Talk about simple

I'm amazed at this blogger's ability to simplify her wardrobe! I just had to share her article....linked here... of how "much" she brought on their months-long trip to Italy!

"I fit everything of mine in half a suitcase, and the kids filled the other half. Instead of my wardrobe feeling spartan, I still managed to bring a little more than what I regularly use, but I’m heading in the direction I want with “fewer, better” clothes."

Being around my inlaws from India is a similar effect. Really, it's amazing how little clothes you really need to dress nicely and cleanly!

I'm newly inspired. Time to take a look at my clothes closet! I'll post an update if I have success ;)

Is this yours?

Uh, I think I've forgotten something.

I was folding laundry the other day, and pulled this t-shirt out of the laundry basket.

Is it yours? Or is it mine?

Because, you see, I don't remember ever owning a shirt like this, and I know it's not M's either. So, where did it come from, because I obviously washed it???

Making your home a haven

Over at Abbi's blog and the Homespun heart they're doing a daily "making your home a haven" challenge. I've been enjoying reading along since it's something I've been thinking about recently.

So, I thought maybe it'd be good for me to join along too (even though I've missed a couple days)

My main goal right now, is to make our home pleasant and peaceful for M. to come home to after a long day. Also, for any guests we might have come over. As of late, I seem to be having some attitude issues, so I think that should be my first focus.

Haven:
   A place of port, shelter, safety, refuge and assylum. (http://www.dictionary.com/)

My goals for today, to "Make our home a Haven"

Personal Time: Spend and hour reading - Right now I'm reading in Psalms, and have 2 other books to read (Feeding Your Soul, and Miserly Moms). Spend 10 minutes in memorization. Since I'm having attitude issues, I will pick 4 verses about attitude to memorize/review.

Family Time:  Make granola bars today for M.'s snacking. Plan a relaxing activity for this evening.

House Time: Clean out my messy clutter drawer. Clean up kids toy area.

A weekday Project

 Our dryer has been on the fritz the last couple weeks. It at first stopped drying, and then started a horrendous squeal every time we ran it. Therefore, for the time being, I went the old-fashioned way of drying our clothes, and kept laundry to a minimum.

But there comes a time when I just didn't appreciate the racks of clothes hanging around. So I thought maybe I'd check into fixing it myself!

I "Googled" Squealing Dryer, and came up with a couple great websites. The main one I used, was Dave's Repair. (I highly recommend it if you need to fix the same problem as me!)

 So first I set out the tools I would need: a Phillips screwdriver, a socket wrench, gloves, and some sewing machine oil.

 And I un-plugged it from the wall.

 It took a couple tries, but I finally figured out how to get the lid up. That was exciting to see progress :)
Then I stopped to feed baby.

 The next step was to take off the front panel. This one took a bit more muscle and probably took me the longest of everything! (It helps if you read the directions and FOLLOW them about where to push and pull)
Then I took a break to feed and change baby. Took a phone call. Etc.

 The front pannel was off and looking good (though linty).

 Some unexpected springs fell out. Oops.
The next thing was to take the belt off and the "drum' out, but poor little me didn't have enough muscles to do it. Thank goodness for Grandma stopping by :) And she even brought a snack and her vaccuum cleaner so we could get all the lint out. :)

Quite a fascinating mechanism once you get it all taken apart! I oiled the bearings and moving parts, hoping that as the directions said, that would stop the squeal. Then we had to put it all back together. (Of course, after eating said snack, taking a baby break, etc)

After all was said and done, we turned the dryer on for a "test drive" and lo-and-behold, NO SQUEAL! Ha. Just goes to show you what one can do with a little reading and the right tools (and muscle from Mom).

The best part, was at the bottom of the article it said, "You just saved $100." Nice. Of course, I spent probably 3 hours doing it, but it was exciting to me.

Now on to the next problem....no heat. :) But after this....I'm sure that will be a cinch!

A Relaxing Morning

 It's a beautiful Friday morning, and we here at home have taken time to relax and enjoy the quiet and sunshine.

Little Kiddo is taking her regular morning nap on the couch.

 Warm sun is streaming in through the front window, just to my rocking chair which is pefect!

 I took time to check my email and set my "to read pile" out for the day.

 Laundry is started.

 The bed is made.

 The dishes are....er....undone :)

Hope you're enjoying your week's end too!

When Company Comes: How to Set a Table

I was looking up poems online the other day, and bumped into this nice little website I thought you might enjoy!

"Table Setting Ideas"

Here are some excerpts from their page:

LUNCH



Use seashells, starfish and nautical-themed decorations to accent a striped table cloth, white napkins and clear glass plates and glasses

VIOLETS

Use a white tablecloth with white napkins.
Pick wild violets from your yard.
Scatter the violets over the table.
Fill cordial glasses with water and fill with violets.

A New Arrival

We have a new addition to our household. No, it's not the January edition, that's still coming. This one is smaller and tidier.

Ta-da:

Yes, we have a landline now! :)

After doing some calculating and lots of discussion and research, we decided it would work out great for us to get a landline.

