A Simple Fall Table

Good afternoon! 

Today, I am sharing my Fall Table. If you saw my Fall Spaces video you might have seen the same table decorated simply with a different set of dishes and velvet burgundy placemats. 

This time I've brought out my sparkly dishes and some more subtle bergamot-colored placemats. I've also added some drama with greens from the yard, brass candlesticks, and some late roses (also from the yard). 

I have such a good time doing these. I already have plans for more than 1 (or 3) for Christmas. 

Do you enjoy a pretty table?

 

A Favorite Space: My Piano

Happy Weekend, my friends!

We just got another blast of cold weather and snow. I had to reschedule a procedure I was going to have done today (a Venus doppler).  It wasn't worth traipsing around in the white stuff.

Not that I can traipse anywhere. All of the icy conditions puts a damper on my running around game. I sure have enough to do at home, so my running game would only prove to be distracting.

Every year, I love taking January to purge and redecorate.

This year, I'm taking my time. I'm designing one little vignette at a time.

My design style has certainly changed throughout the years. I have never been what you would call a "minimalist." But as I grow older, I am fonder of unique pieces, handcrafted items and touches of vintage here and there.

Mostly, I am of  the "use what you have" and "use what you love" persuasion. The results aren't always worthy of Joanna Gaines. But...a girl can only do what she can do.

I thought I would share with you what is going on with my piano.

You might need to know that for several years my piano was in storage. Our reunion was a happy one...though my piano is in desperate need of tuning. That will come later...for now she's all dressed up.

Fair warning. I've taken lots 'o pictures. Mostly so I could show my momma.


Here is the side view of the old girl. That fabulous "T" we got from Hobby Lobby in clearance for less than $8.

Excuse the glare. That snow is sparkly!

This beautiful watercolor is called "Field of Flowers." My momma painted it several years ago and it has been "on loan" at my house for some time.  That little garland is not part of the picture, but I had it up over Christmas and decided I would keep it up there for a while. I tried to move it...thus its wonky position.

The other big piece of my wall is a ruffled wreath I made out of an old hymn book. It was simple to make. I just sat down one night in front of the TV with my glue gun and the hymnal pages. I have made a couple of book page wreaths with the neater rolled pages, but I liked this one for myself. It's kind of messy....like me.

I didn't get a picture of the wine colored candle stick, but I've had that for several years. I got it at Hobby Lobby (once again in clearance). I put a cute little artificial plant on top. I got a set of them from Amazon. The container is cement. I loved the texture it adds.  I might change the candlestick in the near future. We shall see. 

I've had these Spanish dancers for years. They also spent some time in the storage building. They also came from my Momma. Got to love Momma's rejects. Spanish lady had an accident and we had to glue her back together. You can see her little glue line. We just pretend it's her belt. 

This is a special little piece. A dear friend from church, Joe, is a fantastic artist. His specialty is painting scenes and wildlife from his native Indiana (which is, of course, where we are living now). This little snow scene is just perfect on my piano. Joe is in his early 80's by the way. The rest of us have NO excuses.

This Hobby Lobby lantern is not really black. It has copper and bronze accents that you can't see in the picture. I did fill the lantern space with fairy lights at Christmas and decided to keep them for the winter. Shiny!

I am so in love with this piece. My niece, Kalynn, is a talented ceramist. She made us this bowl and a mug for Christmas. It can be used to actually eat in, but I couldn't bring myself to pour a bowl of cereal in it. It's just too special.

I will try and take a picture of the mug (which has lovely details) one of these days, but for now we will just bask in this bowl's loveliness.

This sweet owl is a candle warmer my sister-in-law, Deb, got me for Christmas. It comes from Yankee Candle. A few years ago, she bought me a smaller warmer that I use in my bedroom. It isn't an owl, but one of my favorite features of this particular warmer is that you can set it to be on for 3 hours, 6 hours or 9 hours.  The candle currently in use is lavender & vanilla. Delicious.

I am obsessed with this little rug. My momma made it. ON HER LOOM. I couldn't bring myself to use it as an actual rug so I put it on my piano bench.

