Honestly... Where did it go?

As I have posted on here, I have been sick the last two days and tonight time got away from me and I forgot to take my sleepy sick medicine. Therefor, when I went to get off the computer at 11 I was not at all tired and I was sniffling. So, now I have taken my medicine and played around more on my computer and it is after 11:30. Just thought I would be honest that I did NOT make it to bed for my bedtime tonight :( None of us are perfect or good at sticking to new resolutions. For those of you that have made it to bed for your new bed time you are awesome! Congrats! Good night.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window... Are the pretty mountains and beautiful sky

I am thinking...I really want to not be sick anymore.

I am thankful for... My darling husband who has been taking care of me while im sick.

From the kitchen... wasnt in the kitchen today

I am wearing...pajamas

I am reading...articles on homemaking.

I am hoping... that i can get back to housework tomorrow :)

I am creating... nothing today

I am hearing... the tv and my baby sleeping

Around the house... all i quiet as everyone is tucked into bed

One of my favorite things...is waking up to my darling family

A few plans for the rest of the week... get caught up with cleaning, get my to do list completed everyday and go to the park together on saturday

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

My Bedtime!

Ok I am actually pretty good at this part lately. Since having my second son I lay down with him and hubby at 8pm and they both fall asleep around there. Then I get my alone time on my laptop. I also watch a few tv shows. I then go to sleep @ 11pm. So this is already my normal bedtime and I dont feel that I need an earlier time as the boys get up soemtime between 730-9am so this is plenty of sleep for me. I should be getting up before the boys BUT it is impossible to get up without waking them up so I just stay in bed til they wake up.

Making Your Home a Haven

Making Your Home a Haven: Bedtime

Tammy's Kitchen | Homemaking

Thank you all so much for joining in last week and sharing about your morning routines! :) This week's challenge is something I've needed to work on for quite some time...

Do you ever have trouble getting to bed on time? Surely I can't be the only one who frequently lacks discipline in this area.

Staying up too late (and usually for non-important reasons!) has a great impact on how well I function the next day... how patient I am... and whether or not I can read stories to my children without conking out!

I personally feel that going to bed on time is one of the most important aspects of making our homes a haven. It's also one that I frequently do not choose to do. I want to change that!

There are certainly times when it is a good thing to stay up "past our bedtime". But when we are regularly indulging the flesh while ignoring good sense, it can become a sinful trap that Satan uses to keep us from giving our very best to our family and home.

It's difficult to get everything done, isn't it? I know I've sure tried, and it just never works. Our bodies were made with a need to stop and rest. If we're like the majority of people, our bodies need 7+ hours of sleep each night. I could go off on a rant about all the health benefits of getting proper sleep, but you probably know it already. Sleep is good for us!

In order for me to get to bed on time, I have to cut out distractions. The computer is my biggest downfall in this area. Other distractions for me are books and cleaning.

If you, like me, desire to go to bed on time and get a reasonable amount of sleep, then we have to prepare, plan, and yes -- exercise some self-discipline and self-denial regarding what we'd rather do, knowing that we are making wise choices for our bodies and our families!

So my challenge to you today is to come up with a good bedtime for yourself. Your family, schedule, individual sleep needs, and spouse's preference will influence what time is best for you to be in bed, but decide on something and resolve to be in bed by that time every night this week!

You may have to work harder today, to be sure you'll meet that goal. Or maybe you'll be going to bed tonight with a few dirty dishes out and a computer that has stayed off for the evening. It's okay.

My bedtime needs to be 9:00pm. I'm gonna stick to it! Boy, won't Joshua be excited when he reads this post! If I stick to a bedtime it'll be about 10 times easier for him to follow it too. (And we both get up at 5!)

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My Morning Routine

1. Feed Raymond
2. Daily Bible Reading/Pray Rosary
3. Take Vitamins
4. Breakfast with Daven
5. Bedroom/Bathroom Tidy Up

Im hoping that I can keep to this morning routine. I will be starting it tomorrow! :D

Making Your Home a Haven

Making Your Home a Haven: Morning Routine

Photo from a source of joy

Welcome to this week's Making Your Home a Haven challenge! (If you missed my intro, you can read it here.)

We're going to stick to the basics this week. For years, Crystal has plugged the idea of having a Morning Routine.

A simple Morning Routine is a list of 5, and only 5, things that you plan to do each morning. Getting a good start for the day can set a beautiful tone for the rest of the day's challenges!

I've done Morning Routines in the past, and even stuck with them for quite some time because having a little daily list, a little structured routine, worked wonders for me -- even while juggling babies and toddlers and everything else.

