Successful Homemaking

This Week's Goals

2009-02-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

We bought our new washing machine and it was delivered last Wednesday. I love having a top loader again! The clothes wash quickly, I don't have to worry about cleaning the inside of the machine, and I don't have to worry that the machine will shut down in the middle of a load. I'm back on track with laundry again, and looking forward to staying that way.

Last week, instead of going to the library to work on my websites, I dropped the kids at my mom's house and came home to tackle my husband's office. I filled at least 5 trash bags with junk and old papers, and took 4-5 boxes to Goodwill. Over the past few days, I've been putting CD's in storage boxes to reduce the amount of space they take up, and sorting through some of our keepsake boxes to get rid of items we don't really need to keep.

I still have a few boxes of photos to sort through, along with my husband's notebooks, keepsakes and files. My goal this week is to continue working on the office and staying on top of the laundry.

I'm also going to start jogging this week. I jogged for 20 minutes yesterday, and it was hard work, but it was fun. Here's hoping my extra weight just falls right off!

This Week's Menu

2009-02-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Monday - Mexican Lasagna
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Spinach Quiche, French Bread
Thursday - Meatball Sub
Friday - Hot Dogs and Tater Tots (Mom and Dad eat out)
Saturday - Pizza

This Week's Goals

2009-02-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

I've still been playing around with my schedule and I've dramatically reduced the amount of time I spent working. Much of the reduction has been through eliminating time wasters, but a large part of it has also been shifting my focus from work to home, and realizing that if it's in God's plan for me to succeed in business, He will work it out.

Last week, a friend came over to help me organize our playroom/schoolroom. It had been organized at one point, but as our family grew, so did the clutter. It is a relief to have an organized space in which I can actually work and think! The only other room in the home that needs heavy duty attention is the office, so that's my next project after cleaning the laundry room.

Speaking of laundry... Our machine is on the outz again! Our well-used warranty has expired and we are buying a new machine. I can't wait to get this hunk of junk out of our home! When we get our new machine in, I'll continue working on a method to keep our laundry clean and put away.

I read this interesting blog post by author Tim Ferriss about the secret to changing behavior. I'll be incorporating some of these principles as I work toward my goals.

This Week's Menu

2009-02-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Monday - Nachos
Tuesday - Dinner at Grandma's
Wednesday - Stuffed Pasta Shells
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Burgers and Fries (Dad taking Jasmine out to Dinner)
Saturday - Pizza (Taking Andrew out w/Friends)
Sunday - Chicken Burritos

This Week's Goals

2009-01-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

Last year, I rarely spent time reading books that weren't related to research for my homeschooling website, and that's something I wanted to change this year. Right now I'm reading a book called, The 4-Hour Workweek and it is totally changing my thoughts about productivity and time management.

Instead of encouraging multi-tasking and efficiency, The 4-Hour Workweek teaches you to be more productive so you spend less time working and more time doing things you enjoy. The author devotes several chapters to teaching techniques that will eliminate time wasters like e-mail and meetings. He also speaks extensively about delegating, outsourcing and automating tasks.

One thing I've decided to do is shorten my workday to 2 hours so I have more time to spend accomplishing non work-related goals like spending time with my daughter and managing laundry. I'm going to play around with my schedule a bit this week.

Another goal for this week is to get back on track with my diet and workout schedule. I overate and skipped my workouts Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and I'm really feeling the effects of it.

This week, my goal is to continue working out on my treadmill one hour per day and stick to my healthy eating plan.

This Week's Menu

2009-01-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

Monday - Chicken Quesadillas and Chips
Tuesday - Dinner at Grandma's
Wednesday - Beans and Rice
Thursday - Mexican Casserole
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Pizza (Andrew and Isaiah's birthday party)
Sunday - Roast

My Secret Weight Loss Weapons, Part 2

2009-01-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

I don't mind working out, but I really, really hate dieting. I don't like denying myself my favorite foods and I don't like feeling hungry when I go to bed at night. Here are some strategies I use to trick myself into eating fewer calories without feeling deprived.

