summer & simplify
TRANSCRIPT
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Tell to your child:
1. I love you.
2. love you no matter what.3. I love you even when you are angry at me.
4. I love you even when I am angry with you.5. I love you when you are far way. My love for you can reach you wherever you are.6. If I could pick any 4 year old (5 year old, 6 year old…) in the whole wide world, I’d pick you.
7. I love you to the moon and then around the stars and back again.
8. Thank you.
9. I enjoyed playing with you today.10. My favorite part of the day was when I was with you and we were _______.
Tell them:
11. The story of their birth or adoption.
12. About how you cuddled them when they were a baby.13. The story of how you chose their name.
14. A story about yourself when you were their age.15. A story about how their grandparents met.
16. What your favorite color is.
17. That sometimes you struggle too.
18. That when you’re holding hands and you give three squeezes, it’s a secret code that means, “Ilove you”.
19. What the plan is.
20. What you’re doing right now.
Play: 21. Freeze Tag
22. Uno23. Crazy 8s
24. Gin Rummy
25. Memory
26. Go Fish27. I Spy- especially when you’re tired of driving and feel snappish
28. Catch
Pretend:
29. To catch their kiss and put it on your cheek.
30. That their tickle tank is empty and you have to fill it.
31. That their high five is so powerful it nearly knocks you over.
32. That you are super ticklish.33. That you are explorers in the amazing new world of your backyard.
34. That it’s party day! Decorate for no reason!
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The Summer Bucket List: Catholic Edition.
1. Attend a Parish Picnic.
2. Sign the kids up for a week of Vacation Bible School.
3. Volunteer throughout the week at VBS.4. Visit a new Parish for Sunday Mass. Nothing unites us as “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic”
Church like being able to attend Mass anywhere, and still participating in the same celebration. *If
traveling, visit here to find Mass times. Don’t forget to support your home Parish the weekends you
are away.
5. Tour a Shrine or a Basilica.
Shiela and I met at the Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Washington, DC) last
August:
6. Visit a Catholic bookstore. My kids love checking out the children’s section. 7. Check out some Catholic books at the Library.8. Celebrate a Feast Day or a Saint’s Day. We love making cakes and cupcakes around here. Here areour brownie shamrocks from the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity:
9. Make a Rosary garden or place a Blessed Mother statue in your yard.
10. Attend a Saturday Vigil Mass and go out for ice cream after.
11. Attend a daily Mass.
12. Teach your children a new prayer.
13. Say a Novena.
14. Go to Adoration.
15. Go to Confession.
16. Attend a Baptism.
17. Go to a wedding.
18. Go on a Spiritual Retreat. Even if it is disguised as a camping trip.
19. Have a “say the Rosary” play date.
20. Invite your Priest to supper.
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125 Things To Do This Summer
YELLOW (things to do outside in the sun)
1. bubbles
2. catch a butterfly
3. sandbox
4. paperbag scavenger hunt
5. water pinatas
6. water games
7. hopscotch
8. run in the sprinklers
9. make an obstacle course
10. pull weeds (not everything has to be fun, right? :)
11. sidewalk chalk paint
12. mud pie kitchen
13. hunt for predators with water guns
14. sidewalk chalk
15. ride your bike
16. wash cars, scooters, and bikes
17. plant flowers
18. play hide and seek
19. have a race
20. roller skate
21. play red light/ green light
22. play tag
23. plant a garden- even if its just herbs
24. kiddie pool in backyard
BLUE (summertime treats) I have a bunch of dinner recipes that I want to try that I will
be adding to our monthly meal schedule (hopefully!). I wanted to make the summer
bucket list fun for my daughter, and pulling out a popsicle stick that said "grilled chicken
fajitas" wouldn't do much for her.
