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544<script src="//www.projectwonderful.com/ad_display.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
544
545<noscript><map id="admap43451" name="admap43451"><area shape="rect" coords="0,0,125,125" alt="" href="http://www.projectwonderful.com/out_nojs.php?r=0&amp;c=0&amp;id=43451&amp;type=4" target="_blank" title=""/></map>
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548<!-- End of Project Wonderful ad code. -->
549</div>
550<div class='clear'></div>
551</div><div class='widget HTML' data-version='1' id='HTML5'>
552<h2 class='title'>Get My Button</h2>
553<div class='widget-content'>
554<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.momsinneedofmercy.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Manic Mother" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s-22v6r4sFUO4lunnbYSpJwoKo9ELCcfzr6IJB_gDdedmuoa-8Ospm3L1nJ9cJjfmxl2zcHdw7SdojUCn8B3v9tjITSacf93cDs6pcPzbZvvnfZGqQU44tiKInhviSQUecgH9H9APRe2TG=s0-d"></a> </div> <div align="center"> <form><textarea rows="6" cols="20"><center><a href="http://www.momsinneedofmercy.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Moms In Need Of Mercy" src="http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j459/justinhackett/Button_Pic_1.jpg"/></a></center></textarea></form> </div>
555</div>
556<div class='clear'></div>
557</div><div class='widget BlogArchive' data-version='1' id='BlogArchive2'>
558<h2>Blog Archive</h2>
559<div class='widget-content'>
560<div id='ArchiveList'>
561<div id='BlogArchive2_ArchiveList'>
562<ul class='hierarchy'>
563<li class='archivedate expanded'>
564<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
565<span class='zippy toggle-open'>
566
567        &#9660;&#160;
568      
569</span>
570</a>
571<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/'>
5722012
573</a>
574<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(46)</span>
575<ul class='hierarchy'>
576<li class='archivedate expanded'>
577<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
578<span class='zippy toggle-open'>
579
580        &#9660;&#160;
581      
582</span>
583</a>
584<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/12/'>
585December
586</a>
587<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(1)</span>
588<ul class='posts'>
589<li><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/12/letting-go-of-stuff.html'>Letting Go of Stuff</a></li>
590</ul>
591</li>
592</ul>
593<ul class='hierarchy'>
594<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
595<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
596<span class='zippy'>
597
598        &#9658;&#160;
599      
600</span>
601</a>
602<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/10/'>
603October
604</a>
605<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(2)</span>
606</li>
607</ul>
608<ul class='hierarchy'>
609<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
610<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
611<span class='zippy'>
612
613        &#9658;&#160;
614      
615</span>
616</a>
617<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/09/'>
618September
619</a>
620<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(2)</span>
621</li>
622</ul>
623<ul class='hierarchy'>
624<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
625<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
626<span class='zippy'>
627
628        &#9658;&#160;
629      
630</span>
631</a>
632<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/08/'>
633August
634</a>
635<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(1)</span>
636</li>
637</ul>
638<ul class='hierarchy'>
639<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
640<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
641<span class='zippy'>
642
643        &#9658;&#160;
644      
645</span>
646</a>
647<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/07/'>
648July
649</a>
650<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(2)</span>
651</li>
652</ul>
653<ul class='hierarchy'>
654<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
655<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
656<span class='zippy'>
657
658        &#9658;&#160;
659      
660</span>
661</a>
662<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/06/'>
663June
664</a>
665<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(2)</span>
666</li>
667</ul>
668<ul class='hierarchy'>
669<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
670<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
671<span class='zippy'>
672
673        &#9658;&#160;
674      
675</span>
676</a>
677<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/05/'>
678May
679</a>
680<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(5)</span>
681</li>
682</ul>
683<ul class='hierarchy'>
684<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
685<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
686<span class='zippy'>
687
688        &#9658;&#160;
689      
690</span>
691</a>
692<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/04/'>
693April
694</a>
695<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(6)</span>
696</li>
697</ul>
698<ul class='hierarchy'>
699<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
700<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
701<span class='zippy'>
702
703        &#9658;&#160;
704      
705</span>
706</a>
707<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/03/'>
708March
709</a>
710<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(7)</span>
711</li>
712</ul>
713<ul class='hierarchy'>
714<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
715<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
716<span class='zippy'>
717
718        &#9658;&#160;
719      
720</span>
721</a>
722<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/'>
723February
724</a>
725<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(9)</span>
726</li>
727</ul>
728<ul class='hierarchy'>
729<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
730<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
731<span class='zippy'>
732
733        &#9658;&#160;
734      
735</span>
736</a>
737<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/01/'>
738January
739</a>
740<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(9)</span>
741</li>
742</ul>
743</li>
744</ul>
745<ul class='hierarchy'>
746<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
747<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
748<span class='zippy'>
749
750        &#9658;&#160;
751      
752</span>
753</a>
754<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/'>
7552011
756</a>
757<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(170)</span>
758<ul class='hierarchy'>
759<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
760<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
761<span class='zippy'>
762
763        &#9658;&#160;
764      
765</span>
766</a>
767<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/'>
768December
769</a>
770<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(6)</span>
771</li>
772</ul>
773<ul class='hierarchy'>
774<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
775<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
776<span class='zippy'>
777
778        &#9658;&#160;
779      
780</span>
781</a>
782<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/'>
783November
784</a>
785<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(17)</span>
786</li>
787</ul>
788<ul class='hierarchy'>
789<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
790<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
791<span class='zippy'>
792
793        &#9658;&#160;
794      
795</span>
796</a>
797<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/10/'>
798October
799</a>
800<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(18)</span>
801</li>
802</ul>
803<ul class='hierarchy'>
804<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
805<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
806<span class='zippy'>
807
808        &#9658;&#160;
809      
810</span>
811</a>
812<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/09/'>
813September
814</a>
815<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(12)</span>
816</li>
817</ul>
818<ul class='hierarchy'>
819<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
820<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
821<span class='zippy'>
822
823        &#9658;&#160;
824      
825</span>
826</a>
827<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/08/'>
828August
829</a>
830<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(7)</span>
831</li>
832</ul>
833<ul class='hierarchy'>
834<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
835<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
836<span class='zippy'>
837
838        &#9658;&#160;
839      
840</span>
841</a>
842<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/07/'>
843July
844</a>
845<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(13)</span>
846</li>
847</ul>
848<ul class='hierarchy'>
849<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
850<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
851<span class='zippy'>
852
853        &#9658;&#160;
854      
855</span>
856</a>
857<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/06/'>
858June
859</a>
860<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(14)</span>
861</li>
862</ul>
863<ul class='hierarchy'>
864<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
865<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
866<span class='zippy'>
867
868        &#9658;&#160;
869      
870</span>
871</a>
872<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/05/'>
873May
874</a>
875<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(10)</span>
876</li>
877</ul>
878<ul class='hierarchy'>
879<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
880<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
881<span class='zippy'>
882
883        &#9658;&#160;
884      
885</span>
886</a>
887<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/04/'>
888April
889</a>
890<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(11)</span>
891</li>
892</ul>
893<ul class='hierarchy'>
894<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
895<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
896<span class='zippy'>
897
898        &#9658;&#160;
899      
900</span>
901</a>
902<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/03/'>
903March
904</a>
905<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(19)</span>
906</li>
907</ul>
908<ul class='hierarchy'>
909<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
910<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
911<span class='zippy'>
912
913        &#9658;&#160;
914      
915</span>
916</a>
917<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/02/'>
918February
919</a>
920<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(19)</span>
921</li>
922</ul>
923<ul class='hierarchy'>
924<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
925<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
926<span class='zippy'>
927
928        &#9658;&#160;
929      
930</span>
931</a>
932<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/01/'>
933January
934</a>
935<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(24)</span>
936</li>
937</ul>
938</li>
939</ul>
940<ul class='hierarchy'>
941<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
942<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
943<span class='zippy'>
944
945        &#9658;&#160;
946      
947</span>
948</a>
949<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/'>
9502010
951</a>
952<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(179)</span>
953<ul class='hierarchy'>
954<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
955<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
956<span class='zippy'>
957
958        &#9658;&#160;
959      
960</span>
961</a>
962<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/12/'>
963December
964</a>
965<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(20)</span>
966</li>
967</ul>
968<ul class='hierarchy'>
969<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
970<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
971<span class='zippy'>
972
973        &#9658;&#160;
974      
975</span>
976</a>
977<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/11/'>
978November
979</a>
980<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(15)</span>
981</li>
982</ul>
983<ul class='hierarchy'>
984<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
985<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
986<span class='zippy'>
987
988        &#9658;&#160;
989      
990</span>
991</a>
992<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/10/'>
993October
994</a>
995<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(7)</span>
996</li>
997</ul>
998<ul class='hierarchy'>
999<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1000<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1001<span class='zippy'>
1002
1003        &#9658;&#160;
1004      
1005</span>
1006</a>
1007<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/09/'>
1008September
1009</a>
1010<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(7)</span>
1011</li>
1012</ul>
1013<ul class='hierarchy'>
1014<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1015<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1016<span class='zippy'>
1017
1018        &#9658;&#160;
1019      
1020</span>
1021</a>
1022<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/08/'>
1023August
1024</a>
1025<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(1)</span>
1026</li>
1027</ul>
1028<ul class='hierarchy'>
1029<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1030<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1031<span class='zippy'>
1032
1033        &#9658;&#160;
1034      
1035</span>
1036</a>
1037<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/07/'>
1038July
1039</a>
1040<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(6)</span>
1041</li>
1042</ul>
1043<ul class='hierarchy'>
1044<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1045<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1046<span class='zippy'>
1047
1048        &#9658;&#160;
1049      
1050</span>
1051</a>
1052<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/06/'>
1053June
1054</a>
1055<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(20)</span>
1056</li>
1057</ul>
1058<ul class='hierarchy'>
1059<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1060<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1061<span class='zippy'>
1062
1063        &#9658;&#160;
1064      
1065</span>
1066</a>
1067<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/05/'>
1068May
1069</a>
1070<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(13)</span>
1071</li>
1072</ul>
1073<ul class='hierarchy'>
1074<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1075<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1076<span class='zippy'>
1077
1078        &#9658;&#160;
1079      
1080</span>
1081</a>
1082<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/04/'>
1083April
1084</a>
1085<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(18)</span>
1086</li>
1087</ul>
1088<ul class='hierarchy'>
1089<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1090<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1091<span class='zippy'>
1092
1093        &#9658;&#160;
1094      
1095</span>
1096</a>
1097<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/03/'>
1098March
1099</a>
1100<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(25)</span>
1101</li>
1102</ul>
1103<ul class='hierarchy'>
1104<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1105<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1106<span class='zippy'>
1107
1108        &#9658;&#160;
1109      
1110</span>
1111</a>
1112<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/02/'>
1113February
1114</a>
1115<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(27)</span>
1116</li>
1117</ul>
1118<ul class='hierarchy'>
1119<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1120<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1121<span class='zippy'>
1122
1123        &#9658;&#160;
1124      
1125</span>
1126</a>
1127<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/01/'>
1128January
1129</a>
1130<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(20)</span>
1131</li>
1132</ul>
1133</li>
1134</ul>
1135<ul class='hierarchy'>
1136<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1137<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1138<span class='zippy'>
1139
1140        &#9658;&#160;
1141      
1142</span>
1143</a>
1144<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/'>
11452009
1146</a>
1147<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(114)</span>
1148<ul class='hierarchy'>
1149<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1150<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1151<span class='zippy'>
1152
1153        &#9658;&#160;
1154      
1155</span>
1156</a>
1157<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/12/'>
1158December
1159</a>
1160<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(26)</span>
1161</li>
1162</ul>
1163<ul class='hierarchy'>
1164<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1165<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1166<span class='zippy'>
1167
1168        &#9658;&#160;
1169      
1170</span>
1171</a>
1172<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/11/'>
1173November
1174</a>
1175<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(32)</span>
1176</li>
1177</ul>
1178<ul class='hierarchy'>
1179<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1180<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1181<span class='zippy'>
1182
1183        &#9658;&#160;
1184      
1185</span>
1186</a>
1187<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/10/'>
1188October
1189</a>
1190<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(29)</span>
1191</li>
1192</ul>
1193<ul class='hierarchy'>
1194<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1195<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1196<span class='zippy'>
1197
1198        &#9658;&#160;
1199      
1200</span>
1201</a>
1202<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/09/'>
1203September
1204</a>
1205<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(23)</span>
1206</li>
1207</ul>
1208<ul class='hierarchy'>
1209<li class='archivedate collapsed'>
1210<a class='toggle' href='javascript:void(0)'>
1211<span class='zippy'>
1212
1213        &#9658;&#160;
1214      
1215</span>
1216</a>
1217<a class='post-count-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/08/'>
1218August
1219</a>
1220<span class='post-count' dir='ltr'>(4)</span>
1221</li>
1222</ul>
1223</li>
1224</ul>
1225</div>
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1285Showing posts with label <b>Home Management</b>. <a href="https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/">Show all posts</a>
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1288<div class='status-msg-bg'>
