Tell to your child:

1. I love you. 2. love you no matter what. 3. I love you even when you are angry at me. 4. I love you even when I am angry with you. 5. I love you when you are far way. My love for you can reach you wherever you are. 6. If I could pick any 4 year old (5 year old, 6 year old) in the whole wide world, Id pick you. 7. I love you to the moon and then around the stars and back again. 8. Thank you. 9. I enjoyed playing with you today. 10. My favorite part of the day was when I was with you and we were _______.

Tell them:
11. The story of their birth or adoption. 12. About how you cuddled them when they were a baby. 13. The story of how you chose their name. 14. A story about yourself when you were their age. 15. A story about how their grandparents met. 16. What your favorite color is. 17. That sometimes you struggle too. 18. That when youre holding hands and you give three squeezes, its a secret code that means, I love you. 19. What the plan is. 20. What youre doing right now.

Play:
21. Freeze Tag 22. Uno 23. Crazy 8s 24. Gin Rummy 25. Memory 26. Go Fish 27. I Spy- especially when youre tired of driving and feel snappish 28. Catch

Pretend:
29. To catch their kiss and put it on your cheek. 30. That their tickle tank is empty and you have to fill it. 31. That their high five is so powerful it nearly knocks you over. 32. That you are super ticklish. 33. That you are explorers in the amazing new world of your backyard. 34. That its party day! Decorate for no reason!

Try:
35. To get enough sleep. 36. To drink enough water. 37. To eat decent food. 38. Wearing earrings, or whatever makes you feel pretty. 39. Calling a friend the next time you feel like you are about to lose it with the kids. 40. Giving a gentle touch to show approval, rather than saying something. 41. Dancing in the kitchen. 42. To get your kids to bop to the music with you in the car. 43. Showing your kids that you can do a somersault or handstand or a cartwheel. 44. Keeping that sigh to yourself. Just jump in and help clean up cheerfully. 45. Using a kind voice, even if you have to fake it.

Read:
46. A book of silly poems. 47. A book and then act it out. (Like Im going on a Bear Hunt) 48. Your favorite childhood book to them. 49. When the afternoon is starting to go astray. 50. Outside under a tree. 51. In the library kids corner. 52. The comic book they love that youre not so hot on. 53. About age appropriate behavior so you can keep your expectations realistic.

Listen:
54. To your child in the car. 55. To that Lego description, and think how important it is to your child. 56. For that question that indicates your child really needs your input. 57. One second longer than you think you have patience for. 58. For the feelings behind your childs words.

Ask:
59. Why do you think that happens? 60. What do you think would happen if______? 61. How shall we find out? 62. What are you thinking about? 63. What was your favorite part of the day? 64. What do you think this tastes like?

Show:
65. Your child how to do something instead of banning them from it. 66. How to whistle with a blade of grass. 67. How to shuffle cards- make a bridge if you can! 68. How to cut food. 69. How to fold laundry.

70. How to look up information when you dont know the answer. 71. Affection to your spouse. 72. That taking care of yourself is important.

Take Time:
73. To watch construction sites. 74. To look at the birds. 75. To allow your child to help you dump ingredients in the bowl. 76. To walk places together. 77. To dig in the dirt together. 78. To do a task at your childs pace. 79. To just sit with you child while they play.

Trust:
80. That your child is capable. 81. That you are the right parent for your child. 82. That you are enough. 83. That you can do what is right for your family.

Delight your child:

84. Clean your childs room as a surprise. 85. Put chocolate chips in the pancakes. 86. Put a love note in their lunch. 87. Make their snack into a smile face shape. 88. Make sounds effects while you help them do something. 89. Sit on the floor with them to play.

Let Go:
90. Of the guilt. 91. Of how you thought it was going to be. 92. Of your need to be right.

Give:
93. A look with Kind Eyes to your child. 94. A smile when your child walks into the room. 95. A kind touch back when your child touches you. 96. The chance to connect before you correct so that your child can actually hear your words. 97. Your child a chance to work out their frustrations before helping them. 98. A bath when the day feels long. 99. A hug. 100. You get to choose the next one! What is your favorite way to be kind to your child?

The Summer Bucket List: Catholic Edition. 1. Attend a Parish Picnic. 2. Sign the kids up for a week of Vacation Bible School. 3. Volunteer throughout the week at VBS. 4. Visit a new Parish for Sunday Mass. Nothing unites us as One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church like being able to attend Mass anywhere, and still participating in the same celebration. *If traveling, visit here to find Mass times. Dont forget to support your home Parish the weekends you are away. 5. Tour a Shrine or a Basilica. Shiela and I met at the Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Washington, DC) last August: 6. Visit a Catholic bookstore. My kids love checking out the childrens section. 7. Check out some Catholic books at the Library. 8. Celebrate a Feast Day or a Saints Day. We love making cakes and cupcakes around here. Here are our brownie shamrocks from the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity: 9. Make a Rosary garden or place a Blessed Mother statue in your yard. 10. Attend a Saturday Vigil Mass and go out for ice cream after. 11. Attend a daily Mass. 12. Teach your children a new prayer. 13. Say a Novena. 14. Go to Adoration. 15. Go to Confession. 16. Attend a Baptism. 17. Go to a wedding. 18. Go on a Spiritual Retreat. Even if it is disguised as a camping trip. 19. Have a say the Rosary play date. 20. Invite your Priest to supper.