1. Divide meals in half. - I've already shared that I sometimes rely on frozen dinners for lunch, but for dinner I eat the same meal I prepare for my family. The difference is, I only eat half of what I would have normally eaten. If we're having Mexican casserole, I eat a small portion of casserole and 1 serving of tortilla chips (I actually count them). I sometimes serve myself on a salad plate so my plate looks really full. My stomach is already adjusting to the smaller portions and I feel full more quickly.

2. Eat dessert. - Sometime after I had my second child, I developed a sweet tooth. I still eat dessert, but now I have 1 cookie instead of 5. I remind myself that we're not in the midst of a famine. I can always have another cookie tomorrow, so there's no reason to hoard.

Here's My Secret Weight Loss Weapons, Part 1. I'll share more tips next week...

This Week's Goals

2009-01-19T04:14:00.000-08:00

Last week, I mentioned wanting to keep my daughter closer so I could give her more attention and supervision. I'm going to continue working on that this week.

When I notice my children arguing excessively, displaying negative attitudes and (for my toddler, especially) getting into mischief, I often find that instead of parenting proactively, I've been doing my own thing until I'm forced to put out fires.

For me, the easiest way to get back on track is by tomato staking, and that's one of my goals this week. When I keep my daughter close to me throughout the day, involve her in what I'm doing, talk to her about things I feel are important and listen to her thoughts, our days run much more smoothly.

For me, tomato staking is not about boot camps and excessive punishment, but about making my children the primary focus of my day. My children deserve a spot at the top of my to do list.

This Week's Menu

2009-01-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

Monday - Frito Pie
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Dinner at Grandma's
Thursday - Tortilla Soup
Friday - Grilled Steak and Veggies
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Out

My Secret Weight Loss Weapons!

2009-01-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

My weight is still going down at a steady pace, so I wanted to share my top 3 weight loss weapons. In addition to walking an hour per day, I've received a boost from the following:

1. Water - Replacing soda, sweet tea and juice with water is one of the top ways I've cut my calorie intake. As the experts say, "Don't drink your calories!"

2. Breakfast - Instead of skipping breakfast or eating bacon and eggs with the kids, I eat a Vitamuffin and drink a small glass of calcium fortified orange juice every morning for breakfast. The best thing about viatmuffins is - they're chocolate!

3. Frozen Dinners - To avoid getting hungry and overeating, I eat lunch with my children. I am less tempted to eat something unhealthy when I have a frozen dinner on hand. My favorites are Kashi and Lean Cuisine.

I'll share 2 more secrets next week...

Tiny House

2009-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Do you hate vacuuming and cleaning? Do you want to help the environment? Consider moving into a Tiny House.

I can just picture my children barreling through such a delicate space. All four walls would fall down, lol!

This Week's Menu

2009-01-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

Monday - Manicotti, Salad, French Bread
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Tacos, Black Beans
Thursday - Pork Chops, Rice, Veggies
Friday - Sausage and Peppers, French Fries
Saturday - Out
Sunday - Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad, French Bread

This Week's Goals

2009-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

This week I'm going to continue working on my laundry routine. I am washing, folding and putting away several loads a day, but the we are still running out of clothes at times, so I'm going to try washing certain items on certain days and see if that helps.

Monday: towels, Drew's clothes
Tuesday: whites
Wednesday: children's clothes
Thursday: darks
Friday: towels, Drew's clothes
Saturday: sheets
Sunday: off

I've been reading to the children at bedtime every night and it's so much fun. I didn't realize how much I missed that part of our evening routine. As soon as I get my 2 year old in his PJ's, he grabs a book and hops on his sister's bed to get ready for his story. He's the only child who's never had a full bedtime routine, so it's neat to see how quickly he's catching on.

This week I'm going to keep reading to the kids every night and also keep my daughter closer to me during the day - letting her help me with chores and cooking. She needs a bit more one on one time as well as some extra supervision.

I also have good news to share - I lost 5 pounds last week! I'm going to keep drinking water, cutting back on portion sizes and walking for 1 hour per day. Only 39 pounds to go...

Cooking with Leftovers

2009-01-08T09:22:00.001-08:00

Like the rest of America, my husband and I are being budget conscious and we've decided to eat more meals at home. Over the holidays I went to Sam's and stocked our pantry and refrigerator with the items we eat most often, and stocked our freezer with a few pre-made casseroles that we can rely on in a pinch.