1289<div class='status-msg-hidden'>Showing posts with label <b>Home Management</b>. <a href="https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/">Show all posts</a></div>
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1295          <div class="date-outer">
1296        
1297<h2 class='date-header'><span>Saturday, December 29, 2012</span></h2>
1298
1299          <div class="date-posts">
1300        
1301<div class='post-outer'>
1302<div class='post hentry'>
1303<a name='7753315200253575203'></a>
1304<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
1305<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/12/letting-go-of-stuff.html'>Letting Go of Stuff</a>
1306</h3>
1307<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
1308<div class='post-body entry-content'>
1309As we prepared to move, my husband and I were rather ruthless when it came to getting rid of stuff. A friend, who is a mom to eight, once shared that when they moved, she threw away seven garbage bags full of stuff. I've always kept that in the back of my mind and aimed to do the same. We not only pitched seven huge trash bags (the big, black kind you use for raking leaves), we exceeded it. I think we ended up with at least nine big black bags, plus lots of smaller ones.<br />
1310<br />
1311What were in those bags? Lots of odds and ends. Lotion bottles less than half full, partially burned candles and ones I didn't like the scent of, broken toys, toys that we no longer needed (and no one else would want), lots of papers, magazines, mismatched linens, dusty decorations, clothes not suitable for donating (or not worth going to the trouble of donating), books (being a book lover, this was hard for me, but at some point, some of it--in the words of Charlotte Mason--is just twaddle and can go), and on and on. <br />
1312<br />
1313I realized that I didn't want the clutter that was at home in my home to go with us to our new home. We wanted a clean, fresh slate, surrounded only by the things we love the most. (I've blogged about <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/03/messy-monday-women-who-love-too-much.html">paring down </a>to what you love the most <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/03/messy-monday-women-who-love-too-much.html">here</a>). <br />
1314<br />
1315Now that we are moved in and busy unpacking, the culling continues. Call this the second round of cuts. We're still finding things that we don't want or need. We'd rather have the space and the uncluttered look. Today, we worked on going through toys again. Some will be donated, others discarded.<br />
1316<br />
1317Here's an organizing tip that's guiding me right now:<br />
1318<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1319<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4P-CgHoxN8_vIOI_3ulBHAsWhpJlej0jKYa6TKZSDdCjqH6AbFB15qn04xqD901eIyYYMNQYTYlEIa-WJAZdDGKDPs2fALAGmnMfAU5XbpDNRGXnWJdbwUlp8KWvvODF4lVtVwr-jNOc/s1600/doorman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4P-CgHoxN8_vIOI_3ulBHAsWhpJlej0jKYa6TKZSDdCjqH6AbFB15qn04xqD901eIyYYMNQYTYlEIa-WJAZdDGKDPs2fALAGmnMfAU5XbpDNRGXnWJdbwUlp8KWvvODF4lVtVwr-jNOc/s400/doorman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
1320<div style="text-align: center;">
1321<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildlife_encounters/8024166802/sizes/z/in/photostream/">&nbsp;Photo Credit</a></div>
1322Pretend your home has a doorman out front, guarding who (in this case <i>what) </i>is allowed to enter. <i>You</i> are that doorman.<br />
1323<br />
1324You've got to decide, before something ever enters your house, if it's worth it to you. It will take up valuable space and require effort on your part to find a spot for it, use or read it, maintain it, etc. So do you really want to let it get passed the door?<br />
1325<br />
1326Here's an example:<br />
1327Your friend asks you if you want a stash of her cooking magazines. Do you really want them to come into your home? Do you have time to go through them? Do you have a spot to put them? Are you really going to use them?<br />
1328<br />
1329Be ruthless when it comes to acquiring and then letting go of stuff!<br />
1330<br />
1331Another couple of tips that are helping me immensely come from<a href="http://raisingolives.com/"> Raising Olives</a>. Kimberly wrote that when her children are given toys, they assume that the giver did not intend for them to keep them forever and pass them onto their children. Rather, the gift was meant to be used and enjoyed for a season.&nbsp; When it has lost its charm or usefulness for that child or children, it can happily be passed onto some other child who will, in turn, love and appreciate it. (I can't find the exact post, but here is another <a href="http://raisingolives.com/2009/03/inspiration-to-declutterde-junk/">good one</a>).<br />
1332<br />
1333In another post about <a href="http://raisingolives.com/2012/03/keeping-up-keepsake
1333s-moms/">keeping up with keepsakes</a>, Kimberly offers great advice concerning those special things that have been passed down or kept from your own childhood: Use them, and, in her words, "as things wear out we throw them away, happy that our children were able to enjoy something that we loved when we were young."<br />
1334<br />
1335That even goes for fragile items. Kimberly writes, "I figure that something that belonged to my great grandmother, but is 
1336stored in a box in the attic throughout my kid&#8217;s childhood will have 
1337little meaning to my children. The things that we&#8217;ve chosen to keep, 
1338we&#8217;ve also chosen to display and enjoy. (Yes, with 10 children sometimes
1339 things get broken, but my children have many happy memories of playing 
1340with and listening to the music box that played with and listened to at 
1341my great-grandmother&#8217;s home when I was a girl.)"<br />
1342<br />
1343So, in my zest to pare down, I kept that advice in my head as I went through toys and stuffed animals today. The little yellow bunny I apparently had as a child? It didn't make the cut. I don't remember it; it means nothing to me, and my kids have other stuffed animals they like more that are filling our bin for stuffed animals. The bear the OB/GYN gave one of our children at birth? It didn't make the cut either. They've never played with it, it isn't as cute as others we have, and is it going to be like my yellow bunny when they're grown? They'll take it out of a box, look at it, wonder why Mom kept it for them, and wonder if they should get rid of it, or keep it "just because." We're sparing them that guilt by making the decision now. (A word of caution--we are letting them make decisions about stuff we know is important to them. I know this bear is not one of those things, so I am making the decision).<br />
1344<br />
1345As the new year approaches and many of us make resolutions to become more organized, I encourage you to go through your stuff as if you're moving, and let it go!<br />
1346<br />
1347A final thought...isn't it interesting that when we, as believers in Christ, die and go to heaven, we don't take anything with us. What is truly important is already there. We don't need to say, "Hey, can I just grab this one thing real quick to take with me?" We won't miss it. So why is it so hard to let go now?<br />
1348<br />
1349Look toward heaven, our true home. Keep in this life the things you love the very most. Let go of the rest. You'll experience less stress, more peace, and time to enjoy your husband and children to the full.<br />
1350<br />
1351Sharing With:<br /><a href="http://www.thebettermom.com/">The Better Mom</a><br />
1352<br />
1353<div style='clear: both;'></div>
1354</div>
1355<div class='post-footer'>
1356<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
1357Posted by
1358<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
1359</span>
1360<span class='post-timestamp'>
1361at
1362<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/12/letting-go-of-stuff.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-12-29T15:41:00-07:00'>12/29/2012</abbr></a>
1363</span>
1364<span class='post-comment-link'>
1365<a class='comment-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/12/letting-go-of-stuff.html#comment-form' onclick=''>18
1366comments</a>
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1381<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'><span class='post-labels'>
1382Labels:
1383<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
1384<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Messy%20Monday%20Tips%20for%20Getting%20It%20Together' rel='tag'>Messy Monday Tips for Getting It Together</a>,
1385<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Organization' rel='tag'>Organization</a>
1386</span>
1387</div>
1388<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'></div>
1389</div>
1390</div>
1391</div>
1392
1393          </div></div>
1394        
1395
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1397        
1398<h2 class='date-header'><span>
1398Sunday, October 28, 2012</span></h2>
1399
1400          <div class="date-posts">
1401        
1402<div class='post-outer'>
1403<div class='post hentry'>
1404<a name='1238325010716615613'></a>
1405<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
1406<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/10/messy-monday-routine-maintenance-or.html'>Messy Monday: Routine Maintenance or Lack Thereof</a>
1407</h3>
1408<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
1409<div class='post-body entry-content'>
1410If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you may remember that about a year ago, I mentioned that our local school district wanted to buy our home (and others on our street) to expand the high school we live next to. Well, that time has finally come, and we have slightly over two weeks to pack up and move out. (I have seen so many answers to really specific prayers through this time that I feel peaceful. The testimony of this time is a great subject for another post). <br />
1411<br />
1412<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1413<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwdybCStXvynu7r6xS07DgM4plqcGmivQ3aCJ_QaLcvRAJsAhQ8baIwQAzEDFVty2Z05w6xQY8oa9xF_z3TlysK2J1VTepz9P4ZX2Urf1mX1LDkZmD9N3YdUcZIl-gNA3T6NIt8tFMa8/s1600/desk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwdybCStXvynu7r6xS07DgM4plqcGmivQ3aCJ_QaLcvRAJsAhQ8baIwQAzEDFVty2Z05w6xQY8oa9xF_z3TlysK2J1VTepz9P4ZX2Urf1mX1LDkZmD9N3YdUcZIl-gNA3T6NIt8tFMa8/s640/desk.jpg" width="640" />&nbsp;</a></div>
1414<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1415<i>(not my desk!</i> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/therealhershey/6700748913/sizes/z/in/photostream/">Photo Credit</a>) </div>
1416<br />
1417One of the biggest things I've realized is--<b>why did I not carve out time along the way for routine maintenance of certain tasks? </b>Instead, I let them go, choosing to spend my time with the more urgent instead of what appeared optional. And now, that is biting me in the behind.<br />
1418<br />
1419Today, I spent an hour finally sorting my desk. I put things away that have been waiting to return to their proper home for...(<i>I'm embarrassed to say</i>) months.&nbsp; The whole process didn't take as long as I thought it would, making me wonder why I avoided it for so long.<br />
1420<br />
1421Lesson: <b>in the new house, take 15-20 minutes a week (perhaps Sunday afternoon?) to order my desk.</b><br />
1422<br />
1423My other big project today: sorting through magazines that have accumulated, waiting to be flipped through.<br />
1424<br />
1425First, I don't receive many magazines to begin with because I can't keep up, but I like <i>Better Homes &amp; Gardens</i>, and <i>Taste of Home.</i> I also have some <i>Family Circle</i> and <i>Everyday Food</i> issues I've wanted to thumb through. But, as most moms know, when you're busy with kids and dinner and dishes, taking time in the evening to flip through a magazine is a luxury that never presents itself. The magazine doesn't scream, "Pay attention to me!"; the baby does.<br />
1426<br />
1427So I quickly went through a stack, ripping out pages of recipes to try and decorating ideas to file. <i>Now to finish doing that before it remains undone and catches up with me...</i><br />
1428<br />
1429Lesson: <b>If you're busy, limit (or eliminate) your magazines.&nbsp;<i> </i>Carve out time once a week (or month) to look through the latest issue. File what you want to keep. Throw the rest away, or give the whole thing away to a hospital, library, etc.</b><br />
1430<br />
1431<b>Overall lesson: no task becomes unbearable if we carve out time regularly and routinely (such as the same time every week or month) to just get it done.&nbsp;</b><br />
1432<br />
1433What is your worst one that you consistently put off, and how can you make a plan to tackle it this week? The ones I've dreaded the most have taken less than an hour (I thought they would take hours!)<b><br /></b><br />
1434<br />
1435Sharing With:<br />
1436<a href="http://wearethatfamily.com/">We are That Family (Works for Me Wednesday)</a><b></b><br />
1437<a href="http://womenlivingwell.org/">Women Living Well</a><b></b><br />
1438<a href="http://www.raisinghomemakers.com/">Raising Homemakers</a><br />
1439<a href="http://deeprootsathome.com/">Deep Roots at Home</a><b><br /></b><br />
1440<a href="http://www.themodestmomblog.com/">Modest Mom</a>
1441<div style='clear: both;'></div>
1442</div>
1443<div class='post-footer'>
1444<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
1445Posted by
1446<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
1447</span>
1448<span class='post-timestamp'>
1449at
1450<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/10/messy-monday-routine-maintenance-or.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-10-28T21:22:00-06:00'>10/28/2012</abbr></a>
1451</span>
1452<span class='post-comment-link'>
1453<a class='comment-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/10/messy-monday-routine-maintenance-or.html#comment-form' onclick=''>3
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1469<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'><span class='post-labels'>
1470Labels:
1471<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
1472<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Messy%20Monday%20Tips%20for%20Getting%20It%20Together' rel='tag'>Messy Monday Tips for Getting It Together</a>,
1473<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Time%20Management' rel='tag'>Time Management</a>
1474</span>
1475</div>
1476<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'></div>
1477</div>
1478</div>
1479</div>
1480
1481          </div></div>
1482        
1483
1484          <div class="date-outer">
1485        
1486<h2 class='date-header'><span>Tuesday, August 28, 2012</span></h2>
1487
1488          <div class="date-posts">
1489        
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1491<div class='post hentry'>
1492<a name='8559724320345220143'></a>
1493<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
1494<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/08/disconnected-yet-connected-to-ones-who.html'>Disconnected, yet Connected to the Ones Who Matter Most</a>
1495</h3>
1496<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
1497<div class='post-body entry-content'>
1498<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sgwXeyjWiQEKZqtgm5FV1GNio45Z-hsIDKQLclkNM3TlBX9zOoHiyqS8OwSVHucAbLh5R2Ogf63uFbYs6lsHUWxWT5P5eITUIY0-PMBM__VoGCSkXdIyHJ2hQb5Em-i28zRCO8zsLl4/s1600/Cheryl_Lighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sgwXeyjWiQEKZqtgm5FV1GNio45Z-hsIDKQLclkNM3TlBX9zOoHiyqS8OwSVHucAbLh5R2Ogf63uFbYs6lsHUWxWT5P5eITUIY0-PMBM__VoGCSkXdIyHJ2hQb5Em-i28zRCO8zsLl4/s640/Cheryl_Lighthouse.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>I've obviously been on a bit of an Internet fast, some of it self-imposed and some of it through circumstances. We took a two-week trip to visit my family and camped along the way. While I brought my lap-top with me, most places didn't have wireless, and when we did have it, I just realized I would rather make the most of my time with my family.<br />
1499<br />
1500Some things I noticed while being disconnected from the world wide web:<br />
1501<ul><li><b>Social media creates clutter</b>. It is amazing how quickly my inbox fills with junk! As we talk about clearing the clutter from our homes, social media creates a huge amount of clutter that I don't think we're aware of on a daily basis. But when you step away from it for nearly 20 days, and come back to hundreds of messages--mostly status updates and notifications from Facebook (and I can't imagine if I was on Twitter)--you realize how massively it all adds up. All of this requires an investment of daily maintenance to keep it from piling up. Is it really worth it? Do I really need to know that an acquaintance is drinking lemonade down by the river on a 100-degree day? (not a real update).&nbsp;</li>
1502<li>Those moments when we just pop on the computer <i>real quick</i>--what is the motivation behind that? Are we a little bit bored? Are we looking for a little spark to liven things up in a monotonous day? <i><b>What would we do in that moment if we didn't have the Internet to turn to?</b> </i>Would that be a better use of our time? Would our children appreciate a moment with Mom? (Yes).</li>
1503<li>Slowing down, and taking those moments to fully engage with my kids, brought us all closer in a way. Getting away from the busy daily routine gave me some time to appreciate and enjoy my children more. I wasn't nagging them,<i> ahem, </i>reminding them, to clean up their breakfast plates and take them to the dishwasher, do their chores, pick up their clothes... <i>We just had fun together.</i><b><i> And while vacation is downtime, in the even more downtime moments, I wasn't turning to the computer, I was turning to them. </i></b>(By the way, I notice some of the problem behaviors we've been dealing with are vastly improved. I think in large part, it's due to the extra attention they received).&nbsp;</li>
1504<li>After the first few days of breaking that magnetic draw to the computer, I find I really didn't miss it. When I could get on the Internet, I didn't really want to anymore. I had witnessed all of the positive effects of not being plugged in.</li>
1505</ul>So while I was disconnected from friends' status-updates, blog posts, online news and more, I was connected to the ones who matter most: my family members. Now that we're home, I'm trying to keep in the forefront of my mind: <b>disconnect to connect. </b>I'm grateful for the time away to realize this lesson.<br />
1506<br />
1507Sharing with:<br />
1508<a href="http://www.womenlivingwell.org/">Women Living Well</a><br />
1509<a href="http://wearethatfamily.com/">We are that Family</a><br />
1510<a href="http://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/">Heavenly Homemakers </a><br />
1511<a href="http://www.raisinghomemakers.com/">Raising Homemakers</a><br />
1512<br />
1513<br />
1514<br />
1515<br />
1516<div style='clear: both;'></div>
1517</div>
1518<div class='post-footer'>
