Banish that sink of Dirty Dishes

Oh really, Banish.....as in be gone....forever? Well, one can have high dreams and aspirations!
Are you ready?


CHINET.

Just kidding.  ;)

Seriously, we have tried paper products. With 6 of us eating 3 meals a day, plus snacks, that gets a little expensive. Not to mention the trees, if you are into that sort of thing.

 A little note about the author of this little blog. I am a child of 1969, a teen of the 1980's. Chores for me back in the day was a small list that my mother would leave out on Saturday morning. When I would stumble out of bed, say around noon, I would have to complete the task in order to be set free to "cruise town" that night. Aside from that, I did not help with the housework. I don't blame her for this. She was raised poor and worked hard. She tells me of working in the cotton fields, starching pants and rolling them up and putting them in the fridge ???? keeping house with 5 brothers and sister. I guess she just wanted it easier for me.

 I did not even wash clothes until around the age of 21.

I lived at home.

 I grumbled about not having something, some item of clothing, clean and in my room.....ha ha.....
What I got was a hamper in my room and laundry duty.

 I disliked it so bad that I would pay my mother to clean my room and my laundry.

 I married at 22.
 
 Poor fella.

It has taken me decades to learn things that most of you knew at 12.
This little lesson, banishing dirty dishes, came quiet unexpectedly. You see, I love organizing and neat little things for the house and kitchen.

As I was pondering the every-flowing stream of dirty dishes and nasty sinks AND countertop space, I clicked over to Amazon.

 Yes, I get everything from Amazon.
 Let's just get that out of the way.
 I love Amazon and the UPS truck. My hubby is okay with this.


 So, I think and ponder. I really hated that huge, 20 year-old dish drainer that took up a massive amount of space on the counter. What I got in mind was something for the sink. Something that could be cleaned easily. Something just plain neat.

Voila!
Progressive International Collapsible Over the Sink Dish Drainer  

Now, you know how Amazon is. Prices change with the wind. I paid 19.99 for this, and it was on Prime.

20 Bucks well spent.

So, how does this end the dirty dishes parade? I knew you would ask.

First, my kids love cool stuff as much as I do. The two oldest also love a clean house. (we are working on the little ones)

Get a little scrubber, like the one in the picture. It is the bomb!

This is the wheel that makes it all go around.....

As you use a dish, as your kids use a dish....and even your hubby (If he is as good natured as mine) you quickly swish it out and plop it into the drainer. When dry, put it away.

I must be such a dork. I know there are those of you laughing that it took me 20 years to figure this out.

What it has saved, besides my sanity, is the amount of loads we run in the dishwasher. We have gone from running 2 loads a day to running it once in the last 3 days. 

It's the simple things in life that butter my bread.

Have a wonderful day of home-making. Kiss those babies and smile!

Linking up here:

       

   

This post contains an affiliate link. I don't make a killing here...as a matter of fact I haven't even earned enough for a payout yet...

Love is spelled T.I.M.E

She left the comment on my Facebook picture. This picture:

 It said, "Love is spelled T.I.M.E"

It was profound to me. It spoke to where I have been lately.

Two young ladies, mature young ladies, they were having fun. They were including the little girls (can't find my pic of them all) and wondering how in the world we got our hair so big in the 80's. My honey told them they looked good, but that "Momma could do the big hair, back in the day, she did it the best." :) (The kids think its funny when he refers to me as Momma and I call him Daddy...who would have ever thought...)

We were making TIME for the kids to spend together because life is getting so busy, and there are so many happy things coming up, but that will also mean that we don't get to spend much time together. My friend and I sat and talked about the passing of time. How the girls have grown so fast. How we thanked God for more little ones because by the time you come to know how fast children grow, well, they are grown. We talked about homeschooling and how much of a blessing it is. How we never thought it would be what it is. About how losing that idea of "school at home" was the greatest gift and how we still, after all of these years, felt like we could still improve some things. You see, though, while you are planning and reading and learning all of these wonderful philosophies that you want to incorporate into your home, children are growing. There is no pause or rewind. Time is unrelenting sometimes and this momma wants to scream and make it stop so I can get it all together then press the "go" button when I am good and ready.  I want my vision in my head to be our reality, but there was no time to learn this before the children came.

