Pumpkin Posting Party ~ Pumpkin Decor

Welcome to another day of the Pumpkin Posting Party!  Don't forget to enter my little Fall giveaway and link up your pumpkin recipes to yesterday's post!

I like to do a little decorating for Fall and I am developing a love of pumpkins!  I only recently put a few Fall pumpkin touches around the house - very simple!  I still have to do something on my dining table and I may decide to shift some things around more, but I'll share my current simple touches.

That's it!  Not a lot, but it gives a hint of Fall.  I do want more pumpkin decor though - will keep my eyes open for deals!  :)

Do you decorate for Fall?  Do you like to decorate with pumpkins?

Tomorrow is the last day of the Pumpkin Posting Party and it's Dessert Friday - be sure to link up your dessert posts, with or without chocolate, with or without pumpkin!

Have a happy Fall day friends!

A Keeper Of The Home

Time for another old guest post of mine!  I wrote this one over 2 years ago as a guest post for Sarah Mae at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee.  I've made no secret here of my struggles with housework and this post tells a little of my story.  I still struggle, but know that the Lord is my strength and all things are possible through Him!

I want to make sure that you understand that we are in no way called to be *perfect* homemakers and will never be able to do it "all."  When I say that we are called to do it ALL (in my post) - I mean that we are called to do the good, the bad, and the ugly - not just the fun or easy parts of keeping a home.  As a sinner I often find myself resting too comfortably in the fact that we will never succeed in doing it "all", saying that the Lord won't mind me letting the laundry pile up while I put my feet up and read a blog or two...ahem.  Sometimes we do need rest!  And sometimes the Lord does want the laundry to pile a little while we attend to ministering to our husband or children in other ways!  But sometimes we need the Lord to work in our hearts and remind us of our priorities.

I would love to hear about your struggles with being a Keeper of the Home!

Originally published at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee on August 14, 2008:

In her 31 Days To Clean posts, Sarah Mae has talked about self-discipline and why we need to keep working at the daily drudgery. I agree with her and wanted to share some of my thoughts on the subject.

Being a good keeper of the home is a big struggle with me, so I’m really talking to myself here! Before I was pregnant with my son, I was Miss Career Woman and a terrible Keeper of the Home. God started helping me to realize that I needed to make a shift at that time. Eventually, I found myself an inexperienced Stay At Home Mom.

Domesticity did not come naturally to me. I did the bare, and I mean bare minimum of cleaning and I let my husband do the cooking. I was doing good at taking care of my baby boy, at least! At some point, I realized that Keeper of the Home was a most important job and I hadn’t been treating it that way. If I was working for “pay” outside the home, I did a great job and took pride in my work. Why wouldn’t I do the same for my more important job? That way of thinking about it helped me – I created some routines, did a little better with cleaning, and took over all the cooking duties.

Later on, it all became a struggle again and it still is. I understand the concept of taking pride in my home and keeping up with things because it’s the job that I was called to do. But that isn’t enough. I realize that there is more to it. This is what God has called me to do. It’s not an employer who gives me a job description and will give me money and recognition for a job well done. It’s God. If God somehow spoke to me and told me my job description for Keeper of the Home – would I say, “You know, I’m kind of tired. Maybe I could do the dishes just when they pile up and start the dusting next month?” I think not.

Maybe knowing that God calls us to do ALL of it, not just the parts that we like, can help us with our perspective and motivation. And there is a reward – a heavenly home with our Savior. There is even recognition. It will come when we hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

I’m not saying that we won’t struggle. We’re sinners after all. But maybe we can do a little better and ask God to help us grow as home makers and keepers. I pray that the Lord blesses your home keeping endeavors this week.

Fall Is In The Air...Somewhere

It's starting to feel like Fall - well for some people anyway.  I was getting a bit of a Fall feeling from seeing Fall decor around and from school starting up today.  BUT - the 106 degree temp forecast for today is not helping!!

Last week, we went into Ross one evening to make a quick purchase for the kiddo.  I walked past Halloween decorations, shaking my head at the earliness, but then halted at the Fall decor.  I was drawn to the pumpkins.  I think I'm developing a love for all things pumpkin and can't pass up a cute one!  Well, I saw this little beauty and felt that it simply must be mine (after checking the price tag of course - LOL) - I asked hubs and he said that I could buy it!  Um, not sure that he had much of a choice as he quickly weighed the purchase against the other alternative - a miserable evening with a pouting wife.  (Sigh - really need to work on that pouting issue.)  Thank you dear!!

Who could resist this cutie?

So now I'm getting the itch to put out Fall things.  I also blame it on Melissa at The Inspired Room.  2 years ago, she kind of forced me to decorate for Fall, which I reluctantly attempted and linked up to her Fall Nesting Week.  And last year, I participated again in the Fall Nesting festivities.

Melissa is doing it again this year!  Get your Fall posts ready (even if you're not decorating for Fall) and link up at The Inspired Room on September 8!  For you non-bloggers, be sure to stop by Melissa's place to see all the great ideas and get inspired for Fall!

