Homemaking

Mar
07

pre-sick prep

Last evening my husband came down with the stomach flu. Yuck!  He suffered with it through the night, and he looked rather pitiful for most of today....not a sight we're used to seeing around here.

Unfortunately, I doubt that my hubby will be the only sick, pitiful member of this family before the week is over. These things don't tend to go away quickly. Since I'm slightly paranoid about catching a stomach bug, I've washed my hands countless times today and have only eaten small amounts of food at a time, just in case. I'm dreading what the next few days may bring.

But besides keeping myself clean, hydrated, and empty, I've also used this day to prepare for the coming doom. Whenever I feel an illness coming on or know that one is likely to hit, I try to be intentional with the time I have before I'm either knocked out on the sofa or playing nurse. Or both. 

Here are some pre-sick tasks I find helpful:

DO THE TO-DO'S NOW-I like to take a look at my weekly plan to see if there are any tasks important enough to be done ahead of time. I'll run errands, pay bills, and make phone calls now instead of hoping for the time and energy later. 

GO SHOPPING-I'll make a quick grocery trip to stock up on the usual sick supplies:  Sprite, crackers, juice, Popsicles, fever medicine, tissues, paper towels and disinfecting wipes. I also might grab some frozen pizzas and boxes of mac & cheese so I don't have to work too hard for dinner if I'm sick while the family is still well (and hungry). 

WASH THE LAUNDRY (ALL OF IT)-As much as possible, I'll take care of all the dirty clothes today. I may need the washing machine for icky jammies and germ-infested sheets in the coming days. 

COOK AHEAD-I'm making a big pot of chicken soup for dinner, preparing extra pasta with lunch, and cooking up some homemade applesauce.  I want to have things in the fridge that can be heated up or dished out easily for meals and snacks. 

THINK OF ENTERTAINMENT-This is the time to stop by the library, search for favorites on Netflix, look for forgotten coloring books. If the kids are sick, they'll need some distractions. If I'm sick, they'll need some distractions. 

Well, that's what I have planned for the next few days. Maybe all of this planning will be for nothing. No sick kids. No nights spent in the bathroom. No scrubbing floors or washing sheets. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I feel tired and a bit queasy. But I think it's all in my head. I hope!

UPDATE:  It has begun. Before I could get this published, it hit the first of the kids. Hard. I suppose it's going to pick us off one by one. Thankfully, I'm usually spared until the last child had thrown up on me and the final load of dirty sheets has been tossed into the machine. Ahhh....something to look forward to.

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday. 

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Feb
14

happy {joyful} Valentine’s Day

We know that our husbands love us. They work hard so we can do important stuff like buy groceries and wear clothes. They occasionally do things like make the bed or wash the dishes, just because. And they make our kids smile in a way that we can only dream of.

Our husbands show love towards us in a million little ways.  On Valentine's Day, it's easy for us to communicate that all those little ways don't add up to a hill of beans. We deeply desire a romantic evening away from dirty laundry and needy kids. We want candy or flowers or jewelry. Sometimes, we don't even want anything in particular, we just want something.

On this lovely day, it is important for me to remember that the world is not about me. Don't you hate that?  This day really should be about me. I mean, my husband could care less about paper hearts or poetic cards. It's not exactly his "thing".

Still, I'm sure he would enjoy a short note of appreciation left on the seat of his car or some heart-shaped homemade treats. He would be touched by my going out of my way to make him feel special, no matter how small the gesture. If I'm busy thinking about how I can bless my husband, then I might not be wasting my time dreaming up new ways for him to bless me.

My husband deeply desires to make me happy, so today I will be joyful.
I will try to see my situation as part of God's plan and other people as objects of His grace.
I will resist the temptation to complain.
I will communicate how thankful I am for my husband and all he does.
I will let him love me in his own way, without expectations.
I will smile.

I will love him.

Feb
09

looking out

The fourteenth of February is a day set aside for love notes and flowers and dinner for two. Every girl in town will spend the evening staring into her sweetie's eyes and soaking up the love. Well, every girl except this one. I won't see my hubby very much on Valentine's Day. That's just how it is when you're married to a restaurant manager. 

There are many different situations that can leave us feeling left out on special days. My husband always works on Valentine's Day. Other brave women will spend the day changing diapers and disciplining toddlers while their husbands are deployed overseas. And some will be reminded constantly that Mr. Right still hasn't come knocking at the door. Maybe you can relate?

Just like on Mother's Day, it's tempting for me to throw myself a lonely little pity party. It feels like the natural thing to do. But lonely little pity parties are....well....lonely. Instead, I've found that it's better (and much more fun) to look out toward others instead of focusing in on myself. Imagine that. 

