Joanne Heim

Good morning

Frugal Friday: Mocha, anyone?

I think it's always nice to get or give a Starbucks card for a coffee treat from time to time, but even $5 gift cards can add up for friends and neighbors and teachers. 

Giving homemade mocha mix is much cheaper and a jar of this mix is the equivalent of many, many mochas at Starbucks (which are sometimes too syrupy and sweet).

My mom has always had this mocha mix on hand and I've loved it since I was a kid. (She'd make it with decaf coffee so Kristen and I could have some too!) 

In fact, I have lots of memories of sitting around a table (in the camper, in a condo in Breckenridge, in the kitchen, at a campsite), drinking mocha, eating Mom's Cookies, and playing Rummy 500.

I keep my mix in a big pickle jar--so I always have lots on hand.

I made small jars (I was out of big canning jars) of this mix for all my Girl Scout leaders at school. I cut a circle of Girl Scout scrapbook paper to cover the top of the canning jar (then put the ring on top) and made a label with ingredients (so recipients know what's in it in case of allergies) and directions.

Quick, easy, economical, and much appreciated!

Mocha Mix

(I usually make HUGE batches of this in my stock pot, so I've put larger quantities in parentheses if you want to quadruple the recipe)

• 1 cup (4 cups) unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups (8 cups) sugar
• 2 cups (8 cups) nonfat dry milk powder (I've also used lactose free powder)
• 2 cups (8 cups) dry nondairy coffee creamer (you can also use a flavor like vanilla or hazelnut!)
• 1/2 cup (2 cups) instant coffee (regular or decaf--up to you!)
• 1 (4) vanilla bean, cut up (I sometimes leave this out--it's expensive!)

Stir together, mixing well. Store in jars and let sit one week before using. 

To make mocha, add boiling water to 2 or 3 tablespoons of mocha mix in your favorite mug. Enjoy!

P.S. Save those jars--jam, spaghetti sauce, salsa, and so on--and you'll have all the containers you need by Christmas if you want to make this for teachers, neighbors, and friends!

Want to review "Misplacing God" on your blog? You do? Great!

Thanks everyone! I sent the list off to my publicist and asked her to let me know when they ship. I'll be sure to let you know when they're on the way.

Here's what I need. Send an email to me at thesimplewife [at] aol [dot] com. 

Include the following:

• Your name
• Your mailing address
• Your blog name
• Your blog url
• Your email address

I'll compile a list and send it off to my publicist and you'll receive a review copy in the mail. 

Then write a review and maybe give your copy away to one lucky reader. That's it!

When you do your review, if you have specific questions, email me and I'll do my best to answer them. We could even do an interview/Q & A format.

Also, if you are involved in any other media (radio, television, magazine, etc.) let me know. Or if you have any other great publicity ideas for me, send them along too!

Please be sure to send all that contact information in an email rather than a comment on this post.

Thanks!

Questions? Leave those as a comment and I'll get back to you.

Wow!

Thank you for all the kind words and congratulations! You guys make me grin like crazy. In fact, I'm sitting here in my pjs in the dark with the biggest smile plastered across my face after going through my email just now.

So many of you headed right to Amazon to buy one. Thank you! When you buy from The Simple Wife bookshop (that button over there -->) I do earn a portion of the proceeds back. Not much, but every little bit helps run a household, doesn't it?

I so want to take the time to write a thank you to each one of you--several of whom I've not really "met" yet. But Toben's out of town and I'm back on carpool duty and since I'm going straight to my school after dropping the girls at their school, well, I need to shower and get dressed. Not sure I want to go to my first OT Prophets class in my turquoise jammies with giant strawberries all over them, though they are cute jammies!

By they way, our grades on the final posted for my January class. I got 100 percent! Again! Please know that I'm not bragging, but just so thrilled that my first class went so well. I was the only Old Testament major in the class, so it just feels like confirmation to know that I mastered the subject matter for the first class in my major. I love learning and being a student and get up every day thanking God for this opportunity, asking him to help me learn and retain and apply what I'm learning.

In a nutshell, I'm a nerd. I got ridiculously excited about taking my Trapper Keeper to class with me on Monday, and am thrilled at the thought of going to the office supply store to buy more notebook paper! What can I say? Pens and post-its and paper clips and clipboards make me glad. :)

I want to tell you about my other class this semester--Effective Biblical Interpretation, which is also called hermeneutics. Herman who? I think that lame joke is why they probably changed the name of the class.

Anyway, I have a homework assignment due for it on Monday and know that I want to tell you more about it when I have some extra time. The professor said something like, "This class will be the foundation for all your classes at seminary and will have the greatest impact on your life as a Christian." 

I sort of wanted to write it down and felt a little bit like Anne Shirley listening to Miss Stacey on her first day at the Avonlea school. (If that totally doesn't make sense to you, you really need to put all of the Anne of Green Gables books at the tippy top of your reading list! I'll go put them in the bookshop.)

Okay, well, that got way longer than I'd anticipated. Thanks for sticking with it this far! Praying for you, that God's power and joy will be manifest in your life today. That as you go about whatever's on your list this Wednesday that there will be something in you that draws others in and makes them want what you have. He has crowned you with everlasting joy; the book of Isaiah says so. (Not just a tiara, but a CROWN!) Wear it today and let it shine and sparkle!

It's here! It's here!

I peeked out the door last night just before bed and found a box on the doorstep. I wrestled the thing inside while trying to hold open the door just enough to get in, but not enough to let the heat out. It took several tries and I kept slamming my foot in the door. All the while shivering in my pjs--it was something like 0 degrees outside!

Anyway, here's what I found when I opened it up...

Hooray, hooray, hooray!!!

I'm not quite prepared for many trips to the post office this week, so if you want one, you can get one from my shop at Amazon here. If I start selling them directly from my blog I'll be sure to let you know. (And though Amazon says it'll ship in 1-2 months, I don't think that's true since it's now available.)

I have a call into my publicist about blog review copies. I'd love for ya'll to help me promote it by writing a review, giving away a copy, or doing a blog interview. As soon as I hear from her, I'll give you the skinny!

Just to give you a peek to what it's about, here's what the back cover says:

Does making a place for God keep sliding to the bottom of your to-do list?

Do you have God wedged between work, school activities, appointments, and everything else crowding your schedule. By the end of the day, have you missed spending quality time with your heavenly Father? Do you want more of God?