And speaking of Fall ideas to inspire you, check out this cute Fall wreath idea at Nesting Place - love it!

Are you getting that Fall feeling yet?

Have a wonderful day friends!

Wordless Wednesday: Dose of Christmas Reality

Two days before Christmas

And all through my place
Are things that aren't done yet;
Better pick up the pace!

Just so you aren't totally fooled by all the pretty pics on my blog, I thought I would give you a peek into my Christmas reality today!  Some of you organized people will be horrified, but I think many of you will feel much better!  :)

Still-undecorated tree.

Bin of tree ornaments to put on!

Still working on Christmas cards!

My attempt at divinity (to surprise my hubs).  It turned out to be some form of very chewy vanilla taffy that won't peel off wax paper!

Feeling better now?  I've got to go because obviously I have a lot to do!  Enjoy more Wordless Wednesday pics over at 5 Minutes For Mom!

Have a wonderful Wednesday friends!!

Wordless Wednesday: First Cozy Fire of the Season

Crisp Fall weather and the first fire of the season.

Buster thinks this fire is too close. 

Buster thinks this fire is too far away.

Buster thinks this fire is juuust right!

For more fun Wordless Wednesday posts, stop by 5 Minutes For Mom!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Making My Home Sing ~ The Homemade Yogurt Project

I'm joining up again with Nan from Mom's The Word for Making Your Home Sing Monday! You really should stop by her blog to read some great posts and to see what other people are doing to make their home sing!

Last week I said I wanted to make my home sing by taking on the making of homemade yogurt. Well, I did it! It didn't quite turn out according to plan, but we ate it all and I'll be making it again this week.

My friend (Thanks Katie!) had made this yogurt recipe recently and was successful. It's a crockpot yogurt recipe from the blog A Year of Slow Cooking (if you're looking for slow cooker recipes, it's the place to go!). If you look up the recipe, you'll also want to read the suggestions and ideas in the comments. My friend added unflavored gelatin to hers before it sat for 8 hours and it turned out thick and creamy. I decided to be rebellious (there's that streak again) and make it just the way it stated on the blog.

Here's the milk and yogurt (as a starter) that I used. I didn't mean to get nonfat yogurt - oh well.

I made the yogurt so that it sat overnight in the slow cooker with a towel wrapped around it. And in the morning? It smelled like yogurt and there were some parts that had solidified a bit. I probably shouldn't have stirred it all up at that point, but I did. That's when I realized that I had some sort of yogurt "soup."

Here's the yogurt after being chilled and ever so slightly thickened! I was told that I should try straining overnight through cheesecloth, but my hubs said not to bother. He was enjoying putting it in a glass, stirring in some jam, and drinking it. I put mine in a bowl with some agave sweetener, a splash of Trader Joe's vanilla, and ate it like a cold yogurt soup! It was yummy! And we finished off the last of it blended up with fresh peaches and raw sugar - mmmm.

I'm going to make it again this week. I will still be rebellious and not add anything to thicken as I want to see if I can improve it first. I believe that my slow cooker did not stay warm enough, so I will heat a bit longer, store it in an insulated bag and towels overnight, and let it sit a little longer. It can't get any thinner - LOL!

To continue improving my homemaking skills to make my home sing some more, I'll take on another project this week. I want to make a master grocery store list. I would like something that lets me circle the items I need and have it in the order I shop at Winco. I'll let you know what happens!

Are you trying anything new to make your home sing this week? Any yogurt improvement suggestions?

I'm also linking this up to Your Life, Your Blog at Real Life! Head over to read what others are up to and link up your own post from the previous week!

Have a fabulous Monday!

Making Your Home Sing ~ Start With JOY

I hope you've enjoyed a lovely weekend! Pleasing to You is having a 100th Post Party and is asking everybody to link up posts about JOY! Since I wrote here about how I want to find JOY to make my home sing, I thought it would be a good post to link up! Go there to read what brings others joy!

I've been wanting to start working on making my home sing, so this meme is perfect! I plan to take on a new homemaking project each week. I'll post about them on Mondays as part of trying to make my home sing (and maybe even linking to Tackle It Tuesdays at 5M4M).

I will take on my first project this week and post about it next Monday. My first project will be making homemade yogurt. I already have the recipe and my hubby is very excited for me to attempt it!

I was inspired today to try to focus on JOY when it comes to being a homemaker. I will be honest - I struggle greatly with homemaking. I'm a stay-at-home mom with 1 son who attends a Christian school. I have the time and the ability to take wonderful care of my home and family. I have no excuses. So why oh why do I constantly fall short? I know it is sin in my heart. I believe it is selfishness and rebellion. I want to do what I WANT to do and cleaning floors and washing dishes are not high on that list! And I certainly don't WANT to do something that I'm told I HAVE to do! Sounds childish, doesn't it?

