Home

Welcome home to me.

I just returned last night from a 10-day trip to Hawaii. It was fantastic - relaxing, refreshing and so beautiful.

But as much as I enjoyed the escape from reality, and sights soothing to my soul, I could not wait to get home.

The amazing thing is that 2235 Stinson has only been my home for two months. Two crazy, busy remodeling months.

In fact, here is what my extra bedroom looks like:















Still lots of boxes to unpack and things to organize. Still painting to do, walls to fix and projects to complete.

But it's home.

My home.

And already, after just 60 days, I love it.

Isn't home good?

Home Improvement...Start Organizing

My favorite organizing books:

Simplify your life by Marcia Ramsland
Simplify your time by Marcia Ramsland
Organizing your home and Family by Sandra Felton
Organizing Plain and Simple by Donna Smallin
Two other authors whose books I have read are Emilie Barnes and Kathy Peel


I know that usually on Fridays Barb or Stacy give a directive of some sort. I guess my hope for you this week is that I have inspired you in some small way to see the benefit of being organized.

I have only scratched the surface so I hope you will take some time to check one of these books out of the library and start putting some of these ideas into practice so that you can become the effective, organized homemaker God had designed you to be. Thank you so much for sharing these few days with me. Betsy

Practical Organizing by Betsy

Today I would like to share some practical organizing tips/systems for everyday activities.

1. My grocery list. I have made a master list of basic sections of my grocery store and mass-produced them. I have attached them to a large sheet magnet and have it hanging on the side of our refrigerator. When an item is getting low or someone in the family uses something up, we add it to the list in the appropriate section That way we always know when we need something and everyone is involved in the process.
It also makes grocery shopping easier since everything is listed by the general layout of the store.

2. Meal planning. Above my grocery list is a blank calendar that is also attached to a large magnetic sheet. I write down our basic schedules on this to show which nights we are planning on being at home. I then write in pencil the meals I plan to make within the next week or two. This allows my family to know what I am planning and it is a central location to plan my grocery list as well.

3. Leftovers. After dinner I place individual meals into small glass containers to place in the freezer. This way my husband can just grab a complete meal from the freezer to take for lunch. He doesn’t have to try to put the meal together by going to each pan that the meal originated from.

4. Place a load of laundry in the washer right away in the morning, even before breakfast if possible. Then by the time you have eaten, showered and are ready for the day you can place that load in the dryer. You will have one load of clothes done before your day starts. I also try to fold laundry and iron clothes while making phone calls. They are both easy tasks to do while on the phone.

I apologize that my tips today revolved around the kitchen organization more than anything else. Four days is really not enough time to share all that I could share. Tomorrow I hope you will join me for my list of favorite organizing books/authors. I hope to pass along information where you can get into organizing on a deeper level than I have been able to do in these few days.--Betsy

Organizing...My Favorites!

Today I would like to share a few of my favorite overall tips on how I stay organized on a daily basis. I think the most important tip I can pass along to you is maintenance.

Being organized is not a destination to reach but a process to maintain. Being organized is a daily decision that requires discipline. That sounds a bit more harsh than I would like it to be, but I mean for this to be encouraging. All it really takes is a little bit each day to keep the organizing going and the good thing is there is no one way to do things. I think that is why I am constantly reading new organizing books and asking others how they do things. I have changed a lot of my systems throughout the years as well as realized that a few of them are pretty tried and true and seem to work the best for me. I hope that today you can maybe try one of these tips and it will encourage you to find your own system to begin maintaining an organized home.

1. If it takes less then 30 seconds to do something, do it now not later. You would be surprised at how many things take 30 seconds or less to do. Our mind plays tricks on us. Try it. The next time you are passing through a room and set something down instead of putting it away, stop, put it away and see how long it took you. It is amazing how quickly your house is cleaned up just by taking 30 seconds to put something back where it belongs. When we leave things undone it clutters our minds as well as our home.

2. Leave a room better than when you entered it. This is coupled with take a look around the room before you leave to make sure that things are put away or picked up. Again, organizing is not hard; it is just about making small choices all day long that add up to a clean and organized home. If your home currently has quite a bit of clutter, start the 2-minute clean-up before you leave the room. Start small and keep at it, it will come.

