For the pile of books scattered about the nursery room floor, I am grateful.
It means my toddler enjoyed sitting quietly reading to herself.
For the endless dirty diapers, I am grateful.
They indicate that, despite the dinner battles, my daughter is nourished.
For the dog fur tumbleweeds and muddy paw-prints on the floor, I am grateful.
They remind me that a fun house doesn't have to be a pristine one.
For the containers and lids that once were neatly organized but now teeter haphazardly in the cabinet, I am grateful.
The disorganization is evidence of an excited child's exploration of her world.
For the tired back and sore feet, I am grateful.
It means I have been blessed with a full day of activity.
For the to-do list still uncompleted, I am grateful.
It means I played with my little girl, whose days with me seem so long, but are fleeting.
For days like this when I am able to have a heart of thankfulness, I am grateful.
I fail to recognize life's messiness as a blessing on so many other days.
Showing posts with label Home hospitality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home hospitality. Show all posts
12.14.2018
10.18.2013
Cheapskate
I am a self-proclaimed cheapskate. In areas where I have primary jurisdiction over spending money, I do what I can to not pay more than is necessary for things. I had a three-minute soul search earlier this week over whether to purchase a shirt that was 70% off the regular price at Kohl's, plus an additional 20%. I really liked the shirt, but it was $9. Knowing I could probably find similar item for less at Goodwill made me think twice... And thrice... And whatever comes after thrice. (I wound up getting it, and no, have not looked back since). Being a good steward of money is important to me, but so is my time. Extreme couponing and traveling to a grocery store just for one item that is a great price isn't worth the trade off.
Having said that, I've picked up several household and food-related tips that save us money and time (in the long run). I'm aware that there are limitless websites that contain similar ideas.
1- The freezer is your friend. When they are in season, I find a farmers market or pick-your-own place, get a buku of stuff, peel, chop, bag, and freeze. (Many friends who swear by canning because of the threat of power failures and the potential to lose everything. What can I say? I like living dangerously). This year, I did peaches, raspberries (red and purple), blueberries, blackberries, peaches (diced and pie filling) peppers (bell and various hot), tomatoes, pumpkin, apples (in the form of applesauce, pie filling, and apple butter) and onions. The only painful one is onions, but grab a candle, crackers, tissues, chemistry goggles, or whatever helps you get through a big bag of tear-inducing veggies. I've got all I need for the year and got it at low prices. It's ready to use and is still fresh-tasting once thawed.
2- Laundry detergent that doesn't come with a soft, high-voiced, annoying bear. It's a ton cheaper without loads of unpronounceable chemicals and blue dye #3.14. The one I've found that I love uses water, washing soda, borax, and bar soap.
3- Ditch the deoderant. There are tons of homemade deodorant recipes out there but I've found that using a dusting of baking soda lasts longer than store-bought chemical-sweat-suppressors. I was a bit leery at first, but after a day, I was totally convinced. Again, waaaay cheaper.
Lastly, this isn't exactly a tip, but is worth every second you spend peeling and coring: Goodness, gracious, great balls of apple butter, try this immediately: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/crock-pot-slow-cooker-apple-butter-recipe/
Having said that, I've picked up several household and food-related tips that save us money and time (in the long run). I'm aware that there are limitless websites that contain similar ideas.
1- The freezer is your friend. When they are in season, I find a farmers market or pick-your-own place, get a buku of stuff, peel, chop, bag, and freeze. (Many friends who swear by canning because of the threat of power failures and the potential to lose everything. What can I say? I like living dangerously). This year, I did peaches, raspberries (red and purple), blueberries, blackberries, peaches (diced and pie filling) peppers (bell and various hot), tomatoes, pumpkin, apples (in the form of applesauce, pie filling, and apple butter) and onions. The only painful one is onions, but grab a candle, crackers, tissues, chemistry goggles, or whatever helps you get through a big bag of tear-inducing veggies. I've got all I need for the year and got it at low prices. It's ready to use and is still fresh-tasting once thawed.
2- Laundry detergent that doesn't come with a soft, high-voiced, annoying bear. It's a ton cheaper without loads of unpronounceable chemicals and blue dye #3.14. The one I've found that I love uses water, washing soda, borax, and bar soap.
3- Ditch the deoderant. There are tons of homemade deodorant recipes out there but I've found that using a dusting of baking soda lasts longer than store-bought chemical-sweat-suppressors. I was a bit leery at first, but after a day, I was totally convinced. Again, waaaay cheaper.
