Joanne Heim

La Baguette's French Onion Soup

 

La Baguette's French Onion Soup

Serves 8

6 cups sliced yellow onions (about 2 pounds)

5 tbsp. unsalted butter

pepper

10 cups boiling chicken stock (get the good stuff!)

1/2 cup dry white wine

French bread

grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese

Cook onions, covered, in butter for 20 minutes on medium-low heat until onions become transparent, but not brown. Uncover, raise heat to medium; cook 45 minutes more, stirring frequently, until onions carmelize and turn a dark golden color.

Add boiling chicken stock and white wine; cook two hours with lid partly ajar.

Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight (to keep stock from souring). Remove congealed butter two to three hours before serving, then cook soup again for an hour and a half. 

To serve, fill boiler-proof bowls with soup; top with rounds of French bread and cheese. Broil for five minutes, until cheese is bubbly and turning a little bit brown.

This looks like a lot of work, but it is worth every minute. You will LOVE it. I promise!

Brought to you by:

Couple, three--maybe four--things

Good morning, everyone!

Thank you for your sweet prayers as I studied the other day. I'm still working on getting it altogether for next week at Galilee Baptist, but I have a great start and am excited. It's going to be a small group, so I'll get to know everyone and I think we'll sit around and have more of a discussion than a stand-up-at-a-podium-and-teach kind of a thing. At the same time, I have a lot I want to share, so I'm still figuring out how that will work.

And all the camera love! Seems like Toben picked a great one, given that so many of you have the same camera. I'm loving it and taking pictures of all kinds of random things while I figure it out. Of course, most of them are still on the camera, so no photos for now.

I had lunch at Kimberly's yesterday. I love being invited to someone else's home--and Kimberly's home is at the top of my list. It's so lovely and peaceful. And her boys are the sweetest, most well-mannered, polite little boys. Ever. And since her Pumpkin (boy, not cat!) has red hair, I could just sit and look at him forever. 

She sent me home with a whole family of birdhouse gourds--I'm so going to plant some next year. In place of zucchini. Which I may never eat again. Which would make my family shout with joy! (In fact, that might even make Toben comment for the first time ever on my blog!)

Toben and I are headed down to Colorado Springs for lunch. The French onion soup at La Baguette is the best ever. I've even had French onion soup IN FRANCE--so I know what I'm talking about. I have the recipe--I'll hunt it down and post it, which means I'll be participating in Sophie's Soupapalooza (don't think I spelled that right or got the name right, actually!) after all. Check back later today.

Okay, just found a picture to include after all:

Pumpkin met Daisy and Joey yesterday. She and Daisy seem to like each other. And while Pumpkin seems to like Joey pretty well, he's not so sure. In fact, he had a little hissy fit and now he's just determined to pretend she doesn't exist.

Okay, that was more than four things.

Have a super Thursday!

Today

Preparing to speak at Galilee Baptist Church next Tuesday

So I'd best get back to it, but just wanted to pop in and say hello. Hope you're having a great day!

World Vision AIDS Caregiver Kits

We spent a couple of hours at church this morning assembling Caregiver Kits with World Vision. I'm just going to say this this is so cool and you need to get a Caregiver Kit Event together at your church. Their website has all the information. You really, really need to go take a look.

These kits are waiting to be filled with all kinds of basic healthcare items--things we can get easily enough but that are luxuries for people in Africa. Things like a flashlight, batteries, cotton balls, antibiotic cream, aspirin, and such.

Long assembly lines were set up in the gym, so we grabbed an empty kit and pushed it down the line like a cafeteria tray, stopping to put in the next thing. Signs told us how many of each thing to put in--four pens, nine bars of soap, one box of latex gloves.

Next, they had big round tables set up with pens, paper, Bibles, and crayons. Each caregiver kit includes a personal note. The folks from World Vision said that the notes are the most important things each caregiver receives.

Once closed, the completed caregiver kits are put into these big boxes and sent to Africa. Isn't it amazing to think that the next person to open the kits we packed will be an AIDS caregiver in Africa? That just blows my mind.

Our church had three sessions today. And each session made 500 caregiver kits. Our session finished in just 20-25 minutes!

I talked to a guy from World Vision who said you can do as many as 10,000 kits in an event, or as few as 20.

So often, it feels like we're too far away to do anything about AIDS in Africa. But we're not. We can make a difference!

Super kitty cuteness

Pumpkin is a mellow cat. And she loved hanging out in my hood this morning. (See, Yvette? Who needs to make a kitty carrier? All I need is a hoodie!)

Okay, time to go get dressed and do something about my hair and makeup. We're supposed to be at church in exactly 48 minutes.

P.S. Look! Toben surprised me with a new camera yesterday. Sweet man.

Afternoon schedule

Here's a peek at what works for our family after school:

3 p.m.
School's out!

