Homesteading Sisters

Cleaning up.

I am slowly going through old posts and deleting some off my blog,  the ones that have day to day nonsense that friends enjoy hearing, but a year later... no one really cares.   So far, I started on page 18 and eliminated a half page of entries, I am now down to 17 pages, having deleted another half page or so of entries today.  My posts are now down from 372 to 339.   The number will continue to decline as I go through more of the old entries. 

I limit myself to one page a day so that I don't get bug eyed!  Afterall, I've got more to clean out than just my blog! 

Freecycled:  3 child sized sleeping bags. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Swapping Blessings

Every Day Is A Gift From God!

I also received a cross plaque with one of my fave scriptures: I am going to hang this on my wall to see and remember everyday! I am so grateful for Jesus: the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.

I would really encourage you if you are a homeschooling mama to join us on January 10th for the next Swap Sister group at HSBA . And if you are a young lady who would like to join a similar group for girls, the SSA's will be starting the next session soon too!

Oh! The Carnival of Homeschooling will be having its 3 year anniversary on Tuesday so make sure you get your submission sent it by Monday at 9pm EST! I already got mine in!
Love, Prayers and Blessings,
 
Thanks for stopping by “Daily” at the “Planet”!!
©AmandaDixon2008

Quick-Change Pad Giveaway at my store!

 I am having a giveaway for a Quick-Change cloth menstrual pad. You can sign up to win it at my store, From the Past.

http://homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/2008/12/blog-post.html

Per my last post..

Well things did go better for us, with our son.  He came to get his things.  Which is ok, he is 18 and I guess he needs to find out what the "real"  world holds for him.  We sent him off with a hug, he is staying with a friend, "we know the parents, he will be ok".  He said he was coming for visits, we will see.  I think he will once he finds out it really isn't as easy to be out in the world as they think when they are young.

  I had some people respond to my post which was nice.  I understand the lady who posted about putting her child up for adoption and he was abused and lied to.  I am sorry for that, but that isn't the case in our case.  And I know things are different with each case and there are great kids out their for adoption.  Don't get me wrong.

I feel good that we will still have a relationship with him.  I pray that God will be with him and us during this time.  It is an adjustment when a child moves out but we are adjusting.  We have such a big big house and are down to 2 of  our 7 children.  In the next few years we may decide to downsize here, but I would love to stay here forever.  All our children grew up here, my oldest was 10 though when we moved here, but the others were all little, so it would be strange to move.  And if we ever did it would be about 100 miles away, we know were we want to go. 

Well we just had french toast and bacon for breakfast, dishes are all washed, first load of laundry has been done.  Now I want to sit and write a few letters to my friends, Mary and Debbie if you are reading this!  A letter is coming.  Oh thanks Deb for the great postcard. LOVED it! 

I am going to try and post my weekly menus.  I will sit down today and do that also.. tonight is fried ham slices, rice and a veggie of some sort.  And I have fruit salad left, so that will also go with the meal. 

John is over at our daughters Stacie's doing pipe work for her washer and dryer.  So he should be there a few hours atleast.  So I can get some de-cluttering and organizing done.  Our Christmas things are still up.  We won't get to that until mid week.  John works tomorrow, I have a few errands to run and then we have a 76rs game to go to Tuesday night.   My daughter gave us tickets, and we get to go down on the bench and watch them practice.  I want to take pictures.  I will post when hopefully on Wednesday.

Well my mom and dad just stopped so I will go for now.

Have a great day on your homestead.

Lisa

Is it really 2009???!

Okay, so, who said it was okay to make it 2009???!

We had a wonderful Christmas. Filled with family, food and fun. Can't ask for much more than that!

We'll be headed back to the books soon..but first, we are going to get together with our dear friends....we missed seeing them this Christmas break due to our company. It will be nice to spend the day with them! Course, I also get to see her the next day for MNO..and again for Keepers at the end of the week. AND..this dear one has invited our children to spend the night next weekend. Can I tell you how very blessed I am to call Misty my bestest friend?! She's AWESOME!!!!

Monday marks a most special day for us...it's our 18th wedding anniversary. Ahhhh....remembering the day we became one...love that! I think we need to watch our wedding video that evening. I can't decide what to make for our supper that evening. I'm not feeling inspired yet....I did the menu for the rest of January..but left that day blank.

We're headed to town to grocery shop in the morning. I think it will work out best to get it taken care of tomorrow. Getting back to school is going to be as tough for me as it is for my children...maybe tougher! You would think with this being our 11th year of home education, that I wouldn't feel this way...but alas, in all honesty, I do! Oh..not the home education part of it..the returning to a schedule part of it. We've so enjoyed not having a schedule that it's hard to go back...