Joanne Heim understands this struggle. She's been there, too. After her own experience of misplacing God, she discovered how making Him a priority can bring the peace we so desperately need. Now she invites you on a journey to find a purpose, place, practice, prayer, perseverance, and passion for the One who makes our lives complete.

Inspirational and uplifting, Misplacing God (and finding Him again) will show how you, too, can rediscover God in the midst of your busy life--and how your life will get better when you do!

Memory Monday: 2 Corinthians 9:8

Thanks for all your birthday wishes for Emma; I read each one to her and know she was amazed all the love and prayers you sent her way.

And I've loved reading about your Miss America talents. You know, no one played a musical instrument at the pageant. I especially loved the crafting talents you all mentioned, as well as stretching a food budget and creative uses for ground beef. Not sure what the judges would think. And I loved Janine's fantasy talent, complete with flaming batons and red boots. Makes me think of "Miss Congeniality"!

I still haven't come up with anything I could do that would count...but I'm not gonna let it get me down!

So, Memory Monday...

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will be equipped for abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Oh dear, I didn't review this morning and flubbed it! 

I'd like to pick a new verse and move on, but I think this is one I need to really know. So I'm going to give it another try this week.

Did you do yours? Leave a comment and link to your specific post. Want to join in? Everything you need to know is here.

***

My spring semester starts today. I'll be taking two classes and going to school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I have chapel today and my first Effective Biblical Interpretation class. 

Class is over at 2:50; Emma's Brownie meeting starts at 3. Luckily I have an awesome co-leader who is okay with me coming a few minutes late each meeting.

I'm off to the Girl Scout store this morning to get the badges they'll be earning, so I'd better go get cleaned up and dressed and get this day rolling.

Happy Monday everyone!

Happy birthday, Emma!

Oh my goodness, how is Emma eight years old today? And how am I ever going to pick the pictures to put in this post?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could add a million more. I love this girl so much it makes my heart ache.

Happy birthday, sweet Emma. God has blessed you with such a joyful spirit and you bring that joy to everyone around you. I love you like crazy!

Talent anyone?

The girls and I are sitting here watching the Miss America Pageant on TLC. After watching many episodes of "What Not to Wear" this afternoon too. Love that Stacey London's hair.

After the talent competition, I'm rooting for Miss Florida.

And I must admit that I'd secretly like to be Miss America. But aside from the fact that I would NEVER strut across that stage in a bikini, I'm a little sad to realize that I don't have a talent. At least not one suited to a pageant.

So, if you were competing for Miss America, what would your talent be?

Help!

I got an email from Leanne the other day, asking for help. She's putting together goody bags for an upcoming marriage retreat for her church. She needs to be both frugal and creative.

So what would you want in a goody bag at a marriage retreat?

Here's what I told her:

• Definitely some chocolate mints for my pillow. Or maybe Hershey's kisses?
  
• Maybe you could put together some conversation cards--sometimes once you're away from kids and the rest of real life it can be hard to know where to start talking--other than about the kids and the rest of real life. You could put together three or four on some pretty paper and tie them up with a ribbon.
  
• Small samples of bubble bath.
• A candle.
• A note with permission to sleep late and go to bed early!

I also told her I'd ask you all what you'd want. So leave a comment about what you'd like in a goody bag and let's help Leanne!

Quick encouragement

I know that this makes three posts in less than twelve hours, but I just had to share this with you this morning.

I've been in Psalm 131 this week during my quiet time. It's a short one--just three verses. Seems like not very much to spend seven days on, huh? But yesterday I spent some time looking up the meanings of the original Hebrew for verse three, which says this:

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD

both now and forever more.

Here's what I learned.

The word for "hope" is actually a verb. It means "to hope, to wait, to expect. To tarry, to wait for." The lexicon added this "to remain, to delay."

"Now and forever more" is a combination of a conjunction and a noun. The first part means "as far as, even to, until, up to, while." The second part is this: "long duration, forever, everlasting, evermore, indefinite or unending future, eternity." The lexicon added this: "the beginning or end of which is either uncertain or else not defined."

So with all that in mind, here's the encouragement I have for you today--based strictly upon God's Word.

"O [insert your name here], put your hope in the LORD
both now and forever more."

Wait for him, even when there's no end in sight, when it seems like all hope is lost. When all else is uncertain and unsure, wait for God with the expectation that he will arrive. When all around you is moving forward or in another direction without clear leading from God, wait and be still. Tarry a little longer, delay whatever plans you have made. Wait for him, trust him to keep his word. He has promised to come and he is worth waiting for.

Just look at the very last verses of Scripture found in Revelation 22:20-21:

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.'
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen."

May God bless you abundantly today, my friends. I love you dearly!

Frugal Friday: Back to the envelope system

I've recently taken over managing the money around here at Toben's request. I've created new budget spreadsheets (love that Excel and it's built in formula things!) and am paying close attention to where our money goes.

So we've gone back to the envelope system. This is how my parents budgeted when they first got married. An envelope for everything, filled with a finite amount of cash. When it's gone, it's gone.

I've really only created three main envelopes--an emergency cash stash (Christmas money, sales from things on Craig's list, random cash income), groceries, and gas/car washing. As we put money in or take money out, I'm recording it right on the envelope along with the date. All the change goes back in the envelope, along with any receipts. I keep a running total, so I always know how much is in there.

 

As we've set a new budget, it's easy to drastically cut what we say we'll spend on something like groceries, but it doesn't always reflect reality. In fact, Toben and I were just talking about how much we've actually spent on groceries this month so far--much higher than we anticipated.

We're really taking this first month to get an accurate record of what we spend. We're cutting back and trying to be frugal, but if we need something we're buying it. And some months are just more expensive than others. This month we ran out of laundry detergent, chicken breasts, cat food, toiletries, and some other expensive things that really raised the grocery bills. But because we bought those things this month, we won't have the same expense next month or the month after.

We've also cut way back on spending money, which has been fine for me since I'm in school all day and never near a store. But it's been much harder for Toben. He loves to spend money! As he's wondering where his money has gone (and the money he's had from my spending money too), we've talked about keeping his spending log. And it's something I'm going to do too.

I've mentioned this idea before--especially with keeping track of time--and it's nothing complicated. Just tucking an index card in your wallet and recording what you spend--every penny. That way you know how much you spent on eating out and all those little things that don't seem to be a big deal but add up quickly.

I've also recently read a great book on money--more in another post. 