3:20
Arrive home, unpack lunchboxes and backpacks

3:30

Time for a snack--we try for something both filling and somewhat healthy--the girls come home from school STARVED

until 5:00

Play, be a kid

5:00-6:00

Homework time (Audrey does her homework mostly with Toben--either in his office or at the "homework table," a dining room table that's up in the loft equipped with dry erase boards, index cards, pens, pencils, calculator, computer)

5:45

I usually start dinner preparation around this time; Emma helps cook and helps set the table

6:30

Dinner

7:00

Toben cleans up the kitchen and the girls head upstairs for baths; I pack lunches and get the coffee ready for the next morning--and when I'm really with it, I'll go ahead and set the table for breakfast the next morning too

8:00 

Into bed to snuggle/read together

8:30 

Lights out for the girls; into bed to read for me

9-9:30

Lights out for me

A couple of things:

We play before homework. Last year, Audrey started her homework around 4 o'clock and it took her two and a half hours to do what she now does in about an hour. She's the kind of kid who will take as long as you give her. So we purposely limit homework time to an hour.

Emma doesn't have that much homework. We're working on finding things for her to do during this hour. Reading, workbook pages, and educational computer games are on the list. After our parent teacher conference the other day, I think we're also going to practice writing letters to help Emma's penmanship.

We don't watch television on school days--for the most part. When Toben travels, the girls and I will often have movie nights--if homework and baths get done early. It helps the evening go smoothly and keeps them from missing their dad too much. Evenings can drag when everyone's tired, so it helps to do something fun and out of the ordinary.

We eat dinner together every night--usually in the dining room. It's a good time to talk and to find out more about everybody's day. We typically go around the table asking, "What was the best part of your day?" And we often hear the worst part too!

The girls take LONG baths--every night. It's just part of our bedtime routine. Audrey usually does her reading in the bath, and Emma loves to play with her Littlest Pet Shops. It relaxes them and gets them feeling all warm and sleepy.

You'll notice we don't have after school commitments. That's a deliberate choice we've made because it's what works best for our family. The girls have been involved in Girl Scouts, which is a twice-a-month commitment. Other than that, they don't play sports, take dance lessons, or play instruments. That may change in the future, but this is what's best for this season.

Like our morning schedule, this isn't really written down anywhere, but everyone knows the drill. And like their morning chores, their afternoon and evening tasks are on their chore charts too.

Again, this is what works best for our family. What works best for your family may be completely different. 

I think the important thing is that there's time to do what needs to be done, so there's no running around at bedtime in a panic because a homework assignment was forgotten. Even when Audrey has lots of homework, she's confident that there will be time to get it all done--and knows she'll have time to play too.

Like with the morning schedule, here are some questions to think about:

• How much time do you have in the afternoon/evenings?
• What time do you need to go to bed?
• What time do kids need to go to bed?
• What needs to be done every night? How long do those things take?
• How can the family help with any chores that need to be done?
• How can you make time to relax and play?
• If you have after-school/evening commitments, the schedule might vary from day to day. Even with that, how can you keep some consistency in your days--homework time, bedtime, and so on?

A big part of evenings is dinner. I think we'll tackle menu planning/grocery shopping next!

Morning schedule

Along with a weekly schedule--something we've been working on and talking about together--it helps to have a daily schedule too.

And since the day starts first thing in the morning, let's begin with a morning schedule.

I grew up with elaborate charts that my mom made with construction paper and fine-tip markers and rulers and stickers. I can remember her sitting at the kitchen table, drawing perfectly straight lines and neat little boxes for my sister and I to check off or fill with little stickers.

For a period of time, our mornings were carefully orchestrated. As kids, we knew exactly what to do and exactly when to do it. Even practicing the piano was done before we left for school--dressed, fed, beds made, and rooms cleaned.

By the time we reached high school, Kristen and I planned our own mornings. But we'd learned how to make mornings work. So we were only late to school when we got stuck at the train tracks.

I don't have quite the chart that Mom made (in fact, our morning schedule isn't really written down anywhere), but our mornings are very predictable and structured. Why? Because it gets everyone out the door in a good mood and without being in a rush--something that is sure to send Emma off the deep end in no time flat. She hates feeling rushed. And who can blame her?

Here's what our school-day mornings look like:

5:00 a.m.
I get up, turn on the coffee, feed the animals, have my quiet time, drink lots of coffee

6:00
Check email, read blogs, write blog 
  
6:45

Audrey and Emma get up (get dressed, make beds)

7:00

Breakfast (I eat breakfast with them and usually read out loud--it keeps them from fighting first thing in the morning)

7:20

Pack backpacks; head upstairs to brush teeth, wash faces, get hair done

7:40

Out the door to school (we say prayers on the way to school each day, praying for friends, teachers, and our school)

A couple of things:

You'll notice that I'm not dressed or showered when they leave for school. That's because Toben usually drives the girls to school. On Thursdays when I go to school for chapel or when Toben is traveling, I shower the night before and head upstairs before 6:45 to get dressed and then I get my makeup on while they're brushing teeth and such. Then I drive them. (But if it's not Thursday, then I'll drive them in my jammies!)

