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Homemaking Tuesday: Christmas Time

Dec 13th, 2011 1 Comment

By Rose H.

December is here again. With it comes the usual flood of activity, fun, and craziness. As homemakers it seems like there are a hundred things on our plate. So much to do so little time.

Yet Christmas is a really wonderful time of year. We get to eat fun food, get together with our friends for fellowship, and enjoy the magic of Christmas.

As a homemaker it’s easy to get lost in everything that we need to get done and miss the most important things. We miss watching kids have a snowball fight, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with a loved one, catching up with a friend at a Christmas party, or simply giving a few dollars to a bell ringer. These are things that are easy to forget to do especially in the business of the holidays.

So sit back. Rest a moment. Enjoy the magic of Christmas time.

Homemaking Tuesday: 10 Tips for Dealing With Holiday Stress

Dec 6th, 2011 2 Comments

By Rose H.

It’s a busy Christmas season. With food to get ready, house to clean, parties to go to, presents to get ready, and little things like eating and sleeping to do in the meantime things can get overwhelming. Here are a few quick tips for how to make things a little bit easier.

  1. Lay out your clothes for a week. Arrange the clothes in your closet so that you can just grab them and get dressed without having to worry about matching up things the day of.
  2. Go simple. Don’t try to do everything. Simplify life by buying some things that you would normally make.
  3. Take some time off everyday to relax and de-stress.
  4. Have baking days. Take a day and do the baking for a week. That way you can relax and enjoy the rest of the week.
  5. Do spot cleaning as the opportunity arises. As you watch the news pick up the living room. As you finish using something put it away. As your dinner is heating up in the Microwave clean up a counter in the kitchen.
  6. Make small Christmas gifts to give away way ahead of time. Think small, like lotion, small ornaments, or maybe some homemade baked goods. Whatever it is, keep it simple.
  7. Make shopping lists and combine shopping trips.
  8. Have some good holiday music to play in the background.
  9. Make sure to keep a good day planner or calendar that way you can keep up with everything that you have to do.
  10. Breath, enjoy family, and the beautiful season.

Homemaking Tuesday: Re-post -Proverbs 31 Part 2

Nov 29th, 2011 Leave a comment

By Rose H.

Proverbs 31 (NIV)
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

Who can find? Where can you find a woman of value? A woman who lacks nothing? A woman who brings good and not harm everyday of her life? She is a rare find indeed.

That is what God has called us to be women of strength, dignity, honesty, and inner beauty. She lacks no good thing.

Do you lack good things? Of course. We all lack something. There are areas of our lives that we cringe at.

Yet is perfection what the writer is talking about? Does he mean to say that the noble woman is perfect and all the rest of us are sad mistakes that have to try and clean up our act?

No. Each of us is special and gifted. Each of us has unique talents and abilities. I believe that the writer is saying that when a woman uses her God-given talents and tries to serve and love those around her, lacks no good thing.

None of us can be Martha Stewart, but we aren’t called to be. The noble woman is supposed to follow God’s leading and serve in whatever way He leads. In this way she bring good and not harm all the days of her life.

Photo is copyrighted by Christina Hastings Photography

Homemaking Tuesday: Tips for Holiday Shopping

Nov 22nd, 2011 Leave a comment

By Rose H.

Black Friday is coming here real soon. That begins holiday shopping. Finding the perfect gift can be hard, but here are a few tips to make the process easier.

Make gift lists first. It’s always to go into your Christmas shopping knowing exactly what you want. Make three column saying name (the person who will receive the gift), Gift (What you’re getting them), and next put an empty spot for a check mark meaning that you’ve bought and wrapped the gift.

Look for sales and discounts. Many stores do sales and specials for Christmas. Check around and see what you can find. Just make sure that it really is a sale. Sadly many companies will raise prices then have a “sale” and mark it down. Check around and make sure that you really are getting a good deal.

For stocking stuffers, try dollar stores. This is an easy non-expensive way to fill the stocking without breaking the bank.

Wrap things yourself instead of having the store do it. This saves you a little. It’s not hard, just get a bag and some tissue paper and you’re set.

To avoid long lines, don’t shop on the weekends. Try to go when others would be at work and kids would be in school.

So there you have it. Roses holiday shopping tips for all you homemakers. Happy holidays!

Rambles From My Heart: Gratitude

Nov 20th, 2011 Leave a comment

By Rose H.

As we prepare to celebrate thanksgiving this Thursday, we have a lot to think about. The friends or family that we are going to see, the food, and the Christmas holidays are right around the corner.

I always thought that I was a pretty grateful girl. I always got my thank you notes out promptly and I tried to thank God for what He had given me (when I remembered to).