125 Things To Do This Summer

YELLOW (things to do outside in the sun) 1. bubbles 2. catch a butterfly 3. sandbox 4. paperbag scavenger hunt 5. water pinatas 6. water games 7. hopscotch 8. run in the sprinklers 9. make an obstacle course 10. pull weeds (not everything has to be fun, right? :) 11. sidewalk chalk paint 12. mud pie kitchen 13. hunt for predators with water guns 14. sidewalk chalk 15. ride your bike 16. wash cars, scooters, and bikes 17. plant flowers 18. play hide and seek 19. have a race 20. roller skate 21. play red light/ green light 22. play tag 23. plant a garden- even if its just herbs 24. kiddie pool in backyard BLUE (summertime treats) I have a bunch of dinner recipes that I want to try that I will be adding to our monthly meal schedule (hopefully!). I wanted to make the summer bucket list fun for my daughter, and pulling out a popsicle stick that said "grilled chicken fajitas" wouldn't do much for her.

25. smoothies 26. campfire cones 27. cupcakes in ice cream cones 28. make sugar cookies and decorate 29. food paint 30. dip a banana in chocolate and freeze 31. take a picnic somewhere 32. muddy buddies 33. mini personal pizzas for lunch 34. candlelight dinner 35. make homemade taffy 36. indoor smores 37. homemade snow cones 38. frozen grapes 39. ice cream in a bag 40. make popsicles 41. use candy melts to make suckers 42. frozen jr mints 43. gelato 44. fruit kabobs 45. strawberry and watermelon lemonade 46. kool-aid ice cubes and 7-up 47. crabby sandwich for lunch 48. frozen fruit bars ORANGE (science projects) 49. make bird feeders 50. freeze things and dig them out 51. oily fireworks 52. fossil cookies 53. static electricity 54. volcano in a mug 55. m&ms in hot water 56. glow in the dark party

57. weather cloud in a cup 58. blowing up balloons 59. ice sculptures 60. sidewalk egg frying w/aluminum foil 61. floating eggs in salt water RED (art projects) 62. make bath paints with shaving cream 63. bubble painting 64. make pinwheels 65. sewing project 66. glitter toes 67. make a treasure map and go on a hunt 68. marshmallow and tooth pick sculptures 69. make slime 70. make a paper mache bowl 71. "I wish..." art project 72. paint cement with water 73. ABC handprint art book 74. fingerpaint 75. fingerpaint with pudding 76. self portrait 77. silhouette pictures 78. invisible ink 79. melt crayons PURPLE (learning activities) 80. use a calculator 81. write digits 0-9 82. puppet show 83. sound sorts 84. write name 85. letter bingo 86. write and illustrate a story 87. follow direction cards

88. etiquette factory 89. Dora letter sound flashcards 90. number bingo

GREEN (hometown activities) 91. bowling 92. bounce house 93. aquatic center/ swimming pool 94. dinosaur park 95. splash pad 96. children's museum 97. playground 98. duck pond 99. city museum 100. train museum 101. nature trail 102. nickelcade 103. Hill Air Force base airplane museum 104. nature center

BROWN (Salt Lake and beyond activities) 105. Symphony 106. Natural History Museum 107. Red Butte Gardens 108. Zoo 109. Kennecott Copper Mine 110. City Creek shopping center 111.State Capital Building 112. baseball game 113. planetarium 114. temple square 115. liberty park 116. aviary 117. childrens theater 118. Park City 119. aquarium 120. Church History Museum 121. Gateway 122. This is the Place State Park

123. ride the bus 124. fireworks 125. fair I know there are TONS more ideas (Thanksgiving Pointe, Yellowstone, Dinosaur National Monument, hiking, Antelope Island, etc....) And there is NO pressure on accomplishing every single thing on my list. OK, maybe a little pressure- I mean, being able to cross off my entire list would be amazing! I hope this list inspires you to make some fun memories with your families this summer.

There are often days or even just an hour when everyone seems to be a little grouchy. These are some thing I do when that happens: 1. Deep breath. I call out, Deep breath! Then everyone stands up and we all take long, slow breaths while we raise our hands over our heads. Then we let the air out slowly while we lower our arms. The whole movement is very slow and purposeful. We might do that a few times, then go back to our regular day. 2. Jumping jacks. We all stop what we are doing and do 20 jumping jacks. This is especially good when they seem to have extra energy and need to use it. Its hilarious to see the littler ones trying to coordinate their arms and legs. 3. The color game. If its not raining I take a stack of construction paper (each piece a different color), some tape and some tacks (I used to leave these in a drawer by the front door) and take it all outside. I tack or tape a whole piece of the paper to trees, the car, a bush, the front door.making sure they are spread out but I can see all of the colors from my chair (that I have set in the middle of it all). Then I sit in the chair and gather all of the kids around me and I say, ReadyRED! Then they have to find the red paper and run to it. Once they are all there I call out another color and we keep doing it until they are exhausted. Sometimes I modify the game by calling a kids name with a color. You can let the older ones go faster with this version. 4. Play stations in the kitchen. Fill the sink half full with water & utensils, fill a 913 pan with rice, another with straws, a plastic bowl with beans. Set it all on the kitchen counter (table, whatever) and set the timer for 5 minutes. They play at each station for only 5 minutes then they switch. You stay in the kitchen with them the whole time giving attention to their made up games. In 20 minutes its over. 5. Emergency toys. I keep toys tucked high up in a closet for just such an occasion. Pull them out of the closet and set the timer for 30 minutes. Once the timer goes off.the toys get put away for at least a month. Thats the only way they will work the next time.

