses or sweaters, etc.
• Cut the fabric softener sheets in half to save money or reuse them a few times so you don't use up your box too quickly!
• Time to fold! Do it right away! Try to break the horrible cycle of wet laundry sitting in the washer getting smelly and dry laundry sitting in the dryer getting wrinkly! Fold the clothes and put them in piles for each person in the family to put away.
• When I fold clothes, I dump out my bucket and then throw all the clothes in piles: by person, by whether or not they are folded or hung, and then I separate out all the socks. I take the hanging clothes and lay them in a pile on top of one another. Then I fold each person's pile and stack it neatly by item (shirts together, pants, underwear, etc.) Then I take all the socks and match them up and put them on top of each person's pile. Any solo socks are set aside until we find their match!
• Label the kids' drawers to help them know where to put their clothes. Encourage them to take care of their things! This also helps when someone is yelling, "Mom, I can't find any socks!!!" Um. Look in your sock drawer!!! Etc...



My boys' dresser drawers.

• Hang clothing in the closet by color. Helps with finding that shirt you want to wear, or when planning an outfit.

Also, I have been couponing for quite awhile and have built up quite a supply of laundry soap. Unfortunately I needed to stop couponing and I am about to run out of my supply! I am hoping to make my own laundry soap next. I can use some of the bar soap that I got (for FREE!) to do it... here are a few links to making your own laundry soap:

The Simple Dollar
Happy Living Magazine
DIY Natural

I am planning to make a huge bucket of this stuff to last me a long time! Here's hoping it turns out great!

What are some ways that YOU have found to make the endless job of doing laundry work for your family?

P.S. Sorry that the photo quality is poor. My house has very little natural light and it was extra dark this morning! :-(

Lemon-y Clean Microwave

Just a quick post this morning... tons to do on my list today!!!

A small popcorn fire in the microwave bumped "clean the microwave" to the top of my cleaning to-do list... don't worry everyone is fine, just a little hungry.

Burnt popcorn has an unfortunate smell. But there is very easy solution -- that also makes use of my weekly basket contents as well (1 fresh lemon)!

How to Clean Your Microwave:

1. Wipe any loose particles out with a damp cloth/sponge.
2. Fill a microwave safe bowl or mug with water.
3. Add the juice and half of a lemon.
4. Boil the water in the microwave (this was about 3 minutes for me) until it is steaming.
5. Let the microwave sit for a bit with the steam inside.
6. Remove bowl and spinning glass thingy and clean it in your sink.
7. Wipe down the microwave again.
8. You're done and it smells lemon fresh!

While you're at it, clean your garbage disposal. This is even easier when you use this stuff. Directions on package are very easy to follow and it literally takes seconds to have another potential smell problem taken care of!

We have a used microwave that was already yellowed on the
inside from the previous owner... but we can at least improve
it... see below!

Much better!!! :-)

Thanks, www.apartmenttherapy.com!

Giving Dolly a Bath!

I don't know if this post will necessarily be helpful to anyone, but I thought it might be fun to show you what I did this week. Recently while going through the attic looking for winter clothes, etc., we found my box of stuff that I was saving in case I had a daughter one day (and now I do!) ... Here are some of my dollies; most of which are homemade/sewn except for this Cabbage Patch Doll. I remember thinking when I was given the doll, "Why did she give me a doll with red hair? I have brown hair! She looks nothing like me!" And I was kinda disappointed... who knew that one day I would have my own little red-head to give this dolly to! Now I think it's really neat that I can pass her on to my sweet girlie. Problem. She looked like she had been playing in dirt for the past 25+ years and I wouldn't want her anywhere near my kiddos until she had a bath! This brought me to research what to do when baby dolls need a washing... I discovered that all you need are a few supplies and you can get your dolls looking almost new again! Items Used: Oxiclean, Warm Water, Baby Shampoo, Magic Eraser, Comb and a Washing Machine with a Delicate/Gentle Cycle setting.