The girls have chore charts on their closet doors that they check off in the mornings, reminding them to make their beds and brush their teeth and to do it without arguing. (More on chore charts for kids in another post.)

I set out their clothes (or I try to!) before the week starts. We check the forecast and then I determine what they'll wear each day based on the weather, chapel dress days, PE, and so on. Sometimes, they don't like what I've chosen. We negotiate. The night before if possible. 

(I do the laundry and put it away since they are completely incapable of keeping their closets/drawers neat. They agreed that the price of me putting laundry away and straightening their drawers is not getting to set out their own clothes. They do know that they are always welcome to come help me set out their clothes.)

I pack lunches the night before. More on that when we get to our after school/evening schedule.

I have my quiet time everyday. Without fail. Not to be rigid or legalistic or to cross it off my list, but because I can't function without it. Trust me, it gets ugly by 7:15 if I've not had my quiet time in the Word and in prayer.  Simply put, it's worth getting up even when I'd rather sleep longer.

We could get up and out the door in 20 minutes flat if we had to. But it's worth the girls getting up even when they'd rather sleep too. And if you asked them, they'd tell you it's true and not just me making them. Having about an hour works. Yes, we still have rough mornings from time to time. We all wake up on the wrong side of the bed every once in a while. But for the most part, I can honestly say we have great mornings.

How the morning goes sets the tone for the entire day. If you want to have a good day, you need to have a good morning.  Yes, God can turn around a day that starts off badly, but it's soooo much easier to start the way we want to finish.

Here are some things to think about as you create a morning schedule:

• What needs to be done each morning?
• How long does it take to do each of those things?
• What kinds of things can you group together? (Getting dressed, making bed--both happen in their rooms and before breakfast)
• What time do you need to leave the house?
• Working backward from that time, what time does everyone need to get up?

Quick favor

I've received so many lovely comments from many of you about Living Simply recently. If you have a second, would you head on over to Amazon here and leave a review for others to see? Thanks!

Giveaway time!

Look what the UPS man brought last night:

I was asked to contribute to this devotional and I did and now it's here! Isn't it pretty? These are the gals of Moody's Midday Connection, a great radio show and a wonderful bunch of women. I've been on their program in the past, and the hour always flies by because it's so much fun.

This hardback daily devotional is filled with contributions from some amazing women--Carol Kent, Jill Briscoe, Shaunti Feldhahn, Lynne Hybels, Leslie Parrott, just to name a few. If you'd like to win a copy, leave a comment. I'll choose a winner next Friday, October 31.

If you want to buy one--or two--or five (Christmas IS coming and a devotional that begins January 1 would make a great gift) click on my Amazon bookshop over there ---> and you can order direct from Amazon.

Green tomato pickles

There were lots and lots of green tomatoes on the bushes when I cleaned out the garden on Saturday. I didn't want to waste them, so I thought Pickles!

I packed them in the jars this morning along with garlic and fresh dill--it smelled wonderful. And looked so pretty.

But then I added the brine and canned them, and now they don't look so pretty any more. 

I packed the jars full (or so I thought) but now they have lots of room in them. And my liquid is cloudy--because I used regular table salt instead of canning salt. But the recipe didn't say that! Urgh. I only discovered the reason after it was already done and I did some searching. Hate that.

My friend Wendy came for lunch and I sent a jar home with her--with strict instructions to wait a couple of weeks and not to eat them until I tell her it's okay. I hate giving people food I've not tasted for myself!

Even though they don't look pretty anymore, I'm hoping they'll taste good. I'll let you know in two or three weeks once they're all pickle-y.

Good morning

Well, Emma made it all of 14 minutes in bed last night with little Pumpkin before coming out to tell us that Pumpkin was keeping her up. So little baby cat got moved to Toben's office and Emma was out like a light. (Emma takes sleep very seriously--she's the kind of kid who asks if she can please go to bed.)

So I got up this morning and when I finished my quiet time snuck up here to check email, read blogs, and say good morning to you--all with little Pumpkin snuggled up in my lap.

Oh. my. goodness. She is the sweetest, cuddliest kitty ever. She purrs all the time and loves to be petted. She'll roll over on her back with all her paws in the air, begging for a tummy rub. She's not nipped at anyone once--even having her pedicure yesterday. (Those little claws were needle sharp!)

She's a little fluffball--we're determined to fatten her up since under all that hair she's pretty skinny.

Pumpkin did not haver her surgery to be fixed yesterday; she has a cold and is sneezing. No surprise since she came from the animal shelter. So she's on antibiotics and in quarantine for the next 10 days. She's so tiny that I think we'd keep her in a room by herself for a while anyway so she doesn't get lost!

