When God has placed you in the "not so nice" part of town

Our family lives in small, humble home.

It boasts about 1400 sq. feet (including our finished basement)

It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a 1 car garage.

It is shaped like a shoebox.

And He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Luke 12:15

In comparison to many of our family and friends, we live in a very "reduced" state.

(What do they expect...we are both teachers! And I teach part time!)

Not only is our home on the humble side....so is our town.

Our town is not very desirable.

In fact, most people would love to avoid it all together.

There is crime.

There are rougher schools.

Some do not take care of their home and yard.

(For example, our neighbors asked if they could have a piece of plywood. We happily gave it to them, in which they took it and propped it up against their house with an old couch to "finish off" their "fence")

But you know what?

This is where God has placed us.

Our home really fell into our laps.

It was my grandparents and when they needed assisted living, we were getting married and it worked perfectly.

It was affordable and just what we needed.

And God knew that.

We have worked to make our little home work for us.

Like adding a family room and 2nd bathroom.

We've tried to make it a little haven for our family and guests.

A place to serve others.

 God has placed us here for a reason.

Our neighbors need the gospel.

They need to be loved.

They need to be cared for.

 

Living in a more "affluent" area does not save us from anything.

Yes, the yards and homes may be more beautiful, but the people are just as broken.

It just may not be as visible.

So friend, if you are living in a less-than-desired area, but encouraged.

God has you there for a reason.

 Whether it is a financially wise decision for your family, or a mission-field ready for harvest, where He is going to use you or your family.

Take comfort in knowing He has placed you there.
You are on a mission everywhere you go, and your neighborhood is a mission field you encounter daily.

And on the days where I find myself perusing the real estate ads and drooling over master bathrooms and kitchens that can fit more than one person, I remind myself that I am exactly where I am meant to be for this season.

Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," Hebrews 13:5

It's not to say we won't move.

God can use us wherever He needs.

But don't let jealousy and discontentment steal the joy and purpose of being exactly where you are in the here and now.

"Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all people." 1 Chronicles 16:24

natural homemade disinfectant

'Tis the Season.

Not just the Holiday Season, but Cold & Flu Season.

Blech.

Ever since Thanksgiving, everything has been going around in our little corner of the world.

The flu, stomach flu, strep throat, upper respiratory viruses, etc.

So this year, instead of running off to the store to by some Lysol and spraying down every surface in our home, I decided to research some natural alternatives.

I perused the internet and saw all sorts of recipes, so I kind of combined some using items I own. 

This is a pretty basic recipe and you can obviously play around and find what works for you and with smells you like.

For your reading pleasure, you can read about the dangers of commercial spray disinfectant sprays here.

And you can read about the many benefits of vinegar, tea tree oil and citrus oils.

I picked up some spray bottles and labels at Target (love that dollar spot!)

And here is the recipe!

The tea tree oil and sweet orange oil smells so nice together!

And if you happen to eat any citrus, I always just peel it and put some of the peels into my disinfectant and all purpose cleaner bottles.

Adds a great fresh citrus scent!

 I've used this recipe for a few weeks now, spraying it on all the germy surfaces

(door knows, light switches, tables, counter tops, toys, etc.) and the benefit is it makes my house smell great too! Plus is so cheap to make!

I've been diving into the world of essential oils and all-natural body & home care products. I will share more recipes and tips as I find and use them!

Do you have a favorite essential oil or all natural recipe? Please comment and share!

Summer Fun Weekly Activities Calendar + {free printable}

 I blogged a couple of weeks ago about our Summer Fun calendar.

You can read more about that here.

I also included some great ideas for toddlers and young kiddos!

Basically, each day of the week we will have a themed activity in the mornings.

I thought to help keep things organized, to make a printable weekly calendar.

I'm going to print it, put it in a plastic sleeve and put on the fridge.

Then each week, I can write our activities with a dry erase marker.

This is perfect if you have reading kiddos so they can see all the fun in store for them for the week!

So go ahead, right +click that image and print it off for yourself!

{2.5 days til Summer Break!}

Creating A Summer Routine

Summer vacation is officially 7 days away.

{But who is counting...right?!}

As I've mentioned previously, both Mr. Free and I are teachers.

That means 11 weeks of family time.

I.cant.wait.

Before the Little One came along, summers were pretty aimless.

Sleep in.

Go shop.

Grab a Starbucks.

