Remember your Gifts

I'm posting late because I am recovering from hosting a "chocolate party" for 30 ladies at our church.  It was a success but the need to head to the gym has never been felt more acutely!

This week I've blogged about a few of the tricks I use to maintain my sanity as a homemaker.  Well, the truth is... my faith is the foundation of how I maintain life.  As a mother and homemaker I feel women have been given "gifts" to help us bear the load that is ours alone.

There's a reason why we hang our towels on separate hooks! ... And here's where I get preachy (patience please)... newsflash: God made men and women different.  We were the very last creation after he pronounced the earth good and made man... in a way, his crowning work! We are the nurturers, ones who have a natural gift for compassion and service and giving.  We seek beauty and hope to make better all that we come in contact with.  Ladies, my sisters around the world... for I feel you to be exactly that... you are spectacular!
Each day your rise and live to serve and give and love.  The very work you do in your homes will shape your children, and by extension your community, your nation and this world.  To borrow a phrase from my pal Kimba, "What you do matters!"  The little acts of love and service you do paints the masterpiece that will one day be called your life... and I know all you ladies are exceptional painters, even if the laundry isn't done for the day or the dinner dishes aren't cleared 'till the morning after.

I've been blessed with great gifts... most obvious is my talent to sing however, I know that is not the most important gift.  My most important gifts are the ones I share with women all over the world... the gift to love, to feel the pain of others, to wake up each day and serve my family...HAPPILY.  We all share the gift of sisterhood; that draw towards each other and desire to uplift and feed each other what might be lacking for a season due to circumstance.

Ladies you're wonderful and each day as I read your blogs and hear about your lives I am drawn to your talents and gifts and beauties that are inherent in your femininity.  I have a beautiful life because of the gifts I've been give as a woman and the opportunities I've been given to share them with those around me whom I love. You've uplifted and inspired me and I'm so grateful.  I celebrate our unique gifts that qualify us to be keepers of our homes and to be creators of beauty and relief to those who are in need.  Hooray for the gifts of womanhood!  Head over to see Melissa's take at The Inspired Room... I think we were inspired to write similar posts today:)

What gifts do you feel help you in your homemaking?

Identifying time wasters

I realize that this post may put everyone over the edge... any likability (is that a word?) I may have had will surely be in question... it will only work if you promise to be honest.  Okay, so, find a piece of chocolate, put your left finger on the chocolate and raise your right hand, "I, _____ promise that I will not ignore that guilty tug that I sometimes feel when I'm not being honest with myself (you know... it's that feeling that you used to get when you lied to your mom) and will try to still like the Pretty Organizer for all of her well meaning good qualities.
Feel guilt yet?  Okay... well this is one that I have to admit I've been working on.  It's important to identify what the time wasters in your life are.  For many of us blogging ladies... it's the computer.  Hate me.  You know it is!  Do we really need to keep it booted up all day and check it 12 times a day (or more) just to see if we have 1 more comment?  Really, don't you think it would be more exciting to boot up that baby and see how many comments have accumulated?
Whether your time wasters are your computer, TV, the telephone, shopping when you don't have to, or just plain ole not getting out of bed in the morning, they make a huge dent in a day.   If you manage your time wasters, you'll have more time to waste and will be more happy seeing what got done at the end of the day.
Oprah doesn't fold your laundry (though you can watch Oprah while you're folding laundry)... and those Soap Operas (I know, I'm such a prude and you'll all unfollow me now..) well, ladies they're full of stuff that we all shouldn't be watching anyhow... go take a little time and clean up the house, get a shower and put some lipstick on for your hubby and create those great fantastic scenes in real life!
Confession: I don't watch TV.  Period... not even the news. (I'm a lot happier too!  I get my news from the Internet.)  Since I got myself out of the habit (it really is a habit), there isn't much interesting enough for me to sit down and watch.  I do let myself relax on the weekend with hubby or kids to watch a movie.

I also block time out to blog and check my email.  I realize that this is my current weakness so I've been aggressive keep myself in check.  I check emails in the morning, once while kiddos are napping and before I go to bed.  I decided that I never wanted my kids seeing me glued to the computer screen.  They know I blog but I don't give them many opportunities to question whether blogging or they come first.

Now, I hope I haven't offended all you 24 watchers!  As long as you get things done and you have time, by all means watch your shows!  Just always remember that to live life in balance depends upon how you balance your priorities!  That's the way to run a Pretty Organized Palace!

What are your time wasters? 

Hold the Phone... Calls.

