Taking the next step

I don't know about you...but I LOVE Pinterest! The problem is all I do is pin...pin, then I pin, then I pin again. I see something and think, 'if I could just do that, I would be a wonderful housewife.' I often forget this is a place for ideas to implement in my life, not just think about. 

I have started to challenge myself to implement the things I dream about on Pinterest. To start trying new ideas, new things and not just dream about what to do. It seems I am not the only person who has become obsessed about Pinterest with a lack of action. When I looked around, it appeared that I was not the only person with this problem. There are websites in honor of 'Pinterest Challanges'. Even ways to share in this challenge. 

The Pinterest Challenge:
Over a year ago, this group started hosting challenges to inspire people to action. Just blog about what you did, tell them about it and, if people vote for you, you can even win prizes.

Personal challenges:
I googled 'Pinterest Challenge' and found several people who are dedicated to following through on acting on their pins. From blog posts to committing to do something from Pinterest for every day of the year. 

So I have decided to join them in this challenge! I have already implemented several things on Pinterest and am trying to look back on what I pinned in the past and impliment those items too. 

Here are a few of my favorites:
A new way to clean the shower: http://pinterest.com/pin/146789269075340514/
DIY Clothing Wrinkle Remover: http://pinterest.com/pin/146789269075038440/
Watermelon Salad: http://pinterest.com/pin/146789269075496620/

What are some of the things you have tried?

The Power of Baking Soda

I marvel at all the wonderful uses of baking soda. It is not just for baking cookies or cake! There are so many ways to use baking soda…cooking, medical uses, personal hygiene, as a cleaning agent, etc. It can even be use to extinguish small grease or electrical fires. This stuff is magic!

Until the two years ago, my knowledge of the use of baking soda was only with baking.  Since I have become a housewife, I have used it to clean, to make a medical paste to pull out splinters, and remove grease stains in clothing!

Recently, I found out a new use for it…to take the stink away. At the end of a fun  summer day, my two boys feet smelled something fierce!  Knowing that their constant time in sandals was the cause, I did a little google search and discovered the key to taking away the sandal smell lay in baking soda! Sprinkle some on overnight and just brush it off in the morning. There should be less smell on the sandals. If one round does not work, repeat each night until successful.

If you are eager to know additional ways to use this wonderful tool… check out this list of 75 wonderful uses of baking soda! Thanks to the internet, I am continuing to expand my knowledge too!

Starting up again!

Sometimes you just need a break. I know I did, so I took one. So much was going on in our lives (moving homes again, learning to be a mom to two kids, continuing to build community, husbands busy work schedule, etc.) that sometimes you just need a break to figure out what you want to do. I want to write about all that I am and have been learning as I continue to learn about being a housewife, but have not had the time or energy to put it down. My thoughts were still with this blog because I kept stopping once in a while to document ideas I wanted to write about but none made it past a one line note. I am starting to see some of the light in the clouds. Starting to get some breathing time to think about what I want to say about my life, do with my life, etc.

Here are a few things I have learned:

1. I want to do my job well but what that looks like is different then I thought… As a Mom, a homemaker, your job is not just a list of to-dos you cross off at the end of the day. So often you start a task and don’t finish it until another time. So often you have to choose - play with your kids or get the dishes done. I decided to redefine what my job looks like and work to do it well based on my new definition. The cool thing is that the definition of housewife is now so very personal. I would love to hear what you think your ‘job’ of being a homemaker looks like to you!
2. When you get a moment for rest and take them with both hands…no apologies! Since I am not making money, I keep trying to rationalize my worth by not taking breaks. It ends up not being helpful because no one can keep up at that pace. I need to remember to stop, breath, take a moment and do something just for me. But most of all, to try not to feel bad about it. I say try because lets be honest, I am not always going to succeed but I should always try. I continue am learning to be ok with taking breaks and taking care of myself too.
3. Be willing to try new things. When mastering the art of caring for others be willing to try new things. Be ok with trying out new way of doing things until you figure out what works best for your family. Experiment with new motivation tools and be ok when that new thing does not work. Then, start again and try something new.
4. Be prepared for change and accepting you cannot control life. I am a structure-based person and sometimes that means I struggle with change. I like to know when things will happen and figure out ways to prepare. The truth is, you cannot prepare for all change, you cannot control everything, and you need to learn to be flexable. My family needs, wants, and motivators are changing every day. I have been learning figure out what I need to cope with this constant change.

There is allot more I have been learning but this is a start. I hope to find more time to write but make no promises because time management is something that takes time to master, and I am only a novice.

