Preparation day and the Sabbath

\ 1 Comment

Over the past several weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer and Bible study. I’ve had my eyes opened about what Sabbath means to God, what it means to me, and how I should be spending His holy day. I’ve been convicted in several areas of my life, places where I feel that I’m not really letting God lead.

One of those places is Sabbath preparation. I truly believe that God has given us a day of rest, a day to spend with Him, and that He is offended if we don’t honor His command to keep His Sabbath holy. I have been convicted that I should not be spending my Sabbath days doing household labor that could be done on other days, mainly in the areas of meal preparation and how I get ready for church (ironing clothes, etc).

I feel that I need to be more conscientious about how I spend the rest of the week so that I am prepared for the Sabbath when it arrives. There is no excuse for not having our clothes ironed and ready by Friday afternoon. There is no reason why I cannot prep food and prepare meals on Friday for Sabbath. I haven’t been doing it, mainly because I’ve been lazy and have not been convicted about the importance of following God’s commands about the Sabbath day.

My Sabbath issues are not just about preparing in advance. I tend to be more motivated about cleaning at the beginning of the week and lose motivation as the week progresses. By the time Friday arrives, the house is rather messy. I attend a knitting group on Friday mornings, go grocery shopping immediately afterwards, and then spend the afternoon scrambling to get things done before sundown. Usually I fail, for whatever reason. So Sabbath arrives and I have dishes in my sink, dinner half prepared, clean clothes but nothing ironed, and an untidy house. I stress when the house is messy and thus often feel overwhelmed on Sabbath.

I am making a commitment this week to put God first. That means that I need to prepare myself both physically and spiritually to spend time with Him on Sabbath. My house needs to be clean so that I can rest my mind. My food preparation needs to be done so that I’m not distracted by the every day chores. My dishes need to be washed and put away so that I can toss the dirty ones into the dishwasher as we use them and thus not create a huge mess in the kitchen, which in turn stresses me out.

I’m sure I won’t get everything right this first week. But I am trying. I want to be open and ready to spend time with God during the time He set aside for us.

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged:

This week’s goals

\ 3 Comments

I loved having an organized to-do list last week. When I was wondering what to do next, I worked on something from the list.

Last week’s list:

  • De-clutter the top of the fridge – Done!
  • Hang the Welcome sign – Not done. Need hubby to help me.
  • Put up a nail in our pantry to hang my apron on – Done!
  • Reorganize our bedroom clothes closet – Not done.
  • Catch up on my e-mail – Almost done!
  • Take care of The Pile – DONE!


The Pile – Before


The Pile – After

This week’s list:

  • Hang the Welcome sign
  • Reorganize our bedroom clothes closet
  • Finish clearing out my inbox
  • Write book reviews for the books I’ve finished in the past two weeks
  • Pack for my trip – I’m leaving on Sunday to visit my grandparents in WY
  • Write letters to our two girls in Korea

The list might be a bit ambitious on top of my regular chores, but we’ll see. I’m finding inspiration in having a cleaner household and it makes me want to become even more organized and clutter-free.

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: ,

This week’s goals

\ 5 Comments

I’ve been spring cleaning the past week and have made a lot of progress. I still have a lot to clean, though! It’s amazing how quickly the house gets messy if I don’t stay on top of it. Eventually we’ll obtain bookcases and that will eliminate a lot of the clutter. But for now, I’m trying to find ways to organize without letting things pile up all over the house.

Last week I cleaned up the wet bar next to the fireplace. We don’t use the sink there but we do use all of the counter space. Previously, the counter was covered with various books and quilting supplies. It wasn’t organized in the slightest. I moved all of the books downstairs into our spare bedroom (future study) and put all of my quilting supplies with the other fabric in our closet. I moved all of the DVDs and the Wii games to the newly emptied shelf instead of letting them stack up on the floor underneath the tv. We don’t have an entertainment center yet so the Blu-ray player, Wii, and internet box are sitting on the floor. The games and movies used to sit next to them but now they are nicely lined up on the counter. It looks a lot better!

Here are my goals for this week, loosely held, of course…

  • De-clutter the top of the fridge
  • Hang the Welcome sign on the stairs just inside the front door
  • Put up a nail in our pantry to hang my apron on (maybe then I would be able to find it when I want to use it!)
  • Reorganize our bedroom clothes closet as the shelves have gotten very messy
  • Catch up on my e-mail
  • Take care of The Pile


The Pile

These goals are in addition to my normal cleaning schedule and should keep me busy! I look forward to making our house ever more homey.

