Spring Cleaning

It is rainy here today and I have the windows open and can hear birds singing. ~smile~ I am hoping that the rain we are expecting today and tomorrow may get rid of our snow for us or at least some of it!

Since it is very spring like here at long last I have started thinking about spring cleaning. Here is my basic spring cleaning checklist.....

Spring Cleaning Checklist
- Wash windows inside and out, wash screens.
-Vacuum, wash and iron or dry clean curtains and valances. Dust blinds.
-Room by room, dust tops of woodwork on doors, around windows and baseboards. wash as needed.
-Wash Vents.
-Clean outdoor furniture.
-Repaint house if needed. (We do need to repaint the porch and various trim around the outside as well as several rooms inside!)
-Open windows in basement to freshen and ventilate.
-Clean all trash from yard.
-Inventory winter clothes, get rid of what you no longer wear. Unpack, sort through spring and summer clothes.
-Wash and store winter blankets.
-Place all items you no longer want in box to donate or for a yard sale.(Already in progress)
-Vacuum beneath heavy furniture.
-Sweep and mop under appliances.
-Wipe down walls with a mop covered in soft flannel.
-Reorganize closets.
-Have chimney cleaned.
-Have roof and gutters checked for damage.
-Rake out gardens.
-Rake yard.( The snow came before our leaves all dropped so we have alot of raking we need to do!)
-Have lawn swept.
- Various other in house cleaning and chores like completely removing everything from a storage room downstairs and reorganizing it.

Happy Cleaning!

Blessings,
Liisa

What We Can Learn About Women From The Scriptures

I was going through some of my notes yesterday and came across this. I don't remember where I found it but I thought it was worth sharing.

Proverbs 31:10-31
- She should have noble character.
- She is valuable.
- Her husband should be able to have confidence in her.
- She should only do good to her husband.
- She should create things with yarn and fabric.
- She should look around for the best deals.
- She gets up early to look after her family.
- She is smart about business about her family.
- She should work hard.
- She works into the evening.
- She works to create things for home and sale.
- She should help the poor and those in need.
- She makes makes sure her home and family are ready for winter.
- She makes bed coverings and her own clothes - she dresses well.
- She makes things and sells them.
- She is strong and dignified and ready for the future.
- She thinks before she speaks and says good things.
- She isn't lazy and she looks after her house.
- Her children will love her and so will her husband.
- She loves God. Titus 2:3-5
- She shouldn't put people down, gossip, lie or pick on others.
- She shouldn't get drunk.
- She should teach what is good.
- She should love her husband and children.
- She should be self controlled and pure.
- She should be busy at home.
- She should be kind.
- She should listen to her husband. 2 Peter 3:1-6
- She should be submissive to her husband.
- She should live with purity and reverence.
- She should worry more about the person she is inside than the one she looks
like outside.
- She should have a gentle and quiet spirit.
- She should put her hope in God.

Elsewhere
- She should not be angry and nasty.
- She should build up her house and those in it, not tear it down with nasty
comments, name calling, arguing, being mean etc.

Blessings,
Liisa

Stay at Home Moms

I know many of you have likely seen this before but I just came across it on Salary.com and it made me smile so I thought I would share...

What mothers are really worth
Stay-at-home mothers wear many hats. They're the family CEO, the day care provider, accountant, chauffeur, counselor, chef, nurse, laundress, entertainer, personal stylist, and educator. Based on a 90-hour work week, Salary.com has estimated that a fair wage for the typical stay-at-home mom would be well over $90,000 for executing all of her daily tasks. Factor in overtime, and the appropriate salary takes a leap of around $25,000.

"Mothers are responsible for the mental and physical well being of the family - putting a price on that isn't easy," said Lena Bottos, compensation market analyst for Salary.com. "But we looked at it as what you would have to pay other people to do the same work if the mom weren't there."

Even if these mothers were getting paid what they'd be worth on the market, Bottos added that they still wouldn't be adequately compensated. "When you take into account that it represents a 90-hour workweek, and doesn't even begin to factor in that they are on call 24 hours a day, it's not so large. Plus, stay-at-home moms get no benefits in terms of pension or 401(k)."