(Kitty sneeze. God bless you.)

Daisy and Joey haven't met her yet--she's contagious. But they are curious and sit outside the door, listening hard to her meow.

Okay, Audrey's up early and came in to visit, so bye for now. Have a great Tuesday!

(Love that built-in camera!)

Emma has an announcement

Organize something!

Sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed it helps to organize something--anything! It's pretty much impossible to organize your whole life in 10 minutes or even a day. But you can organize something. 

Your sock drawer, your closet, your junk drawer, your purse.

I'm always amazed and how much better I feel after making even a small change toward order.

My sister was here today and told me I need to be more self-promoting, so in light of that, I'll just say that zippies are a great way to organize your purse. Tissues, gift cards, lipsticks, those personal things we don't talk about, your iPod and all its cords and little headphones, make-up, you name it. Zippies are wonderful.

I've been sewing some and there are lots of new zippies in the shop. Go check it out!

Treasures

I had an hour to kill before picking up the girls after school after Janna and I had lunch (after shopping at Denver Fabrics). What's a girl to do?

Shop some more! I stopped by two antique shops I love in downtown Littleton--The Pink Attic Cat and Old Glory Antiques.

 

I need help!

I bought some lovely knit fabric at Denver Fabrics today...and I'd like to make a tee shirt. I've not sewn with knits much and don't have a pattern. Anyone have any advice for me? A pattern you love? Tips and tricks? Do's and don'ts?

Help!

Let's review, shall we?

• Pajamas all day
• North by Northwest with Cary Grant
• Ironing basket is empty!
• A little laundry folding
• Some knitting (it's a surprise)
• Some sewing (I'll update the shop soon)
• Finished my book
• Talked to a friend on the phone
• One episode of Little House on the Prairie
• Chicken noodle soup for dinner
• Another apple pie for dessert (!)
• Talked to Mom and Dad on the phone
• Nine loaves of bread rising in the oven (5 plain, 4 cinnamon raisin)
• Girls in the tub washing their hair
• Getting ready to read on the couch with Audrey and Emma 

All in all, a really good day!

P.S. Thanks for all your great calendar comments. I love hearing what works for others. Please know that I'm so not saying this is how everyone should do it; this is just what works for us. I'll respond more to some specific questions in the comments in a day or so.

I am staying home all day, do dah, do dah

That's my little song for today, sung to the tune of "Camptown Ladies," of course. It's a tune that works for just about any song you want to make up about just about anything.In fact, I may even stay in my jammies and slippers all day too.  

But before I get busy with watching a movie (North by Northwest with Cary Grant), folding laundry, and working my way through the ironing pile, followed by finishing my book (The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran) and doing some sewing, and then filling out some paperwork for Girl Scout camp in November...

I've been thinking more about calendars. It's just on my mind lately. So let's talk calendars.

I'd love to hear what works for you--and I'm sure Lisa would too--so leave a comment telling us what kind of calendar you like.

I have to say, I love paper. Checking a box on the computer is NOT the same as checking a box on paper. But I do use my computer to keep our family's calendar organized--but I do it in a way that uses paper too.

So.

Entourage is my friend. Toben and I can send each other appointments and I keep them all color coded. Toben is blue. I am gold. Audrey is turquoise. Emma is pink. Girl Scouts is green. Holidays are red. Prayer requests are red.

Everything goes on the calendar. And I mean everything.

School events. Girl Scout meetings and events. Homework assignments/tests for the girls. What's for dinner each night and the cookbook and page number where the recipe can be found. Errands to run. Things to pray for on a specific day--that way I don't forget that so and so has a doctor's appointment or an important conversation, or whatever.

In the past, I've also set up chores as recurring appointments to show up on their specific days. It's been a while, but I'm going to put them back in later today.

Every week I print out the week's calendar and the month's updated calendar and post it on the fridge. I put them back-to-back in a sheet protector, so I can write on them with a dry-erase marker.

(By the way, under that I have a magnetic dry erase board. I keep a list of groceries I need, miscellaneous tasks that don't really have a specific day, and so on. More about grocery lists/menu planning/grocery shopping in another post.)

I like to think of it as Heim Family Command Central.

Then my computer syncs with my Palm Pilot so I have it all with me wherever I go. Along with phone numbers, addresses, and just about everything else I could need. Pretty neat, huh?

Another reason I love Entourage is because I can keep all kinds of lists--and I think I may have mentioned a time or two that I really like lists.

What sizes the girls wear, Christmas shopping lists, grocery lists, Girl Scout lists, house project lists with measurements of stuff, prayer requests, movies to watch and books to read, things I've loaned to others, which titles I have in my Trixie Belden or Nancy Drew collection--you get the picture.

So, what kind of a calendar works for you and why? Inquiring minds want to know...

There's FROST! on the grass this morning

But I put on my calendar to take a walk this morning, so I need to go dig Daisy's sweater out of the basement and go. With a hat. And gloves. And a coat. And maybe a hoodie under that.