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25. smoothies
26. campfire cones
27. cupcakes in ice cream cones
28. make sugar cookies and decorate
29. food paint
30. dip a banana in chocolate and freeze
31. take a picnic somewhere
32. muddy buddies
33. mini personal pizzas for lunch
34. candlelight dinner
35. make homemade taffy
36. indoor smores
37. homemade snow cones
38. frozen grapes
39. ice cream in a bag
40. make popsicles
41. use candy melts to make suckers
42. frozen jr mints
43. gelato
44. fruit kabobs
45. strawberry and watermelon lemonade
46. kool-aid ice cubes and 7-up
47. crabby sandwich for lunch
48. frozen fruit bars
ORANGE (science projects)
49. make bird feeders
50. freeze things and dig them out
51. oily fireworks
52. fossil cookies
53. static electricity
54. volcano in a mug
55. m&ms in hot water
56. glow in the dark party
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57. weather cloud in a cup
58. blowing up balloons
59. ice sculptures
60. sidewalk egg frying w/aluminum foil
61. floating eggs in salt water
RED (art projects)
62. make bath paints with shaving cream
63. bubble painting
64. make pinwheels
65. sewing project
66. glitter toes
67. make a treasure map and go on a hunt
68. marshmallow and tooth pick sculptures
69. make slime
70. make a paper mache bowl
71. "I wish..." art project
72. paint cement with water
73. ABC handprint art book
74. fingerpaint
75. fingerpaint with pudding
76. self portrait
77. silhouette pictures
78. invisible ink
79. melt crayons
PURPLE (learning activities)
80. use a calculator
81. write digits 0-982. puppet show
83. sound sorts
84. write name
85. letter bingo
86. write and illustrate a story
87. follow direction cards
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88. etiquette factory
89. Dora letter sound flashcards
90. number bingo
GREEN (hometown activities)
91. bowling
92. bounce house
93. aquatic center/ swimming pool
94. dinosaur park
95. splash pad
96. children's museum
97. playground
98. duck pond
99. city museum
100. train museum
101. nature trail
102. nickelcade
103. Hill Air Force base airplane museum
104. nature center
BROWN (Salt Lake and beyond activities)
105. Symphony
106. Natural History Museum107. Red Butte Gardens
108. Zoo
109. Kennecott Copper Mine
110. City Creek shopping center
111.State Capital Building
112. baseball game
113. planetarium
114. temple square
115. liberty park
116. aviary117. childrens theater
118. Park City
119. aquarium
120. Church History Museum
121. Gateway
122. This is the Place State Park
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123. ride the bus
124. fireworks
125. fair
I know there are TONS more ideas (Thanksgiving Pointe, Yellowstone, Dinosaur
National Monument, hiking, Antelope Island, etc....) And there is NO pressure on
accomplishing every single thing on my list. OK, maybe a little pressure- I mean, being
able to cross off my entire list would be amazing!
I hope this list inspires you to make some fun memories with your families this summer.
There are often days or even just an hour when everyone seems to be a little grouchy.
These are some thing I do when that happens:
1. Deep breath. I call out, “Deep breath!” Then everyone stands up and we all take long, slow breaths while we raise our hands over our heads. Then we let the air out slowly while we lower
our arms. The whole movement is very slow and purposeful. We might do that a few times, then
go back to our regular day.
2. Jumping jacks. We all stop what we are doing and do 20 jumping jacks. This is especially
good when they seem to have extra energy and need to use it. It’s hilarious to see the littler onestrying to coordinate their arms and legs.
3. The color game. If its not raining I take a stack of construction paper (each piece a different
color), some tape and some tacks (I used to leave these in a drawer by the front door) and take itall outside. I tack or tape a whole piece of the paper to trees, the car, a bush, the front
door….making sure they are spread out but I can see all of the colors from my chair (that I have
set in the middle of it all). Then I sit in the chair and gather all of the kids around me and I say,“Ready……RED!” Then they have to find the red paper and run to it. Once they are all there I
call out another color and we keep doing it until they are exhausted. Sometimes I modify the
game by calling a kid’s name with a color. You can let the older ones go faster with this version.
4. Play stations in the kitchen. Fill the sink half full with water & utensils, fill a 9×13 pan withrice, another with straws, a plastic bowl with beans. Set it all on the kitchen counter (table,
whatever) and set the timer for 5 minutes. They play at each station for only 5 minutes then they
switch. You stay in the kitchen with them the whole time giving attention to their made upgames. In 20 minutes it’s over.
5. Emergency toys. I keep toys tucked high up in a closet for just such an occasion. Pull them
out of the closet and set the timer for 30 minutes. Once the timer goes off….the toys get putaway for at least a month. That’s the only way they will work the next time.
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6. Play a game. We’ll all sit and play something unbelievably dull, like Go Fish or a simple
board game. Sometimes all they need is for you to stop and give them your full attention for 15
minutes.
7. Music. Music is a-MAZing for this kind of problem. If I don’t have the time to play games or
make pans of rice in the kitchen, I will turn on some fun kid music and we’ll all dance around toone song. Mommy dances too (and Daddy if he’s home). One song can reset everyone’s attitude.
8. Tear paper. Sometimes we all just need to do something wild and completely unexpected. SoI will give each child 3 pieces of construction paper and we’ll stand in a circle and when I say,
“GO!” we all start tearing up our paper and throwing it on the floor. We jump around and scream
and laugh and giggle and fall down and throw the paper around for about 5 minutes. Then I say,“STOP!” and we have to clean it up as quickly and silly as we can.
9. Lie on the grass. Often, when it’s not too wet, cold, hot….we go outside and lie on the grass.Everyone takes turns telling what they see in the clouds or, if there’s no cloud, I will ask them a
question and we take turns answering. Sometimes we will do it on the trampoline instead of thegrass.
10. Drink something green. I put green food coloring in either lemonade or water. I gather
everyone in the kitchen and give everyone a glass of “Green Goop” and we all drink it at thesame time. We drink it as fast as we can and be silly. If it’s been a really rough day, burping is amust.
11. Crawling. I have everyone put shoes on their hands and crawl around until I say stop. Then
they have to freeze like a statue until I say go. Sometimes I’ll call out pieces of furniture for them
to crawl to. We’ll do this for about 15 minutes then stop and put the shoes away.
12. Baths. These are not get-clean baths. These are play-baths. 15 minutes in the tub with a few
toys and no washing hair. Just time to stop everything and play in the water.
13. Read a book . If everyone is tired I will grab a book and read it aloud in an unusual
way…with an accent, like a monster, while acting it out, hanging upside down off of thecouch….something that makes it different.
14. Hold hands. Sometimes everyone just needs Mom for a few minutes. So we’ll hold handsand walk around, outside if possible but inside works too. I’ll say something like, “Tell me what
you liked about today,” and we’ll walk and talk and touch for a few minutes.
15. Quizzes. I’ll line them up in front of me and zing them with questions. They have to answer
really quickly and if they take too long I say, “Zing!” and they have to fall down and get back up
again. (If you’re not feeling creative, just think of a favorite book or movie and ask themquestions about that, “What’s the name of the character that_____,” “Who had the last line in the
movie?” “What color was ____ wearing when she was running?”, etc.) This is especially good
for nursing moms that need to sit for a few minutes and the older kids are needing attention.
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16. Color their name. I write their name in really big, puffy letters and they get 3 Crayons to
color it in. No sharing, no trading…just 3 colors…GO!
17. Have a snack . You sit with them and talk for just a few minutes. Don’t set them down and
walk off. Just sit there for a few minutes and toast your glasses together and say, “To a better
day!” and eat a little something.
18. The Whisper Game. I say, “Let’s plat the Whisper Game!” and set the timer for 5-10
minutes. That whole time you sit and talk but everyone has to whisper. Do what you can to makeit silly and animated, like lean to their ears or tiptoe around the room while you’re whispering.
19. Animals. I sit on the couch and and gather them around, with an arm length between them.
Then I call out animals and they have to act like that animal until I change the animal. I might
switch it up by calling out a specific child’s name with an animal.
20. Slow down. This one is good to do after any of the other activities. We all move and talk in
slow motion. I will walk around and they follow me and do what I do….all in slow motion. ThenI give them turns being the leader. This is fun, but it takes the energy back down and you’reready to go back to normal.
As you can see, the main focus of these activities is to stop what you are doing, stop rushing,stop being frustrated and spend a few minutes together doing something completely different. It
is essential that Mom or Dad participate. That’s what really pushes the reset button.
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Summer is traditionally the time I organize my life for the coming year. Because I homeschool,summer is the time I plan our coming school year. This year, I am on a mission to reorganize my
whole life!
Sometimes life gets in the way of our plans, right? That’s been the case for me for quite a while
now. In our crazy hectic life, our schedule is constantly flowing, moving, changing. It drives mecrazy. I like routine. I like each day to pretty much be the same. Unfortunately, life hasn’t
cooperated over the last few years.
This year, I want consistency, even in the chaos. My home – down to the closets and drawers –
needs a makeover. Life has been so hectic, I have found myself wallowing in the chaos to long!
Something has to change and I want to get on with it. Now.
Have you ever felt that way? Do you think I can get my whole life organized in six weeks? Or at
least be on my way back to a household that runs smoothly? I plan to try my best!
Over the coming four weeks life will go on as usual. We have lots of family birthday parties,three grandchildren coming from Michigan to spend the month, trips planned, homeschooling to plan, food to cook, laundry to catch up on…. You get the idea. But I really need to get my calm
in the chaos back! So, despite all of my wonderful summer family plans, I plan to make
organizing my life a top priority.
Are you looking for the calm in your chaos? Join me! June 18 – July 27, 2012
Challenge Week #1: Reorganize Household Notebook and File Crate Systems and Family
Schedule
Challenge Week #2: Clean Out Kitchen Cupboards and Reorganize
Challenge Week #3: Reorganize Storage Closets
Challenge Week #4: Reorganize Clothes Closets and Drawers
Challenge Week #5: Reorganize Bathrooms and Clean Out Book Shelves
Challenge Week #6: Plan Home School Year and Clean Out Home School Closet
Here Are The Posts:
1. The Life Management Binder
2. My Household Notebook
3. Summer Challenge Update
4. The File Crate System
5. The Home School File Crate System
6. More to Come!
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{ source }
Summer Challenge 2012: Get Organized
Wow, I remember when I started A Virtuous Woman way back in 2001 and the internet was so
different back then! We didn’t have all the cool software that we have today. I remembercreating my household notebook and it was one of the first printable ones on the internet! I didn’t
have Adobe back then, so how to make them printable was an issue. My how things have
changed!
So what is a Household Notebook/ Life Management Binder? It’s a binder that holds all of theimportant stuff you need to remember everyday!