The weather has been way too warm for winter. While I appreciate the lower electric and propane bills...I must admit that I still look forward to the coldness of winter..the time of hunkering down in our home. I long for a fireplace to curl up in front of....

One of our big gifts this year....from my folks and my brother and SIL...was a Wii! It's been lots of fun for our family. I have to say that my Honey has the most realistic looking Mii that I've ever seen. I love it! It's like he's here even when he's not!  Gotta love anything that gives me more of my Honey!!!!

I'm off to do some shopping in the Old Schoolhouse Store. They have all their e-books half off..but that expires tonight...nothing like waiting till the last minute, eh?!

Furry Yarn

I made Gabriel's blanket in spite of the fact that my brand new sewing machine did not like the black furry material that I used.  I ended up sitting next to that brand new sewing machine while stitching his blanket by hand!

Oh well, Gabriel has a new blanket any way.

~Candy~

OK Ladies, this is must have!

  One of my Christmas gifts this year was a Ped Egg. It was given to me by my wonderful daughter. She put together a beautiful gift basket of different lotions, brushes, powder, soaps, and this great gadget. I waited a day or two before I had time to use it. But I finally used it and I just have to tell you all that it is fantastic.

   I have always had bad feet because I love running around bare foot and we all know that isn't very good for our little tootsies. My heels were almost always dry and cracked, and most times I was embarrased to wear sandles or backless shoes. Well not anymore. This wonderful little invention has cured all of that. I'm telling  you ladies, its fantastic.  A friend of mine has one and I watched her use it on herself and to be honest it kinda grossed my out at first, you know, dead skin and all, lol. But it really works.

  So next time your at the store and you pass by this item, and you have problem feet, pick this up. It is one of the best buys for your $10.  This not a commercial and I'm not being paid for this, LOL it's just me wanting to share a good thing with friends.

****New**** Home Management Binder

I have a brand New Home Management Binder all the way from America woo hoo. The original binder I had did not work very well at all and was driving me crazy :lol - I love my new binder which was very kindly sent to me along with some page protectors and other bits and pieces. 

My Binder - here it is - This is the front cover

 The side of my binder:

Tabbed Sections of my binder:

Next is the zipper pouch: In here I keep a pen (a gift from a friend in America), a book of stamps, post-it notes, airmail stickers, tabs, a highlighter and other bits and pieces:

Next is the inside cover , after that I keep "The Portrait of Excellence" (taken from Proverbs 31)

Next, I have "A Woman's Rules to live by - Rules for the wife at home" - which I need......

1. Overlook husband's faults, and instead focus on his better side.
2. Never nag, or try to manipulate your husband into doing things your way.
3. Trust God, and trust your husband. Pray for him daily.
4. God first, husband second, children third, house fourth, other ministries fifth.
5. Submit to yoru husband's authority, and allow errors in his judgement.
6. Allow your husband to provide for the family, and appreciate the money he brings in, and the provisions he provides for his family, no matter how little or how much.
7. Spend your husband's hard earned money wisely, and be frugal. Never sneak expenses behind his back.
8. Do not wound his masculine pride. Instead, compliment him on his manly accomplishments, and show your appreciation of him every day.
9. A modest, feminine appearance is important.  As is feminine manner, nature, softness, gentleness, and a spirit of sweet submission and dependency on the husband.
10. You have a God-given career that can bless you abundantly. That career is in the home.
11. Cook delicious healthy meals and keep the home clean.
12. Your duty is to be a "homemaker", hence, your job is to make your house a home.
13. Above all, the wife at home is to exude an attitude of happiness and joy. Rejoice in the Lord for the wonderful family He has provided for you, and never take your family for granted.

Bible Order For The Home:

1. God is the head of Christ - 1 Corinthians: 11:3
2. Christ is over man - 1 Corinthians: 11:3
3. Man is over woman - 1 Corinthians: 11:3
4. Chidren are under parents - Ephesians: 6: 1 - 3

Bible Rules For The Husband:

1. They are to love their wives - Ephesians: 5-25. As Christ loved the church - Ephesians: 5-25. As they love their body - Ephesians: 5:28 More than any other relative - Ephesians: 5:31. As themselves - Ephesians: 5:33
2. They are to be the leaders in the way - Ephesians: 6:4
3. They are to labor for wages - 1 Timothy: 5:8
4. Thyey are to be learned about their wives - 1 Peter: 3:7

Bible Order For The Wife:

1. They are to submit unto their husbands as unto the Lord - Ephesians: 5:22
2. As the church is under Christ, so are they to beunder their husbands - Ephesians: 5:23
3. They need to rverence thier husbands - Ephesians: 5:33
4. They are to be a "servant" to their household
5. They are the star in the home
6. Are to be symbols of holiness - 1 Timothy: 5:1

Next, is the Prairie Muffins Manifesto:

Next, is the "People Contact Info" -  I have a lis of important contacts including friends,  professional contacts and overseas friends.  I then have another phone list to include all numbers for banks, health/pet care, travel/car insurance and so on - so we dont have to keep hunting around for telephone numbers anymore.  This will make life so much easier :)

Schedules: is next.

