Spend the day with me - Blogging the old fashioned way

A homemaker's day is pretty much the same.  We get up and start doing the same tasks we did the day before, there's hardly a change to our routine, unless there is an appointment or a visit from a family member or friend.  The tasks often seem mundane, and it's easy to get discouraged, when your mind is not focused on the the purpose of your life, and the importance of being a homemaker.

We send our husbands to work, our children to school, and yet we remain, in these same four walls, facing the same kitchen sink full of dishes, the dust needing wiped away, the laundry needing washing yet again.

When I first started blogging, back in 2006, blogging was the newest thing.  I stepped into a sea of like minded homemakers, moms, women wanting to share their days and at the same time record their memories for prosperity.

There were some really good bloggers out there, and not because they had a blog all decked out, or tons of ads, or were making any kind of money.  They certainly didn't claim to know it all, to be all, or be perfect, and that is what first attracted me to this wonderful world of blogging.

There was blogger and Wordpress, and to this day, there seems to be a one versus the other.  Some prefer one platform, others prefer the other.  I've always been a blogger girl, I just thought it was simpler and easier to work with, and so I remained until this day.

My life at the time was divided into taking care of my young children, my husband, my home and then taking my spare moments to visit other mom bloggers.  I loved seeing their posts, their days, their children, what they were doing.  The recipes were amazing, the tips and tricks that made our homemaking easier, book recommendations, movies, tv shows, gardening, you name it.  There was nothing flashy about these lifestyles, we weren't out here competing with anyone, just merely sharing our days.

Then slowly things started changing, some bloggers started growing their blogs as businesses.  Suddenly there were blogs filled with ads, click here and click there, telling others how and what they should be blogging about, writing books, seeking fame, and with that the innocence and beauty of simple mom blogs, began to fade.

I started feeling this sadness but also a determination to hold on to what blogging was all about.  I felt so out of place in the midst of it all.  I don't want to see professional looking posts with catchy titles, multiple links and ads all over the place.  I just wanted to continue sharing with other moms and seeing their days, that was all.

I won't even go into what I feel about blogging nowadays, or what it has become.  It is extremely difficult to find a group of homemaker blogs today that really capture the essence of what it was created to be.   It was created to be an online journal written in an informal way, like having a conversation with someone, and that is what made it special.

The feeling of not belonging is part of the reason I stopped blogging consistently, I started feeling like I needed to change to keep up, and my soul fought every step of the way.  God's loud voice kept echoing in my head "do NOT conform to this, it is NOT who you are, who I want you to be, or what is needed."

The truth of the matter is that we shouldn't be conforming, but rather holding on to that part of life that is quickly being erased.  The importance of family, of keeping a home, baking and cooking, sharing tips, reading, cleaning, gardening, everything I mentioned above, is even more important today than it was years ago.

So I said ok, I will continue blogging the old fashioned way.  I'll share my life, my day, what I'm doing.  Some may find it boring, but I think for you my sweet readers who have been here all along, and still keep your blogs going to this day, you will understand and you will appreciate the consistency in staying true to a real homemaking blog.  

Come in, sit, let me show you a few pictures of how I spent my Tuesday.

I start my days by opening my front door, opening the back patio doors and curtains around the house.  I tend to do this early in the morning to let in fresh air before the heat of the day kicks in.  Just feels like a breath of fresh air through the house refreshes things.

From there I move onto the dining room.  Usually the night before, after dinner we always play a game as a family.  It's a habit we've always had, it's a way to spend time together, to keep people off phones and to laugh and chat about our days.

Typically when we are done, I push the chairs in but that's it because often times, my husband and brother in law are still sitting down chatting.

So in the morning, I finally put it all in order.

The next room I move into, is the kitchen, and that one always tends to take longer to put together, although I often wonder why even bother because no doubt, an hour later, it will need attention again.  Hahaha

I start by putting away the clean dishes, then wash up anything from breakfast, take out the meat or chicken for dinner, prep anything that needs prepping, refill the fur babies water and food bowls, and give the floor a quick sweep.

 

After the kitchen, I move on to the living room and fold blankets, plump pillows and put away the babies toys that are usually all over the floor.

I also go ahead and fold up any washing that I left drying overnight.  I love using my floor racks for sheets or comforters, instead of throwing them in the dryer.  Saves on electricity and it also leaves the entire house smelling amazing while it air dries.

Vacuuming and dusting are usually the last things I do before either turning on a candle, my wax melts or using some air spray, just to finish it all off.

I often stand back with a smile on my face when it's all done.  Is there anything better than a clean and tidy, cozy home?  I don't think so.