And if you don't know my friend Meredith over at Life at 7000 Feet go meet her. She has great frugal tips, meal planning ideas, and is hosting a January No Spend challenge. I know the month is way more than half over, but it's worth checking out!

P.S. Feel free to grab the button. If you want the code, you can find it here.

Gee, thanks!

Just got this email:

Ladies,

Congratulations! Your blog is in the running for the Ladyblog Award for our favorite parenting blog. We asked readers and fans to nominate female bloggers in five different categories (conservative politics, parenting, lifestyle, religion, and entertainment), and then Ladybloggers narrowed the nominations down to five blogs in each category. Yours made the cut! Now, voting is open on Culture11 — just click the appropriate category and then click on whatever blog you'd like to vote for. 

Voting closes on January 26 and you can only vote once. Winners will be featured in a prominent location on our site for the following year and will get their very own mug embossed with their blog name and "Ladyblog Award Winner." Also, I've enclosed a code for a widget you can insert into your blogs to remind your readers to vote for you. 

Feel free to email me with any questions, or just to touch base — and good luck!

Jillian Bandes
Ladyblog Editor

So thanks to whoever nominated me! 

You can vote by clicking the button over there on the right. Or click here.

My day

Get up

Quiet time and coffee

Shower and dressed

Breakfast with the girls (we're reading Chrissa, the new American Girl book)

Say goodbye to the girls

Do my hair (braids today)

Last minute studying before leaving at 8:25

Drive to school

Sing loud ("Count it all joy!")

(Yes, I'm wearing flip flops...January in Denver is weird!)

Paint nails at a red light 

Notice lovely view--love those mountains!

Sing loud some more

(Yes, I'm still Ringing those Bells!)

Arrive at school

Head to my classroom...one of the first ones to arrive

Take two tests

Take lots of notes

Attend review session for Friday's final

Buy last book for spring semester classes

Just after 3 o'clock...time to go home

Sing loud some more

("Freedom's calling, chains are falling!")

Arrive at home

Read with Emma

Study some more

Eat yummy spaghetti that Toben made

Study some more

Blog

Now I need to go roll Audrey's hair and then study some more

Then GO TO BED!

Quick projects

Isn't it funny how sometimes the smallest projects take the longest to actually do?

I've been meaning to hang these shelves in my bathroom since we moved into the house two years ago!

It took me all of seven minutes--including trips up and down the stairs to find the right screws and screwdriver.

(These shelves are the hymnal racks from the back of my church pew that sits in the nook by the door to the garage. No one could see them if they were on the pew, so I figured we'd use them someplace else.)

This next project only took a couple of months--I had bought the vocabulary cards a while ago and finally got around to framing them. I love the burlap (from my stash!) as the backing. Again, this took about five minutes to put together. And then a week or two of sitting on the counter before I took the 30 seconds it took to hang it up! (Also in my bathroom.)

And this is the sampler that Kristen gave me for Christmas. It sat on the kitchen counter for only a week before I decided to hang it in the kitchen window. I don't have wall space in my kitchen to hang this and love that it's now where everyone can see it.

I may have to move it in the summer when I open and close the window, but for now this is working great!

(Sorry for the funny light--the sun was just coming up and it was still kinda dark!)

Have any quick projects around your house that you've been putting off?!

Mom's cookies

We made cookies the other day, using the recipe my mom has always used. Always. And still does. I think I had these in my lunch everyday until I graduated from high school. And then they arrived at Whitworth in care packages.

So even though this recipe came from Mrs. Keating (who was a very nice lady as I recall), they are really "Mom's Cookies."

Mom's Cookies

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp. molasses

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 cups quick oats

2/3 cup raisins

1 cup nuts

1 cup chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugar; add eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, and baking soda; add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats, raisins, nuts, and chocolate. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes six dozen.

So that's what the recipe says--from the 1976 church cookbook in Redondo Beach where we lived until I was six. (My copy belonged to my grandmother; I love that it has her handwriting all throughout it.)

But here's the thing. They turn out differently for me than they do for Mom. And sometimes hers turn out differently from each other--depending on the weather, the day of the week, whether you use butter or margarine, or some such thing. And I never get the same amount--maybe because I'm not real consistent with cookie size.

But they're always good.

We used coconut, raisins, dark chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips yesterday. We left out the nuts since the girls go to a nut-free school.

You could use dried cherries, cranberries, apricots, or golden raisins. Walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts. White chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, swirl chips. Whatever you have on hand will work.

You will love them. I promise!

EDITED TO ADD LATER:

Jenny: I tried to respond to your comment, but it was sent back to me--I don't have your email address. Anyway, here's what I tried to send you!

Now that you say that, I think I remember your mentioning that before. We lived just up the hill in Redondo Beach on Via Calousa. I have great memories of being pulled along in my wagon with my sister, tucked in with pillows and blankets, on evening walks with my parents.
    Wave at the ocean for me—I miss seeing it everyday like I did when we recently lived in San Diego!

Joanne  

Memory Monday: CONFESSION!

I didn't memorize a verse this week. All because I didn't pick one right away. That's so key for me.

But I could tell you all about Greek and Hebrew manuscripts in the Septuagint and Masoretic text traditions  for the Old Testament--complete with dates and contributions. Or about how healing is used in the Old Testament--complete with exact verse references to back it up. Or I could tell you all about the Hebrew sacrificial system and the practice and significance of the different types of sacrifice. Or I could exegete the Decalogue. Or I could give you examples of the major covenants in the Old Testament--again with exact verse references and lots of details. Or about documentary hypothesis and the source texts it claims. 

Or ... well, you get the picture and Toben would tell me to stop here because that's just showing off.

This is a big week. A test tomorrow, two on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and my final on Friday. I'm going to be doing some reading ahead today so that I can have plenty of time to study as the week progresses.

Despite that, I will be memorizing this week for Memory Monday. I just don't know what. But learning from last week, I'm going to stop typing right now and go find something. Back in a bit...

I'm back!

I'll be memorizing 2 Corinthians 9:8:

And God is able to make ALL grace abound to you, so that in ALL things at ALL times, having ALL you need, you will about in EVERY good work.

Emphasis mine! And boy am I going to claim that for this week!

Linen closets and coat closets

Lisa wrote a great post earlier this week about cleaning closets--especially clothes closets. You can find it here.

She is absolutely right on. Take everything out and sort it, then put it back in. It's too hard to try to clean here and there around what's in the closet. And somehow, clothes closets need to be sorted through a couple of times a year. 