You can still print our our basic Household Notebook here. I love colorful forms, but these are
just basic black and white ones. Printing them on frequent basis means a lot of ink and if you’relike me, you can’t afford the colored ink! But then, maybe you don’t mind the extra expense, and
would love some color in your notebook. So, either way, you’ll find something that works foryou!
If you like the color but don’t want to print out each day, I’ll share with you tomorrow how I am
currently setting up my household notebook with the best of both worlds!
So I’m going to share some of my favorite links for household notebook printables:
A Bowl Full of Lemons Planner Organization
Week At a Glance from Amy Bayliss
Calendars and Goals from Amy Bayliss
Household Management Forms from Money Saving Mom
Home Management Binder from Life Your Way
Our Life Binder from Finding Home
Printable Planner from the Organized Housewife
Some other ideas I like:
A Day in My Life’s take on a laminated Daily Docket
How to Develop a Family Mission Statement by Passionate Homemaking
Do you have a favorite source for great printables? Have you ever used a Household
Notebook/ Life Management Binder? What have you accomplished today to get your home
organized for the summer? Share with us!
You can find more ideas on my Life Management Binder Pintrest page.
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Why Simplify?
by Lindsayon Jun 04, 2008in frugal & simple
Live simply that others might simply live. ~Elizabeth Seaton
This quote has been on my mind quite frequently…mulling over the reason for simplicity. “Simple
living” is not a new fad, and yet it has been coming to the forefront as of late, possibly due to the
challenges in our current economy for many a family.
I have heard many reasons given for pursuing simplicity including: savings and retirement,
purchasing a home debt free, tight budgets, desiring to be less dependent upon the consumerist
mentality of our culture, health, peaceful home and life, less stress, etc.
These are all wise reasons for pursuing simply living, many of which have been my desires as
well…but should there be something more? Some more eternal, over-arching God-glorifying
purpose for pursuing simplicity?
Simple Living throughout History
As I mentioned previously, ‘simple living’ is nothing new. Here are a few historical examples, which
were shared in Tim Keller’s Ministries of Mercy :
Take the story of John Wesley, a man who died with nothing left but a coat and two silver
teaspoons, and this was not due to any lack of resources. He earned as much as 1,400 pounds
annually toward the end of his life through the sale of sermons and books. He never spent morethan 30 pounds each year, and said himself, “If I leave behind 10 pounds, you and all mankind bear
witness against me that I lived and died a thief and a robber.”
George Muller of Bristol left $850 at his death, and it was estimated that he gave away $180,000
dollars to the Lord’s work.
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How do we apply this? My question and pray has been, how can I live more simply in order that
others might simply live? How do we pursue simplicity in meal planning, household maintenance,
schedule, purchases, etc?
I would like to commence a series of post on steps toward simplicity. On upcoming Wednesdays, wewill posts tips for simplifying your home and lifestyle, sharing with you lessons we have learned
through the journey. I have so much more to learn, but as long as we remain focused on the God-
glorying goal of living generously for others, He will supply the grace sufficient for the task. This is a
purpose worth living for!
I hope to encourage you all in ways of simplifying in order to be most effective with your time and
resources for the glory of God, seeking first the kingdom, giving more generously, remaining
content with little, and keeping our hearts and minds where the true treasure should be stored in
heaven.
Developing a Family Mission Statement
by Lindsayon Jul 16, 2010in building the family
“Every decision we make is ultimately governed by some kind of inter est or goal or objective or
value or principle, whether we know it or not. A Family Mission Statement is an effort to bring to
an explicit level what your goals and values are so that people are on the same page.” – Stephen
Covey
Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy
is he,” which has always challenged me in the importance of casting a vision and mission for our
family. Without vision and direction, we could easily wander aimlessly through life and wasteprecious hours and moments that could be invested in the things of the Lord. We can get easily
distracted in the superficial issues and lose sight of the greater purpose. I am often such a person,
desiring great things in my heart, but never practically writing this out on paper and making a
purposeful plan to review it regularly.
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A mission statement is not something that is developed overnight, but it is invaluable frame of
reference to use in making the everyday decisions in addition to the long term goals and plans. It is
the inspiration that can encourage you when you have a challenging day. It can help refocus your
family when you get off course. It answers the question: where are we going as a family? Where are
we gifted that we could facilitate greater service to one another and the world around us? How can
we purposefully accomplish that?
Where to Begin?
I encourage you to read 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen Covey as an excellent
source of inspiration and purpose for beginning this assignment. Here is the steps we took to
develop our family mission. Make sure to make this a family affair, if possible, or if your children are
young, you and your spouse. We will be far more effective if we seek to work together as co-labors
in the mission God has assigned us.
1. Pray
Developing a mission statement cannot be completed without prayer. Spend as much time as
necessary on this step, just seeking the Lord as to the direction he would desire for your family to
take. Spend several days in preparation in this manner. We spent several weeks praying and
thinking about the questions below individually before coming together to discuss it.
2. Ask Questions
Sit down together with your spouse and family and evaluate your passions and desires with these
questions. Take lots of notes.
Where are we going as a family?
What are our priorities?
What are our strengths, gifting, talents?
What is the main purpose of our home?
What are practical ways we can serve each other?
What are practical ways we can serve others outside our family?
Name three things you think you could do better as a family.
What would people say today about our family as a whole?
What would we like people to say about our family as a whole in 30 years?
If our home could be filled with one emotion, what would it be?
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How do you want to build relationships in your family?
Name three adjectives we would like people to use to describe our home environment.
If we could name one principle from which we want our family to operate, what would it
be?
What characteristics do we want our children to have as they grow up? What do we want
them to be skilled in?
For further questions to evaluate, check out Simple Mom & Family Cornerstone list.
Make note of any quotes or verses that stand out to you. Consider how you might incorporate
these as well.
3. Narrow it Down
After evaluating the above questions, we narrowed our list down to our top ten priorities. Here is
the list we compiled for our family based upon evaluating the questions above and our priorities:
God must come first (“Unless the Lord builds the house the workers labor in vain”)
Proactively seek to confess sins, love, and be quick to forgive each other
Kind and not ashamed to show affection with one another
Mission minded – joyfully serving the Lord together
Living simply in order to give generously
Love for learning
Good stewards
Hospitable (caring)
Using gifts for the kingdom (computer programming, writing, teaching, music, etc.)
Grateful
4. Write Your Statement
Then we took those priorities and goals and compiled it into a mission statement. Our statement is
still in process, but this was our first draft. I seek your help and accountability in sharing this. We do
this not for our own sakes for the greater purpose of God’s glory:
We will keep Christ at the center of our home.
We are committed to each other and will proactively practice humility, forgiveness, unconditional
love, and share affection and encouragement with each other.
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We are committed to living a missional lifestyle by living simply, giving generously, demonstrating
hospitality, and cultivating gifts within each member of the family that can be used to further the
Kingdom of God.
We will be good stewards of the earth that God has entrusted to our care.
Our home will be a place where grateful hearts abide and where a love for learning is always
nurtured and encouraged.
We are raising our children as disciples that love to learn, give, work, serve, and in turn send them
out to share Gods love with the world.
Ours is more lengthy at this point than it needs to be. Our short purpose statement has always
been: living simply in order to give generously (read more about this passion in my original series
Our Journey to Simple Living). Yours can be as short or as long as you desire. Stephen Covey’s family
statement is as follows:
To create a nurturing place of faith, order, truth, love, happiness and relaxation and to provide
opportunity for every person to become responsibly independent and effectively inter-dependent in
order to serve worthy purposes in society through understanding and living the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
5. Create Action Statements
With each priority listed, develop one or more action steps to complete over the next six months,
year, or as you see fits best with your family. For us, we had to ask: how will we keep Christ the
center of our home? By having regular family devotions, praying together at meals and the
beginning of the day, and evaluating everything we do in our home to make sure Christ is honored.
We will live missionally by reaching out in hospitality twice a month, welcoming new neighbors into
our community, etc. By making action statements, you will be actively making steps towards the
fulfillment of your goals in your home.
6. Set a Plan for Review and Evaluation
Mission statements will not go far without purposing to review them and evaluate your progress.
Make a plan for this. Set up reminders on your computer to review it. We plan to review on a yearly
basis when we do our year end evaluation, but also when we get away on vacation throughout the
year.
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With each and every thing we consider adopting or committing to as a family, we need to ask:
what has this to do with that? Asking this in light of our mission statement and the glory of God.
7. Pray Again and Never Stop
Finally, dedicate it to the Lord. Commit your mission to Him and trust that He will guide you in the
fulfillment of it. Do not trust on your own strength, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He
will direct your paths (Prov. 3:5).
Since beginning the process of developing our family mission statement, it has provided such clarity
and direction to our daily lives. We know what our purpose is and we our passionately working
together to accomplish it. By God’s strength, we want to be laborers in the extension of His
Kingdom!
For further inspiration: The Benefits of Having A Family Mission Statement by Stephen Covey
God bless your efforts to live purposefully for His glory!
“He who has God and everything has no more than he who has God alone.” ~ C.S. Lewis
The management of finances seems to be the biggest marital conflict and often causes great stress,
worry and anxiety. Why is this? Why is there such a strong trend among wives and mothers to be so
focused on frugality? I have struggled with this issue over the last few months, and I have desired to
seek out the Biblical truth in these matters. In light of our family motto that I have written on the
top of my blog (living simply in order to give generously), I would like to expand upon this in a short
series.
I will be addressing the question: Why have we chosen to live a simplified lifestyle and what is my
purpose behind it? We will be looking through Scripture to distinguish if and what the Biblical basis
is for frugality, saving, and giving, and what does the Lord require of us in the use of money and our
personal resources, especially as it relates to being wives and mothers.
I do not claim to have a full understanding in this issue, but with the help of my husband and the
Word of God, I am seeking to come to a more balanced and God-glorifying position on these issues.
