Works for Me Wednesday- Morning Routine

Keeping a morning routine "works for me". While I do not follow my exact routine each and every morning (flexibility and prioritizing is also important), I do my best to follow it "most" mornings (usually Monday through Friday). The more closely I follow my morning routine, the better start I have to my day. It has taken me some time to figure out what routine works best for me, but now I am at a point where I really enjoy my routine. I realize that as with most routines, it will change over the months and years, but I think it is important to continue to have a routine so that we get our (and our family's) days off to the right start.

This morning routine is what works for me at this time in my life.

Elements of my morning routine:

- First to Rise. At this time in my life, I do not having to get up at 5am to do this, but I realize this could and probably will change. I think it is important for me to be the first one up so that I can take time for myself and be ready to serve my family when they wake. In order to be the first one to rise, it is very important for me to go to bed on time. The later I stay up, the harder it is to start my day right.

- Physical Exercise. Exercise fights stress and keeps my body healthy. I currently do not have a gym membership, so my main forms of exercise are running, walking, lifting weights, and exercise videos. Nate usually joins me a few times a week, which makes it even better. I try to be reasonable as to the length of my work-outs. Usually, 25-40 minutes works best for me.

- Prepare breakfast for my Family. I prepare the same simple breakfast and COFFEE (a must have) almost every morning. Once a month or so, I will buy something special like OJ or bagels instead of toast. I don't try to change the whole breakfast, I just switch out one element of the breakfast. I also try to do something different for breakfast on Saturdays.

-Plan for dinner. I check my menu plan and if I didn't prep a part of our planned meal the night before, I prep some of it in the morning.

- Clean-up any dishes from the night before and breakfast. Do a "quick" (like 5 minute) sweep of the house before I leave to make sure the house is semi-presentable (I don't try to clean my entire house, I just try to make it look tidy). Once or twice a week, this includes placing a load of laundry in the washer or dryer.

- Self Care. Shower, brush my teeth, do my hair, etc.

- Time of prayer!!!!!!!

Getting up on time is key (which is usually the hardest part)! I try to get up on time so that I have plenty of time to carry out my morning routine. If the routine is rushed, it is harder to be joyful and follow my routine. I try to keep this in mind when I am tempted to hit the snooze button :).

Start a morning routine:

If you do not currently have a morning routine, I encourage you to start trying to create a routine that works for you!

#1- Decide what elements you would like to have in your routine.

#2- Decide what time you will need to wake-up in order to joyfully carry out your routine.

#3- Make a time schedule (mine has a good 10 minute flex in it) for all of the elements. If you have children, this will include working around their needs and schedules, which will require more flex time.

#4- Practice carrying out your routine and make adjustments until it works for you.

Learning...

"She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens." (Prov. 31: 15)

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might... " (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

We serve a MIRACULOUS GOD! He is moving mountains...

Updates....

We just returned from a long weekend trip in Orlando, Florida where both Nathan and I were able to be a part of the wedding of two of our close friends! It was great being able to witness and celebrate their marriage with them. I will have to share pictures with you all soon. Their wedding was gorgeous. We continue to pray for Steve and Sarah's marriage.

Updates: Encouraging Breakfasts, Gymnastics, Fun with Friends, and Enjoying the Great Outdoors

We have enjoyed so many great days since my last updates! Since I waited so long to give you all an update, I will simply try to give you all a few highlights from the past couple of weeks. I know I am going to leave some things out.

*I hope you all had a fabulous Easter (I know this is a bit late)! Last Friday, our church held an awesome Good Friday service. The music was rockin' (seriously) and the message was bold! It was such a special night for us and our church family to reflect on the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. I don't think that I will ever fully grasp the love that God's has for me. He gave his one and only Son to die on a cross for ME! It is truly unmeasurable and incomprehensible!

* We spent Easter with Nathan's family and the children. Nate's parents were kind enough to let us all join them for a wonderful lunch. It was a beautiful day outside so we enjoyed a fun game of wiffle ball before lunch. Earlier in the week, we (at the Linc) died Easter eggs, had an Easter egg hunt, and reflected on the meaning of Easter with the children. I was surprised to find out that many of our children do not celebrate Easter every year (unlike Christmas, which most of them celebrate yearly).