After realizing some things about my week last week, I was much more intentional about putting somethings on the calendar this week. Because if it doesn't go on the calendar, it tends not to get done. Even fun things I really, really want to do.

So here's what's now on the calendar for this week: Walks. Specific time to write. A couple of days to stay home and not schedule things.

Help?

Sarah is going to be using Living Simply with her book group and is looking for some discussion questions. I know some of you have used it that way--anyone have any great questions they'd like to share with her?

Test

Hey all you Feedburner subscribers,

Heard that my feed hasn't been burning and sending you your email. I clicked some buttons they told me to click and am hoping this fixes it. I went ahead and subscribed to my own blog, so I'm hoping to catch it quick if it does it again.

If you haven't seen anything since the Elk Festival, there's lots of stuff posted since then!

Joanne

**ADDED LATER**

I'm having major problems with this. I'm working on it...slowly. Recoding isn't much fun!

**ADDED EVEN LATER**

Okay, I think I got it. Here's hoping it sends out the email tomorrow as scheduled. ::crossing fingers::

Fabric Pumpkin Tutorial

Here's what we're making...

...fabric pumpkins! 

Here's what you need:

• Fabric that makes you think of pumpkins--think all kinds of textures from fleece to velvet to brocade to cotton
• Pumpkin stems--this is important, you really need REAL pumpkin stems (save the ones from each year, dig in the bin at the grocery for those that have already broken off, but don't break off stems from their pumpkins, 'cause that's just mean--a good stem is what makes a pumpkin, if you ask me)
• Rice or beans
• Polyfill
• You'll also need a needle and thread, a sewing machine, and a glue gun

Here's what you do:

1. Cut your fabric into a rectangle and fold in half. It doesn't really matter what size. A bigger rectangle will make a bigger pumpkin. But I think short and wide words better than long and tall.

Sew two of the cut ends together to make a seam.

2. With a big running stitch (see #4) sew one open end shut, pulling the thread tight. (This works best by hand.) Secure and knot securely.

3. Turn right side out and add rice or beans to the bottom to give the pumpkin some weight. Top with polyfill. You don't need to fill it so it's stuffed too full; a squashy pumpkin is best, I think.

4. Using the same big running stitch, sew the top end and pull the thread tight.

Here's what it should look like:

5. Next, tuck the unfinished part inside the pumpkin and sew shut securely. It doesn't matter if you can see your stitches, as long as you know the stem you've chosen will cover them. 

I do like to pull the thread down to the bottom of the pumpkin and back up again (think cushion with tufted buttons) to make the center squash down some. If you make a huge pumpkin, that won't work because your needle won't be long enough to go all the way down your pumpkin. But it works great for smaller pumpkins.

6. Pick the best stem to suit your pumpkin's size and add to the top of your pumpkin with hot glue. 

That's it! One darling, fabric pumpkin.

Rhinestone Cowgirl

In the spirit of keeping it real and being willing to embarrass myself for you, I'll share this photo from last night. I went to the kids' Fall Festival last night as a Rhinestone Cowgirl. 

Hot rollers are a good thing. As is lots of Aquanet and a good comb.

Let me just say, it took a long time to brush out those tangles before I went to bed last night!

There were more sparkles too--but they're hidden by my big hair and fur vest.

And the tiara on the hat sparkled too--but it's kind of hard to see in this picture. Oh, and there are sequins around the edge of the hat too.

Thanks again for the hat, Tammy and Elizabeth. It was a huge hit--especially with the under 10 crowd!

Creating a weekly schedule

**Warning! This is ridiculously long!**

So why create a weekly schedule?

A weekly schedule is for our benefit--not to beat ourselves over the head with when something doesn't get done. That the first thing to remember. 

(I totally need to remind myself of that because I am such a list girl, and have such an "all or nothing" bent, that if something doesn't crossed off, I tend to assume the day was a total failure. Which is NOT true!)

A weekly schedule helps frame the week so that we know what's coming and can plan accordingly. It removes the time and pressure each day of thinking and worrying, What do I need to do today? Am I forgetting something?

A weekly schedule helps "number our days aright" as Moses said in Psalm 90. It helps us make sure things get done "at the proper time" (Luke 12:41). It helps us know what it's time to do (Ecclesiastes 3). It gives order to our days. And with order, we find peace. 

Creating a weekly schedule balances what our lives are really like (the weekly log) and what we'd like them to be like (wish list).

A weekly schedule can be as simple or complex as we want it to be. A weekly schedule can include:

• Calendar--what's going on specific to this week, what goes on every week
• Menus--what's for dinner each night
• Weekly Chores--what chores need to be done each Tuesday or Saturday or Monday
• Daily Chores--what needs to be done each day?
• Kid's Activities--what do the kids have going on each week
• Kid's Chores--what chores do the kids do each Wednesday or Saturday morning or Monday?
• Family Time--what do we have blocked off for our family each week? 
• Morning Schedule--what routine will we follow each morning?
• Evening Schedule--what routine will we follow each evening?