This has been a learn as you go way.
Life.
Only one go at it.
Make the most of it!

No one told me that I would have Charlotte Mason dreams. No one told me that I would desire to cook three meals a day, teach phonics for years, clean up what will become a mess again tomorrow, learn hard-for-me math right along with my kids.

Everyone dreams glamorous dreams..... Then I come to see that this life is my glamorous life. What could be more glamorous then shaping souls and being adored by your children and loved unconditionally by the man who you fell in love while he was still  a boy?

So, you come to see the battle against time. How do you use that time? Do you win hearts or become a slave to educational and cultural ideas that are all failing? You only have so many days before that little baby is an adult and you have to let go. I know, moms of toddlers, it seems never ending, but it's not.  I guess what has brought this all so heavy on me is that my oldest is on the brink of 18. It has freaked me out. Period. She is fine. She wants to stay here and study more. She loves home. She has never said, " I am outta here as soon as I hit 18."  My husband tells me all of the time, when I feel so unlovable,  "You just don't see how your kids adore you. They love and care for you more than anything I've ever seen." Why can't I see that? I am working hard at living life from that truth instead of the lie that says I have messed up. 

So here is a little note to myself:

When the little one interrupts cooking with "Mom! Look!"  Melanie, look, smile and praise them.

When the young man want to show you what is fascinating him, be it gross, Melanie, look, listen, get excited with him.

When the 17 year old begs you to read The Scarlet Letter with her so that you can talk about it. Melanie, read it.....that is what those books you are reading now are trying to tell you anyway.... be with her, now!

When the little ones have drug out every dress-up dress and have red lipstick everywhere, take pictures and hug them, kiss them. Dance around like a princess with them.

When it is night time, Melanie, please, take the time to speak gently with them all instead of declaring how it is late and you are tired and to GO TO SLEEP!

Time is moving so fast. It wasn't long ago that Jessie was Janie's age and oh how I didn't know anything about how time can rob you. Like my favorite book, One Thousand Gifts, says:

“When I fully enter time’s swift current, enter into the current moment with the weight of all my attention, I slow the torrent with the weight of me all here.” 

And she also writes this: “Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing.... Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away.”  -Ann Voskamp

My goal is to teach them well through the gate of their heart. If I give them all knowledge and lose their heart. I have failed.

Capturing those hearts take TIME.

Be in the moment today, with gratitude, you will never get today back. How will they remember this day?

A Healthy Latte....yes, it is possible (and it tastes good)

Yesterday I mentioned my new sugar free lifestyle.

All is well except for the longing in my soul for a Starbuck's White Chocolate Mocha or a Venti Pumpkin Spice latte. Really, for the first few days I almost cried. I have a Tassimo, and it brews some pretty amazing mocha and cappuccino  and lattes...oh my!

Okay, I think you get that I love some good, sweet coffee drinks.

The quest to reproduce that in a sugarless, low-fat version that actually is worth the trouble and worth drinking seemed hopeless.

Here is my new favorite, healthy drink.

Have on hand:

Gevalia espresso T-disc or strong coffee or other espresso.

Torani Sugar free syrup, I used the hazelnut flavor.

Stevia in the Raw, 1 packet

Almond milk, unsweetened. 1 Cup

I used a Froth au Lait milk frother. A hand held would probably work too.

Froth the milk, adding the packet of stevia and 2 TBS of the sugar-free syrup before the frother shuts off.

Pour it into a cup, brew your T disc or add your espresso.

Voila!

Amazing!

Wonderful!

Ahhhh....happiness in a cup!