Get to know your local thrift stores

Now that I am a housewife, I have need for different kinds of clothing. I have tons of work clothing but who wants to wear that when around the house? I was in need of additional clothing but when going from two incomes to one, going on a shopping spree the local mall does not seem like the best idea since we have gone from two incomes to one.

My recommendation is to get to know your local thrift stores. I have discovered a ton of great things at my local thrift stores. People donate things they have never used, great clothing they don’t fit in anymore, great things you could find out you need.

There is this great tool to find out what stores are near you. Go to several in the area because some stores may have different better things. For example, I found great Easter baskets at the store by my parents house, great clothing at another location and some yarn for crochet at another location. Look around and you may be surprised at what you find.

Figure out how to end/start your day

Being a housewife can be overwhelming…You think it will be easy, that you can get up and get so much done each day while meeting everyone’s needs. Usually it ends up being a day where you don’t get much done but play referee with your kids, get everyone fed and end the day with a list of to-dos undone. Learning that is ok is another blog but one thing I discovered is figuring out how to start and end your day can help.

There is this women, Fly Lady, who has beginner babysteps about how to deal with being overwhelmed at home. Day 1 is Go Shine Your Sink. Her list is full of a combination of action items and words of affirmation. As great as they looked, I did not complete the steps but I did clean my sink every day for a few days. I discovered that when I woke up to a clean kitchen, my day started better with more productivity then when I went to bed with things out.

Waking up to this mess – not so fun for me!

But waking up to this, wonderful!

The funny thing is that I do not have to put away the dishes that night, but I can leave them out to put away the next day.

This started a trend on me starting my day more. I was not spending the morning in my PJs dreaming of a shower while nothing got done. I got up, and took a shower as soon as I could, I made yummy breakfast and was ready to take on each day more. A lot still does not get done in each day but my attitude was different and that was what really mattered.

Now you do not need to do the same thing. Most of all, the lesson is to figure out what works for you. What makes your attitude better, what starts your day off right…everyone is so different so I can not tell you what works for you but cheer you on as your figure out what you need to make your day great.

The Learning Curve

The Learning Curve - Give yourself some grace

I have been learning a ton about cooking, cleaning, thrifting, child schedules, community, etc. Sometimes the learning has gone smooth and I was successful at trying something new the first time...but lets be honest, most of the time my first try is not a successful one. Learning includes many tries, being willing to try something new and make a mistake and we often don't get it right the first time. Most of the time, I am frustrated, angry, and upset at myself that I can not get this down. It seems like so many people glide with this transition or at least they act like they do. I have been discovering that being a housewife is not an easy job...it is not to be done in heels and a skirt, and is often a messy job!

As much as I am serious about learning to be good at my job, I keep having to remind myself to have some grace...please do the same if you are learning this skill too! Remember that learning takes time and many tries and be honest with each other. Knowing other women I admire have struggled with this has made my transition a much easier one. As for me, I try to count the day as a good one if I get one shower, the kids and husband were fed and loved, and I did not go crazy. So here is to many good says to come!

The Joy Of Lemons - Use your Resources

I have been learning how to use my resources - what do you do when you have too many lemons?

1. Make Lemonade: The obvious first thing you think to do with lemons. I looked online and found a recipe on www.epicurious.com. First, make simple syrup. Next, add in the lemon juice and water to your personal taste. Learning Tip: taste the raw lemon juice first to see how sweet or tart the juice is. You may want to adjust the amount of simple syrup or water based on the taste of the juice you get. We made our first batch too sweet because we did not realize the lemons we had were really sweet.

2. Preserve the juice/zest: Make frozen cubes of lemon juice so you don't need to purchase the juice at the grocery store (or lemons). We use lemon juice in so many things (cooking, baking and even cleaning). If you freeze it, you can wait until you are ready to get to that resource. Once the cubes are frozen, place them in large ziplock freezer bags with a label and date.

Also, the zest is often used in baking, but it does not keep as well when just frozen. Learning Tip: A friend gave me a wonderful suggestion to put some juice with the zest in a ice cube tray. That way you keep a little bit in a container and the juice keeps the rind from getting dried out.

3. Cleaning: Hard water stains on glass are hard to keep up with...especially in the shower. I found out from an awesome video on YouTube by ehowhome. It shows how you can take an opaque water-stained shower door and make it clear again.

Take the lemon juice, poor it on a sponge and rub into the glass. After you have let it sit for a while or rubbed it in good with the sponge, spray the area with white vinegar water. It is so much friendlier then the store purchased product that requires gloves and scared me to use.

4. Share with your neighbors: It is always nice to share what you have and so bring the lemons to those around to your neighbors. It is also nice to share the blessing to those around us.

There are more things to learn about this wonderful fruit but that is what I have been learning so far. I never knew lemons could be such a blessing.