Cleaning Archives - Page 10 of 14

Homemaker’s Challenge

August 16, 2011 by Jules 1 Comment

Yay, it's almost time! I mentioned a while back that I was being given the opportunity to be a contributing blogger and now it's here!

Christin, of http://joyfulmothering.net/, is giving me the opportunity to share and challenge other homemakers. I am a bit intimidated by my fellow contributors who seem much more seasoned in the blogging realm but I'm taking the challenge from Sarah Mae's newest post, "The thing I'm not going to say anymore", where she explains that we often "disqualify ourself" by claiming we aren't _____ {whatever the case may be} and encourages us to "...do the thing, and be the thing, and not be afraid to say it? You are."

So, I guess I'm a...blogger!

Join me on this new-found adventure in sharing my blogging outside my homey little site over at http://homemakerschallenge.com.

We are kicking off the new site with a series on 31 Days to Clean {author Sarah Mae}. This series is about the book 31 Days to Clean Having a Martha house the Mary way. The book walks you through 31 days of encouragement and challenges both for the heart and taskful cleaning. Click the buttons on my side bar to find your way easily to the new site of the homemaker's challenge.

Buy the book here or {use the button on my side bar} to get ready for a challenging and fun-filled month of September:

If you are unfamiliar with who the Martha and Mary the book is referring to you can find a good picture of them in book of Luke:

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” ⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

Leave a comment and let me know if you plan to join the 31-days-to-clean community so we can support one another! Follow the challenges on twitter as well by using the hashtag #31daystoclean!

Filed Under: Cleaning, The Ones about Homemaker's Challenge Tagged With: 31 days to clean, blogger, contributing blogger, homemakers challenge, joyfulmothering, sarah mae

I have to sacrifice WHAT?

June 5, 2011 by Jules 2 Comments

It's important for us to teach our children at a young age responsibility. Maggie, my 3-year-old, in 17 days tear :'O( LOVES "chores" or "jobs" that are hers. We've gone through spells of bossiness between her and my younger daughter (18 months apart) so we had several lessons on what her "job" was as a big sister and what my job was as the mamma. Every time I reminded her that something wasn't her "job" she'd ask with a smirk, "what IS my job?" to which I'd respond with her list again or I'd ask her to tell me.

Maggie also has many "chores" throughout the day.

*Lunch and dinner she always sets the table: place mats for all, her and Izzie's (and any added little guests) plastic plates, little forks, sippy cups, as well as my prized fiestaware for adults, big silverware, and canned drinks. Izzie is starting to help with this one and LOVES it. She needs a bit more guidance for placement but getting better and Maggie thinks it's great to help her, since she's sooo experience ya know.

*Sorting laundry is something she helps with as well. Then she puts away things down stairs (i.e. kichen towels, her panties, burp clothes, and bibs) as well as upstairs items (i.e. clothes and big towels), if she happens to be up there with me (usually a chore I do myself).

*Unloading the dishwasher one of the 1st "chores" she was given. She was thrilled to be such a big help to me. Her job? Put away the silverware. She was meticulous at this. Originally sorting by type and size alone until we got new silverware which added the benefit of color sorting, Sweet! Just like any other person, this got boring...I guess. Now she often cons her sister into helping her which leads to mixed types/sizes/colors and sometime just up-side-down. Not a big deal, right? To you non-OCD types.

This was just one hurdle I had to overcome in able to allow my children to assist me as well as for me to be able to teach them valuable lessons on stewardship, service, and plain-ole responsibility.

What are you sacrificing in order to train your children? Leave a comment- lets chat about it.

Filed Under: Cleaning, Parenting Tagged With: children, chores, clothes, dishwasher, job, julie rothacher, laundry, OCD, responsibility, set the table, silverware, towels, train

Thanks Hershey’s

June 5, 2011 by Jules 3 Comments

How many of you have laundry stories? You know, the ones that involve pens, markers, wallets stuffed with valuable recites, gum, pictures, anything non-launderable. Yep, I have even washed a diaper! For real! The hubs apparently carries them in the cargo pockets of his shorts...so much for going the extra mile to checking the top 4 pockets for the infamous wallet (washed at least 3x before). But today's shout out goes to Hershey's!

THANK YOU Hershey's Krackel Miniatures for making(apparently) washable and inpinatraitable wrapping! My load of laundry was saved! How anyone could forget a Krackle in their pocket I'll never understand.

Filed Under: Cleaning, The Ones about...Stuff Tagged With: candy, Hershey's Krackel Miniatures, inpinatraitable, laundry, pocket, stories, wrapping

31 Days to Clean: Day(s) #27-31

May 31, 2011 by Jules 1 Comment

31 Days to Clean Having a Martha House the Mary way

Day 27 - Becoming Friends with Goodwill

Mary Challenge: Get a box ready for Goodwill. No wait, get boxes ready for Goodwill.

We, as family, are HUGE fans of get rid of unnecessary things. BUT we have chosen to donate some of our extras in a different way. See:

Martha Challenge: Utility Room – Wash inside of windows and clean window treatments. Wash walls and dust ceilings.