The rest of the day, I pick up of the house as I go, you know the usual daily tasks here and there.  I also read my Bible, read my book, and do my workouts for the day.  I am currently getting in 10 000 steps a day, some days I come just shy of it, some days I pass that goal.  It doesn't matter, it is what it is.

Yesterday, I also took some time to post the mystery books on my Paperbackswap, and already had some requests, which means today I need to print out labels and get them ready to ship.

To finish the day, I did my 30 minute workout, and I wanted to share this picture with you.  I do it not to gloat, but to show you that at 49 years old, with work and determination, you CAN lose weight and you CAN go back to the body you once had.

I am in better shape today than I have been since my 20s.  It hasn't been all easy but I'm determined to keep going.

One thing that God has been pushing into my heart, is this "We don't live to eat, we eat to live."

Keep that in mind, because when we break the unhealthy habits we have with food, it all falls into place.

And with that, I am ending this post.  I need to get going with my day, get started and do what I need to do.

I hope you found some encouragement in my words, if you're a blogger keep blogging the way you always have.  Keep sharing because there are many young women out there today, who need encouragement, need tips and help and a healthy view of family and home.

Have a blessed Wednesday my friends, see you back here in the morning for a Cooking Thursday.  Yes, I'm going to be sharing a recipe.

Beauty in the chaos!

Hello friends :)

It's been, well, a while since I've sat down to compose an actual post that is not about a book I just read, or the Happy Homemaker Monday feature.

I've been surrounded by an insanely busy few weeks, there's a lot going on, places to be, appointments to keep and just life in general.  Sometimes I feel like life has thrown me upside down and left me laying there grasping at any helping hand, and hoping to be saved.....but then that is how it goes for a lot of us isn't it?

We've been trying to get on a good schooling schedule with Nick.  He hates school, hates everything about school and finds it very hard to focus just by himself.  Last year I gave him free reign and stepped back to let him take control and to learn how to be responsible for his lessons and take initiative.

It didn't quite work out very well and by the end of the year, it became quite apparent that he needs help to focus and stay on track.

With that in mind, this year we are trying to find the perfect schedule, the right routine and the best time to get things done.  I've taken the reign back and we now sit and do his schooling together.  It helps him to stay focused and he also finds it easier having me there to talk things through.

Nick is a very visual learner and he also has a way of working things out in his head, that isn't always accepted by the school.  It's frustrating as a parent to see how incredibly intelligent your child is and how 90% of the time he gets the right answers, but because he isn't getting them the way the curriculum dictates, it's "not right".  We're working with that as well, trying to bring the two together in a way that makes everyone happy.

I tell you, homeschooling has opened my eyes and taught me so much, not just because I'm learning as I go through it with them, but it's taught me what kind of learners my children are and what they excel in.  It's been amazing for sure :)

Much as I love blogging and being present online, my family comes first, my children especially and I've had to take a step back from the daily blogging to work on the schooling, but it seems like everything is finally falling into place so hopefully soon I can resume my normal blogging schedule.

In the meantime, I thought that I would share another day in my life with you all, and show you that even through the chaos of my life at times, there is always beauty, in everything we do.

Come with me and let me show you a bit of my day.

By now I'm sure you know that my typical day starts with some good ol' coffee and toast.  Now that I have my tomato jam replenished, I've really been enjoying toast with butter and jam.  It's one of my simple pleasures.

Making my bed is a bit of a challenge, because a certain someone HAS to be on it the whole time.  He's not exactly easy to move around so I gotta shoo him around.

I've been so behind that I didn't even update my menu, so spent some time doing that.

It's getting to the time of the year where Fall is upon us, which means that I tend to start shifting things around the house.  One of the things I always do is switch the couches with the dining table.  In the colder months we like eating dinner closer to the fireplace where it's warm and cozy.

I'll be moving everything around this weekend but for now, it's business as usual and the daily chores of wiping down, tidying and such must go on.

One of Marley's favorite times of the day is when I say "let's go check the mail".  He gets so excited, runs to the front door and then to the edge of the driveway, where he stands and waits for me.

My days seem to go so fast.  By the time we are done with school in the afternoon, I have to get dinner started.  I'm not going to lie, I do love being in my kitchen and so I quite look forward to this time of the day.

I started another blanket, this time using the Charlotte's Dream pattern from Dedri Uys.

When I started it I had the thought of combining it with some of my other favorite girl named patterns, like Sophie or Demelza etc.  I still plan on doing that, but after much going back and forth and trying to work through stitch counts and which part of which pattern to go where, I quickly realized that I bit off more than I could chew and it needs to be a project for another time.