* Nathan and I continue to eat breakfast with some of our dear friends who are dedicated to the Lincoln Village Ministry on Sunday's before church. We take turns cooking for one another on Sunday mornings. I must tell you that we all make a mean breakfast! It is an awesome time of encouragement and it allows us to be refreshed before we go back into battle on Monday. Please continue to pray for the staff and volunteers who are part of Lincoln Village Ministries! This is a picture of us all eating at Natalie and Brent's house.

* We only have 3 more weeks at The Linc. We can hardly believe that this school year is almost over. The kids have made SO much progress (academically, behaviorally, and emotionally)! We have been blessed tremendously by the presence of these children in our lives. I am so thankful that they have so many people who continue to show them the love of Christ. Please continue to pray for the children!

* We are not sure how I will be spending my summer at this point, but we know there are going to be some changes. I hope to be able to spend it with the children, but as I have mentioned before, I need to complete 600 internship hours this summer (to complete my speciality for my Master's), so if they don't allow me to complete the hours with Lincoln Village Ministries, I will not be able to be with them over the summer. I am waiting to hear back from my internship professor regarding her decision. Pray about that as well!!!

* Two of our boys competed in a gymnastics competition this Saturday to compete for a place at Nationals. Jeremiah will for sure be attending Nationals, while Derrick will need to travel to another competition to try to earn his place. It was so much fun watching them tumble. Several people from our church came out to support them, which made them feel very special. We were very proud of the patience and discipline that they showed at the competition. The video below is of Jeremiah tumbling.

* In the past couple of weeks, we have been able to share meals and play games with some of our friends. It is so nice to be able to get together with people who truly love and encourage you. We are so thankful for our great group of friends who continue to share their lives with us. A few of our close friends have sweet babies and a couple of our friends are expecting. Spending time with these babies and the mothers to be is a true joy for me!

* Nathan and I have really been enjoying the nice weather. A couple weeks ago, we planted some new flowers in the front of our house and freshened up our back porch. We both enjoy spending time outside when it is nice, so we have been running, spending time in the yard, and eating dinner outside more. This is such a great time of year!

What's better than eating homemade wheat pizza for dinner? Eating homemade pizza outside on a nice day with my dear husband!

Nate purchased these nice utility shelves for the garage (courtesy of slickdeals.net). An organized garage rocks!

So many things to be thankful for...so many reasons to pray...so many areas in need of trust...so many reasons to trust!

Have a fabulous week!

Works for me Wednesday- Beautifying Our Home On the Cheap

***I am not going crazy, I realize it is not Wednesday, but I did not get a chance to post this on Wednesday. I hope you all enjoy it, even if it is a couple of days late :).

This week, I decided that I would share some of my favorite "cheap" ways to beautify the home! I think it is important for our homes to be a haven for our families. While the physical appearance of our homes is a small part of creating a haven, beautifying the home can certainly help! This being said, I think it is even better when we can beautify our homes without spending a lot of money. I am not a professional decorator (not even close), but these cheap decor ideas "work for me"!

I used a few simple black frames that used to hang in my kitchen and simply placed scrapbook paper in them to add color to one of our walls. Tip: If you don't have any frames lying around, check discount or thrift stores and be willing to paint them.

Another great "decor" idea is to display old books. I bought a bunch of old books from a thrift store (they were 25 cents a piece) and I have them displayed all over the house. I use them to add height to other pieces or to take up space. I think that almost every lamp in my house is sitting on some old books :). Tips: Look for fun colors and fun titles! Tie a big bow around a few books for a more feminine look. Cover books that you currently have with fun scrapbook paper.

We picked up this mirror on the side of the road several months ago! The steps I took to create this simple "antique" looking mirror: #1- Rub the entire surface with sandpaper, #2-Clean the surface (some people suggest using alcohol), #3- Tape the inside of the mirror (I used painters tape), #4- Paint your base coat (I used some paint we had left over from painting our house), #5- Use sandpaper to scratch sporadically (the original color of the item will show through, so if you do not want this color to show through, you should account for painting it with a base coat and then another coat of paint, then your base coat with show through), #6- Paint all over with acrylic pearlizing paint (97 cents at hobby lobby). Tip: Think of ways you can spruce up old items you have in your home or find at a thrift store with a little bit of elbow grease and paint. If you are looking at an old item, think about how much it would cost you in order to make the piece something you would enjoy in your home.