Did you know that Jesus talks about money more than any other topic? Apparently it is a very
important issue to the heart of God.
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I think we need to seriously ask ourselves: what is my purpose in pursuing frugality? Is this pursuit
God glorifying or is it for selfish reasons?We each need to come to a place of conviction and
purpose to the reason we choose a lifestyle for our family. Why have you chosen to live the way
that you do?
I grew up in a large home and assumed that’s what I wanted for my family when I got married. I
often felt a twinge of jealousy when I heard of friends my age purchasing their first house while I
had to “settle” with a tiny apartment and loud neighbors.
Looking back I am so thankful for living in small spaces and the experience of moving five times in
less than 4 years. Each move left me holding on to my “stuff” with a looser grip and realizing that
owning less can be a freeing blessing.
The Lord has used these moves and small apartments to teach me contentment. The type ofcontentment where I’m no longer “settling” for less, but when faced with the option, I’m choosing
it. While these trinkets and “necessities” that fill our homes aren’t inherently wrong, they are
temporary and fleeting and can easily become burdensome.
In our society we often think that having more than we need is a blessing. I argue that it can be
tiresome and a burden. If you, like me, are living in a small space and struggle with contentment,
here are some reminders of the blessings of less.
1. Less to Clean
Times of cleaning truly bring out my contentment and thankfulness for a small space. I often think
of how much more of my time would be spent cleaning a larger home. I can vacuum my entire
apartment in less than 10 minutes. I love scrubbing only one toilet! Dusting is a 10 minute breeze.
With less space I’m able to keep a deeper-cleaned home instead of spending most of my energy
keeping things “looking” clean.
2. Less Chasing
When we’ve stayed at my parent’s larger home, I’m always amazed at how exhausted I becomefrom chasing little ones. I’m sure this isn’t a huge deal when children are older, but with new
walkers and wobbly toddlers, chasing can become an all day affair. Small spaces allow young ones
the freedom to move around the house without gates and still be within earshot and eyesight of
Mama.
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3. Less to Decorate
Small spaces are not only less intimidating to decorate, but they are much more friendly to the
decorator on a budget. I love decorating a small room to be cozy and functional without the
pressure to find pieces simply to fill empty spaces.
4. Less to Maintain
Whether large or small, all homes require maintenance. Appliances break down. Furniture wears
out. Walls need new paint. Roofs leak. Lawns need mowing. Smaller spaces can reduce the time and
money spent on keeping a home maintained and comfortable.
5. Less Space for Clutter
With limited closet and storage space I’m forced to weed out useless clutter due to the lack of
clutter hiding spots. I wouldn’t deal with my clutter nearly as much if it didn’t invade my space soeasily. This lack of space is a blessing! My space keeps me accountable to what we do and don’t
need around the house.
“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and
we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be
content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8
Whether you are in a large or small home, may your hearts be filled with contentment,
generosity, and thankfulness to the One who provides for our needs so faithfully.
Simple Steps to Declutter Your Home
by Lindsayon Aug 13, 2010in frugal & simple, making a home
Stuff, stuff, stuff! Are you struggling to keep your head above water in maintaining your home in a
simple and peaceful manner? It takes a bit of persistent effort to maintain a simple home, but it is
well worth it, as you can turn your focus towards the more important things in life – relationships
and hospitality.
I feel like I am always in a mode of decluttering, because I hate things not serving a purpose in my
home. As I have been packing some of our goods in preparation for a potential move, it has helped
me further declutter and seriously evaluate what do I want to take to another home. If it can stay in
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boxes for several months, is it really needed? Do I need ten cookbooks? No, I only use two of
them.
For every item that gathers dust, it takes time to clean, maintain, or clear out of the way to
accomplish another task. Let’s join forces in taking an aggressive attack towards clearing away theclutter!
1. Keep Your mission at the forefront
Decluttering is only successful when I keep the right mindset. What is the purpose? So that my
home can be a more peaceful place for the rest and refreshment of my family and those God has
called us to serve in our community and church. I don’t want to be spending hours each day
housecleaning. Decluttering removes that need. Use the opportunity to teach your kids about giving
generously to bless others with your stuff. Include them in the process.
2. Work room by room
Start decluttering by working room by room throughout your house. Start at the door and do a full
sweep of the room, top to bottom. Empty drawers, cupboards, and closets. Ask yourselves these
questions as you evaluate each item in your home:
Do I use it?
When was the last time it was used?Do I care about it?
Is this item beautifying my home?
Could someone else use it more?
3. Work quickly and be aggressive
Make sure to work quickly and don’t think too hard about each item. What is your first instinct?
The more you think about it, the more you will be able to justify keeping the item.
For clothing, reverse the direction of the hangers for any items that you are unsure about. If they
don’t get worn in the next month, you will know for sure that they need to go. For children’s
clothing, eliminate what clothes you don’t care for or stained. Limit the numbers to 6-8 outfits. For
toys, reserve a few toys per child and remove the rest or rotate them in storage. Kids don’t want or
need tons of toys. It is overwhelming to them.
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4. Persevere for the end is worth it!
The initial re-haul may take some time. It took me a solid week, taking one room each day. After the
initial re-haul, maintaining a simple clutter free home is so much easier, and takes a bit of time here
and there – often taking place with the changing of the seasons in my home. I like to take about 30minutes each week to declutter one area of my home.
When you seek to intentionally declutter your home, it makes it so much easier to be a peaceful
and joyful homemaker. It is like a weight is taken off your back. Your spouse will benefit from a
refreshing place to come home to. Your children will be more content. And your home will be more
prepared to minister to others through hospitality. It’s a win win situation!
Vacation FOOD
This post is brought to you by Passionate Homemaking’s monthly contributor, Michele Augur .
Amy asked: “My children are older (11,13,14,15), but many tips will apply to all ages. We are
heading out on a 16 day summer road trip in August. I have filled our trip full of parks, factory tours
and many many other free or low cost activities. I am planning on preparing home cooked food
throughout the entire trip. Normally, I can manage this, but our trips are usually a week or less at atime and we aren’t continuously moving. On this trip, we won’t be in any one place longer than two
nights. I would love any tips from you and your readers on food ideas, entertainment in the vehicle,
etc. I am spending 5 months planning!
P.S….we are taking a small travel grill, a cooler and in most rooms we will have a fridge and
microwave only. I also plan on taking my large electric griddle for pancakes, etc. That is a about all I
have to work with!”
I am so excited for you, Amy! Our family loves adventures like these.Preparing home-cooked food while traveling is usually the most frugal and healthy option for
meals on the road. Some advance planning certainly helps, though! Here are some tips to make the
trip go a bit smoother for you (and feel free to jump in with your own suggestions!).
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Before a long road trip, I usually write out a flexible meal plan to work from as I make my
preparations. You can adjust this as you travel, but it helps to make sure you don’t forget anything.
Plan for plenty of finger food picnics!
Right before our departure, I schedule a baking day. I prepare items such as cookies, granola,
granola bars, breads, and muffins for snacks & meals. (These likely won’t last two weeks, but it gives
you a head start.)
When packing your cooler, use “leak-proof” containers; otherwise your food will get soggy when
the ice melts! Here are some staple items we like to pack:
Dried & Fresh Fruit
Containers of Veggies (already cut into finger food pieces)
Homemade Trail Mix (When traveling in hot weather, be wary of carrying chocolate, which
can melt!)
Shelf-staple treats, such as Peanut Brittle
Jars of Peanut Butter
Eggs (Hard-boil some ahead of time, and pack raw ones in an egg holder ; cardboard egg
cartons dissolve in a cooler full of ice!)
Nitrate-free Hot Dogs, Pepperoni Sticks, Smoked Salmon, Jerky, etc. from a local meat
market
Cheese (already sliced, and stored in a container in the cooler, or containers of Feta )
Quick-Cooking Grains (such as oats, quinoa, or millet) for hearty “one pot” meals boiled on
a camp stove (or you can microwave quick-cooking oats).
Beans (You can cook some ahead of time, or pack dry or canned beans. Lentils and Split
Peas are especially quick-cooking.)
Tortillas (These are your space-saving foods for the end of your trip, when the baked goods
run out, and are a lightweight option for packing on a day hike.)
Canned Fish (Choose a healthy & sustainable option, such as wild Alaskan salmon.)
Lots of Pancake Mix (Prepare your own homemade “mix” ahead of time! When your br ead
runs out, make a big batch of pancakes at breakfast, and make sandwiches out of them for
lunch.)
Jars of Homemade Yogurt (You can use this in salads, dips , or for breakfasts with fruit &
granola. )
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Popcorn (Pop a big batch to take with you, or pop some over a campfire/camp stove.)
Water (Make sure everyone has their own water bottle for the car, and fills them up before
heading out for the day.)
Photo credit
Meal Ideas:
Grilled Meats & Veggies (You can take along Shish Kebab sticks for a great “finger food”
meal! Try eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, or onions)
Campfire Roasted Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes (Wrap in foil, and tuck into the coals. Stuff
with beans, cheese, & veggies after roasting) Wraps (Our favorites are a combination of Salad Greens, Pear Slices, Feta, and Dried
Cranberries in Whole-Grain Tortillas , or Black Bean Wraps. )
Veggie & Cheese Omelets (You can even do “breakfast for dinner.”)
Fish Cakes (on the griddle)
Grilled Fish or Chicken at dinner can be transformed into salad sandwiches for lunch the
next day.
When packing your kitchen supplies, take the bare minimum you need to prepare and wash up
quickly , so that you can get back out on the road!
Kitchen Staples/Utensils:
Knives (Find ones with their own cover, so they can travel safely.)
