Making a House a Home

I am a Southern girl. And being a Southern girl, there are certain "rules" to live by. Not rules that, if broken, will lead you to trouble. No, nothing like that. Rules that, well, set you apart as a Southern girl.

Let's talk about the rule for shoes- white shoes in particular. I don't mean white tennis shoes. No, no, no. I mean white dress shoes. Even white sandals. There is a rule that Southern girls go by that says you are NOT to wear white shoes after Labor Day. And you can NOT wear them again until Easter Sunday.

Wait. Hold on a minute... Some Southern girls say that you aren't allowed to wear white dress shoes or white sandals until Memorial Day. But, well, I'm not one of those girls. I hold strictly to the "Not before Easter Sunday and not after Labor Day" rules. My mother taught me this. It's just part of being a Southern girl.

So, today, though I normally do not post on Sundays, I am posting a farewell to our white shoes of summer.

So long white sandals.

Farewell white patent leather with a cute little buckle strap.

I bid you each adieu until Easter Sunday 2009.

A few years ago, while reading FlyLady's website, I discovered her directions on how to get your sink in top shape. Sure, she says to shine your sink every day, but what if your sink isn't so clean to begin with?

Here are Flylady's directions on how to get your sink in order.

Shiny Sink 101

Dear Friends,

I want you to smile from ear to ear when you gaze upon your shiny sink.

I have heard every excuse in the world. Even old sinks can look new again with a little elbow grease.

Here is how you do it:

BE SURE AND RINSE WELL BETWEEN EACH STEP OF THE WAY!

1.) Take all the dishes out of the sink.

2.) Run some very hot water into the sink. Fill to the rim. Only do one side at a time. Then, pour a cup of household bleach into the hot water. Let it sit for 1 hour. Now, pull the plug with a pair of tongs. If you don't have tongs, then scoop some of the water out of the sink into the other sink and use your hand to pull the plug (wear gloves and don't get the bleach-water on your clothes).

3.) Rinse your sink well.

4.) Use some cleanser (Comet, Ajax, or Baking Soda) and scrub your sink. Ensure you rinse ALL of the cleanser from the sink.

5.) Take a sharp edge and clean around the rim of the sink, just like you would clean dirt out from under your fingernails.

6.) Clean around the faucets too. You may need an old toothbrush or dental floss.

7.) Now, get out your window cleaner, I use Windex, and give it a good shine.

8.) If you still don't like the way it looks, then you could try some car wax. Just know in your heart that you have cleaned it very well now and it doesn't have to be perfect. Our perfectionism is what got us in this situation in the first place.

9.) Every time you run water in your sink, take your clean dishtowel and dry it out (I lay out a clean one, every night with my before bedtime routine). Before you know it, you will be doing this everytime you leave your kitchen. The rest of the family will too. No more water spots. You will have a clean and shiny sink.

10.) Don't have a fit if someone doesn't take as much pride in your sink as you do. It is very easy to fix. You have already done the hard part. You will never have to go through this process again. Daily maintenance will keep it looking this way all the time. Nasty hurtful word are not as easy to repair. Just be sure and tell your family what you are trying to do. They will think you have gone crazy.

11.) If you don't have a dishwasher, don't worry. A dishwasher is just a dirty dish disposal. Clean out a place under your sink and put a dishpan in there. Teach your family, that instead of putting their dirty dishes and glasses in the sink, place them into the dish pan. Get into the habit of putting your dishes away as soon as they have been washed and are dry. No more leaving the dish drying rack on the counter or in the sink. Put it away under the sink when you have finished. If your old one is nasty, you may want to soak it in the sink full of bleach water at the same time you soak the sink or go buy a new set.

12.) To insure that your family remembers this, put a note in the sink. It will get their attention and remind them where to put the dishes. Be patient! They have never been taught either. It is going to take some practice.


Now if you have a stainless steel sink, I recommend all of the above directions with one extra instruction added: after you soak your sink, rinse well, and use SOS pads to scrub it. This will buff the finish. It will look like new.