(Over the course of this conversation, we'll tackle each one of those in its turn.)

Wow. That looks like a lot! So how do we start?

We have to start where we are! So, with your weekly log in mind...

(I need to just go ahead and say that I am a list/checklist/schedule kind of a girl. This is what's worked for me and for my family. The structure and routine we live by is a boundary that protects our family and gives us freedom. For example, our morning routine is what gets us out the door in a happy place, excited and looking forward to our day. It's worth getting up earlier than we need to in order to read together at breakfast. It's worth taking the time to set out clothes for the week so we're not running around changing clothes seven times before school.)

Okay, back to your weekly log...

What takes too much time? Where are you overspending?

What is not getting enough time?

What do you want to change?

As you answer these questions, it helps to organize it a bit. For example, I highlighted all the time I spent at home. I also blocked off time spent reading in one color.

You could do this for time spent watching television, running errands, doing chores, cooking, computer time, and so on.

When I look at my log (which is just Monday through Friday), I see that I was gone every morning. That I spent waaaay too much time reading (like 8 hours!). That my house didn't get cleaned this week. That I had too many meetings. That I didn't spend any time sewing or being crafty. That I didn't spend enough time writing. That I didn't exercise/go for a walk at all.

I also see that I get up consistently at 5 every morning. That I need an hour for my quiet time, 30-45 minutes to check email/blogs in the morning. That we eat dinner together every night. That even if the house doesn't get cleaned, laundry gets done and put away on Mondays. That groceries get bought on Mondays. That I go to bed about 9 every night. 

So, back to the original question. Where to begin?

With a blank week. Here's a blank form if you want to use one: Download blank_weekly_schedule.doc

Start with the big picture. What has to be done? Work. Dinner. Weekly commitments like dance, youth group, church.

Next, add in those things that need to be done every week, but not necessarily on a certain day. Laundry. Grocery shopping. Menu planning. House cleaning. Exercising. Choose a day/days that works well for you. Be realistic!

(I tend to prefer to block out an entire day for chores, but it may work better to do a little bit each day--totally up to you and what works best for your life. I usually do all this on Monday, but looking back at my log, I see that I had a monthly meeting on Monday, plus I scheduled a meeting for that day. Which totally meant that my chores didn't get done this week. Note to self: Don't schedule things for Mondays! I know I shouldn't but did anyway.)

After that, it's time to fill in smaller details. But this is entirely too long and lots to do, so let's stop here for now.

This may take a while, so don't be surprised. And it may require some juggling, some changing as we go. So don't put anything in ink!

Questions? Anything not clear? Ask a question and I'll respond in the comments so everyone can see.

Lisa, once you've finished your week, I'll comment more specifically about what I noticed and we'll compare notes.

One last thing... Want to read more about a weekly schedule? (More? She wrote more? you're thinking. Yep. It's a topic near and dear to my heart!) Click here.

Wow, you hung in there. Go get something yummy for breakfast. Me? I'm having apple pie!

**ADDED 11/7/08: Here's another chart you can download.**

Happy Friday

Good morning! I am thrilled to say that I'm at home in my jammies--the first morning like this all week. I've been up and out the door--dressed, even!--every day this week. And I need a morning like today.

Tonight is the Fall Festival at the girls' school, so I'll be at school around noon to help with set up in the gym, and then I'll bring the girls home before heading back to volunteer at 4:45. The Festival goes until 8, followed by a homecoming bonfire.

In the couple of hours between now and then, I'm going to wash my hair, clean house, burn some CDs, send out some Girl Scout information to my Brownie parents (we start meeting on Monday), and bake an apple pie. (A family at school needs a meal--they're getting some of Uncle Roger's Meatball Minestrone over rotini pasta, fococcia bread, and I think they need a pie to go with it too. Because, really, when don't you need an apple pie?!)

In looking over my time log this morning, I realize I haven't been crafty at all this week. In fact, it's been a loooong while. I did knit a quick bolero sweater a week or two ago, but the yarn wasn't right for the pattern, so I ripped the whole thing out. Anyway, I'm feeling the need to do something crafty.

So...tomorrow I'll post a tutorial for some fun fabric pumpkins to add to your fall decor. I first saw these in a great shop in Phoenix. They cost an arm and a leg and thought, I could do that! So I have. You'll love 'em!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Where does the time go?

(I'll usually be posting "Simplify Me" stuff on Saturdays, but this is on my mind, so here goes!)

Do you ever get to the end of the day and wonder where it went? You know you were busy all day, but have no idea what you did all day. I have so been there!

That's the idea behind keeping a time log.

I asked Lisa to keep one for the week (and you too if you want to play along) for a couple of reasons. The first is that five of her goals (and the last one too, when you think about it) involve time. The second is that her first goal is to come up with a weekly schedule that she can follow.