One thing I'm learning to do is reuse leftovers. There is just no reason to toss good food.

This week, my children have eaten leftovers twice for lunch, and tonight, I'm making Chicken Caesar Salad using leftover chicken from our dinner last night.

I'm adding romaine lettuce, pre-made Caesar dressing and shredded Parmesan cheese, and I even learned how to make croutons. Who needs to eat out? I can't wait until dinnertime!

So Far, So Good

2009-01-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

I didn't execute my goals perfectly over the holidays, but I did catch up on laundry and I did exercise a few days a week. This week I'm going to continue focusing on the habits of doing a load or two of laundry every day and walking for one hour per day.

I don't normally watch Oprah, but her show yesterday was really good. She talked about her thyroid diagnosis and how she used it as an excuse to eat what she wanted to eat and gain weight. She also said that in all of her busyness last year, she forgot to add herself to her to do list.

I am not a big advocate of "me time" as for me, it quickly becomes an all consuming, selfish pursuit. However, I am finding that I do need to make time to care for my physical health through healthy eating and exercise and my mental health by reading my Bible and giving myself some down time.

Yesterday, I told my children they'd have to occupy themselves while I walked on the treadmill. You know what? It didn't hurt them. It also didn't hurt them to play in the next room a bit while I watched that episode of Oprah. My entire day is centered around caring for and interacting with my children, and I think they have become a bit all consumed and selfish in their pursuit of "mommy time".

The key word in Oprah's show yesterday is balance. I think that's what I'm trying to find this year. I want to balance my roles as wife, mother, homemaker, home educator, work at home mom and individual. My roles as wife and mother will always come first, but it's okay to give the other roles some space on my agenda, too.

Redefining Superwoman

2008-12-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

Although love Alicia Key's song, Superwoman, I have to admit that my inner Superwoman often hurts me more than she helps me.

She encourages me to add just one more thing to the list. Instead of letting me celebrate small accomplishments, she spurs me on to bigger and better goals. And when I try to move at a manageable pace, she says "hurry up, don't take so long."

Superwoman forgets that slow and steady wins the race. She's so busy worrying about her ever expanding "to do" list that she neglects reading her Bible. She doesn't remember that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. She doesn't have time to think on these things.

Superwoman has really been whispering to me this week. She's been asking me why I don't jog instead of just walking for an hour. She's been wondering why I gained so much weight, and she's been asking just how long it's going to take me to lose it. And she's really, really wanted me to put off folding laundry and reading to the kids so I could tackle more important items on my to do list.

She thankfully didn't win this week. Knowing me, I'm sure she will win at some point, and then I'll have to hush her up quickly and not let her stand around and gloat about how I've failed again.

However, in the meantime I am working to reprogram Superwoman. I really like Alicia Key's script:

"Even when I'm a mess, I still put on my vest, with an S on my chest. Oh yes, I'm a Superwoman."

But instead of the vest with an S, I'll put on the full armor of God. And I'll work with Superwoman to do one load of laundry every day, walk for one hour a day, read to my children daily, and take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-16T06:39:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, every year you make a long list of things you'll do perfectly in the new year. You'll keep your house spotless, lovingly care for your husband, be more patient with your children, make organic meals, run a marathon and lose 10... 20... 30... 40 pounds. For me, the number seems to grow every year.

I usually manage to keep my resolutions for maybe a day or two. I fall off the wagon little by little, and by the year's end, I'm left with nothing but guilt, and more resolutions.

This year, I've decided to accept the fact that I will never be a perfectly organized, size 6, loving, patient wife and mom. However, I can be more organized, more healthy, more loving and more patient. And I can work on building habits that will lead me toward those goals.

So this year, I'm making one resolution - to build healthy habits in my home, family and personal life. And I'm starting two weeks early!

This week, my new habits are to walk for one hour per day, read to my children daily and wash, fold and put away one load of laundry every day.

I'm started this blog as a companion to a website I am building to share what I'm learning with others. I hope you'll join me on this journey to make my house a home!