After Pictures of Day 1 and Day 2 Plan

Making my home a haven...




Here are my after pictures from yesterday. You probably couldn't tell what was under all that stuff! I felt really good because I got all of this done before lunch. In addition to the effectiveness of lists, I learned that I really don't have much of an excuse to not get things straightened up. It didn't take that long and I felt more comfortable in my house all day long! Instead of walking into the kitchen and being stressed by the mess, the energy from the room was much more positive. And my bedroom felt more like a retreat at the end of the night. The only thing I didn't get to was the car, but it really isn't bad, just need to throw out some papers that seem to accumulate.

So today I am going to follow the Challenge and Clean. Here is my list for today:

Clean up Kitchen dishes
Clean downstairs bathrooms (upstairs bathrooms don't get used very much)
Vacuum downstairs and the stairs (I vacuumed upstairs last weekend) I LOVE my new vacuum cleaner so this will be fun!
Sweep and Swiffer tile floors
Clean the inside of the fridge
Clean out the Microwave
Wipe up the front of the oven and the dishwasher
Lunch
Walmart run
Nap (I might as well admit to my blogging friends that I am 7 weeks pregnant and need to take about a 30 min nap in the middle of the day to function)
Read devotional while waiting for daughter in carpool line
After school Snack and read with the girls
Dinner- Chick Fil A school night (Like I need an excuse)

My devotional this week is on Leah. Interesting character. She was the unwanted bride of Jacob. Her sister was the one he wanted but their father tricked Jacob into marrying Leah first then working more years to get Rachel, the wanted sister. What discord must have existed between the sisters for all of those years. I will pray that my home and yours is one of peace and unity.

Making My Home a Haven: Day 1

I am taking the challenge from Monica of "the homespun heart" to create a Haven out of my home. Today's challenge is to tidy up, declutter and to make time for quiet time with God. Here is my plan for the day:

Laundry (all day)
Unload clean dishes from the dishwasher
Declutter kitchen counters
lunch
Declutter bedroom dressers and side tables
A hot cocoa break with my 3 year old
Declutter bathroom counter
Devotional time in the car while waiting in carpool line for my 5 year old (Women of the Bible, great book!)
Re-organize the cabinets and shelf in the laundry room
Declutter the car!

Whew! Kind of a lot! but I think I can do it if I start now! If you want to join in the Making My Home a Haven Challenge this week, check out "the homespun heart." I will post before and after pictures too. Here is my before - I'm being vulnerable here!



Update: I am more than half way through my list and it is only 11am! Sweet. Something I have learned: Lists are good motivators. (duh) I should have known that making a list would motivate me, I love to cross things off and get that sense of accomplishment!

Turkey Day Menu

I love cooking for Thanksgiving! Its a new joy I have discovered since moving away from family in Washington. I get to select the menu , which means I don't have to make or smell oyster stuffing!! I also leave out cranberry sauce because none of us like it. I do make yams (sweet potatoes here in Texas) but only one serving for my husband.
So here is our Turkey Day Menu (along with where I got my recipes), my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Roast Breast of Turkey with apple scented pan gravy - Pampered Chef Celebrations Cook Book.
- Great for our family of four we get plenty of left overs and if you want dark meat just get a couple of turkey legs to the pan. I've safely served 7 adults and 2 kids this turkey and still had a little left overs. Its great because it only takes a couple of hours and requires very little prep.

Sage, Sausage & Apple dressing- Food network
- I started the apple theme because we are from Washington and it was our homage to home, but the dressing and the gravy are extremely tasty and now a staple at our Turkey table.

Mashed Potatoes- From the Box
- I have never been able to do real mashed potatoes from potato to bowl so I resort to the Potato buds from the box. I always add fresh garlic or herb and garlic spice mix and lots of butter!

Candied Yams (Sweet Potatoes)- Nothing special: butter, marshmallows and yams
- I HATE Candied yams but my husband seems to like them so I make a small dish for him. Its really simple and makes him happy.

Green Bean Casserole- Food Network- Alton Brown's Best Ever Green Bean Casserole
- Of course! What would Thanksgiving be without Green Beans Casserole? I think it would be the same as no Turkey.

Herb Carrots- Another simple one: steamed carrots with fresh parsley and topped with butter at the last minute.
- Just adds another great vegetable to the table. And they taste so yummy!

Creamed Corn- From the can
- Nothing special but it is another must have for my husband, the girls like it too.

Corn Bread- Package recipe
- this one is for me. I love corn bread, top it off with honey butter and you're set!

Rolls
- I think I'm going to try to make these from scratch this year if I find a good recipe

Dessert (the best part)

Pumpkin Pie- Food Network - Paula Deen!!
- Yeah, it has a ton of butter in it (it is Paula Deen's recipe), but it is sooooo worth it!! Her Pumpkin Gooey Cake is great also!!

Speedy Strussle Apple Pie- Pampered Chef Season's Best s/s 01 Cook Book
- I have to have apple pie too.

Frosty Pumpkin Dessert- Pampered Chef Celebrations Cook Book
- Another alternative to the pumpkin pie but I usually make all three of these desserts because I can't decide which one to do without!!

There it is, my Turkey day dinner.

Don't tell me your vote doesn't matter.

I just don't want to hear it because it isn't true. You may make the argument that one little vote isn't going to make a difference. But add up all of the people who stayed home and didn't vote because they felt their vote didn't make a difference, they might make a difference. Tomorrow, I don't want to be one of the people who didn't have any say. And frankly, if you don't vote, your opinion of the election and its outcome doesn't matter to me.

That's my opinion. For what it's worth.

Cleaning On My Mind

All I can think about today is how much cleaning I need to do in this house. This is the day that I curse all 3000 square feet of our house! So here are some of my cleaning practices that might help you get your square feet shiny and clean. Some of these ideas have been collected from other sources, so I can't take full credit, but it really helps to have a game plan when cleaning.

1) Take all cleaning supplies with you in a carrier, so you don't have to go looking for them once you start cleaning.
2) Include laundry basket (cause laundry never seems to get to where it is supposed to go) and garbage bag in your supplies.
3) You can use a stroller to contain all of your supplies if you need to. Think "hotel housekeeping."
4) Clean one room at a time, do not leave that room for anything until you are done.
5) Items that need to go to another room can go in your laundry basket or stroller and get dropped off as you clean the rest of the house.
6) Give helpful kids a Swiffer duster (they love to dust and it gives them something to do).
7) Take a short break between rooms (makes you feel like you aren't abandoning your kids!).

These tips help me stay focused. I tend to get distracted if I leave the room I'm cleaning and it takes ten times longer to clean. If I focus and stick to one room, not only is it faster, but I feel like I do a more thorough job.

Now, off to work! I look forward to the sweet smell of a clean house!