Mom jobs

Job title Annual salary
Child Day Care Worker $20,259
Teacher $44,824
Taxi Driver $27,346
Facilities Manager $73,239
Short-order Cook $27,477
Laundry Attendant $17,917
Janitor $22,440
Counselor $27,638
CEO $545,268
Administrative Assistant III $37,143
Accounting Clerk III $34,842
Licensed Practical Nurse $38,111
Plumber I $33,155
Automotive Mechanic I $30,725
Cake Decorator $21,340

Jobs listed in order from largest to smallest component of a stay-at-home mom's job. All salaries are national averages. Source: Salary.com, 2004.

The estimate composite salary calculated by Salary.com's team of compensation experts for a stay-at-home mom is based on a 90-hour work week, consisting of six 14-hour days and one 6-hour day. Job titles, responsibilites, and qualifications were considered and weighed on a scale of importance, frequency, and average time spent on tasks per day. Hourly rates of pay corresponding to the 15 job titles in the above table were applied to the 90-hour model and multiplied by 52 weeks a year to determine an annual salary. It assumes the mother has two children of school age.

Stay at home Mom was listed as a dream job - I agree! You can find the entire article here.

Easter Weekend

It was extremely busy but a good weekend none the less. Saturday afternoon's Family Time was so much fun for the children (and adults) that were there thanks to the hard work of my wonderful friend Lisa. She thought of everything and I know she must have spent countless hours pulling it all together. *Thanks Lisa!*
When the children's portion was over we set up tables and decorated for the breakfast in the morning.

Saturday night I went to a memorial service with a friend and it was very nice, but I was a bit rushed getting out the door with so much having gone on in the afternoon.

Sunday's Easter pancake breakfast went well too. We had several new people and it was a good time of fellowship, fun and food! My friend Nancy worked so hard and there were many others who generously donated juice, fruit and syrup as well as helping in the kitchen. My sincere thanks goes out to them all! It never would have happened without each of them.

We took pancakes, sausage, syrup and muffins over to the hospital's emergency room and nurses station with a little note wishing them a Happy Easter from our church and thanking them for being willing to work on the holidays to help others. It was very well received!

Breakfast was followed by a moving Easter service in which one of our men sang a song for the congregation. It moved me to tears. He sings with such feeling. The sermon was wonderful as well and we had several visitors.

All in all a great weekend, but it is nice to have things starting to get back to a slower pace. By the end of the month things should be getting back to normal.

Blessings,
Liisa

Good Friday

He died for me, I live for Him.

Homemade Pizza

Last night for dinner I made pizzas. This was the first time I had made pizza from scratch with a yeast crust and it is just one more reason to love my bread maker!
My hubby said it was better than any pizza you can buy in town. My son loved it too. I was quite happy...I am always nervous when I try a new recipe and hope they will enjoy it. My hubby is the kind of man who will tell me if he doesn't like something so I was pleased he had such high praise for it. ~smile~

Here is the recipe I used...

Pizza Dough (Bread Maker)

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. water (80-90 degrees)
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
3 tsp. vital wheat gluten
2 1/2 tsp. yeast

Put in bread machine in order given.
Set on dough setting and start.

When it is done cut in half and stretch to fit pans. Top as desired and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until light brown. (Ours needed 30 minutes)

Makes 2 medium pizza crusts.

Pizza Sauce

14 oz. can of no salt added tomato sauce
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. Italian herb blend
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. olive oil

Blend well.


I topped our pizzas with fresh mushrooms, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, crumbled cooked sausage, sliced green olives and shredded mozzarella cheese.

It was easy to make a much less expensive than ordering pizza so this recipe is one we will be enjoying often!

Blessings,
Liisa

Priorities

I have had a few discussions today that got me thinking about priorities. I think many times we all get our priorities in the wrong order...I know I do. When that happens I need to step back and reevaluate what is going on and what I am doing.

