Daily Tasks

Did you know that doing a few tasks daily will keep your spirits high, your home looking tidier and actually motivate you to do *more*? It's true! 

A few things to do *every* day...

* Clear and wipe down kitchen counters.
* Clear and wipe down bathroom counter.
* Make your bed. 
* Wash/Dry, Fold/Put away at least *one* load of laundry.
* Sweep floors (this is necessary for us to do daily...but may not be for you!)

You don't have to have the newest and fanciest counters. You don't have to have the nicest or fanciest house. Keep what you have...no matter what the age/style of your home (even if it is not to your liking)...tidy and clean and you can enjoy your surroundings!

If you do nothing else...at least make your bed in the morning. That is *the* way to start the day off correctly! I am always up before my husband in the mornings...so after he has left for work, I go back upstairs and make the bed. I've tried to make it with him in it..but that doesn't work out so well! ;)

When you keep the counters of the kitchen and bathroom clear and wiped up, they just look nicer...plus when they look neat, you won't want stray dishes or spills on them to make them look dirty...this motivates you to keep them looking nice throughout the day. And hey, while you are wiping down that bathroom counter, maybe you want to refill the soap dispenser? Maybe you could give the toilet a swish as well?

I'm telling you...these few simple chores, done daily, can really help you in your home-keeping duties! Adding in a few extra chores from time to time such as dusting, washing windows/mirrors, washing bed linens, scrubbing down toilets and bathtubs etc....and you will find that keeping the home doesn't have to be so overwhelming!

Keeping up with things is *key*!

How To Get Rid of Ants

Ants...they are fascinating creatures that God has made but oh, what a pain they can be in a homemaker's home....especially when you find them in the kitchen! I have a sure-fire way to get rid of those pesky creatures (and get to the root of the problem as well). You don't need to go spend a ton of money on chemicals! All you need is a little honey and borax!

Place a spoonful of honey on a piece of cardboard. Take a spoonful of borax powder and mix it (well) into the honey. Place the card where the ants are (away from children and pets though). Once one or two find it, after a while, you will have a circle of ants surrounding the blob of mixture. Don't bother them....leave them be. Over time, they will take the mix back to their home and spread it around...it will kill the whole colony...or it will kill enough that the queen ant will sense danger and move the whole colony!

Voila! Your ant problems are solved!! :) I hope this helps!

Using Glass Jars in Your Home

 Not only can you use mason jars to can your garden harvest, but you can make great use of them throughout your home! Using glass jars in your home is a frugal, great-looking way to decorate and organize! I love using different sizes of jars in my home for many different things! 

Here are a few of the ways I use glass jars throughout my home...

Storing knitting needles...

For flowers (that I am lacking at the moment)...

For decoration...

Salt and pepper shakers...

Pen and pencil caddy (I *love* blue jars!)...

In the bathroom to hold potpourri, q-tips, cotton balls, and cough drops...

As a soap dispenser...

In the kitchen, using small jars is a great way to decorate a less-than-desirable oven hood...

Large jars are great for keeping bulk items...

Jars to drink from...

Around the house, jars can make great bases for lamps...

If you go HERE you can find 50 Great Uses for Mason Jars and if you go HERE you can find 31 more great uses for them!

What are some ways *you* make use of jars around your home? 

Using Cloth Napkins

My family has used cloth napkins for years now. They are such a blessing! They save money, look nice and are great for the environment! Do you realize that when you go to a *nicer* restaurant, you are given cloth napkins! Treat yourself at home too! Not only will your meals seem more elegant but your wallet will thank you!

I am a huge fan of ticking fabric (I love gingham too)! Aren't these blue ticking cloth napkins just lovely?

Although they aren't ironed right now, I *do* enjoy ironing our cloth napkins. It's easy to do and it makes them look so nice (especially if we are having company).

Although you can easily sew your own, if you don't want to do that...definitely check out etsy! They have some super cute ones (although you may need to search around for a good price...some of them can be kinda pricey).

I like THESE red ticking ones...or THESE green ones!
THIS set of 12 pink vintage cloth napkins are a good price!
THIS set of cloth napkins are screened with the word "eat"! How fun!
Do you like the color yellow...or lemons, perhaps? If so, check out THESE cloth napkins!
I am loving THESE black and white gingham check napkins!