Especially when kids are little and grow all the time. I remember finding outfits with the tags still on that they'd outgrown before they'd worn them once--all because I hadn't taken the time to go through their clothes often enough.

I think that coat closets and linen closets are some of the hardest to organize--because they hold such a variety of things.

Our coat closet has some cleaning things, including mops and brooms, as well as things like hats and scarves and mittens looking for their friends.

The linen closet is the same way. I holds some sheets and towels, as well as the upstairs cleaning supplies and all the medicines. I have the hardest time with medicines because the bottles and boxes are all such funny shapes. Help!

In our house in California, it worked to keep shoe pocket organizers on the back of the closet doors to hold hats and mittens and scarves in the coat closet, as well as extra bars of soaps and medicines in the linen closet. But it doesn't work with the closet doors I have now.

Here are pictures of my two rogue closets--I didn't straighten anything before taking the pictures!

(Oops, went to take pictures and then forgot all about this post. But I need a little reading break, so I'm back!)

Here's what I see from my own pictures of the coat closet: 

• Lots of unused space on the top shelves.
• The baskets are pretty much empty.
• The hanging shelves are a good idea, but stuff is falling out of them like crazy.
• Once I'd hung all my coats together, all of Toben's together, and so on. No one else is keeping it that way!

I think we need to come up with a better system. Maybe put all the girls' stuff in the baskets below--hats, scarves, etc.--since they can easily reach them, and come up with something on the shelf for Toben and myself.

And the linen closet:

 

• There really aren't many linens in here. 
• Cleaning supplies are kind of taking over three shelves and not really organized by type.
• The medicines aren't working in my four-drawer thing. Especially since one drawer isn't even it in, but sitting separately!
• The top shelf has lots more vertical space.

Again, we need a better system for medicines. And something to keep cleaning supplies together and where they belong (furniture polish, dusting clothes together; bathroom cleaning supplies together, etc.).

So what are your coat and linen closet challenges? And what's worked well for you?

A couple of quick links

Just have a minute before I need to jump in the shower (Isn't that a funny expression? I mean, really, jumping in the shower would be slippery and dangerous!) and get going for the day.

With a three-day weekend starting at 12:15 today (or whatever time for you), I thought I'd share a couple of links if you have extra blog reading time...

Toben blogs here for the company he works for. And here in general.

My sister is in New York now. She's feeling housebound with the cold weather and hasn't made a ton of friends yet. Check out her blog here and tell her hi.

My friend Janna blogs here. I've mentioned her many times. Particularly if you have small children, she has incredible things to share with you!

Finally, if you have some crafty time and are looking for a project, I found this list here the other day--the top 100 tutorials of 2008.

***

And, totally unrelated, I realized I never picked a verse for Memory Monday next time. Oops. And I didn't read the instructions correctly for the memory thing over at the Living Proof Blog yesterday and typed in my verse from memory rather than picking a new one. I will get with it!

Have a great weekend! I'll be emptying my inbox (I've read them all, but need to respond to many of them!) and playing "3 to 13" with my girls (our new favorite card game) and maybe going to the library to find a book to read for FUN. Plus a Simplify Me post for tomorrow.

Frugal Friday: Shopping at home

Having an overflowing fridge and pantry makes me happy. Not sure why. But having a full cupboard makes me feel secure. The truth is, it's not really necessary. 

Yes, it's a good idea to have some food on hand for last-minute meals (but really, we plan our menus, so that's not all that necessary) and for days when we're sick (a can or two of chicken noodle soup--or better yet, a batch in the freezer), but I don't need 20 packages of ramen noodles or 3 cans of coconut milk or 6 jars of spaghetti sauce. Things get lost in the back of the pantry shelves, food goes bad even in the fridge, and we end up with waste.

I end up spending more money on groceries than I need to--all because we "might" need something.

So I think it's time to start grocery shopping from the pantry as we plan menus and to use more of what we have and buy only what we need.

I'm still going to buy in bulk when it makes sense to do so, but I think this will help us be more aware of what we're buying and consuming.

So, what do you buy in bulk? What's in your pantry or fridge that you can use this week?

Here's what we buy in bulk:

• beef (once a year from South Dakota)
• chicken breasts from Costco
• toilet paper and tissues, also from Costco   

That's about it, I think. I will buy larger bags of things like rice and hashbrowns if it's cheaper to buy that way. Or grab an extra of whatever it is if it's buy one, get one free. But I'm going to be more careful of buying things only because they're on sale, or look good to me as I walk through the store with a growling stomach. (Being hungry is the worst when you're shopping for food--my mom taught me that when I first got married!)

Here's what we can use that's in the pantry and freezer:

• lentils
• cellophane noodles
• coconut milk
• pasta 
• tomato soup
• hamburger helper
• chili seasoning 
• ramen noodles
• a giant turkey in the freezer

This is a great recipe site--I love that you can select ingredients that you have on hand and find recipes that use those ingredients.

And I just saw this link on Facebook the other day. It lists the top ten most economical ingredients and then has links to recipes. Some new things to try as you're planning next week's menu! Thanks, Jen!

Good morning, good morning, good morning! It's time to rise and shine!

(Did any of you listen to Bullfrogs and Butterflies when you were little? And The Music Machine? Loved those! In fact, I have them on CD for my girls and they like them too. My mom used to wake us up with the good morning song and I must admit, I wake my girls up with it too. That and the good morning song from Singing in the Rain. I think I've told you that before, so if this seems familiar, just skip this paragraph. Oops, too late!)

For those of you not on Facebook (or on Facebook but we're not "friends" there yet--send a request with a note!), you may have noticed my status update yesterday. It went like this: I LOVE SEMINARY!!!!!! (And, yes, I used about that many exclamations points, something I rarely do.)

Anyway, I really do love it!

I was talking to a friend the other day (one of the TWO conversations I've had on the phone in the past two weeks other than my parents) and she was asking how I'm doing with this intensive class and completely new schedule. I told her that I'm thriving.

I am so energized by the whole experience of being back in the classroom and I just love it, love it, love it! In fact, I walked into the classroom yesterday morning and said good morning to one of the other students. He looked at me funny and said, "You seem happy." He sounded confused. (We had a test yesterday and there's a monster midterm this morning.) 