If you still can't get it to shine after the Windex, put a light coat of lemon oil or olive oil on it. I mean just a tiny bit on a cloth and rub it. This will make you smile. Some people have had very good results from Bar Keepers Friend.

Go Shine Your Sink!
FlyLady

So ladies, I would like to challenge each of you to SHINE YOUR SINK this weekend!!! Get it in tip top shape and keep it there!! Since I've been trying to keep my dish drainer empty, I really want my sink to sparkle right next to it!

Have a happy weekend, y'all!

Oh yum!! I made these this past weekend and, boy, were they a huge hit!! I found the recipe over at Mrs. Dole's blog, Beneath Beams of Cedar.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 C shortening
1/2 C butter
1 1/4 C peanut butter
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1C flour
2 C oatmeal
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream together shortening and butter. Add sugars, vanilla, peanut butter and eggs, blending well. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop in small balls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375* for 7-9 minutes.

Note: These were very soft after coming out of the oven, so be sure and let them cool a minute or two on the cookie sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.

We desire for Elizabeth to grow up to be a godly woman and to seek the Lord in all things. We also desire to teach her to have a heart for her home and the people He places in it. Lately, GirlTalk has had several posts on training daughters. Lovely and encouraging posts, I must say!! Here's a snippet:

This morning Steve read me a prayer from Psalm 144:12 that I plan to make my own for Tori (and Jack, of course): “May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for a structure of a palace.”

What a beautiful prayer to shape our hopes and dreams for our daughters—that they may be like “corner pillars cut for a structure of a palace.” It’s a striking image of a woman’s role as fleshed out in Proverbs 31 and Titus 2. This verse pictures young women “both occupying a secure position in the building and at the same time giving stability to the building in which they are themselves secure—the position of the wife and mother in a well-ordered society” (The New Bible Commentary). Or, more simply, as “the supports and the ornaments of domestic life” (John Pye Smith)...

Other GirlTalk posts about this subject:
- Mom's Example in the Home
- A Daughter's Heart for the Home
- Home Time
- Homemaking 101
- For Better or For Worse

I've decided to start a new homemaking habit. A new nighttime, habit, actually.

I cannot stand going to bed with dirty dishes in my sink. Now, I must be honest here and tell you that sometimes I do leave dishes in the sink overnight, but that does not change that I still DETEST waking up to dirty dishes in the morning!!!

The new habit I want to start is not only making sure all the dishes are washed, but also making sure they are all washed, dried and put away each night before I go to bed! I usually will wash them and set them in the dish drainer to dry and the next morning they will be put away. I will awake to not only an empty, clean sink, but an empty dish drainer as well! So starting Tuesday night, I implemented my new habit and, so far, so good!!

Have you started any new habits in your home lately? Please share, if so!!

I absolutely LOVE this song. More importantly, I LOVE the one that Fernando Ortega sings about!! I hope you enjoy hearing about the Lord Jesus Christ!!



Come and see, look on this mystery
The Lord of the Universe, nailed to a tree
Christ our God, spilling His Holy blood
Bowing in anguish, His sacred head

Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts.
He is our great Redeemer.
Sing to Jesus, Honor His name.
Sing of His faithfulness, pouring His life out unto death

Come you weary and He will give you rest
Come you who mourn, lay on His breast
Christ who died, risen in Paradise
Giver of mercy, Giver of Life

Sing to Jesus His is the throne
Now and forever,
He is the King of Heaven.
Sing to Jesus, we are His own.
Now and forever sing for the love our God has shown.

Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts.
He is our great Redeemer.
Sing to Jesus, Honor His name.

Sing to Jesus His is the throne
Now and forever,
He is the King of Heaven.
Sing to Jesus, we are His own.
Now and forever sing for the love our God has shown.

I recently received this email from a reader. I find it SO very encouraging!!