However, I am somewhat ashamed to admit that in recent months I haven't been using my mornings very wisely, and I certainly haven't been following any Morning Routines.

Far too often I am finding myself unmotivated, staring at a pile of leftover dishes, toys, dirty laundry, or messy floors and then crawling off to the living room to goof off with the children. (Yes, some goofing off is good. But things like not planning dinner and not clearing the dishes is not good!)

That said, I am motivated to re-institute a 5-Things Morning Routine for where our family is right now!

Here is my Morning Routine:

1. Put away clean dishes.
2. Bible time with the children.
3. Make tea and take vitamins.
4. School time.
5. Take children outside.

Join me in making a list of 5 things you want to call your Morning Routine! Your 5 things will likely be very different from mine! Do what works for you. Keep it simple and manageable: something you can reasonably do on a daily basis.

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Quick House Clean for Company

Tips to zoom through your home and clean up quickly when company is on the way.

Company is on the way and your house is mess. But there is hope for a clean home in record time. If you have about 15 minutes and can work fast follow the steps below to get your home clean and organized, at least as far as your guest is concerned, right in time.

Your Tools:

Timer

Large Trash Bag

Large Basket

Surface Wipes

Damp Rag

First of all if you have a few odors open all windows and maybe a back door with a screen. Spray something fresh. Or better yet throw some frozen cookie dough in the oven. Or simmer some vanilla diluted in water on the stove. The open window will work the best and quickest to rid your home of odors.

Next you?ll be dragging your trash bag from room to room. Start where your front door is. Most likely the living room. Just in case your company arrives before you finish you want to at least have the room they see first the cleanest.

1. Set your timer for 5 minutes. You have 5 minutes to get the front room and any peripheral rooms, such as dining room or family room, together.

2. Trash: Dragging your trash bag around with you (you don?t want to leave it one place and keep coming back to it as that is wasted energy and time) start dumping any garbage lying around into the bag.

3. As you?re trashing straighten items you come to. Fluff pillows, straighten magazines. Just pile don?t look for places to put them. Clear off dining table. Push in chairs. Don?t organize. If the dining table is foody (my sister?s word) wipe it with the damp rag. You only have 5 minutes for this area.

4. Clutter: Get your big basket. This should also be drug around with you. Dump those mischievous items that don't belong in it as you clean. If it?s a nice basket you can stuff it in a corner. You'll find their correct homes later.

5. Bedrooms: Make all beds. I say this because I can't believe how nosey people are and they always find a way to look into your private bedrooms. I don't like this but it happens so take care of the situation before it arises. If you have a very short amount of time just cover with the comforter. This takes seconds.

Your timer should go off somewhere here. Reset it for 5 minutes again and then move on to the...

6. Bathroom: Go to the guest bathroom and (hopefully you have some emergency wipes that you keep in there on hand) use your wipes. Really try your hardest to make it to this room. Cleaning the living room and the bathroom are the most important. Wipe down the mirror and the chrome with the window cleaner wipes. Wipe the counter tops with a general purpose wipe. Swish your toilet and use a flushable wipe to clean the seats of it. Use a wipe to spot check any (noticeable) spots on the floor. Take all used towels and dump them in the laundry area. Hang a nice clean hand towel (this is of course after you?ve washed your hands from toilet duty) and spray some nice scented something. Put out a new piece of soap. Take the old one to your personal bathroom.

If your next 5 minutes aren?t up (they shouldn?t be) just take your timer to the next area. The...

5. Kitchen: Get all the dirty dishes out of the sink and off the counters. Wash them if you have time or put them all in the dish washer. Wipe down counters. Put any food sitting out away. Sweep the floor. Again the trash should be emptied here and spray in the can with air freshener if needed.

If you still have time vacuum the living room and dining room if you have carpet. Or sweep these floors.

Whew! Now go comb your hair and spritz on some perfume! Look relaxed. You will daze and amaze your friends. They will wonder how you always have such a clean and organized home! ; )

Honestly you would be surprised at what you can accomplish in 5 minutes. From a messy breakfast I can clean the kitchen in 5 minutes. In 15 minutes I can put my home back together after hosting my extended family. Test this method out before using it real time and adjust it to meet your own household?s needs.

Homemaking Organized

Determined!

I have been a stay at home mom for a little over 2 years but I didnt accept my role as a homemaker/housewife til about a year ago while I was pregnant with my son Raymond. Still I have not figured it all out yet. I'm still trying out cleaning routines and daily routines lol. All while taking care of a 5 month old and homeschooling my son, Daven(4yrs old). For those of you out there who are still learning to get organized or are just starting out you are not alone. :)