Lastly, this isn't exactly a tip, but is worth every second you spend peeling and coring: Goodness, gracious, great balls of apple butter, try this immediately: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/crock-pot-slow-cooker-apple-butter-recipe/
12.13.2012
Keeping Up Appearances
Long ago, in the ancient days of infrequent blogging (not much changes...), I posted on a similar topic. Needless to say, this topic doesn't go away. As I was scurrying about yesterday getting ready to host a Christmas party the following thoughts plopped into my head, begging to be written down. I am sure that someone out there on the ol' internets needs to hear them, but mostly I think I need to verbalize them for myself. So if you want to hear a grown woman talk to herself in public, then please feel free to join me:
I knew that a bunch of women would be entering my home for a party. Now. These aren't just ordinary women who also happen to be in their 20-somethings like me. Most of these women are seasoned wives and cooks and homemakers whose children are at least my age. They are beautiful women with incredible wisdom, inspirational tender-heartedness, and soul-healing laughter. They are amazing women to me and I was delighted to be able to have them over to encourage and bless them.
Which, of COURSE, meant that the floor they walked on had to be vacuumed thoroughly (and Swiffered, in the appropriate areas). Naturally, being able to bless them was contingent upon having Christmas music playing at the perfect volume level of noticeable-without-being-intrusive in the other room. It would be unthinkable to serve the Blueberry Granola Parfait with any yogurt on the rim of the bowl. And, how could anyone have proper conversation if the two scented candles ("Christmas Pine" and "Winter Wonderland") remained unlit? Unthinkable!
Yes. I sound ridiculous. I'm aware. This is what trying to impress people looks like. People who really (get this!!)... Do. Not. Care.
As I was scurrying about, God brought the story from 1 Samuel 16 to mind, when He sent Samuel to pick out a new king from Jesse's sons. All of the men who were strong, handsome, undoubtedly ripped and toned-in-all-the-right-places were lined up as he went from one to the next, astonished, as God crossed each one off the list. This is where the oft-quoted verse, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart" arose from. It occurred to me yesterday that this verse is applied entirely too quickly to physical appearance, but it shouldn't stop there.
Yes, we apply entirely too much stock in physical appearance, but what about social status? Selectively posting certain things in public forums that allow us to look like we have all of our neatly-groomed ducks in a row? What about appearance of wealth? Name brands can afford to be so much more expensive because they know consumers are willing to pay more to LOOK like they paid more! Now, I'm aware that not all credit card debt is a result of this, but leaving beyond your means is often rooted in this too (don't buy stuff you can't afford). Let me go beyond this one step further even. What about activities we choose to get involved with, and then go out of our way to bring up in conversation? Or books we have read? Or movies we have seen? Or places we have visited? Or experiences we have? Or people we know?
I am convinced that we often (yes, often) are motivated in some of these ways because we want others to be impressed by us. We KNOW that men look at our outward appearance/status/wealth/education/home/athleticism/gym membership/resume of travel/cultural awareness/music-hipness/etc. We build our lives around this knowledge. But it is all dust. What God thinks (and knows) about us is what determines eternity. Wouldn't our time, then, be a tad bit better spent on things that are actually of importance?
I knew that a bunch of women would be entering my home for a party. Now. These aren't just ordinary women who also happen to be in their 20-somethings like me. Most of these women are seasoned wives and cooks and homemakers whose children are at least my age. They are beautiful women with incredible wisdom, inspirational tender-heartedness, and soul-healing laughter. They are amazing women to me and I was delighted to be able to have them over to encourage and bless them.
Which, of COURSE, meant that the floor they walked on had to be vacuumed thoroughly (and Swiffered, in the appropriate areas). Naturally, being able to bless them was contingent upon having Christmas music playing at the perfect volume level of noticeable-without-being-intrusive in the other room. It would be unthinkable to serve the Blueberry Granola Parfait with any yogurt on the rim of the bowl. And, how could anyone have proper conversation if the two scented candles ("Christmas Pine" and "Winter Wonderland") remained unlit? Unthinkable!
Yes. I sound ridiculous. I'm aware. This is what trying to impress people looks like. People who really (get this!!)... Do. Not. Care.