Daily Routine - as above:

Morning Routine: This starts after my time with The Lord (Old Testament)

• Make bed
• Take meds and vitamins
• check calendar
• Thaw something for dinner if I need too
• Exercise
• Shower
• Fix hair and fix bathroom whilst there
• Make coffee with breakfast
• Check any emails

Early Afternoon Routine:

• Eat Lunch (which I don't always do)
• Meal Prep
• Make any phone calls I need too
• Check emails
• Get bread/rolls out of freezer to thaw
• Check calendar/planner for next day appointments - if any
• Write in journal

Late Afternoon Routine:

• Tidy up rooms, pick up & put away things, mags, papers etc
• Clear dining table
• Set dinner table
• Start dinner (except Saturdays when done in the morning)
• Light candles (if dark enough of course)
• Put on some relaxing music

Before Bed Routine:

• Kitchen clean it up, shine sink, lay out clean dischcloths as needed
• review checklist to make sure nothing is forgotten
• Think about tomorrow
• Write a "to do list" for next day in journal
• Gather any items I don't want to forget for next day & put by back door
• Prepare & pack DH's lunch box for next morning (if necessary)
• Set table for breakfast for the morning
• Decide on clothes for next day
• Cool down time & get ready for bed
• Read for fun or listne to music, watch dvd/tv with DH
• Relax in a hot bubble bath
• Brush teeth, clean & moisturise face, brush hair
• Take meds
• Reflection on the day
• Spend time in God's Word (New Testament) & pray
• Go to bed at a reasonable time! Preferably at the same time each day (unless going out)
• Fall asleep with a smile on my face & in my heart :)

Next, I have daily & monthly planner sheets from www.donnayoung.org

In the cleaning section, I have:

• Daily, monthly, quarterly & Annual Cleaning duties
• Emergency Quick Clean
• Various Home-made cleaners

Budget section is next:

I keep monthly budget sheets in this section so I can keep records of all incomings/outgoings and so on for each month............

Grocery Shopping Section is next:

In this section, I have a general Grocery list which I have adapted. I also have a weekly shopping list divided into four categories - again, both lists printed from Donna Young.

Menu Section is next:

As you can see I have monthly menu plans here - this is a little tight to fight daily meals in but there is just enough room - especially if I write small enough :lol

Recipe Section:

I have various recipies here but also I have decided to add all the recipies I will need for "that" particular month - then I don't have to go hunting through recipe books for the recipies needed.   At the end of the month, these will go back into my recipe files (project in progress) and then the recipies for the next month will go in here.

Prayer Section:

The Power of Prayer

Monday:    DH & Damaris

Tuesday:    Family

Wednesday:        Church

Thursday:  Friends/Internet Ministries

Friday:      Government etc

Saturday:  Personal Concerns

Sunday:     Going over and reading through sermon notes / extra bible study

Guidelines:

• v Read a brief inspiration message or prayer
• v Open my Bible and read a chapter or more (if time is short then read a Bible verse)
• v Turn to Prayer Planner:
• o Write down my praise, confession, my thanks, and my requests
• o Give the Lord my hurts, pain from the past, disappointments and all the questions I can think of writing. Write down convictions of what I hear from the Lord saying to me.
• v I am able to verbalize things I've held in my heart but never spoken about. The art of writing somehow seems to bring up my thoughts, feelings, and desires and to expose them to the light of God's love.
• v Writing out my confessions helps me get honest with the Lord. Somehow a confession feels more real when it's down there in black and white. But this means that God's forgiveness feels more real, too.
• v I can see concrete evidence of my spiritual life - and my spiritual growth - when I read back over past prayers.
• v My faith grows as I see God's answers more clearly - God's yeses and no's and "waits".
• v Writing down the answers I think I hear helps me discern which ones really are of God.
• v My obedience is strengthened. Once again, written promises are harder to ignore than mental ones. Once I have written down my sense of what God wants me to do, I am more likely to follow through.
• v Often when praying, the Lord will bring someone to mind who needs my love or care (that's what the note cards are for). When He brings someone to mind, try to stop right there and drop that person a line, assuring him or her of God's love and my prayers

Modesty:

In this section I have various articles relating to modesty:

My Bible Section:

In the above section, I have A bible reading plan and how to mark your bible, both of which you can find over at Keeping The Home

I have started reading and studying the Old Testament in the mornings and then the New Testament in the evenings before I go to sleep. I also plan on putting some of my bible/study notes in this section too.