LOVED THIS! My laundry room has one tiny windows and now window treatments so this went fast. The walls and ceiling were recently painted to I skipped the dusting part.

Day 28 – Who Are You Trying to Please

Mary Challenge: Are there areas in your life where you are experiencing a burden of guilt? Ask your husband what he thinks about what you are feeling guilty about.

Relief! LOVED this story and to read the tons of insight in this book get your copy at http://31daystoclean.com/.

Martha Challenge: Utility Room – Scrub sink and clean drains – use Drano or some other drain cleaner.

Once again, YAY for no sink in the UR!!! Check!

Day 29 – To Hire Help or Not to Hire Help

Mary Challenge: Spend some time in prayer thanking God for all that you do have. The areas in your life that you feel like you’re drowning in, ask God to show you where you can find some help.

Martha Challenge: Utility Room – Clean out and organize closet.

Weirdo Alert! LOVED this breezy last week of cleaning and of course the organizing!

Utility Closet Before:

Drug everything out to sort...What I found...

After:

Day 30 – Contentment in the Season of Your Life

Mary Challenge: Write down 10 things you are thankful for today.

1. My Lord who saved me from what I deserve and who desires a daily relationship with silly, mixed up me

2. My God-fearing Husband who is leading my family toward Jesus and loves me in ways I didn't know I needed

3. Magdalen Reese- my "3-in-June" preschooler whose brain won't slow down long enough for her to spit those newly learned big girl words out

4. Isabella Ruth- my ~1.5 year old who is the goofiest kid I've ever met, never siesting to make me laugh and smile

5. Benjamin Ryan- my 4.5 month old who is a physically strong baby with personality to keep up with his boisterous older sisters

6. My family in blood and law, for raising me, shapping me, and guiding me to be who God is calling me to be

7. Long distance forever friends- always picking up Right where we left off!

8. My church family, Central Baptist Pine Bluff, AR (esp- Journey Sunday School Class): friends chasing after Jesus together-

who knew it could be so much fun!?!

9. My home- HUGE (3000 square foot) BLESSING! Using it to host to the fullest of our ability

10. My Health- not just in a cheesy generic sense but for reals! I have the capability to physically and mentally enjoy the above blessings!

Martha Challenge: Utility Room - Trow away any expired cleaning products or bottles you have lying around. Sweep and mop floors.

Did this while cleaning out and organizing

Day 31 – Balancing it All

Mary Challenge: Kiss your husband, giggle with your kiddos, and soak in the Word of your God.

Martha Challenge: Rest. You’ve done a great job!

I WIN!!! I finished in MAY! Maybe not the way I thought I would but technically done! Thank you Sarah Mae for this amazing challenge!

Filed Under: Cleaning Tagged With: 31daystoclean, clean, complete, done, finished, I WIN, julie rothacher, organize, sarah mae, trash, utility room, wash

The “Monica” Closet

May 31, 2011 by Jules 2 Comments

{reference for the title}

I am an admitted, recovering, HOARDER!

It's hereditary. Everyone's trash is my families treasure. Don't get me wrong, we don't save things like banana peels or something...well, unless we can come up with a great use for them. We are organized in our clutter. We have piles of scrap metal, appliances, clothes, non-perishable food, movies, furniture, cars, decorations for every holiday. The list goes on and on. We share our piles when someone is in need, it just might take a little digging.

I digress...as a RECOVERING hoarder- God Does call us to be a good steward of the things he blesses us with and I am NOT slamming my family or the billions of people who life this way but I believe He has called me, in my life, to live like the birds, depending on Him day-to-day to provide our needs.

This is our attempting to live a hoard-free life of "poverty", according to most of American standards, so that we may (Matthew 28:19 NIV) ^"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we have abundantly basic needs and even wants for our entire family."

The "Monica" closet may be under control right now but my next task it the guest room closet where I am storing all our things we intend to "get rid of" via giving to friends/family, a yard sale, consignment sale, and ultimately the good will.

These are just a few scriptures and or websites with godly insight that I've refered to before in our journey.

Abraham's Promise: Genesis 21:1-7, Genesis 22:1-19, Hebrews 6:15

Joseph's Preparation: Genesis 41:41-57

Rich Man's Store House: Luke 12:13-21

David Platt's Radical, the book

Gospel Poverty mentality

That being said...I now attempt to organize every space in my home to make it comfortable and super functional as well as keep my heart in check and out of the "stuff mart". Because of the physical goal, just like in the '90s sitcom "Friends" Season 8 Episode 14 "The One with the Secret Closet", I have over organized and this closet is where all the stuff goes that doesn't fit into an already existing category. Just another area I fail in my life as I am trying to fix things my own. I will praise God in these times to because when I am weak He is strong. When I have the false sense that I am somehow "handling" things without Him the destruction and fall come as a result of my pride and haughty spirit (Proverbs 16:18).

~Confessions of a Recovering hoarder~

*To see the newest attempt at this challenge click to see the original post.

**Friend me on Facebook to see the 1st attempt at the "Monica" closet.

***Insight in to the life of true Hoaders