A Start

I'm resting a bit before I finish up the kitchen, so I'm gonna write some more.

Since I've started focusing on homemaking, my house has gotten much more cluttered.

I'm blaming it on the nice weather.

But I know that I need to focus on the positive, so there are a few things that I am already doing that I think are a benefit to this household.

1) Composting. I started a compost pile several years ago because I didn't want to fill my trash with organic things like grass clippings and leaves. This year I finally dug out the dirt. I had a blast.

I am starting to add some items from the kitchen as well...egg shells and coffee grinds and parts of veggies and fruits we cut off like the ends of cucumbers or asparagus, and I plan to shred our paper that we've been throwing away.

This is also a great lesson for the kids in how amazing our world is made and how many resources our own backyard can provide.

2) Treating dessert as a luxury. I've often heard people say that eating healthy is so expensive, which is true in some sense. However, if we evaluate what we buy, we may be able to eliminate some expensive unhealthy items to make room for the healthy ones.

Before I was married, I always wanted to end a meal with something sweet. If I didn't have dessert, I at least had a piece of hard candy to satisfy my cravings. Sook eats differently (better) than I do and being around him helped my break that habit. It does go away over time, but there needs to be a shift in mindset. Here are some possible ways to cope:

Set aside one day of the week that is dessert day. Make it fun, involve the kids, be creative. Never buy dessert pre-made. Making it yourself reduces cost and makes it less convenient or tempting. Don't keep it around the house. Your craving usually will go away over time, but if it is right there you will most likely eat it. Be disciplined to eat only one serving size. Since you won't be buying it pre-made, the label won't tell you this. Two small cookies. One 2" square brownies. 1/8 of a pie. 1/2 cup ice cream or pudding. Again, your body will need to get used to this.

3) Experimenting with making your own cleaning supplies. I hate spending money on cleaning. Therefore, I love this idea. It reduces cost and somehow gives me more satisfaction.

4) Always keep in mind that, as a homemaker, your job is to make your home a comfortable place. To ME, that is no clutter or dirt. To the kids, it is extra hugs, reading books, and listening to their stories that seem to never end. To my husband, cleanliness is important....but I think that even more important is happy wife and happy kids. Cleaning should not be stressful and people are what is important. (Mary and Martha).

Here's a start....along with making beds in the morning. I have to admit, I'm kinda liking my home project.