Good morning! I hope you all had a great weekend with your families and are ready to start on an exciting week making your home a haven for the Lord, your family, and all who enter!
I am SO excited to have The Homemakers Haven back again. It really helps me stay focused and accountable in this area! Remember, you don’t have to do exactly what I am doing though. You just have to focus on doing something to make your home a haven, post about it on your blog and link up!
If you would like to follow along with me, I have come up with a fun way to keeping my days ordered by focusing on the 4 “P’s”: prayer, prioritize, plan, and progress. I am working on completing the 4 “P’s” in order each day this week. Would you like to join me?
::Prayer
Make sure you start your day off spending time in His word, asking Him to order your day and your time. This is by far the most important part of your day!
It is easy to start the day off running and forgetting to open our Bibles and taking time to prayer. However you are sure to have a much harder day if you forget to do this! How do you manage to have your morning quiet time each day? Does your day go smoother when you make sure you do this FIRST?
::Prioritize
First things first, right? Well in this case, second thing is second: How has your morning routine been going? I admit that I have slacked a little sticking to mine, but this is a fresh week to try again! For me, keeping my mornings prioritized with a list of things to do in order, each day, helps me start each day off right and gives me a feeling of accomplishment!
A morning routine is simple, just write out five-ten things to do in order each day, and stick to them. What does your morning routine look like?
::Plan
Do you have a menu planned for this week? Do you have a to do list ready for today? Take some time to write out a short to do list for today, and even a menu for this week. Then share it with us!
What’s on your to do list today?
::Progress
This week, choose just one simple project to do to make your home a more enjoyable place. Got a clutter pile to tackle? A picture to hang? It can be anything, big or small, but just do something! Even if you spend just 15 minutes a day focusing on making your home a sweeter place to be, I know you will see great progress!
What is your project this week? Be sure to share it with us, with before and after pictures too!
Want to join in the fun? You can jump in here anytime, just be sure to leave your blog post for the Homemakers Haven link in the Mr. Linky below, and leave a comment too! If you want more info on how to join, visit here! I’ll be back later to share my progress and some pictures as well! Have a great day!
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I think more and more people are working from home these days so it allows you to spend more time working and improving the look of your home.
I get up at 5:30 every morning for bible time. In a household of 11, one needs to do that for any quiet
(I’m a early-to-bed person anyways.)
~Susannah
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sevensisters
Wow so glad to have found this group! I need something to keep me accountable….I start off going good then forget…put it off…get too tired from caring for baby etc, etc. A million excuses! But hopefully this will help!
can’t wait to participate! i know I need priority but it’s getting motivted to implement it that I lack. I’m getting in gear this week, Ipromise!
After Work:
Take printer from playroom to truck for recycling
Take monitor from playroom to truck to donate to work
DONE Put away groceries
DONE Put away laundry
DONE – (oh look – drying the dishes by hand added a whole 5 minutes – sheesh) Clean up kitchen
DONE Clean ceiling fans (x3)
****ewwwwwwwwwwww – that was awful – i had to change water TWICE – I am NOT letting it go that long again ***
DONE Quick vacuumn downstairs
DONE Dust downstairs
MOVE TO WEEKEND Clear off L-Shaped desk in playroom
MOVE TO WEEKEND Thorough cleaning of the frame of desk
MOVE TO WEEKEND Move Treadmill out of closet (playroom)
MOVE TO WEEKEND Move Hang-Ups out of closet (playroom)
DONE Move bowling bag out of closet (call Bert – I think this is his stuff)
DONE – CALLED BERT TO COME HAUL FOR MAMA
DONE – CALLED BERT TO COME HAUL FOR MAMA
DONE Lay out clothes for tomorrow
DONE Remake bed
DONE Print out updated Household Notebook pages
Check all doors locked and candles out
Fill up water bottle for the night
DONE Spray Neutra Air throughout house
Go to bed at decent hour (let’s shoot for 11 tonight at latest)
At Work:
DONE Get lab tests done (fasting lab)
DONE Check the hubs’ deposit
Pay bills online
DONE Grocery Shopping
****I believe I have just saved over 50$…I only went to Dillons – no WalMart this week…just doing that saved 50$….I know I can do this, I KNOW I can ***
After Work:
Put away groceries
Put away laundry
Clean up kitchen
Clean ceiling fans (x3)
Quick vacuumn downstairs
Dust downstairs
Clear off L-Shaped desk in playroom
Thorough cleaning of the frame of desk
Move Treadmill out of closet (playroom)
Move Hang-Ups out of closet (playroom)
Move bowling bag out of closet (call Bert – I think this is his stuff)
Take printer from playroom to truck for recycling
Take monitor from playroom to truck to donate to work
Lay out clothes for tomorrow
Remake bed
Check all doors locked and candles out
Fill up water bottle for the night
Spray Neutra Air throughout house
Go to bed at decent hour (let’s shoot for 11 tonight at latest)
Blessings to all!