As I was scurrying about, God brought the story from 1 Samuel 16 to mind, when He sent Samuel to pick out a new king from Jesse's sons. All of the men who were strong, handsome, undoubtedly ripped and toned-in-all-the-right-places were lined up as he went from one to the next, astonished, as God crossed each one off the list. This is where the oft-quoted verse, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart" arose from. It occurred to me yesterday that this verse is applied entirely too quickly to physical appearance, but it shouldn't stop there.
Yes, we apply entirely too much stock in physical appearance, but what about social status? Selectively posting certain things in public forums that allow us to look like we have all of our neatly-groomed ducks in a row? What about appearance of wealth? Name brands can afford to be so much more expensive because they know consumers are willing to pay more to LOOK like they paid more! Now, I'm aware that not all credit card debt is a result of this, but leaving beyond your means is often rooted in this too (don't buy stuff you can't afford). Let me go beyond this one step further even. What about activities we choose to get involved with, and then go out of our way to bring up in conversation? Or books we have read? Or movies we have seen? Or places we have visited? Or experiences we have? Or people we know?
I am convinced that we often (yes, often) are motivated in some of these ways because we want others to be impressed by us. We KNOW that men look at our outward appearance/status/wealth/education/home/athleticism/gym membership/resume of travel/cultural awareness/music-hipness/etc. We build our lives around this knowledge. But it is all dust. What God thinks (and knows) about us is what determines eternity. Wouldn't our time, then, be a tad bit better spent on things that are actually of importance?
12.03.2012
Tour Time!
Happy December! As previously promised, I finally am getting around to posting some pictures from our newly acquired home. We still have a considerable amount of painting (and have waited for most decorations until that point happens), and so most of the rooms aren't finished, but this will give you an idea of our happy little home at present. Would you like to join me for a tour?
So the first picture you saw was the front of the house, followed by views of our street. Aside from the occasional party next door, dogs next to us and across the street, and police-helicopters overhead every so often, it is pretty quiet. It's amazing that we're so closed to the city, but distanced enough that we forget how close we actually are.
When you walk in the front door, we have a living room area that is home to our books and music, as well as a coat closet (not shown). To the left is the master bedroom...
And then the guest bedroom...
And on the opposite side of the hall is a bathroom still in need of one more coat of paint and different tile (at some point before we die).
At the opposite end of the hall is another living room area that opens up into the kitchen, but we are still waiting on our couch to arrive. Outside the doors pictured is the backyard, which I'll get to in a few minutes.
Of the many many many many things I love about this house, the kitchen has got to be one of my favorite parts. Not shown is the laundry "room" (just a big closet) on the opposite side of the kitchen.
Between the entrance and kitchen is the dining room, also still in need of another coat of paint. Now let's head downstairs to my husband's favorite part of the house...
The basement is in an L shape. Part of it we plan to section off to an additional bedroom at some point in the future, but for now it's our music studio/office area.
The doors lead into the utility work room:
The other door you may have seen leads to a bathroom which we painted in "Billiard Green." I'd say it's true to its name, eh?:
And finally, our backyard has a lovely garden, shed, patio, and some beautiful trees which I adore. We're so blessed.
So now that you've seen it, it's time to hop in the car and come visit. The structure itself has no value unless people are in it-- consider yourself invited. :-)
So the first picture you saw was the front of the house, followed by views of our street. Aside from the occasional party next door, dogs next to us and across the street, and police-helicopters overhead every so often, it is pretty quiet. It's amazing that we're so closed to the city, but distanced enough that we forget how close we actually are.
When you walk in the front door, we have a living room area that is home to our books and music, as well as a coat closet (not shown). To the left is the master bedroom...
And then the guest bedroom...
And on the opposite side of the hall is a bathroom still in need of one more coat of paint and different tile (at some point before we die).
At the opposite end of the hall is another living room area that opens up into the kitchen, but we are still waiting on our couch to arrive. Outside the doors pictured is the backyard, which I'll get to in a few minutes.
Of the many many many many things I love about this house, the kitchen has got to be one of my favorite parts. Not shown is the laundry "room" (just a big closet) on the opposite side of the kitchen.
Between the entrance and kitchen is the dining room, also still in need of another coat of paint. Now let's head downstairs to my husband's favorite part of the house...
The basement is in an L shape. Part of it we plan to section off to an additional bedroom at some point in the future, but for now it's our music studio/office area.
The doors lead into the utility work room:
The other door you may have seen leads to a bathroom which we painted in "Billiard Green." I'd say it's true to its name, eh?:
And finally, our backyard has a lovely garden, shed, patio, and some beautiful trees which I adore. We're so blessed.