3. Make your bed every morning! This is a hard one for those who are not naturally organized, but there is something psychological about walking into a room and seeing the bed made. It gives the appearance of a room being cleaner than it actually is. And most beds just require you to pull up the comforter and throw on the pillows-there is that 30 seconds or less tip again. Try it!

4. Clean your dishes as you are cooking. As you get finished with one dish, rinse and put in the dishwasher right away. Then at the end of the meal you only have the dinner dishes to add and you do not have a pile of dishes staring you in the face. Try to empty the dishwasher before bed each night so you can wake up to an empty dishwasher where you can load the breakfast dishes quickly in the morning.

5. Find a home for everything or get rid of it. You should have a place for your keys, your mail, your child’s school work. . .if everything has a home you will know where to find it. If you do not have a home for it then you probably don’t need it.

Again I feel like I am only scratching the surface, but these few tips are ones that I have been able to stick with through the years and help me maintain an organized home.

Please join me tomorrow when I will share a few practical ways I stay organized. i.e. grocery lists, calendars. . .Posting by Betsy!

Organization 101!

It is my pleasure to be sharing with you a passion of mine, organizing. I will admit that I am blessed with good genes, if there is such a thing, when it comes to being organized. My grandmother loved to clean and organize a closet just for the fun of it as well as my mother, so I will admit I do have a little bit of an advantage in this area, but I also am a firm believer in that anyone can learn how to be organized.

I think being an organized person is often viewed as not a very good thing. We get labeled inflexible, rigid, stuffy, dare I say anal. I guess I would like to put those lies to rest once and for all. I think being organized overwhelms unorganized people at times.
I hope to share with you in the next few days how being organized can actually help you be an effective homemaker without being as overwhelming as you may think.

I would like to start with the benefits of taking the time/making the choice to be organized. Let’s call it what it is, a choice. Just like everything else in our life, exercise, eating right. . . it’s a choice. I think if we look at it in those terms it becomes something that we are able to accomplish, we just may need a few ideas to get us going in the right direction (more to come on that in the next few days).

I think the main benefit is it allows me to maintain the harmony in my home. I know you have probably heard that the woman is the thermostat in the home and taking the time to be organized helps me maintain a comfortable environment for my family. I am able to help them find what they need, be prepared for their day(s), and have our home be a place of rest for them to come home to.

Another benefit of being organized is that I can pass that down to my children. As I stated before I believe being organized can be taught and what better time to do that than when they are young and want to learn from you! I believe I learned my love for organizing from my mom when I was young. My mother loved taking care of her home and I “caught” that love from her. I want my children to learn that being organized is a fun thing that just makes life better. If they take the time to put their toys away after they play with them they are learning to value what they have as well and the knowledge that the next time they want to play with it, it will be where they put it (with all the pieces in the same place as well).

I feel we are living in such a fast paced world that being organized is almost essential to our well-being. It is so easy to get overwhelmed when we can’t find something or when we come home after a long day to find the house is a mess. I believe it drains us of energy - energy that we need to get through each day with the joy and excitement that God wants us to show others. We are then not only overwhelmed with life, we are overwhelmed that we are living in such clutter. That does not lead us to be very effective homemakers.

Please join me tomorrow when I will share a few of my favorite tips on how I stay organized on a daily basis. --BETSY

Meet Betsy... Our Guest Blogger!

The next 3 days you will have the pleasure of hearing from Betsy! She is a friend to many and an inspiration to all. Her home is her castle and there hasn't been a time when I have visited her that all my senses aren't working overtime to take in all her creativity and efficiency.

She isn't afraid to take on a task with vigor and enthusiasm. After she and her husband bought their home, she painted the entire inside of her home, including the trim...all by herself. She cooks up fun delights for her 2 young daughters and makes an effort each day to celebrate something.

Betsy lives very intentionally and what she has accomplished as a homemaker and a young mom shows that it pays off. As a former kindergarten teacher, she knows the value of 'systems' and 'follow-thru'.

Today is the first day of fall. Did your mom tackle fall cleaning at your home? Do you have a plan for organizing your kids' toys, closets and back-to-school items? Do you have a fall/winter cookbook you reach for when the weather turns cool? Betsy will get you excited to turn your mind towards your home and think about new ways of serving your family...with a smile. Come back tomorrow and enjoy!