Next is the Birthday Section:

This section is self-explanatory but much needed. I am not the best person at remembering birthdays especially when it comes to family & friends - so I decided to do something about this.  I have a Birthday chart in this section with headings, Month, Name, Date (of Birthday), Card/Gift (Y/N), so I can make sure that I can put a tick in these boxes.  I don' always send gifts but will certainly be making sure I send cards. 

Going away from my binder for a second. I now have a "Gift Shelf" in my office which I have started - so any gifts I see that I think a family member or friend would like then I will have something there (theoretically speaking), this needs building up :)

Crafts / Gardening Section:

Again, this section is self-explanatory and will hold notes on crafts, card making and gardening tips etc that I will need.

Hope Chest:

I am planning on putting together a Hope Chest for Damaris my daughter which will be great for her later on. I can add journals, photos plus all kinds of gifts for her later on - this will be a legacy of my love put together especially for her.  If you would like information regarding Hope Chests - then there is a good link here.

The final section for now: "Other"

In this section, I have articles on Home-Making plus I will be adding articles from favourite sites, such as Laine's Letters, Keeping The Home plus other favourite sites to do with Home-Making.

I also have an address/Telephone section at the back too. Again, this will keep everything together so that I don't have to go hunting around for my address/telephone book each time - as it will be right here in my binder :)

At the back of my binder is a journal, which I will use as my Daily Journal:

and ...... this is the back of my binder:

Well I hope you have enjoyed the peek into my binder. I still have another couple of sections that I would like to add, but I am so pleased that I have this near enough how I want it. 

I have been so blessed to receive my new binder plus the inserts, journal and other bits and pieces - my new Home Management Binder will be made good use of. 

It's home will be in a prominent place in our kitchen :)

Goodbye 2008 - Hello 2009

Wow, where has 2008 gone? Well 2008 was a memorable year as a lot happened including my wedding to my DH Andrew in June :)

2008 was a good year but it also had it's share of sadness, trials & heartaches but on the whole this was a very special year.

2009 I am praying will be a year of abundance, blessings and joy - plus a year of getting some much needed home projects done :).

I have to say that we didn't see in the New Year even though we did have a party to go to at church which apparently was good.  Though around half the people left about 11pm when a disco started up and a lot of the younger ones stayed for that and so the New Year in.  DH and I were both tired and had an early night instead and a very relaxing day yesterday which was much needed.

I do have some goals for 2009 - which are as follows:

• Spend more time with the Lord both in prayer & in His Word
• To read His Word through totally in a Year (or less, then I can start again) by following a bible reading plan
• To really study His Word in-depth, a good learning tool too!
• To do some studying & in-depth research on certain topics such as head-coverings, modesty, Jewish Festivals and so on.....
• I would love for my DH to come to know The Lord in this New Year - this would be just awesome
• For our marriage to grow from strength to strength
• For some health issues to be sorted out in this year
• Other Goals
• To start decorating our home, I have already made a start on the dining room
• The garden needs work on it big time - and this is a huge project which I am hoping to tackle as we just dont have the finances really to get someone in to do it for us
• To learn to sew - anyone reading this part who can give me advice and tips, would be so much appreciated
• To learn Hebrew & Russian - but one needs to be done at a time
• To get my weight down to where I want it to be - not through diet but through a healthy eating regime for life.....

Prayerwise: Our jobs 

•  DH's job is I would say quite secure
• Mine - I am not so sure - The amount of business within the Company I am working for has dropped but this has dropped quite a lot with many firms and there are lot of firms struggling.  There was a news headline yesterday saying that only 1 in 10 people will have jobs this year - which is scary but on the other hand, I know The Lord is in control. I also need to get my own business up and running this year too.

Well I pray that 2009 will be a year of blessings for each and every one of you.  This is going to be a year of change in many areas, some good ones and some not so good.  This is also I believe going to be a year consisting of various uncertainties and hardships especially economically - we must remain faithful and keep our eyes on The Lord full stop and more so now than ever before.

Be blessed, be encouraged - God is faithful and Good - ALL THE TIME, we must remember this

So on that note: