Reading another book: Life Is Friends: A Complete Guide to the Lost Art of Connecting In Person by Jeanne Martinet.

"Being Hospitable is ultimately an act of love. Good things come to those who host." page 84

Manic Monday

I guess I am channeling the Bangles today.

This weekend was crazy, car repairs and pretty much the entire weekend away from home.

The good news is that the house is pretty much clean.

No need to deep clean :D

I am reading a really cool book on interpersonal communication that I got from the library. I will most definitely share once I get a little further into the book.

Have a great day.

-Jerusha

Art for the walls

Drake and I were busy today.

helping hands

Monday mornings are my busiest around the house.

Dishes and laundry are calling my name. The beds aren't made yet. Drake has inevitably spilled cereal on the livingroom floor. I am a woman on a mission; coffee in hand.

This morning, Drake was feeling especially helpful. "I help you Momma, I help." Any parent can tell you that supervising a two-year old doing housework is not exactly expeditious. I found myself trying to distract him with crayons and fresh paper.

What am I teaching him in this moment??? nothing.

I feel bad. Drake's desire to help clean is good. I want him to know how to do laundry and be tidy. I want him to embrace hard work, and feel pride in his accomplishments.

Why am I in such a hurry?

Drake is exceptional at putting things in bins. Truly, you should see it *grin*

I pulled the hampers out of the bedroom and had him unload the dryer by sticking the clothes on my bed. He hung them on the bedposts because "thatsa where they go Mom."

I pulled the wet clothes out of the washer and he loaded them in the dryer, piece-by-piece. I pulled his clothes out of the dirty hamper and he threw in his own clothes into the washer. He kept telling me that I was "doing great" as I assisted him. It makes me feel good that he hears enough encouragement to know when to bestow it upon others.

Sure it took 10 times longer than if I had done it myself... but it was worth it. Drake looked proud of himself when he shut the door on the dryer and I turned it on. I even got a high-five... the ultimate of all toddler accolades.

I am proud of my little guy

This weeks menu

I am a fiend for menu planning. It allows me to keep my shopping lists focused and under budget. Searching around on the web I found a really cool site with some fun resources:

http://organizedhome.com/

They have a very cool menu planning organizer that is fancier than the one I use:
http://organizedhome.com/sites/default/files/printable/notebook_food_menu_planner_weekly.pdf

It's a printable template that you can fill out and set up on the fridge.
There are a whole bunch of other resources there too.... definitely worth checking out.


Here is my menu for this week:

1. sloppy joes
2. chicken enchiladas
3. breaded chicken and mashed potatoes
4. biscuit dogs and tator tots (I found a new way to do these, I will take pics and add later :D)
5. Spaghetti and meatballs
6. Left-over night


Check out the site and enjoy!

Will you be my Valentine?

Its Wednesday and I am starting to get really excited about Valentine's Day.
I made some really cute V-Day cards yesterday and it got the creative juices going.

Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday

Tuesday has always been one of the hardest days of the week for me. The week isn't fresh, it's not the middle of the week yet... and the day seems to drag on.

The bright side of today is that the sun is shining, my dishes are done, I baked some banana bread so my house smells good, and my two-year old is napping.

We are having an easy dinner tonight: Biscuit Dogs and Tator Tots. Both the husband and the son should be happy...

All hail sodium filled hotdogs and canned biscuits!

tunes I am grooving to:

for all you music lovers out there,

here is my Pandora radio station:
http://www.pandora.com/people/jerushanaomi#

enjoy!

Aparently today is book review day

I am on a mission for information.
It seems like since I committed whole-heartedly to this homemaking thing, I can't put the book down.

I am currently reading, "Feather Your Nest" by Cerentha Harris. She was formerly on staff at Martha Stewart Living Magazine, and is now a stay-at-home mom. I really dig her sense of style and organization. I am not anal-retentive enough to do a great deal of her ideas. Although, I total respect and enjoy her bio-friendly ideas, tips and tricks.

Here is one I snagged from her chapter on laundry:

"Bleach Alternatives
Hydrogen Peroxide - use a solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 6 parts water. It's a milder bleach and can be used were normal bleach can't (wool, silks, and other delicate fabrics). Always check the care label and test a patch of clothing before using.
Lemon Juice - a mild natural bleach and well worth trying before you use stronger chemicals.
Sunlight - a natural bleach. You can try hanging sheets and towels out on a hot sunny day to see if the stains break down." - pulled from page 284.

Banana Bread Muffins

Upon special request, today I am making Banana Bread Muffins:

I got the recipe from my friend's grandma at a wake no less:

.5c shortening

1c sugar

2 eggs (when I double the recipe, I sub out 1 egg for a small scoop of miracle whip)

3 very ripe bananas

3 tbsp buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2c flour

.5c walnuts

bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes and then check for done-ness and add 5 minute increments accordingly.

Books on my bedside table

Yesterday was lovely. Dad was in town and offered to hang out at the house while Drake was napping so Richard and I could go on a date.

We went down to Half Priced Books and spent an hour, sans the two-year old perusing the stacks of books. It was an amazing feeling to walk through the aisles at a leisurely pace... reading backs of books and enjoying the smell of musty books.

I added a few to my ever-burgeoning stack of books by my side of the bed. The first one I read through was: "More Things You Need To Be Told" by the Ettiquette Grrrls.

It is trying to be a modern look at ettiquette. However, although amusing at times, it just tries way too hard to be both proper and hip. I am particulary annoyed with the fact that they refer to themselves in third person and with initials (EG). It's cute at first but gets very old.

There were a few parts that find worthy of noting:

"Ettiquette Grrls' Rules to Live By:

1. Never purchase anything (in particular, household items of any sort - e.g. silverware, china, crystal, furniture, rugs, fabric etc.) with any of the following words in its name: Grand, Renaissance, Baroque, Victorian, Glamour, Hollywood, Atomic, Floral, Euro Style, Rustic, Post-Modern, or the name of any specific sort of flower.

2. Buy Low, Sell High

3. If it ain't broke don't fix it, and don't try to break it either.

4. Trust your gut instincts. Most of the time.

5. By the time you graduate from college, learn to do the following things:
launder your clothes (with nothing shrinking, bleeding etc), remove common stains; iron everything in your closet; fold t-shirts and sweaters properly; thread a needle; fix a hem; replace a button; cook at least one meal appropriate to serve to guests; operate a vacuum; mop; and assorted scrub brushes; have a basic familarity with major brands of cleaning product; know what does what and how to use them without hurting anyone

6. Know how to prepare one recipe that is good for potlucks.

7. Murphy's Oil soup cleans almost anything.

8. Know how to figure a tip at a restaurant (or anywhere), even if you are not good at Math.

9. Learn how to drink Real Liquor, and while you are at it, to Hold Your Liquor.

10. Nothing is Anachronistic about Kindness, Common Sense, Respect, or Courtesy."

I pulled the above quote from pages 181 and 182.


The rest of the book is trying to be both pretentious and hip. It makes my head hurt.

Jerusha's Basic Rules of Ettiquette:

1. Be Humble and Kind
2. If you get a gift, send a thank you note
3. Don't assume... anything
4. If you are invited to a party, bring a gift
5. After attending a social function or night at someone's house: send a thank you note (are you seeing a trend?)
6. Dress properly for the occasion
7. Engage people in conversation, and then let your words breathe. There is no need to talk a million miles a minute.
8. When in doubt, less is more, and then: send a thank you note :D


A big thanks to Dad for the break.

I feel a personal revolution coming on

I feel a personal revolution coming on.
My attitudes and personal disciplines are changing and becoming more refined. I am not Betty Crocker for sure, but I am me I have a personal blog, but felt that somehow this was it’s own entity… I need to chronicle my own adventures in homemaking.
It feels almost anti-feminist to say that I love what I do. It started out of necessity, but has blossomed into so much more. It’s more than cleaning, menu planning, or thriftyness, cooking a great meal, or learning to bake. It’s about embracing being the queen of your castle. It’s about making your home the port in the storm; the place where we can celebrate successes, teach new skills, and nurse old wounds. I am learning to practice the art of hospitality… in all that entails, to myself, to my family, and to those I meet.
I don’t have all the answers, but I know the one who does. ” The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love O Lord, endures forever.” – Psalms 138:8 ” Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice Hospitality.” – Romans 12:12-13.
-J