The thing is, I am happy. I love getting up and going to school every morning. I feel so blessed and honored to have this opportunity to learn more about the Old Testament. The class is not at all what I was expecting (I thought it would be more of a survey of the wisdom books, noting things like authorship, themes, and so on). We've learned all about history and archaeology and where the canon on the Old Testament comes from. About Masoretic and Septuagint text traditions, about documentary hypothesis, form criticism, and more.

There are lots of dates and names and references and details to know by heart for the midterm today, but it's so fascinating that I don't mind at all.

Toben's done such an amazing job cooking and cleaning and such, that I've had time to study and help the girls with their homework and read to them and play games even, and the latest I've been up at night since I started school is 8:30. I'm rested and feeling great.

If all this enthusiasm is making you tired, well, I just wanted to give you an update and thank you for your prayers for rest and energy and intelligence and all that, because God is answering. Being in school fits. And I feel like this is where God wants me to be.

And for those of you who aren't in this kind of place, who are wondering about God's purpose and direction and plans for you, who are exhausted and discouraged and tired and lonely, please know that you are in my prayers. I've been there and I know how hard it is.

God is at work. He never wastes anything. And for those who love him and are called according to his purpose, he promises to work it all for good. What others intend for harm, God uses for good. He is Immanuel, God with you--whether it feels like it or not.

For those of you whose needs I know, I pray for you specifically--by name and by need--each week. And if you'd like some prayer, leave a comment below, or send me an email (thesimplewife [at] aol.com) if you'd rather be more anonymous to the rest of the world.

I have about 30 minutes before the girls get up, so I'm off to review my study notes again. My test isn't until 10 o'clock this morning, so I'll be studying after they leave for school today too. Then I'm coming home and putting on my jammies to celebrate!

Pumpkin Muffins

As requested and promised, here's my recipe for Pumpkin Muffins. I've multiplied the original recipe--if I'm going to take the time to cook, I'd like more than 12 muffins when I'm done--especially since I'll eat at least two right away! (And if I don't multiply the recipe I end up with leftover canned pumpkin, and what are you going to do with that?)

These freeze beautifully, so making extra is no big deal. Just put them in the freezer to enjoy another day!

Pumpkin Muffins

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

6 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. nutmet

1 1/2 cups milk

1 can pumpkin (use the big Libby's can)

3/4 cup butter, melted

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients until dough forms. (Do not overmix or you'll end up with tough muffins.) Pour into greased muffin tins. Bake 20 minutes. Makes about three dozen muffins.

I don't have a picture of these muffins, but here's a picture of the other little Pumpkin at our house who is growing like a weed!

She's inside her kitty tunnel made for her (for Emma!) by my friend Emily. This is the pattern found in Amy Butler's In Stitches book. It turned out pretty big, so it would easily fit a big cat too--or even two cats at once. Pumpkin loves it!

Memory Monday: Psalm 89:15-18

Good morning! I don't know about your Monday morning, but mine is blustery, snowy, and freezing. The sun is not up yet, but the snow makes it possible to see pretty well outside how dark, cloudy, and windy it is. 

Makes me think of that verse in the Psalms that says something about "the winds that do his will"--I just love those kinds of phrases in Scripture. In my Bible, most have little smiley faces next to them. (Yes, I write ALL OVER my Bible--notes, prayer requests, underlining, drawings--that's part of what makes it God's Word to ME!)

I may have to rethink that outfit I planned for today. It wasn't supposed to be quite this snowy! And my back is STILL hurting. It's been much better in the past week, hurting only in the morning and loosening up by midmorning. I've still been very careful about twisting, lifting, and moving in general, but the Advil I took more than an hour ago isn't helping so far this morning. Don't know if it's the cold or what, but I'd appreciate your prayers!

Okay, Memory Monday! Here's what I've been working on this past week:

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.

They rejoice in your name all day long;
they exult in your righteousness.

For you are their glory and strength
and by your power favor you exalt our horn.

Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel. (Psalm 89:15-18)

A few thoughts:

• "Blessed" here is asher--that means happy. Want to be happy? Learn to acclaim the Lord.
• We can learn to acclaim him!
• Rejoicing doesn't have ANYTHING to do with circumstance. We rejoice in God's name (Need a few? Try Ann Spangler's Praying the Names of God.)
• Our glory and strength has nothing to do with our own glory and strength--it's all about him.
• We don't need to exalt ourselves--God will be the one to do that.
• A shield is only good if we take our stand behind it--our safety is in him alone.
• And our king? Another way this is translated is "our king IS the Holy One of Israel."

Gotta run and get in the shower. I have a feeling my drive might require some extra time this morning and I don't want to be late for school!

Simplify Me: What am I going to wear today?!

Earlier this week I told Lisa I'd do a post on closet organization on Saturday--yesterday. But then I completely forgot! 

Organizing the closets in her home is one of Lisa's goals for this project, and it's something we all seem to do a lot. We get a closet put in order and then somehow a month or two  later it needs to be done again.

(I'd like to say that in my home it's because other people mess it up--but my half of the closet and the armoire where I keep some of my clothes suffers from the same problem! Perhaps it's just the nature of closets.)

Since I don't have pictures of my closets to share right now (which I will do in upcoming posts on this, talking about specific closets as we go like kids' closets, adult closets, coat closets, linen closets, etc.), I thought I'd take a minute and talk about getting dressed each day--something related to closets.

For the past couple of years I have tried to set out clothes for the girls on Sunday nights--determining ahead of time--and with their help--what they'll wear each day. It makes our mornings run so much more smoothly.

Of course there are those days when they suddenly decide they hate the outfit they agreed on just days earlier, but for the most part it works. There are also those days when the weather does something completely unexpected--snowing on a day when the forecast predicted highs in the mid-50s. That always requires a change in plan.

As I said, this works great for the kids. But I have still had the tendency to change clothes three or four times, running around at the last minute like a crazy woman because I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!

So last week I tried something new in light of the fact that I have to leave the house at a particular time each day during the week and can't sit around in my jammies until 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I set out my clothes for the week too. 

And it worked! (I only changed my mind one day--and that only involved picking a new top to go with my jean skirt.) It worked so well that I'll be setting out my outfits along with the girls' clothes before we head to bed tonight.

Here's what it requires:

• Printing out the forecast for the week--Will we need heavy coats, snow boots, hats, gloves, and all that stuff?
• Knowing the girls' school schedule--What days do they have P.E.? Is there a field trip requiring chapel dress and a red shirt? Remembering chapel dress (khaki bottoms and a collared shirt) every Thursday.
• A system for setting out their outfits so they know what to wear each day (see below)
• Time--All told, it takes about 15-30 minutes to do this with both Audrey and Emma and about the same amount of time for me (I go ahead and pick out accessories like jewelry and shoes at the same time too)
• Clean clothes (though if some things are in the wash it does help ensure that we wear all of the clothes we  have rather than just the same favorite outfits again and again) 

The girls each have an organizer hanging in their closets with five shelves. (I got this one from IKEA, but you can find them at Target or Container Store or Bed, Bath & Beyond.) The top shelf is Monday, next shelf is Tuesday, and on down. We put shoes and socks on the bottom of the shelf, stacking the rest of the outfit on top to keep it from getting dirty.

For myself, I just made some room on one of the hanging bars of my closet and hung everything up from left to right, hanging jewelry from the hangers and folding sweaters or other items that I don't store on hangers over the hanger so the outfit was all together. 

So...how do you tackle what to wear each day--for yourself and any kids who aren't quite ready to select their own clothes each day? Let's hear your ideas and systems--and if you blog about it, put a link to your specific post in the comments too.

Morning Glory Muffins

My aunt gave me this recipe when I was in Seattle almost two years ago and I finally made it for the first time last weekend--and have been wondering why I waited so long ever since! 

Morning Glory Muffins

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups grated carrots

1 apple, grated

1/2 cup whole pecans

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients, Add coconut, raisins, carrots, apples, and pecans. Stir well. Add remaining ingredients, stirring only until blended. Spoon into greased muffin tins (filling 3/4 full) and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

I put all of the muffins in the freezer and have been enjoying them in my lunch every day at school. (Just take out a frozen muffin in the morning and it's thawed by lunchtime.) I can't send them with the girls--they go to a nut-free school--but I suppose you could leave the pecans out of the recipe. I probably won't though, because whole pecans are so delicious!

(I also made some pumpkin muffins--the girls love those, so they are getting some home baked goodness in their lunches too!)

I used golden raisins, and though I didn't this time, you could substitute apple sauce for the vegetable oil.

Rice pillows or socks--a great gift to make

Gift giving can add up fast. As Meredith said, it's easy to bleed money in December. It can be all too easy to spend huge amounts of money on something--anything--for the people on your Christmas list.  

While I don't make gifts for everyone (there are those who just don't appreciate handmade gifts), making gifts can be a thoughtful and economical way to go. (Some handmade items are not economical, which you know if you're a crafty girl. Those supplies can add up quick!)

But this gift is super quick, super easy, and super appreciated.

A few years ago, I made rice socks for my parents as a Christmas gift. Inspired by a Martha Stewart Good Thing, I filled an argyle sock with rice and tied a knot. Heated in the microwave for two minutes, it wraps your neck and shoulders in delicious warmth, soothing any aches and pains.

I couldn't find this on Martha's site, but here the original article in an old issue:

I've seen some great knee socks at Target this winter--two gifts for the price of one pair of socks!

For Christmas,  Janna made me a rice pillow--and I love it. It's a perfect lap size, fits behind the small of my back on the couch, great for snuggling with at bedtime.

So I made a couple of rice pillows as gifts. I made mine similar to Janna's, but I made an inner pillow filled with rice and then made a pillow cover for the outside. That way, the cover can be removed and washed.

Here's the one I made for my mom out of some fabric in my stash (or at least the embroidered cover part of it--monograms again!):

Sew a basic rectangular pillow out of muslin or plain fabric, leaving an opening. Fill with rice until it feels like the right amount (you can also add lavender or an essential oil if desired) and sew the opening shut. Then make a pillow cover slightly larger. That's it. Don't use anything metal--it's going to go in the microwave to get warm!

Here's another tutorial for a rice pillow, and an eye pillow too.

And one more tutorial here.

Did you make any great gifts for Christmas that didn't cost much but greatly appreciated? Leave a link in the comments and tell us all about it! Because it's never to early to start Christmas crafting!

P.S. I think it may become Frugal Friday around here.

Some of what I've been learning

So I've been learning lots so far--things like how the canon of the Old Testament came to be, the narrative of the Pentateuch, textual criticism, and more. There are lots of manuscript titles, dates, and names of people and places I've never heard of.

But in the midst of that there have been some gems--some things that have made me think "ooh! ooh!" even though some of them have been mentioned only in passing.

Like this...

The Garden of Eden can be seen in terms of sanctuary imagery that is later reflected in both the tabernacle and the temple and ultimately in the New Jerusalem in Revelation. Think tree of life represented by the menorah and also in the new Jerusalem. Cherubim guarding the entrance of the garden and also found in the Holy of Holies on the Ark. The presence of water in the garden, the pool outside the temple, and then the river flowing from the New Jerusalem. Fruit in the garden and then embroidered all over the tabernacle hangings.

And then, having done Beth's "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place," seeing those things also fulfilled and reflected in Jesus. I really love seeing Scripture as a whole--as one continuous story with threads that weave in and out for the entirety. So very cool.

It's things like that that make me so excited to be going to seminary.

Okay, gotta run, class starts in five minutes--but I wanted to tell you something I found incredible!

Thank you, Toben!

I'm at school and have just a few minutes before class starts--and my second test. I can't remember if I've mentioned that this class I'm taking for the next three weeks is an intensive class--every day for three hours. Thus all the tests right in a row. It's a whole semester of work crammed into three weeks.

There is absolutely no way I could do this if it weren't for Toben. He's doing--are you ready for this?--all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, carpooling, grocery shopping. I'm taking care of Sunday dinners and packing lunches. Is he awesome or what?

Even though I'm getting the majority of my reading and shool work done before I come home (I'm staying at school until three o'clock each day), I get to come home to a clean house, spend time with the girls and help them with homework, and then sit down to a dinner I didn't have to cook.

He's made tostadas and burgers so far, and it's all been delicious. He's set the table, had the girls help, lit candles, and then cleaned it all up when it's done.

What a guy!

All that to say, I love you, Toben. And I appreciate all your doing to make this dream come true for me. You are the greatest!

Okay, gotta run to the restroom and take a quick glance at my study notes before class starts. Bye!

Phew!

What a whirlwind of a day! I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all the work to be done, but am excited and ready to get at it. Which is good, because my first test is TOMORROW!

