Archive for the ‘Homekeeping’ Category
Apr
16
Posted by Sylvia
Faithfulness
Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find? Proverbs 20:6
If you search out God’s Word you will find faithfulness mentioned more than 60 times. Many of these times the Bible references God’s faithfulness and no wonder:
We are dependent on his faithfulness for:
* our final salvation (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)
* deliverance from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)
* sanctification (1 Thess. 5:23)
* forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9)
* deliverance through times of suffering ( 1 Peter 4:19)
* the fulfillment of our hope of eternal life ( Hebrews 10:23)
God is faithful. Nothing in our lives is untouched by His faithfulness. “The Lord is faithful to all his promises.” Psalm 145:13
What is faithfulness? God’s definition of faithfulness means something that is firm and can be counted on. The faithful person is dependable, trustworthy and loyal. When Daniel’s rivals tried to find something that they could use against him before the king, they could not. “They could find no corruption in himmbecause he was trustworthy (faithful) and neither corrupt nor negligent.” Daniel 6:4
Faithfulness has the connotation of absolute honesty.
Absolute honesty. We often give lip service to this concpet but most of us are afraid of it.
“The Lord detests lying lips but he delights in men who are truthful” (Proverbs 12:22) “The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.” (Proverbs 11:1)
How honest are you? In all your doings? All your relationships?
The Biblical standard of faithfulness is the only standard we need measure ourselves by. We must determine to be faithful, even if it is unto death.
Evaluate your own life using the Word and a close friend. Are you dependable, even when it is costly? Are you a person who sticks closer than a brother? Think of specific times when you were either faithful or unfaithful.
Wherever your need is, ask God to meet you there and forgive you, and provide you with more opportunities to be faithful.
When I consider the reward for faithfulness, it encourages me to continue in honesty
Matthew 25:21 shows us what that reward is:
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today and Tomorrow we will work on any other room of your choice! So get busy and check in here periodically to let us know how you are doing and get a big dose of encouragement
Apr
13
Posted by Sylvia
This morning I wanted to present to you a poem that has meant a lot to me over the years. I first heard it on the radio read by Elizabeth Elliot. It is not known who wrote it, but was obviously someone who had struggled with some overwhelming tasks. It seems to have been written by someone who knew what it was like to be tempted to despair. We can be tempted to despair or give up. I’ve been tempted to do that, even with the ministry that God has laid in my hands… with my marriage, my home…
Have you ever felt like what God was asking you was just too much? Be careful; there is very often a difference between what God asks of us and what we impose on ourselves out of pride or envy of someone else’s home, job or family. Be sure that what you are attempting to do for the glory of God is truly godly and that you have those all-important priorities in order. Then, when things get really tough, do the next thing.
Do The Next Thing
Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing.
Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe beneath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing
Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.
-Anonymous
Putting one foot in front of the other is sometimes more than we think we can do. We all know though, that it is often just the thing we have to do. Perseverance and determination are usually the marks of age and wisdom. My recommendation though is that you cultivate them both now. Both are traits that God approves of, and if you ask Him, He will give you what you need to develop them in your life no matter how young and inexperienced you may be.
We sometimes trick ourselves into thinking that God will just do it all FOR us. He will not. He will lift us up and care for us, encourage us, give us everything we need and send us on our way to do the things He has given us to do. Sometimes He will carry us through difficult places. But He won’t do our work for us. And often, if we do not take up the challenge to do what He send us to do, He will chose someone else to do it.
Be determined to accomplish what God has set before you today.
Here’s determination for you…..
“Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”
2 Corinthians, 11:24-25
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We’re going to be working in another bedroom today. If you don’t have another bedroom to clean, just choose another room and get busy! 
Many of us have a child’s room or children’s room to clean. And many of us have a real task before us what with all the toys, crayons, books and kid stuff that needs organizing.
Basically, you will follow the same method for cleaning a child’s room that you followed in the Master Bedroom. You may however find that you need extra storage for your child’s things.
Good ideas for storage:
* Closet Systems
* Rubbermaid style containers that are clear
* Stackable containers
* Shelves
* Cubby-hole style shelves
First - Take down curtains and wash them if you are able. If you cannot wash them, hang them outside to air. Be sure not to hang them in full sun if you think they may fade.
Second - Strip the bed linens and put them in to wash or in the laundry room.
Hang the bed spread or comforter out to air.
Third - Hang up and put away all clothes or laundry. This would be a good time to go through a child’s clothing and sort it. Give away, store or sell clothing that does not fit.
If you just don’t have any way to store those clothes, you really should get rid of some of them!
Fourth - Get yourself three baskets, boxes or bags. Label these containers:
Throw Away
Give Away
Put Away
Walk around your room and put everything that you don’t want in the room in one of these boxes. Consider putting up 3/4 of your child’s toys. Every few months, trade out the 1/4 you left out for a new batch of toys and store the rest.