1519<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
1520Posted by
1521<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
1522</span>
1523<span class='post-timestamp'>
1524at
1525<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/08/disconnected-yet-connected-to-ones-who.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-08-28T20:42:00-06:00'>8/28/2012</abbr></a>
1526</span>
1527<span class='post-comment-link'>
1528<a class='comment-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/08/disconnected-yet-connected-to-ones-who.html#comment-form' onclick=''>5
1529comments</a>
1530</span>
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1543</div>
1544<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'><span class='post-labels'>
1545Labels:
1546<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Commentary%20on%20Current%20Events' rel='tag'>Commentary on Current Events</a>,
1547<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
1548<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Time%20Management' rel='tag'>Time Management</a>
1549</span>
1550</div>
1551<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'></div>
1552</div>
1553</div>
1554</div>
1555
1556          </div></div>
1557        
1558
1559          <div class="date-outer">
1560        
1561<h2 class='date-header'><span>Thursday, July 19, 2012</span></h2>
1562
1563          <div class="date-posts">
1564        
1565<div class='post-outer'>
1566<div class='post hentry'>
1567<a name='8923641260151195356'></a>
1568<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
1569<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/07/making-house-home.html'>Making A House a Home</a>
1570</h3>
1571<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
1572<div class='post-body entry-content'>
1573This post so encouraged me, I had to share it with you. It is a Facebook devotion from Nancy Campbell of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AboveRubiesUS/posts/507702522590262">Above Rubies.</a> You can like the Above Rubies FB page to get mini-motivational messages each morning.<br />
1574(I am sharing it in its entirety).&nbsp; <br />
1575<div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;---</div>
1575--Dear lovely wives and mothers, Thank you for your lovely comments  regarding yesterday&#8217;s post, I LOVE HOME. Would you mind if I took the  next few days to comment on some of the comments? I think it will be  encouraging for all. <br />
1576<br />
1577One precious mother writes, &#8220;I&#8217;m struggling with this as my home doesn't<span class="text_exposed_show">  feel like home. I&#8217;m so grateful that God has given this place but it  needs so much work doing to it and money spent that we don't have.&#8221; <br />
1578<br />
1579Dear mother, and so many other mothers in similar circumstances, can I  encourage you to not get bogged down with all the problems and what  needs fixing and repairing, and instead enjoy what you do have? You are  so blessed to have a roof over your head, a place of shelter for you and  your children, and a place to raise them for the glory of God. You  don&#8217;t have to have everything perfect to do the great job of raising  godly and effective children for the kingdom of God. You just have to  have the right attitude.<br />
1580<br />
1581It all comes back to our attitude.  It&#8217;s certainly not hard to get depressed when things are not as they  should be. I know. But, it is amazing what you can do even in the most  primitive and imperfect situations. I could even complain myself. My  fridge is falling to pieces and the drawers fall out every time I open  the fridge. The stove is ready for the dump! But, hallelujah, I can  still cook, and I can still put some things in the fridge! So I keep  praising the Lord until we can one day afford new appliances.<br />
1582<br />
1583I  think of my daughter, Serene. Currently, her husband is fulfilling  contracts in different states in the country. Serene and the children go  to be with him as they are able. His last contract was in Mississippi  and he and his brother rented a tiny home for them to sleep when not  working&#8212;no homely things for a woman!  But, Serene couldn&#8217;t be parted  and she and the eight children spent a few months with him in this  little home. The children had to keep quiet all day while the men slept  as they worked night shift. She couldn&#8217;t let them outside because it was  next to a quarry with sheer cliffs a few feet from the house! And she  was at the end of her pregnancy! <br />
1584<br />
1585We arrived to bring her and  the children home so she could have her new baby in Tennessee. Instead,  she had the baby on the day we arrived in Mississippi. That night Colin  and I slept on their blow-up mattress and it was so uncomfortable we  couldn&#8217;t sleep all night! Serene slept on it every night in her last  weeks of pregnancy.<br />
1586<br />
1587I asked her, &#8220;How on earth did you do it?&#8221;  With a big smile, she said, &#8220;God gave me grace. I loved our time in that  place.&#8221; You see, it&#8217;s not the circumstances, but our attitude!<br />
1588<br />
1589I think of my daughter, Evangeline. They live in their tiny home with  their 10 children. They are building on bedrooms, but they are still not  completed. The children have never had beds and have slept on the floor  all their lives! But, no one complains. They all love their life and  you couldn&#8217;t find happier children. The boys all want to be tough and  train for the Delta Force anyway! <br />
1590<br />
1591How does Evangeline  homeschool and run a home in such tiny circumstances? It&#8217;s her attitude!  Ask her how she is doing today. She&#8217;ll reply, &#8220;I&#8217;m great. In fact, I&#8217;m  God&#8217;s pet! God is so good and I have a wonderful life.&#8221; Evangeline also  loves to say, &#8220;I&#8217;m caring for children, not stuff!&#8221;<br />
1592<br />
1593Please,  dear mothers, get your eyes off your circumstances and put your eyes  upon the Lord. Thank the Lord for what you do have. Rejoice in what He  has given you. Make the most of what He has given you and make it the  most beautiful place in the world even if everything is half-finished  and falling down around you. <br />
1594<br />
1595One of the challenges of  homemaking is to make something that maybe ugly into something that is  beautiful. Isn&#8217;t that exciting? As another mother commented, &#8220;I used to  live in a basement apartment where pipes were coming out of the ceiling,  but it was our home at the time and I loved being there with my growing  family.&#8221; If you have pipes coming out of the roof, decorate the pipes  and make them an amazing feature! Who wants to have a boring house  anyway? Make every negative into a creative and beautiful thing.  <br />
1596<br />
1597It&#8217;s the atmosphere of your home that counts. You can have joy, fun,  laughter, and most of all, the presence of the Lord in a tiny unfinished  home. You can have coldness and complaining and discontented children  in a large and beautiful home. <br />
1598<br />
1599It&#8217;s not the building, it&#8217;s the atmosphere. Have you got it?<br />
1600</span><span class="text_exposed_show">---</span><br />
1601<br />
1602<span class="text_exposed_show"></span><br />
1603Me again. Doesn't that just jazz you in regard to your attitude toward your home? What can we do today to make it more special, to spread more love, more joy? And as I prepare for a new day, I'm also thinking about what I can do to help my husband to have a good start to his day: grinding coffee and setting the coffee timer, making granola (his favorite breakfast over Greek yogurt) so he has something to eat if he has to leave early.<br />
1604<br />
1605Here's to a great day ahead! <br />
1606<span class="text_exposed_show"></span>
1607<div style='clear: both;'></div>
1608</div>
1609<div class='post-footer'>
1610<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
1611Posted by
1612<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
1613</span>
1614<span class='post-timestamp'>
1615at
1616<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/07/making-house-home.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-07-19T22:19:00-06:00'>7/19/2012</abbr></a>
1617</span>
1618<span class='post-comment-link'>
1619<a class='comment-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/07/making-house-home.html#comment-form' onclick=''>1 comments</a>
1620</span>
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1633</div>
1634<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'><span class='post-labels'>
1635Labels:
1636<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Growing%20in%20Grace' rel='tag'>Growing in Grace</a>,
1637<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>
1638</span>
1639</div>
1640<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'></div>
1641</div>
1642</div>
1643</div>
1644
1645          </div></div>
1646        
1647
1648          <div class="date-outer">
1649        
1650<h2 class='date-header'><span>
1650Sunday, July 15, 2012</span></h2>
1651
1652          <div class="date-posts">
1653        
1654<div class='post-outer'>
1655<div class='post hentry'>
1656<a name='1542200409248933198'></a>
1657<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
1658<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/07/own-less-laugh-more_15.html'>Own Less, Laugh More?</a>
1659</h3>
1660<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
1661<div class='post-body entry-content'>
1662<i>Hope everyone is having a great summer! I am trying to be present  less on the computer these days so that I can be more fully present with  my kids during the day (and be more focused at home). That said, I will  commit to at least one post a week, written when they're in bed  (whether that be early in the morning or late in the evening). So here's  a thought I've been mulling over lately...</i><br />
1663<div style="text-align: center;">--------<br />
1664<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1e6KQKj2oobQAKu90k1zL-sTz7JZnINUVxrMInfnGjCRaIbCmfQ7MrUYX6n45MU2oilLCYaPUgkXP9d0JV-EMRPdUfj8226-PIePIP_qHtGxLlXC0DBeaMACBjUB0L2NcxBuPluV8vg/s1600/smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1e6KQKj2oobQAKu90k1zL-sTz7JZnINUVxrMInfnGjCRaIbCmfQ7MrUYX6n45MU2oilLCYaPUgkXP9d0JV-EMRPdUfj8226-PIePIP_qHtGxLlXC0DBeaMACBjUB0L2NcxBuPluV8vg/s320/smile.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hulagway/5116382090/sizes/m/in/photostream/">Photo Credit&nbsp;&nbsp;</a><br />
1665<span style="font-size: x-small;">(not my neighbors, just a Flickr picture I found)</span><br />
1666<br />
1667</div>A  Mexican family moved in next door recently. From all appearances, they  don't seem to have much in the way of material possessions. The kids'  favorite toys seem to be their bikes, and they ride them gleefully for  hours in the afternoon and in the evening. Their dad works construction  and worked nearly non-stop to build a deck this weekend. And their  mom--I haven't seen her much, but the aroma wafting toward our house  from her cooking smells delicious and makes me feel like an imaginary  cook-off on who can make the best smelling food for their families is  on! (Kidding).<br />
1668<br />
1669A few days ago, as I was working busily  inside on catching up on my to-do list, my son came in and said, "Mom,  the mom next door is pretty <i>laughy </i>[he meant <i>giggly</i>]. I've heard her laugh 10 times already today," (and it was barely noon when he told me this).<br />
1670<br />
1671He went back outside to play, and I stayed inside to mop the floor or wipe out the fridge or whatever it was that I was busy doing. That day, I hadn't laughed at all. Even worse, I couldn't think of anything to laugh at. My sense of humor was hidden under my work load. <br />
1672<br />
1673With four kids under seven, it is so easy to be buried with stuff to do. Despite my best attempts at scheduling, I am always behind. The work always seems to pile up. It's like the saying--"Cleaning house while children are small is like shoveling snow while it's still snowing." I don't expect a spotless house--sure, that would be great--but I am aiming for a manageable one. And I feel like a woman trying to climb a snowy hill, where you make some progress and then slide back down. I can't seem to get on top of it.<br />
1674<br />
1675So I got to thinking:<br />
1676<i>What is the difference between me and the mom next door?</i><br />
1677<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
1678</div><b>Could it be that owning less makes it easier to laugh more? </b>There's less to do, less to manage, less stuff to care for. In that simplicity, perhaps one is freer to slow down and enjoy life more, laugh more<i>.</i><br />
1679<br />
1680My son's comment was a wake-up call to me to slow down a little, take some of the stress off and laugh a little more. But where do you start to find funny stuff to laugh at?<br />
1681<ul><li>Pray about it and ask for a spirit of laughter. (After doing this, the next day, my youngest son pushed his face against our glass door and made the silliest faces. We all laughed hysterically.)</li>
1682<li>&nbsp;Capitalize on silly moments. Savor them. And laugh!</li>
1683<li>Sometimes, I think you may have to force a fake giggle, if it's not coming naturally at first. Practice makes perfect, and the spontaneous laughs will soon follow.&nbsp;</li>
1684<li>Find clean jokes and tell them. Laughter is contagious (remember getting the giggles in class or at church?), and if someone starts laughing, you'll soon be laughing, too.</li>
1685<li>Here's a<a href="http://stress.about.com/od/positiveattitude/a/having_fun.htm%20%20"> link </a>
1685to another article on the topic, and you could always do an Internet search for more tips.</li>
1686</ul>In my quest to laugh more, I'm adding one more thing to my to-do list: go through the house and declutter.<br />
1687I'm aiming to own less so I can laugh more.<br />
1688<br />
1689Sharing With:<br />
1690<a href="http://thebettermom.com/">The Better Mom</a><br />
1691<a href="http://womenlivingwell.org/2012/07/we-are-women-of-a-different-status-wlww-link-up-party/">Women Living Well</a><br />
1692<a href="http://www.raisinghomemakers.com/">Raising Homemakers </a>
1693<div style='clear: both;'></div>
1694</div>
1695<div class='post-footer'>
1696<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
1697Posted by
1698<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
1699</span>
1700<span class='post-timestamp'>
1701at
1702<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/07/own-less-laugh-more_15.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-07-15T22:54:00-06:00'>7/15/2012</abbr></a>
1703</span>
1704<span class='post-comment-link'>
1705<a class='comment-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/07/own-less-laugh-more_15.html#comment-form' onclick=''>1 comments</a>
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1719</div>
1720<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'><span class='post-labels'>
1721Labels:
1722<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Attitudes%20toward%20Children' rel='tag'>Attitudes toward Children</a>,
1723<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Finding%20Humor' rel='tag'>Finding Humor</a>,
1724<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Growing%20in%20Grace' rel='tag'>Growing in Grace</a>,
1725<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
1726<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Joy%20in%20the%20Journey' rel='tag'>Joy in the Journey</a>
1727</span>
1728</div>
1729<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'></div>
1730</div>
1731</div>
1732</div>
1733
1734          </div></div>
1735        
1736
1737          <div class="date-outer">
1738        
1739<h2 class='date-header'><span>Tuesday, April 17, 2012</span></h2>
1740
1741          <div class="date-posts">
1742        
1743<div class='post-outer'>
1744<div class='post hentry'>
1745<a name='8380215719550955317'></a>
1746<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
1747<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-floors-could-be-death-of-my-daughter.html'>What's On My Floors Could Be the Death of My Daughter</a>
1748</h3>
1749<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
1750<div class='post-body entry-content'>
1751My three sons have learned a new phrase in the past few weeks:<br />
1752<br />
1753<b>Choking hazard. </b><br />
1754<br />
1755A curious, crawling eight-month old baby loves to find things and put them into her mouth--things that I might miss, that the boys lazily leave lying around. Things like candy wrappers, coins, band-aid peels. Things that could easily cause a baby to choke.<br />
1756<br />
1757We've had a few incidents.<br />
1758<br />
1759The first involved the peel from the back of a band-aid. I didn't know one of the boys had gotten a band-aid, unwrapped it, and left the wrappers on the floor. Little Lauren was crawling around the kitchen, and suddenly, I heard her gagging. Nothing puts more panic in the heart of a momma than to see her baby's face turning red as she's gagging and struggling to get air.<br />
1760<br />
1761I turned her over my leg, thumped on her back several times, and prayed. Fortunately, a few days before, I had asked my husband what you're supposed to do if an infant is choking on something, if turning them over and thumping them on the back doesn't help. He reminded me that you're supposed to look in the mouth and finger sweep the item out if you can see it or feel it.<br />
1762<br />
1763That's when I could see the band-aid peel stuck far back on the roof of her mouth, going down her esophagus.&nbsp; I prayed that I could quickly get it out, without pushing it down further. <br />
1764<br />
1765Doing this on a frantic baby is about as easy as it would be on a cat. It was sight unseen, but it worked. The wrapper came out.<br />
1766<br />
1767It took all day for my nerves to calm down.<br />
1768<br />
1769Since then, we've had another scare with another kind of wrapper or piece of construction paper(I can't remember what it was; I only remember the gagging and turning red). Just today, I had to fish a Hershey's kiss foil wrapper out of her mouth.<br />
1770<br />
1771While extremely scary, these ordeals have been a great kick in the pants for the boys to <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/01/forming-habits.html">learn better habits. </a>They cannot be so lazy, for lack of a better word, to just peel something and let the wrapper drop and lay. They cannot take <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-son-swallowed-quarter.html">coins out of their piggy banks</a> and leave them on the floor. Everyone must pay super close attention to what is on the floor and remove anything that could be a choking hazard.<br />
1772<br />
1773As for me, I need to diligently sweep the kitchen and vacuum other rooms, watching closely for little items that may not be a big deal normally but are a huge deal with a baby.&nbsp; <br />
1774<br />
1775Looking on the bright side, having a baby can be a huge motivator to step up one's home management.