6. Play a game. Well all sit and play something unbelievably dull, like Go Fish or a simple board game. Sometimes all they need is for you to stop and give them your full attention for 15 minutes. 7. Music. Music is a-MAZing for this kind of problem. If I dont have the time to play games or make pans of rice in the kitchen, I will turn on some fun kid music and well all dance around to one song. Mommy dances too (and Daddy if hes home). One song can reset everyones attitude. 8. Tear paper. Sometimes we all just need to do something wild and completely unexpected. So I will give each child 3 pieces of construction paper and well stand in a circle and when I say, GO! we all start tearing up our paper and throwing it on the floor. We jump around and scream and laugh and giggle and fall down and throw the paper around for about 5 minutes. Then I say, STOP! and we have to clean it up as quickly and silly as we can. 9. Lie on the grass. Often, when its not too wet, cold, hot.we go outside and lie on the grass. Everyone takes turns telling what they see in the clouds or, if theres no cloud, I will ask them a question and we take turns answering. Sometimes we will do it on the trampoline instead of the grass. 10. Drink something green. I put green food coloring in either lemonade or water. I gather everyone in the kitchen and give everyone a glass of Green Goop and we all drink it at the same time. We drink it as fast as we can and be silly. If its been a really rough day, burping is a must. 11. Crawling. I have everyone put shoes on their hands and crawl around until I say stop. Then they have to freeze like a statue until I say go. Sometimes Ill call out pieces of furniture for them to crawl to. Well do this for about 15 minutes then stop and put the shoes away. 12. Baths. These are not get-clean baths. These are play-baths. 15 minutes in the tub with a few toys and no washing hair. Just time to stop everything and play in the water. 13. Read a book. If everyone is tired I will grab a book and read it aloud in an unusual waywith an accent, like a monster, while acting it out, hanging upside down off of the couch.something that makes it different. 14. Hold hands. Sometimes everyone just needs Mom for a few minutes. So well hold hands and walk around, outside if possible but inside works too. Ill say something like, Tell me what you liked about today, and well walk and talk and touch for a few minutes. 15. Quizzes. Ill line them up in front of me and zing them with questions. They have to answer really quickly and if they take too long I say, Zing! and they have to fall down and get back up again. (If youre not feeling creative, just think of a favorite book or movie and ask them questions about that, Whats the name of the character that_____, Who had the last line in the movie? What color was ____ wearing when she was running?, etc.) This is especially good for nursing moms that need to sit for a few minutes and the older kids are needing attention.

16. Color their name. I write their name in really big, puffy letters and they get 3 Crayons to color it in. No sharing, no tradingjust 3 colorsGO! 17. Have a snack. You sit with them and talk for just a few minutes. Dont set them down and walk off. Just sit there for a few minutes and toast your glasses together and say, To a better day! and eat a little something. 18. The Whisper Game. I say, Lets plat the Whisper Game! and set the timer for 5-10 minutes. That whole time you sit and talk but everyone has to whisper. Do what you can to make it silly and animated, like lean to their ears or tiptoe around the room while youre whispering. 19. Animals. I sit on the couch and and gather them around, with an arm length between them. Then I call out animals and they have to act like that animal until I change the animal. I might switch it up by calling out a specific childs name with an animal. 20. Slow down. This one is good to do after any of the other activities. We all move and talk in slow motion. I will walk around and they follow me and do what I do.all in slow motion. Then I give them turns being the leader. This is fun, but it takes the energy back down and youre ready to go back to normal. As you can see, the main focus of these activities is to stop what you are doing, stop rushing, stop being frustrated and spend a few minutes together doing something completely different. It is essential that Mom or Dad participate. Thats what really pushes the reset button.

Summer is traditionally the time I organize my life for the coming year. Because I homeschool, summer is the time I plan our coming school year. This year, I am on a mission to reorganize my whole life! Sometimes life gets in the way of our plans, right? Thats been the case for me for quite a while now. In our crazy hectic life, our schedule is constantly flowing, moving, changing. It drives me crazy. I like routine. I like each day to pretty much be the same. Unfortunately, life hasnt cooperated over the last few years. This year, I want consistency, even in the chaos. My home down to the closets and drawers needs a makeover. Life has been so hectic, I have found myself wallowing in the chaos to long! Something has to change and I want to get on with it. Now. Have you ever felt that way? Do you think I can get my whole life organized in six weeks? Or at least be on my way back to a household that runs smoothly? I plan to try my best! Over the coming four weeks life will go on as usual. We have lots of family birthday parties, three grandchildren coming from Michigan to spend the month, trips planned, homeschooling to plan, food to cook, laundry to catch up on. You get the idea. But I really need to get my calm in the chaos back! So, despite all of my wonderful summer family plans, I plan to make organizing my life a top priority. Are you looking for the calm in your chaos? Join me! June 18 July 27, 2012 Challenge Week #1: Reorganize Household Notebook and File Crate Systems and Family Schedule Challenge Week #2: Clean Out Kitchen Cupboards and Reorganize Challenge Week #3: Reorganize Storage Closets Challenge Week #4: Reorganize Clothes Closets and Drawers Challenge Week #5: Reorganize Bathrooms and Clean Out Book Shelves Challenge Week #6: Plan Home School Year and Clean Out Home School Closet Here Are The Posts:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The Life Management Binder My Household Notebook Summer Challenge Update The File Crate System The Home School File Crate System More to Come!