Fifth - Pull everything out of the closet. Oh my, yes, the closet AGAIN! laugh.gif Now go through it quickly and put each item in one of your four boxes. Hang up clothes and sort them into the boxes quickly. Don’t take too much time with this. If your child has not worn the item in 1 year, toss it or give it away.
If an item you pull out of your closet does not belong in the closet, if the closet is not where you really should store it, then move it to its rightful place. If you don’t have anywhere else for this item, then its rightful place is the closet. Only you know.
Dust, sweep and clean the inside of the closet. Rehang the clothes. Arrange the contents of the closet that are going back in it, correctly and neatly.
Sixth - Clean out from under the bed. Pull it all out, divide the under-bed contents into your four boxes. Sweep and mop under the bed when everything is moved out from under it.
Seventh - Dust the ceilings, tops of windows and door frames, and walls. If you walls are dirty and you want to wash them, go for it! Use a mild detergent or soap and warm water if you have painted walls. If you have wallpaper, you will want to use a barely damp sponge and a drying towel. Work from the top of the wall down to the floor. If you have carpet, cover it!
Now to the Nitty Gritty Cleaning of the Room:
* Wash the windows. Use my homemade window cleaner or what ever you have on hand. Use newspaper to dry them for a streak free shine!
* Clean up the window frames now and dry them well.
* Clean the baseboards with a soapy solution of mild dish soap and warm water or your natural cleaner
* Dust all furniture. Use lemon oil or orange oil on all wood. Use a mild soap and warm water on other furniture according to what its made of. Wash doilies and table covers.
* If you haven’t yet cleaned the nicnacs and needful items that go in your room go do that now. When they are cleaned, replace them where they go in the room.
Press and rehang curtains.
Enlist a child to organize and sort items to be stored in storage containers.
Sweep, vacuum and mop the floor depending on what you need to do. If your floors are hard, use which ever chemicals you have success with. I use a wood soap on my hardwood and then a wood shiner product made by Glade. Sometimes I even use orange oil on the floors and rub them to a deep shine. You must rub the wood very vigorously so that it won’t be slick!
Dress the bed. Its getting to be cooler here in the US so dress your bed in sheets and two quilts OR with one quilt and one blanket.
Replace rugs.
Give a child or two a good talking to about the rules of the house for keeping the room clean. Consider putting an every day rule for a 10 minutes straightening session first thing in the morning and another first thing before bed.
Apr
13
Posted by Sylvia
Today I have a devotional from last year’s Spring Cleaning session. There were a lot of responses to it and I think it is a timeless lesson from God’s Word. I hope it blesses you today…….
That Elusive Gentle Spirit
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Galatians 6:1
… let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 1 Peter 4:3
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29
…to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Titus 3:2
Gentleness is one of the hallmarks of a Christian who knows Jesus and reflects His character traits. Matthew 12:20 gives us the perfect picture of how Jesus deals with us in gentleness, “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, til he leads justice to victory.”
Bruised reeds and smoldering wicks are people who are hurting, spiritually weak or weak in faith. Jesus does not condemn us for our weaknesses and rule breaking, but in gentleness leads us to the place where we need to be. Not only is this Jesus’ way for dealing with his people, it is our pattern when we are dealing with others.
Paul made appeals to the church at Corinth, he didn’t demand that they obey him or Christ. In doing this he exercised the spiritual gift of Gentleness.
Genuine Christians treat others with gentleness in all areas. A Pharisee-like Christian will adhere to rules and laws in favor of offering grace in gentleness to those who are struggling. They are always asking, “Is it in line with the law?” The gentle person asks, “Is it kind or the right thing to say or do?” I’ve been in churches where the leadership nearly destroyed people with their lack of gentleness in dealing with sin and failings. But that’s not the only area where lack of gentleness is obvious.
How tactful are you in your speech? Some people think it a mark of honesty to be blunt and abrupt in their speech. Are we not to answer all people with sensitivity and consideration? I personally know people who are blunt and yet tactful and kind with their words. Often though, bluntness and lack of tact can be signs that we are impatient and thinking only of ourselves and just want to get our message out. When we think of others first, we use gentle words… no matter how desperate the situation. If you tend to be blunt and tactless, examine yourself for motives.
How gentle are you in dealing with those who fail?
How much compassion do you show those who are involved in sin?
Are you gentle with your spouse when he fails in some way?
What about that elusive Gentle Spirit? Do you have a gentle spirit? Are you, at your very core, gentle and kind? Paul compares gentleness to a mother nursing her baby. You who have nursed or bottle-fed your babies, you know what that means. You can bring back to your mind those feelings of care and protectiveness. This is the gentleness we are use in dealing with others. That amazes me! I don’t naturally feel that way toward others, do you? And because of that, the Spirit moves to give us the fruit of gentleness with His presence in our lives. He gently leads us so that we can treat others with gentleness.
If you ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of every time gentleness is needed, He will do so. First though you have to decide that you want to be gentle. You will have to let go of your love of rules and regulations. You will have to put people first, just like Jesus did if you want to care for people and show gentleness.
Philippians 4:5
“Let your gentleness be known to all.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Kitchen
We will spend two days in the kitchen.
The kitchen is usually the hardest room to Spring Clean in because we use it so much and its hard to have it out of commission for a day in some families. So I suggest that you utilize your crock pot or other means of having supper tonight so that you can concentrate on cleaning instead of breaking to cook.
Take a good look at your kitchen….. does it need:
…to be majorly decluttered? - Then you may need to take several days in this room.
…to be degreased? If you are using natural cleaners, a good mild dish soap will work wonders.
…to have structural work done? Can you clean the are and apply paint or get it ready to paint?
…to be emptied out and started over? Just kidding 
You must choose what you need to do in your kitchen today. Do you have time to devote to this project? Maybe you should not get in to a really deep, deep cleaning of the kitchen today. Perhaps you should do a medium clean. You just find your happy place and get in the groove, OK?
First Things First:
* Take out trash.
* Pick up countertops
* Take everything out of the kitchen that doesn’t go in the kitchen… use your 4 bags/boxes/baskets!
* Take down curtains - wash
* Take up rugs - wash
The kitchen can become a catch-all if you’re not careful. If your family has a habit of depositing things in the kitchen, and you’re OK with that, try to have a receptacle for all their stuff. Baskets are great for keys, change, pocket contents.
Mail really clutters up kitchen counter tops! Try using a box or basket to hold mail, both outgoing and incoming.
Move out furniture and take everything off your countertops that you possibly can. I will use my living room to store these things while I am cleaning because I have just cleaned my dining room and I don’t want to mess it up!
I will use laundry baskets to hold everything.
Two two big areas to clean in most kitchens are the refrigerator and the oven. Today we will clean the frig, tomorrow, the oven.
Here are steps to cleaning out the frig.
* Make a sink or large tub of hot soapy water.
* Empty the frig.
* Throw away outdated, old food.
* Pull out shelves and drawers that can be taken out.
* Wash all the shelves and drawers with your hot soapy water (WARNING: Don’t put a cold glass shelf or glass drawer in warm or hot water!!! Don’t ask….)
* Wipe down the inside of the frig with your natural cleaner or cleaner of choice. Rinse well.
* Wipe down gaskets and outer portions of the door, also clean the vent under the door.
* Replace drawers and shelves.
* Wipe down jars and food containers.
* Replace food.
On with the Kitchen Cleaning…………..
Next
1. Sweep down cobwebs
2. Make a sink of hot soapy water or use your chemical cleaner. Get out your rags and start washing down
3. the ceiling if needed, door frames, window frames, baseboards and walls. Wash windows.
4. Take up your rugs and put them in to wash. Take down curtains and wash.
5. Put a load of dishes in to wash while you work, or go ahead and wash all the dishes by hand.
6. Clean the top of the refrigerator, the stove exhaust hood, all large appliances. Go ahead and spray cleaner in the oven if you’re adventurous. Take out the drip pans and put them in a pan of hot soapy water to soak.
7. Clean of shelves and inside cabinets. Wash them down. Order and organize your pantry food and your pots and pans.
8. Wash inside your cabinets while they are empty.
9. Re-line cabinets if needed. Did you know that in the “old days” we used to use newspaper for this??
10. Replace everything that goes in the cabinets, washing and dusting off as you go.
11. Wash down the outside of the cabinets, use de-greaser if needed or a wood soap. Dry them and then polish them with lemon oil if they are finished wood. This is going to be the really hard, arm-breaking scrubby part for me today. My cabinets just need a really good deep scrub. But when its done, it will make the whole kitchen look better!
12. Don’t forget the areas over the stove!
13. Change your wash water if needed.
14. Wash down all the bottles, canisters, containers, etc. that sit on your counter tops.
15. Scrub the counter tops. Wash and replace the drip pans.
16. Sweep the floor. Make up your mop water and get to scrubbing. I will use a scrub brush this morning and scrub under the stove and all around the cabinets. Then I’ll mop the rest of the floor.
17. Can you move the stove and clean under it? That would probably be a good idea.
Consider setting up a Baking Center if you cook and bake a lot. I sat mine up in one of my cabinets. I put these items in the Baking Center:
Mixer
Food processor
Flours
Yeast
Baking powder and soda
Salt
Cornmeal
Shortening
Oil
Spices
You could put more in it, like measuring spoons and mixing bowls. It really is a time saver for me!
Finally…
* Put all your curtains and dry rugs back down when the floor is dry. Give the appliances one more look and a polish.
* Rearrange all your counter top things.
* Check out Robin’s thread for ideas regarding kitchen storage and organization.
* Light yourself some candles, make some tea and enjoy your kitchen!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
De-Cluttering and Organizing the Kitchen
By Robin D.
Most kitchens suffer from a complete clutter overload! The clutter usually consists of at least a few of the following: gadgets, unused appliances, paper, junk drawers, etc.
Here are a few quick suggestions for dealing with some of these clutter issues.
*Work out the organization ideas in your mind, and then on paper, before you actually jump in and begin re-organizing your kitchen. That way you will be better able to decide where you want to start and what changes you want to make.
*As you organize, keep in mind you want your kitchen to “flow”. That means you don’t want to be constantly running to and fro in the kitchen when you’re cooking, serving meals, etc.
Try, as much as possible, to group items together according to their use.
For instance, you would probably want to place your coffee cups and drinking glasses in the same cupboard. ~And you would want your coffee cups near the coffee pot! Make sense?
This would be a great time to work on creating “work centers” in your kitchen.
*If you have any storage containers for things like flour, sugar, or other household goods, now would the time to make sure they’re labeled clearly.
*Take this opportunity to make a pantry inventory, spice inventory, etc.
*Too many magnets and/or paper/junk on the fridge will make any kitchen look unkempt. See if you can streamline some of these items.
*If you have metal cabinets the inside of the cabinet is a great place to use magnets and hang phone numbers, etc.
*Keep the top of your fridge clutter free. If you must store items on top, take a few moments to organize them and make the space user friendly.
*It’s not only unsightly to have a lot of clutter on your counter-tops; it also makes cleaning more difficult. Take a long hard look at your counter space and make some decisions concerning clutter and ease of use. You may need to eliminate some items and/or re-organize.
*Don’t make things harder than they have to be!
Think carefully and take a few minutes to plan before you replace your items in the cabinets after cleaning. Think “user-friendly”! Stacking is fine, but think ahead and try not to stack items you use frequently on the bottom or in the back!
*Streamline when possible. Be honest with yourself when it comes to de-cluttering.
Often there are many items in the kitchen that go unused year after year. For instance, how many of your casserole dishes do you really use?
As you organize your kitchen, are you coming across items you don’t use?
Sometimes it’s good to keep a specialty item even if it isn’t used that much. For instance, most people have a turkey platter. It’s something that you may only use a few times a year, but you do use it and need it!
On the other hand; seldom do you need eight muffin pans!
So, if there are items you no longer need or don’t want now is the time to find a new home for them. Share the wealth!
*Check your window sills. It’s easy to let clutter accumulate their as well. Too many plants, decorations, etc.
*Take a deep breath and tackle that junk drawer! (Or drawers!)
There is seldom a true need for a junk drawer. To be honest, most of the time it’s simply a “catch-all” for items we haven’t taken the time to put in their proper place. ~Or that we haven’t taken the time to create a place for.
Be brutal! Tools can be kept with the rest of their kind in the tool box. Kitchen gadgets should have their own place. Take stock of the contents and organize them! Usually there is a collection of old phone books, take-out menus, bread ties, etc. in these drawers, weed out the undesirables and organize the rest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Kitchen
We will spend two days in the kitchen.
The kitchen is usually the hardest room to Spring Clean in because we use it so much and its hard to have it out of commission for a day in some families. So I suggest that you utilize your crock pot or other means of having supper tonight so that you can concentrate on cleaning instead of breaking to cook.
Take a good look at your kitchen….. does it need:
…to be majorly decluttered? - Then you may need to take several days in this room.
…to be degreased? If you are using natural cleaners, a good mild dish soap will work wonders.
…to have structural work done? Can you clean the are and apply paint or get it ready to paint?
…to be emptied out and started over? laugh.gif Just kidding wink.gif
You must choose what you need to do in your kitchen today. Do you have time to devote to this project? Maybe you should not get in to a really deep, deep cleaning of the kitchen today. Perhaps you should do a medium clean. You just find your happy place and get in the groove, OK?
First Things First:
* Take out trash.
* Pick up countertops
* Take everything out of the kitchen that doesn’t go in the kitchen… use your 4 bags/boxes/baskets!
* Take down curtains - wash
* Take up rugs - wash
The kitchen can become a catch-all if you’re not careful. If your family has a habit of depositing things in the kitchen, and you’re OK with that, try to have a receptacle for all their stuff. Baskets are great for keys, change, pocket contents.
Mail really clutters up kitchen counter tops! Try using a box or basket to hold mail, both outgoing and incoming.
Move out furniture and take everything off your countertops that you possibly can. I will use my living room to store these things while I am cleaning because I have just cleaned my dining room and I don’t want to mess it up!
I will use laundry baskets to hold everything.