1776<div style='clear: both;'></div>
1777</div>
1778<div class='post-footer'>
1779<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
1780Posted by
1781<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
1782</span>
1783<span class='post-timestamp'>
1784at
1785<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-floors-could-be-death-of-my-daughter.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-04-17T22:38:00-06:00'>4/17/2012</abbr></a>
1786</span>
1787<span class='post-comment-link'>
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1805Labels:
1806<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
1807<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Training%20Children' rel='tag'>Training Children</a>
1808</span>
1809</div>
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1815          </div></div>
1816        
1817
1818          <div class="date-outer">
1819        
1820<h2 class='date-header'><span>Tuesday, March 6, 2012</span></h2>
1821
1822          <div class="date-posts">
1823        
1824<div class='post-outer'>
1825<div class='post hentry'>
1826<a name='5844914920725719606'></a>
1827<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
1828<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/03/home-managementstress-management.html'>Home Management=Stress Management</a>
1829</h3>
1830<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
1831<div class='post-body entry-content'>
1832<em></em><br />
1833<blockquote class="tr_bq"><em>"Establishing and caring for a home is so much more than a decorating dilemma or an organizational challenge or a call to love one's family! It is a commitment of heart, mind, and soul to the task of subduing (making productive) a very specific part of the earth--the domain of the home. It involves teaching minds and nurturing hearts and shaping souls, in addition to getting the rugs vacuumed and dinner on the table!"--Sally Clarkson, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578565812/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1578565812">The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uU6-2O8U_2zLlbSFp7GKe7KbI-eJdX4WRto9qV6AYYR949dIdTAlapktJWxqSnyihLK6ZcXyfP5f6OvEKabCu6F7EVgisqegONtjpfOjUQNr7PgkAfIil36k16FqrsJ64hf-oauUkHosvmhptb=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"></em><br />
1834<br />
1835<br />
1836</blockquote><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manages"><strong>Manage</strong></a><strong>: transitive verb</strong><br />
1837<strong><br />
1838</strong><br />
1839<strong>1: to handle or direct with a degree of skill: as a : to make and keep compliant &lt;<em>can't manage their child</em>&gt; b : to treat with care : husband &lt;<em>managed his resources carefully</em>&gt; </strong><br />
1840<strong>c : to exercise executive, administrative, and supervisory direction of &lt;<em>manage a business</em>&gt; <manage a="" bond="" issue=""><manage a="" baseball="" team=""></strong><br />
1841<strong>2: to work upon or try to alter for a purpose &lt;<em>manage the press&gt; <manage stress=""></em></strong><br />
1842<strong>3: to succeed in accomplishing : contrive &lt;<em>managed to escape from prison</em>&gt; </strong><br />
1843<strong>4: to direct the professional career of &lt;<em>an agency that manages entertainers</em>&gt;</strong><br />
1844<br />
1845As home managers, we do all&nbsp;of the above. We handle and direct our homes with (ideally) ever-increasing degrees of skill, we treat it (and the people&nbsp;within it) with care, we&nbsp;exercise supervisory direction of&nbsp;all that goes&nbsp;on inside, we have a purpose for our work beyond what the eye can see, we aim to succeed in accomplishing our goals, and--despite what society thinks--homemaking is a professional career!<br />
1846<br />
1847I've always thought of home management as working hard to keep&nbsp;up on what needs to be done (trying to stay afloat) in order to bless my family, but I've never really thought of it as a <strong><em>stress-reduction system</em></strong>--until I&nbsp;read Sally Clarkson's insight in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578565812/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1578565812">The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity.</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uU6-2O8U_2zLlbSFp7GKe7KbI-eJdX4WRto9qV6AYYR949dIdTAlapktJWxqSnyihLK6ZcXyfP5f6OvEKabCu6F7EVgisqegONtjpfOjUQNr7PgkAfIil36k16FqrsJ64hf-oauUkHosvmhptb=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"><br />
1848<blockquote class="tr_bq">"My purpose in organizing my household&nbsp;is not to live up to some external value system, but to make life easier and more peaceful for the whole family. I have learned that I can reduce the anxiety we feel by reducing the stressors, at the same time knowing that they will never totally go away...<br />
1849<br />
1850Effective home management can do a lot to reduce the stress in our families. Once I began thinking of home management as stress reduction, I found it much easier to pinpoint the areas in my home life that needed attention and to come up with a plan for reducing the stress."</blockquote>Sally&nbsp;believes the three biggest stresses fall into the categories of stuff, information (papers), and time. Making a specific plan to effectively manage each of these areas, daily and a "purge" day every few months, can help tremendously to lighten our subconscious (or perhaps very conscious!) stress level, thereby creating a more peaceful feeling in the hearts and minds of each of our family members.<br />
1851<br />
1852For me, one of the areas that&nbsp;is causing the greatest stress is laundry. Not getting it washed or dried, but getting it put away. Actually, even that isn't so hard...but the bottom of each basket&nbsp;contains what I'll call a "layer of sediment"--assorted mismatched socks, outgrown clothes that need to be given away, out-of-season clothes that need to be packed away. The bottom third of every laundry basket I own is filled with this kind of stuff; I just need to intentionally take time this week to deal with it. While what's lurking in the bottom of the laundry baskets doesn't bother anyone but me, everyone will enjoy a more peaceful home when this task gets done, because I'll feel more peaceful, and thus, they will, too. <br />
1853<br />
1854Everyone in our family--especially our husbands--probably has different problem areas that really bother them and make the home less of the restful haven it should be. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934554499/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1934554499">Large Family Logistics,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sHKOVfsai6TbrT9y7xvCNfZw1N4a-cBcrIqT_kRF6iFEm7WHl1g_BYBx33oxeWpBHhNY-YXyLeRk5ZD1-oG2HGP9-mBAN3nPZSSrQzplPS3SDKwsuoQHeca-QQX2MMydu2qdlRm5tbM2N4o0wu=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"> Kim Brenneman quotes organizational and homemaking&nbsp;expert Emilie Barnes' advice of asking our husbands daily if there is anything specific we can do for them that day. I would modify by encouraging us to ask specifically what in our homes our husbands would most like to see us do, if we could only do one extra project each day. <br />
1855<br />
1856May we intentionally look this week at ways we can improve our home management and thereby decrease our stress!<br />
1857<br />
1858(linked to the <a href="http://raisinghomemakers.com/2012/homemaking-link-up-67/">Homemaking link-up</a> at Raising Homemakers and <a href="http://www.deeprootsathome.com/?p=18933">Deep Roots at Home</a>)
1859<div style='clear: both;'></div>
1860</div>
1861<div class='post-footer'>
1862<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
1863Posted by
1864<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
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1868<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/03/home-managementstress-management.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-03-06T16:32:00-07:00'>3/06/2012</abbr></a>
1869</span>
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1888Labels:
1889<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
1890<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Messy%20Monday%20Tips%20for%20Getting%20It%20Together' rel='tag'>Messy Monday Tips for Getting It Together</a>,
1891<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Time%20Management' rel='tag'>Time Management</a>
1892</span>
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1898
1899          </div></div>
1900        
1901
1902          <div class="date-outer">
1903        
1904<h2 class='date-header'><span>Thursday, March 1, 2012</span></h2>
1905
1906          <div class="date-posts">
1907        
1908<div class='post-outer'>
1909<div class='post hentry'>
1910<a name='2628160256827793874'></a>
1911<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
1912<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/03/planning-for-good-day.html'>Planning for a Good Day</a>
1913</h3>
1914<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
1915<div class='post-body entry-content'>
1916One of the essential ingredients to a successful day is a good plan. While a plan cannot foresee, nor prevent, interruptions or the actions and attitudes of others, it can keep us on track when we would otherwise succumb to temporary disarray. Staring wide-eyed in wonder is a good thing when we are beholding God&#8217;s creation, but it&#8217;s not so pleasant when we are looking around at our house in chaos, wondering what to do next. A plan keeps us trekking.<br />
1917<br />
1918<br />
1919&#8220;It is most important to set goals and write your list for the day,&#8221; writes Nancy Campbell in her <a href="http://aboverubiesbookstore.mybigcommerce.com/100-days-of-blessing/">devotional book for mothers. </a>&#8220;Some mothers like to write their list the night before, others like to do it in the early morning quiet before the start of the day. You will accomplish a lot more with a list. But remember, it&#8217;s not the end of the world if you don&#8217;t cross off everything on your list!...Even if you cross off one or tw
1919o things, you are accomplishing something. When my children were little, sometimes I would only complete one extra task! At least it was better than nothing at all!&#8221;<br />
1920<br />
1921Because every personality is different, there is no one right way to plan. Some prefer the by-the-clock method of planning, where every project or chore is assigned a set time; others like to list things to do before noon and things to do after noon; and others prefer a more relaxed approach of jotting down some general goals for the day, accomplishing them as they move through the day and the list. I think I fall in the latter category, although I have tried having a time for everything. Personally, while wonderful in theory, I found that approach a little too time consuming to create and stressful to manage. <br />
1922<br />
1923<em>&#8220;It is more important to set the right tone in your home and create an atmosphere of rest, peace, and harmony, than to make everyone tense by getting through something just for the sake of getting through it.&#8221; ---Nancy Campbell</em><br />
1924<em><br />
1925</em><br />
1926Somewhere, I once came across a planning sheet that you could use with each of your children each day. You would write down goals in different areas, such as motor skills (a few hands-on projects to do) and cognitive skills (work-sheet pages, reading, math, etc.). I thought this was a great idea.<br />
1927<br />
1928Lately, I&#8217;ve been jotting down daily to-do goals in these areas: spiritual, marriage, parenting, fitness (ideally!). I write down what books I plan to read out loud to the kids (right now it&#8217;s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414315775/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1414315775">Family-Time Bible in Pictures,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s-oHQq-kT4I-RdFYhffbjNt0-y8L2_cOmo0z6NmZiTA1hLXFqMc5XqfMt0z4qEwQRH7-vSSjH4mc32UXgvrqsBGLVfVzaNy8vnTGehd-N36rvIAV17t-LAkatYB1tS5FpeVhCqITEntYqyWYuW=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140361227/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0140361227">The House at Pooh Corner,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_taT1HavNI8z5ic0b_cyk0IQtOsgbp5n-UVfpyvtAqLEia5x7LmQA6odH8AM522CRRQTurdZRNiLIvJTEDnLB7OsMzqhMM3kluC9DcYlL46c2GVaIX4wA2mbQKOgZxWtglwzllYO0YdcljvcWxh=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1">and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1887840370/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1887840370">A Child's History of the World,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tFAlhJ2DNjkdTyJbC1k5b8jqTn_N1TcQt39gqrc_7jW70BMneeUruTuQXZV4z6Q9Um2dDdPssWb5FrwkUaE0q4fYswLNjUmK00Ge8iygv4CxYqkF70ydeMuKLyQS6TD4_Yex9E0b-VO8LYRb5n=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1">in addition to any others they select through the day) and what learning activities we&#8217;ll do (math projects, handwriting, phonics/reading). <br />
1929<br />
1930I&#8217;m also listing my homemaking and organizational goals each day. I&#8217;m starting to focus on the old-fashioned but highly effective system of devoting a day each the week to a specific task, such as laundry day, kitchen day, and cleaning day. I will write more about this in one of my next posts.<br />
1931<br />
1932At the end of a long day, creating a plan for the next day is a step that&#8217;s easy to skip. I feel like I can save time and just wing it. Yet, saving a few minutes then costs me later. So yes, I could wing it. But it feels better (and goes better) when I plan it.<br />
1933<br />
1934Part 1: <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-didnt-plan-for-chaos.html">I Didin't Plan for Chaos!</a><br />
1935(Linked to <a href="http://raisinghomemakers.com/2012/homemaking-link-up-67/">Raising Homemakers</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://wearethatfamily.com/2012/03/wfmw-5-frugal-tips/">Works for Me Wednesday</a>)
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1945<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/03/planning-for-good-day.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-03-01T22:04:00-07:00'>3/01/2012</abbr></a>
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1964Labels:
1965<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
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1975          </div></div>
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1977
1978          <div class="date-outer">
1979        
1980<h2 class='date-header'><span>Monday, February 27, 2012</span></h2>
1981
1982          <div class="date-posts">
1983        
1984<div class='post-outer'>
1985<div class='post hentry'>
1986<a name='7827163907753554891'></a>
1987<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
1988<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-didnt-plan-for-chaos.html'>I Didn't Plan for Chaos</a>
1989</h3>
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1991<div class='post-body entry-content'>
1992<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsUThq5GOf2LY5kh0pGZmRZcEaEHLnPWwNKopXDUiOKJp6Vcs5kiWn9Oi9HOBuJpQG5GE5d_fCChfDZoSEjafDa38yWdmumAOjaN1QM7UfdZC7rKcDq2VrsndGscEAB1k9lHZQmoMTpk/s1600/Jack+and+Mud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsUThq5GOf2LY5kh0pGZmRZcEaEHLnPWwNKopXDUiOKJp6Vcs5kiWn9Oi9HOBuJpQG5GE5d_fCChfDZoSEjafDa38yWdmumAOjaN1QM7UfdZC7rKcDq2VrsndGscEAB1k9lHZQmoMTpk/s320/Jack+and+Mud.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">copyright Moms In Need of Mercy</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
1993</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today was just a<em> day</em>. I didn't plan for it to be the way it was. But then again, I didn't really plan for success, either. Going to bed with nothing more than a vague plan for the coming day allowed a whole lot of chaos to enter in. Just the general structure of: "I'll get up, make some breakfast, throw in a load of laundry, start homeschool stuff, and maybe run some errands" just left way too much free time for everything to fall apart. And it did. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
1994</div><div style="text-align: left;">Although I have a homeschool routine down for my oldest son (he's six; it doesn't take that long), I didn't really have any structured activities for my other two boys, 3 and almost 5. So they made up their own. Really creative play with manipulatives, like dumping out our small crock that sits on the kitchen counter and holds spare change, keys, and other random items. Now this was all over the kitchen floor. Since baby sister is starting to crawl, and since I would like to avoid another <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-son-swallowed-quarter.html">coin-swallowing event</a>, we had to get the change off the floor. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
1995</div><div style="text-align: left;">Today's obedience department was closed. But the disobedience section was full of customers. The sole clerk (Mom) grew tired meeting the back-to-back demand for attention and correction.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
1996</div><div style="text-align: left;">Really, it's the phone's fault. It rang way too much today. Despite my requests to please let the answering machine get it, sometimes, one of the boys just allowed&nbsp;his desire to be friendly to outweigh&nbsp;his desire to obey Mom--although today, I'm not sure there even was a desire to obey Mom...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
1997</div><div style="text-align: left;">So I'd get on the phone, and the boys would get into the cereal--even though they had just eaten lunch. I'd get off the phone, 
1997clean up more food messes, and the phone would ring again. And the boys would do their own thing while I was on the phone, which wasn't necessarily a good thing, and usually incurred fighting, whereby one boy would start crying and trying to talk to me while I was still trying to talk to someone else&nbsp;on the other end of the phone. (This is a good way to get off the phone, though, if you're looking for an excuse to cut a call short...) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
1998</div><div style="text-align: left;">Nearing the end of the day, we decided to take a walk. Which would have been fine, except for the fact that when we reached the nearby playground, one son came running up to me and announced, "I have to poop!" Yet, off he went to play for a few more seconds, until he would run up to me again and make the same announcement, and then go play again. This happened several times. It was time to go, but no one would go (for reasons above), even though one really had to go. <br />
1999<br />
2000</div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, everyone decided to obey and home we went. Just a little way from the house, one of the boys decided to top it all off by taking a mud bath. He wasn't trying to. He was only trying to copy his brothers who were climbing snow drifts piled up in our high school's parking lot. He climbed, then climbed down...into mud, and got stuck. As in quick-sand stuck. Me, wearing my new white Marmot parka my husband got me for Christmas, wanted no part of the rescue. But he was totally stuck. So I reached out to him from the curb, and told him he was absolutely not to touch my coat (he obeyed on this one), and I grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the mud. Somewhere in the rescue, he face-planted. But the coat made it out unscathed. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
2001</div><div style="text-align: left;">What all this taught me today is that by not more clearly planning for success, I did in fact, plan for chaos.</div><div style="text-align: left;">My <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/03/planning-for-good-day.html">next post</a> will address planning for a successful day. I just have to plan one.<br />
2002<br />
2003<em>(If you like this post, can I humbly ask you to take a second to vote for it </em><a href="http://www.blogher.com/i-didnt-plan-chaos"><em>here?)</em></a><br />
2004(linked to<a href="http://raisinghomemakers.com/2012/homemaking-link-up-67/"> Raising Homemakers</a>)<br />
2005Part 2: <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/03/planning-for-good-day.html">Planning for a Good Day</a></div>