Home Improvement...911

All of us will experience tough times in our lives. Are you ready when your world is rocked or you need to comfort a friend?

Whether I am searching for something to share with a friend who is grieving or I am needing to speak to my own soul, I need to be prepared.

This weekend, give some thought to how ready you are to walk along side a friend who is hurting.

1. Find Bible verses that bring comfort to you and mark them in your Bible so you can refer to them when needed. Ps 91:1 (911!) is a favorite of mine and how appropriate it was for me to call upon that verse this week: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I will trust.'"

2. Buy a few select books that you can share with others and re-read in times of sorrow. These are a few books I referred to this week:
Holding on to Hope by Nancy Guthrie
A Grace Disguised by Gerald Sittser
A Grief Observed by C.S.Lewis
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

3. Gather favorite quotes that bring healing to yourself and others that you can email or send in a card when your own words fail you.

4. Have a few meaningful cards on hand so you are without excuse when the time comes to send one off to a dear friend.

5. Find a recipe or two that is easy to make and take to a friend. If you know what you can make before you offer, you will be more generous in reaching out to others in their time of need.

Please share your ideas, books, recipes or quotes that you gather for this Home Improvement weekend. It is during the times of calm that we need to prepare ourselves for the storms that come our way.

A bucket full of sadness

Some people hide their pain. When they've experienced a loss they shut down, hold the hurt inside and try to make it through the day believing in time it will hurt less.

Some people are very private and only share their pain with a select few people with whom they deeply trust.

I, on the other hand, am not necessarily a private person. And when I experience pain and heartache, I need to tell others. I need their prayers. I do not want to walk the road of loss alone.

Here is the quote I tried to reference Tuesday about tears. It explains what is on my heart about others grieving alongside us. This is the quote word-for-word from the author:

So many people are afraid to bring it up. They don’t want to upset me. But my tears are the only way I have to release the deep sorrow I feel. I tell people: “Don’t worry about crying in front of me or be afraid that you will make me cry! Your tears tell me you care, and my tears tell you what you’ve touched me in a place that is meaningful to me- and I will never forget your willingness to share my grief.”

In fact, it is those who shed their tears with me that show me we are not alone. It often feels like we are carrying this enormous load of sorrow, and when others shed their tears with me, it is like they are taking a bucket full of sadness and carrying it for me. It is, perhaps, the most meaningful thing anyone can do for me.

Loss is a part of life and as women we have no choice but to learn how to deal with it. If you feel awkward about another's loss, my advice is simple: get over it. It's not about you anyway.

Here's one last quote that's a gentle reminder about our role in times such as these: "It's not so much what you say to someone grieving, but who you are for that person in his or her crisis."

Do you know who you are when crisis hits? Don't wait another day to find out.

Tough Times Require Good Friends

When I had undiagnosed pneumonia and was sicker than a dog, my sister dropped off a fresh pot of turkey noodle soup for my family.

When my father was dying from cancer... his faithful friend, Don came every week just to sit by his bedside.

When I was taking care of my ailing mother month after month...a young mom and her 2 young daughters, seeing my exhaustion, surprised me by delivering a full meal to my family.

When I was frantic when my husband made a big career change...and a friend sent a note of encouragement.

Gerald Sittser makes a good point in his book, A Grace Disguised; "Loss is loss, whatever the circumstances. All losses are bad, only bad in different ways...what value is there to quantifying and comparing losses?"

Loss of health
Loss of mobility
Loss of job
Loss of loved ones
Loss of home

I used to think that there was a hierarchy in suffering and loss. Some situations required more consolation and other situations required less. A phone call was ok for one loss while a visit was mandatory for a loss that was greater. While there may be something to that, life has taught me that loss is loss and my friends have made a difference in my life at all different levels of loss.

Friends have taught me to:
1. Be myself...reach out to others in a way that fits me and my friend.
2. Do something...a call, a card, a hug, a visit. I have learned to acknowledge loss with my friends.
3. Be observant...know when to go home, when to help out with housework, when to send another note.
4. Pray...really pray, don't just say I am going to!

Life may be hard, but having good friends walk along side me has made the journey abit easier.

Rejoice with those who rejoice

Mourn with those who mourn....