{ source } Summer Challenge 2012: Get Organized Wow, I remember when I started A Virtuous Woman way back in 2001 and the internet was so different back then! We didnt have all the cool software that we have today. I remember creating my household notebook and it was one of the first printable ones on the internet! I didnt have Adobe back then, so how to make them printable was an issue. My how things have changed! So what is a Household Notebook/ Life Management Binder? Its a binder that holds all of the important stuff you need to remember everyday! You can still print our our basic Household Notebook here. I love colorful forms, but these are just basic black and white ones. Printing them on frequent basis means a lot of ink and if youre like me, you cant afford the colored ink! But then, maybe you dont mind the extra expense, and would love some color in your notebook. So, either way, youll find something that works for you! If you like the color but dont want to print out each day, Ill share with you tomorrow how I am currently setting up my household notebook with the best of both worlds! So Im going to share some of my favorite links for household notebook printables:

A Bowl Full of Lemons Planner Organization Week At a Glance from Amy Bayliss Calendars and Goals from Amy Bayliss Household Management Forms from Money Saving Mom Home Management Binder from Life Your Way Our Life Binder from Finding Home Printable Planner from the Organized Housewife

Some other ideas I like:

A Day in My Lifes take on a laminated Daily Docket How to Develop a Family Mission Statement by Passionate Homemaking

Do you have a favorite source for great printables? Have you ever used a Household Notebook/ Life Management Binder? What have you accomplished today to get your home organized for the summer? Share with us! You can find more ideas on my Life Management Binder Pintrest page.

Why Simplify?
by Lindsayon Jun 04, 2008in frugal & simple

Live simply that others might simply live. ~Elizabeth Seaton This quote has been on my mind quite frequentlymulling over the reason for simplicity. Simple living is not a new fad, and yet it has been coming to the forefront as of late, possibly due to the challenges in our current economy for many a family. I have heard many reasons given for pursuing simplicity including: savings and retirement, purchasing a home debt free, tight budgets, desiring to be less dependent upon the consumerist mentality of our culture, health, peaceful home and life, less stress, etc. These are all wise reasons for pursuing simply living, many of which have been my desires as wellbut should there be something more? Some more eternal, over-arching God-glorifying purpose for pursuing simplicity?

Simple Living throughout History

As I mentioned previously, simple living is nothing new. Here are a few historical examples, which were shared in Tim Kellers Ministries of Mercy: Take the story of John Wesley, a man who died with nothing left but a coat and two silver teaspoons, and this was not due to any lack of resources. He earned as much as 1,400 pounds annually toward the end of his life through the sale of sermons and books. He never spent more than 30 pounds each year, and said himself, If I leave behind 10 pounds, you and all mankind bear witness against me that I lived and died a thief and a robber. George Muller of Bristol left $850 at his death, and it was estimated that he gave away $180,000 dollars to the Lords work.

John Newton gave the challenge during his lifetime to live by three principles: 1. 2. Choose Use a standard of living of for the a bare family necessities ministry (food to & the shelter) poor

entertainment

funds

3. Make generosity to the poor a higher priority than your savings and retirement. The Bible calls us to keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5), and that godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that(1 Tim. 6:6-9). The over-arching reason for simple living is in order to give it away to the needy!

Bear One Anothers Burdens

Tim Keller in his book, Ministries of Mercy, presents this challenge that has spoken right to my heart: We must give so that we feel the burden of the needy ourselves! The truth rests in this passage: Bear one anothers burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ (Gal 6:2). As Jonathan Edwards says: In many cases, we may, by the rules of the gospel, be obliged to give to others, when we cannot do it without suffering ourselves. if our neighbors difficulties and necessities be much greater than our own, and we see that he is not like to be otherwise relieved, we should be willing to suffer with him, and to take part of his burden on ourselves; else how is that rule of bearing one anothers burdens fulfilled? If we be never obliged to relieve others burdens, but when we can do it without burdening ourselves, then do we bear our neighbors burden, when we bear no burden at all? As my dad has said frequently: Give until it hurts! If it doesnt hurt, we are not bearing any burden of anothers, and thus not giving enough!

How do we Simplify?
I want to live simply, pursuing contentment with a simple home, simple lifestyle, in order that we may seek to invest more time and resources into the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. Our goal is to simplify our schedule so we can have more time to invest in others (ministry as a family in our home)to simplify our possessions and spending in order to give more generously.

How do we apply this? My question and pray has been, how can I live more simply in order that others might simply live? How do we pursue simplicity in meal planning, household maintenance, schedule, purchases, etc? I would like to commence a series of post on steps toward simplicity. On upcoming Wednesdays, we will posts tips for simplifying your home and lifestyle, sharing with you lessons we have learned through the journey. I have so much more to learn, but as long as we remain focused on the Godglorying goal of living generously for others, He will supply the grace sufficient for the task. This is a purpose worth living for! I hope to encourage you all in ways of simplifying in order to be most effective with your time and resources for the glory of God, seeking first the kingdom, giving more generously, remaining content with little, and keeping our hearts and minds where the true treasure should be stored in heaven.

Developing a Family Mission Statement

by Lindsayon Jul 16, 2010in building the family

Every decision we make is ultimately governed by some kind of inter est or goal or objective or value or principle, whether we know it or not. A Family Mission Statement is an effort to bring to an explicit level what your goals and values are so that people are on the same page. Stephen Covey Proverbs 29:18 states, Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he, which has always challenged me in the importance of casting a vision and mission for our family. Without vision and direction, we could easily wander aimlessly through life and waste precious hours and moments that could be invested in the things of the Lord. We can get easily distracted in the superficial issues and lose sight of the greater purpose. I am often such a person, desiring great things in my heart, but never practically writing this out on paper and making a purposeful plan to review it regularly.