It is gawwgous! And I think it is right where it needs to be.

I realize that the left side of the piano is a bit heavier than the other. I'm not ready to do anything about it quite yet. I like how I've anchored either side with a set of 3 books. I have a thing for books. And old books....I can't even tell you how much I love old books.

They make wonderful accents to my decor. AND I love using them to change the heights of my lovelies.

I also love using natural elements. This is a real piece of wood. It's cracked, messy and just perfect.

So that's it! I'll try and share a few more projects as I go.

Using a List (for those of us who get distracted by life)

It happens. Every once in a while, I find myself in a what appears to be a episode of "Hoarders." You know it's bad when you call your son and if he doesn't answer right away, your first instinct is that he has been buried underneath the avalanche of coats, Wal-mart bags and scrapbook paper spilling out of the  closet.

It always seems to be worse after a major holiday. I've got a mixture of Christmas stuff (who seemed to miss the Christmas bucket express), Valentine's Day bits and baubles that I've freed from their basement holding cell and things I just don't know what to do with.

And why must everyone in my house use the coffee table as a holding place for video games, books, dirty buttermilk glasses and open jars of peanut butter?

I don't know what it is about the New Year, but it allows me to look with fresh eyes at my environment and decide what needs to be retired to that great home decor/possession tool called the giveaway box.

This year is a little different. We only moved to this house in September. I also have been under the added stress of poor health. I'm still taking pleasure in my little house. It took me weeks to put up all my Christmas decorations the way I wanted them. It also has taken a week for me to take everything down.

You don't understand.

My Momma, Baby Sister and I don't let the grass grow under our feet concerning Christmas decorations and the removal of. If I am home the day after Christmas...everything goes back in the tub! We are over it....and on to the next thing.

Shew!

It gets even worse with those of us who homeschool. There seems to be too many wheels (on the bus) going at once. Then you add a fruity gal who likes to dabble in a creative project once in a while (I might relate)...

AND to top it off, this pastor's wife has just a few things going on. Where do I fit in those things?

It's easy to get overwhelmed with unfinished projects and a life that seems to swirl about you. Or maybe I'm the only one who would like to have clean underwear, a finished lesson plan and a dishless sink IN THE SAME DAY!

My advice (to myself mostly) to those who find themselves with a long list of projects, activities and commitments is to do one thing at a time.

I personally am a big fan of The List.

Here is where I am going to SET YOU FREE! Your list making will never be the same again.

Only put 3 things on your list initially. Sure. You can have a master list. Master list to your heart's content. In fact, I always have a couple of  Master Lists running for different projects. BUT for this minute. ONLY PUT 3 THINGS TO DO ON A LIST.

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

DON'T take the time to decorate your list with doddles of hearts and flowers with a motivational scripture scribbled in your best handwriting at the top. Or is this just me.

DON'T put the list aside for another project, trip to Hobby Lobby or afternoon of mindless reading. Or is this just me.

DO make yourself a hot cup of tea.

DO put on your favorite pair of fuzzy slippers and put your favorite essential oil blend in the diffuser. Or at least light a candle.

DO start at #1 and continue on. After you get done with those 3 things on that list...add 3 more things to the list.

Another great piece of advice (if I do say so myself) is to use a timer. Set your timer for 15 minutes and do everything you can on the list for 15 minutes. You can add more time if needed. I'm certainly not going to come over and start scolding you on proper time management. But, I have found that a timer keeps us focused and on task.

I use it for Josiah ALL THE TIME.

That boy can drag out putting away the dishes like nobody's business.

Here are the first 3 things I have already tackled today.

1. I put on a load of laundry. Yes, I did!

2. I put supper in the crockpot (with enough servings to make up some individual meals for me next week).

3. I gave The Muffin that haircut he's been asking for (for far too long).

Already, I am winning the day. The next 3 things on my list?

1. I am going to do another load of laundry.

2. I am going to dye and dry a batch of coffee filters to make flowers (this project I will share soon!)

3. I am going to make 2 social media graphics for our church Facebook page for our prayer emphasis for the month of January.