Today’s Parade of Activities:
Morning:
DONE Make Bed
DONE Shower and Dress for work
DONE Coffee
DONE Bible Reading (John chapter 9 today)
DONE Prayer Time
DONE Put Away Dishes
At Work:
DONE Get lab tests done (fasting lab)
DONE Check the hubs’ deposit
Pay bills online
Grocery Shopping
After Work:
Put away groceries
Put away laundry
Clean up kitchen
Clean ceiling fans (x3)
Quick vacuumn downstairs
Dust downstairs
Clear off L-Shaped desk in playroom
Thorough cleaning of the frame of desk
Move Treadmill out of closet (playroom)
Move Hang-Ups out of closet (playroom)
Move bowling bag out of closet (call Bert – I think this is his stuff)
Take printer from playroom to truck for recycling
Take monitor from playroom to truck to donate to work
Lay out clothes for tomorrow
Remake bed
Check all doors locked and candles out
Fill up water bottle for the night
Spray Neutra Air throughout house
Go to bed at decent hour (let’s shoot for 11 tonight at latest)
After Work:
DONE BOILING EGGS RIGHT NOW 1. Supper (Tuna Salad Sandwiches/ FF or chips)
DONE 2. Dishes
DONE (INSIDE AND OUT) 2.5 Clean the microwave
CLEANED COFFEEMAKER; SET UP FOR MORNING
3. Put away laundry
DONE 3.5 Wash curtains for playroom
DONE 4. Wipe down main floor bathroom
DONE 5. Sweep Kitchen and Back Porch/Laundry Room
DONE – CALLED AND RENEWED 6. Gather Library Books for renewal on 4/2
DONE 7. Office work:
DONE 7.5 Filing/Shredding
DONE 7.5.5 Declutter under desk (make a decision about the binders and project books)
DONE 8. Find a home for the crutches in the playroom
DONE 9. Pull foil off playroom windows and wash windows
DONE 10. Hang up curtains
DONE – 11. Make sure hubby has clean socks/underwear packed up for work (4 of each)
12. Lay out clothes for tomorrow
13. Jammies and get to bed at decent time
14. Work on Thursday 04/02/09 ToDos
15. Work on Household Notebook/Routines
Just from the past couple of days of cleaning…the playroom smells so much nicer; I can hardly wait until we get a nice warm day to open the windows
Okay – here’s today’s so far
Morning:
1. Coffee
2. Bible Reading
3. Prayer Time
4. Check Laundry
5. Put away clean dishes
After Work:
1. Supper (Tuna Salad Sandwiches/ FF or chips)
2. Dishes
2.5 Clean the microwave
3. Put away laundry
3.5 Wash curtains for playroom
4. Wipe down main floor bathroom
5. Sweep Kitchen and Back Porch/Laundry Room
6. Gather Library Books for renewal on 4/2
7. Office work:
7.5 Filing/Shredding
7.5.5 Declutter under desk (make a decision about the binders and project books)
8. Find a home for the crutches in the playroom; load defunct electronics in to truck)
9. Pull foil off playroom windows and wash windows; replace foil on west window
10. Hang up curtains
11. Make sure hubby has clean socks/underwear packed up for work (4 of each)
12. Lay out clothes for tomorrow
13. Jammies and get to bed at decent time
**** I think I’m going to set my timer for the majority of the evening tasks. Last night’s geting sidetracked put me so far behind, then I tried to keep working thru. I did get a lot done, but I was so tired by the time I finally got to sleep that I slept through the alarm and didn’t get up in time to spend the quiet time I needed with the Lord this morning. I did get my bible reading done, and prayer time. But not the quiet/quality I’ve been enjoying. That first part of my day needs to be my focus even unto the night before. ****
After Work:
DONE 1. Supper (Swedish Meatballs over noodles; tossed salad)
DONE 1.5 Laundry into dryer
DONE 1.5.5 Scoop kitty box
DONE AND DONE 2. Vacumn the Upstairs **include playroom
3. Bring boxes up from basement to prep for decluttering the scary closet
GAZELLE GLIDER MOVED 4. Move the L-shaped desk, treadmill, Gazelle Glider and Hang-Ups things to final places in playroom
DONE 5. Grab laundry and put away
6. Go to bed at decent hour – getting there…I’ve got the jammies on
The bed has been remade; dirty clothes taken down and put into washer; dishwasher put back by fridge; coffee maker off and waiting for morning coffee (i drink decaf after work LOL); curtains from playroom are ‘on deck’ to be tossed into washer tomorrow
I am heading for bed to be ready for 5:30 devotions
okay – i give up….the 3 upstairs rooms are vacumned….to within an inch of their padding LOL
talk about detailed vacumning session! whew! anyhoo – not only did I get the playroom vacumned and febrezed; I pulled the curtains to be taken down to be washed; and got rid of those GINORMOUS cobwebs…..I looked at my pix on the blog again and was HORRIFIED!!! But, they are no more
I moved the kids’ toy bins over to the SW corner of the room; the Gazelle Glider is moved closer to where it will be ‘housed’ when I’m done. Unfortunately….I found another batch of defunked electronics things that will need to be taken in to the recycling center. {sigh} Well, I did say it was one of the worst rooms. I’m making dents…little dents….but better than nothing…AND I’m keeping up the main floor of the house so it is still presentable. babysteps, babysteps, babysteps…it didn’t get this way overnight.