A mission statement is not something that is developed overnight, but it is invaluable frame of reference to use in making the everyday decisions in addition to the long term goals and plans. It is the inspiration that can encourage you when you have a challenging day. It can help refocus your family when you get off course. It answers the question: where are we going as a family? Where are we gifted that we could facilitate greater service to one another and the world around us? How can we purposefully accomplish that? Where to Begin? I encourage you to read 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen Covey as an excellent source of inspiration and purpose for beginning this assignment. Here is the steps we took to develop our family mission. Make sure to make this a family affair, if possible, or if your children are young, you and your spouse. We will be far more effective if we seek to work together as co-labors in the mission God has assigned us.

1. Pray
Developing a mission statement cannot be completed without prayer. Spend as much time as necessary on this step, just seeking the Lord as to the direction he would desire for your family to take. Spend several days in preparation in this manner. We spent several weeks praying and thinking about the questions below individually before coming together to discuss it.

2. Ask Questions
Sit down together with your spouse and family and evaluate your passions and desires with these questions. Take lots of notes.

Where are we going as a family? What are our priorities? What are our strengths, gifting, talents? What is the main purpose of our home? What are practical ways we can serve each other? What are practical ways we can serve others outside our family? Name three things you think you could do better as a family. What would people say today about our family as a whole? What would we like people to say about our family as a whole in 30 years? If our home could be filled with one emotion, what would it be?

How do you want to build relationships in your family? Name three adjectives we would like people to use to describe our home environment. If we could name one principle from which we want our family to operate, what would it be? What characteristics do we want our children to have as they grow up? What do we want them to be skilled in?

For further questions to evaluate, check out Simple Mom & Family Cornerstone list. Make note of any quotes or verses that stand out to you. Consider how you might incorporate these as well.

3. Narrow it Down
After evaluating the above questions, we narrowed our list down to our top ten priorities. Here is the list we compiled for our family based upon evaluating the questions above and our priorities: God must come first (Unless the Lord builds the house the workers labor in vain) Proactively Kind Mission Living Love Good Hospitable Grateful and seek to not minded simply confess ashamed in sins, to joyfully order for love, and show be quick the to give to forgive one Lord each other another together generously learning stewards (caring) affection with

serving

Using gifts for the kingdom (computer programming, writing, teaching, music, etc.)

4. Write Your Statement

Then we took those priorities and goals and compiled it into a mission statement. Our statement is still in process, but this was our first draft. I seek your help and accountability in sharing this. We do this not for our own sakes for the greater purpose of Gods glory: We love, will and keep share Christ affection at and the center of with our each home. other.

We are committed to each other and will proactively practice humility, forgiveness, unconditional encouragement

We are committed to living a missional lifestyle by living simply, giving generously, demonstrating hospitality, and cultivating gifts within each member of the family that can be used to further the Kingdom of God. We will be good stewards of the earth that God has entrusted to our care. Our home will be a place where grateful hearts abide and where a love for learning is always nurtured out to share Gods love with the world. Ours is more lengthy at this point than it needs to be. Our short purpose statement has always been: living simply in order to give generously (read more about this passion in my original series Our Journey to Simple Living). Yours can be as short or as long as you desire. Stephen Coveys family statement is as follows: To create a nurturing place of faith, order, truth, love, happiness and relaxation and to provide opportunity for every person to become responsibly independent and effectively inter-dependent in order to serve worthy purposes in society through understanding and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. and encouraged. We are raising our children as disciples that love to learn, give, work, serve, and in turn send them

5. Create Action Statements

With each priority listed, develop one or more action steps to complete over the next six months, year, or as you see fits best with your family. For us, we had to ask: how will we keep Christ the center of our home? By having regular family devotions, praying together at meals and the beginning of the day, and evaluating everything we do in our home to make sure Christ is honored. We will live missionally by reaching out in hospitality twice a month, welcoming new neighbors into our community, etc. By making action statements, you will be actively making steps towards the fulfillment of your goals in your home.

6. Set a Plan for Review and Evaluation

Mission statements will not go far without purposing to review them and evaluate your progress. Make a plan for this. Set up reminders on your computer to review it. We plan to review on a yearly basis when we do our year end evaluation, but also when we get away on vacation throughout the year.

With each and every thing we consider adopting or committing to as a family, we need to ask: what has this to do with that? Asking this in light of our mission statement and the glory of God.

7. Pray Again and Never Stop

Finally, dedicate it to the Lord. Commit your mission to Him and trust that He will guide you in the fulfillment of it. Do not trust on your own strength, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths (Prov. 3:5). Since beginning the process of developing our family mission statement, it has provided such clarity and direction to our daily lives. We know what our purpose is and we our passionately working together to accomplish it. By Gods strength, we want to be laborers in the extension of His Kingdom! For further inspiration: The Benefits of Having A Family Mission Statement by Stephen Covey God bless your efforts to live purposefully for His glory! He who has God and everything has no more than he who has God alone. ~ C.S. Lewis The management of finances seems to be the biggest marital conflict and often causes great stress, worry and anxiety. Why is this? Why is there such a strong trend among wives and mothers to be so focused on frugality? I have struggled with this issue over the last few months, and I have desired to seek out the Biblical truth in these matters. In light of our family motto that I have written on the top of my blog (living simply in order to give generously), I would like to expand upon this in a short series.