Can Opener
Cutting Board
Biodegradable “All-Purpose” Soap (such as castile soap ) & a scrubber for washing your
utensils
A set of dishes for each person (Wash immediately after use, so you’re not carrying dirty
dishes!)
A few favorite spices: Cinnamon, an Herb Blend, and Salt & Pepper are usually sufficient
I like to take a heat-resistant silicone spatula/scraper/spreader, which works for almost
everything!
While you’re at hotels, remember to restock your cooler with ice (so you aren’t buying ice
as often).
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life – how you use your time and how you relate to your possessions), and finally financial clarity
(simplicity of spending – how you relate to your money).
Hebrews 12:1-2 states, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…”
This book is a call to acknowledge honestly what is really holding us back. “Throw it off” as Hebrews
describes. Get it out of your lives and thoughts, for even good things can lead to sin, if we become
consumed with it and turn it into an idol. Nancy shares, “Even nobl e pursuits become clutter when
they endanger our sanity and leave us with no time to connect with God.” You will encounter
struggles in the battle (it is hard to say “no”), but remember to keep fixing your eyes on Jesus! He is
our Source! He provides the ability to lay aside the clutter in our life and be set free through Christ
Jesus. “Through the toughest times in our spiritual lives, it’s our God -empowered persistence that
keeps us moving forward.”
“Our suitcases are filled with all kinds of dead weight: habits we need to give up, attitudes we’ve
long since outgrown, and activities and possessions that no longer serve a reasonable purpose.” Are
you ready to clean out those suitcases? Then, I strongly encourage you to find a copy of this book,
and prayerfully read and journal through it. Nancy provides very thoughtful clutter buster questions
at the end of each chapter that will provide you with strategic tools for destroying the clutter in
your life. She also provides a wealth of practical tips for diagnosing and attacking the clutter in the
inner, outer, and financial areas of life.
I personally have grown a lot in understanding how to simplify my life in the outer realm, but while
reading this book, I realized how much I had yet to grow in simplifying my life in the inner realm.
The Lord has graciously used this book to help provide so much more inner clarity and purpose that
I have ever experienced!
I’m eager to read her other book: Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful
Holidays and Special Occasions! It’s the perfect time of year!
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Christina asked: I had a question on how to simplify my bookshelves. I went to conferences on the
value of collecting and keeping godly books and lets just say I’ve gotten quite a collection! How do
you determine what books should be saved? My Aunt said the likelihood of my reading a book twice
is minimal so I should just get rid of all of my books. But others say there may be books I want my
future children to read for a “generational library” and that godly books are hard to come by! I
definitely want to de-clutter my shelves but I really have no clue how to go about it! Any advice you
can give me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!!!
Books! Oh glorious books! I am a huge fan of reading myself and it can be easy to amass a large
collection, especially if you practice frugal book reading and buying practices. It is definitely very
wise to collect books, especially if you can choose them carefully. Books can be very dangerous as
well. It is best to take wise precautions and ask thoughtful questions before even purchasing a
book. These same questions can be asked as you simplify your collection.
Is this book beneficial and edifying?
Would I or did I grow as a result of this read?
Or is/was it fluffy (light in truth and not really stretching my understanding)?
Would I read it again?
Would this book help build mine or my children’s intellect as a result of this read?
Did it stretch me?
Does this book truthfully retell history?
Does this really deserve a place on my shelf?
Books you will find on my bookshelf include: Christian living (not just light weight books but books
that really challenge and grow me spiritually), Bible-study helps, historical books (learn from history
or we shall be doomed to repeat it – books that truthfully detail the past), good solid classics (that
we enjoy as a family and/or my children will benefit from in the future), and lots of biographies. I
love learning about the lives of those who have gone before me, especially missionary biographies. I
honestly have only a few select fictional books.
There is definitely a place for fun and light reading, especially on those nights when you can’t sleep,but those books can easily be found at the library and do not need to take up space on your shelves.
If a book really truly deserves a place on your shelf, make sure it gets good use after you have
completed it. Loan out your books to family and friends. Start a loaning library or donate books to
your church’s library. Share your books and see others be blessed as a result. This is one simple way
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of being generous! Don’t just let them sit and collect dust for years…make them worth the
purchase!
If a book does not deserve a place on your shelf, pass it on! Sell it on Cash4Books or Ebay or simply
give it away.
Simplifying the Home School Resource Collection
For all the home school mommies out there, consider giving your input on simplifying the home
school resources collection. Some of the above evaluation questions may be helpful, but I would
love to hear from those with a bit more experience than I.
Heather asked: I have 7 children and we are relaxed homeschoolers, so the education of my children
partially depends on the material we have just hanging around our house, so I keep alot of books. Ido use the library, but I also purchase many. There is no telling what the children will be interested
in the next day. So getting rid of books is tough. Do you have any helpful guidelines on
keeping/getting rid of books?
What tips do you have to share on managing the book collections? Do you have any specific tips for
managing home school resources? Please share!