Another family update...

For those of you who have been following, I have posted another family update over at DarrenAndChristy.com. Scotland, here we come!

Order In Your Heart

Create in Me a Clean Heart - Week 18

Be sure that everything is done properly and in order."

I Corinthians 14:40

Can these words be used to describe my home? my life? my heart? Recently it feels like I can hardly keep my head above water, let alone do things "properly" and "in order".

This chaos isn't just about my home, but it is about my life and the way I am choosing to live.

I was convicted this week about the state of my heart, and how I have let the chaos around me invade my time in with the Lord, leaving me dry and thirsty. This needs to be addressed first, before the other issues can be properly addressed.

Lord,
I am struggling with my lack of organization. So many thing are suffering because of it. But the one that has suffered the most is my heart. I pray that you would bring me back to the place I need to be so that my whole being my be properly ordered. I know that when this happens, other things will begin to fall into place. Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit in me.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.

Menu Plan Monday

I feel like I need to kick my meal planning up a notch, but I'm not sure how to take the next step, or what that step should be. Any suggestions? How do you use meal planning to make your life simpler? Do you have prep days, or baking days?

It also feels like I have hit a wall with the kids. My son has always been a picky eater. It is getting better, but we are having weight issues with both the kids again (they just don't eat enough to maintain their growth curve).

I think our biggest problem is snacking ... I can't get them to snack without completely ruining their meals. Any ideas? What do you do for kid's snacks? What kind of eating schedule do your kids have?

Without further ado, here is our menu for the week. A lot of it is carry over from last week.

Menu for this week:

• Monday -- going out for dinner with my hubby (no kids) =)
  

• Tuesday -- Pasta Primavera
  

• Wednesday -- Chinese Chicken & Cabbage

• Thursday -- Chicken Curry
  

• Friday -- Taco Bar
  

• Saturday -- Baked Potato Bar


• Sunday -- Leftovers

Check out more menu plan's at Organizing Junkie.

Happy Monday!

Blitz-It Friday

Organized Everyday is hosting a new carnival called Blitz-it Friday. If you have no idea what a blitz is, check out the original one hour blitz and staying focused.

This was a crazy week for us, and I didn't get the blitz's done that I had planned. Maybe next week I'll be a little more productive.

But I did get a short blitz in today. The kids were sitting down for an afternoon snack. My hubby and I took one look at the disaster in the house and knew something needed to be done and fast. Together, we spent 15 minutes hitting all the clutter that had accumulated this week. It is really fun to blitz with my hubby.

We picked up all the toys,books and puzzles in the living room, dining room, bed room, play area and hall way - I'm convinced the kids were determined to pull out everything they owned and distribute it to every room in the house.

We also had an unusual amount of clothing to put away. My son is recently excited about his "dressing" skills and had pulled out coats, pajamas and who knows what other clothing items to show us how he could put them on by himself.

Then, while I cleared the kitchen table and counters, my hubby hit some piles of random stuff that had accumulated by the front door.

It was short and sweet, but very satisfying! I'm looking forward to blitzing some major spring cleaning next week! I'll let you know how it goes.

Check out more Blitz's at Organized Everyday

'Establish' your house

Create in Me a Clean Heart - Week 17 - "'W.U.K.' In The House"

"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

Proverbs 24:3-4

The devotional this week was a strong reminder that only God can truly establish a home, only He can provide the wisdom I need each day to love my husband, to raise my kids, and to run my house.

While pondering my need, I was reminded of a few encouraging truths. First, God gives wisdom freely to those to ask (James 1:5).

Second, God desires us to have complete understanding so that we may know Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3). More than wisdom and knowledge, I need to seek Christ himself. Everything else is nothing in comparison (Philippians 3:8).

Lord,
Thank you for this home you have blessed me with. I need to have your wisdom, understanding and knowledge foundational in my home. I look to you for these precious riches, and wait on you to provide them in your way. May my mind, eyes and heart remain open as you teach me. Bless me with increasing wisdom, understanding and knowledge, so my home may be overflowing with your goodness and love.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.

Menu Plan Monday

This was our meal planning did not go well. For one thing, I planned too much around grilling and the weather did not cooperate. I also had too many "non-regular" recipes that my family was not very excited about, and that I didn't have a system" for making.

I didn't really focus much with the kids the last two weeks. I feel like I have lost my motivation to work that hard with them at every meal. I'm going to back off on that for a little while.


Menu for this week:

• Monday -- Broiled Salmon, veggies
  

• Tuesday -- Pasta Primavera
  

• Wednesday -- Chinese Chicken & Cabbage

• Thursday -- Chicken Curry
  

• Friday -- Taco Bar
  

• Saturday -- Baked Potato Bar


• Sunday -- Leftovers

Check out more menu plan's at Organizing Junkie.

Happy Monday!

Blitz-It Friday

Organized Everyday is hosting a new carnival called Blitz-it Friday. If you have no idea what a blitz is, check out the original one hour blitz and staying focused.

Although my kitchen, living room and dining room could use a blitz every week, today I decided I really needed to tackle another area of the house ... my bedroom.

Here are a few before pictures.

Where do you start, when the piles are so high? In order to keep from getting discouraged, I had to start with the easiest stuff and the piles that would make the most visual difference. Here is how I tackled this space.

1. Clothes (both clean and dirty) - the easiest thing to put away


2. Bag and Shoes - these, too, already have a home so they are easy to put away


3. Storage Bins - I had three bins that just needed to be put back in the closet


4. Empty Boxes - why are these in here anyway?


5. Books - most of these just needed to return to the bookshelf
   


6. Random Boxes - these are boxes and containers that had been used to quickly pick up other parts of the house before company came over... then they just sat in my room making a mess.
   


7. Surfaces - I cleared off the top of the desk, the dresser, the headboard and the night stands. This was time consuming because there are so many little things - jewelry, hair clips, paper clips, safety pins, etc.


8. Put Away Piles - I had created several piles of stuff that went to other rooms that had to be put away - kid's room, garage sale stuff, etc. The timer went off right before I started this and it took me 10 minutes to get it all distributed.

It is still not perfect, but it is so much better. In the end, it took me 70 minutes to get the bedroom to this point.

Check out the after pictures.

Yes, I know we need to hang some pictures on the walls, but we are moving soon, so it will probably never happen.

What have you blitzed this week? Check out more Blitz's at Organized Everyday