You see how I am working it out?

I do have a little secret. Because of my "lack of energy" issues, I make sure to pace myself. I will take a break every hour or so if I have a lot to do. It's during those break times that I can work on tasks that allow me to sit on my little corner of the couch and sip my tea. I MIGHT read, but most likely I will work on those social media graphics or a blog post.

My next few things are going to be projects that I can do to work towards the "Clutter."

1. Put up some of Josiah's clothing that is clogging his drawers. He has some summer clothes that need to be put in a tub.

2. Clear out the stack of non-essential items beside my bed.

3. Put away 10 things in our office that don't belong there.

Do you see the method to my madness? Or just the madness....😜

On days that involve more rigorous schooling, I evaluate what needs to be a priority and tackle those things first. For example, Josiah has been struggling with math. I make sure that I prioritize time that we can sit down together and work through it.

I also prioritize our read alouds together. There have been days that I've barely had the energy to feed my guys...But if we can read a great book together...I know that I am still pouring something of value into Josiah's life. I want to write a post about some of my current methods soon. I need to add it to my list!


We can do this, my friends! Go conquer that list!

Help! I Need Homekeeping Motivation #5dayshomeschool101

Hello, my friends. Welcome to the Schoolhouse Review Crew 5 Days of Homeschool 101 Blog Hop. Today the topic is Home Management. If you have missed my post on making your curriculum work for you, head on over here. You can also check out my post on Planning.

Let’s talk about Homekeeping.

Some of you are rocking it. You are the Queen of your castle!             

Between you and me, I might be the Queen but my crown is a little tattered. Not to mention my castle.
 

When I need Homekeeping  inspiration I have a few resources that help me put polish in my spit.

How Jen Does It

Jen isn’t a homeschooler, but she is a Christian youtuber and provides plenty inspiration concerning healthy eating, workouts and keeping the house spotless. There are whole videos of her just cleaning. I find them fascinating. So that is what it looks like!  I have made many of her recipes. Yum!

The LifeGiving Home : Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming

This is one of my new favorite books by Sally & Sarah Clarkson. There are nuggets of homemaking wisdom for every month. This mother and daughter duo challenge our faith and inspire us to be better wife, mothers, daughter and children of God. Sally Clarkson is a treasure.

At Home with Madame Chic

I ordered this book a few years ago. I was tired of feeling frumpy. I was missing some of the little touches I loved to add to our daily life.  I adore this little book. The author, Jennifer L Scott, has a few other books that look just as interesting. She also has a youtube channel I follow. You can also check out her blog The Daily Connoisseur.  

Having a Martha Home the Mary Way

This book by Sarah Mae not only provides daily homemaking challenges for the challenged homemaker, but leads us through a devotional. It is intended to be a 31 day plan. I really loved it because it helped me refocus my priorities.  Sarah Mae has a terrific blog. Check out her 31-day Challenge.

Fly Lady

I discovered Fly Lady years ago. While I am not the most faithful adherent, I have still practice many of her tips and tricks daily. Whatever life throws at me, I still manage to declutter for 15 minutes day. I can do that! Fly Lady has tons of resources…even for the homeschooler! In fact, she has a link for a homeschooler who gives you step-by-step instructions for managing your day. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve put on the Fly Lady podcast for crisis cleaning.

Homemaking Blogs

There are lots of bloggers online who have taken on the mantle of providing homemaking mentoring for those who need instruction or inspiration. I am listing just a few.

·         Hilary Bernstein – check out her Homemaking 101 series.

·         Clean Mama

·         The Christian Homekeeper

·         Time Warp Wife

·         One Good Thing by Jillee – check out ‘clean’ under the solutions tab.

So there you go, my friends. I hope I’ve given you at least one or two resource ideas that will encourage you (or at least give you some tips on how to keep your shower clean). Don’t be ashamed or afraid to seek out a real life mentor. I was blessed to have a mother who taught me how to, not only manage my home, but to think of our home as a haven for those who reside there.  I have also found that some of the precious older members of our congregation to be a wealth of wisdom and ingenuity.