Two two big areas to clean in most kitchens are the refrigerator and the oven. Today we will clean the frig, tomorrow, the oven.
Here are steps to cleaning out the frig.
* Make a sink or large tub of hot soapy water.
* Empty the frig.
* Throw away outdated, old food.
* Pull out shelves and drawers that can be taken out.
* Wash all the shelves and drawers with your hot soapy water (WARNING: Don’t put a cold glass shelf or glass drawer in warm or hot water!!! Don’t ask….)
* Wipe down the inside of the frig with your natural cleaner or cleaner of choice. Rinse well.
* Wipe down gaskets and outer portions of the door, also clean the vent under the door.
* Replace drawers and shelves.
* Wipe down jars and food containers.
* Replace food.
On with the Kitchen Cleaning…………..
Next
1. Sweep down cobwebs
2. Make a sink of hot soapy water or use your chemical cleaner. Get out your rags and start washing down
3. the ceiling if needed, door frames, window frames, baseboards and walls. Wash windows.
4. Take up your rugs and put them in to wash. Take down curtains and wash.
5. Put a load of dishes in to wash while you work, or go ahead and wash all the dishes by hand.
6. Clean the top of the refrigerator, the stove exhaust hood, all large appliances. Go ahead and spray cleaner in the oven if you’re adventurous. Take out the drip pans and put them in a pan of hot soapy water to soak.
7. Clean of shelves and inside cabinets. Wash them down. Order and organize your pantry food and your pots and pans.
8. Wash inside your cabinets while they are empty.
9. Re-line cabinets if needed. Did you know that in the “old days” we used to use newspaper for this??
10. Replace everything that goes in the cabinets, washing and dusting off as you go.
11. Wash down the outside of the cabinets, use de-greaser if needed or a wood soap. Dry them and then polish them with lemon oil if they are finished wood. This is going to be the really hard, arm-breaking scrubby part for me today. My cabinets just need a really good deep scrub. But when its done, it will make the whole kitchen look better!
12. Don’t forget the areas over the stove!
13. Change your wash water if needed.
14. Wash down all the bottles, canisters, containers, etc. that sit on your counter tops.
15. Scrub the counter tops. Wash and replace the drip pans.
16. Sweep the floor. Make up your mop water and get to scrubbing. I will use a scrub brush this morning and scrub under the stove and all around the cabinets. Then I’ll mop the rest of the floor.
17. Can you move the stove and clean under it? That would probably be a good idea.
Consider setting up a Baking Center if you cook and bake a lot. I sat mine up in one of my cabinets. I put these items in the Baking Center:
Mixer
Food processor
Flours
Yeast
Baking powder and soda
Salt
Cornmeal
Shortening
Oil
Spices
You could put more in it, like measuring spoons and mixing bowls. It really is a time saver for me!
Finally…
* Put all your curtains and dry rugs back down when the floor is dry. Give the appliances one more look and a polish.
* Rearrange all your counter top things.
* Check out Robin’s thread for ideas regarding kitchen storage and organization.
* Light yourself some candles, make some tea and enjoy your kitchen!
De-Cluttering and Organizing the Kitchen
By Robin D.
Most kitchens suffer from a complete clutter overload! The clutter usually consists of at least a few of the following: gadgets, unused appliances, paper, junk drawers, etc.
Here are a few quick suggestions for dealing with some of these clutter issues.
*Work out the organization ideas in your mind, and then on paper, before you actually jump in and begin re-organizing your kitchen. That way you will be better able to decide where you want to start and what changes you want to make.
*As you organize, keep in mind you want your kitchen to “flow”. That means you don’t want to be constantly running to and fro in the kitchen when you’re cooking, serving meals, etc.
Try, as much as possible, to group items together according to their use.
For instance, you would probably want to place your coffee cups and drinking glasses in the same cupboard. ~And you would want your coffee cups near the coffee pot! Make sense?
This would be a great time to work on creating “work centers” in your kitchen.
*If you have any storage containers for things like flour, sugar, or other household goods, now would the time to make sure they’re labeled clearly.
*Take this opportunity to make a pantry inventory, spice inventory, etc.
*Too many magnets and/or paper/junk on the fridge will make any kitchen look unkempt. See if you can streamline some of these items.
*If you have metal cabinets the inside of the cabinet is a great place to use magnets and hang phone numbers, etc.
*Keep the top of your fridge clutter free. If you must store items on top, take a few moments to organize them and make the space user friendly.
*It’s not only unsightly to have a lot of clutter on your counter-tops; it also makes cleaning more difficult. Take a long hard look at your counter space and make some decisions concerning clutter and ease of use. You may need to eliminate some items and/or re-organize.
*Don’t make things harder than they have to be!