Managing a house means managing your time. One lesson that took me too long to learn: Pavlov's Dog Theory... no, when the bell rings I don't begin drooling... well, unless it's the timer for the chocolate chip cookies... No I learned that - Just because I have a phone, doesn't mean I have to answer it every time it rings.

I try to talk on MY time. It's taken me awhile to get to this point but my family is important too and I need to dedicate time to them and my home. I love talking to girlfriends and helping out with the PTA but I found myself running crazy and neglecting the very thing that was MOST important... the needs of my family.

Now when I need to get something done without interruptions (believe me, I have interruption enough with 6 kiddos... I don't need more) I let the phone go. Girlfriends who know me forgive me and those who don't never know. I always make sure to call everyone back (praise caller ID) and talk when I am available. Let the answering machine be your secretary.

My second phone tip is: Schedule a time when you will make all of your phone calls. If you schedule a time to use the phone, you'll have all of your numbers ready and a dedicated time to complete your tasks... less transition time to the next job on the list.

How do you handle phone calls in your house?

The mess has to go... but where?

You're trying to get the house in the Valentine's Mood for your hubby... It's 8:30, kids are in bed and you take a look around and see this... common, we've all been there.
Truthfully, this is my reality (6 kids remember? No, this isn't my house.. poor soul on google image search just got popular)  As I mentioned in my previous post, I did not come a natural homemaker.  Growing up, when my room looked like this and my mom made me clean it, I TOOK HOURS to get it done... because I didn't even know where to begin.

Then I discovered chocolate!!!- the great motivator (oh, and MarieBelle's is THE BEST- if you have $2.50 per tiny tiny piece.-- Tell your hubby this would be great for V-Day! I recommend the chocolate with Chipotle chilies!) ooh... look I'm getting off topic again!
Well, the point is every mom gets overwhelmed with messes.  For those ladies like me who were born without the neat freak gene, rehabilitation for the disorderly is possible.  Here are my tricks... oh and if you're one of those ladies who looks at a room and immediately knows what to do... just keep reading and have sympathy for this homemaker who had to "find herself."

First, strap on anything with pockets.  Aprons are great but if you have cargo capri's hey, that'll work.  You just need a place to put the hair clips, rogue lego pieces, lid to the milk jug... etc.
The best investment I ever made in homemaking were strong (unnaturally strong) sturdy laundry baskets.  I love the square ones and I have oh... at least 6 or 7 of them BESIDES my regular hampers.  They save my day.  

To attack a room like above: Line up several laundry baskets and sort... boys room, girls room, laundry room, master bedroom... etc.  Just start at one side of the room and toss the mess into the appropriate basket.  The room is picked up in no time!

I deliver the basket to the room where it belongs and the KIDS put their items away.  If the kids are too young, you have a head start and at least have like things grouped together and in the right room!
This game of course is no fun unless you race yourself against the clock... and oh, a little reward of chocolate... or for you TV fanatics 24 (still haven't seen it).... see how long it takes you.  Really, you'd be surprised how much you can get done in 5 minutes when you're dedicated and working to beat a clock!
The laundry basket idea works in many situations:  Messy living rooms, Kids rooms- (have kids sort books, toys, dirty laundry and then have them work on putting away 1 basket at a time), Messy cars or the big clean up after a car trip, and even the laundry room itself!
When I take time to race the clock and divide the job into tasks I can tackle, I am surprised at how quickly and efficiently the job is completed.  Now, of course there are ladies (like my mother, the homemaking Duchess) who don't need this course... their brains are wired to work.  They thrive on sorting and really, their rooms never look messy because they can't pass something out of place without picking it up... what a gift... but alas, that gene was not for me.  For the rest of us people who are keeping it real and trying to keep our sanity, laundry baskets work fine!  If you want more ideas on being blissfully domestic check out this site.

With a little inspiration for zapping clutter, you're sure to have the house picked up in no time, just in time for Valentines!  Now light the candles, start the music and enjoy your evening!
What are your strategies for attacking the nuclear messes in your house?

Nature Vs. Nurture-- Which are you?

I'm convinced that there are two types of people: Those who are compelled to clean up messes due to a genetic composition completely foreign to me (and they ENJOY this.  It makes them feel good!) ; and those who compel themselves to keep up with those kind of people... I am the latter type.  

I was not born a fanatic housekeeper.  My mother was.  My mom rose at 4:30 or 5am, laundry was folded and done, dinner in the crockpot and bread made before any child stepped foot out of bed.  The woman was a homemaking machine, although, I admit, I never saw her sleep.