Go forth my friends! Make your castle as shiny and precious as you are!  Check out other great articles on Home Management by clicking here or below. 

FREE STUFF!!!

Happy April! 

I decided to wait to post this treat AFTER April Fools Day. 

I am certainly not a prankster. 

I'm a s'rious girl, I tell you! 

As you might know, I am a Reviewer (in capital letters) for the Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I can't even begin to tell you all the wonderful blessings I've had because of this experience. 

Several weeks ago, we all got a note from Gena (publisher of TOS) with great news. She let all of us browse through the TOS online store and pick 3 digital products to offer to our readers for FREE. 

What?!??!!

I immediately went and made my wish list. 

Before I show what I picked out for you (and reveal the secret code), I encourage you to visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Facebook Page. You'll find encouraging posts, articles and of course, links to our reviews. 

Now to the goodies. 

First, I chose the Naturally Clean Planner from Molly Green Magazine. Here is what the site says about it. 

This amazing planner is filled with cleaning schedules, weekly & monthly checklists and natural cleaning recipes. 

And it is cute! And very, very practical. I wanted to give you something to make your life a little easier. 

Next, I want you to have as much encouragement in your life as you can get. Gena Suarez has written this delightful devotional called "Hey Mama: 31 Day Devotional." It is a precious devotional to add to your day. 

The last product I chose was Wise Words About Teaching Reading: You Can Teach Your Own Child to Read Well. I chose this product because I wanted to encourage all those mommas out there who have been in the same boat I'm in. You are raising a struggling reader and feel inadequate and unqualified. This product provides advice from parents who have walked that road. 

Here is what you do to receive your free goodies.  

1. You can choose one or ALL of the ebooks. Just go to the Schoolhouse Store (or click on the links above) and add the products to your cart. 

2. When you are ready to checkout just put RTCREW16 in the COUPON CODE box and hit APPLY COUPON.

3.  It should take your total to a BIG FAT ZERO. Unless you've found some other goodies you would like to purchase. :<)

Now you might be asked to create an account, but don't worry. They won't bite, ask you for your first born or sell your information.  Just be sure to get your free stuff BEFORE May 1, 2016. The coupon code lasts the entire month of April. 

Let me know what you think of your goodies! 

The Family Supper: Chicken Soup for the Sickies

Anybody else here grow up eating super at the table nearly every single night?

This girl did.

In fact, it was considered a great treat to eat our meals in front of the television during Family Movie Night.

You can be sure that I incorporated the same practice when I had my own family. Sadly, I haven't been as diligent.

It became even harder when several years ago (we are talking over 8), The Muffin started working a strange shift. We had been in the full-time pastorate for years and years. All of the sudden, The Muffin was working for "The Man" and the "Man" wanted him at work from 3:30pm - 1:30am.

Because we have also continued our work in the ministry (The Muffin is the Assistant Pastor at church) our lives have been a whirlwind of time that is not our own.

Add to that swim team practice...

I'm surprised  we've seen much of each other.

This summer The Muffin's schedule changed. He is now home just a little after 4:30. Of course, there is still swim team practice, cycling with the buddies...but I can now plan a real Family Supper every week.

I like to cook. I like to make things fancy and obviously with a busy schedule and a tight budget it's been hard to manage both.

For most of the week I fix simple things. These are meals that be prepared ahead of time or slow cook all day.

On those nights when I have more time I can bless my family with a meal that takes a bit more time and effort.

I want to start featuring some of those meals on my blog in the hopes that I might provide inspiration for those who are like-minded.

A couple of weeks ago I was already to go. I had the chicken. I had the butternut squash. I had the apples.

And The Muffin was sick.

Boo!

You would think he would have been a bit more considerate of my plans.

So I changed them just a little bit. I made sure he had plenty of juice, Vitamin C and Kleenex at his disposal.

Then I went into the fridge and grabbed the carcass of a much-enjoyed rotisserie chicken  (I had found several in the deli at Wal-mart marked down to $2.49).