The first conversation was with a wonderful woman who is so giving and generous with her time. She was saying that she was just running home with supplies for a group she is leading this week and that she had just gotten Sunday school planned and done since it was just her turn to teach. She was also talking about upcoming events she is heavily involved in. Everything she is involved with and doing is wonderful important work but she also said that her husband is getting upset and that her house looks like a cyclone went through it. As she hurried down the street I called after her retreating form to remember that it is o.k. to say no. She looked back chuckled and rolled her eyes like that just wasn't an option to turn down any of these jobs or future requests for her time.

The second conversation was with a lady I was talking to about my recent weekend away with my hubby. She said that it was good that we spent time alone as a couple and weren't afraid to go away without our son. She said that her son has mentioned that the children come first for his wife and that it is like that for everyone he knows in his area. So many marriages end when the children leave home and the wife is left with a man she doesn't even know anymore and they find they have nothing in common. So sad and so easy to avoid!

Our priorities should be God, husband, children, home, then outside interests, family, church activities etc.

God is first. This doesn't mean that volunteering for everything at church is first. It is wonderful to help with church activities and outreach but our most important mission field as wives is in our own home. Putting God first means taking the time to come to Him in prayer, to read His Word, to draw close to Him and live our lives fully for Him.

Husband is second. He is important and so are his needs. We are to be helpmeets to our husbands. It is hard to help him if you are never there or too busy to spend time with him. Our children are blessings from the Lord and we should love them and support them and spend time with them but our husbands are to come first. Having a strong and loving marriage is one of the best things you can do for your child. Someday our children will grow up and leave home. Will you be ready to embark on the next season of your life with the man you love, your friend? Will you still know each other and be close or are you going to discover that you have neglected your hubby to the point that you don't have anything to talk about, that he has become a virtual stranger to you?

Children are next, they need us. They need a Mom who is there for them, listens to them and loves them. Not someone who repeatedly says not right now, I'm too busy. We need to ask ourselves are outside interests taking up all our time?

Home is our fourth priority. When we get so busy with everything else our homes are often the first place it shows. You can't possibly keep up with all that needs to be done in your own home if you are never there or if you spend all the time you should devote to it doing other things. As the lady I mentioned earlier said her home looks like a cyclone went through it. That creates a stressful environment, for everyone. I know when my home is getting out of control it causes me to be stressed about it. I get grumpy but once it is all clean and things are back in order I feel relaxed like a weight is off me. I know everything just runs so much smoother and everyone is happier when my home is well looked after.

Then finally comes outside interests. When everything else is looked after you can feel free to devote time to volunteer work, church activities, hobbies and anything else you would like to do as well as your extended family. I know someone who devoted so much time to her parents and helping them, visiting them etc. that her children started to feel neglected and she just didn't have the time to keep up her own home. Things started to fall apart there. By all means a close relationship with your parents or siblings etc. is a very important part of life but it can't come at the expense of your own home life.

I am posting this as a reminder to myself as well as to encourage ladies to keep their priorities in order so they will be blessed by how much smoother and peaceful life can be when they do.

Blessings,
Liisa

My Baby

I had taken apart the entire stroller and washed all the parts that can go in the washer and wiped down what couldn't. I just got it all put back together and left the room for a moment and when I came back this is what I found..."my baby" Timothy lounging in the back seat.

He is such a sweet boy, I just had to share the pictures!

Blessings,
Liisa

Busy Month = Lack of Posts!

My goodness! I just looked at the archive list for March and it says 4 posts! 4...that's it and it is now the 17th! Things have been just absolutely crazy here this month and it doesn't look like things will be letting up until April!

I just got back from Detroit last night. We had to pick up our friends who were returning from Florida and my hubby decided Friday night that since our son was away for the weekend that we should go down on Saturday, do some more shopping and have a romantic weekend - just the two of us. He is so sweet and it was absolutely wonderful!

I have been so busy with plans, events, meetings, appointments and trips that I haven't had any time to collect my thoughts let alone get something legible down on here! It is a good kind of busy though!

This week may be the busiest yet! We have a Titus Women meeting on Thursday evening. A dear lady will be teaching us scrap booking using the pictures from the church's past events so we will get to learn a fun new skill and get the pictures all taken care of! I am looking forward to learning how to do this as well as us having lovely scrapbooks to display and share at the church.