Dear Mrs. U,

I wanted to share a real life story about how our actions and attitudes as women REALLY do affect the men around us. If we act like ladies, men will usually respond as gentlemen.

My friend and I went to see a play at the famous Fox Theater in Atlanta. As we approached the ticket booth, my friend realized that she had forgotten something in her car. So she returned to her car to get the item and started back up the sidewalk toward the theater. There was a side entry door that is used by staff and castmembers, and as she was approaching, she could see that there were 6-8 male theater employees standing along the sidewalk. She realized that her only option was to walk straight through the men - some on her right and some on her left - so she proceeded towards them. She glanced up at them as she was passing through, nodded her head, and out of her mouth came, "Excuse me, gentlemen!!!" She said that they had THE most shocked expressions on their faces. They then stood up straight, nodded back, smiled, and said, "Ma'am!" (my guess is that they responded in their deepest, manliest voices ;)).

As she was telling me what had happened I was blown away and told her what a PERFECT thing to say! By treating them like gentlemen and EXPECTING them to BEHAVE like gentlemen, they stepped up to the plate and WERE gentlemen!! I was so proud of her and I've mentioned it several times since. She says, "Yes, I guess the Lord just gave me those words because I felt quite uncomfortable and wouldn't have known WHAT to say."

What a great example of how acting like a lady calls men to act like gentlemen!! And they respond in like when they are treated like gentlemen! It really can start with us! I hope my friend inspires your readers like she did me!!!

Mrs. Thornton

So, ladies, what do you think? Have any of you been in a similar situation? If so, I would love to hear what happened!!

Okay, so it's been a bit since I've been posting here. For some reason, the summer seems so busy, but for the life of me, I can NOT tell you what we've been busy with!! LOL!!!

So, I thought I would share what is on my mind today.




I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO READY FOR FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone else with me?

With the temperatures here being up in the 100s each day, I LONG for the cooler days of autumn. Sure, I know they are just around the corner and I am kind of wishing my life away, but hot weather and I do NOT mix well. Fall! Fall! Do not tarry! Bring your much longed for cooler temperatures our way!!!

I just discovered a fun new Friday post!! It's called Feminine Friday and it's hosted by The Barefood Mama.

Kelly asked participants to share what femininity means to them. What fun!!

Today I would like to share my new tea cup. Isn't she just lovely!!



This tea cup is feminine to me because of all the pretty flowers on the tea cup. It's a dainty little cup, too. One that I definitely cannot picture a man drinking out of. :)

I look forward to sharing other tea cups as I collect more. I also look forward to sharing these tea cups (and tea time) with Elizabeth as she gets older.

Please take time to visit Kelly and her blog, The Barefood Mama.

We had a busy week last week. Our church had vacation Bible school. I know that the children have a lot of fun, but the adults sure are worn out when it's over!!

Last year was Elizabeth's first year at VBS, but she was too young to really pay attention. This year, though, she had a blast!! She's still too young to be in a class, so she and I walked around and got to sit in the music class with all the different ages and also go to crafts where they let her make a lot of fun and adorable things!!! I think her favorite things during the week were coloring and learning motions to go with the songs!! :)

The week before that, our family went blueberry picking. OH BOY that was FUN!!!! It was an incredibly hot day, but it was wonderful to pick the blueberries off the bush and put them in our baskets. Okay, yes, I'll admit it. We DID eat quite a few, but we brought home a lot, too!!





One of Elizabeth's friends moved away two weeks ago. Their family is in the military and her husband was stationed in another state, so away they drove. I know Elizabeth didn't understand the whole idea of moving, but it still made me sad that one of her friends left.



So, that's what we've been doing lately. I'm sure the rest of the summer will fly by just like the first part of it. :)

With July 4th only 2 days away, I thought it would be interesting to share this portion from a US Citizenship test. Sadly, I will admit that I only got 70% correct!!! Boy, have I got some studying to do!!!!

If any of y'all take the test, let me know how you scored. I'll bet there are plenty of you that will get 100!!! :)

What is it, to you, that makes a home welcoming?

I received this email from a reader and she would love your help!!

I am trying to come up with a picture of what I want my home to be like. Would you mind helping me with some ideas? Think of one person/family who you love going over to their house. It's just a peaceful, welcoming home that you enjoy. Describe it: What words come to mind? What is it about the home that makes you want to spend time there?? What is it decorated like? What does it smell like? How do you feel when you are there? What kinds of things register with all 5 of your senses?

The most welcoming homes I've been to haven't been the kind that look like they came out of Southern Living magazine. They are homes that are clean and relatively tidy, but you can definitely tell that people live there. They aren't decorated with the most up-to-date styles or colors, but they are cozy feeling. They don't really smell like anything (unless they are cooking something)- no stinky odor, no trace of animals, no dirty trash can smells. It's not their homes that I notice, though. It is the people that live there and their warm, welcoming personalities that make me feel like they are glad I am there.

I liked Joyce's house because she was already ready for guests. She gets up pretty early for her quiet time and for cleaning so that when someone arrives, she's already cleaned for the day. And apparently she does a little cleaning every day so that every day something has been tidied. Plus, she always has a few cookies, a slice of cake, something yummy tasting to share with you as well as a cup of coffee or tea. She doesn't ask me "Would you like some coffee? Regular or decaf? Flavored or unflavored?".. she just makes what she has and says something like "May I pour you a cup of coffee?" (I always feel like I have to offer guests a billion choices).

I liked Diane's house because her door is always open for guests (literally- she does not ever lock her door and often leaves the front door open and only the glass storm door closed!!!). You walk in and feel like she's been waiting just for you to stop in. She's always full of conversation and questions and wants to know about YOU. She doesn't go on and on about herself (she does talk about her grandchildren, though. :) ) And she always makes lots of extra food at meals so that when people stop by at meal time (which is often!!), she can easily say "Come on it and eat!! I've got PLENTY for you!!"

So what about YOU? What, to you, makes a home welcoming? Please share!!!!!

Let me go ahead and tell y'all up front that Mr. U does NOT like black beans. At all. I, on the other hand, think they are divine. Every once in a while I'll try a new recipe in hopes that Mr. U will find them somewhat palatable.

After 9 1/2 years of marriage, I FINALLY found a recipe with black beans that he says is "pretty okay". Not exactly the statement I was looking for ("Oh, Honey!!! These black beans are AMAZING!! What have I been thinking all these years- I suddenly LOVE black beans!! Let's have more and SOON!!"... that's what I was hoping for!!!), but I'll take it!!!

Me? I LOOOOOVED this recipe!! Give me anything with garlic, lime and cilantro and I'm happy a happy girl!!!

Happy Monday, y'all!!



Ham and Black Bean Soup

1 cup red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
1 cup water
1 pound ham, diced into bite size cubes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 T ground cumin
sour cream
cilantro
fresh limes

In a dutch oven, saute onion, garlic and green pepper in olive oil over medium heat until tender and onions are slightly translucent. Add undrained beans and water and season with salt, pepper and cumin. Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes.

Using a potato masher, mash some of the beans in the pot. Mash it until you get the consistency your family likes. Or, you may leave the beans completely whole, if you prefer.

Add ham and simmer for 10 more minutes.

To serve, place soup in bowl and top with your choice of sour cream, cilantro, and/or a fresh squeeze of lime.

Well, I almost forgot to share this!!! Here's how Elizabeth's little flowers progressed after only 1 week!!!! As you can imagine, she is SO excited and keeps referring to them as "babies". HAHA! I guess they are young plants.



Now we'll just get outside and plant these sweet cosmos and hope little flowers will soon appear!!

Oh yum. I made this Easy Cajun Jambalaya just the other day and it is good!! I found it at Allrecipes and changed only one little bitty thing- I did not put any hot pepper sauce in the food when cooking it. I was worried it would be too spicy for Elizabeth, so I left it out and everyone else added dashes of hot sauce to their food after it was served.