Call it sentiment. Call it nostalgia. But I'm really enjoying it!

I like having an answering machine that I can stand and push a button and listen to a message....nothing glued to my ear.

I like hearing it ring throughout the house.

I like the caller ID.

I like answering it.

I like having a larger phone to hold in my hand.

Call me crazy, but if I was able to find an old hook-and-line phone I probably would have got it.....the old fashioned ones with the heavy handset and click-clack dialer. But, the cordless is really much more practical at this point, so we stuck with that!

So if I sound particularly chipper when I answer your phone call, you now know why. If I don't, well, chalk that up to lack of sleep! :)

When Company Comes: A Re-Post on Pretty Tables

Knowing that Thanksgiving meals are coming up soon, I thought it would be nice to re-post this blog from my archives. I still like these ideas, and once again, have tried a couple this fall! Enjoy!

There is something so attractive to me about making table settings pretty and using fall beauty! Here are some favorites from 3 different sites:

This, in my opinion, is fantastic, but would definitely NOT go on a table! Maybe on the piano?:)

I like this chocolate bar idea! :)

Wishbones! How interesting!

This picture is for the pats of butter, cut out in cookie cutter leaf shapes!

And using edible name tags! Hmmm....

This one is just funky!

And I actually really like this, more than a wreath. :) I think I could do this!

And I wonder how this would look in our dining room???

And color....I just love bright colors.

Rocks. Plain and simple.

But individual arrangements? That's cute.

And a bouquet doesn't just have to be flowers....greenery works too!

For how to do any of these, as well as more pictures and ideas, check out these links:
Better Homes and Gardens

Martha Stewart

Country Living

When Company Comes: Enjoy Nature!

This summer I have been really enjoying the "weeds" that grow around my backyard and to & from my walk to work! :)

I forgot to take a picture of my table, but my July goal is to keep my table clear, clean, and have a vase of fresh flowers on it. I also have some really fun place mats from India that add a nice touch.

I think it's so pretty to have flowers and greenery around our house, and it makes a simple but refreshing way to decorate when company comes. (As long as you are aware of alergies)

Just for fun, I was browsing around Better Homes & Gardens for ideas and inspiration, and I found these beautiful ideas:

Since we don't even have a fence, much less a gate, I thought that I might be able to do this on my front door... :)

The above images were from Better Homes & Gardens

This image from here.

And this image is from Martha Stewart, here.

Vintage Prints

Well, I'm not really into vintage all that much. But the weekend after tax season, I had a chance to stay home and start sorting through some stuff in closets.

One of the things I enjoyed, was looking through a bunch of old Etude magazines. The oldest was way back from 1908!

Then, I did probably the unthinkable (for someone wanting to save old things in perfect condition). I ripped out pages.

Yup. I did.

It was such a big stack of magazines, and I really liked only some of the articles, pictures, and music in them, I decided to keep what I found useful, and get rid of the rest.

It was a nice feeling to get rid of the huge stack.

I kept this one advertisment for Cream of Wheat.

Mathew looked at me funny when I hung it up in the kitchen. But, I like it for some reason, and I guess I can always change it later :)

The other picture I kept was this old cartoon for on top our piano.

I actually pasted it to an old green cardboard, and glued a black ribbon around it for a frame.

I'll have to let you know about the great articles I kept (about "How to be Charming") in a later post :)

De-Clutter

You know, after reading the book on simplifying, and having a weekend off to clean, and hearing stories of my sister's de-cluttering project, I'm in the mood to de-clutter too.

I was thinking alot of my husband in the process. We differ quite a bit on our view of "stuff." Of course, when I stop and think about Indian houses, and how simple they were, minamilistic really, I can understand a bit more.

I mean, really, their kitchens are small and their fridges are empty. Thier bedrooms are minimalistic, as well as most every other room in the house. You will not find many knick-knacks, no hobby stuff (i.e. books, crafting supplies, tools, etc), and even toys are scarce. They cook just enough for the meal, every meal, beacuse leftovers don't keep well. When you can get fresh veggies and fruit, just around the corner, every day, for cents on the dollar, you don't really need to "stock up."

They usually have one closet of clothes. Maybe one shelf of shoes for the whole family. They can watch movies on TV, so don't own a player or extra videos. They listen to all music on the TV also, maybe a radio, so don't have piles of CDs. Most bathrooms don't need toilet paper, and most kitchens have sponges rather than paper towels.

And then I look at our house, and there is so.much.stuff! *sigh* sometimes I just want to take a bucket and dump everything in.

But there is a time and place for everything. I like this article. And this one too.

There are a few things for me to remember as I feel the urge to purge.