2006<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2007</div>
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2035Labels:
2036<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Attitudes%20toward%20Children' rel='tag'>Attitudes toward Children</a>,
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2038<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
2039<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Just%20for%20Fun' rel='tag'>Just for Fun</a>,
2040<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Mercy%20for%20Bad%20Days' rel='tag'>Mercy for Bad Days</a>,
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2042<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Parenting%20with%20Passion' rel='tag'>Parenting with Passion</a>,
2043<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Raising
2043%20Boys' rel='tag'>Raising Boys</a>,
2044<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Time%20Management' rel='tag'>Time Management</a>
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2051
2052          </div></div>
2053        
2054
2055          <div class="date-outer">
2056        
2057<h2 class='date-header'><span>Sunday, February 26, 2012</span></h2>
2058
2059          <div class="date-posts">
2060        
2061<div class='post-outer'>
2062<div class='post hentry'>
2063<a name='4092895170623238776'></a>
2064<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2065<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/please-come-out-of-kitchen-with-your.html'>Please Come Out of the Kitchen With Your Hands Up</a>
2066</h3>
2067<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2068<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2069Somewhere during the week of my last fairly <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/menu-plan-bountiful-baskets-ideas.html">labor-intensive menu plan</a> (on the night I was making coconut shrimp from scratch, as in grating my own coconut, which just happened to be Valentine's Day), my husband glanced around at the giant mess of food prep covering our kitchen counter&nbsp;and not so much asked as suggested that we just have easy meals for awhile. "That's why my mom made Hamburger Helper so much, because it was easy," he said.<br />
2070<div></div><br />
2071My husband may just as well have said, "Please come out of the kitchen with your hands up." I was under arrest for making too elaborate of meals. Actually, I think it was really for making too much of a mess during those meals!<br />
2072<br />
2073Yet, with children all under six--while they can help a little in the kitchen (like shredding lettuce for tacos and putting out silverware and cups)--almost all of the food prep, cooking, and cleanup falls on my shoulders.&nbsp;Executing three meals a day,&nbsp;seven days a week, does become a little burdensome at times. <br />
2074<div></div><br />
2075I&nbsp;truly enjoy cooking. To me, it's not only fun; it's my labor of love for my family. Sitting at the table as a family for dinner is like the crescendo of the orchestra: it's the point when all the work pays off and is celebrated. Or, at least, it should be. <br />
2076<div></div><br />
2077So when your husband suggests you start making...ahem...<em>Hamburger Helper</em> instead "because it's easy," it feels&nbsp;like someone's asking&nbsp;Chopin to dumb it down and play Chopsticks instead of one of his masterpieces (not that I am drawing a comparison between myself in the kitchen and Chopin on the piano...). It kind of takes the wind out of your sails. But then you realize: <em>he's right</em>. Night after night, it is a lot of work. Let's find a way--in this season with&nbsp;a six-month old baby--to make it a little easier. It can still be healthy; it just doesn't have to be so labor intensive.<br />
2078<br />
2079So this is the start of the week of easy meals. <br />
2080<div></div><br />
2081In her book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1892112604/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1892112604">Created to Be His Help Meet: Discover How God Can Make Your Marriage Glorious,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s08ZCD-ltMkU3iknAL-7_Q5NgRnUx0SEoMBk38whIkr-zebP8qd8DdYqyR5bQjm3KUhHAZ_SuUJ96XM1V8G25uURBpxCb42a9ARHx-wIDxlC8ITWIXlSAkjEIK0QRdf1MCIDLnjQz568oKKXoa=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"> Debi Pearl has a great section on making meals manageable, largely utilizing the crockpot, and sticking to the same basic meals each week. <br />
2082<br />
2083She suggests peanut butter toast served on paper towels for breakfast, burritos from beans in the crockpot plus veggies for lunch, and a rotating list of simple evening meals. <br />
2084<br />
2085Because I just can't bring myself to fully remove creativity from menu planning (and because I like to try new recipes), here is my list of more simple, but still enjoyable, recipes for the week:<br />
2086<br />
2087Breakfasts:<br />
2088<ul><li>Oatmeal with a little butter and brown sugar,&nbsp;fruit salad of blackberries/kiwi fruit/strawberries/clementines&nbsp;</li>
2089<li>Fried eggs, toast, clementines</li>
2090<li>Applesauce bread, smoothies</li>
2091<li>Yogurt, granola, blackberries</li>
2092<li>French toast or waffles, orange juice</li>
2093<li>Cold cereal and juice</li>
2094<li>Pancakes, bacon</li>
2095<li>Veggie scramble and toast</li>
2096</ul>Lunches:<br />
2097<ul><li>Taco salad</li>
2098<li>Leftover beef stew</li>
2099<li>Southwest salad (corn, black beans, cheddar cheese over romaine. Dressing: mix Ranch with salsa) and tortilla chips</li>
2100<li>Homemade macaroni and cheese, mixed vegetables</li>
2101<li>Beans and rice on tortillas (like tacos)</li>
2102</ul><br />
2103Dinners:<br />
2104<ul><li>Crockpot beef stew, salad, crescent rolls (in the can--that's easy) </li>
2105<li>Crockpot creamy chicken and mushroom pasta, asparagus, garlic parmesan bread (from Walmart)</li>
2106<li>Creamy shells with tuna and spinach (from the latest issue of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002PXW1T8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B002PXW1T8">Everyday Food,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sdBNzlRXuCp97ki9oUtDLfLhAig03l7uWofSxBr6V58QVxv7lpx9wUe1-Eog8VNLRkRE3uv5MLyjn29xE8_c2uQvF1ufE8IRzwM0BgGdzbT5GWt7FXDrebjjqQzHYn-tZwgXFsURe5eOQPbf2i=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1">but here is the closest <a href="http://southernfood.about.com/od/tunacasserolerecipes/r/bl90911x.htm">recipe link</a>), cooked carrots</li>
2107<li>Cuban black beans, rice, tortillas (again from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002PXW1T8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B002PXW1T8">Everyday Food,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sdBNzlRXuCp97ki9oUtDLfLhAig03l7uWofSxBr6V58QVxv7lpx9wUe1-Eog8VNLRkRE3uv5MLyjn29xE8_c2uQvF1ufE8IRzwM0BgGdzbT5GWt7FXDrebjjqQzHYn-tZwgXFsURe5eOQPbf2i=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1">--I could not find the recipe online)</li>
2108<li>
2108<a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Skillet-Ziti-with-Chicken-and-Broccoli">Skillet ziti with chicken and broccoli&nbsp;</a>(but probably making it in the crockpot instead) over pasta with salad and bread</li>
2109<li>Pizza, carrot and celery sticks</li>
2110<li>Sausage Rigatoni, salad, garlic bread&nbsp;</li>
2111</ul><em>I'd love to hear your easiest, go-to meals, and ways you streamline weeknight meals! Do you make the same things every week? Do you often use your crockpot?</em><br />
2112<br />
2113<em>(linked up with <a href="http://orgjunkie.com/2012/02/menu-plan-monday-feb-2712.html">Menu Plan Monday</a>)</em>
2114<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2115</div>
2116<div class='post-footer'>
2117<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
2118Posted by
2119<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
2120</span>
2121<span class='post-timestamp'>
2122at
2123<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/please-come-out-of-kitchen-with-your.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-02-26T16:40:00-07:00'>2/26/2012</abbr></a>
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2141</div>
2142<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'><span class='post-labels'>
2143Labels:
2144<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Feeding%20Young%20Children' rel='tag'>Feeding Young Children</a>,
2145<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
2146<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Menu%20Plan%20Monday' rel='tag'>Menu Plan Monday</a>,
2147<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Saving%20Money' rel='tag'>Saving Money</a>
2148</span>
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2154
2155          </div></div>
2156        
2157
2158          <div class="date-outer">
2159        
2160<h2 class='date-header'><span>Monday, February 6, 2012</span></h2>
2161
2162          <div class="date-posts">
2163        
2164<div class='post-outer'>
2165<div class='post hentry'>
2166<a name='8201466299527816678'></a>
2167<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2168<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/living-in-your-annointing.html'>Living in Your Anointing</a>
2169</h3>
2170<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2171<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2172It's late. I'm tired. I was not even going to blog. If I did, I was going to write a post and call it "I Can't Think Straight." I was going to share with you why I felt like a ping-pong ball all day today. <br />
2173<br />
2174But I couldn't think of anything encouraging to say, so I wasn't even going to write. I was just going to do a little reading for our Bible study tomorrow morning (I wrote <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/07/when-its-time-to-just-say-no.html">here </a>why I haven't always gone in the past), leave the clean dishes in the sink to dry, forget about the three sprawling laundry baskets full of clothes to put away, forget about the three to four loads that still need to be washed, forget about the messes that abound everywhere I look, forget about the stuff that still needs to be cleared off the table...forget about it until 7AM when I see it again, and go to bed.<br />
2175<br />
2176<div>But then I did my Bible study, and amazingly, it spoke to everything I'm feeling today. Now I have something encouraging to say, so I'll do my best to say it.</div><div align="center">---&#65279;&nbsp;</div>Today was just one of those days that I'm sure we all experience more often that not as moms. Days when multiple demands from multiple children are flying at us, leaving us whiplashed. The chaos overwhelms us, and we feel like <em>we just can't think straight. </em><br />
2177<div></div><br />
2178Yesterday was busy and I didn't take the time to plan for the week ahead that I normally do. That was my first and biggest mistake, truly. With no semblance of a plan, the day was a messy, gooey blob.<br />
2179<br />
2180If I got a spare second, the phone rang. My kids are going through a phase where they <em>love </em>to answer the phone and hate for the answering machine to get it, because it's just so much fun to say hello to the voice on the other end, and they don't understand it's inconvenient for Mom to talk to the voice on the other end right then. So I'd politely get off the phone, get started with something, then the phone would ring again. Today, some of the calls were actually dealing with big stuff, like a neighbor telling me the latest on the <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/04/does-anyone-use-towels-anymore.html">school district's plans to purchase our homes</a>, and some family stuff. <br />
2181<br />
2182I'd get off the phone, head reeling, look at&nbsp;the wake of things my&nbsp;children had done while on the phone. My head would reel again. The baby would cry (<em>when will those teeth break through finally</em>?), one child would ask me something, another child would simultaneously ask me something, and another child would ask me something before I could answer any of the questions. As I sat down to read with our oldest, the youngest wanted a snack, the baby&nbsp;needed a nap, and on and on. A ping pong ball.<br />
2183<br />
2184I kept reminding myself that it's not their fault I feel this way. Individually, they are each a pretty sweet child (usually). Collectively, it just gets a little (or a lot) chaotic sometimes.<br />
2185<br />
2186<div>After all the kids were in bed, I sat down to start on my Bible study, and this is what I read:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq">"Being directed, comforted, and empowered by His Spirit within us is the only sure way to live with supernatural success when we encounter natural events that seek to derail us. We must be annointed."--<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141586585X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=141586585X">Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed: A Study of David</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_taEX9ShH0P5r1e083-1TdsW6kt5m3BnP783pANBQ6ymEUgRflsan_ce0x8BfAV6GWAjdPl0dOL-NdARozGKmn0ZFG4umxfXpduyE_eAKgwNREhxsS8CrysgRSNv0ert-7v4Gnvo-gFGw8hJAOi=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"> </blockquote><div></div>I've been planning to blog on being anointed for motherhood...just haven't had the time or the full inspiration until now. Priscilla Shirer defines anointing as a <strong>"divine empowerment or a divine enablement to accomplish God's purposes for your life.</strong>" Although in the Old Testament days, anointing priests, prophets and kings was usually accompanied with oil, as believers in Christ, we are "anointed with the indwelling [Holy] Spirit's presence from the day of our salvation." (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141586585X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=141586585X">Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed: A Study of David).</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_taEX9ShH0P5r1e083-1TdsW6kt5m3BnP783pANBQ6ymEUgRflsan_ce0x8BfAV6GWAjdPl0dOL-NdARozGKmn0ZFG4umxfXpduyE_eAKgwNREhxsS8CrysgRSNv0ert-7v4Gnvo-gFGw8hJAOi=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"> (Scriptural support: 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). <br />
2187<div></div>I love what Priscilla Shirer writes in the study: <br />
2188<blockquote class="tr_bq">"The anointing on [King] David's life was essential to accomplish God's purposes, and we must have it to accomplish His plans for us. <strong>Without it, everything we do will only be a shell of activity that will leave us breathless from a series of frustrated efforts, amounting to little. With God's anointing, we can face life's circumstances with courage, joy, and inner peace</strong>." (bold mine). </blockquote>
2188Here are some other fabulous quotes from the study:<br />
2189<ul><li>"David accomplished supernatural kingdom purposes because God's Spirit equipped him for the tasks...As believers, God calls us to accomplish divine tasks for His glory. We must have the anointing of God's Spirit." </li>
2190<li>As believers in Christ, "the Spirit lives in us, and we are sealed and anointed by Him to accomplish God's preplanned purposes. So, if you are a believer, you are anointed--right now. Your task is to rely on the power of God who indwells you so you can be empowered to do what you cannot do on your own." (bold mine).</li>
2191<li>"The anointed life engages daily and normal activities in a supernatural way. When you have patience in your mothering...gentleness in your response, contentment in your circumstances, and empowerment in the face of your challenges, you are experiencing the greatest miracle of all. God's presence appearing in your life." </li>
2192</ul>So even on the days when it seems like nothing great was accomplished as you bounced around from task to task and child to child, remember that if you are daily seeking to model what a relationship with Christ looks like in the real world, you are doing the most important and eternally significant work...even if the laundry, dishes, papers and clutter are waiting for you in the morning. <br />
2193<br />
2194<div>We are empowered by God to do everything we need to do for our families. We may not live in monasteries. Maybe we live in messes! Faithful service, with a kind heart, of the daily tasks we have before us is what helps us grow in holiness. </div><br />
2195<div><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Step into the anointing and walk in it! </span></strong><br />
2196<br />
2197(Sharing with <a href="http://findingheaventoday.blogspot.com/2012/02/let-your-yes-be-whole-yes-resounding.html">Finding Heaven</a>, <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/gratituesday-new-shoes">Gratituesday</a>, <a href="http://www.michellederusha.com/">Graceful</a>, and <a href="http://raisinghomemakers.com/2012/homemaking-link-up-64/">Raising Homemakers</a>)</div>
2198<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2199</div>
2200<div class='post-footer'>
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2202Posted by
2203<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
2204</span>
2205<span class='post-timestamp'>
2206at
2207<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/living-in-your-annointing.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-02-06T22:57:00-07:00'>2/06/2012</abbr></a>
2208</span>
2209<span class='post-comment-link'>
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2227Labels:
2228<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Anger%20Management--Cultivating%20a%20Gentle%20Spirit' rel='tag'>Anger Management--Cultivating a Gentle Spirit</a>,
2229<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Attitudes%20toward%20Children' rel='tag'>Attitudes toward Children</a>,
2230<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Growing%20in%20Grace' rel='tag'>Growing in Grace</a>,
2231<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
2232<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Homeschooling' rel='tag'>Homeschooling</a>,
2233<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Joy%20in%20the%20Journey' rel='tag'>Joy in the Journey</a>,
2234<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Mercy%20for%20Bad%20Days' rel='tag'>Mercy for Bad Days</a>,
2235<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Parenting%20with%20Passion' rel='tag'>Parenting with Passion</a>
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2248<h2 class='date-header'><span>Wednesday, February 1, 2012</span></h2>
2249
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2255<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2256<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/lessons-from-farmhouse-revisited.html'>Lessons From The Farmhouse, Revisited</a>
2257</h3>
2258<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2259<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2260Today I am revisiting one of the first posts I ever published, called "<a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/09/farmhouse-and-your-house.html">Lessons from the Farmhouse</a>."<br />
2261Here's an excerpt:<br />
2262<br />
2263<blockquote class="tr_bq">Driving through the Midwest, there is something very quaint about the rolling acres of cornfields, the neatly-painted red barns and the tidy and well-kept farmhouses that dot the land. The farmhouses seem to beckon visitors in, and I imagine them to be as spic and span, crisp and clean on the inside as they appear on the outside. This may not be the case, but as one drives past, the pride of ownership is so visible, it would be hard to imagine the inside of the home would be sloppy when the outside is so neat...</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">
2263&nbsp;From outside appearances, I picture them shipshape inside, smelling of fresh air and sunshine. Beds are made neatly and crisply, a breeze blows through the windows, there are fresh flowers in glass vases decorating various rooms of the house. Thinking about what it could be like inside conjures up a peaceful feeling that I would like to recreate in my home.<br />
2264<br />
2265But creating this idyllic image begs the question--how do you do it when you have young children underfoot? What lessons can we learn from farmhouse wives? <br />
2266</blockquote>Go <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/09/farmhouse-and-your-house.html">here</a> to read the rest.