I'm going to just make a bunch of these and turn them into a pattern, and I think I may use it for a Christmas gift.  Matter of fact I have so many blankets on the go that I was telling hubby I really should think about using my talent and the things I've already made and gift them.

So we will see if I can get this one finished in time, which I'm sure I will :)

One thing we also took time to do, was start going through the kid's boxes and have them pick out what they wanted to keep or what we could throw out.  Truth is we've been hauling boxes around for years, since Arizona, and in the meantime the kids have both grown up, Jasmine is now an adult, Nick is 14 and we have boxes of babyish toys that are just taking up space.

We started with one of Jasmine's and it was quite a trip down memory lane, I may or many not have gotten emotional at times.  There are so many memories in these small items, almost like an instant jump back to a certain time and place.

She picked quite a few things to hold on to and others to get rid of.  I even held on to some items that were hers, just as mementos.

So there you have it my friends, I think you're all caught up now on what I've been up behind the scenes.

I'm headed to bed, I am dealing with cramps and a headache.....don't need to say anything else do I? Hahah

Have a blessed night everyone
xoxoxoxoxo

{ A typical day in my life }

As a homemaker, my days are pretty much the same.

I have a routine I tend to stick to, and aside from a few things here and there that change or come up, like appointments, or grocery shopping, my days are usually comprised of certain chores and tasks that I do from morning to night.

I am well aware that this post is nothing amazing or different to what the rest of my fellow Stay at Home Moms do on a daily basis, but I thought it would be fun to take you all along with me in what is a pretty typical day in my life.

Be prepared though, it is jam packed with photos, and I apologize for that, but I really wanted you to get a sense of what I did today.  

Every morning I start with the dishes, unloading the dishwasher and reloading and so on.  This morning though, I had to give the sink and faucet a good clean, as you can see from the state of the faucet, it was a little grubby.

I then move on to the laundry, which really is a never ending task in my house.  Just when I think I'm caught up, there's another basket being drug into the kitchen and another load waiting to be washed.

I try to do a load every other day, so that it doesn't all pile up on the weekend.

Once the washer is going, I move onto the stove, counter tops and appliances.

I love stainless steel appliances, but I also immensely dislike them.  They always look so grubby, no matter how often you wipe them down.  I do need to get some of the stainless steel cleaner.  (and I did give it a good wipe down after I was done with the sweeping).

Next is usually the vacuuming, and with this huge house and two living rooms, it can take quite a while and give me quite the workout.

I usually move the smaller furniture around so that I can vacuum underneath it.

Then it was time to check the mail, I try to check it around the same time every day, as our mailman is quite good about coming by the same time.

I did notice some weeds starting to creep up and quickly pulled them out.

Then back inside again to switch over the laundry.

Folding takes quite a bit of time too, so I try to do it while watching something on the TV.  It makes it go by quicker.

Once the laundry is all folded, I move to the bathrooms and give the toilets a good cleaning, wash down the tubs real quick, wipe the counters and sweep the floors.  If need be I also mop them.

By this time, I usually eat my lunch and then make it a point of sitting down for at least 30 minutes to relax.

Today I had to get the chicken in the crockpot for dinner, so I went ahead and did that.  For this recipe I didn't need to start it in the morning, but if I did, then I would have done that right after doing the dishes.

I also do take a few breaks in between my chores, to play a little with Marley.  He is still a puppy and does require some attention and some one on one time.

Then I light some candles after the whole housework is done. It's become a ritual almost for me, it's like the end to my cleaning routine, lighting the candles and enjoying the beautiful scent.

I try to get a bit of gardening done every afternoon, mainly after the sun has moved away from this side of the house.  Watering my plants is part of that routine.

Marley loves being outside with me and is always watching what I'm doing.   Don't mind all that overgrown grass on the right side, that is all getting pulled tomorrow and will also get some black mulch.

By the time I get all this done, it's usually after 4pm and I start getting dinner preparations under way.

Setting the table is the thing I do first, because by the time dinner is ready, my family is around the table and chatting and waiting.

I get the food underway, and then while it cooks, I unload the dishwasher once again and reload it with the dishes from the day and whatever I am using to cook with.

Make the tea, or juice, and also quickly switch over any laundry that is finishing up.  Finish setting the table and getting it all ready for us to eat.

Back at dishes again, it really is a never ending chore, much like the laundry.  I fill my washer but I sometimes have dishes that don't fit, so I wash those by hand.

Once my kitchen is clean and tidy for the night, I go and take my shower, get into my comfy nightgown and then make myself a nice cup of coffee.

And enjoy it while sitting by my big window, watching the sun start to set, the birds fluttering about and my busyness finally starting to subside.

I usually end the day on my couch, touch up my nails while watching some youtube videos or my shows on the TV.