I've already done most of the reading (textbooks, articles, and Genesis 1-25) and have just another couple of assignments for tomorrow that won't be covered on the test. And I need to find some index cards to help me study.

But I just had to pop in really quick to say thank you for all your prayers and comments--here, in my email, on Facebook--ya'll floor me. Literally. I'm falling on the floor, humbled and thankful for your prayers. You minister to me and bless me like you wouldn't believe. I love you!

I got home to a gazillion email and realize that for the next three weeks of this intensive class, I'm just not going to be able to respond like I'd like to. So if you don't hear from me or get a response to your comments, that's why.

But keep 'em coming! I read every single one and they mean so much to me.

Please, keep on praying. For me to manage my time well so that my girls and my husband get the attention they need from me, for me to be able to stay up later and night and to think clearly past 7:30 p.m., to get enough rest, for continued health, for God to make me smart enough to soak in all that I'm learning.

Thank you for being part of my life!

Memory Monday: 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

I decided to add the next verse to the short one I chose for this week:

So from now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view... Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)

I think that verse 17 is key to applying verse 16. In order to not look at those around me--especially my family--from a worldly point of view, I have to keep in mind that they are new in Christ!

For next week, I'm going to memorize Psalm 89:15-18:

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, 
who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.
They rejoice in your name all day long;
they exult in your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.
Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Did you memorize a verse for this week? Leave a comment with a link to your specific post if you have a blog, or type it from memory into the comments. Don't forget to note what you'll be learning for next week.

Want to join us? Click on the Memory Monday button in the sidebar for all the information.

An economy of words

I was thinking the other morning about words--the kinds of words I use, the ways in which I use them, what God has to say about my words, how I save or spend them.

Is there an economy of words? Just because there's no limit of the words we speak, does that mean we shouldn't spend them wisely?

Over the last year, I've prayed a lot about God setting a guard over my lips, about my mouth being filled with his Word, about knowing the right word to say and the right time to say it.

Because we do spend words. We can waste them or invest them, but once they're spent, there's no getting them back. As much as we wish we could take back our words, we cannot.

The book of Psalms has a lot to say about the ways we use our mouths and the words we say. In fact, the Bible as a whole has a lot to say about our words. But I've been reading Psalm 89 this past week and it begins this way:

I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; 
with my  mouth I will make you faithfulness known through all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. (v1-2)

How am I spending my words? What am I singing about, using my mouth to make known, declaring?

Is it...

• arguing
• complaining
• worrying
• nagging
• gossip
• silliness
• lies?

Or am I using my words for...

• confession
• praise
• prayer
• encouragement
• testimony
• teaching
• instruction
• song 
• truth? 

I want the second list to be the one that's true of me, but all too often I'm singing the same old songs from the first list, rather than singing a new song. One of praise and adoration.

The truth is that we are not saved to simply sing that same old sad and sorry song. No! We have been chosen by God to sing a new song.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9

Are you singing the same old song? Isn't it time to "sing to the Lord a new song"?

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations, 
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary. (Psalm 96:1-6)

P.S. That last line just stood out to me. If I'm needing strength (and I sure do, don't you?), the place I need to be is in his sanctuary. No where else.

Using the whole orange

I pulled this out of a magazine years ago, drawn by the combination of chocolate and orange--always a good one. And while I did dip them in chocolate for the Christmas tea in 2002 (as noted on the recipe), I keep them plain (well, dipped in sugar but not in chocolate) to put in cookies and scones.

Here's how to make them in case that type in the picture is too small.

First, cut the orange peel into strips and bring to a boil in a saucepan of water. Then set aside while you create a sugar syrup, by combining 1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of water and bringing to a boil.

Add the strips to the sugar syrup and simmer for 30 minutes. Then drain and set out on waxed paper to dry. While they are still tacky, sprinkle with sugar. I let them dry a bit longer, then put all the strips and sugar in a plastic bag and shake to coat completely.

Let dry and then store in a sealed container. Chop and add to scones and cookies as desired. (Here's my favorite scone recipe. Try the candied orange peel, chocolate chips, and pecans as your add ins. Mmm...)

There's a lot about not wasting things in The American Frugal Housewife. And while I'm not going to chop leftover meat and vegetables to make into mince meat or meat pie, I am going to be more aware of what I'm throwing away. Am I "using the whole orange" as it were? Does whatever it is have further use? Am I throwing it away out of laziness?

In the kitchen, that makes me think about using the whites or yolks of eggs if a recipe only calls for one. It means making stock from leftover chicken, turkey, or beef bones (something I've done for years and is really very easy). It means eating the leftovers from dinner for lunch instead of letting them hide in the back of the fridge and then throwing them away.

In the rest of the house, it makes me think about boxes and tissue paper, bubble wrap and paper. About rubber bands and paper clips and safety pins. 

I certainly don't want to hoard junk, but at the same time, how often do I go buy something because I threw away the one I had? And even if I don't have use for whatever it is, does someone else? (Think toilet paper rolls and egg cartons and kindergarten classes and preschools.)

So, how do you "use the whole orange"?

Time to reevaluate

With the holidays, Lisa and I kind of got off track with our Simplify Me conversations. But with the New Year, it's time to reevaluate and move forward. I love the New Year for that very reason. It's a good time to check if what we've put into place is working, to tweak as needed, to look again at our goals, and to move forward again.

As we started our conversation, we spent a bunch of time looking at our schedules. You can go here to read my posts and here to read Lisa's--they show up with the most recent first, so you may want to scroll down to the bottom and then read up.

I have schedules on the brain as I get ready to change how my day looks with starting school. Some of the things I'm considering are these:

• When will I spend quality time with the girls?
• When will I do homework? Will my bedtime need to change?
• How can I reduce the time I spend on the computer--since I tend to lose track of time when I'm on it?
• When will I exercise? 
• How can I be sure to keep the Sabbath homework free? 
• What about household chores?

The last question is the easiest to answer. For the three weeks in January when I'm taking an intersession class (three weeks, class M-F, 9-12:15) Toben is taking over the house--cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping. I will still pack lunches and cook Sunday dinner, but he's taking care of everything else.

Time with the girls is also one I feel good about. During the past few months, we've lost the habit of reading together at breakfast. Not sure why or how, but it seems like we had a few busy mornings in a row--especially when Toben's out of town--and never got back in the habit. I'm committed to getting back in the breakfast routine. (And then when they leave for school at 7:40 I'll get myself ready to leave for school at 8:35.)