2267<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2268</div>
2269<div class='post-footer'>
2270<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
2271Posted by
2272<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
2273</span>
2274<span class='post-timestamp'>
2275at
2276<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/lessons-from-farmhouse-revisited.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-02-01T10:07:00-07:00'>2/01/2012</abbr></a>
2277</span>
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2296Labels:
2297<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>
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2310<h2 class='date-header'><span>Sunday, January 29, 2012</span></h2>
2311
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2317<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2318<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/01/good-reason-to-vacuum-under-bed.html'>A Good Reason to Vacuum Under The Bed</a>
2319</h3>
2320<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2321<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2322<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoirdxJESjoQfxLaifDU4FhbwYCMmJDkhOeGpN09SLngz_utGXWFydLep0qiXvdGyJUPFy5BxSuFoSHBW48MpbuGp1F9mMRfjriJq9a2ex3T0SYJMt01bxAMVRFWAkXLyXoESDUwaaXKc/s1600/vaccum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoirdxJESjoQfxLaifDU4FhbwYCMmJDkhOeGpN09SLngz_utGXWFydLep0qiXvdGyJUPFy5BxSuFoSHBW48MpbuGp1F9mMRfjriJq9a2ex3T0SYJMt01bxAMVRFWAkXLyXoESDUwaaXKc/s1600/vaccum.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/osseous/6104734298/sizes/m/in/photostream/">photo credit</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
2323</div>In last week's <em>Parade</em> insert in the Sunday newspaper, Dr. Oz shared some advice about getting a good night's sleep. One of the main ways to get allergies at bay is to minimize dust in the home and particularly, in and under the bed. Did you know that dust mites are "<strong>microscopic arachnids that feed on human skin</strong>"? Yuck, yuck, yuck! They are a major trigger for asthma and allergies. He writes that these bugs "like to make their home in beds because of the steady supply of food." So the older the mattress, the more likely that mites are spending the night under the covers with you, feasting on your flesh. <br />
2324<br />
2325This information was enough to give me a good reason to vacuum thoroughly under the bed this weekend. I think I took out an entire arachnid colony. At least, I sure hope I did! It's also a good reason to wash sheets weekly (or biweekly for pretty clean kids) in hot water. <br />
2326<br />
2327I'm normally quite laid-back about things and a little dust doesn't bother me, but under and around the bed...let's just say my attack on the flesh-eating arachnids is on!<br />
2328<br />
2329<em>(By the way, Dr. Oz&nbsp;recommends replacing mattresses that are&nbsp;older than five to seven years, and buying mite-resistant casings for mattresses newer than that).</em>
2330<div style='clear: both;'></div>
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2332<div class='post-footer'>
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2334Posted by
2335<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
2336</span>
2337<span class='post-timestamp'>
2338at
2339<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/01/good-reason-to-vacuum-under-bed.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2012-01-29T20:35:00-07:00'>1/29/2012</abbr></a>
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2359Labels:
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2373<h2 class='date-header'><span>Monday, December 12, 2011</span></h2>
2374
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2379<a name='1642098783338319163'></a>
2380<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2381<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/30-minute-principle.html'>The 30 Minute Principle</a>
2382</h3>
2383<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2384<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2385<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIKnvkyMBIcgm-mtpDy0EoxiAKFtMLoCBqV0qMkBROShgki4J9qrK4GUDA_8-dsL3O11TuvfCp0mJyr_3FaH2BLS9rxpCCHwLSQ-A1q-ZBIdxXyWnNceIx3KOfzRmee4SIeD3vZm9t70/s1600/30+minutes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIKnvkyMBIcgm-mtpDy0EoxiAKFtMLoCBqV0qMkBROShgki4J9qrK4GUDA_8-dsL3O11TuvfCp0mJyr_3FaH2BLS9rxpCCHwLSQ-A1q-ZBIdxXyWnNceIx3KOfzRmee4SIeD3vZm9t70/s1600/30+minutes.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/doortoriver/2942675201/sizes/m/in/photostream/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit</span>&#65279;
2385</a></div><div align="center"><br />
2386</div><div align="left">The list of things I'm falling behind on grows by the minute. It's beginning to look a lot&nbsp;like those giant Christmas lists Santa unrolls in the movies. &#65279;For example, when I learned I was having a girl this time around, I purchased material to sew some adorable clothes in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/190652579X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=190652579X">Making Children's Clothes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s51EWnUIO6Js6BrFY1ipW1KhfQDJJrXZW1siAS-S0m290qrqYA5kdW7-Yc2d6NLgOr5slsj5nxS9gYNcuSJInAXtZeJui7IhXMd8aioIbNi5b23NzIh7bIZyMZTau8uo0n_kAzLLn3Zs-Yu8Lc=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1">. I'm a beginner seamstress; I just haven't begun. <br />
2387<br />
2388Another example--<br />
2389My third son (who just turned three and can't say his "j's" yet) looked at the wall of pictures the other day and said, "Mom, where's Whack in these pictures?" (His name is Jack). Yeah, no pictures of him on the wall anywhere. In fact, his baby book isn't even begun. <br />
2390<br />
2391<strong><span style="font-size: large;">That's why I love the 30 minute principle</span></strong>:<br />
2392Work at something every day--be it a creative project&nbsp;like scrapbooking or sewing, or a necessary project like putting laundry away--for 30 focused minutes (or as many focused minutes as you can with small children in the house). Set a timer if you&nbsp;want. When the&nbsp;30 minutes is over, put the project away for the day, and start again the next day where you left off.<br />
2393<br />
2394I read about this idea in Teri Maxwell's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0966910710/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0966910710">Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vipGkVVfgcoAUsq5O8cd2QfXLl8cAQ3-INAS2gUE_qG3NGzq-I0W867PVmO0nIsmXwftqVnLgfefVZXKIdkgx90yS5PXFczY-lcX0ZGWZw9_6caR5KNb9QNO_RXQDJh9GBOIQ7lqVbrnNvXx4m=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"> (which is fabulous, by the way). She says that disorganization can be one of the biggest hindrances to a meek (not easily perturbed) and quiet (gentle) spirit. I definitely find that to be true in my own life. This 30-minute principle, although referenced in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0966910710/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0966910710">Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vipGkVVfgcoAUsq5O8cd2QfXLl8cAQ3-INAS2gUE_qG3NGzq-I0W867PVmO0nIsmXwftqVnLgfefVZXKIdkgx90yS5PXFczY-lcX0ZGWZw9_6caR5KNb9QNO_RXQDJh9GBOIQ7lqVbrnNvXx4m=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1">, is actually from her other book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0966910745/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0966910745">Managers of Their Homes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_v6Q1SPjAQgcbXFpVI1g4PNSLtWT3b1C4i0vA_8FXeGfuXaAdfSEfkP3o0kEib1zSqhK43usEakZpnbI-A8tou-IUpiqhG7b2cM13Jg6spuwqyBUEdUCUQzkvDLClm7h5ZCeXbOWJJ68vl_qlQe=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1">.<br />
2395<br />
2396So whether it's getting your house under control, or finding time to work on a hobby, I encourage you to find a way to put the 30 minute principle into action! That half hour is a perfect length of time to get something accomplished without getting burned out (especially when you're cleaning or organizing). Thirty minutes a day, then stop until the next day. You may find yourself even looking forward to it...unless of course, the job that's&nbsp;been put off too long&nbsp;is cleaning out the fridge!<br />
2397<br />
2398(linked up at <a href="http://wearethatfamily.com/2011/12/wfmw-last-minute-online-shopping-tip/">Works for Me Wednesday</a>) </div>
2399<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2400</div>
2401<div class='post-footer'>
2402<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
2403Posted by
2404<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
2405</span>
2406<span class='post-timestamp'>
2407at
2408<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/30-minute-principle.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2011-12-12T15:12:00-07:00'>12/12/2011</abbr></a>
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2428Labels:
2429<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
2430<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Messy%20Monday%20Tips%20for%20Getting%20It%20Together' rel='tag'>Messy Monday Tips for Getting It Together</a>,
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2444<h2 class='date-header'><span>Thursday, December 1, 2011</span></h2>
2445
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2447        
2448<div class='post-outer'>
2449<div class='post hentry'>
2450<a name='1653806337295994857'></a>
2451<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2452<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/im-mommy-not-mompreneur-part-2.html'>I'm A Mommy, Not A Mompreneur (Part 2)</a>
2453</h3>
2454<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2455<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2456The Internet provides a fabulous way for moms to earn money from home. It sounds like a dream come true: stay-at-home to raise your children, wash your laundry, cook your meals, clean your house, offer hospital
2456ity to friends and strangers, and earn some money, too, without ever leaving your front door. <br />
2457<br />
2458<br />
2459But is it really that easy? Or has feminism so crept into our beliefs that we as Christian women&#8212;many of whom profess to stand staunchly against the doctrines of feminism--are feminists and we don&#8217;t even realize it?<br />
2460<br />
2461Feminism encourages women to pursue careers outside the home, but does Christian feminism encourage women to pursue careers inside the home? Even Christians who think they oppose feminism may find they have subconsciously been so influenced by it that they, too, crave career success, but justify it by working from home. <strong>But if one seeks to climb the career ladder in one&#8217;s field from inside the home, is that really any different than doing the same thing outside the home? </strong><br />
2462<br />
2463<em>"The mompreneur movement is one steadily growing in the US as mothers try to find ways to make money, express their creativity or business acumen, and also to parent their children". <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-mompreneur.htm">--source</a></em><br />
2464<br />
2465Read what <em>World Net Daily</em> has to say about feminism's influence in culture today and see if it applies to the mompreneur movement:<br />
2466<br />
2467<blockquote class="tr_bq">"So many women &#8211; and men &#8211; have bought into the notion that women should work outside the home that for the first time in American history, and perhaps world history, vast numbers of children are not primarily raised by their mothers or even by an extended family member. Instead they are raised for a significant part of their childhood by nannies and by workers at day care centers. Whatever feminists may say about [they&#8217;re] only advocating choices, everyone knows the truth: <strong>Feminism regards work outside the home as more elevating, honorable and personally productive than full-time mothering and homemaking."</strong> (bold mine) <a href="http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&amp;pageId=362649"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source</span></a></blockquote>We may say we agree with those statements (or we may not), but what I'd like us to ask ourselves is: <br />
2468<br />
2469<span style="font-size: large;">Do we regard work inside the home as more elevating, honorable and personally productive than full-time mothering and homemaking?</span><br />
2470<br />
2471There are so many moms out there earning a part-or full-time income from making products, writing articles, and marketing their sites and products online. Nothing wrong with that. The Proverbs 31 woman, who provides us an excellent example of biblical femininity, was involved in the marketplace, no doubt. Proverbs 31 tells us she sewed and sold linen garments, traded goods, and bought a field out of her earnings. Yet, all of her endeavors were for the good of her household&#8212;not for her own career success. <strong>From this, I gather that there is a distinction between a mom selling craft items or writing articles in her spare time and a mompreneur aggressively pursuing success from within her own home. </strong><br />
2472<br />
2473Plus, it sounds like the children of the Proverbs 31 woman were not small. They arose and blessed her. This tells us they were old enough to: 1) walk, and 2) talk. Perhaps she wasn&#8217;t involved in the marketplace when she was fully involved in raising small children? <br />
2474<br />
2475Yet, many mompreneurs are not only trying to rise to the top in their fields, they&#8217;re usually also parenting little ones who desperately need Mom&#8217;s training and attention. They might even be homeschooling, too. They either have superhuman organizational skills and manage to excel at it all, or the work-family balance is out of balance.<br />
2476<br />
2477<em>&#8220;One of the principal issues the mompreneur faces is learning how to balance the requirements of her children with the needs of her business. This is why many sites advise people new to running a business to create small realistic expectations that will not cause too much of a burden to especially young children.&#8221; <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-mompreneur.htm">--source</a></em><br />
2478<em></em><br />
2479<br />
2480The truth is--we really can't do it all. Even Crystal Paine, the famous money-saving mom, admits that her success comes with a price&#8212;it&#8217;s not a cake-walk.<br />
2481<br />
2482<blockquote class="tr_bq">&#8220;I am a firm believer that, with God's blessings and lots of hard work, anyone can successfully work from home. However, I will be the first to tell you that working from home is just that&#8211;it's work...<br />
2483I won't sugar-coat the truth when it comes to working from home: if you are not prepared to put in lots and lots and lots of time and effort, working from home won't work for you.&#8221;--<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/2009/10/becoming-a-workathome-mom-its-work.html">http://moneysavingmom.com/2009/10/becoming-a-workathome-mom-its-work.html</a></span></blockquote><br />
2484Motherhood&#8212;being a good mom&#8212;is already a full-time job. Homeschooling, for those that do, is at least a part-time job. Keeping house, making nutritious meals and caring for the needs of our families is another full-time job. Since I already have tw
2484o full-time jobs and one part-time job, I can&#8217;t take on anymore in this season. That&#8217;s why I&#8217;m a mommy, not a mompreneur.
