Last year at this time Brandon and I went through our hardest financial time to date. We lost a months worth of pay because of a change in jobs, my sister was diagnosed with cancer, and Brandon was in a car accident. I wanted to turn in my "grown-up card," but the Lord began to tenderly speak to me about provision. He also continually challenged me to "consider the birds." (Matthew 6:26).
Tonight I must pause and share the ways we have been blessed in the last two months. I'm not one to talk about money or "things", but what has happened in our lives has floored me. The Lord has so sweetly taken care of us. I pray that God receives all of the glory for the blessings I'm about to share.
1) Refrigerator - In the beginning of October I told Brandon that I would like, though we didn't need, a new refrigerator. Ours works, and keeps things cold, but the ice maker is broken and it's starting to show some major signs of age. A few days later, Brandon's boss approached him, and asked if we would like his 4-year-old Whirlpool fridge for free. He's updating his kitchen and thought he would ask. Um, yes. Thank you!
2) Washer Dryer - At the end of October the Sears Outlet was having a great sale. I told Brandon that we should consider going because our washer and dryer are older than us. We're cloth diapering and if our washer and dryer went out that would be bad. He said we should wait. The Black Friday ad came out, and a washer and dryer that were originally $1400 were marked down to $599. We decided for the first time in our marriage to charge something large to our credit card. Go to #3.
3) Brandon's Bonus - The following Monday Brandon goes into work, and finds out that he's getting a bonus that will cover the cost of our washer and dryer.
4) Christmas Lights - The week after Thanksgiving I told Brandon that I wanted to watch the after Christmas sales for white globe lights for our house. He of course said, "Okay...." A few minutes later I logged onto an online forum I'm on and someone was giving them away for free. This seems silly, but in that moment I felt like God really cares about the silly small things - like Christmas lights.
5) A massive amount of toys - The same week I picked up the lights I stopped by a friend's house to borrow a book, and their neighbor had piles and piles of toys in their front yard. There was a toy I had been eyeing for Selah, but couldn't justify (and didn't have)$70 to spend on it, so I walked up to see what they were planning to do with the toys. They were suppose to be donated, but the people never picked them up. The lady told me if I would donate what I didn't want that I could take them all. A friend and I loaded up BOTH of our SUVs full of toys. In there was the toy I wanted for Selah, the barn and trike I wanted for Josiah, a bunch of wooden puzzles (if you know me - you know this is huge), and a bunch of Cars stuff for Elias. All of the toys were in new condition. It was crazy!
6) Brandon's Christmas Party - Aside from the wonderful dinner, fun party and free stay at a hotel, Brandon's co-worker just happened to draw our table's slip of paper in a drawing for some mall gift cards totalling $75.
7) Brandon is now in transportation sales, and brokers loads to carriers. Quite a few of these carriers have sent gifts (permitted by company) to our family. So far we have received generous gift cards from Macy's and Kohl's, and an Amex Card. We have also been sent wonderful baskets from the California wine country.
8) This evening I was going through the mail opening Christmas cards, and "the Lord laid it on the heart" of some our family friends to bless us with a very generous check. I sat and looked at the check and cried.
I'm grateful. I'm in awe of God. We don't understand the Lord's ways, but we're thankful. Our needs, and even our wants, have been met and yet we still say HE is enough. We praise Him for who He is. My spirit cries out and thanks Jesus for the hard times. It is during those times I learn to trust and find out what is important, and it is during the season of blessing that I am truly humbled by His provision.
Something I never dreamed of, but is now all I want. Being a homemaker is an art, a role that never ends, and rewarding in the small and quiet ways. The job doesn't pay well, my work often goes unnoticed until it's not done, and it can become mundane. I have minimized and mocked the very thing I am called to do.
However, my job is fulfilling. When I look around and see my home cozy and clean there is satisfaction. My day is filled full of questions from toddlers, giggles while doing tasks that would be boring if kids weren't involved, and lessons on cooking and bugs. I enjoy being presentable when my husband comes home from work. There is a comfort in knowing that my family wants to be in their home because - just like all of their things - they have a place here. It is nice to know that I have finally learned how to cook meals that are not only palatable but enjoyable.
For too long I was deceived in my thinking that because I'm a stay-at-home-mom that I somehow settled or sold myself short. Sewing, decorating and organizing have all become hobbies of mine, but I still enjoy good books and adult conversations. World events and global atrocities still get me going. My mind still challenges the way things are, and I still have the courage to change the things I do not like. I still am a free-thinking woman, and one that freely chose an often over-looked profession.