I have always loved that verse and I strive to live it out. When we found out we were expecting in the middle of August, my husband said, "Now is the time to rejoice." Initially I was hesitant and cautious, fearing what could happen, but my husband was adamant we celebrate our miracle of life.

So we did. We went out to breakfast, out to dinner, planned, dreamed and shared our excitement. We got baby books and looked up things online about the size of our baby each week. We told our families and a few friends.

And last Thursday when we learned our baby had died, we have experienced the second half of that verse lived out for us. Family, friends and co-workers have mourned alongside us with prayers, calls, flowers, food, cards, and e-mails.

Often people say I don't know what to say...and that's ok because we don't know what to say either. It's ok to say you don't know what to say. It's not ok to say nothing at all.

An insightful comment by author Nancy Guthrie says that she learned through her grief not to be ashamed of tears. The tears of others made her realize her pain had touched them deeply. If something they said led her to tears that meant their words touched her deeply. Either way, tears show care and concern and genuine empathy.

I read an article by Jill Briscoe one time that talked about the ministry of presence. She said it is good to send gifts and Bibles and study materials to people living in other countries, but it is another thing to offer the ministry of presence.

I have appreciated the prayers of many and the practical gifts like food and unpacking and doing things around my home.

But it is the ministry of presence that touches me so dearly. I am so thankful for those who have offered the ministry of presence in my life during the last week.

When someone is grieving, the ministry of presence allows them to talk, process, ask the hard questions and sometimes to laugh. We still need laughter in the midst of our pain.

This ministry of presence is so powerful. And this week God has taught me through the hands and feet and presence of others.

"Blessed Are Those Who Mourn"

The alarm went off at 4:10AM this morning. My body jumped out of bed before my mind knew where I was going.

Then I remembered. It was Monday, the day Stacy was scheduled for surgery. It was still dark when I met them and we quietly and prayerfully drove to the hospital.

What do you say to someone in the midst of grief? How was I to handle my own grief and yet be strong for them? Experience with grief doesn't make it any easier. Everyone deals with loss and pain differently.

Over the weekend I re-read a favorite book, A Grace Disguised, by Gerald Sittser. What insight this author has as a result of a personal tragedy:

"Depth of sorrow is the sign of a healthy soul, not a sick soul...It is not something to escape but something to embrace. Jesus said, 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.' Sorrow indicates that people who have suffered loss are living authentically in a world of misery, and it espresses the emotional anguish of people who feel pain for themselves and others. Sorrow is noble and gracious. It enlarges the soul until the soul is capable of mourning and rejoicing simultaneously, of feeling the world's pain and hoping for the world's healing at the same time. However painful, sorrow is good for the soul."

I held on to that thought all day today. I wasn't quick to turn from the sorrow our family felt.

My prayer is that as my soul enlarges as I embrace the sorrow, I will be better able to comfort others who mourn.

Home Improvement...Do a Hard Thing

Wow, when we started this week, we were focusing on CHOOSING to do a hard thing, not having it forced on us. There is a difference.

Yesterday was indeed a reminder of all the hard things we all endure during our lifetime.

911 will forever be etched in everyone's minds.

9/11/08 will be etched in my family's mind as the day we found out that Stacy and Ryan's baby did not have a heartbeat; that the yolk-sac had collapsed; that they would miscarry and not carry their baby to full turn...after a long 2 year struggle to get pregnant.

A very hard thing.

I guess the best challenge for Home Improvement this weekend, whether it is to encourage myself or others to Do a Hard Thing...chosen or forced upon us, is to Do the Next Thing. That was the advice given to Elizabeth Elliot after her missionary husband had been murdered by the very people he was trying to help. She couldn't move past her grief. She couldn't focus or function...and a wise woman advised her to "to do the next thing". Upon hearing that advice, Elizabeth got up and changed her young daughter's diaper.

Nothing heroic, nothing profound, but it was putting one foot ahead of the other that got Elizabeth moving again.

If you have chosen to 'Do a Hard Thing' this week or have been Given a Hard Thing that seems too hard to take on, make this weekend a time to just do the NEXT thing.

I didn't know

When I started this week and wrote about choosing to do hard things in life, I didn’t know.

When I wrote about struggles and challenges and difficult things we face in life, and doing the hard thing in spite of them, I didn’t know.