Then I read a book called Choosing Gratitude. It challenged my thoughts on being grateful. I realized that gratefulness starts in the heart. A grateful heart is cultivated by choosing to go beyond your feelings and choose to thank God for the good in our lives. This was good for me when things were going my way. When they weren’t I groaned. I looked up and asked God how I could give Him praise in the midst of such terrible storms. Then He helped me to see that every cloud has a silver lining.

This Thanksgiving, I want to encourage you do what I have been trying to do ever since I read the book. Give thanks to God every day, in everything. It’s not easy, but it’s always worth it. You have to look beyond the surface of circumstances to see the eternal purpose.

Here’s a partial list from things that I am grateful to God for.

A home

Family

Friends

That I get to blog here at Virtuous Girlhood

That I get to teach at a homeschool co-op

More food than I can possibly eat

My laptop

My health

All the spiritual books, audiobooks, and sermons that are available to me

My room

More craft supplies than I can use in a year

Woods to walk in

The ability to speak my mind freely and openly without fear

Homemaking Tuesday: Re-post -Traveling Basket

Nov 15th, 2011 Leave a comment

By Rose H.

I don’t know about you, but there are things that I use every day. Things like a calculator, the book I happen to be reading, my to do lists, sticky notes, address book, craft projects, and other things.

Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of all this stuff. For me it helps to have everything in one place so that I can work on it. Because I share a room with my older sister, I don’t have room for a desk.

The solution? I got myself a basket. I put everything in there that I normally use in a day. It’s a great place to put things I need to work on so that I don’t forget it. It helps keep everything in a central location, and it’s easy to move around.

It can be a traveling desk as it were. I love mine. It helps me keep work straight and helps me be more organized.

Homemaking Tuesday: Kitchen Tips

Nov 8th, 2011 Leave a comment

  1. Always try to keep things as clean as possible. If you can’t clean the dishes right then, soak them. Don’t leave food out. That sort of thing.
  2. Use fluted pans for a muffin pan for fun.
  3. To save yourself from stressing, make things ahead. Make breakfast the day before that way you can just grab it and go.
  4. Keep things well organized. This saves a lot of time. Have a place for everything and everything in its place (to barrow the mantra here).
  5. Make sure to spray for bugs every 6 months. No one likes bugs in the kitchen.
  6. To make sure that the utensils are right within reach, nail a small board to wall. Then put a few nails in it. As shown in the picture below. It makes things easy to just grab and work. It also saves space.
  7. Try as much as possible to buy metal and glass bowls for mixing. They last longer.
  8. As for dishes, the best ones for everyday use are Corel. They are beautiful, light, and hardly every break. For fancy occasions I have always loved china.
  9. If you have a big enough freezer, cook off some ground beef and chicken. Put it into bags, date it, and then anytime you need to use some in a recipe you can pull it out.
  10. Know that sometimes we can have it all. Sometimes it’s best to buy the crackers and bread so that we have the extra time to spend with family. If you have time take it to make what you can, but if you are running around too fast for those you love, cut the work and spend time with the family. You’ll never regret it.

Homemaking Tuesday: My Favorite Dinner Food

Nov 1st, 2011 Leave a comment

Easy Texas Chili

1 pound ground Beef (cooked)

2 15-Ounce cans Ranch Beans

1 to 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder

Mix all in a pot over high heat. When it’s hot serve with Fritos or corn chips!

Oftentimes as the day winds down it’s nice to have something easy yet good to have for dinner. This is a perfect way to have both.

Homemaking Tuesday: My Favorite Snack Food

Oct 25th, 2011 1 Comment

Crackers

2 Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

4 Tablespoons Shortening or Butter

¾ Cup Water

Preheat oven to 325. Shift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cut shortening in. Add just enough water to make a good dough the consistency of pie crust dough. On a floured surface, roll out dough until it’s very thin. Cut into desired shapes and put on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Prick with a fork and sprinkle with Kosher Salt. Bake for 20 minutes or until crisp.

At my house I make these and they evaporate. My family loves them. It’s a great, simple, and easy snack.

Homemaking Tuesday: My Favorite Lunch Food

Oct 18th, 2011 Leave a comment

Fiesta Chicken

2 ½ to 3 breasts Chicken

1 Tablespoon Oil

Cook Chicken in oil and then cut into small pieces.

Then add ½ teaspoon Garlic powder. Cook until fragrant.

To the pot add,

1 14-ounce can of diced Tomatoes

1 4-ounce can of green chili’s

½ Cup chopped green pepper

½ Cup Onion

¼ Cup sliced Olives

Cook until all is tender and hot. Serve over hot white rice and with tortillas.

From a magazine. This is a great thing to make for company. It’s easy and filling.

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