Want more happiness?

Check this out!

Yep! 32 calories! Do you know that my usual latte would have come in at 150 calories with fat and sugar!

Now, I do not advocate using artificial sweeteners other than stevia or xylitol. But it was a matter of sanity for me. (The syrup is sweetened with Splenda) I have to have coffee that taste good. Period. :) Just out of curiosity I checked the nutrition facts for my beloved pumpkin spice latte. Hold on to your seat: 410 Calories, 17 fat grams, no fiber and 48 grams of sugar! Whoa! I think I will try some of Torani's sugar free Pumpkin syrup next!

Enjoy!

P.S.

Blue Diamond Breeze froths better than Silk. But, I think it has 10 more calories.

UPDATE 7-17-2013 Since I am now trying to follow the Trim Healthy Mama plan I have revisited this recipe during a Fuel Cycle, FP day. Don't have a Tassimo? Just brew some really strong espresso to counter all of the almond milk. It works just as well with KAL stevia extract,  sweetened to taste. A little vanilla extract added, and some Fat Free Redi-whip will make you feel all special. :) A Fuel Pull Latte! Happy, Happy, Happy!

Linking up at Stacy Makes Cents and Gwen's Nest for Trim Healthy Tuesday.

A New Birth

During the last revival at our home church, which happened to be the third week of revival meetings we had been in, my Jenna was saved. I won't even try to write how I felt. There are no words. It was a so sweet. It was Jenna and our Heavenly Father. He knocked and she opened her heart. Glory.

Jenna with her Dad

Jenna and the Evangelist, Robbie Chastain

 She was so happy. She came up out of that altar with the testimony that the Lord had saved her. She wanted to be baptized right away. So, two weeks later we went to the creek. It was a lovely, warm day.

 Little Janie saw the solemn look on her sister's face and ran to her side. It was the cutest thing. She just rubbed Jenna's arm and stood right with her.

 What a happy, blessed day. Her father & Pastor had the honor of laying her down in that liquid grave.
This. This is our goal. The three R's are important in our homeschool, but the most important is that we raise children that will love the Lord with their heart, mind and soul all the days of their lives.

Jenna's Birthday {the post I almost forgot to do}

Well, good grief! What kind of mom am I? I was uploading pictures for a blog post about our new school year and I ran across pictures of my dear little Jenna's 7th birthday. She had a fabulous cake done by me dear, talented friend, Tara and I just forgot to share it!

So, here you go...just a little late.

Birthday morning. Opening gifts before church.

A birthday muffin to start the day!

The main event: Brave cake!

Since her birthday fell on a Sunday we had cake and ice cream after night service in the fellowship hall with her little friends and family.

Isn't that the cutest cake!

This child is a sweet blessing! That little smile just makes my day. I am having a blast watching her learn to read and write. She is busy today writing a song. It is titled "I Love My Jesus."  What could be more precious? Since Jenna is the third born she has the advantage of having a momma who understands now that babies grow up real fast and that momma's need to cherish each moment!

Constrained

I ran across this, I don't know what to call it, a rambling of sorts. It comes often. The feelings of doubt and the questions: is this real and is this worth it? I suppose at one point I wrote about the struggle that sometimes goes on in my mind. I decided to share it here.

Constrained By God's Love                                                   11.07.10

Through the movement of time, we are tossed about by many feelings and emotions. Constant is the battle between the spirit and the flesh. One will triumph. Why am I constrained by God's love and law to fight every hour for the spirit to win?

The Story:

In the beginning.... do I really believe this? The father of lies tells me no. "The battle is not worthy to fight," he says. "Just let go. It's all a myth." Yes, I start at the beginning. He only speaks to my mind, the intellect, which we all seem to think so highly of at times. However, the Comforter sweetly speaks to my soul and takes me down this road.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said....... That is all I need to begin to ponder the wonder of it all.