I chopped up a few carrots, an onion and some celery and threw it all in a pot.

I covered it with water and added a few bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper and let it simmer on the stove while I puttered around.

What am I talking about!

I read. There you have it. One can't really consider "reading" as puttering. I just thought "puttering" sounded more industrious.

Anyhoo. I probably cooked the stock for about 4 hours. This is a good basic stock recipe using chicken bones from Epicurious. Their recipe only simmers for 2 hours. I also like the Barefoot Contessa's chicken stock recipe...except that she uses whole chickens.

I like using the bones. She also uses parsnips. I happen to love parsnips and used some in the chicken soup itself, but not in the stock. I had just a few and they were precious. Parsnips are wonderfully healthy and provide all sorts of extra benefits.

I don't really have a recipe for the chicken soup. I saute my veggies first (I used carrots, celery, parsnips and a little garlic). I also turmeric in my chicken soup.  It not only has excellent medicinal properties, but it adds a beautiful golden color. The Pioneer Woman has a lovely Chicken and Noodle recipe . She uses turmeric and I was inspired several years ago to add it to my chicken soup. Thyme is also another herb I like using in chicken soup. I added both this time around.

The finished product was heavenly.  The Muffin can take or leave cooked carrots. I could have used more parsnips, but it didn't matter. The soup was soo comforting and tasty. The Muffin inhaled buckets of it.

Not literally. That would be a bit much.

I also made some Cheddar Sage Biscuits. I generally don't provide bread with every meal. This time around I thought this would be a nice addition. I used our tried and true family biscuit recipe,  added some chunks of sharp cheddar and some chopped fresh sage I had in the crisper. It was either that or cilantro. I think I made the right choice. We usually cut our biscuits out (with an assortment of fun cutters), but I just turned these into drop biscuits. 

I finished off the meal with a buttermilk pie. My crust looks a bit wonky. I also needed to let it brown up just a bit more.  Buttermilk pie is a really easy pie to make. You don't have to prebake the crust and the ingredients are minimal. If you don't keep a supply of buttermilk in your house like we do (my husband is a buttermilk addict), you can sour regular milk by adding just a little bit of vinegar to it and letting it sit for about 30 minutes. 

Here is a great video from Southern Living that shows you all the steps. Their pie looks decidedly better than mine. Another note about buttermilk pie. Some recipes call for lemon juice. Mine does. The Muffin grew up eating Sugar Cream Pie (he's an Indiana boy born and raised). The Sugar Cream Pie is richer and sweeter. The Buttermilk Pie has more of a tartness to it. I really find that it is the perfect pie to make when you are short on special ingredients and inspiration. 

Of course we didn't eat at the table that night. I did spoon up supper into pretty dishes. That was about all we could do. This last week I made a yummy Braised Chicken dinner with smashed potatoes and an apple cake.

Sadly, I don't have any pictures to share. I can't find my camera battery charger.

I put it somewhere...you know how that goes.

This week my plans are to fix another chicken dish for our Family Supper night. Hopefully, I will locate my battery charger. Otherwise I might have to resort to drawing stick figures. I want to share how it all turns out.

 I do need to note that generally my meal planning doesn't include  simple carbs or "white" products (flour, rice, potatoes). I have decided that life is too short to keep potatoes out of my life completely and that once in a while a bit or two isn't going to ruin my life.

One of these days I'll share more of how I do it all.

Do you set aside time for a Family Supper?

A TOS Review: Motivated Moms

You might be surprised to know that I am high-maintenance. It’s true. Ask my husband. Though he is an absolute wonderful (and diplomatic) man who will just refer to my issues as  "a creative genius and gentle spirit." Which means “crazy in a nice way.”

As a result, this “crazy in a nice way” always has a project going. An idea to be carried out. A “something or other” to do. Just today, The Muffin was sorting some laundry for me (cause he’s terrific that way) and asked me about an unusually hideous shirt that was buried deep in the laundry basket. What was this for? Why. I’m making an apron out of it. What else?