2485<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2486</div>
2487<div class='post-footer'>
2488<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
2489Posted by
2490<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
2491</span>
2492<span class='post-timestamp'>
2493at
2494<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/im-mommy-not-mompreneur-part-2.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2011-12-01T12:03:00-07:00'>12/01/2011</abbr></a>
2495</span>
2496<span class='post-comment-link'>
2497<a class='comment-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/im-mommy-not-mompreneur-part-2.html#comment-form' onclick=''>2
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2511</span>
2512</div>
2513<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'><span class='post-labels'>
2514Labels:
2515<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Attitudes%20toward%20Children' rel='tag'>Attitudes toward Children</a>,
2516<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Commentary%20on%20Current%20Events' rel='tag'>Commentary on Current Events</a>,
2517<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Growing%20in%20Grace' rel='tag'>Growing in Grace</a>,
2518<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
2519<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Moms%20In%20Need%20of%20Mercy' rel='tag'>Moms In Need of Mercy</a>,
2520<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Parenting%20with%20Passion' rel='tag'>Parenting with Passion</a>,
2521<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Training%20Children' rel='tag'>Training Children</a>
2522</span>
2523</div>
2524<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'></div>
2525</div>
2526</div>
2527</div>
2528
2529          </div></div>
2530        
2531
2532          <div class="date-outer">
2533        
2534<h2 class='date-header'><span>Monday, November 28, 2011</span></h2>
2535
2536          <div class="date-posts">
2537        
2538<div class='post-outer'>
2539<div class='post hentry'>
2540<a name='4538978051420997005'></a>
2541<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2542<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/im-mommy-not-mompreneur-part-1.html'>I'm A Mommy, Not A Mompreneur (Part 1)</a>
2543</h3>
2544<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2545<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2546In the movie <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EPYZZ8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=B004EPYZZ8">Soul Surfer</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vZAqNwOiuBO2ciBZ-NT-DW3eKZlxzEcKNnJw9fAilYFTTu_Xt2lQeDS_-seK3yGcjFPSUbvxp9aPOzgveW6MKWj6nKB14Ru83ovxMcAcyT7WZII3Hx8CB_FQClpPIMT9lWQMSvB6AAetd-iEZi4xYJOIPwYDI1wf8GpOUKO5dF1RZyb1ouJ8BpCw=s0-d" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0px;" width="1">, Bethany Hamilton's youth pastor tells her that sometimes all we need is to pull back from a situation to get some perspective on it. That's happened to me with blogging.<br />
2547<br />
2548I love to write. I remember sitting in my bedroom, probably as young as six or seven, writing stories in notebooks I'd keep. In college, I majored in communications and minored in psychology and religion. I envisioned myself going into broadcast news and wanted to make it to the top. But I didn't see how that could fit with my other goal of being a wife and mother, and perhaps someday having a writing and speaking ministry. <br />
2549<br />
2550God worked it all out. I did work as a journalist for a few years before deciding to trade in my career for a new career: Mommy. Honestly, even the tightest deadline (even a minute to air) is still not as challenging as motherhood can be some days. But what I am doing with my kids has value that reaches far beyond the impact of any news story.<br />
2551<br />
2552For me, blogging has been a great way to continue to express my love for writing and my desire to encourage other moms. I tried to blog daily. But honestly, I just can't keep up. Not in this season, at least.<br />
2553<br />
2554I know there are plenty of talented women who run successful, profitable blogs. Would I love to be in that category with them? Yes, and no. I think, if we're honest, we all want what we're doing to translate into some measurable success. But getting to that point takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. Right now, I can't do it. I can't devote the time it would take to write and market my&nbsp;humble blog and keep up with what I need to do at home, and most of all--raise my children. They're little now. They need lots of time and attention--attention I can't be giving them if I'm giving it to my computer. <br />
2555<br />
2556Honestly, I don't know how other moms of small children (especially moms who say they homeschool) are finding time to be "mompreneurs." Either they have out-of-this-world organizational skills, or something's falling through the cracks. <br />
2557<br />
2558As I've been mulling over posting on this topic, I just read what Sally Clarkson wrote and knew it was time for me to start this discussion here. <br />
2559<blockquote class="tr_bq">"Last Spring, I met with a young woman. She said, as many young women have said, &#8220;Sally, God is just opening so many doors for me, I just have to be a good steward of my opportunities.&#8221; (as her exhausted teen daughter was pushing her toddler in a stroller behind her, and complaining that her mom just never had time for her.) <strong>This happens to me a lot&#8211;young women who have stars in their eyes from money that can be made, audiences that can be found, numbers that can build up.</strong> [bold mine]<br />
2560<br />
2561<br />
2562I have never had more opportunities come my way as now, but I do not like what I see going on in my heart and soul, and so, I am convicted that I need to cut back. I am pulling back from expectations. Pulling back from stress. And simplifying."--<a href="http://www.itakejoy.com/im-just-not-that-important/">http://www.itakejoy.com/im-just-not-that-important/</a></blockquote>That's what I've been realizing: I need to forget about trying to be big&nbsp;as a blogger&nbsp;and focus fully on what I'm called to do at home, as a wife and mother. It's my first and highest calling. It keeps me busy! It is, after all, a full-time job in itself. <br />
2563<br />
2564I love what Paul writes, "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." (Galatians 6:4-5). The study note says, "Paul suggests that we focus instead on our own responsibilities. Are we faithfully living for God and fulfilling our responsibilities before him?"<br />
2565<br />
2566<em>I'll be blogging more about <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/im-mommy-not-mompreneur-part-2.html">motherhood and mompreneurship</a> in the next few days--just can't promise it will be tomorrow! (<a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/12/im-mommy-not-mompreneur-part-2.html">Part 2 is now up</a>)</em>
2567<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2568</div>
2569<div class='post-footer'>
2570<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
2571Posted by
2572<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
2573</span>
2574<span class='post-timestamp'>
2575at
2576<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/im-mommy-not-mompreneur-part-1.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2011-11-28T21:57:00-07:00'>11/28/2011</abbr></a>
2577</span>
2578<span class='post-comment-link'>
2579<a class='comment-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/im-mommy-not-mompreneur-part-1.html#comment-form' onclick=''>6
2580comments</a>
2581</span>
2582<span class='post-icons'>
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2594</div>
2595<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'><span class='post-labels'>
2596Labels:
2597<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Commentary%20on%20Current%20Events' rel='tag'>Commentary on Current Events</a>,
2598<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Growing%20in%20Grace' rel='tag'>Growing in Grace</a>,
2599<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
2600<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Moms%20In%20Need%20of%20Mercy' rel='tag'>Moms In Need of Mercy</a>,
2601<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Parenting%20with%20Passion' rel='tag'>Parenting with Passion</a>
2602</span>
2603</div>
2604<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'></div>
2605</div>
2606</div>
2607</div>
2608
2609          </div></div>
2610        
2611
2612          <div class="date-outer">
2613        
2614<h2 class='date-header'><span>Monday, November 21, 2011</span></h2>
2615
2616          <div class="date-posts">
2617        
2618<div class='post-outer'>
2619<div class='post hentry'>
2620<a name='3557922871228806168'></a>
2621<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2622<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/home-ec-counter.html'>The Home Ec Counter</a>
2623</h3>
2624<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2625<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2626All I remember about taking home economics in junior high is how clean the kitchen was. The only thing I recall learning to make was homemade donuts, but for some reason, the cleanliness of the counter is still in my mind to this day.&nbsp; It was spotless. Cooking in the classroom kitchen felt laboratory-like.&nbsp;<br />
2627<br />
2628Like my home economics classroom, the kitchen for a nutrition class I took a few years ago&nbsp;was also spotless and lab-like. But when you think about it, food preparation is a science (and an art.) It deserves an austere workspace.<br />
2629<br />
2630Yet, that's not what I find in my home most days. Sure there is room enough on the counter to do all my necessary food prep (usually). But how much more there would be if, like the classroom kitchens, there was absolutely nothing on the counter top. <br />
2631<br />
2632A spotless counter encourages cooking and baking. The whole process is easier, because, for one, there is room to work. Things don't have to be cleared or shuffled around first, which can discourage home-cooking&nbsp;and baking.<br />
2633<br />
2634So that is my goal for this week--to get the counter completely cleared (perhaps even of appliances...we'll see) and then keep it that way.
2635<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2636</div>
2637<div class='post-footer'>
2638<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
2639Posted by
2640<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
2641</span>
2642<span class='post-timestamp'>
2643at
2644<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/home-ec-counter.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2011-11-21T22:22:00-07:00'>11/21/2011</abbr></a>
2645</span>
2646<span class='post-comment-link'>
2647<a class='comment-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/home-ec-counter.html#comment-form' onclick=''>1 comments</a>
2648</span>
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2663Labels:
2664<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>,
2665<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Messy%20Monday%20Tips%20for%20Getting%20It%20Together' rel='tag'>Messy Monday Tips for Getting It Together</a>
2666</span>
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2668<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'></div>
2669</div>
2670</div>
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2672
2673          </div></div>
2674        
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2677        
2678<h2 class='date-header'><span>Sunday, November 6, 2011</span></h2>
2679
2680          <div class="date-posts">
2681        
2682<div class='post-outer'>
2683<div class='post hentry'>
2684<a name='3144151103298133917'></a>
2685<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2686<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-time-change-helps-my-home.html'>How The Time Change Helps My Home Management</a>
2687</h3>
2688<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2689<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2690Even with an extra hour, we still managed to be a few minutes late to church this morning. How's that for a laugh?<br />
2691<br />
2692Overall, though, I really enjoy the first few days of the time change.<br />
2693<br />
2694Here's why:<br />
2695<br />
2696It lends me a helping hand. You can read more here:<br />
2697<a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/11/daylight-savings-time-lends-me-helping.html">http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/11/daylight-savings-time-lends-me-helping.html</a><br />
2698<br />
2699Now, just to figure out my baby's new schedule...
2700<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2701</div>
2702<div class='post-footer'>
2703<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'><span class='post-author vcard'>
2704Posted by
2705<span class='fn'>Moms In Need Of Mercy</span>
2706</span>
2707<span class='post-timestamp'>
2708at
2709<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-time-change-helps-my-home.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2011-11-06T21:34:00-07:00'>11/06/2011</abbr></a>
2710</span>
2711<span class='post-comment-link'>
2712<a class='comment-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-time-change-helps-my-home.html#comment-form' onclick=''>1 comments</a>
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2728Labels:
2729<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Management' rel='tag'>Home Management</a>
2730</span>
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2735</div>
2736
2737          </div></div>
2738        
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2740          <div class="date-outer">
2741        
2742<h2 class='date-header'><span>Monday, October 31, 2011</span></h2>
2743
2744          <div class="date-posts">
2745        
2746<div class='post-outer'>
2747<div class='post hentry'>
2748<a name='4584565781514956614'></a>
2749<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2750<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/10/catching-up-when-youre-behind.html'>Catching Up When You're Behind</a>
2751</h3>
2752<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2753<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2754In <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/10/embracing-season.html">this season of life</a>, I am falling behind with housekeeping. Not that I want to, it's just too busy right now to stay on top of it all. However, with company (my mother-in-law and sister-in-law) coming to visit, I knew last week&nbsp;I had to get real busy, fast. (Plus, my mother-in-law is super, super neat. She's&nbsp;admitted&nbsp;her standard is very high). Talk about pressure.<br />
2755<br />
2756Some things that helped me get caught up: <br />
2757<ul><li><a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/10/missing-redbox.html">Teamwork</a> (taking a night to work with my husband; having the kids help pick up, too)</li>
2758<li>A friend offering to watch the kids for a few hours, so I could have some focused work time (my now 3-year old stayed with me, and I gave him a microfiber cloth and a bottle of Basic-H spray, which is non-toxic, and he helped me spray and wipe. "<em>There's a spot, Mommy! There's some spots</em>!..." Yes, lots of spots.)</li>
2759<li>Simple meals and clean-up (time for paper plates!) (A friend who knew my predicament ordered pizza for us one day so that I wouldn't have to make lunch. Bless her!)</li>
2760<li>Focusing on two rooms to clean well, instead of picking around in multiple rooms and continuing to feel overwhelmed at the lack of overall, measurable progress. After two rooms were cleaned quite well (kitchen and living room), I chose to do the best I could with the time I had left in the rest of the rooms</li>
2761</ul>After all that, ultimately, I just had to humble myself. The house was as good as it was going to be. At that point, I needed to <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/06/loosen-up-and-let-people-in.html">loosen up and let people in anyway</a>--focus on enjoying their company, rather than feeling anxious that it wasn't up to my erroneous pre-conceived notions of people's reactions. <br />
2762<br />
2763I think we judge ourselves and others' expectations more harshly than what the reality is. I was expecting to feel embarrassed. Yet, I was wrong. I was putting&nbsp;undo pressure on myself. Family and friends understand we can't do it all, and they don't expect us to.&nbsp;People are often much more merciful (and willing to help) than we think they may be.&nbsp;<br />
2764<br />
2765Now that things are somewhat caught up, it takes discipline to keep them that way. <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/11/messy-monday-cleaning-for-company.html">Put things away</a> where they belong right away. Keep <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/12/morning-afternoon-evening-routines.html">pickup routines</a> in place. Stay <a href="http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/10/keeping-up-with-laundry.html">caught up on the laundry</a>. Stay off the computer!