I on the other hand, was born her genetic opposite.  I was the arch rival to my mothers clean system... go ahead and ask her how many milk glasses I had next to my bed (which, my sweet hubby now patiently deals with... some things never change.)  I loved a clean room.  I loved the feeling of no clutter and the smell of baked bread.  When I married, I was completely baffled as to how all of these things got done in a home.
Now after nearly 14 years of marriage I get it.  I get that I wasn't born with the genetic clean freak gene.... even though I wish I were.   I battle my disability daily... I have had to be nurtured (by my sweet mother) over the years on how to get it all done.  It is possible... I'm living proof!
This week I'll be sharing a few of the tricks that have not come natural to me but that have been nurtured by me to help make my homemaking effective.  I am not perfect, but I have an absolute love for homemaking and a conviction that there is no other role on earth I could do that would bring me more joy than this... even if it means I'm fighting a genetic flaw and feel like a 3 legged greyhound in a high stakes race!

How has homemaking come to you?  Are you a natural homemaker or one who's nurturing her homemaking skills?

Turning a Corner: A Wife's Creative Renewal

I've made no secret that my husband's last day of school was Thursday... and if anyone heard yodelling Thursday evening... it was me celebrating on my roof... I want to shout it to the world. I also have made no secret about being a dyed in the wool, true, blue, homemaker. It's in my bones... and my brains... and I have wheat bread to show for it. (Most of it in my wedding ring)

As we turn this corner of life, as a wife... I am renewed. Having an involved husband leaves a few more hours for simple pleasures... A chance to sit, to ponder, to finish a project. A chance to concentrate on MY homemaking role and not the dual role I've shouldered for a year and a half.

I'll take time to create. Humans thrive on creation. (Ha Ha Ha... laugh ya'll, I know... 6 kids... Bahhahahahah!...) Women thrive to create smiles, comfortable homes, a place to feel loved and safe. We seek to create beauty all around us... and so I seek to beautify my home. (and right now I'm cracking up because somehow my sidebar adds have hair dye commericals... too many references to create, shoulder and color... sorry folks!)

I want to create a kitchen that will function for 8 AND be beautiful AND affordable. If you want to create a budget kitchen makeover using "builder cabinets" like this check out these ideas from BHG.COM crazy good ideas:) I also enjoyed seeing 25 ways to redo your cabinet faces on your own... like this saweet lady... check out this budget cabinet facelift site on BHG.com

This year I will be creating beauty in each room. So much of life can be caught up with routine maintenance. Maintaining is okay for a time and season... but to create brings satisfaction, renewal of hope and spirit, and confidence in dormant abilities. Melissa's Beautiful Life posts are a great way to get inspired. Head over there while she's out enjoying Blissdom... and sit in her Inspired Room awhile.

What do you want to create?

All photo credits are from BHG.com

Hassle Free Homemaking- Dinnertime Rules

Do you ever get in a homemaking slump?  Mine came early at the ripe age of 25 (and 3 kids 4 and under) and with it came a ferocious appetite to beat the slump, avoid midlife grump, and prevent housewife frump.  I did it... but not without  effort... A LOT of effort- which continues daily.  Now with 6 kids, I'm a happy homemaker... mostly (I'm still lacking a good June Cleaver apron).

Here are a few of my secrets that make dinnertime happen with a family of 8... go ahead and reduce or multiply the fraction to adjust for your size family... step number one is pray.. just pray you make it through the day. I've been able to make it through 14 years on this principal alone!

• Plan your menu: I do 2 weeks and solely plan it around sales adds and seasonal garden items.  With our size family... every penny goes toward another gallon of milk. ... more to come on meal planning in the future. Head over to Jen's for inspiration. She's fabulous.
• 10 o'clock rule: Know what I'm fixing for dinner by 10pm the night before or 10am the day of.  This helps especially for thawing meat, gathering supplies and ingredients and making sure dinner's served on time. 
  
• Everyone Helps: Every kid has a dinnertime related job.  I know this can be more hassle than it seems worth the effort.  I began this when my oldest was 4 and I can turn my kids loose to fix a family meal now by the time they're 10... ladies, it pays off big time!  This is also a great one on one instruction time with your kids.  Job ideas can be dinner prep, set table, unload dishwasher, clean-up... pick what works for you.
• Use Nice Dishes: Okay, since the hubby man has been is school I've slacked. BUT, now we're back to normal again (today's his last day) and even the 3 year old gets a glass dish and cup.  This is my effort to bring a little refinement into the home (for where else would they learn it?) and encourage good manners.
• ROTATE: My kids are all assigned a birthright number... we use it often.  Too many fights over who was sitting next to mom or dad inspired this idea.  We have assigned seating that rotates each month.  Mom and Dad stay fixed and the kids all move down one chair at the beginning of the month... (it works like a dream in car seating as well!).
• Everyone Cleans Up: We have a rule: Grab your plate and 3 thing and put them away.  Generally, this works... getting them into the dishwasher without salad all over the floor is another post.  With all 8 working to load the dishwasher, clean up, sweep, and put food away we're all free to enjoy our evening together sooner.