Think carefully and take a few minutes to plan before you replace your items in the cabinets after cleaning. Think “user-friendly”! Stacking is fine, but think ahead and try not to stack items you use frequently on the bottom or in the back!
*Streamline when possible. Be honest with yourself when it comes to de-cluttering.
Often there are many items in the kitchen that go unused year after year. For instance, how many of your casserole dishes do you really use?
As you organize your kitchen, are you coming across items you don’t use?
Sometimes it’s good to keep a specialty item even if it isn’t used that much. For instance, most people have a turkey platter. It’s something that you may only use a few times a year, but you do use it and need it!
On the other hand; seldom do you need eight muffin pans!
So, if there are items you no longer need or don’t want now is the time to find a new home for them. Share the wealth!
*Check your window sills. It’s easy to let clutter accumulate their as well. Too many plants, decorations, etc.
*Take a deep breath and tackle that junk drawer! (Or drawers!)
There is seldom a true need for a junk drawer. To be honest, most of the time it’s simply a “catch-all” for items we haven’t taken the time to put in their proper place. ~Or that we haven’t taken the time to create a place for.
Be brutal! Tools can be kept with the rest of their kind in the tool box. Kitchen gadgets should have their own place. Take stock of the contents and organize them! Usually there is a collection of old phone books, take-out menus, bread ties, etc. in these drawers, weed out the undesirables and organize the rest.
Apr
10
Posted by Sylvia
Holiness
This is the message that we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; and in him there is not darkness at all. 1 John 1:5
If I were to ask you, “what is the outward appearance of godliness?” How would you answer? How someone dresses? Her hair or makeup? Her modesty or lack thereof? Her shoes or her face whether she is smiling or not?
Actually, the only real outward evidence of godliness is Godlike character. God-likeness is character that is built upon God-centeredness - devotion to God. Therefore, it would be logical to conclude that we are as God-like or godly as we are devoted to Him.
To be God-like is to be holy. God says, “Be holy for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) And Paul tells us that we are called to a holy life, a life for which we have been called and set apart. What is holiness? To be holy means to be set apart and in the context of being God-like, it means to be without sin. That is the goal that we are all to be pursuing. We will never reach that goal in this life. This life is where we pursue and grow, the next life is where we attain.
Every little lie, every slight, every roll of the eyes, each sigh of impatience, the tiny bit of dishonesty…. now matter how small are all an affront to our holy God. Holiness is required of us and we have been given the Holy Spirit to help us learn holiness.
For example: read Ephesians 4:25-5:7. It is clear that God requires honesty, peacefulness and purity. As we grow we understand that these are standards for living. Soon, we become convicted of telling whoppers! Then soon we realize that speaking the truth at all times is required, and that any attempt to deceive is a sin. Finally, we grow to understand that those little white lies that we often tell to save face are sinful.
Three Questions for you:
Are you growing in holiness? Are you spending time in the Word daily? As you study year after year, the Holy Spirit is able to establish godly convictions in your heart to help you live a holy life.
Are you self-centered or God-centered? Most people are naturally self-centered. But if we are diligent to examine ourselves in the light of Scripture, we can find where we fail and where we are motivated incorrectly. We should seek holiness not because it makes us look good but because it honors and glorifies God. What it means to be God-centered.
How much sin are you letting slide by every day? You can’t live a holy lifestyle out of sheer will. But you must put forth the effort to live that life, and aided by the Holy Spirit, you can grow in holiness and God-centeredness.
As you examine yourself today, rejoice in the fact that God loves you just the way you are! And then let that fact motivate you toward honoring Him and giving Him glory with your life through your choices and a holy lifestyle.
Today we will tackle the HALLWAY and the BATHROOM.. The master bath or family bath, children’s bath or guest bath….matters not to me. Which ever one needs your attention the most. We just have one so I guess that’s where I’ll be cleaning today! laugh.gif
If you don’t have a hallway, just forget about it, or if you have strength to keep going after cleaning the bathroom, choose another room to get started in! If you DO have a hallway, use the Living Room Lists to help you remember what to do in there as far as cleaning specifics.
Faithmom6 (Linda Maria) coined the term “Bleach-Wear” for us last year. So don your bleach wear and let’s get busy in the bathroom. wink.gif At least wear some socks so you won’t track up the floor when you’re washing it.
This is one room where you will really use those natural cleaners you’ve been making!
First Things:
Pick up the room. Take out all dirty laundry and towels.
Take down the shower curtain. Put the plastic one in to wash.
Wash the cloth one if you have one. (Remember what I said earlier in the week about taking care to read your labels and only wash things that are supposed to be washed.)
Take down curtains. Prepare them to wash or just air them outside.
Take out the trash, fill the trash can with cleaner and water to soak of needed, if not give it a quick rinse and set it outside to air while you clean.
Second Things:
Get yourself a box or basket. Pick up all the nicnacs, soaps, lotions, etc that are sitting on the counter-top and tub, put them in the basket.