• There is a reason Indian culture is clutter-free. They really have only two seasons....hot and dry, and hot and wet. Either way, a pair of sandals is sufficient for shoes. They don't need winter boots. They don't need winter coats and fall coats and rain coats. They don't need tennis shoes, and tennis rackets, and fishing poles, and fishing gear. They don't need gardening supplies. They don't need 5 pairs of colored sandals to match every outfit. They have 2. That's it. I've got to remember, I can learn from India, but I can't be India. Minnesota is very different!
• There is a time to keep things, and a time to give away. I don't need to keep every single souvineer from every trip and person. If I'm afraid of forgetting the trip or person, keeping the knick-knack isn't the solution to that problem. I don't even need to keep every single birthday card from every single birthday. Perhaps a few of the special ones, but every one? Probably not.
• For us at least, it is okay to keep project & hobby supplies. We have time and space for that. It saves us money in the long run if we don't go out and buy new material or paint or glue every single time. But I need to remember, I don't need 10 glues and 14 toilet paper tubes. I don't need 5 rolls of tape that don't work if I can have 2 that do.
• Labels, closets, and containers are life-savers. If it doesn't look cluttered, if it's easy to access, if I know we'll use it, then we keep it, right? If I loose it in the closet, of course I won't use it!

So hopefully, in the coming weeks, I will get started on my clutter-project. Auditing, minimizing, and maximizing what God has given us.

My to-do list:

• Make a master camping list.
• Sort camping stuff, and make sure it's in order, complete, and ready to use at a moments notice.
• Sort winter clothes.
• Make meat marinades to put in freezer for quick suppers & grills.
• Sort tool closet....take inventory...keep list of useful tools and get rid of the rest.
• Sort craft supplies.
• Start rummage sale pile.
• Clean kitchen drawers.
• Make of list of "hope-to-dos" for this summer.

See those binders?

See those red binders on the counter?

I like those. Wouldn't they be nice to hold pattern print-outs, sewing ideas, pictures of things to make, and other misc. papers floating around!

I thought so too.

I like getting new ideas for keeping things neat and clean. My current read is "More Hours in My Day" by Emilie Barnes. It's full of tips and ideas.

Now to just see if I can impliment any of them! :)

On keeping plants.....

I bought these beautiful Poinsettias around Christmas time on a great price.

They brought cheer to our dark wintry house for months.

Now the months are over, yet they still hang around, waiting for a touch from their owner.

I'm surprised they haven't died yet....since I forgot to water them for 2 weeks straight.

You see, I had this "brilliant" idea to keep them all winter (alive that is) and then plant them outside in the summer. I heard they would keep growing, and you could "harvest" them again in the fall.

While that seemed like a good idea at the time, as they face neglect and dis-interest from myself, I wonder why I thought I'd have the stamina to watch over them all winter!

I'm beginning to convince myself that it's better for me to just get new ones next Christmas. :)

Things I learned over the weekend...

I know, I know, it's now almost the middle of the week. This is late. But it was a good weekend. Here are some things I learned:

1. Rotton potatoes smell pukingly AWFUL. Do not let one rot in your kitchen.

2. Cold....I mean really cold....air is not good for potted plants. Let's say said potato smell is stinking up kitchen, so you feel the need to turn on the vents and open some winter windows. You do so. And in a quick and astonishing style, the potted plants you have in front of that said window, will wilt and fall over. Oops.

3. Hydrogen Perioxide takes out grape juice stains. This was my first successful stain-remover-job I have done on a sweater. And the juice even sat there for a day or two (that is mostly why I have been unsuccessful before). So now I am enamored with Hydrogen Perioxide. I suggest it to anyone wanting to feel useful.

4. These ingredients will make a fine supper: cauliflower, sliced mushrooms, curry powder, green chilies, chopped onion, garlic, chunked potato, salt, pepper, and a little water. Served with a chapati or bread, it is just fiiiinnne in a fix.

Some thoughts on Bathrooms....

I know, we don't normally spend our thinking moments on bathrooms, and don't often bring the subject of them up in conversation, but I thought I might share a few tips on them anyway.

When company comes, it's a good idea to pay a little attention to our bathrooms. Now, I'm not one who has their's all fancied up with lace curtains and potporui and magazine racks, who has matching towels and painted cupboards. No, if you come to our house that's not my bathroom....you must've taken a wrong turn somewhere!

But, even if you don't have a designer home, there ARE a few things you can do to make your bathroom a nicer place in a jiffy:

1. Re-load the toilet paper holder (bonus - have an extra roll available in a handy place)
2. Change the garbage out
3. Make sure there is a clean towel to dry hands on
4. Wash the sink/counter

There you have it. You don't have to scrub the whole bathroom down if you're running short of time and high on stress....just a few touch ups like those above, make the bathroom nice and functional for you and your guests. (This is taking into account that a regular bathroom cleaning schedule is already in place :) )

One more thing I've noticed, if kids are coming over, is to leave the bathroom light on. We don't have windows in our bathroom, and it get's pretty dark and forboding at night when the hallway is dark. I've had much more success convincing a little kid to "try" if the light was on and they had a chance to "scope it out" (i.e. peek in while no-one was looking) first! :) I know this might be an electricity issue...but personally, I can deal with that more than other things ;) if it's only for a short time.