Homework is another thing I've been thinking about. I'm planning to stay at the library on campus until the girls come home from school, doing as much homework as I can during the school day. I don't have any idea how much homework to expect (though I know there'll be a lot of reading, given my stack of books!), so I'm not sure how much time I'll need to set aside for homework on Saturdays.

I'm still considering computer time (think I may need to give myself a set amount of time per day and stick with it--no matter what) and when to exercise (maybe on my way home from school?).

And as I think about all these questions, I'll need to reconsider it all again when the Spring semester begins on January 26 and I'll have class on MWF. The chores will revert back to me then and I'll need to figure out when they'll work best.

So, Lisa, before we continue down your list of goals, how's your schedule working? Are you sticking to it? Are there some things that may need to be adjusted?

I'm an American Frugal Housewife, are you? (At least, I'm trying to be one!)

 

Wow, what a response already to desiring economy in 2009! I'm not exactly sure how this will work, but I think it would be great if we helped each other with accountability and inspiration. 

With that in mind, I'm going to create an "I'm a Frugal Housewife" category for any posts I do on this topic, or any links I find to share. There are so many ways to pursue this--and so little time to find them all. So let's commit to helping each other!

Here's a button if you want one...I'll be putting this image in any post I do so it's quickly identifiable. And I think I'll put it on my sidebar too. No pressure for you to do the same--just if you want to!

<a href="http://thesimplewife.typepad.com/the_simple_wife/2009/01/economy.html"><img border="0" src="https://thesimplewife.typepad.com/frugalhousewifebutton.jpg"></a>

To get just the image, you can click on it and save it to your desktop. Or if you want the button with the code, paste it into your sidebar.

Sorry if this appeared multiple times--took a few tries to get the code to go in correctly!

Economy

I think that 2009 is going to be a year of economy.

This idea keeps popping up--

• using what you have
• not wasting anything
• gathering bits and pieces of time and materials to make something new
• living within the means available
• spending wisely 
• knowing what's needed and what's wanted 
• choosing words carefully--not wasting them
• using resources wisely (to quote the Girl Scout Law)

So what is economy exactly?

Dictionary.com says this (emphasis mine):

e⋅con⋅o⋅my

 

noun, plural -mies, adjective, adverb

–noun

1.	thrifty management; frugality in the expenditure or consumption of money, materials, etc.

2.	an act or means of thrifty saving; a saving: He achieved a small economy by walking to work instead of taking a bus.

3.	the management of the resources of a community, country, etc., esp. with a view to its productivity.

4.	the prosperity or earnings of a place: Further inflation would endanger the national economy seriously.

5.	the disposition or regulation of the parts or functions of any organic whole; an organized system or method.

6.	the efficient, sparing, or concise use of something: an economy of effort; an economy of movement.

7.	economy class.

8.	Theology. a. the divine plan for humanity, from creation through redemption to final beatitude. b. the method of divine administration, as at a particular time or for a particular race.

9.	Obsolete. the management of household affairs.

–adjective

10.	intended to save money: to reduce the staff in an economy move.

11.	costing less to make, buy, or operate: an economy car.

Much of this has to do with financial economy, but I think it also applies to how we spend our time and energy and emotions and words. It applies to housekeeping and homework, purchasing and planning.

God doesn't waste anything. Someone said it to me a week or so ago. And just this morning, I read that nothing is wasted when it comes to time spent memorizing Scripture. I had an "a-ha" moment as the idea of God being a God of economy hit home.

There aren't really any leftovers when it comes to God. He uses everything for our benefit; everything--no matter how seemingly small and insignificant--has purpose and the potential when we give it to him to handle.

We live in a culture in which waste is rampant. We toss food and things and even people aside without a second thought. We create tons and tons of trash.

We are all too often ashamed of economy--worried about what others will think. We feel rich when we waste things, too proud to carry our leftovers home for lunch the next day. We assume that to have value something must be new.

I disagree with the dictionary. I don't think that the idea of economy as the management of household affairs is obsolete. I want to manage our household with economy in the coming year.

Want to join me?

The American Frugal Housewife

My mother gave me this book for Christmas and I loved it. So often, I think we tend to look back in time and think that life was simpler then, that if we only lived during the days of Little House on the Prairie or Little Women or Pride and Prejudice that our lives would be easier. We envy Ma and Jo and Meg, thinking that if we had their lives, we'd be happier and less stressed and busy.

 

First published in 1832, The American Frugal Housewife: Dedicated to Those Who Are Not Ashamed of Economy is filled with wisdom and practicality that shows that our lives as women aren't all that different from then. That even in 1832 they dealt with some of the same things we find challenging today.

Take a look at how the book opens:

The true economy of housekeeping is simple the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time, as well as materials. 

We live in a world of left-overs--and so often they are wasted. I love this idea of gathering fragments of time and materials to create something useful. It's quilting--bits and pieces made into something with both function and beauty.

And this from the section entitled "Philosophy and Consistency":

True wisdom lies in finding out all the advantages of a situation in which we are placed, instead of imagining the enjoyments of one in which we are not placed.

Amen! How much time do we waste wishing ourselves in a different place?

And this thought about buying things we don't need:

Do not let the beauty of this thing, and the cheapness of that, tempt you to buy unnecessary articles.

Or this about how we teach our children about money:

In early childhood, you lay the foundation of poverty or riches, in the habits you give your children. Teach them to save everything,--not for their own use, for that would make them selfish--but for some use. Teach them to share everything with their playmates; but never allow them to destroy anything.

We live in a disposable world, but that doesn't mean we have to join in. My great aunt Sissie lived this truth--saving bits and pieces of string and lace and pads of paper. She never wasted anything. And while it became something we laughed at, we have treasures because of it. (Don't you wish you'd saved your Wonder Woman lunchbox? I sure do!)

Of course, there are some outdated things in the book like how to prepare calf's head and make cheese and other recipes I will never, ever try--not in a million years. (Did you know you can eat pig snout? Eww!)

But there's a lot of good stuff in this little book--and I'm going to go back through it again, paying special attention to all I underlined and want to put into practice. Especially the section on "Education of Daughters." Which has enough good stuff for another post on another day.

I've been thinking about 2009 and have been praying about what God wants this year to be for our family. I've not really sensed a clear answer yet, but the ideas of "economy" and "frugality" and "obedience" are intriguing. Living within our means. Financially. Physically. Emotionally.

I'll keep you posted...