I will be addressing the question: Why have we chosen to live a simplified lifestyle and what is my purpose behind it? We will be looking through Scripture to distinguish if and what the Biblical basis is for frugality, saving, and giving, and what does the Lord require of us in the use of money and our personal resources, especially as it relates to being wives and mothers. I do not claim to have a full understanding in this issue, but with the help of my husband and the Word of God, I am seeking to come to a more balanced and God-glorifying position on these issues. Did you know that Jesus talks about money more than any other topic? Apparently it is a very important issue to the heart of God.

I think we need to seriously ask ourselves: what is my purpose in pursuing frugality? Is this pursuit God glorifying or is it for selfish reasons?We each need to come to a place of conviction and purpose to the reason we choose a lifestyle for our family. Why have you chosen to live the way that you do? I grew up in a large home and assumed thats what I wanted for my family when I got married. I often felt a twinge of jealousy when I heard of friends my age purchasing their first house while I had to settle with a tiny apartment and loud neighbors. Looking back I am so thankful for living in small spaces and the experience of moving five times in less than 4 years. Each move left me holding on to my stuff with a looser grip and realizing that owning less can be a freeing blessing. The Lord has used these moves and small apartments to teach me contentment. The type of contentment where Im no longer settling for less, but when faced with the option, Im choosing it. While these trinkets and necessities that fill our homes arent inherently wrong, they are temporary and fleeting and can easily become burdensome. In our society we often think that having more than we need is a blessing. I argue that it can be tiresome and a burden. If you, like me, are living in a small space and struggle with contentment, here are some reminders of the blessings of less.

1.

Less

to

Clean

Times of cleaning truly bring out my contentment and thankfulness for a small space. I often think of how much more of my time would be spent cleaning a larger home. I can vacuum my entire apartment in less than 10 minutes. I love scrubbing only one toilet! Dusting is a 10 minute breeze. With less space Im able to keep a deeper-cleaned home instead of spending most of my energy keeping things looking clean.

2.

Less

Chasing

When weve stayed at my parents larger home, Im always amazed at how exhausted I become from chasing little ones. Im sure this isnt a huge deal when children are older, but with new walkers and wobbly toddlers, chasing can become an all day affair. Small spaces allow young ones the freedom to move around the house without gates and still be within earshot and eyesight of Mama.

3.

Less

to

Decorate

Small spaces are not only less intimidating to decorate, but they are much more friendly to the decorator on a budget. I love decorating a small room to be cozy and functional without the pressure to find pieces simply to fill empty spaces.

4.

Less

to

Maintain

Whether large or small, all homes require maintenance. Appliances break down. Furniture wears out. Walls need new paint. Roofs leak. Lawns need mowing. Smaller spaces can reduce the time and money spent on keeping a home maintained and comfortable.

5.

Less

Space

for

Clutter

With limited closet and storage space Im forced to weed out useless clutter due to the lack of clutter hiding spots. I wouldnt deal with my clutter nearly as much if it didnt invade my space so easily. This lack of space is a blessing! My space keeps me accountable to what we do and dont need around the house. Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 Whether you are in a large or small home, may your hearts be filled with contentment, generosity, and thankfulness to the One who provides for our needs so faithfully.

Simple Steps to Declutter Your Home

by Lindsayon Aug 13, 2010in frugal & simple, making a home

Stuff, stuff, stuff! Are you struggling to keep your head above water in maintaining your home in a simple and peaceful manner? It takes a bit of persistent effort to maintain a simple home, but it is well worth it, as you can turn your focus towards the more important things in life relationships and hospitality. I feel like I am always in a mode of decluttering, because I hate things not serving a purpose in my home. As I have been packing some of our goods in preparation for a potential move, it has helped me further declutter and seriously evaluate what do I want to take to another home. If it can stay in

boxes for several months, is it really needed? Do I need ten cookbooks? No, I only use two of them. For every item that gathers dust, it takes time to clean, maintain, or clear out of the way to accomplish another task. Lets join forces in taking an aggressive attack towards clearing away the clutter!

1. Keep Your mission at the forefront

Decluttering is only successful when I keep the right mindset. What is the purpose? So that my home can be a more peaceful place for the rest and refreshment of my family and those God has called us to serve in our community and church. I dont want to be spending hours each day housecleaning. Decluttering removes that need. Use the opportunity to teach your kids about giving generously to bless others with your stuff. Include them in the process.

2. Work room by room

Start decluttering by working room by room throughout your house. Start at the door and do a full sweep of the room, top to bottom. Empty drawers, cupboards, and closets. Ask yourselves these questions as you evaluate each item in your home: Do When Do Is this was I item the I last care beautifying time use it about my was it? used? it? home?

Could someone else use it more?

3. Work quickly and be aggressive

Make sure to work quickly and dont think too hard about each item. What is your first instinct? The more you think about it, the more you will be able to justify keeping the item. For clothing, reverse the direction of the hangers for any items that you are unsure about. If they dont get worn in the next month, you will know for sure that they need to go. For childrens clothing, eliminate what clothes you dont care for or stained. Limit the numbers to 6-8 outfits. For toys, reserve a few toys per child and remove the rest or rotate them in storage. Kids dont want or need tons of toys. It is overwhelming to them.