When I quoted the Do Hard Things book that says doing hard things causes you to grow, I didn’t know.

I didn’t know that this week I would cry buckets of tears.

I didn’t know that this week I would be waking up and wanting to go back to bed because it felt like a nightmare come to life.

I didn’t know this week I would have to Do really Hard Things.

I didn’t know this week, for the second time in my three-year journey to motherhood, I would miscarry my baby.

I didn’t know this week my hard thing to do would be telling two sets of loving parents they lost a grandbaby – again.

I didn’t know this week the hard thing to do would be to love my husband when I just want to lash out in hurt, anger and frustration.

I didn’t know this week the hard thing to do would be trusting a God whose ways I cannot comprehend or understand.

I didn't know this week the hard thing to do would be making recovery plans for tomorrow and the next day and the next, instead of making celebration plans.

I didn’t know. But now I do. And I don’t want to do any of these hard things.

Do Hard Things

We've all done hard things in life. Is it the exception for you or the rule to do hard things?

It was a hard thing for me to re-evaluate a friendship I had and realize it wasn't a healthy relationship.

It was a hard thing for me to go back to school when the kids were young so I could work along side my husband.

It was a hard thing for me enter a 50 mile bike race when I turned 50!

It is a hard thing for me, as a Mentor Mom, to talk to a room of young moms.

But it would be a much harder thing if I had NOT chosen to do the hard thing. Each one of these hard things has taught me much.

Doing hard things means taking a risk. There is usually a big unknown associated with doing a hard thing and fear usually is its companion. Fear makes me want to find a reason not to do the hard thing if at all possible.

I have found that fear and faith are not necessarily antithetical.

I wonder if that is why when God speaks in the Bible, the words "Do not be afraid" or "Fear not" are His opening words? Doing a hard thing is a constant battle between faith and fear for me, but I have found that when I move forward on faith, I always am better because of it.

I like to imagine what Esther told herself as she entered the king's court. Her life was on the line when she approached him. It was a hard thing she had to do as a woman and as a representative of her people. Her faith had to remain strong as she fought off the fear.

Strong women do hard things. Wise women feel the fear, but choose to move ahead on faith.

Doing Hard Things

Barb and I recently came across a book titled: Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris (two 19-year-old). They challenge teenagers to rebel against low expectations. You can check out their web site here: http://www.therebelution.com/dohardthings/

Here's an excerpt from their blog:

Our battle cry is just three words, but it's an explosive concept: Do Hard Things. That's it. And "do hard things" is a mentality. It's a mentality that flies right in the face of low expectations. The world says, "You're young, have fun!" It tells us to "obey your thirst" and "just do it." Or it tells us, "You're great! You don't need to exert yourself." But those kinds of mindsets sabotage character and competence.

Do Hard Things is just the opposite. It's how we build character and competence. It won't drop to meet the low expectations, it won't just do what comes easily, and it won't become complacent. It applies no matter who you are or what level you're on, because there's always something harder to do, something that will take you outside your comfort zone and cause you to grow.

As a Homemaker, and long past my teenage years, I'm challenged by the words Do Hard Things.

As marriages around me struggle, I'm challenged to do the hard thing: work through my marriage issues and conflicts because I'm committed to my spouse.

As people acquire mountains of debt and declare bankruptcy, I'm challenged to do the hard thing: be responsible, pay our bills, deal with the consequences of debt and live within our means.

As people walk out on relationships that are too tough to face, I'm challenged to communicate, forgive, ask questions, strive to understand, and love without measure.

As the media and the culture around us saturates our minds with instant gratification, I'm challenged to wait on God, pursue His best for my life, my family, my future.

I applaud Alex and Brett Harris for having the insight and maturity to encourage others to Do the Hard Things in life. As women striving to be wise, every day we are faced with opportunities to do things the easy way or the hard way.

As we explore this topic more in the coming days, I hope you'll share your thoughts and how you experience the joys and challenges of Doing Hard Things as a woman of God, Wife, Mother, Business woman or Homemaker.

Home Improvement...What's in a banana?

Have you ever second guessed what you were going to find when you peeled a banana? Ever feared you were going to find broccoli or cauliflower? Were you expecting strawberries when you peeled back that banana skin?