Then it is Good Friday and we have an 11 a.m. service. Saturday is Family Time at the church from 2-4. My wonderful friend Lisa is heading that up and will have several activities including this one which will be followed up with this movie and snacks.

Saturday evening I will be at the church helping to set up and decorate for the pancake breakfast Sunday morning. We will start cooking etc. at 6 a.m. Sunday and the breakfast will go from 8:30-9:45 followed by our Easter service. Then my mother in law is cooking us kassler - a German smoked pork roast - so good- so all I will need to make is the potatoes, veggies, rolls, and dessert. We usually have an angel food cake with whipped cream and kiwi, strawberries, mandarin oranges and blueberries. I just love how light and fresh that is after the big meal. ~smile~

I also need to fit in several other things before the end of the month but it will all work out I am sure!

I hope your month is going well! I hope to be able to post more regularly soon.

Blessings,
Liisa

Wonderful Weekend

This weekend my Hubby and I had to take our friends to the airport in Detroit. We went the day before they were to leave and spent the day shopping and exploring the area with them. We went out for dinner and stayed in a very beautiful hotel. Then in the morning we went out for breakfast and they headed out and we headed for home. On the way back we stopped and did a bit more shopping. It was such a wonderful weekend!

It was the first time in a long time that my hubby and I went away, so it was nice to enjoy the time with just adults....though I did worry quite a bit about our son! I guess no matter how old he is I will always be an overprotective Mom. ~sigh~ I do try and realize that he is very nearly an adult but all I see is my wee little boy.....He is taller than me by quite a bit now and gave me whisker burn on my cheek when he kissed me good bye, but in my heart he is still the three year old little boy that needs me. ~smile~

I hope your weekend was wonderful too!

Blessings,
Liisa

A Great Post

I just came across a post by Julie Fink that I just had to share here as it is very much along the same lines as the thoughts I had yesterday.

Here is a quote....

"I want to begin by saying that there really are only two sides of life: the better side and the bitter side.

And believe it or not, it’s the choices that we make, rather than the circumstances that we endure, that will determine which side of life we will enjoy (and I say enjoy, because, as you all have seen, bitter people enjoy their bitterness, just as much as better people enjoy their betterness!)."

You can read the rest this wonderful post here.

Blessings,
Liisa

This is the Day

Psalm 118:24 (King James Version)
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

This plaque is hanging in my kitchen. It is a daily reminder to me that no matter what the day has in store for me it is all part of God's plan. How I need this reminder! I also need to be reminded to rejoice especially when everything in the day seems to be going down hill and picking up speed!

I received a devotional in my email this morning that spoke about grumbling and how it is like The Blob from the 1950's movie that rolls along sucking up everyone it comes in contact with. It was speaking about how gossip and grumbling can be like that among believers. But it got me thinking about how it is in my home and with my little monkeys. If I am impatient and grumbling it seems to spread through our whole home. The little monkeys start to whine and fight and argue, my hubby and son are unhappy. It is like The Blob just came along and sucked them all into my mood.

However if I am happy and loving and patient then my day is wonderful even with all the inevitable mishaps etc. A good mood and a positive attitude also affect those you come in contact with.

I have learned that to a large extent my mood is a choice that I make. I can choose to dwell on upsetting things or I can give them to God and trust Him. I can choose to be joyful and see the good in things or I can look for what is wrong. I can choose.

This is the day the Lord has made....I choose to rejoice and be glad in it!

Blessings,
Liisa

Home-Making

I just discovered that Dr. J. R. Miller's book Home-Making is available in full online as are many of his other works. I have been wanting to read this book since seeing it on the Ladies Against Feminism website but did not have the extra funds to purchase it so I am pleased to have found it online and look forward to reading it.

Here is a bit of the introduction to chapter 3 "The Wife's Part" ....

'It is a high honor for a woman to be chosen from among all womankind to be the wife of a good and true man.'

This really touched me. When I think that of all the women out there my husband chose me to spend the rest of his life with...it is a high honor!

If you would like to read this book online here is the link.

Blessings,
Liisa