4. Persevere for the end is worth it!

The initial re-haul may take some time. It took me a solid week, taking one room each day. After the initial re-haul, maintaining a simple clutter free home is so much easier, and takes a bit of time here and there often taking place with the changing of the seasons in my home. I like to take about 30 minutes each week to declutter one area of my home. When you seek to intentionally declutter your home, it makes it so much easier to be a peaceful and joyful homemaker. It is like a weight is taken off your back. Your spouse will benefit from a refreshing place to come home to. Your children will be more content. And your home will be more prepared to minister to others through hospitality. Its a win win situation!

Vacation FOOD

This post is brought to you by Passionate Homemakings monthly contributor, Michele Augur. Amy asked: My children are older (11,13,14,15), but many tips will apply to all ages. We are heading out on a 16 day summer road trip in August. I have filled our trip full of parks, factory tours and many many other free or low cost activities. I am planning on preparing home cooked food throughout the entire trip. Normally, I can manage this, but our trips are usually a week or less at a time and we arent continuously moving. On this trip, we wont be in any one place longer than two nights. I would love any tips from you and your readers on food ideas, entertainment in the vehicle, etc. I am spending 5 months planning! P.S.we are taking a small travel grill, a cooler and in most rooms we will have a fridge and microwave only. I also plan on taking my large electric griddle for pancakes, etc. That is a about all I have to work with! I am so excited for you, Amy! Our family loves adventures like these. Preparing home-cooked food while traveling is usually the most frugal and healthy option for meals on the road. Some advance planning certainly helps, though! Here are some tips to make the trip go a bit smoother for you (and feel free to jump in with your own suggestions!).

Before a long road trip, I usually write out a flexible meal plan to work from as I make my preparations. You can adjust this as you travel, but it helps to make sure you dont forget anything. Plan for plenty of finger food picnics!

Right before our departure, I schedule a baking day. I prepare items such as cookies, granola, granola bars, breads, and muffins for snacks & meals. (These likely wont last two weeks, but it gives you a head start.)

When packing your cooler, use leak-proof containers; otherwise your food will get soggy when the ice melts! Here are some staple items we like to pack:

Dried & Fresh Fruit Containers of Veggies (already cut into finger food pieces) Homemade Trail Mix (When traveling in hot weather, be wary of carrying chocolate, which can melt!) Shelf-staple treats, such as Peanut Brittle Jars of Peanut Butter Eggs (Hard-boil some ahead of time, and pack raw ones in an egg holder; cardboard egg cartons dissolve in a cooler full of ice!) Nitrate-free Hot Dogs, Pepperoni Sticks, Smoked Salmon, Jerky, etc. from a local meat market Cheese (already sliced, and stored in a container in the cooler, or containers of Feta) Quick-Cooking Grains (such as oats, quinoa, or millet) for hearty one pot meals boiled on a camp stove (or you can microwave quick-cooking oats). Beans (You can cook some ahead of time, or pack dry or canned beans. Lentils and Split Peas are especially quick-cooking.) Tortillas (These are your space-saving foods for the end of your trip, when the baked goods run out, and are a lightweight option for packing on a day hike.) Canned Fish (Choose a healthy & sustainable option, such as wild Alaskan salmon.) Lots of Pancake Mix (Prepare your own homemade mix ahead of time! When your bread runs out, make a big batch of pancakes at breakfast, and make sandwiches out of them for lunch.)

Jars of Homemade Yogurt (You can use this in salads, dips, or for breakfasts with fruit & granola.)

Popcorn (Pop a big batch to take with you, or pop some over a campfire/camp stove.) Water (Make sure everyone has their own water bottle for the car, and fills them up before heading out for the day.)

Photo credit Meal Ideas:

Grilled Meats & Veggies (You can take along Shish Kebab sticks for a great finger food meal! Try eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, or onions) Campfire Roasted Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes (Wrap in foil, and tuck into the coals. Stuff with beans, cheese, & veggies after roasting) Wraps (Our favorites are a combination of Salad Greens, Pear Slices, Feta, and Dried Cranberries in Whole-Grain Tortillas, or Black Bean Wraps.) Veggie & Cheese Omelets (You can even do breakfast for dinner.) Fish Cakes (on the griddle) Grilled Fish or Chicken at dinner can be transformed into salad sandwiches for lunch the next day.

When packing your kitchen supplies, take the bare minimum you need to prepare and wash up quickly, so that you can get back out on the road! Kitchen Staples/Utensils:

Knives (Find ones with their own cover, so they can travel safely.) Can Opener Cutting Board Biodegradable All-Purpose Soap (such as castile soap) & a scrubber for washing your utensils A set of dishes for each person (Wash immediately after use, so youre not carrying dirty dishes!) A few favorite spices: Cinnamon, an Herb Blend, and Salt & Pepper are usually sufficient I like to take a heat-resistant silicone spatula/scraper/spreader, which works for almost everything! While youre at hotels, remember to restock your cooler with ice (so you arent buying ice as often).

A cooking pot and/or frying pan A small jar of oil, container of butter, and a container of sugar/honey Leak-proof containers for restaurant leftovers (to put in your cooler)

Shopping: Before you head out, check Local Harvest (or area tourism information) to see if there are any Farmers Markets or produce markets near your destination. It is a delicious treat to pick up local produce for your meals, instead of eating something that has been sitting in your car for a week! Doesnt a fresh cucumber, vine-ripened tomato, basket of berries, bag of salad greens, or a juicy peach sound nice?