Creation by God is the only one way to explain the phenomenon of our physical earth, it is just as He said. Consider that if the Earth had just a slightly different tilt on its axis then none of what we know could be. There is no modern day theory that can account for that. It was not mere chance and the one who spoke it into being said:

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; Jeremiah 1:5

Then he tells me:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

And when I worry He whispers: Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

When I feel unloveable the word says: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Then when I go though it all over again as the next sun rises He speak this truth :

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lam 3:22-23


He did what I could never do:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.


So when my weariness of the way comes and when I am weakened as the woman in the crowd who was low enough to touch the hem of Him.....tired, ready to surrender, somewhere in my mind's eye I catch a glimpse of the Lamb, as led to the slaughter, carrying that tree that He would hang on for me. The flesh wrapped Son of God. Cant you see the blood, the sweat....authentic tiredness? My soul cries out ,pitiful wretch that I am....Lord, How can I not give you my life?



As I climb out of one pit the tempter is ready to drag me down another. This day he chooses to work on my feelings of self-pity, the “why me Lord” cry....and I am stronger this time and the Word comes to me swiftly. This is our only defense. Jesus being tempted in the wilderness only answered the evil one with Scripture.
So who am I if, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
and why do I think I deserve any good if : they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. Matt 27:30
Then I hear myself say “why not me, I am not worthy.” Pity turns to praise. I thank him that I have never faced what He allowed to become of himself for me. When selfishness creeps in and encompasses my mind, the Selfless One gently reminds me of the price he paid for my life. I will gladly serve.
When I doubt Him and think it all in vain I step back and in awe see the Creator's hand in everything around me. The face of a loved one, every fowl of the air, every tree & every flower. Our wondrously made beings and the heavens above. The beautiful tapestry He has woven and called it my life which had the lowliest beginning. I wonder how anyone could not believe in and yearn to live for my Redeemer.



I made it again, by God's grace, through the trying of my faith. And I remain joyfully, thankfully constrained.

The Battle I Want To Win

The battle I want to win is the one that I fight every day in my own mind. The one where I am fretting with
furrowed brow, tense in my shoulders and my stomach in knots. The battle that just will not let me relax. Why is that? I have all I  could ask for. My children woke up healthy this morning. My husband is working, he still has a job. Another day has dawned, fresh with a beautiful sunrise. Autumn breezes are teasing me. The little one sings songs to Jesus at the top of her lungs. I AM BLESSED. {Why do I stress?} All I can figure is the enemy is trying to steal my joy through my own imagined fears and I strap the saddle on and let him ride me until I am weak and angry.

This makes me tired. And yet, I really can't figure out why I can't let it go.  The only thing I can pinpoint is that I am not praying as much as I am fretting. Yesterday we sang "Living By Faith"

It goes like this:

" I care not today what the morrow may bring, if shadows or sunshine or rain. The Lord I know ruleth over everything and all of my worry is vain."

We all, the entire congregation, sang it like there was no tomorrow.

What a hypocrite. I can sing it. I just can't live it.

I care not today what the morrow may bring,
If shadow or sunshine or rain,
The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything,
And all of my worries are vain.

Refrain

Living by faith in Jesus above,
Trusting, confiding in His great love;
From all harm safe in His sheltering arm,
I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.


Though tempests may blow 

and the storm clouds arise,

Obscuring the brightness of life,

I’m never alarmed at the overcast skies—

The Master looks on at the strife.

Refrain

I know that He safely will carry me through,

No matter what evils betide;

Why should I then care though the tempest may blow,

If Jesus walks close to my side.

Refrain

Our Lord will return for His loved ones some day,
Our troubles will then all be o’er;
The Master so gently will lead us away,
Beyond that blest heavenly shore.

Refrain

I have had sweet reprieves from this and it was most often when I was actively  counting my gifts.