This is a keeper!!



Easy Cajun Jambalaya

Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
8 ounces kielbasa, diced
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups chicken stock
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent. Add rice, then stir in chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.

(To all you Weight Watcher friends, Allrecipes almost always has the nutritional information posted on the website with each recipe. So, you can use that to figure out how many points there is per serving!!!)

It's no secret that I love a good cup of tea. My favorite way to take my tea is with a drizzle of sage honey and a splash of milk. Mmmmm. And this is all fine and dandy.

Usually.

I always buy my honey from the co-op that I order my wheat from. When I placed my order last week, I was informed that there is NO SAGE HONEY!!!! Apparently there were some brush fires that ruined the sage bushes and the sage honey supply is low and this means no sage honey for me!!!

(a sage plant)

So, I am trying to find a decent alternative to sage honey until the supply is built back up (probably not available until September! OH NO!!!). Stevia is bitter. Clover honey is too strong. Sugar is just not right. I am not a happy camper, folks. Sigh.

My tea won't be the same until my wonderful sage honey is back in our home. There are sad, sad days ahead for me and my tea cup.

Won Without Words

“Sweetheart, wake up!”

“Hmmm?”

“Don’t you remember? The pastor said that the man of the house should wake up early to read the Bible!”

(Snore)

“Harry, wake up! This is gonna be a Christian house whether you like it or not!”

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: Have you ever tried to change your mate into a more spiritual person? When a wife tries to take on this kind of “fix it” project, her focus is on something she can’t do anything about—her husband’s heart. It takes her mind off something she can do something about—cooperating with the Holy Spirit in changing her own heart.

The apostle Peter advises wives to be submissive, even to unbelieving husbands. Then he explains why in 1 Peter 3: “so that, if any of them do not believe the Word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives.”

Have you been approaching your husband with nagging words or with godly behavior?

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

This was my email today from Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Boy, how many times have I heard about this exact situation!!!

Ladies, if you find yourselves in a similar position, wishing, hoping, that your husband was truly a godly man, do NOT try to force him into a mold that only God can fit!!! Your job? Your job is to pray and live a holy life in front of him, that he may see your First Love through your example and desire to follow after the Lord Jesus Christ, as well.

Cheesy Southwestern Skillet

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of very lean ground beef
1 onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain them)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can chopped mild green chiles
1 T garlic powder
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions and then drain.

In a saute pan on medium-high heat, heat olive oil and then cook ground beef until no longer pink. Stir in onion and bell pepper. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up any bits of beef in the bottom of the pan. Stir in chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook until the onions are softened. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chiles, garlic powder and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are well blended. Add the macaroni and stir to combine. Sprinkle cheese all over top and let it melt before serving.

4- 6 servings.

So we started the garden a little late this year (mid May)... hopefully something will grow, though!!


Here's the garden after two weeks. We have tomatoes, green beans, watermelon, zucchini, basil, lemon basil, sage, and a few other things that I can't remember!!



I cannot wait for the first tomato of the summer!!

While shopping at Target one day, we found these super cute tins of Cosmos flowers. They were in the dollar bins up near the front. FLOWERS!! I just LOVE planting flowers!! And I figured that Elizabeth would enjoy doing this, too, so that she could closely watch them as they grow.



Yesterday afternoon, we soaked the soil that came in the tins (you know, the kind that is super compacted together and you soak it in water so it'll become soft), placed it back in the little tins and tucked the tiny seeds inside. Now we begin the long wait for the sprouts to appear.



Elizabeth had quite a time playing in the dirt. She carefully placed each little seed in the soil and covered it with a little more dirt. It was incredibly sweet watching her be so gentle.



After they are 3 inches tall (according to the directions), we can take them outside and plant them!! Even more fun!!!

Hmmmm... I wonder who is more excited here- me or Elizabeth? HA!!!