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: ,

Concrete Goals for 2013

\ 4 Comments

Kat has been discussing goals recently and how important it is to create specific goals rather than general New Years resolutions. My second 2013 resolution is to become more intentional, to spend my time more productively. I thought it would prove useful to write up specific goals and completion dates for several of the most important areas of my life.

Quilting
Abstract Goal – To improve my quilting skills.

Concrete Goals

  • Participate in the 350 Blocks Project. I have no intention of completing 350 blocks as that is way more than I have completed in the past three years total! But I am going to use the project as an opportunity to push myself to finish more (ongoing).
  • Complete four quilts this year. I am currently working on two, a personal lap-sized quilt (March 31) and a baby quilt (Feb 28) for my husband’s college friends’ baby. I also want to start and finish a quilt for my new nephew (April 30).

Japanese
Abstract Goal – To become fluent.

Concrete Goals

  • 30 minutes of study time each and every day (ongoing).
  • Find a language exchange pen pal and write an email once per week (Jan 31).
  • Take the JLPT N3 exam in December 2013. The exam tests reading and listening comprehension and is only offered once a year outside of Japan. We have a testing center here in Seattle. (Registration opens in the fall.)

Health
Abstract Goal – To lose weight.

Concrete Goals

  • Incorporate more fresh food in my diet by including at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal (start by Jan 31).
  • Start eating raw breakfasts at least three times each week (start by Jan 31).
  • Run at least three times per week and train to race a 10k by the end of the year (ongoing).

Homemaking
Abstract Goal – To become a better homemaker.

Concrete Goals

  • Finish organizing my recipe book so that I actually utilize it (March 31).
  • Try at least two new healthy recipes per week (ongoing).
  • Create and follow my daily chores list (Feb 15).

Of course, this does not cover all areas of my life. While I appreciate the challenge of tackling each of these goals, I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of changes it will require. This is why I will have to prioritize and revisit these goals often to make changes based on what is or is not working. I know that January is almost over but there is no better time than now to refocus!

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , ,

30 day challenges

\ 3 Comments

I wasn’t planning on undertaking a 30 day challenge in October. Last month’s homemaking challenge was kind of a failure, partly due to circumstances beyond my control and partly due to a varying level of motivation. Considering homemaking is my job, I should be able to rise above the lack of motivation and complete my job regardless of how I feel. However, that was only partially successful.

This month I am going to continue my homemaking challenge. I came up with a good cleaning schedule last month. I started a loose routine. This month I want to work on my menu planning and grocery lists and price sheets. I might throw in something else as well but that’s what I am going to concentrate on.

Then I stumbled across this:

31 days of blogging! October is my birthday month, the start of fall, and the first chance we have to sleep on a comfortable bed every night. Things are looking up! Hopefully this means I will have more to talk about and can get into a comfortable blogging rhythm. I want to post more often and I have tons of photos from the past several months of exploring Seattle and surrounding areas.

Is anyone else participating in the Blogtoberfest or something similar?

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: ,

Thursday’s Homemaking

\ 1 Comment

Today I had some additional incentive to finish with my house cleaning early: the library! I thought I had some books due back today and knew that hubby wouldn’t be able to go with me after work. Today there is no “after work” as it’s after seven and he’s still working…

Thursday Cleaning – Stairs and Downstairs Sinks

  • Sweep and mop stairs
  • Sweep and mop downstairs hallway
  • Sweep bedroom floors
  • Scrub both bathroom sinks (one in master bedroom, one across from washer/dryer in hallway)
  • Wipe off top of washer and dryer

    • Tomorrow’s cleaning – the shower and toilet in the downstairs bath.

    I am so happy that I have a checklist now. I love lists. Next week I will have a printed list for each day and that will provide its own incentive, getting to check things off the list.

    As it turns out, I had nothing due back at the library but I was dying to go regardless. So, come 2:30 this afternoon, I finished my cleaning, took a shower, and then hopped in the car. Library, here I come!

    When I left for the library, I had 66 items checked out and took a bag of books with me to return. Now that I’m home again, I have 76 items checked out. Oops. That number is supposed to be going down, not up! I spent an hour browsing the shelves, mostly in the quilting section. I am looking for inspiration for my brother’s new baby (due in December).

    Of course, Bruno demanded that he be included in the photo. I tried to explain to him that they were just books about quilts, not actual quilts, but he insisted.

    And two of the books I checked out just for me. My husband was shocked that I dared suggest that I desecrate his precious French press with YARN but finally acquiesed and I said I could knit him a coffee cozy. 😉 Ah, true love.

    Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , ,

    Wednesday’s Homemaking

    \ 4 Comments

    Today was much quieter as far as my husband’s phone was concerned. That made it easier for me to work as needed.