Learning to take pride in my many roles is my first personal goal right now. My home is far from being perfect or in order, but the desire to do my job with excellence is now there. I pray that I no longer settle for "good-enough," or procrastinate because there is always tomorrow.
17 loads of laundry washed, and I think baby girl may have something to wear when she's born! Our clothes line is 45 feet long and I filled it twice with cloth diapers. I also washed all of her clothes, the linens for her room, and started prepping our homebirth supply stash. By the end of the day our clothes line had been loaded and unloaded 8 times. Thank God for the fast drying Texas sun!
I had to take a picture this morning of our first round of cloth diapers hanging out to dry.
18-months-ago Brandon and I went through our entire house and began to throw away every chemical we could find. Being on a tight budget, I nearly had a heart attack but I knew this would be the only way we could make our home a little more safe. I have found that the switch has actually been more cost effective, and I feel better knowing my kids are in a clean non-toxic home.
Here Are Our Products:
All Purpose Cleaner: Dr. Bronner's and Tea Tree Oil
- This cleans our counters, bathrooms, and floors
Baby/Body Soap: Dr. Bronner's Liquid or Bar Soap
Hand Soap: 1 teaspoon of Dr. Bronner's liquid in a foaming pump of water
Laundery Detergent: Charlie's Soap
Heavy Duty Cleaner (Shower/Tub): Charlie's Soap (getting ready to try this out but will report back)
- Scouring Powder when needed
- Exfoliater for body (including face)
Face Wash: Honey
Brandon and Niccole's Soap: Organic Oatmeal Soap/$1.36 a bar from Whole Foods (name has escaped me) or Dr. Bronner's bar soap
Niccole's Shampoo/Conditioner: Moment of Confession.... Bed Head "Control Freak"
- Without trying to justify I have truly tried so many brands of organic or SLS Free shampoos and conditioners and not one has done the job. I have thin hair but a massive amount of it, and my hair has been left oily (not normal for me), flat, or dry with non-toxic products. If anyone is reading this and has a recommendation please throw it at me.
A friend recently sent me two wonderful links that I thought I would share:
- Rates products by their toxicity. I have found many products that I thought were safe were actually a 3-4 on the list.
- Multiple lists of non-toxic products ranging from home and pet care to baby and body care.
Tomorrow will mark my 36th week of pregnancy, and with this awareness I feel the pressing of my "To Do" list. I have been cleaning, organizing and ridding my house of needless belongings since I hit 30 weeks. The goals I have to accomplish are a bit daunting, possibly unrealistic, but I have the irresistible urge to attempt these feats.
My poor husband has not escaped the imposed pressure. He's working on several projects at once and his list keeps growing. His current big project is painting a crib that baby girl will not sleep in for months but I'm insistent that she will somehow know. With only 3 weekends left before our due date Daddy still "needs" to sand and paint a dresser and glider chair, replace the ceiling fan, and steam clean the carpets. As long as he doesn't sleep I think he will make it!
My mother-in-law will be here on Saturday morning to help me sew the baby's quilt, sew a crib skirt, make a new nursing pillow/cover, wash endless amounts of clothes and cloth diapers, and cook enough meals to hopefully get us through a couple weeks of babymooning. My list also includes lining my kitchen cabinets with oilcloth, painting the wainscotting under my bar, rearranging our office/playroom, and giving the house one last wipe down (this includes walls).
I'm sure this is what the rest of the world calls "nesting" but I think this borders on OCD. By the time I'm done I'm sure birth will be a welcomed break. I'm off.
There have been big changes around our house in the last 6 months, and I'm finally coming out of the closet. I am not a "Domestic Diva" and my home was a disaster for the first few years we were married. Drop in visits from friends would leave me profusely apologizing for the condition of my home, and I always had an excuse as to why my house was not in the best condition. I had tried Fly Lady and Motivated Moms but nothing cut it - I was a cluttered mess. Every few months I would get on a kick, and the house would look great for a couple weeks but it never lasted.
I finally came up with a plan that works for me. It's a combination of many things I have found on the net, but I tailored it to fit my personality and my needs. The system has worked out wonderfully and I want to share it with the other domestically challenged people out there.
I have two lists side-by-side on my fridge. I took two dry erase boards and split them in half. In permanent marker I wrote out a daily chore list and a weekly chore list on the first board. On the second board I have a "To Do" list and a "Buy" list.
