Beautiful Homemakers

Priscilla Poynter I spent many, many years unorganized. After reading countless books and decluttering, I just had my best Christmas ever, even though I was ill Dec. 21 & 22.  I had NO STRESS.  Everything was on schedule! Let me share with you the four steps I took to move from Christmas Chaos to Christmas Calm : 1)  Write up, then type up, your Christmas Countdown .   This is what MY list looks like: Christmas Countdown January Buy Christmas cards for next year (I do actual Christmas cards, not photo cards).   Go to post office and buy Christmas stamps (I did this today, and saved myself the postage increase happening Jan. 21, 2018)  Shop online for after-Christmas sales - Christmas themed items for next Christmas (it can be gifts, partyware, decor, wrapping paper, etc.) Place large empty box or Christmas bag into closet for gifts bought throughout the year, with post-it note for who it is for, or you will fo...

Is the desire of your heart to be at home with your children? Are you on the fence about coming home because you don’t see how it could possibly work?   Do you not have children, but desire to be a homemaker just the same? Are you already at home but need help in making ends meet? Every woman has financial concerns about coming home and surviving on only her husband’s income.   It is scary to contemplate…your heart will begin to pound as you prepare your budget and realize that there is absolutely no way to make ends meet on only one income…but you WANT to be at home! A book full of encouragement, Janine has given you straight-forward guidelines, and financial principles found in the Holy Bible.    She shares her action plan of over 125 little steps to help you gather your courage, step out in faith, and successfully thrive on one income! Take delight in the Lord ,   and He will give  you your heart’s desires.   Psalm 37:4 ...

This is not a list to be done daily, nor is it meant to convey the impression we must be perfect, and live in a perfectly clean, magazine-worthy home.  No!  It is just the "ultimate" list I finally wrote because I was always forgetting something and wanted it all in one place.  My windows will never be spotless.  But it sounds good on the list, doesn't it?  It's a goal - something to shoot for.  But don't worry - your house doesn't need to be perfect to be welcoming.  In fact, perfect homes are not welcoming.  We don't want our homes to be hotel rooms.  My fridge will always be covered in photos, magnets, and drawings.  That gives us pleasure.  I think refrigerators without childish decor looks sterile and unfriendly.  I'll take a lived in, much loved home over a perfect home any day!  This is just for offering tips to help you spruce up your living areas, or for help before throwing a big party. A Welcome Home ...

Eloise Wilkin We Help Daddy Whether you are selling your home or just need to look at your home with new eyes, here is a checklist I compiled from improving my own fixer-upper.  Home Improvements Checklist ¨     Front door should be repainted every one or two years at most (unless it is stained wood kept in great condition)   ¨     Add outside shutters or decorative trim ¨     Update or repaint garage door ¨     Wallpaper should be in good condition or remove it ¨     Repair nail holes, cracks, stains or repaint ¨     No leaking faucets; update faucets and fixtures that are tarnished, worn, ugly or outdated ¨     Fix broken shower doors or toilets (includes stains and hinges for toilet seats) ¨     Fix bathtub if worn, chipped or damaged; fix caulking ¨     Replace any bathroom carpet or worn linoleum with water...

We dropped out of everything in order to clear our heads, revive our bodies, refresh our spirits and decide on what really mattered. A. Sarnoff No sports. No extra classes. No seminars. No weekly school groups. No monthly homeschool meetings. No extra teaching. No monthly field trips. No monthly park days. No library club. We stopped everything except seeing my parents once a week.   We said no to everything except birthday parties and scheduled play dates.   We said no to most potlucks and most Christmas parties. We slept in in the mornings, awakening when our bodies told us to, and never set an alarm.   What a difference that made!   We all awoke at different times, but everyone was well rested.   We all decided that getting ready for bed would be at 9:00, storytime at 9:15, and lights out at 10:00. We began our school day at 11:00, and ended by 4:00.   This meant we had our mornings for: chores (a clean house!), declutt...

I love reading books on organizing.  Harder is implementing.  Sometimes I just need a little encouragement before I can act. I thought this book, Organizing for Life by Sandra Felton, was one of the best I've read.  I've kept these notes in my binder for a year, and today thought I'd share them.  I think they will encourage you, too! Page 144   Become proficient in what you do...   You are more powerful than the house is....   The real tension will be relieved when the house is beautiful and orderly....   Then the stress of an ugly house, so powerful because it is so closely tied to womanhood , will be alleviated. 154    Proverbs says "It is possible to give away and become richer!   It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything.   Yes, the liberal man shall be rich!    By watering others, he waters himself."   (11:24-25 TLB)     Is this not true of our situation? ...