I think a banana is the best reminder for me when I think of integrity and living 'below the water line'...being a woman who is consistent to the core. We have talked this week about being strong women and living out our lives to match our beliefs and convictions. To be the same person inside as we project to others on the outside.

This takes alot of introspection and discipline so we can weed out what we may be thinking or doing in private so it matches what we want people to see through our actions.

Make this Home Improvement time, a time to peel back your actions and your image and see what you really find underneath:

Do you have a written purpose for your life?

Can you write out your priorities quickly...knowing what you need to focus on daily?

Could you share 3 major principles that guide your life...and are you living by those principles?

Grab a banana this weekend and as you relish the sweet fruit you find inside, consider what others would find within you when they get to know you. Do what it takes to make your inside as appealing and sweet as your image appears!

Walk the talk

If you've been watching the Republican National Convention, I'm sure you've seen and heard about the protests taking place daily. I have no problem with peaceful protests. It's our right given to us by the First Amendment to do so.

But I struggle with:

300 local arrests.

Conspiracy to riot.

Taunting, swearing and spitting.

Peaceful demonstrators get overlooked when those who have other purposes follow through on actions that are not in line with what they say they believe.

Barb has often talked in Homemakers about consistency. What we say our values are must be lived out "below the water line."

Every time I see a news report about the not-so-peaceful protesting, I struggle with actions that are clearly not representing beliefs.

The world is watching us ladies. We can say all we want about what we value, what our priorities are and what we believe.

But it's our actions that make the greatest impact. Be it the President, Vice President or the protesters, consistency is key.

Strong Women

We talk religion in this blog...we might as well add politics and get real dicey!

I know that I am called to love God and my neighbor. That means I have to pay close attention to the neighborhood in which I live. I need to pay attention to the world around me. If I do not understand my environment, I will have a difficult time ministering to it. Therefore, I need to be educated in all areas of life. I need to stretch myself to understand music, literature, government, economics, and social issues in addition to prayer, Bible study, and evangelism.

When I heard that Sarah Palin was on the ticket as the Vice President candidate, it did energize me to follow more closely. How will she be able to withstand the onslaught of media and be able to take in all the information needed to lead a country? She must be a woman who has positioned herself to make the most of her days. She must be a woman who knows her purpose and is very intentional in seeking out what that means to her on a daily basis.

I read an interesting article by Ms. Laura Ingraham, talk show host. In it she said “Sarah Palin isn’t someone who just talks about life and defending life, this is a woman who lives that belief and that principle. She has demonstrated her commitment to the most defenseless among us, both politically and personally. And there’s no bigger threat to this country than a woman who is strong and knows her convictions.” (bold text added by me)

America needs women who are strong and knows what they believe. I am going to be praying for our nation in the next few months. I am going to be praying that the women of this country live out our beliefs and principles. Join me.

It's our duties ladies

My husband is a political junkie. He LOVES politics and he is thoroughly enjoying the political conversation taking place these days.

And, to top it off, the Republican National Convention is taking place in Minneapolis this week, so he's definitely getting his fill.

I, on the other hand, have a difficult time watching, reading and listening to political commentary.

But with the recent announcement of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate, I've become intrigued.

I've been listening to supporters and critics comment on Palin and I've been wondering....what would it be like to be the Vice President as a mother of 5? How does one even begin to balance roles like being a wife, mother and homemaker while supporting the President of the United States (if she were to win)?

What do I think of a woman with young children at home, running for such a highly-demanding and stressful position? Do I think it's awesome that a woman could potentially make history as the first female Vice President? Of course.

But what do I think of Palin's background? Does she have enough experience? Would she and McCain make a good team? Where does she stand on the issues that are important to me?

The only way to decide what I think is to educate myself.

Currently the single television in my household is broken (it suffered an untimely death when my husband was out of the country last week and days before the RNC began!).

So I am choosing to educate myself through the newspaper, online news sites, and the radio.

Politics are not my first choice of things to read or listen to. But as a wise woman I am held accountable for how I spend my time, my energy, my resources. And as a voting member of society it is my duty to become educated in the months ahead.

Happy Labor Day!

Did you know that we Americans put in more hours on the job each week than anyone?

Enjoy your day of fun!