My Daily Chores Include:
- Make the Beds
- Do a Load of Laundry (wash, dry & put away)
- Take Vitamins
- Have Quiet Time
- Exercise
- Circle Time/Read (Kids)
- Empty/Clean Sink (Kitchen)
- Clear Kitchen Counters (Our trouble spot - declutter & wipe down)
- Wipe Down Bathrooms (Clear Counters, Wipe Down Sink & Toilet)
- Empty Trash Cans
- Sweep & Wipe Floors (Towel tied around a squeegee through house)
- Pick Up Clutter:
- Living Room
- Play Room
- Kid's Room
- Master Bedroom
My Weekly Chores are as Follows:
Monday:
- Kitchen (clean out & clean fridge, clean stove, wipe down cabinets, straighten spices/dry goods)
Tuesday:
- Mop
- Plan meals
Wednesday:
- Clean Bathrooms
- Grocery Shop
Thursday:
- Dust (Includes wiping fan blades and glass globes on lights)
- Vacuum
Friday:
- Mop
- Organize a Needed Area
Saturday:
-Indoor or Outdoor Project
Sunday:
- Off (Still do daily chores)
As I accomplish a task I put a dot next to the chore. Some chores, like picking up certain rooms, get done a couple times a day and I add a dot each time the chore is done. It's rewarding at the end of the day to see all I have done. This also helps me to not feel discouraged when the kiddos create a mess in a room I already cleaned because I see what I have done. Both lists take me about 1.5 hours a day to finish and I'm learning what jobs the boys can help me with.
The best reward, by far, has been being able to rest at night. I know that when I wake up in the morning last nights dinner mess won't greet me, the boys won't have an additional mess to add to, and I also love knowing that Brandon is walking into a pretty clean house. Some days I still slack, but those days are now the exception and not the norm.
Our lovely Dell decided three weeks ago to take a dive, but I'm back and with a whole new realization of my old internet addiction.
The past few weeks have been so incredibly productive. In the first week I completely deep cleaned my entire house. Things were pulled out of cabinets and closets to be cleaned, organized and pitched. I went through nearly 100 magazines and pulled out articles, recipes and crafts to organize in one binder so I no longer have to search "for what I found in a magazine last year." (I'll write more about that one later.) By the end of Week 1 the baby's room was filled with things to donate and sell in an upcoming garage sale.
During the second week I started on my many plans for the baby's room. Her nursery is a mix of modern and feminine with bold colors (fuschia, turquoise, and butter cream yellow) and will be decorated with a few flowers and a ton of birds. I will have to post pics soon because I spent hour after hour hand sewing 3-D birds and making pictures for her wall. The squares for her quilt are cut, but I'm watching the sale papers for a decent coupon to finish the back.
The third week was spent creating lists of things that need to be done, ways rooms need to be organized, and ways to change the house up a bit. It was a fun week, and the task was so much easier to take on without a mess or excess things laying around.
I'm so sorry I didn't get Weeks 3 & 4 posted for my "What'd for Dinner?" blogs. Though I had every intention of writing down what we ate for dinner every night I didn't. I'll have to catch up with that idea another month.
I got in the habit of blogging last month and really missed it once the computer went down. Hopefully I'll pick it back up and be able to share more of our lives with those that read!
Sorry I'm late getting this out. We have had guests in town and family commitments.
Sprouts: 31.81
Walmart: 29.66 (Includes diapers)
Eating Out: 9.32
Total: $70.79
Menu
Breakfast:
Same as last week w/exception being Sunday, Monday & Tuesday we had whole wheat pancakes from a large batch made on Sunday.
Lunch:
Sunday: Family had leftover Spanish Rice
Monday: B - PB & Honey Sandwich, plum, nectarine, fig newtons & pretzels, Boys: PB&J, Annie's Honey Bunnies, & Apple
Tuesday: B - PB & Honey Sandwich, plum, nectarine, fig newtons & pretzels, Boys: PB&J, watermelon, plums, pretzels, N - Spanish Rice
Wednesday: B&N - Leftover orzo with Chicken, Boys - Bean and cheese quesadillas, grapes & nectarine
Thursday: B&N - Leftover orzo with chicken, Boys - PB & Honey sandwiches, plums, pretzels
Friday: B&N - Southwest rice salad, Boys - quesadillas and grapes
Saturday: Family - leftovers from week
Dinner:
Sunday: Graduation Party
Monday: B&N - Grilled Chicken salad w/ peppers, toms, mushrooms, & almonds, Boys: Chicken and Rice w/watermelon
Tuesday: Orzo - double batch (making for our sister & friend who are in town :)) & 2 chicken breasts
Wednesday: Chicken Kabobs w/zucchini, summer squash & mushrooms - wild rice on the side
Thursday: Southwest Rice Salad with Chicken
Friday: Chicken Paninis on sourdough with baked sweet potatoes and squash
Saturday: Cuban Black Beans and Rice w/tomatoes, side salad
Snacks this week:
Fruit - grapes, nectarines, plums, watermelon, apples
Almonds
Fig Newtons (major sale & very rare in house)
Annie's Honey Bunnies (Thanks Ya-Ya)
"Hello, my name is Niccole and I have a hoarding problem."