And while we can stop and think about what we do every week, there's nothing quite like seeing it down on paper. What we actually do vs. what we think we do vs. what we want to do.

It's all well and good to come up with a dream weekly schedule, but if it's nothing like your real life, chances are you'll never follow it.

So I've been keeping a time log this week too. I downloaded the pdf I mentioned in the original post and have kept it on the kitchen counter. I started on Monday morning, bright and early (well, actually these days it's dark and early--there's not even a glimmer of a sunrise yet and it's already 6:04 a.m.).

Keeping a log has made me very aware of time this week. It's made me more intentional about time. It's made me notice how long things actually take to do. It's made me more on task about starting something and finishing it without getting distracted in the middle. If for no other reason than it makes it hard to say what you did in the teeny tiny blank on the piece of paper!

I'll have some questions for Lisa about her log on Saturday, but in the meantime, keeping a log makes me ask these kinds of questions:

What has surprised me about how I spend my time?

What are the things that I do every day?

Do my chores fall on certain days? Do those days work?

Do I have a natural routine?

Are there other things that need to be done, but haven't shown up on my time log?

It's chapel at school this morning, so I need to go get showered and dressed before the girls get up. Mornings don't go well around here when I have to get myself ready at the same time the girls are getting up and ready. It's much better if I'm able to focus on helping them.

But I just want to mention that keeping a log is a great thing for different areas of our lives too. I sometimes wonder, Where did all my cash go? And keeping a log (an index card in my wallet) for a week or two is a great way to discover where all those dollars go that add up so quickly--I really spent that much on coffee/diet Coke/fabric/fast food/groceries/eating out?

(I'm a cash only girl, so that works for me. But the same idea could work even if you're using a debit card, credit card, or checkbook.)

With actual records, I can see where I need to spend, where I need to cut back, where I need to save. Then I can set a realistic budget. For my time, my money, whatever.

I do just have to say too that it's also possible to keep a food log--writing down what I eat when that gets out of control. But I HATE doing that! It does work though. Sometimes knowing that I have to write it down--even if no one will never see it but me--keeps me accountable.

Yesterday

I had the opportunity to speak to a MOPS group in Broomfield yesterday morning. We talked about how living simply means living within your boundaries--things like time, energy, family, finances. I can never tell how it goes!

But the cool thing was that I got to be part of the discussion at the end. It was a small group, so we all sat around one big round table to talk for a good 40-45 minutes. I love hearing about how other families function.

We talked about knowing what's important to your family and the boundaries you need to protect those things. And about how clutter makes it hard to build boundaries (think Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and the people being discouraged because there was too much rubble to build--Nehemiah 4:10). 

And we talked about where there's clutter in our lives that needs to be cleared so we can build boundaries--clutter in things like our homes and possessions, thoughts and worries, calendar and commitments.

Just like Nehemiah, we can't build boundaries in day, but we can start. So what's one area of your family's life that needs protection? And what's one boundary you can begin to build today?

***

Here's a little summary:

Building boundaries:

1. Requires recognizing the need for boundaries.

We were created to live within boundaries. Freedom doesn't mean getting to do whatever we want without boundaries, but living within boundaries.

Boundaries are for our protection, not our punishment!

2. Requires the whole family.

How do we know what boundaries to build? What are the two or three things that are most important to our family?

When we agree together what's important to us as a family and build boundaries to protect those things, it makes us more likely to stay within them.

3. Requires clearing out clutter.

Clutter clouds our focus and makes it hard to see what's really important. Where is there clutter in our lives?

God is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:33). Where do we need order in our lives in order to build boundaries?

4. Requires maintenance.

Others won't always respect our boundaries--it can be hard to be different.

Living within our boundaries is one way we can shine in the world. 

As seasons and situations change, boundaries may need to shift in order to protect our families and what's important.

Elk Fest in Estes Park

As promised...

Toben found us a wonderful place to stay in Estes Park. The river was right outside the front door. The girls ran right out and threw rocks, counted how fast pinecones floated from one girl to the other, and didn't fall in! (Audrey has a history of falling in cold rivers!)

We had dinner with friends on Friday night after we got all checked in, and it was cold enough that it felt great to snuggle down under the covers on Friday night after sitting by the fire for a while.

On Saturday morning, we headed down into town for the Elk Festival. The girls got to pet wolves and have their faces painted, which made for happy girls. And that makes for a happy mama!

We grabbed some pizza at our favorite pizza spot in town and then topped it off with caramel apples--something else that makes me happy! Then we piled into the car and drove into Rocky Mountain National Park to see some elk.

We found them--just inside the gate! The fall colors were amazing, the elk were huge and bugling like mad, and we saw all this from the car!

(I counted--that guy had 12 points on his antlers!)