Then I edit whatever photos I took of the day, type up my blog post, or start to at least because sometimes I end up having to move to the bedroom so that I can finish it right before I head to bed.

I turn in for the night and get up the next morning at 6am to start is all over again.

It's my life, it's what I do as a homemaker, and I won't sit here and lie and say that some days I don't get a bit bored, or a bit frustrated that the chores are never ending and never changing, whether it be a week day or a weekend.....but those days are so few and far between.

I get immense pleasure from what I do, I love homemaking, strange as that may sound.  But I love my family, and I do this for them, and that in itself is enough to make it all worth it.

Well I hope you enjoyed this peek into a typical day in my life.  I sure enjoyed sharing it with you all.

Have a wonderful night friends.

{ Spend the day with me }

Welcome to a day in my life!!!

I thought I would do something a tad bit different today, have you come along with me on my day. I'll be posting photos and quick updates every hour on the hour, so be sure to check back often :)

Not sure how this is going to turn out, I'm hoping it will be something fun for you all, and if it is, I may do it once a week.

*******************************************************

5:00 AM -  Good morning everyone, hope you've had a blessed, restful night.  I've been up since 2:30 am with Mr Marley.  I don't think anything gets you up and out of bed as fast as hearing your dog about to throw up.  He vomited a couple times, so I've been in the living room with him to allow my husband some rest before he has to head to work.

I'm completely exhausted and I'm hoping that I'll be able to get a quick nap in after this first post.

I've had a cup of coffee, I've been watching a few vlogs just to kill time while I wait for the little one to feel better and settle down, which he seems to be finally doing.

6:00 AM - Still pitch black outside, but a beautiful morning and the moon behind the tree branches makes for a pretty sight.

7:00 AM - Sun is starting to rise

8:00 AM - Fell asleep on the couch for 30 mins, but am up and trying to get ready

It's a comfy pj pants and tank top kinda day

9:00 AM -  He is feeling much better

9:30 AM - Having a cup of coffee and some waffles for breakast. Not usually what I would eat but I need the sugary energy today to keep me going

10:00 AM - Time to tackle the laundry on the couch, gotta get it all folded and ready to be put away

10:30 AM - much better....

11:00 AM - Going to sit for a bit, finish off my cup of coffee and watch Murder Calls on TV while I wait for hubby to get home for lunch

11:15 AM - Hubby is home for lunch, and he brought us Taco Bell which we haven't had in a while, so enjoying a quick bite with him before he has to rush back to work

11:30 AM - Hubby went to lay down for 30 mins for a quick power nap, he is exhausted and has some very important things going on at work, so needs a little extra pick me up.

I'm going to work on my Mandala Madness blanket until I have to get him up at noon.

12:00 PM - Time for some more housework

1:00 PM - A little Hyggelig time, reading through the art of Calm

Such gorgeous pages filled with ideas for a calm and relaxed life

Laying down for a few minutes with the puppy, we're not sleeping, just cuddling

2:00 PM - Getting things done around the house

Gathering fire wood and enjoying some fresh air on this gorgeous day

Unloading and reloading the dishwasher

A very much needed cup of my favorite English Breakfast tea

Popped in the movie Love and Friendship while I sip my tea and crack on with the mandala, about to finish Part 6

4:00 PM - Getting things ready for dinner, while waiting on hubby to get home. He usually plays with the puppy and keeps him entertained so I can get dinner fixed without interruptions

5:00 PM - Starting dinner, tonight we're having Ham Steaks, Potato Salad and Fresh Green Beans

Setting the table....

5:30 PM - Enjoying a yummy dinner. This is one of my family's favorites, and also one of the easiest and quickest meals to get on the table.

6:00 PM - And the washing up begins, chore I like the least, to be honest

7:00 PM - I'm really starting to feel the exhaustion kicking in and I'm counting the minutes until bedtime. First though, a nice hot shower :)

8:00 PM - Day is winding down, I'm working on my crochet and watching Everybody Loves Raymond on TV.

8:45 PM - And with that, my friends, I am heading to bed to hopefully get an early night and some much needed sleep.

I'm so glad that I was able to do this post for you all, even on a day like today where I wasn't functioning at my best.  I quite enjoyed having to take the photos and hold myself responsible to post on the hour and throughout the day, I think it helped me stay on track and not just give in to the exhaustion.

Please do let me know if you enjoyed this post and if it's something you would enjoy seeing more often.  If so, I may do it once a week :)

Again, thank you to all those who followed along with me today, left such sweet comments and were truly interested in my day, I appreciate you all so very much.

Now I better get myself into bed before I fall asleep at the computer. 

Blessings,
Sandra
xoxoxo