For those who have read my blog, and kept up with my quest for simplicity, you know that I have been on a mission for 1.5 years to declutter my house. I have thrown away, donated or sold over 2,000 items in the last year and it has been so freeing. My only regret was getting rid of our baby items thinking we were done having kids, but apart from that pitch fest I have not looked back.
Well, now I'm trying to make room for our sweet baby girl, and this means more decluttering. Last night I had Brandon move everything out of the guest room (what will be the nursery) and into our room, because I knew I wouldn't be able to stand the mess in our room for long. As of 10:30 a.m. I have managed to condense two rubbermaid containers into one small trunk and get rid of another 90 items of junk. I'm taking pictures and will update later.
Updated 06/05/08: The linen closet is now totally cleared out and clutter free. I have been able to rid our house of 250 items to sell or donate in the last 2 days, and have thrown away 3 lawn and leaf bags of junk. The baby's room now contains stacks of items to take pictures of to sell online or to sell in a garage sale. Whoo hoo!
What I'm asking myself as I go along:
1. What am I hoarding that may be able to bless someone else?
2. If this burned in a fire would I miss it or remember that it was gone?
3. When was the last time I used this item?
4. When will I use this item again?
5. Is this my "bunt pan"? (See my very old post)
6. Is this truly important to me or just something I'm clinging to because of the past? (This is a new revelation for me, and once I have it more thought out I will blog about this)
Back to work...
After talking with friends and hearing what other families spend on groceries I have learned that we have a modest grocery budget. When I share with people what we spend on groceries each month the first question out of their mouths is "WHAT DO YOU GUYS EAT???"
For the last year our grocery budget has been $350/month for our family of 4. This includes all toiletries, toilet paper and cleaning items (another post). When Elias was still in diapers we would sometimes go over but not often. I have decided that for the next month I am going to track what we spend a month on food on my blog and also post what we eat along with the recipes (if I don't post you can ask). I'm looking forward to sharing our favorite recipes, and seeing how we remain within our budget. I also believe this will be a great way to see what things we could cut out to save money and to live a more healthy lifestyle.
The biggest thing that made a difference in our grocery budget (and our waistline) was learning portion sizes last summer. We bought an inexpensive food scale at Ross and measure our meat, and other food items that don't fit in measuring cups, to know we are eating the right sized portions for our needs. Things like pasta and rice were measured with measuring cups until we learned what a true serving looked like.
I went grocery shopping on Saturday (May 31) for dinner on 05/31 and to start off the new month. So here we go:
Wal-Mart: $26.23
Sprouts: $53.75 (included a 10lb stock up on chicken)
Total Wk 1:$ 79.98
Menu WK 1:
Saturday (05/31)
Dinner: Arroz con Pollo
Breakfast (Nearly everyday unless I make whole wheat pancakes):
Brandon: 2 hard boiled eggs/day, 3/4 cup oatmeal
Niccole: 1 yogurt with 1/3 oatmeal, banana
Boys: 2 bananas, 1 cup oatmeal w/cranberries and almonds, yogurt
Lunch:
Monday: B&N - leftover Arroz con Pollo, B yogurt and Fig Newtons w/his lunch, Boys - Peanut Butter and honey sandwich, apple, pretzels
Tuesday: B&N - leftover orzo and chicken, B almonds and Fig Newton w/his lunch, Boys - cheese and bean quasadillas
Wednesday: Entire Family - leftover chicken sandwiches, fruit, and pretzels
Thursday: B - PB/Honey sandwich, yogurt, fig newtons & almonds or leftover Arroz con Pollo, N- leftover Arroz con Pollo, Boys - PB&honey sandwich, pretzels & apple
Friday - B&N - leftover spanish rice, Josiah - Spanish rice, Elias - beans and rice
Saturday - we will be at a graduation party for lunch time
Dinner:
Sunday: Quesadillas - cheese, chicken, grilled onions/peppers, smashed black beans & salsa
Monday: Orzo Salad (see previous post for recipe) with 1 (very!) large chicken breast served on the side.
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken sadwiches (I make mine in crock pot), baked potato, and spinach side salad
Wednesday: Bean, cheese, and avocado tostadas with lettuce, tomato and salsa on top with a fruit salad (grapes, nectarines, apples, black berries)
Thursday: Spanish Rice with Chicken grilled and tossed in the rice, spinach side salad
Friday: Ratatouille
Saturday: Red Beans and Rice and corn bread with spinach salad
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