We got out and walked around here and there, and drove over Trail Ridge Road--through the clouds and snow. At the top, we headed toward Grand Lake; our friends headed back to Estes Park.

We saw more elk and more leaves on the way home, and were back home in plenty of time to get to bed and have a normal Sunday at home.

Toben and I both said we don't do stuff like this nearly often enough!

More pictures coming later!

Just wanted to share a quick picture from this weekend before I get going for the day. I'll post more pictures when I get home from my meetings at school later this morning.

We had a great time and saw lots of elk! And it snowed up at the top of Trail Ridge Road--the girls loved it and thought it was great fun to drive through the clouds. The fall color was incredible--and fed my soul in a way I can't quite put words to.

Okay, gotta run if we're going out the door on time and looking beautiful!

Simplify Me!

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from my friend Lisa over at Life as I Know It. 

Here's what she said: 

Hi Joanne, 

I have an idea--actually I have been thinking about this for awhile. So here goes. You have a great following of people who love to read about simplifying their lives and learn from you and your family. You are a great coach and cheerleader for all of us who aspire to be better.   

So here is the idea--people learn from you and you are a great teacher. People learn from real-life case studies. I would gladly volunteer to be your case study. 

I need to simplify, but I just cannot seem to do it on my own and I am spinning my wheels. You could be my "simplification coach" sort of an accountability partner and life coach. We could do this by email and blog. The blogosphere gets to follow along.  

Lisa 

We've been emailing back and forth and have decided to go for it. We'll be posting our conversations back and forth on Saturdays--starting today.

One of the first questions I asked her when we started talking was what she wanted from this. Here's what she said:

Simplify to achieve:

1.  Accountability through a manageable, sustainable, actionable weekly schedule

2. Dedicated quiet time at least five days per week

3. Dedicated time for relaxation and creativity weekly 

4. Dedicated time to exercise consistently three days per week

5. Dedicated time for friends and family (invite friends/family over for a monthly Sunday dinner or evening dinner?)

6. Here is the subjective one...decrease feeling of overwhelmedness (is that a word?!) that has come with a really hectic  schedule and a life that feels like it spins uncontrollably from one thing to the next

With that in mind, here's my question for today for Lisa (and for you, if you'd like to play along):

What does a typical week look like for you now?

Think about what really goes on in your life--not what you wish your life was like! Think first about your own self--and then expand it to include your family. 

A great way to approach this is to keep a log for a week. Write down what you do and how long it takes. And don't feel guilty if you forget something, just go back and plug it in later. And if you spent 45 minutes reading blogs when you should have been folding laundry, put that down too. We've all done it!

Be sure to make note of when you get up and when you go to sleep. And go ahead and note if something is a weekly thing (like soccer practice) or a once-in-a-while thing (like a birthday party).

What chores/tasks do you do and when? (Again, not that you'd like to change the sheets every Tuesday--only put that down if you actually do it!) How long does it take? If you do a load of laundry every day, or have to run to the grocery store for something you forgot to buy for dinner, make note of that too.

We've all sat down at the end of a week and wondered, Where did the week go? We've all had days that were full and busy, yet we've gone to bed thinking, What did I do all day? Keeping a log for a week is a great way to find out where our time goes.

Need something to write on? Visit Pocket Mod and print out a daily calendar for the week. It folds up small and fits in your pocket so you can keep track of what you're up to.

Or, if you'd rather use something more detailed, you can print a blank calendar PDF here.

And, yes, in case you're wondering, I'm going to keep a log too!

Elk Fest

It's 9:57 a.m. and I'm still sitting around in my jammies. I'd planned to take a walk this morning, but thought I'd sit and read while I finished my last cup of coffee. An hour and a half later, I finished the book--and the coffee. Then it was time to catch up on Google Reader and have a chat with Toben. And now I really need to go get cleaned up and ready for the day!

We're headed up to Estes Park right after school for Elk Fest this weekend. So I need to pack some warm clothes and charge the camera and gather jammies and toothbrushes and clean clothes for tomorrow. And I need to find some practical, outdoor shoes to wear. And probably some socks.

We're going with another family from school. They're camping (we're staying at a condo!) so we'll get to roast marshmallows and have campfire dinners without the hassle of setting up a tent, freezing in our sleeping bags, or dealing with campground facilities. (I would love to be a nature girl, but I really, really love modern plumbing.)

Happy weekend, ya'll!

Sweet friend

Emma walked in the door the other day after school with a present for me all wrapped up in calico. My sweet friend Yvette sent it to school with one of her daughters and home with one of mine.

Just look what was inside:

Look! Recipes! and excerpts! and illustrations!

So, naturally, I made apple pies yesterday. Turnovers for a meal for a family at school and a pie for us. There was one extra turnover and I wanted to make sure it tasted okay, so this was lunch yesterday:

The girls and I had apple pie for snack yesterday after school, for dessert last night after dinner, and again for breakfast this morning.

I love autumn.