One of the best tips I received from a dear friend is to look at the items you have in your kitchen cabinets that are not being used and find a way to use them in a different way and in a different place. I found this footed dish in my cabinet that I rarely use and decided to place it in one of our bathrooms. I simply looked around the house for some "bathroom" items to place inside the dish. Once I found a few items that I thought would look cute, I decided to "modify" a few of them to better suite the room. I covered the lotion bottle with a small piece of thick scrapbook paper and tied a string around it. I used another sheet of scrapbook paper to cover a small soap I picked up from our last hotel stay. Lastly, I tied a cute ribbon around a simple cream candle. Tip: Use what you have, but be willing to modify it!

I know I have posted about these plates in the past, but I thought they were another great example of using kitchen items in a new way. These are old platters (I purchased them for a couple of dollars at a local thrift store) that I painted and hung on the wall. The steps I took to create them: #1- Spray paint the platters with your base color (I used a teal color), #2- Let the base coat dry, #3- Use an old rag to rub acrylic paint (I used espresso brown) sporadically on the plates, #3- Rub a different color of acrylic paint (I used antique gold) sporadically on the plates, #4- hang with inexpensive (I got these from Michael's for a few dollars) plate hangers.

Other ways I aspire to make my home a haven:

#1- By being thankful and content. Smiling often and finding ways to "have fun"!

#2- By not only working diligently in my home, but carrying out tasks with a joyful heart! I try to sing, dance, and/or talk to God while I work. Jesus understands, he was a servant himself.

#3- By trying to lay down my critical spirit and giving grace to all those who enter- namely my dear husband. I also try to remember to give myself grace when my homemaking plans get off track or when I am feeling tired.

#4- By maintaining order and warding off procrastination! If I put something off, the task only becomes more burdensome. This includes sticking to a schedule and using my time wisely.

#5- By keeping a heart that is always willing to serve. Laying down my self-entitlements daily.

I always try to remember that I can have a beautifully decorated home with everything neat and orderly, but if I'm frazzled and frustrated, my home is not a peaceful place.

Learning...
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." (Prov. 23:7)

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Cor. 13:4-7)

If you are interested in learning more about making your home a haven, check out this blog for an entire series on the important subject.

UPDATE ON US, COMING SOON! I need to download some more pictures to share with you all :)!

Works for me Wednesday- Simplify

Simplicity is truly grand! The more I learn about how to do more with less, the more empowered I am to escape from a society that is so MONEY driven. I am thankful for the ladies that continue to share their simple way of life with me. I have always enjoyed saving money (some would say that I am, well, cheap)-- it isn't uncommon for Nathan or I to smile from ear to ear as we tell each other (or anyone else that will listen) about our latest money saving deal, but living a simple life isn't just about being cheap. A simple life opens the doors to multiple blessings, not just financial. Truth is, I probably don't even truly grasp the idea of "a simple life", but I am willing to learn and to share with others the bits and pieces that I have learned. I want to pass these simple tips onto others because these seemingly small bits of information have spurred me to dig into the word to find truth and have brought myself and Nathan true joy! What can I say, I'm the kind of lady that does cartwheels over finding out that a box of 50 cent baking soda can unclog a drain like that of an expensive and harsh container of Drano. I'm the kind of lady that feels warm inside when I type the word lady to describe myself...ha ha ha. It's the simple things in life that "work for me".

Ten ways I simplified (many are a work in progress):
1- No cable tv and cutting back on tv watching (stay with me-- I should have put this one last, I know it is a touchy subject ;). We all have our vices, this is harder for some than it is for others. I rarely miss it.

2- Eating out less.

3- Significantly cut back on recreational shopping (including online browsing). Remember, "If you don't look, you won't buy".

4- Stop reading magazines (and watching programs) that encourage women to focus on possessions and beauty. For me, this included all of the lovely advertisements that come my way via mail and email. I've decided that I need to hear and see "the voice of truth" more often! I'm weak and sometimes it's easier for me to eliminate the things that cause me to struggle.

5- Meal planning and cooking simple meals. I learned from my mother that a good meal doesn't have to be extravagant. While it is sometimes fun to cook large or "fancy" meals at times, the majority of the time I try to keep it easy.

6- Going to bed early and getting up early. If I go to bed early, then it is not as difficult for me to get up early and get my day off to the right start!