We reserve these napkins for meals. To clean up spills we have other rags to use (paper towels are used sometimes for the really gross messes that inevitably happen from time to time in a family's life). Any dish cloths or dish towels that have faded from use over time end up retiring to the rag pile. They get used to dust, wash floors, windows and walls and clean up messes. :)

Eco & budget friendly!
Do you use cloth? Why or why not?

The *Best* Way to Hard Boil Fresh Eggs

We have chickens so we get fresh eggs daily! Fresh eggs are the best (and healthiest) for you! We enjoy eggs fried, scrambled, hard-boiled and more! Hard boiling fresh eggs is quite the chore though because it makes them terribly difficult to peel (and they don't end up very pretty if you want to make deviled eggs!). 

I was so excited when I came across THIS link which said we should STEAM fresh eggs! I got out my steamer/double boiler and brought water to a boil...then I put a dozen eggs in the steamer basket and placed it in the pot and covered it. I let it boil at least 20 minutes and then immediately put the eggs into a bowl of freezing ice-water (pictured above). This shocks them and helps with the peeling process as well. 

I was over-joyed to find my eggs peeled with incredible ease! These are fresh (only a day or two old) eggs that normally would be terrible to peel! Steaming and blanching works wonderfully!

If your family is a fan of deviled eggs, HERE is a link to the *best* tasting deviled eggs ever! I think the vinegar gives it the perfect little zip!

Have you ever hard-steamed your eggs?
What are some of your favorite ways to eat your eggs?

Clean Out Your Fridge!

Have you cleaned out your refrigerator lately? If not...go do it...right now! ;) Just kidding...of course you should wait until you have time (hopefully that will be soon!).

There are so many reasons why keeping your fridge clean is so important!

1. Proper cleaning keeps bacteria and germs away. **Keeping you and your family healthier!**

2. It saves you money! (Woohoo!) Think of how many things you waste because they have expired in the fridge. Had they been in proper view and labeled, you would easily remember to use it and thus, save money! (Plus, it is such a blessing to have the amount of food we do...wouldn't you agree? We should try our best not to waste it when so many go without!)

3. It leaves you room to put things where they belong and still be able to *see* everything. Using bins or containers to hold things can be quite helpful. All you need to do, then, is slide the bin out to get what you need and not move a lot of things out of the way to get to the back.

4. It looks *fabulous*! Honestly, it is such a great feeling to open the refrigerator door and see everything in its place...isn't it?

 Don't worry...we aren't egg hoarders. ;)  We own chickens and get over a dozen eggs a day usually. We just took 6 dozen to use for our church's sunrise service for Resurrection Sunday...otherwise we would have more than this!

So, what are you waiting for? 

Clean out, wipe down and restock that refrigerator! 

You'll be glad you did! :)

Kitchen Tweaks

Sometimes, taking the time to do a few minor things can make a *big* difference in your kitchen. I had neglected my oven for a long time. I didn't do so intentionally...rather, I just didn't completely notice it as I was focused on getting foods in and out of the oven without really focusing on the oven itself. 

Once I took a good look at it, I was disgusted with how bad it had gotten. 

So, I mixed up a little paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda (with a bit of elbow grease)....and this is how lovely it turned out...

 I also cleaned out our little tupperware/storage cupboard. It's not overly exciting...but it is so nice to have purged some unused containers and gotten things squared away in there...

It's really amazing how good you can feel about your kitchen (or any area in your home) when you just make a few small changes for the better. Sometimes we can get it in our mind that we have to make huge changes to our home for us to "like it better". This is simply not true. All the little things start adding up and soon, you will find yourself enjoying your home more and more!

The Joy of an Ugly Kitchen

Some of us have our dream kitchen...nice floors, beautiful cupboards, tons of storage and lots of counter space. Then there is everyone else. I am part of the "everyone else". When we moved in this house over a decade ago, it needed a lot of work. However, the price was right and we were thankful for a home of our own. I was pregnant with my daughter at the time and we were ready to settle in our home and grow our family. 

 In the middle of having and raising (and now homeschooling) three children and among our other responsibilities...we have worked at improving the house little by little (peeling wallpaper here, painting there...adding an addition etc.). We still have such a long way to go (and I admit, it can be quite overwhelming at times) but then I remember how thankful I should be and realize, despite all its imperfections...our house is *home*.