So now that you've seen it, it's time to hop in the car and come visit. The structure itself has no value unless people are in it-- consider yourself invited. :-)
10.26.2012
The Old and the New
Monday marked the closing of our first home. The theme of the "old" versus the "new" has been coming to mind a lot with the start of changes. As transitions to our new space commence, it is apparent that the closing of one chapter begins a new one. It is truly exciting, but I don't want to be so hurried to start the next one that I forget to acknowledge the beauty of the current.
Yesterday, as soon as I walked out of the door of our apartment, it became apparent that the two large trees next to the building suddenly realized that it was fall and they had some catching up to do:
The blanketed foliage was a reminder of the end of one season of our lives in this place. As I think back over our two years here, this apartment represents so much of God's kindness to us. Most of our married life so far has been here. We've been so blessed with excellent landlords. Despite the enormous crickets (one of my two least favorite products of nature, next to centipedes) and mosquitoes that come with it, it has been wonderful to have woods and a little creek to look at right outside of our apartment... a scene fairly uncommon so close to Baltimore. We've been right down the road from a Wegmans in one direction and one of my best friends in the other. (Don't judge. Wegmans is a big deal).
Reflecting on God's kindness over the past two and a half years makes me excited to see what He has in store for us in our next location. There will be new people to interact with and new lessons to learn. When I started hauling things over to the house earlier this week, I brought these back from the garden:
Despite the autumn season, the yard was teeming with life... so much so that I couldn't help bringing some back with me. As my present surrounding is cluttered with evidences of transition this reminder has been a breath of fresh air every time I walk in to the kitchen.
12.31.2011
Brownie Borders and Dusty Decor
I am sure she is a delightful lady, but if I had to make a list of my least favorite people, Martha Stewart would give Troy Aikman a run for his money. While I find her olive oil sprayer and comfort-grip citrus zester curiously innovative (read: unnecessary), she has nearly single-handedly wrecked entertaining for the average woman.
A few years ago, I recall seeing part of a television segment during which she stated, "And before serving the brownies, of course we need to cut the edges off. We don't want to serve those brownie borders to our guests, do we?" Uh, really? (I am assuming that she wasn't the brilliance behind the Edge Brownie Pan). Her perfectly proportioned magazine cover layouts and dinner table centerpieces leave no room for the wonderfully warm, mildly chaotic, and slightly dusty homes that I find most welcoming.
Don't get me wrong. I go nearly clinically insane when my home is in disarray (Except for dusting, which only gets done when I realize that the shelf I once assumed was black has now taken on a light gray hue). But try as I might, I am very aware that when I am preparing for visitors, my motive is to impress. I want all of my homely ducks in a row so that it will appear that I have all of MY ducks in a row.
How much richer would our hospitality be if we spent ten less minutes scrubbing the scuff marks off the kitchen floor and, instead, put a few minutes of thought into how to serve our guests with our conversation and encourage their hearts? What if we chose to opt for reheated leftovers rather than a four-course meal so that we would be able to be more mentally engaged in the discussion? How much deeper would our relationships be if we just invite that family over, regardless of whether or not there are dishes in the sink?
A few years ago, I recall seeing part of a television segment during which she stated, "And before serving the brownies, of course we need to cut the edges off. We don't want to serve those brownie borders to our guests, do we?" Uh, really? (I am assuming that she wasn't the brilliance behind the Edge Brownie Pan). Her perfectly proportioned magazine cover layouts and dinner table centerpieces leave no room for the wonderfully warm, mildly chaotic, and slightly dusty homes that I find most welcoming.
Don't get me wrong. I go nearly clinically insane when my home is in disarray (Except for dusting, which only gets done when I realize that the shelf I once assumed was black has now taken on a light gray hue). But try as I might, I am very aware that when I am preparing for visitors, my motive is to impress. I want all of my homely ducks in a row so that it will appear that I have all of MY ducks in a row.
How much richer would our hospitality be if we spent ten less minutes scrubbing the scuff marks off the kitchen floor and, instead, put a few minutes of thought into how to serve our guests with our conversation and encourage their hearts? What if we chose to opt for reheated leftovers rather than a four-course meal so that we would be able to be more mentally engaged in the discussion? How much deeper would our relationships be if we just invite that family over, regardless of whether or not there are dishes in the sink?
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