7- Using less paper products (paper towels, napkins, paper plates, paper cups, zip lock bags, trash bags, etc.). It helps the environment and saves us money! There are alternatives to using these products "most" of the time. My in-laws pick on me (in a sweet way) for using my plastic walmart bags as trash bags, but it's worth it to me.

8- Letting go of "having" to wear the latest trends. This is a tough one, but I am learning to develop a classic style. The less I shop, the easier this is for me.

9- Buying used items or items that can be reused, shopping the clearance section, and using what I have. This pertains to household items, decor, food, clothing, etc.

10- Finding (sometimes you have to search for it) joy in the simple everyday occurrences. Expecting less of myself and less of others! This has a lot to do with me laying down my self-entitlements.

* I could name at least 10 more, but I think I will stop here.

I plan to try to explain the benefits of each of these ten items in the next couple of weeks. They truly have made a difference in our lives (some more than others, of course) and I would like to share them in more detail with you all, so if you are interested, check back for details on how to SIMPLIFY. It works for me!

Ten Simple Pleasures-
1- Lighting a good smelling candle or boiling a few citrus peels! If I've had a rough day, a soothing scent and a few deep breaths in my nose and out my mouth can set me straight.
2- A nice hot bath.

3- Keeping a prayer journal. Writing is very powerful for me because I need constant reminders. When thoughts are in writing, it is hard to deny what you once felt, learned, and saw resolved.
4- Serving left overs! A nice break that decreases waste.
5- Playing a board game or cards with my love and/or the kids- turning the tv and computers OFF!
6- Listening to calming worship or chill music.
7- Using what I have, but in a new way. This could be the use of a picture frame in a new location, making a gift or a new decor piece from items found in my home, or wearing an old top in a new way.

8- Having friends over for dinner or maybe just a brownie. Phone conversations with dear friends or family from afar.
9- Reading and writing!!!

10- Walking, running, or working outside on a nice day. Feeling the breeze on a sunny day rocks!

Learning...
"...That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed" (Titus 2:4-5).

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).

Family Fun

This weekend, we had the pleasure of having my mother, "grandmother", and my God-Son (a total surprise) stay with us from Thursday to Monday. Most of my family lives all the way in Nebraska, so it is a real treat when we are able to spend time with each other. They drove over 15 hours (in horrible storms I might add) in order to spend this time with us, so we tried to enjoy every minute. I am SO thankful that we had this time with them.

Most of you know that my mother and I have a special relationship. She is a very strong woman. She supports my independence, but is always there when I need advice and encouragement. She is a prayer warrior and faith-driven encourager. I appreciate who she is and the constant support she provides Nathan and I. It's hard not to wish that she lived closer. I miss her so much.

These videos are of the boys playing together on Friday. Nathan is the one providing the commentary on the video...he is so funny. He was so great this weekend! He spent a lot of time with D and the boys so that us ladies could do "girl" stuff. The boys went fishing, played tons of kickball, rode bikes/scooters, and made a ramp for them to do "tricks" on for hours. Thanks for allowing us this time Nathan! You are a gem.

I used to take care of Dillon (D) when he was just a baby. He was my little buddy, I took him everywhere. He is 11 now and looks like he is going to out grow me very soon. I am proud of D. He is doing great in school and is a very respectful little man. He lives in California now, but begged to travel with my mother to see me during his spring break.

After kick-ball, we played putt-putt with Nathan's nephew, Ty. Grandma and I had fun watching the boys and mom duke it out.

Whenever we play kick ball, instead of using the gate and walking around to get a "long ball", Nathan just throws one of the boys over the fence :). Classy!

After dinner, we played a competitive game of kick-ball. A real family affair :).

On Saturday, we invited Nathan's family over for a small feast.

My biological grandparents passed away when I was young, so Grandma Dorothy has been acting as my grandma for years. She is such an example to me of a Godly wife and a mother. For years, I watched her joyfully serve Grandpa Elmer and her family. I then watched as she lost her husband (they married when she was only 16) and instead of falling into a pit of depression (as I am sure would have been easy), she stood strong on God's promises and looked to God for comfort. I know that I can always go to her for Godly advice on home keeping, parenting, and being a wife. I am thankful for her presence in my life.

P.S. Cooking with my mother and grandmother is fabulous! I felt like I could feed an army with them by my side.