Today, I will purpose to fight. When the enemy tries to steal my joy I will count. When he causes me to load my back with the weight of fear, I will remind him that I serve the one who knows my future. I can trust Jesus.

Counting

- Those sweet souls who call me Mom and wake me with kisses

- The Lord who, although He knew me, still died for me

- The man who loves me with his whole heart and never loses faith in me

- that I have come far enough to know I don't have to believe the lies of the enemy 

-sweet autumn breezes

-helpful older children when I wake with a sick headache

-faithful friends

- mercy, new every morning

-I still love homeschooling

- www :)

- I am stronger when I pray

- "I love you mom" whispered in the middle of the night by that sweet 2 year old

-little girls swinging

- young lady of mine, learning to drive (really?)

-sweet young man who rubs my aching head 

-wonderful cup of coffee hand crafted by that sweet young lady and brought to me with a kiss (in this mug) :)

Ahh...I feel better already!

Oh, one more.....the music on Ann's blog........

Counting It All Joy

Just wanted to share a little thought. This week, as Facebook is full of moms who are proclaiming joy over the kiddos going off to school, I count it all a joy that mine are blissfully around my table for all three meals. They are under my feet, making messes, laughing, playing and learning. I still get as excited as I did at first when our new books arrive. I get weary of NOT getting enough done in the day, but never weary of the home-educating lifestyle. So, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, all here together. {we do not eat like this every morning}  Eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, cantaloupe and fig preserves! Oh my!

Janie doesn't always wear her big sisters clothes {backwards} :)

I joke that by the time I am good at homeschooling the kids will be grown. :) Now, my Jessie will say, "Good! you can then help me with mine!" Would that not be the biggest blessing? I am so thankful for where God has lead our family. I can't imagine living it any other way!

Time to Do Things Differently

We have a schedule.

This week was to include homeschool in the morning and VBS in the evening.

I'm cooking for VBS. Last night we did 450 mini corn dogs. Served the children in shifts. Enjoyed the fellowship. Became really tired.

The schedule....oh yes....I forgot. We have been so tired, we {Mom}have been so tired in the mornings.

The mornings have moved slow, but good.

I have not minded the schedule very well.

We have read library books, played board games. Mom has laughed {does Mom do this enough?}

Today I have decorated a "hip hipster bag" won at the Library Summer Reading Program.

 While saying in my mind, "I don't have time for this."
While thinking, at the same time, "When will I have time for this?"
When? When they are big and don't care about mom helping with an iron on?
What am I waiting for?
I know, for the schedule to run like clock work, then I will be successful.
Really? I've been grasping at that for many moons and it don't feel good anymore.

"Mommy, can you paint my fingers?"

My usual response.....Not right now I have to______(fill in the blank with any task that really doesn't matter)

I painted 20 little toenails and 20 little fingernails.

(wait...what was on the schedule?)

We washed Jake. {cute little new puppy who had too many fleas} Cowboy has been asking for a week.

So I had to get this tired to slow down enough to see that those who are most important need time with me. Not just clean clothes, although important, the bodies in those clothes need hugs and smiles and I've been stingy with those because I have a schedule.

Now look, I am not bashing a schedule. We all need some order and there are things that have to be done. But as I played that game of Trouble and decorated that bag I realized that I had not done those things in a very, very long time.

Here was the reward, Little Jenna says, "Thanks Mom, that means so much to me." You don't know how profound those little words were.

Then to top it all off, Ann had this amazing blog post today.

Yes, I think I understand. Thank you Lord, for the time to learn this. That today I will live with one less regret.

Now, we will swim. Then the little ones will nap { I will rock that little Janie, singing her favorite "Rock-a-bye Baby" and I will enjoy every minute of it! }

We will go and try to reach out to the little children in our community that have been so sweet
{and hungry :)}

Yes, this week has been different.
Am I stressed? Not one bit.
Is that unusual? Oh yeah!