2766<div style='clear: both;'></div>
2767</div>
2768<div class='post-footer'>
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2811<h2 class='date-header'><span>Monday, October 24, 2011</span></h2>
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2818<h3 class='post-title entry-title'>
2819<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/10/tips-for-organizing-kids-toys-and-house.html'>Tips for Organizing Kid's Toys and the House</a>
2820</h3>
2821<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>
2822<div class='post-body entry-content'>
2823I could open a toy store with the sheer volume and assortment of toys we have for our boys. But to them, the toy store is boring. No matter how many they have, they seem to only play with a few favorites, leaving the rest to clutter up the basement floor/play room. Should I pack up all the toys and donate them to charity?<br />
2824<br />
2825While that is certainly one option, there is another way, which rotates the toy selection and keeps things fresh and exciting. Zesty. <br />
2826<br />
2827Buy some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y2ZGI0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=B000Y2ZGI0">Bankers Boxes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t7GnHMlaVlnSw3b6reaWWZy91OzkoseriM75-nmmBth4A36djInA_9H9pJqG7ODQX34TvLpX5fpkWcy8U0TxX5nko72v3TPU0pvZd8TIAsM3R_dOjDqvCfZzv_YpaDpytXQvYJn_9WATYI_jRNGkGx_D78Si21jc5o2pI63GuQOZR1rD6pCsWIfg=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"> and fill them with toys. (The best price I found was at Sam's Club: 10 for $18; Office Max was four for $18.) They look like this:<br />
2828<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y2ZGI0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=B000Y2ZGI0"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_siC19lC-59K3fN2jYGnBQu7rJeTRilzih-cW2nT2Q0FNXsbPIumKBgED3mmle31FK8bDWMNW91c6nrFLQzL1OgzWeEbokEGMA85-ZPAbjY-KxllL4KLIrJSjA6qAonIPx6nBICUrXrBWT-plrGrC33I6tIEN3D5XTeFI1S-wwgLYArBh43fccAfXyJ41LolyFKuD34CPYTPw-OVwbCsMyplydhcRTO6wzEVfUNaIH4nnj3Uy2BqmDehsRpWAVbbk2IkkdT=s0-d"></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t7GnHMlaVlnSw3b6reaWWZy91OzkoseriM75-nmmBth4A36djInA_9H9pJqG7ODQX34TvLpX5fpkWcy8U0TxX5nko72v3TPU0pvZd8TIAsM3R_dOjDqvCfZzv_YpaDpytXQvYJn_9WATYI_jRNGkGx_D78Si21jc5o2pI63GuQOZR1rD6pCsWIfg=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"><br />
2829<br />
2830You could box toys according to category, such as monster trucks and bulldozers in one, Little People in another, electronic toys (like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UNWV60/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=B003UNWV60">Buzz Lightyear</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sa1DSIn4zukHxNi7yddYHJI2lztxVYSdfSqdb2wOTqq1zmKJ8qx0PeRFUB8MSesq69XyDJCcP3MUdxtM4xf2dUxXnQQMg1Os_KsZr3i-DsrwLW1bzsJDpVw8XQdLUA-MGlzQsJThkN3rRkZmol_jEjeZAP7BPlsBqusVWTB-kHnHYPtV0Agh-I_Q=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1"> in another. Or, the option that my husband thought would be best would be to just box up an assortment of toys, so there are multiple choices to play with when that box is opened.<br />
2831<br />
2832Here's how the system works and the rotation comes in:<br />
2833<br />
2834I read in an Emilie Barnes' book once (I think it was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736922539/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0736922539">More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s-aNnI_5MLB-mQqjsccojb1fdAJEsK9CmwJe
2834XK0dEwc7-2JSYjxP1IiZmQYWxEWg12eEKUSYQTf8Ad_-1Unwuk1J4CMZjomh6tExF3hU94n8FY99jb1R91UiUyGi2-Vw8281Iol_H7cI5qZP2Q-KH5Fvx4CWpLfIaTWcp4E95IZWfdMci3hOI9=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1">) that to organize your home, you box up all unused items in the banker's boxes (they are recommended because they stack well and are durable). Number each box. Then, on a rolodex, list each box number&nbsp;on a card and record on that card what is inside. For example, if you are looking for the box with the Transformer toys, or the Christmas decorations, you can easily flip through the cards and find what number box the item is in. (It would probably make most sense to file the&nbsp;box number for Christmas decorations under the "C's").<br />
2835<br />
2836Setting up this system certainly takes some time, but I believe (and I come to believe more and more with the more children I have!) that the rewards are worth it. I remember reading in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141658563X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mominneeofmer-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=141658563X">The Duggars: 20 and Counting!: Raising One of America's Largest Families--How they Do It</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u_3sUQaA2veJnMU701Ze92TQSQMNetQHm1XvmcIDt8JrpBZ1W4jxARjDvGOvuWmoX4vLrFZZJyxt2bowndtNA8e3ge20Z0go9i7XIoic-ZXV_MY-cLJKN3u-6LNGfjcLFXyT1vmfE5VY7Sxj9M9MyYwcTlsj1LOGYRSfGumgA44NP4O_G3nARhNQ=s0-d" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1">that this is the system Michelle Duggar went with after she had her fifth child. She wrote that she either had to do something or she was going to go under. That's where I'm at now, with four kids!<br />
2837<br />
2838Getting back to how this works with toys, simply rotate the selection once every few days or once every week, at your choosing. This way you ensure the toys you've purchased with your hard-earned money&nbsp;are played with more than once. It also helps keep the kids from getting bored with the same toys. Mostly, it helps keep the toy clutter under control, since&nbsp;there can only be one boxful of items out at any one time.<br />
2839<em>(And if you want to donate a box or two to charity, that's fine too!).</em><br />
2840<br />
2841<em>(linked to <a href="http://wearethatfamily.com/2011/10/wfmw-new-ways-to-write-your-sponsored-child/">Works for Me Wednesday</a>) </em>
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2851<a class='timestamp-link' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/10/tips-for-organizing-kids-toys-and-house.html' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' title='2011-10-24T14:34:00-06:00'>10/24/2011</abbr></a>
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3035<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Natural%20Cleaners'>Natural Cleaners</a>
3036</li>
3037<li>
3038<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Nutrition'>Nutrition</a>
3039</li>
3040<li>
3041<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Once-a-Month%20Cooking%20Festival'>Once-a-Month Cooking Festival</a>
3042</li>
3043<li>
3044<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Organization'>Organization</a>
3045</li>
3046<li>
3047<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Parenting%20with%20Passion'>Parenting with Passion</a>
3048</li>
3049<li>
3050<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Pregnancy'>Pregnancy</a>
3051</li>
3052<li>
3053<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Products%20I%20Love'>Products I Love</a>
3054</li>
3055<li>
3056<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Raising%20Boys'>Raising Boys</a>
3057</li>
3058<li>
3059<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Recipes'>Recipes</a>
3060</li>
3061<li>
3062<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Sabbath%20Rest'>Sabbath Rest</a>
3063</li>
3064<li>
3065<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Saving%20Money'>Saving Money</a>
3066</li>
3067<li>
3068<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Saving%20on%20Groceries'>Saving on Groceries</a>
3069</li>
3070<li>
3071<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Time%20Management'>Time Management</a>
3072</li>
3073<li>
3074<a dir='ltr' href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/search/label/Training%20Children'>Training Children</a>
3075</li>
3076</ul>
3077<div class='clear'></div>
3078</div>
3079</div><div class='widget Image' data-version='1' id='Image2'>
3080<div class='widget-content'>
3081<img alt='' height='194' id='Image2_img' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxQ43np66HV1haA-7LjGxuh5Y1q4PGyT_Pcwpm__jBC5TXNwq24ltvcqTbX8tlPcZOAJFSzKryzxHc21Hr_Vvgvzv8sFifmLun-qJmSgDYp89TttnZEYXhJxXBzMpUW7F7jSCPRO-I2k/s1600-r/flower-big-footer-small.jpg' width='259'/>
3082<br/>
3083</div>
3084<div class='clear'></div>
3085</div><div class='widget Image' data-version='1' id='Image4'>
3086<div class='widget-content'>
3087<a href='http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=66101870&id=66101876&s=143441&uo=6'>
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3089</a>
3090<br/>
3091</div>
3092<div class='clear'></div>
3093</div><div class='widget PopularPosts' data-version='1' id='PopularPosts1'>
3094<h2>Popular Posts</h2>
3095<div class='widget-content popular-posts'>
3096<ul>
3097<li>
3098<div class='item-content'>
3099<div class='item-thumbnail'>
3100<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cutting-boys-hair.html' target='_blank'>
3101<img alt='' border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtt9rDWO5KJaF51iLwxGPGTjx4A6Wh20jiPzZd4xyjKwq9BezfzfeV9q1ufV-4aXc185It_c9eCqfhiVbCEJsPdHl2kA0HBe4p0juiDT6l0AKZUAmBoOH3IyFEkxdS9eAS74vrixE2fLA/w72-h72-p-k-no-nu/DSCN2432.JPG'/>
3102</a>
3103</div>
3104<div class='item-title'><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cutting-boys-hair.html'>How to Cut Boys' Hair Like a Pro: Part 1 Scissors</a></div>
3105<div class='item-snippet'>I&#39;m guest posting over at my friend Laura&#39;s blog today, Heavenly Homemakers . If you&#39;re visiting from there, welcome! If you hav...</div>
3106</div>
3107<div style='clear: both;'></div>
3108</li>
3109<li>
3110<div class='item-content'>
3111<div class='item-thumbnail'>
3112<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/03/heaven-is-for-real-astounding-tale-of.html' target='_blank'>
3113<img alt='' border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sfAIy7KVcqiL9KdNe_ILpeQp0f38uTP3nXFhjukKukuy5d9rUQxFib9YzUrvIIVf4WYtWktvG5gStJnHxD1b-2uJ1hnEx_Penvd1_iU75reozS1HnPI7t-SUSfWRyzft-1ytVK7qsbeuxldCLK8iPlQWKyVqUbjkmK1Rn74QgKMSvJM9MlnJJ5tHwk9pkK68gi7dILIUUON8UeqlLYZckzbtJuf_Xi9A=w72-h72-p-k-no-nu'/>
3114</a>
3115</div>
3116<div class='item-title'><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/03/heaven-is-for-real-astounding-tale-of.html'>Heaven is for Real, an Astounding Tale of a Boy's Trip to Heaven and Back: Is it Biblical?</a></div>
3117<div class='item-snippet'>&#160;
3117I recently read Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy&#39;s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back , because I was given a copy by a fa...</div>
3118</div>
3119<div style='clear: both;'></div>
3120</li>
3121<li>
3122<div class='item-content'>
3123<div class='item-thumbnail'>
3124<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/12/letting-go-of-stuff.html' target='_blank'>
3125<img alt='' border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4P-CgHoxN8_vIOI_3ulBHAsWhpJlej0jKYa6TKZSDdCjqH6AbFB15qn04xqD901eIyYYMNQYTYlEIa-WJAZdDGKDPs2fALAGmnMfAU5XbpDNRGXnWJdbwUlp8KWvvODF4lVtVwr-jNOc/w72-h72-p-k-no-nu/doorman.jpg'/>
3126</a>
3127</div>
3128<div class='item-title'><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/12/letting-go-of-stuff.html'>Letting Go of Stuff</a></div>
3129<div class='item-snippet'>As we prepared to move, my husband and I were rather ruthless when it came to getting rid of stuff. A friend, who is a mom to eight, once sh...</div>
3130</div>
3131<div style='clear: both;'></div>
3132</li>
3133<li>
3134<div class='item-content'>
3135<div class='item-thumbnail'>
3136<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-if-we-refused-guest-post.html' target='_blank'>
3137<img alt='' border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgls8hk7Jt8cXq_czWSfQuCJW5u2aCQPovUakiE_bJePpypCzLKJIRu1rcoC8XonbV0UnFvpqz-Ma7g_0MmJpPfQg9dDNZut5QQGhBie59cznvXarL66NEbYZ3Suf6H9u7mKKhwakaIFis/w72-h72-p-k-no-nu/Robboy.jpg'/>
3138</a>
3139</div>
3140<div class='item-title'><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-if-we-refused-guest-post.html'>What if We Refused? (A Guest Post)</a></div>
3141<div class='item-snippet'>Today I am privileged to introduce my friend, Theresa, to you. She encourages us to build a heavenly vision for our homes and families at he...</div>
3142</div>
3143<div style='clear: both;'></div>
3144</li>
3145<li>
3146<div class='item-content'>
3147<div class='item-title'><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2011/01/febreeze-odor-eliminator-and-moth-ball_25.html'>Febreeze Odor Eliminator and the Moth Ball Challenge: The Winner!</a></div>
3148<div class='item-snippet'>Yesterday, I washed and dried two loads of the nice hand-me-down clothes stored with mothballs. One load I washed using the Febreeze Laundry...</div>
3149</div>
3150<div style='clear: both;'></div>
3151</li>
3152<li>
3153<div class='item-content'>
3154<div class='item-thumbnail'>
3155<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/02/make-your-own-clorox-clean-up.html' target='_blank'>
3156<img alt='' border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0gvWbtigQlEOVq99a2J75vapmoaSZSJgVcU9ypzytvQcm3IdIrkJRa_6ZU9ZzE_y8V5nSQsKImtRwH8e1zX2t9QrCvpt3ukn3IsHmcuB_ENFDO9Q98QxaMud4rzAn3Hg73uU3mw50i0/w72-h72-p-k-no-nu/DSCN1204.JPG'/>
3157</a>
3158</div>
3159<div class='item-title'><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/02/make-your-own-clorox-clean-up.html'>Make Your Own Clorox Clean-Up</a></div>
3160<div class='item-snippet'> We know we&#39;re supposed to sanitize our kitchen counters and other areas of the home to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Clorox...</div>
3161</div>
3162<div style='clear: both;'></div>
3163</li>
3164<li>
3165<div class='item-content'>
3166<div class='item-thumbnail'>
3167<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/11/coffee-talk-thursday-talking-about.html' target='_blank'>
3168<img alt='' border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGDG1wU2_EQHgeEuXZ9DICxK2UuC4ioSmZwRtJgATqhLIbcbNTliRz47bPZE9S3g1780SwEqgwTFOT99IOTf6PXrBoWSxQMecugCS1J54khAqMxVIAbvqxniPBHDZnRYr0Hag25zu_38/w72-h72-p-k-no-nu/turkey.jpg'/>
3169</a>
3170</div>
3171<div class='item-title'><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/11/coffee-talk-thursday-talking-about.html'>Coffee Talk Thursday: Talking about Turkeys</a></div>
3172<div class='item-snippet'>clip art courtesy At the grocery store a few days ago, there were many turkeys to choose from for one&#39;s Thanksgiving feast. There was th...</div>
3173</div>
3174<div style='clear: both;'></div>
3175</li>
3176<li>
3177<div class='item-content'>
3178<div class='item-thumbnail'>
3179<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/12/having-baby-without-maternity-insurance.html' target='_blank'>
3180<img alt='' border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tI9lt-t3xX_hVky5tERYhYbhOyeSqj0bJ
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3181</a>
3182</div>
3183<div class='item-title'><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/12/having-baby-without-maternity-insurance.html'>Having a Baby Without Maternity Insurance</a></div>
3184<div class='item-snippet'>The exciting news is we are expecting our fourth child in August. The not so exciting news is we don&#39;t have maternity coverage, and the ...</div>
3185</div>
3186<div style='clear: both;'></div>
3187</li>
3188<li>
3189<div class='item-content'>
3190<div class='item-thumbnail'>
3191<a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/01/menu-plan-monday-bountiful-baskets.html' target='_blank'>
3192<img alt='' border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDRqtU4fXhy9bOAjCJctWwv1f9E7qzZr6BwLMBQMpODfLrJbqoM-yobT67K78SywW36w3rZ_ZfjOXJCIjz3rnUpN9uH3X7RuXoLOCTdix5YG2SSNo5a5u_Jm47ICCbqqwCv4NC-K4QRA/w72-h72-p-k-no-nu/Produce.jpg'/>
3193</a>
3194</div>
3195<div class='item-title'><a href='https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2012/01/menu-plan-monday-bountiful-baskets.html'>Menu Plan Monday: Bountiful Baskets Ideas</a></div>
3196<div class='item-snippet'>Have you heard of Bountiful Baskets ? It&#39;s wonderful way to feed your family fresh produce without breaking the bank. For $15, you get s...</div>
3197</div>
3198<div style='clear: both;'></div>
3199</li>
3200</ul>
3201<div class='clear'></div>
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3265_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HeaderView', new _WidgetInfo('Header1', 'header', document.getElementById('Header1'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3266_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML4', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('HTML4'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3267_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ImageView', new _WidgetInfo('Image6', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('Image6'), {'resize': false}, 'displayModeFull'));
3268_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML8', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('HTML8'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3269_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ImageView', new _WidgetInfo('Image8', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('Image8'), {'resize': false}, 'displayModeFull'));
3270_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_SubscribeView', new _WidgetInfo('Subscribe1', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('Subscribe1'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3271_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML1', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('HTML1'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3272_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML7', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('HTML7'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3273_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML5', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('HTML5'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3274_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_BlogArchiveView', new _WidgetInfo('BlogArchive2', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('BlogArchive2'), {'languageDirection': 'ltr', 'loadingMessage': 'Loading\x26hellip;'}, 'displayModeFull'));
3275_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ImageView', new _WidgetInfo('Image7', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('Image7'), {'resize': false}, 'displayModeFull'));
3276_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_BlogSearchView', new _WidgetInfo('BlogSearch1', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('BlogSearch1'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3277_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML3', 'left-sidebar', document.getElementById('HTML3'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3278_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_BlogView', new _WidgetInfo('Blog1', 'main', document.getElementById('Blog1'), {'cmtInteractionsEnabled': false, 'navMessage': 'Showing posts with label \x3cb\x3eHome Management\x3c/b\x3e. \x3ca href\x3d\x22https://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/\x22\x3eShow all posts\x3c/a\x3e', 'lightboxEnabled': true, 'lightboxModuleUrl': 'https://www.blogger.com/static/v1/jsbin/523436852-lbx.js', 'lightboxCssUrl': 'https://www.blogger.com/static/v1/v-css/828616780-lightbox_bundle.css'}, 'displayModeFull'));
3279_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML6', 'main', document.getElementById('HTML6'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3280_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML2', 'sidebar', document.getElementById('HTML2'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3281_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ProfileView', new _WidgetInfo('Profile1', 'sidebar', document.getElementById('Profile1'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3282_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ImageView', new _WidgetInfo('Image5', 'sidebar', document.getElementById('Image5'), {'resize': false}, 'displayModeFull'));
3283_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ImageView', new _WidgetInfo('Image1', 'sidebar', document.getElementById('Image1'), {'resize': false}, 'displayModeFull'));
3284_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LabelView', new _WidgetInfo('Label1', 'sidebar', document.getElementById('Label1'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3285_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ImageView', new _WidgetInfo('Image2', 'sidebar', document.getElementById('Image2'), {'resize': false}, 'displayModeFull'));
3286_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ImageView', new _WidgetInfo('Image4', 'sidebar', document.getElementById('Image4'), {'resize': false}, 'displayModeFull'));
3287_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_PopularPostsView', new _WidgetInfo('PopularPosts1', 'sidebar', document.getElementById('PopularPosts1'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3288_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_FollowersView', new _WidgetInfo('Followers1', 'sidebar', document.getElementById('Followers1'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
3289_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ImageView', new _WidgetInfo('Image3', 'footer', document.getElementById('Image3'), {'resize': false}, 'displayModeFull'));
3290</script>
3290
3291</body>
3292</html>

Line numbers count LF bytes from the start of the resource, as the search results do. Vendor segments are library code the classifier recognised; they are stored but not indexed. Bytes are shown as Latin1 characters, one per byte.