I am childish, but I am also a child of God. I was reminded today of just how very blessed we are as children of God! I don't deserve all the things that the Lord has blessed me with, but He has blessed me just the same. I WANT to shift my thinking to consider the things that I have to do as things that I get to do. I WANT to be a blessing to my family. But I can't do that...on my own! I HAVE to ask for God's help. He can help me overcome these struggles and make that shift. He can help me make my home sing! Instead of being a reluctant homemaker, I can be a homemaker filled with JOY!

I hope that you'll stay with me on this journey. And I do ask for your prayers in this area my friends. It means so much to me to know that I have your support!

Oh, and just so you're not overly impressed by my chocolate and dessert creations, you should know that behind every yummy picture is a complete kitchen disaster! :)

Have a JOY-filled week!

Stop by Mom's The Word to see how others are making their home sing! I'll see you back here tomorrow for Tea For Two-sday!

Fall Nesting Returns

Fall Nesting Week is back at The Inspired Room! Last year, Melissa forced persuaded me to get with it and decorate for Fall during her Fall Nesting. It was my first attempt at any seasonal decorating other than Christmas. I'm still not a great decorator, but I am having fun with trying to decorate for the seasons (doing it as cheaply as I can is part of the fun!). So this year, I prepared even though the temp outside is in the 90's and the sun is shining bright. My family and friends that live around here have mentioned to me that it is in fact, summer according to the calendar and our weather. Not according to Melissa, I say!

Come on in and take a look around! The potpourri is simmering on the stove (recipe from Blessed).

And you might as well grab a Pumpkin Blueberry Muffin for a snack...

or maybe some Pumpkin Pudding!

Here's part of the living room when I decorated it for Spring/Summer...


and here's how I changed it a little for Fall.


Added some dark thrift store pillows & throw to the other couch.


I like to add fresh rosemary since we have a huge bush of it in the front yard! And yes, that's a pic of my chubby babe who turned 10 last month - sigh.

Gotta have some apples around!

I like to mix the orange with crisp white.

My centerpiece is still a work in progress. I was thrown off because the grocery store does not have pumpkins yet - you know, because it's *ahem* summer here.

It's about time I put out a little chocolate display! Let's pretend like I didn't write that sign in 3 seconds and that my "v" and "r" don't look exactly alike. :) While we're at it, let's pretend that those same chocolates will still be here next month.


Last year, I enjoyed the Fall fun so much that I hosted a Pumpkin Potpourri Week! It was such a hit that I will be having another Fall-themed week at the end of this month. It will feature Fall fruits - like pumpkin (yup - has seeds so it is a fruit!), apples, and either cranberries or pears. I'm still working out the details, but come back for the fun!

And if you enjoyed your goodies, then come by tomorrow (Friday) for Dessert Friday! I'll be sharing a recipe and letting you link up your yummy dessert posts!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope I've inspired you to try a little Fall decorating if you haven't already!

You must head over to The Inspired Room and look at all the Fall posts linked up - you will definitely get a Fall feeling!

Have a fabulous Fall day!

Thinking Out Loud

Is it Monday already? School starts for us tomorrow so today will be all about getting the supplies together and in the backpack and figuring out what to pack for a lunch! Here's what my son looked like last year after the 1st 4 days of school:

We'll see how this year goes! LOL!

Thank you to those of you who answered my questions the other day (you can still comment and answer!)! I will have a Fall theme week, but am still deciding what to do. Being the sort of people-pleaser that I am, I'm thinking of combining pumpkin, apples & even cranberries and making it a Fall Fruits Week! Hey - pumpkin is technically a fruit 'cause it has seeds. I looked it up on the internet so it must be true. :) What do you think of that? I could have link-ups available almost every day - 1 for apple posts, 1 for pumpkin posts, 1 for cranberry posts, and 1 for the fruit of all seasons - chocolate! Isn't chocolate a fruit?? It should be...

I think I'm going to start a couple of new things that I'll blog about. One thing I want to do is work on my homemaking skilz and use my blog to help me. I want to take on one new thing each week - mostly things I've never tried before or things I haven't done in years. For example - making homemade yogurt, making a master grocery list, making homemade peanut butter, making a menu plan - things like that. I hope to actually do them on Mondays and then post about them (whether or not I was successful) on Thursdays or maybe Saturdays. What do you think? Can I do it?

I also would like to start putting our children's catechism questions on my blog - possibly on Sundays. I would list 1 question with the answer and Scripture references each week. They're very simple, but great for children (and adults!) to memorize and great for family discussion. Thoughts?

I do appreciate your feedback my friends! Have a great Monday!

On The Road Again...

What a vacation! There will be recaps and pics later - right now, I'm supposed to be packing up for the trip home. Aaaahhhh - home. Soundin' good about now.

Just 2 days of driving with 1 hotel stay and we'll be back! Please pray for our safe and uneventful travels.

Yellowstone was beautiful, our visits went well, and my class reunion turned out just fine. There will be more details than that - you'll just have to be patient. :)

My brain is a little foggy right now; must be a lack of chocolate!

Here we go...be sure to wave if we drive by your neighborhood.