Our kitchen is one area we have *not* had the chance to improve. The floors need help and I truly want to gut the whole place and redo it....but it works for now. I'm not fond of the white and red laminate. Red and white *can* be cute...but I am not fond of how ours is set up. We did put this chicken wire on this cupboard in place of the glass that used to be there....

I also add decor that we *do* like to make it cozy and homey. I did a little wallpapering on the one wall...but that was all. The walls are old and are made of plaster. Getting the old wallpaper off was tedious (and not all of it is done in our laundry room). Where I have gotten the paper off, I want to paint but how do you find the right color when it has to match the red and white but I don't *want* to ultimately have the red and white in there....so instead of spending the money on paint that won't be what I *want*...I *try* to patiently wait till one day we can afford to redo the kitchen totally. 

So...I said all of that to say this...even though our kitchens may not be exactly what we *want*...it can still be a place where you can find joy to cook and bake. I find keeping a tidy kitchen is the most important thing you can do to enjoy your time there! This includes in cupboards and drawers as well...

I keep my kitchen clean...but it isn't perfect. Our home is lived in and *used*. I hope if you have a kitchen (or even another room in your home) that you aren't particularly fond of, that you can find encouragement in this post. Even the most simple, unattractive kitchen can be a great place to be when it is kept neat and tidy...and when used as a beautiful hub for the family! Laughter, tears, questions, answers, teaching, learning....so much happens in a family kitchen. Let it be a place of warmth and love and maybe one day, we'll all get the kitchen we each dream of (and if not...isn't it great to know we made the most and best of what we had?!).

What do you love and dislike about *your* kitchen? How can you improve your area to make it a more enjoyable place to be?

Kitchen Organization: Erasable Food Labels

These labels are genius! I love them and use them often. Often, leftovers can go bad in your refrigerator when you forget how long they have actually been in there. Now, you can make sure you never waste those leftovers again!

Erasable food labels (found HERE) can be placed on your containers and used over and over again! The special marker goes on easily...labeling the contents of your container and the date they were prepared. When that gets used and it's time to use this container again, simply use the eraser they supply and then use the marker to write the newest contents!

I love these and use them all the time! I am not an affiliate with this company nor am I making any money by sharing this with you...I just find them wonderfully helpful in the kitchen and wanted to tell you about them! They can help you save food and money!

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies. They are a homemaker's annoyance, seemingly coming out of nowhere to terrorize you and your food. In my home, we set aside all food scraps for either compost or to give to our chickens. We have lids for these containers and they should be taken out daily...but it doesn't always happen right away and all of a sudden, fruit flies invade our kitchen! One or two would be bad enough...but it seems like they keep multiplying! 

If you have this problem...never fear! I have the perfect solution! My children think I am amazing for it (but to be honest, it's a trick I read about online years ago!). I have every intention though of *letting* them continue to think I am amazing! ;) 

All you need to do is put a piece of fruit (starting to over-ripen is best) into a jar or container. Cover this with plastic wrap, tightly. Then punch a few tiny holes in the top of the plastic...

 
Thankfully for us, fruit flies are not very intelligent. They can get *in* to the jar but they can't seem to find their way out again. Once you have noticed a good number are stuck in the jar, carry it outside and lift up the plastic and let them go free!

If you still have more fruit flies to catch...simply reattach the plastic and place the jar back on your counter and repeat! :)

Can you see them in there? All along the top of the plastic.

So there you have it! A tried and true method of getting rid of those pesky fruit flies using no chemicals or difficult procedures! I hope this helps you! 

Chalkboard Labels

 I love to label things. I have a label machine that I haven't truly studied to find out all its wonderful functions yet because I began using it immediately when I got it!

Some of my favorite labels are chalkboard labels. They are more decorative and *pretty* than the normal computer-printed labels. I love using them in the kitchen...

You can purchase these labels on amazon or etsy. They come in all kinds of fabulous designs, sizes and shapes! 

Rather than using actual chalk to write on them, though, I prefer to use a liquid chalk marker. It makes the words stand out more and just look neat and crisp. (It washes off with water and can be reapplied too!)...

I love the look of chalkboard so much that I encouraged my inlove's to use it as their menu board in their meat market. My mom is doing the lettering....doesn't it look fantastic?

Labeling helps you keep things in their proper places. Just remember you don't have to stick with any sort of boring labels...experiment with labels that are fun, pretty, and suit your style. My home is not set up to look nice with plain labels. The chalkboard labels fit much better into my decor! :)