After Work:
DONE 1. Supper (Swedish Meatballs over noodles; tossed salad)
DONE 1.5 Laundry into dryer
DONE 1.5.5 Scoop kitty box
DONE AND DONE 2. Vacumn the Upstairs **include playroom
3. Bring boxes up from basement to prep for decluttering the scary closet
GAZELLE GLIDER MOVED 4. Move the L-shaped desk, treadmill, Gazelle Glider and Hang-Ups things to final places in playroom
5. Grab laundry and put away
6. Go to bed at decent hour
When I go back downstairs, I will grab the laundry to be put away, remake the bed so it’s ready for me tonight, and get the jammies on..so not too bad overall for the night.
Ok – it’s 8:40 now and not only did I get sidetracked….I learned a VALUABLE lesson
When putting Swedish Meatballs into storage containers – make sure the meatballs are loosened from the pan and gravy first LOL they have a tendency to ‘pop’ loose and roll over the counter LOL LOL….but – my countertop, stove and floor are VERY clean now…doggies have received their treats too LOL
awww – it didn’t strike thru my list……anyhoo – all of the morning stuff done; 1st 3 on ‘after work’ are done. I opted to update blogs/comments while eating supper – hubby is too interested in TV…sometimes being an empty nester really bites. {sigh}
Morning:
1. Coffee
2. Bible reading (John chapter 8 today)
3. Prayer time
4. Dishes put away
5. Laundry into wash
After Work:
1. Supper (Swedish Meatballs over noodles; tossed salad)
1.5 Laundry into dryer
1.5.5 Scoop kitty box
2. Vacumn the Upstairs
**include playroom
3. Bring boxes up from basement to prep for decluttering the scary closet
4. Move the L-shaped desk, treadmill, Gazelle Glider and Hang-Ups things to final places in playroom
5. Grab laundry and put away
6. Go to bed at decent hour
I’m only at 7:20 p.m. and made myself take a 30 minute transition time out before starting supper
; since I put away the clean dishes this morning…cleanup will be a snap!
The Lord has been very good to us today and answered fervent prayer for a good outcome for a friend of mine’s family. Her daughter has had surgery and come through it beautifully with a much better outcome than we expected. He is so good, all the time
That concern taken care of, off to track the day:
Okay – here’s mine:
Morning:
1. Coffe
2. Bible reading (John chapter 8 today)
3. Prayer time
4. Dishes put away
5. Laundry into wash
After Work:
1. Supper (Swedish Meatballs over noodles; tossed salad)
1.5 Laundry into dryer
1.5.5 Scoop kitty box
2. Vacumn the Upstairs
**include playroom
3. Bring boxes up from basement to prep for decluttering the scary closet
4. Move the L-shaped desk, treadmill, Gazelle Glider and Hang-Ups things to final places in playroom
5. Grab laundry and put away
6. Go to bed at decent hour
I was sooooo tempted to hit the snooze this morning, but I didn’t. It helps to be accountable
Again I was able to start my day with bible reading and prayer. I did have a long ToDo list for today…but my first priority after work will be to check on my friend and her daughter. Daughter is having total hysterectomy this morning at 10 CST….she is only 17. We just got done going through a successful round of chemo for uterine cancer, now her doctor found ovarian cancer. So, it’s surgery today, a week or so of recovery, then another segment of chemo. Please be in prayer for this young woman. She is only recently come to know the Lord and her doubts are overwhelming. her mom and granmom are very strong Christian women, so the more she is surrounded in prayer, the stronger she feels.
Well – I finally did it…I got the pix of the playroom and closet posted on my blog on avirtuouswoma.org
Totally NOT proud of them…but it will be better a little at a time.
I do have some learning to do on the blogging thing, though. I posted each pic as it’s own blog…oops
I also got most of my ToDo list for today done. So, I’m thrilled with that. Now, it’s off to get ready for bed…so I can meet that 5:30 wake up goal again
Great post, I can’t wait to have the baby and get back into my routine again. I love the idea of “4 P’s” what a great way to start your day!
Toni
so happy it’s back! Love this post!
jennifer
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Stephanie says:
I am so glad you are here! After my little media fast this weekend, I had some fun time online and read through your blog some more! Have a great day, can’t wait to see what you accomplish!
I was FINALLY able to get up at 5:30 to start my day off with bible reading, prayer, and a few morning chores to make my day after work go smoother
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Stephanie says:
Yeah for you! That is an awesome accomplishment! I was up at 5:30 this morning as well and it was a great start to my day! Hopefully we can keep it up all week, huh! Keep up the good work! You are motivating me!
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