Sweep the floor, shake out rugs and take them to the laundry or air outside.
Use your natural cleaner and spray the tub and sink and commode to let it sit a while.
If you use commode cleaner of some kind, go ahead and put some in the commode to let it soak. A good natural cleaner for the commode is borax.
Pull everything out of the linen closet and under the sink area. Go through it carefully and throw away what is out of date or old or unused. Find yourself some storage containers like baskets or small plastic trays to keep your bathroom items in. Try using a medium sized basket to put blow-dryers, curling irons, etc, in.
Take everything out of the medicine cabinet too and go through it ruthlessly! Throw stuff away that is expired and truly useless.
Put your linens out on the dining room table while you work.
Make yourself a sink of hot soapy water or hot water with your cleaner of choice in it. Get your rags ready.
Now the Nitty Gritty Cleaning!
Wash the inside of the cabinets and shelves in the linen closet. This is a good time to line them! Don’t forget the floor of the closet. Refold the linens and replace them in the closet. Consider spraying them with some nice lavender water or other light scent.
Wash out the medicine cabinet.
Wash down walls and window frames, door frames and tile if you have it.
Take down blinds if they are dirty and soak them in the tub in warm water and dish soap while you clean.
Wash the ceiling if it needs it.
Wash the walls. Use caution if your walls are papered or painted, be gentle.
Wash the baseboards or the area where the floor and wall meet.
Scrub the tub if you’re not using it to soak the blinds. If you are, just wait on this. A scotch brite is great for cleaning the tub if your tub is not resurfaced porcelain.
Scrub the counter tops, commode tank and outside of the commode.
Scrub the floor.
Scrub the shower. Don’t forget the walls of the shower or tub area.
Change your wash water if needed.
Scrub your blinds with a brush, rinse them and take them outside to dry while you clean the tub, inside and out.
Wash the windows and mirrors using glass cleaner.
Wipe down shelves and inside cabinets, cabinet tops.
Wash the sink.
If you are going to disinfect, this is the time to do it. If you’ve been using a disinfectant cleaner, you can skip this part. If you have been using a cleaner that does not disinfect, you can use rubbing alcohol or one of the antibacterial sprays.
I periodically use bleach all over my floor because I have tile with grout that gets yellowed. I open the window and pour bleach over the grout, spread it with my sponge mop, close the door and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
Then I go in and mop it up with water and dry it with a towel.
Here is a tip about getting rid of mold from this web site:
The Good Human
You can use Borax and white vinegar to make a spray that you can aim directly at the mold in the tub or shower. Once you spray it, leave it to sit for 30-60 minutes and then go back in and wipe it off. Presto, the mold will start coming off and you did not have to inhale toxic chemicals to do so. Just mix about 2 ounces of Borax and a cup of white vinegar and you are ready to go.
As a back up and a maintenance tip, you can also periodically spray the moldy “areas” with straight vinegar and just let it sit there and soak in. The vinegar will kill the mold that might be growing and it will halt the growth of new mold.
Please be careful if you use bleach.. Don’t let me hear that you have mixed bleach with other household chemicals and cleaners!
Get your rugs washed and dried and back in the room.
Replace your nicnacs and notions, lotions, potions. Wash the bottles with a cleaning rag before putting them up.
Rehang the shower curtains, rehang window curtains.
Light a candle and just look at that clean bathroom!
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Organizing The Bathroom
By Robin D.
There tend to be two consistent issues when talking about bathrooms; clutter and storage. It probably goes without saying that a problem with the former makes the latter even more difficult! So, take the time to de-clutter first, then deal with your storage issues.
Here are a few ideas to jump-start you in this room.
*Cabinets and drawers.
If you have any are you using them effectively? Why or why not? If you don’t have cabinets do you need to get creative and create some cabinet type storage?
*Now, as to the bathroom as a whole…when you first enter this room what really bugs you? What would you like to change? Why would you like to make this change? Take the time to focus on changes that not only help with storage and visual appeal but also help with cleaning issues. Then figure out if the changes you want are short-term, medium-term, or long-term goals. Write them down if you need to. Many of us are more productive with a check-list!
*Have you considered using pump soaps in place of bar soap? Bars can be messy and difficult to use.
*Can you hang an organizer over the shower head to provide a place to keep shampoo, conditioner, etc.? Suction hooks to hold brushes and sponges?
*Do you need to place racks, hooks, shelves, or containers in the cabinets to expand storage?
*How do you store your towels, wash cloths, etc.? Would you like to change it? Could a decorative basket or box be used to hold your towels? Or perhaps you could use an over-the-door rack?
*Pay attention when re-organizing items so they are user friendly. Place items you use together in the same area (such as your hairdryer and make-up).