So, what are your favorite travel tips? Did I forget anything? Stay tuned for part 2 as Michele shares frugal and fun travel activities! ncy Twiggs From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out is most definitely the best book on simplifying your life from a Christian perspective that I have read. It is an easy read that really helped clarify my perspective in all aspects of my life. I feel the description on the back cover truly encapsulates the book well, Is your schedule so full you can barely breathe, much less volunteer for a good cause? Do you spend each day worrying about things you cant control? Are you tired of facing endless mounds of junk? Clutt ered homes, overbooked schedules, and maxed-out credit cards are only symptoms of whats happening on the inside. As you follow Gods directive to clear out the clutter that complicates your life, youll discover the clarity you desire. Isnt it time? I love how she keeps the focus on simplifying first and foremost by addressing the core of our hearts, the root problem. Are we trying to find satisfaction in things? Or through maintaining a busy schedule that we dont have time to think about our discontentment? It starts with your mind and heart! Simplifying is more than just cleaning out closets, drawers, and boxes of receipts. The book begins by offering a new definition of clutter: Anything that complicates your life and prevents you from living in peace as you live out your purpose. She then follows this up by dissecting Hebrews 12:1-2, and addressing its application to inner clarity (simplicity of mind-set, getting rid of counterproductive thoughts that clutter your mind), outer clarity (simplicity of daily

life how you use your time and how you relate to your possessions), and finally financial clarity (simplicity of spending how you relate to your money). Hebrews 12:1-2 states, Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus This book is a call to acknowledge honestly what is really holding us back. Throw it off as Hebrews describes. Get it out of your lives and thoughts, for even good things can lead to sin, if we become consumed with it and turn it into an idol. Nancy shares, Even noble pursuits become clutter when they endanger our sanity and leave us with no time to connect with God. You will encounter struggles in the battle (it is hard to say no), but remember to keep fixing your eyes on Jesus! He is our Source! He provides the ability to lay aside the clutter in our life and be set free through Christ Jesus. Through the toughest times in our spiritual lives, its our God-empowered persistence that keeps us moving forward. Our suitcases are filled with all kinds of dead weight: habits we need to give up, attitudes weve long since outgrown, and activities and possessions that no longer serve a reasonable purpose. Are you ready to clean out those suitcases? Then, I strongly encourage you to find a copy of this book, and prayerfully read and journal through it. Nancy provides very thoughtful clutter buster questions at the end of each chapter that will provide you with strategic tools for destroying the clutter in your life. She also provides a wealth of practical tips for diagnosing and attacking the clutter in the inner, outer, and financial areas of life. I personally have grown a lot in understanding how to simplify my life in the outer realm, but while reading this book, I realized how much I had yet to grow in simplifying my life in the inner realm. The Lord has graciously used this book to help provide so much more inner clarity and purpose that I have ever experienced! Im eager to read her other book: Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful Holidays and Special Occasions! Its the perfect time of year!

Christina asked: I had a question on how to simplify my bookshelves. I went to conferences on the value of collecting and keeping godly books and lets just say Ive gotten quite a collection! How do you determine what books should be saved? My Aunt said the likelihood of my reading a book twice is minimal so I should just get rid of all of my books. But others say there may be books I want my future children to read for a generational library and that godly books are hard to come by! I definitely want to de-clutter my shelves but I really have no clue how to go about it! Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!!! Books! Oh glorious books! I am a huge fan of reading myself and it can be easy to amass a large collection, especially if you practice frugal book reading and buying practices. It is definitely very wise to collect books, especially if you can choose them carefully. Books can be very dangerous as well. It is best to take wise precautions and ask thoughtful questions before even purchasing a book. These same questions can be asked as you simplify your collection. Is Would Or is/was Would Did Does this I it this or fluffy did (light I it book book I in grow truth and beneficial as not read stretch truthfully retell a really result stretching it and of my this edifying? read? again? me? history? understanding)?

Would this book help build mine or my childrens intellect as a result of this read?

Does this really deserve a place on my shelf? Books you will find on my bookshelf include: Christian living (not just light weight books but books that really challenge and grow me spiritually), Bible-study helps, historical books (learn from history or we shall be doomed to repeat it books that truthfully detail the past), good solid classics (that we enjoy as a family and/or my children will benefit from in the future), and lots of biographies. I love learning about the lives of those who have gone before me, especially missionary biographies. I honestly have only a few select fictional books. There is definitely a place for fun and light reading, especially on those nights when you cant sleep, but those books can easily be found at the library and do not need to take up space on your shelves. If a book really truly deserves a place on your shelf, make sure it gets good use after you have completed it. Loan out your books to family and friends. Start a loaning library or donate books to your churchs library. Share your books and see others be blessed as a result. This is one simple way

of being generous! Dont just let them sit and collect dust for yearsmake them worth the purchase! If a book does not deserve a place on your shelf, pass it on! Sell it on Cash4Books or Ebay or simply give it away.

Simplifying the Home School Resource Collection

For all the home school mommies out there, consider giving your input on simplifying the home school resources collection. Some of the above evaluation questions may be helpful, but I would love to hear from those with a bit more experience than I. Heather asked: I have 7 children and we are relaxed homeschoolers, so the education of my children partially depends on the material we have just hanging around our house, so I keep alot of books. I do use the library, but I also purchase many. There is no telling what the children will be interested in the next day. So getting rid of books is tough. Do you have any helpful guidelines on keeping/getting rid of books? What tips do you have to share on managing the book collections? Do you have any specific tips for managing home school resources? Please share!