Here are some ideas for beating the I'm-alone-on-Valentine's-Day blues:

    BABYSIT
    Many couples would love a kid-free date, but simply can't afford the babysitting costs. Offering to spend the evening chasing a toddler or two is a fun (and distracting) way to minister to young parents. 

    DINNER FOR A FEW
    I know an older single woman who hosts a fancy dinner in her home for other single gals every Valentine's Day. Lovely. What a great alternative to the traditional pity party theme. 

    DINNER IN
    Being single, divorced, or widowed hurts, especially on a day dedicated to enjoying the love of your life. This kind of day can feel very empty for someone like my mom, who is still getting used to living without my dad. It's hard. I'm planning to invite her over for a simple meal and some cookie decorating with me and the kids. 

    BAKE IT UP
    Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays for baking. I love cutting things into hearts or coloring them pink.....cookies, brownies, cake frosting. The possibilities are endless. The neighbors will never expect a goodie bag filled with treats and love. Surprise!

So, what ideas do you have for showing some love to others?

Feb
07

a happy Valentine’s Day

Ahhhh.....love is in the air. Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and I feel like the whole world looks a little bit pink. Just hearing the name "February" immediately turns my mind to pink and red and decorates it with hearts. I like that.

It's fun to think of ways to say the words, "I love you," and it's exciting to anticipate the ways I'll hear them. I'm thankful for an excuse to act a little too girly, use my collection of heart-shaped cookie cutters, and surprise my kids with something homemade that's only special because of the thought behind it.  

But this lovely day also can cause the dreaded high-expectations-and-low-reality syndrome.  It can remind us of the love we've lost (or haven't found yet) and can leave us feeling more blue than pink. Valentine's Day, like most other holidays, has its own unique joys and challenges, and it's important that we guard and prepare our hearts. 

Over the next few days, I hope to talk about some ways we can keep our own hearts on the right path and enjoy blessing the hearts of others as well.  Will you join me?

Cheap heart-shaped candy, optional.

Jan
11

sick of sick

Alright. I really don't like to complain (sort of), but I've been sick since a couple days before Christmas. It began as a cold, started to go away, came back as something much worse, almost went away again, and now is hanging around just enough to annoy me.

Most mornings I feel almost normal, but by the afternoons my ears are plugged up, my head is foggy, and I don't seem to have much sense of taste. Is that bad?

Anyway, this lingering fog is making me feel even more behind than I normally do. There are a few things that I really NEED to get done, but I just can't seem to find the time and energy in the same instant. Those tasks are like heavy weights on my shoulders. They call to me when I'm trying to rest and condemn me if I dare to relax. They make me feel stressed and tired. They rob me of the peace I crave.

These overdue tasks must be done. This week. No excuses.

I'm ready to attack. I may need to get up early or work late. I might have to order take-out for dinner or let the regular housecleaning duties slide. Whatever I need to do, it's time to get back to that ordinary month I was so excited about.

Sick or not, today is the day!

Do you have any unfinished tasks hanging over your head? Have you been fighting off the ick (or plague) around your house? Share in the comments.

Jan
04

an ordinary month: good-bye holidays

The holidays are officially over. The gifts have been opened. The ball has dropped. School has started back. It's time to work on creating some ordinary. And now it is suddenly abnormal to have a tree sitting in the corner of the living room.

I know that some people take their decorations down the day after Christmas.
I'm not one of those people.

I try to get them down shortly after the new year begins. Sometimes that goal gets stretched out a bit, but I hate when that happens. So, a couple days ago I packed away the random Christmas decorations that were scattered here and there, and yesterday I took down the tree.

Now the house looks empty. I guess that's a good thing.

Today, I'll put away anything else that needs squeezed into my storage bins, vacuum up the fake pine needles that are littering the floor, and move the furniture back into place. Easy.

If you're still trying to get your house back to normal, here are a few suggestions:

  • Just do it. I know this sounds an awful lot like a shoe commercial, but you know it's true. You just have to make yourself do it. There's nothing worse than having a big 'ol tree calling your name every time you try to relax on the sofa. It's hard to ignore.

  • Put on a movie, listen to a sermon, or turn up some music. I took our tree down while watching a new movie with the kids. I hardly even noticed that I was working. It was (almost) fun.

  • Enjoy the "winter" decor. I didn't put out a lot of decorations this year. If you, on the other hand, made your home a holiday wonderland, try to prioritize what needs put away first. The Santa stockings scream, "Christmas!" The snowmen and pinecones whisper, "Winter." Let yourself enjoy the season just a little bit longer where you can.

So, have your Christmas decorations left the building or are they still hanging around? I'd love to know...leave a comment!

This post is linked to Raising Homemakers.