*Clean out your medicine cabinet. Discard and old medications and make sure any areas that contain dangerous items are child-proof. And remember, under the bathroom cabinet isn’t really the best place for cleaning products to be stored!!
*What type waste basket are you using? Does it have a lid? Do you need one? Often when pets or small children are in the home it’s best to have a trashcan with a lid.
*Do towel racks/rods/hooks need to be removed? Replaced? Moved to a new area of the bathroom?
*When picking out floor mats consider ones with non-skid backing. You can also check into non-skid appliqués for the tub.
*Keeping extra rolls of toilet paper in each bathroom is very helpful and much appreciated by guests.
*Many bath stores now carry disposable hand towels you can use when entertaining guests.
*The new wipe packs are very useful for cleaning. You can get basic cleaning products in wipe form; they’re great for touching up areas in between cleaning days.
*If you have small children that use toys in the tub, devise a system for dealing with this. Perhaps you allow the toys to drain in the sink after use and when dry have a special container they stay in?
And remember…just because they’re tub toys doesn’t mean they stay cleaner than other toys! Take the time to regularly clean and disinfect them. Some can be run through the dishwasher, others can be cleaned with a diluted bleach solution and allowed to completely air dry before using them again.
Apr
08
Posted by Sylvia
Are you having a hard time getting done everything you’ve set out to accomplish this week? Don’t give up! Keep on moving and heading in the right direction. You will accomplish what you are able to do and that will be enough.
Those who are finished with the Master Bedroom can come along with me to the next room. If you are not finished with the bedroom, go ahead and finish it today if you can. Just move ahead at your own pace. We Will spend TWO days in the Living Room before we move on to the next room. You may or may not need two days but this will give some ladies the opportunity to catch up and it will give the rest of us some breathing room!
Remember Your Challenge for the Day….
* Get Up … as early as possible
* Get Dressed … Nothing fancy, but be ready to leave the house for errands if needed
* Get Moving …. There’s a Day waiting and it has tasks to do
* Seek God …. worship Him and ask Him for His help
* Make Good Changes …. in your daily routines
Joy Comes From Obedience
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3
When you are approaching a new challenge, like getting up early and getting ready for your day, or any other challenge that will better your life, do you dread it? Most of us at least come at those challenges with a little fear or anxiety. The One Thing that can lift our spirits and give us courage and Joy is knowing that we have the Lord Jesus’ example of joy in all things going before us.
Even the most difficult of tasks can be accomplished with sweetness and finesse when we make up our minds that we are going to do these difficult things in the joy of the Lord.
We spend lots of time teaching our children to obey us. Our own parents tried to teach us to obey, too! But now we are adults and we have to depend on self motivation and the prompting of the Holy Spirit to obey.
4 Things To Remember and Do As You Approach Your Work
First - Trust God and obey His commands for your life. Meditate on your salvation and what it means.
Second - Follow the example of Jesus when faced with difficult circumstances. He endured the difficulties with Joy.
Third - Be filled with the Spirit so that you will be thanking God all along the way and will be empowered to do the task at hand.
Fourth - Sing a song! Put on some praise music! “…singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks in all things.” Galatians 5:22. A song can cheer your heart and brighten your work.
Take heart, dear sister. The most difficult of tasks, the most impossible thing, can be done with joy in the power of the Lord.
Spring Cleaning in the Living Room
The living room or den is the room where a family does most of their, well…. living. Its a busy room and takes a lot of wear and tear. So, it can usually stand a good cleaning any time you want to give it one.
Begin by picking up the room and using your 4 bags/boxes/baskets like we did in the master bedroom. Get everything out of this room that doesn’t belong. Sometimes I place personal belongings in a basket and tell the children to come get their things in the next ten minutes or the things are leaving home
Make a pan of hot soapy water or use the kitchen sink.
Once you get the room emptied of stuff that doesn’t belong, take up nicnacs and decorative items.
Clean and wash picture frames and nicnacs, set them out to dry.
Take down the curtains and take up the rugs, wash them if possible or hang them out to air.
Take up tablecloths, doilies, all fabric coverings and pillows; wash and dry if you can or air dry.
Wash down the door frames, window frames, baseboards, all woodwork, ceilings and ceiling fans.
Wash windows
Clean off shelves, rearrange books, wipe down the shelves while they are empty.
Clean up work areas. Organize work materials.
Organize movies, cds and dvds, organize the whole tv/entertainment area
Dust all furniture, polish if needed
Move out furniture if possible, if not just clean around and under as best you can.
Vacuum upholstered furniture
Vacuum floors, sweep and mop, polish wood floors
Replace rugs and curtains
Replace furniture covers if using and pillows
Arrange magazines, papers, books that don’t have a shelf. A basket might be nice, or simply stack them up neatly.
Replace nicnacs and pictures…. do you need them all in this room?
Light some candles and relax!