Any doll with a polyester body (stuffed with fluff, basically) can be soaked in some warm water with a detergent or stain releaser (like Oxiclean), just keep the head out of the water. You can also run handmade/sewn dolls and their clothing through the gentle/delicate cycle on your washing machine. Once my CB Doll (and the other ones that were stuffed) soaked for awhile, I just lifted them out, squeezed out the water and set them in the sun to dry. Any baby doll with hair can get a wash with baby shampoo and be combed through carefully while the hair is wet. This was really helpful information because my dolls all had hair sticking in all different directions and while wet, I was able to tame the tangles and the hair dried nicely in place! I didn't comb the yarn hair, but I was able to tame it with just my fingers. Dolls with a vinyl face (and/or body parts) come totally clean of marks and stains using the Magic Eraser!!! Check out the comparison below in the collage picture! Even accessories like shoes and shoelaces can be wiped or soaked and come clean of stains. This was really important to me because these little sneakers were pretty bad and I was so happy to make them white again! Now the dollies are all sitting pretty in their basket, waiting for someone to play with them!!!

Do you need to give some dollies of your own a bath? Now you know you can!

Shared With:

Cleaning up Copper

Our little house here in northern Indiana was built in the 1920s. This is both a good thing and a not so good thing, as those of you who live in older homes will know! One good thing is that some of the trim and fittings and fixtures, though old now and showing their age, were quite nice when originally installed and worth fixing rather than replacing. The three heating and a/c vents in the living room and dining room are a case in point.

Here's what they have been looking like since we bought the home a few years ago:



Actually this is better than what it looked like
since this photo was taken after I scraped off
most of the loose paint!

My husband and I have been trying to figure out what to do since they looked so bad and can't just be ignored -- they are very visible in the rooms and about 14 inches square. I did some online research to see if we could replace them, but couldn't find anything in this size and shape.  So we decided to see what we could do to remove the peeling paint and clean up the copper ourselves.

First I used a paint scraper and gently removed all the peeling and loose paint pieces. Then my husband finished that part of the project, boldly removing all the rest of the paint with a scraper. He was very somewhat careful to keep scratches to a minimum, but we weren't too worried about it because we knew there'd be several steps after the old-paint-removal step.



This is after scraping off the paint and before the cleaning step.

Second, we mixed up a solution of equal parts plain table salt and distilled white vinegar (2 tblsps. of each was enough for this project). We applied the somewhat runny paste with an old toothbrush, gently scrubbing most of the tarnish and stains off, finishing by wiping the copper clean with a rag.

The third and final step was to apply copper polish we bought at the grocery store, to remove the last bits of tarnish and shine up the metal!

Here's what it looks like now after the final step of applying copper polish.
The white metal flap will be painted glossy black.

I think it looks amazing and am excited to repeat the process with the two remaining registers. My husband will complete the renovation by repairing the louver behind the register and painting the metal flap with black enamel. I am so happy we found a way to re-use this small part of this old house!

[Post updated with photo above -- after the flap was painted and the whole thing was attached back into the wall & baseboard.]







Another Cleaning Mystery Solved!

No matter how many times I run my oven through its self-cleaning cycle... I cannot get the oven door glass to be clean and see-through again... that is until now!

Just mix up 1/2 cup baking soda with enough water to make a paste, spread it on the glass, set the timer for 15 minutes and wipe it away!!! I ran my self-clean cycle also to remove the grime on the inside of the oven and on the door. Little stinky, but that's what scented candles are for.

Check it out!!! Makes this Mama happy!!!

Thanks Anna!!!

A Clean Washing Machine

The best cleaning projects for me to accomplish are the ones that are done in steps. These steps require time in-between them, which is awesome for me because I am usually interrupted anyway. So I love it when I can finish a project over the course of a morning or day and see the results, without too much effort or hard work on my part!

Here's my latest find... how to clean my Washing Machine! A clean washine machine will definitely make for cleaner clothes!