    Wednesday Cleaning – Upstairs Bathroom

  • Wipe down counter
  • Scrub toilet
  • Sweep under cat boxes
  • Mop floor
  • Scrub sink
  • Clean mirror

    • In addition to this, I kept the kitchen clean, ran a load of laundry, and swept the entire upstairs floor. It’s looking better in here every day!

    I still need to deal with the piles of papers, though… those piles are the only thing keeping our upstairs from looking tidy.

    Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , ,

    Tuesday’s Homemaking

    \ Leave a Comment

    I did not accomplish exactly what I had planned on accomplishing. My husband was just handed a huge project for work and spent most of the day on the phone. I did manage to keep the kitchen clean, tidy the living room, wash some laundry, and reorganize a bit.

    Until this morning, this counter was covered in piles of library books, mail, and my knitting projects. It was a mess! I took all of the library books downstairs and moved the printer off the floor. However, I still had several piles that I couldn’t figure out what to do with.

    This is what was underneath that counter. Some adaptor for the cable television we have no possible way to actually watch (but is free with our internet service). The Wii, plus all the accessories that go along with it. All stuff that we won’t be able to use until we buy a television.

    I moved all of that downstairs into our spare bedroom. Here is the result – a couple library books, my knitting, and printer paper. All things that are actually being used in our day to day life.

    And here is our current living room. Sparse, isn’t it? Our bed is propped up against the wall so that the cats don’t jump on it while the sheets are in the wash. Over the fireplace, I taped a print of one of my favorite paintings. It brightens the room a bit, I think.

    The only thing I wasn’t able to do today was to clean the floors. I am supposed to sweep every day because the cats track their litter, fluff hair all over the place, and normal dust accumulates. It’s disgusting what I sweep up every day but I guess that would normally be hidden in the carpet. Then on Tuesdays, I want to dry mop the upstairs floors. I will have to add that on to tomorrow’s list!

    On the schedule for Wednesday – clean the upstairs bathroom and our pantry (the closet in the hallway).

    Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , ,

    Monday’s Homemaking

    \ 2 Comments

    After yesterday’s rather honest confession, I decided that it would be best to try to remedy some of my procrastination/laziness/lack of motivation. It was hard. But I pushed myself and was able to complete all of my housework.

    Monday Cleaning – Kitchen

  • Tidy kitchen
  • Wipe down front of cupboards
  • Serious counter scrubbing
  • Sweep floor
  • Mop floor
  • Eliminate junk mail/library book/random pile that accumulates on my counter

    • Next week I want to add scrubbing the fridge drawers and shelves to my Monday Cleaning.

    In addition to this, I swept the entire upstairs and cleaned out the cat boxes. I even washed, dried, and put away all the dishes after dinner! For me, that is a huge accomplishment.

    My cleaning is usually finished by lunch. In the afternoon, I study Japanese, read books, read blogs, and knit. Here is today’s knitting progress.

    I finished the second skein of yarn on my dad’s scarf. He wants all three included! The scarf is already almost as tall as I am, about 63 inches so far. Tomorrow I’ll be starting the third skein. I hope to have the scarf completed by the end of the month so that I can start working on Christmas presents.

    And tomorrow I tackle the living room!

    Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , ,

    A second month of homemaking?

    \ 2 Comments

    I don’t know why I am struggling so much with this challenge. Last week, I cleaned the house from top to bottom. It looked really good! Then we had a very busy four day weekend.

    Friday – My SIL flew in from LA and settled in for four days.
    Sabbath – Two friends drove up from Portland to see us and SIL; they stayed overnight.
    Sunday – Portland friends left. Hubby’s childhood friends came over for a couple hours and then we went out for the rest of the day.
    Monday – My SIL flew out in the evening.

    In between all of that, we explored Seattle. Hours of city driving and visiting restaurants and shopping districts and country drives.

    We had a lovely time!

    But come Monday night, I was wiped out. Tuesday, still exhausted. Wednesday, still exhausted. Then I spent the rest of the week with no motivation for anything productive.

    Why can’t I do what needs to be done on a regular basis instead of tackling everything at once and then letting it pile up again? So frustrating!!

    I’m exploring and praying about several ideas of why I struggle so much – Laziness. Lack of motivation. A house that, once cleaned, still doesn’t feel like home.

    I don’t mean to complain. I really don’t. Just sharing what’s going on.

    Last week, we took our cat to the vet. Still waiting on test results. Provided we don’t need to spend any additional money, we are still hoping to order our new bed on Friday. Maybe sleeping in the master bedroom on a regular bed, instead of in the living room on an air mattress, will help us feel at home. Maybe I’ll be able to get some quality sleep. Maybe then I’ll find my motivation and energy again.

    I hope so!

    Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: ,