Take a nap.

Maybe a chore or two.

Now that Mr. Levi is around, and I see just how precious each moment is with him.

No more mindless shopping.

No more random Target trips.

Why?

Because a routine is best for my child, and myself.

Being at home will help me with contentment in not wanting more.

Being at home will help me be a blessing to my family.

Because it will help me live at a slower pace.

I decided to take our normal schedule and tweak it for the summer.

Now...I've rephrased it.

It is our "routine" as opposed to a "schedule".

Summer is meant to be laid back.

Summer needs flexibility.

Summer is fun.

So, instead of a certain time each day an item needs to be done...it is just a general routine.

Here is how ours is currently looking.

My goal is to make memories.

To be intentional.

To enjoy each moment.

To be flexible.

To relax.

Mamas, if you are going to be home this summer with your littles...I encourage you to put some thought into creating your own routine!

Think about the non-negiotables each day (meals, naps, bedtime) and then plan some fun interactive and independent play time in there! May as well sneak in a little learning too!

Make sure to leave some room for yourself. Wake up early before the kids and start your day off with your Bible and some quiet.

During naptime, take a nap yourself! Read a book! Savor those moments!

Plan fun outings that you and the kids will always remember. There are fabulous day trips that can cost next to nothing!

For some of you, summer doesn't look a whole lot different than any other season.

Work is still the same, kids routines are still the same.

But why not add a little summer fun?

Maybe stay up a little later than normal and catch fireflies in the backyard.

Treat the kids to ice cream from the ice cream truck after daycare.

Build a fort in front of the TV and watch a movie.

There is something magical about summer time.

I can't wait.

P.S. I have a great idea for budgeting activities for your family for the summer. Stay tuned!

learning to let go

I'm going to give you a little peek into how my mind works.

Proceed with caution.

I'm not a naturally organized person.

I don't enjoy cleaning.

{I do enjoy the affects of such efforts though!}

I have many-a-times beat myself up for not being Perfect Mrs. Susie Homemaker.

I try, I really do. 

But it's not natural for me.

I have my chore chart and try my darndest to stick to it.

But sometimes, this situation comes up.

Levi is playing in the playroom, and I know I need to sweep and mop all the floors.

I have a choice to make.

Do my chore...or play with my son.

Sometimes I choose one, sometimes I choose the other.

Both bring guilt.

I beat myself up if I don't check off everything on my to-do list for the day.

I put myself down for being such a poor homemaker and wife.

If I have completed each and every task, I have crazy Mama guilt.

Those were precious moments I could've spent snuggling my son, chasing him, etc.

Both mindsets aren't healthy.

I'm learning to simplify and let go.

I take my role as homemaker, mother and wife seriously.

Keeping my home as a safe, healthy, comfortable haven is important.

But at what expense?

I have to change my mindset.

It is OK.

It is OK to skip mopping today to chase Levi around the dining room table.

It is OK to show Levi how to load the dishwasher.

It is OK to let Levi stay up a few extra minutes to finish watching his beloved Elmo.

It is OK to fold that laundry tomorrow when Levi wants Mama to push him in his car.

It is OK to have Levi help him "dust" the furniture.

So I'm ridding myself of the guilt.

I am going to enjoy each and every precious moment with my son, husband, family and friends.

At the end of my life, on my deathbed, will I really regret not scrubbing the bathroom floor in 2014.

No.

I'm simply letting go of the non-essential things.

 So, if you come to my house and my kitchen looks like this

and my family room looks like this

I'm going to welcome you into our well loved home,

offer you a cold drink

and not apologize for how things look.

**********************************

Anyone else ever struggle with this balance?

Whether it is work and family, chores and family?

How have you found a balance?

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A Journey Toward A Simpler Home

I'm embarking on a journey to simplify my home, and in turn my family.

I plan to document the little (and big!) changes I and my family make as we turn away from the busyness and want of the world and strive for simplicity and contentment.

I am a busy mom, like many of you.

I keep the house (with help from my sweet husband!), raise my son, work outside the home, have church responsibilities and run my own small cottage business.

I also love to shop.

I love stuff.

All of those items leads to a life of chaos. And jealousy.

So, I am taking a step back.

I am learning to be grateful for the many, many blessings I have.

I am learning to say 'no' in order to have more time serving my family.

I am learning to love and enjoy keeping my home.

