as Jules is going

Making a Rental, HOME {Thoughtful Thursday}

May 9, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

God has blessed us...beyond expectation.

I think when we leave room for God to show up, He does.

~Kristen Welch

Through much humility, God has bless much! And although there is blessing, there are still the simple #thirdworldproblems and woes. Living in this amazing 'borrowed' home, I feel like I am waiting for something. Waiting for the next ____. I don't know why. I'm having trouble living in the now. Living in the borrowed.

Today, I wanna share the things I am doing to make the borrowed feel permanent because I bet there are lots of you feeling the same way.

UNPACK!
I know there are tons out there who moved in about 5 years ago and still can't find that casserole dish. It will be worth it! Try and unpack the boxes as soon as they come into the house. There are lots of benefits:
You'll know where things are.
You can get rid of excess when it doesn't fit.
You will feel at home!
Hang pictures!
I know lots of rentals don't allow or highly discourage putting holes in the wall but in my opinion, decorating makes it your space. Invest in those removable hooks!
Use throw pillows!
You may not be a throw pillow kind of person but adding simple accents like this again make this your space. It makes it comfortable. And things like throw pillows are easily replaced when your taste changes or they get worn out.
Get good sheets!
Matt and I recently spent good money {for our budget even though they were like 50% off} on a fancy set of 600-thread-count sheets. Not only does this add to the style of your home but what makes you feel more at-home than comfort?!? Nice sheets should be comfortable so you are getting a great night's sleep. Sleep makes everything better.
Smell it up!
My hubs can't smell. No, not like, he has a low sense of smell. He can't smell Anything! "Everything smells like home" to him. For years, I felt selfish buying perfume, air freshener, or candles because I was the only one benefiting. Over those years, I noticed one of the first things I noticed when I went into someone elses house was the nice smell. That smell was one more thing I associated with that family. My house...had begun smelling like dish/laundry soap, diapers, shampoo. I wanted our smell to be...well, not diapers. Don't get me wrong, I'm still buying candles dirt cheap but I don't feel awful getting them now.

There are few things that make a girl feel comfy like a yummy candle lit in the dark while snuggling with that throw pillow & blanket.

What makes your rental feel like home?

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Filed Under: Being a Help-Meet, Decorating, Homemaker, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

12 Steps to Help MOM Get Ready FAST {Thoughtful Thursday}

May 2, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

I never thought I'd be THAT mom...the one that doesn't shower daily. Or at least who wishes she did but it's kinda hit or miss. Yeah. I am now her. I have learned some tricks to taking a quick and efficient shower.

12 Steps to Help MOM Get Ready FAST

Have all necessary items IN the shower.
I always make sure I have body wash, wash cloth/luffa, shampoo, conditioner, make-up remover, razor, etc before showering. Really, I just never take the stuff our or replace it if needed when I get out.
Some times I even set out hair stuff {ie Plug in but turn off straightener and hair drier, brush, make-up bag, lotion, and even the Deo (because sometimes...lets be honest...I forget lol)}
Have all Clothing Laid out and ready in the bathroom.
I never knew how much time this could save me. I pick out what I'm going to wear the night before and have it in a pile on the bathroom counter. I'm talking under garments, socks if applicable, top, bottoms, earrings, hair stuff, etc. Wearing mainly t-shirts helps this process as well. If its something nicer, I'll leave it on the hanger & hook it on the back of the door {knob or towel hook}.
Have Towel over the shower door or rail.
I love having my towel hanging over the shower door/rail even if there's a nearby hook. I use the towel to wipe my eyes after those slashes from soap when in a rush.
Set a timer.
I haven't done this often but if you tend to take a long shower this can help you be aware of how long you take. After a while, a 10 minute shower will just be habit.
Rinse Hair Twice as long as you Wash it.
This may sound silly and I laugh every time I'm in the shower and remember this tidbit...because it came from 6th grade! You know, when they give you the "You Stink, Use Deo for Your BO" conversation. Yeah, they had cute high school girls come talk to us and one of the things they mentioned was a general rule to make sure you get all the shampoo out is to rinse twice as long. If you message in the shampoo for 30 seconds, rinse for 1 minute.
I know the whole point of this post is to take a FAST shower but it won't be worth it if your hair looks nasty just a few hours later.
Wash Body with Warm Water {1st}
I prefer taking a shower first thing in the morning {even though this doesn't always happen} because it helps get the stiffness out of my body before starting the day. Warm water helps this!
Shave while washing your body.
Using warm water and body wash is a quick way to shave every day. I know it can be bothersome and some days there's just no time for that but I love the feeling of shaved legs.
Remove make-up/Wash Face.
Using your face-wash/make-up remover, clean your face using slightly warm water. You don't want to dry out your skin and your face is very sensitive.
Wash Hair with nearly Cold Water {2nd}
After you've 'relaxed', washed, and shaved, its time to move on to hair. Scrub in your shampoo still using semi-warm water and then when you are ready to rinse, switch the water over to as cold as you can stand! Rinsing your hair with cold water will cut down on dandruff that comes from dry scalp and it also makes your hair really shiny {thanks for the tip mom}.
Don't turn back up the water temperature.
Now that your hair looks fab, do not let the temptation to crank back up the water temp. You are ready to JUMP out of the shower...because you are cold. LOL
Dry off IN the shower.
I know this isn't easy, especially if you have a small shower but this too will be beneficial. It will make you move quickly {so you can bundle after that cold rinse} and it won't soak your rug
Don't leave the bathroom until you are READY for the day.
Another thing I'm still not good at but have noticed helps speed along with read-for-the-day process is finishing getting ready for the day. Get completely Dressed, Do make-up, Dry & Fix hair

Did you "Get Ready" today? I DID!!!

Anyone else have some helpful hints for shower or getting ready fast?

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Filed Under: Being a Help-Meet, Organizing, Parenting, The Ones about Post Series, The ones about the Rothacher Home, Thoughtful Thursdays

Breathing

April 2, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

After a long year {it seems}, we took a long, deep breath yesterday after our big 'launch Sunday' that we've been striving for the past couple months and then exhaled reeeeeeal slowly.

Sunday night as my kids wandered into the house, I told them, in all seriousness, to pick really comfy PJs because we were living in them the next day.

Our Monday consisted of way too many movies, trashing the house with Easter grass {aka snow, spaghetti, pure Fun}, no-silverware-necessary meals, no brushing of anyone's hair, definitely no showing, nothing but Easter candy for snack, and lots of snuggles.

We hung out in the long-awaited sunshine that was here today gone, hiding behind nasty rain clouds, tomorrow. We ate all fancy like on the back deck while our filthy, old-man, def dog tried to snatch food from the children. We went on a "lizard hunt" up the back of the mountain behind our house.

We slopped jugs of bubbles all over the outside furniture trying to figure out how to use the new I'm-so-lazy-I-don't-wanna-blow-bubbles-for-my-kids' contraption.

Bring it on, we're ready spring!

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Filed Under: Being a Help-Meet, Homemaker, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Surviving the Stomach Bug {Thoughtful Thursday}

February 14, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

Sorry, I know this isn't your typical Valentine's Day Thoughtful Thursday post but this is very relevant to our lives this week.

Monday morning my sweet little, regularly energetic , 2-year-old slept in late and 30 minutes later was asking to go night night and snuggled in my lap for a long time. That was the beginning of this weeks yack-fest. I won't go into the details of who won the up chuck count but I do want to share a 3 things that helped us manage a household full of littles who are very good sharers. Keep in mind, these are just practical tips to add to the normal love'n, movie watching, snuggling, washing, book reading, diaper changing, temp taking, water chugging that goes with stomach bug 2013.

1. The War Zone:

Our children are 2, 3, 4-years-old so the likelihood of them all making it to the bathroom when they feel sick in the middle of the night is pretty low. For some reason all 3 kids think the appropriate time to begin their barf marathon is between 10pm and midnight...gross. We decided to be proactive in this late night strike and make our Hazmat Team clean up a little easier by

tucking towels on the pillow as well as over the bed right where the mess is likely to occur then we
placed an empty trashcan right next to the bed just in case the attack was faster than the child and finally we
made a trail of towels from the bed to the bathroom along the path they will be taking several times in the middle of the night.

2. Tracking Meds:

With this years stomach bug came nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and low-grade fever. Needless to say we had a couple of medicines we were trying to use in making everyone feel a little better. To keep track of meds as well as limiting the ways this thing might get passed back and forth we

labeled medicine cups with each child's initials,
used a small empty picture frame and a dry erase marker to remember who took what medicine at what time, and we then
marked water bottles with different colored straws so there would be no sharing.

3. The BRAT Diet:

With everyone's tummy still curdling, gurgling, and a little on edge to say the least, we needed something to help get things back on track. The BRAT diet was something we've used since our kids started table foods. {AVOID Milk}

The BRAT diet is a historically prescribed diet for patients with gastrointestinal distress such as diarrhea, dyspepsia, and/or gastroenteritis. The BRAT diet consists of foods that are exceptionally bland and low in fiber. Low-fiber foods were recommended as it was thought that foods high in fiber cause gas and possibly worsen gastrointestinal upset.
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that most children should continue a normal, age appropriate diet. The foods from the BRAT diet may be added, but should not replace normal, tolerated foods. Sugary drinks and carbonated beverages should be avoided. ~Source

B. Bananas. I'm thinking any form of this would work. Peel and eat, mash it up and eat with a spoon, or slather on your toast.
R. Rice Nuf said.
A. Apple Sauce I think the consistency of the sauce version of the apple is part of its magic.
T. Toast We have several adorable "toast stamps". One says, "I love you", another is a heart, and another is a mickey mouse. Just to add a little fun. My kids don't eat a lot of toast so we've subbed dry {healthy} cereal several times.

Hope these tips help you survive your family's next bug epidemic.

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Filed Under: Baking and Cooking, Being a Help-Meet, Homemaker, Parenting, The Ones about Post Series, The ones about the Rothacher Home, Thoughtful Thursdays

One with My Husband

February 13, 2013 by Jules 2 Comments

I love Valentine's Day!

I'm not a big flower and chocolate kinda girl but I love a guaranteed date some time during the week of the "Love Holiday". Matt and I went out Tuesday night. Nothing fancy. We did get to eat at Old Chicago for < $15, just say'n. GREAT legit deal! We relaxed. Talked. Enjoying being ONE for a while rather than five.

I'm a slacker and only got my hubs a couple little cards. This is an odd holiday to buy for...well, I'm learning almost any holiday can be odd to buy a gift for a man. I know some women complain about it but for the most part you could get me anything 'householdy" and I would love it. Men...my man. Not so much into the "man toys." He's not outdoorsy and although he is becoming Mr Fix-it, I don't think he's looking for a drill wrapped in heart paper. Any ways. I've become worse and worse at this gift stuff the longer we've been married and the more kids we have. I love being sneaky but with all these kids and responsibilities floating around, there's not much room for surprise.

Matt on the other hand has taken advantage of my distracted mommy-self. One year he saved for ever and surprised me with a laptop, then a kitchen aid mixer, then tickets to ALUME! He's good!!! For Valentine's Day he bought me clothes. He knows me so well. I hate shopping. I get depressed trying to find modest clothing to fit my short squatty body. I love wearing t-shirts and for years my wardrobe has been youth event Ts. Those have all become extremely worn and there aren't any new one in my near future. Matt hooked me up with TWO new Union28 t-shirts. The brand new "One with my husband" t-shirt and the brown "United In All Times" t-shirt.

We really do "Go Together"!

You know I love this company...I actually already owned 2 shirts and a hat. What can I say. When your wardrobe is t-shirt and jeans, ya got grab up the cute ones, even if they are all from the same place. ;D