It all started about a month and a half ago when I read this post that my blogging friend, Amy, wrote. It's like a light bulb turned on in my head! Her post has helped me a ton! I have now been making a meal plan and it has made my life so much easier. I have been cooking a lot more and I love it! Steven has loved all these home cooked meals!
I also read this post that she wrote about grocery shopping. It also helped me a bunch. I now go grocery shopping once a week. I plan what I want to cook and then I look up coupons and sale ads. I have also quit doing all my grocery shopping at Wal-mart. Last month I needed a green bell pepper. I paid $1.59 for a GREEN BELL PEPPER at Wal-mart. Then I went to Save-a-lot the next day and they had them for .50 cents! That is a HUGE difference! It really opened my eyes to shopping at different places.
Amy said that she is going to make a spread sheet with a list of the prices of things they normally buy so they know which store has those items cheaper. I really want to do this but I haven't yet. (If you have any tips Amy, please e-mail me:))
Now, for some more (uninteresting) stuff!
Yesterday I made a family organizer.
Originally, I was just going to make a list of pantry staples; things I always need in my house. When I make a grocery list, I always look in my cabinets to see what I need. That didn't always work because if I was completely out of something, I wouldn't remember and therefore I wouldn't buy it. Now I have a list and all I have to do is look at the list and check to see what I have and what I don't have.
I also made a section for my weekly cleaning schedule.
And this is my to-do list of bigger projects that need to be done. I was able to mark 4 things off yesterday and today I have marked 3 things off! I am on a roll!
Eventually, this binder will (hopefully) have more things in it. Like if I make a spread sheet of prices like I mentioned above. Also, I want to write down all my cleaning and cooking tips in it so I won't forget them.
I have been praying for wisdom. I'll confess, I had never really prayed for wisdom until I read this post (Yet again, by Amy:)) I didn't pray for wisdom because I really didn't think I needed it. Crazy huh? Well, I am just a stay-at-home mom. Why would I need wisdom? I didn't realize this, but being a stay-at-home mom (a good one anyway) requires a lot of wisdom! Who would have thunk it? I mean, I need wisdom when raising my child, grocery shopping, shopping in general, and being the wife God has called me to be.
I honestly believe that God is answering my prayer! No, I probably don't have much wisdom in a lot of people's eyes. Probably not in a lot of your eyes! But God has really been helping me to keep my home a happy, organized place. He has opened my eyes to a lot of helpful things I have missed before.
One thing that I have been doing now is waking up earlier. I am NOT a morning person. I really wish I was. I honestly could sleep until 11:00 every single day! But, I was waking up at 8, kissing Steven good-bye, fixing Trinity a bowl of cereal, praying, reading my Bible and then it's already 10:00!I have already wasted almost half my day!
I prayed that God would make me a morning person. I know this sounds crazy, but it was something I needed. He has answered my prayer in that too! For a couple of weeks now, I have been waking up at 6. I wanted to wake up at 6 so I could pray and read my Bible without Trinity climbing all over me and needing this or that. But, that hasn't worked. I have been waking up at 6, but Trinity has too! Oh well. Now I get up, pray, read the Bible, cook breakfast, and clean the house and I am done by 8:00! Wow! I feel like I have a ton more time now! And also, Steven and Trinity has a better breakfast than just cereal. Which is great!
Now that I am becoming "organized" my house is a lot cleaner. It's (almost) always "company ready". Yes there may be toys around but I can't do anything about that yet! And I don't mind toys.
This is my living room.
This is Trinity playing with her babies. She has 7 of them and an alligator that she carries everywhere with her. I was picking them up all the time, but now I just let her play with them until Steven calls and says he is on his way home from work. Then I tell Trinity that Daddy is on his way home so we have to clean the house so he doesn't come home to a messy house. And she picks up her toys, and loves helping me!
I can't tell you how much Amy's blog posts have helped me! I love reading about her family and she is one awesome Momma! Amy, please feel free to share some more homemaking tips! I need all the help I can get.
Wow! I don't know what to say! All I can say is these things have came by much reading and seeking. I'm so glad that something I have wrote has helped someone. You don't know how much this has encouraged me girl! Keep it up, it isn't always easy but it's worth the effort. Love you!
ReplyDeleteHey, Ivy,
ReplyDeleteHere are a couple of tips I learned from working in a grocery store. If you get the weekly sales flyers, you can make a list from what is on sale. If you buy two at once, you can have an extra thing for the next time you need it. Also, stores tend to repeat sale items on a regular basis. So if you get two now, then when you need that thing again, it should come around on sale by then.
If you don't get the sales flyers in the mail, many times you can look up the store's ads by going to their website.
If you decide to go to two or three stores, keep a blanket or cooler in your car to help keep the perishables cool while you shop, or plan to get all your perishables at the last store you go to.
Lots of love,
Aunt Kathi