I see each chore as a blessing for my family. That little attitude shift alone has made a tremendous difference.

And I'm seeing that the more "stuff" I have, only creates more work to clean and maintain.

Simplifying is a breath of fresh air in an ultra-busy society.

As I look ahead to what is on the horizon as I start this process, I know it will include:

Purging

Planning

Studying

Organizing

Beautifying

Enjoying

I hope you'll follow me and perhaps join along as I journey toward a simpler home.

Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,"

Hebrew 13:5

A Simpler Home: Weekly Outfit Planning

I have been striving to make my home a happier, simpler place.

Over the next few weeks I will share some little tricks and tips that are working for our household.

I started planning Levi's outfits each week a few weeks ago and it has REALLY helped our mornings be even simpler.

Here's how I do it:

You know those 2 piece "outfit" hangers you get at the store?

And you have no idea what to do with them afterwards?

I took seven of those and labeled them for each day of the week.

I simply wrapped some Washi tape around the hook (told you I am addicted!) and then used my label maker to make a label for each day.

Then each Sunday I look at the 7 day forecast and plan out his outfits for the week!

 

Then I hang them up at the front of his closet so it is all ready to go!

My little tip for an even simpler morning!

The Importance of Personal Growth

As a teacher, professional development is very important.

I have binders and binders filled with strategies to teach better, ideas for managing behavior, charts to monitor progress, etc. etc.

All these resources help refine me as a teacher and improve not only my teaching but my students' learning.

A few weeks ago I shared my personal mission statement.

As I went through my life priorities, teaching wasn't at the top.

I love it, but my faith, family and friendships come first.

And it got me thinking.

I have so many resources and notes on being a better teacher, I should have the same for being a better Follower of Christ. To be a better wife. To be a better mother.

So, I began a personal growth binder.

And it has become a vital tool for my own personal growth.

These 2 binders are my lifesavers.

They sit on a shelf in my family room for easy access.

I brainstormed areas that I'd like more resources in with my role as a Christian, wife and mother.

Here are the different categories I came up with for myself:

Study (Bible)

Prayer

Plan

Health

Marriage

Motherhood

Home 
Finances

Whenever I find a particular resource I would want to access again and again, I print it off and add it to my binder.

I've already gotten quite a few items.

A great thing to google is 'free ebook' about a particular topic.

At the front of my binder is my Mission Statement.

Another daily reminder I need for my life's purpose each day.

So why is personal growth important?

1. It has eternal consequences

My personal growth affects His kingdom.

My growing and understanding of His word affects my relationship with Him.

2. It effects others

My personal growth as a believer, wife and mother have a great impact on my husband, son, family and friends.

As I work to be a better wife, a more patient mom and a better household manager, the people I love the most will greatly benefit.

I have a daily planning sheet to monitor my progress with my bible studies, exercise and other daily to-do's.

Just how I push myself to be better in the workforce, I push myself to be a better me.

DIY floor cleaner

Today was "floors" day on the ol chore chart, and I decided to experiment with my own floor cleaner.

Our entire upper floor is hardwood and tile.

I was VERY impressed with how my little concoction worked!

It helped the floors feel and look so clean!

Here's my recipe:

Then just spray the floor and mop!

I use a steam mop and the two together did great!

If you don't have tea tree oil on hand, you can omit. 

We have it from using it with our cloth diapers.

It is a great natural disinfectant.

The cleaner will work great even if you don't add the tea tree oil.

I used an old Method bottle I had, and wrapped some cute scrapbook paper and made a custom label.

Voila! Cute, cheap homemade cleaner!

Do you have any homemade cleaning recipes to share?

Salad Dressing Wood Refresher

Over the next few weeks, I plan to share some Spring Cleaning tips.

{My house oh-so desperately needs it!}

I found this awesome tip from Pinterest (surprise!) and the original source is from here.

It is amazing!

2 ingredients you have in your kitchen cabinets can refresh the wood in your home!

Here's all you need:

then....

Then, mix a rag into the mixture and rub onto your wood!

Let me show you the base of our living room coffee table.

After 5 years of basset hounds and a year of Levi, the wood was all scratched up.

After one coat of the "salad dressing", it looks nearly like new!

All the small scratches are gone and the wood looks conditioned and new!

I was so excited with the results, I went around and "refreshed" all the wood in our home!

Such great results for only pennies!

{Any spring cleaning tips you have to share?}