{A big thanks to Jessie, for the always wonderful pictures & coffee}

Day 63 & 64 of 100 Days of Health Habit

Where do I start without sounding like I am whiny?

Day 63 had a great and promising start. We parked in town and walked to a friends house, had a great day and walked back. Then suddenly, without warning what I think is a nasty UTI hit me hard. All night and all day has just been yuck and nausea....

This is life. Setbacks happen. I really missed my workout and the energy to do them. I did notice that the last one I did felt like I was having to force myself through every moment. I felt just like I was lifting my legs through quicksand. Now I understand why.

In other news, we are still schooling and will continue throughout the summer months. That is just how we like to do it. Little Jenna is doing so good with her reading. I am enjoying teaching her more, I am sure this has something to do with 11 years of homeschooling under my belt. She loves books. We went to the library yesterday and she got all the books she could carry. Little Janie is just as taken with books and pushes a buggy full of them all over the house.

I must also say a little thanksgiving for the oldest two who are just like the men who held up the arms of Moses. They keep everything going and are so careful about me and how I feel. So precious. This homeschool lifestyle has blessings so much beyond academics. These relationships and this time together, I have no words to describe my gratitude for what God has worked in our home.

See, now that is something to be proud of!

This morning holds contentment....

I love Monday mornings, I think I am strange, especially after reading the news-feed on Facebook.  And I guess if I was having to leave my home and family for the next five days I might not like it either. But here, Mondays are a fresh start to a new week, they hold promise, routine returns. I love it.

Living in a state of gratitude is life changing. It is fresh, like His mercies renewing every morning. It can make the ugly smaller when you try to find the beauty.

Oh, I'm not living in dream land. I have struggled with some disappointments and worries just this weekend. But, I have noticed that when I focus on thankfulness I do not have to let those things suck the life out of me.

Recognizing the moments, fleeting, and fully living in them.

So much to be thankful for.

100. Sounds of a houseful of  love

101. Wild laughter from the kitchen

102. the twinkle in his eyes ♥

103. the warmth in his voice ♥

104. perseverance

105. sparkling clean sink ☺

106. prayer

107. my sweet man (from 102 & 103) who smiles and winks as he helps me with laundry. ♥

The Bloom Book club had the first video up yesterday with Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts. Oh my, that first chapter is hard, but hearing her tell the story.....wordless....

Focus on Joy

I have this little basket on my bathroom counter-top. It has been there since Christmas. (Don't we always find one thing left from Christmas in February?)
I decided to leave it.
To help me focus.....
on JOY!

My husband uses this little saying "To blessed to be stressed"
Sometimes it would make me so ill when he would blurt it out.
I mean really, I wanted someone to join me in the misery!

That kind of living is so  tiring....

So I am leaving the lime green Christmas ornament that you can't miss. JOY!

Joy....even when precious daughter has the flu. She is so sick. Would you say a prayer?
Joy....when washing the extra 5 loads that this sickness has created, on top of the other daily loads, because this sickness should pass.
.....others are not so blessed. My heart grieves for the parents of two beautiful little girls, the same ages of Jenna  and Janie, who had to meet with doctors just this week to plan end-of-life care for them. I cry for them, a lot.
Joy...
What is the flip side?
I have been there and don't care to return.

May you find joy in your life today.

Multitudes on Monday

I hear of the death of a young woman. She is my age. She had a family, a home, a life she fought hard to live. I did not know her on a personal day by day level. But, many I know did.  I have prayed many times for her.

She would love to have time to clean the house, to wash the clothes, to tuck the kids in, to scrub the tub, to praise the Lord, to watch kids laugh, to kiss her husband....one more time.

As the book, One Thousand Gifts, drips with constant reminder. Live in this moment! It is all we have...


70) Health
71) Laughter before the sun woke up
72) learning to live in the moment.....without fear
73) no cavities for Jenna! Yay!
74) sweet moments recognized
75) learning, growing, living all right here together {Thank you, Jesus}