Before: 

I filled my washing machine (on the fullest setting) and added 2 cups of white distilled vinegar. Then I let it soak for 1 hour and started up the machine to complete the cycle. After doing this I scrubbed a little bit with a brush and a sponge (dipped in bleach and/or vinegar) to get some of the hard to reach places and remove some of the fabric softener build-up.

I removed the fabric softener dispenser to expose the filter as well as removing the cap for the bleach dispenser. These two pieces went into a bucket to soak.

Then I filled the machine again and added a cup of bleach to soak for another hour. I let the machine finish its cycle and put the pieces back in and here's what it looks like now. Easy!!! :-)

After:

She Considers it Pure Joy

When I was almost 19 years old, I met my stud of a football player turned husband--he, a senior in college and me a measly little freshmangirl. Just a few short months after turning 20, I began my junior year an engaged gal. Married just 25 days after becoming a legal adult, I was now cooking and caring for my very own home, not partying or hanging out with friends. Now a senior, I became a music teacher, working part-time at a local Christian School. Two months post-graduation I found out I was pregnant.

Labeling my launch into homemakerdom and motherhood as a whirlwind is an understatement.

In 2012 we will be celebrating 10 years of wedded-bliss marriage. I edit because to be truthful, the first part of married life has so many ups and just as many humongous downs. For me some of the biggest ones have been recently in caring for our three children. I am not even talking about training up a child, but simply just caring for their physical needs.

Anyone who paused their busy day to read this must know what I am talking about as you stop to wrestle a two-year old down from on top of the bookshelf or hold onto the laptop with one hand and wipe up the coffee the baby kicked over or duck because the seven year old just steamrolled into the house with papers and backpacks flying every which way, wanting to know if he can play down the street. Oh yeah, and hi, mom.

Wait, that's me.

You're still here.

I'll keep going if they let me...

Sometimes it seems like caring for my domain is part of the curse. I mean, come on! Why do I bother sweeping the floor? He's just going to track more mud in anyway! OR Why do I wipe the table? It's just going to be covered in crumbs again before I can even rinse out the rag! OR Does anyone else in this family know how to flush a toilet? OR No, little man, you may NOT take off your diaper and run through the house naked! OR Yes, this is the third shirt I have had to put on today.

It seems like that because it is.

Romans 8:20-21

²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Doing the Homemaker's Challenge has helped me to see that overcoming this is possible. I was asked to determine what the hope is in the curse. The hope is that the God who gave me this work will also give me a way to complete it. And upon completion of my work, both daily and here on earth, my reward is eternal rest! Thank the Lord there won't be mops in heaven!!!

My thoughts are now focused on the following, as I scrub and fold and wipe and sweep:

Be Gracious (He is young and hasn't learned yet that the milk jug is too heavy and he NEEDS MY HELP to pour!)

Be Willing (to take the time to help my children learn how to take care of their domain.)

Be Consistent (both with my discipline AND my affirmation when things are going well!)

Be Joyful (in caring for my home and my people.)

Be Constantly in Prayer (always asking for strength to complete the tasks.)

Be Thankful (that God gave me these people and this home to care for!)

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Cleaning for a Month

 We are getting ready to celebrate fall here in our house! Labor Day is a great day to kick off my fall cleaning projects and this year I am following 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way. This is an e-book that I downloaded and will be using to help me get my house in order; nice and cleany-cozy before winter sets in and the holiday decorating commenses. Speaking of which, the boys made some very cute and easy fall decorations this morning, which I will blog about later. Anyway! So, chapter one of this book challenges me to think of cleaning my home from two perspectives: Mary and Martha. You can read about these women from the Bible to learn more about their experience with Jesus. Mary's Challenge helped me focus on WHY I clean my home. I was encouraged to create a saying that I can read to myself in less than a minute each day as a reminder, then make it pretty and display it somewhere. Here's what I made:

Martha's Challenge was purely practical: Look through all the Martha Challenges in the book and create a list of the supplies that I will need in case I am out of some cleaning products or necessities. Well, lists are definitely something I can do! Off to go make mine now... wish me luck!