You can see that the combination of living in a small space, homeschooling (and all the stuff that goes with it) and my many projects might make it difficult to keep the housework current. In other words, most days I’m lucky just to get a path cleared. Help! I need a housework routine.

I recently received the blessing of reviewing the  2014 Motivated Moms Half-Size Chore Planner with Scheduled Bible Reading {Black and White} (one of the many Motivated Moms Ebooks) from Motivated Moms. This system is not just for “crazy in a nice way” gals like me, but overwhelmed mammas everywhere.

What I Received

Motivated Moms is a “unique and straightforward” chore planner. Kind of like me. Except I seldom plan chores. 

I received a download Motivated Moms printable planner (you can see the version I chose here). They also have a handy app for any i-product. The ebooks are $8 and come in a variety of choices. You can purchase a half page planner or full page planner. There is a choice of color or black and white. Some planners come with a Bible reading plan. In any event, there is a planner for any preference or persuasion. I counted 16 (16!) different planners you can choose from.  
 

My book came as a PDF file and was easy to print. There are 185 pages (total) with 2 pages of meal planning pages in the back.

How I Used It

I chose to receive the half page, black and white planner with the optional Bible reading plan. I have a Bible study I am working through, but I like having the option of something written down for me I can refer to when I am in between studies. I also liked the idea of the half page. I wanted to be able to minimize how much space it took up. I also thought about printing costs. The color option appealed to me, but printing costs were also a concern here as well. I also chose the planner that allows me space to jot down my appointments or activities for the day.

So obviously, I am project happy. Any time I start something new I feel the need to create a binder. When I received this product, I wrestled with myself for days. I would not add to my crazy. I would just put it in a simple notebook. I am trying to simplify my life.

I just couldn’t help it.

Then I realized that one of the beauties of a housecleaning schedule like this is that its simplicity gives me time to do those creative things I enjoy so much.

The planner is set up like a check list. Anybody else like the check list? Sometimes I will add things I’ve already done to the check list just so I can mark it off. I love this planner because I don’t have to do anything but complete the task and check it off. I don’t have to plan ahead to fit in all those things that get neglected.

First of all, I printed a month of the planner. I decided that would be better for my budget. I stuck it in my new binder and off I went. When looking at my day, I can see already that I have my usual chores in a little box off to the left. Those don’t change. It even has a box to check off for exercise, reading to Josiah and taking my vitamins. 

 Below is a copy of my own planner. There are 2 days worth of planner on one page, but I thought you might want to give this one a closer look.

The rotating chores (located on the right) are obviously different. On this particular day (February 27), I could see that I was going to:

•   Mop kitchen

•  Change the hand towels in bathrooms

•  Straighten master bedroom closet

•  Dust dining/breakfast room(s)

•  Clean up computer hard drive – delete unwanted files
• Check prescriptions, call in refills if necessary

The other sections of the planner include a menu plan (very helpful) and daily appointment schedule. I liked being able to have all of it in one place.

My 12-year-old also got in on the action. He has a list of responsibilities and daily I would assign him things on my check list to take care of. He is always the “dish putterawayer” and “floor vacuumer.”  It helped both of us to stay focused.

What I Thought

One of the best things about Motivated Moms is its simplicity. It isn’t a complicated system. I didn’t feel it added to my already busy schedule…instead it focused it. I also love the rotating chore list. It gave me a day to clean out my purse and holler at Josiah to clip his nails (actually it instructs us to clip our child’s nails, but Josiah has taken over that responsibility).

I look forward for this product to be a big help to me from now on. And (most importantly) give me more time with the people I love…and more binder creating moments.

More Tidbits (in a nutshell)

Price: Ebook version - $8. The iOS app is $1.99 for two months or you can purchase a full year for $7.99.

Read more about both versions at Motivated Moms. You can also find sample pages (of the planner I chose) for further inspection.

Connect with Motivated Moms. They are everywhere! Facebook and Twitter

Other gals from the Schoolhouse Crew got to review both versions of Motivated Moms. Check their reviews out by clicking on the banner below.