Oh, and I didn't include it in the bullets but, sometimes it's better to wait and sweep the peas and rice up the next day... I hate a dirty floor but those dang peas mush and the rice sticks to the broom... the morning after everything walks itself into the dustpan.  HONEST!!

 

FYI- If you already have the Christmas Story Leg Lamp, you may want to include the Leg Table in your collection... all the things you could create with that extra time you made by getting organized..

Thanks to all who participated in our Conquering Kids Clutter Party with ShabbyNest!

How do you manage the dinnertime game at your house?

Photos:bhg, flickr... you can tell the difference right?

Conquering Kids Clutter Party!!

Oh yes, you've been waiting. Welcome to a "Pretty" Organized home.  Not an organized home.. just prioritized... read the link above for more info. Hopefully you're all sitting with a fun drink and a hunk of chocolate in hand while you tour homes for inspiration.  Thought I'd start out with my bathroom towel organization... a creative idea born out of desperation.  We have 8 in this family and I was sick of trying to figure out who's towel was on the floor!
Lucky kids got towels for Christmas.... I sewed ribbon on for easy hanging...
I also attatched their assigned birthright number... (used for count off, chores, dinnertime seating... more to come on that in my new series Hassel Free Homemaking).  Each kiddo is assigned a hook, and that's where their towel goes... now I can always tell who's towels on the floor.
I keep bedroom doors open... (so I dont' have to see the ugly stuff behind them)  3m hooks are as miraculous to me as hoverboards are to my kids and orbiting space is to my husband.  I'm easy to please.
Desperation idea 1103:  Why the heck didn't a builder anticipate a family of 8 to live in this house?  We need a place to hang kids backpacks.  I finally resorted this year to screwing double hooks into my garage door. It's solid wood, sturdy for those middleschool weight backpacks and in the right spot.  Worries over!
Can we all bow our heads in reverance for this next picture... (while I bow mine in shame)?  This was the first lamp I bought when I got married... mothers intuition that I'd have a future need to hide clutter... these little drawers have been great for bedside treasures of my kids... wish the toothfairy figured it out earlier:)  Now the lamp has a broken neck and is awaiting spinal repair surgery when Mr. Fix is is out of school (THURSDAY!!!!  WhooHOO)

Toy room closet... notice the ugly, not matching storage. Priorities remember?  

I salvaged this dresser (you can still see where the drawers are supposed to go) from my neighbors bulk trash.  Didn't even bother painting it... meant to.  Mr. Fix it cut shelves, fit them into the existing drawer runners. Whalla!
Games in our house MUST go on the top shelf.  That desperate rule has come after many a game piece strewn throughout the house... I still have a zip-lock of dice, timers, and playing pieces to show for it.
They are neatly organized in none other than Xerox paper boxes and another shelf deep box.  Now they don't all topple.  When I'm 55 and my kids are all out of the house, I'm going to cover those babies with wallpaper to make them a little more sightly.

Other side of the closet... yep, another bulk trash item.  A 12 passenger van comes in handy for dumpster diving... ya'll are choking on your chocolate right now and thinking about un-following me.  Hey, I have a degree in classical voice... see, I'm high class in a few areas!

Our first piece of furniture purchased 10 years ago... dang thing won't fall apart and break so I have to keep it. I even gave it to my boys!
This hides more toys... the kind I want hid from the baby.  It also makes a great dress-up dresser.
Desperation idea 1142:  Where do you put all those Imaginext toys?
I covered an old dresser with paper and stickers that were music related and made a great focal point for the room AND it doubles as a toy chest!
Hope ya'll are having a great time at our Conquering Kids Clutter party!  Wendy at the Shabby Nest has been such a dear friend.  Go check her out!

Don't forget to check back here at the Pretty Organized Palace.  If you're not familiar with what this blogs all about check out this post and feel free to check out my past posts.  I'm a mom of 6 who is a complete technological twit but an expert at laundry for 8:)  I'll be sharing my homemaking, managing, surviving strategies here and hope to hear about your successful homaking tips!  Feel free to stop by and introduce yourself!