Showing posts with label Ladies Stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ladies Stuff. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Monday, October 22, 2007
Doing Two Things At Once
"Sure, Mom and Dad, we'd love to have you drop in for an overnight visit," my husband said on the phone with his folks. Yikes! I love my in-laws, but I'd been barring all visitors from our home for weeks because my house needed a thorough cleaning.
Now, my fastidious in-laws would be seeing our home at less than its best. Worse still, my schedule included no time for a systematic, complete cleaning before they arrived.
Most moms dread the cleaning process, whether surface or deep cleaning, because nothing stays done for very long with kids at home. With three busy kids, I simply don't have a "free" week in my schedule to devote to deep cleaning--spring or otherwise. But I could include some deep cleaning with my regular surface cleaning schedule.
What worked for this messy homemaker mom was multitasking--learning to do regular cleaning along with spring cleaning--year round. And realizing that my house would only really be completely clean the day the last kid moves out and our dog dies.
So try these divide-and-conquer techniques for five minutes, an hour or an afternoon to get some deep cleaning done any season:
In the kitchen
- Scrub the backsplash and wall tiles while water begins to boil.
- Clean both the inside and outside of an appliance each time.
- Include some dishwasher-safe knickknacks in the dishwasher when it isn't full.
- Remove smudges off cabinets while waiting for your children to get ready.
- Wash your baseboards while talking on the phone.
- Wipe down the kitchen chairs in another room as the freshly mopped kitchen floor dries.
- Scour the other sink while the water from the faucet turns from ice cold to hot or vice versa.
In the bathroom
- Use an old toothbrush to clean around the shower grout while you're showering.
- Clean the walls with a wall eraser product since bathrooms tend to be small and special products tend to be expensive.
- Scrub the tub by giving your preschoolers their own scrub brushes and gentle soap while in the tub. When they are in bed, finish up with a stronger cleanser.
- Remove old reading materials while waiting for your kids to finish brushing their teeth.
In the living/family room
- Use a lint brush to remove dust from sofa pillows.
- Ask every family member to clean during TV commercials.
- Send your kids on a scavenger hunt with a dust mop underneath the furniture. Hide a couple of quarters to keep as an incentive.
- Remove scuff marks on hardwood floors or stains on carpet instead of channel surfing.
In the laundry room
- Wash curtains when the delicate load has room for more items.
- Refresh dry-clean-only drapes by putting them in the dryer on low with a slightly damp towel.
- Save used dryer sheets to freshen the smell of wastebaskets or clothing drawers.
Throughout the house
- Squeegee all the inside windows on a sunny day.
- Squeegee the outside of the windows when the temperature hits 60 degrees.
- Use a ladder to clean all the tops of every door frame instead of doing it one room at a time.
- Dust every picture frame while waiting for a download on your computer.
- Clean all the light fixtures in the house on a rainy day.
Not cleaning regularly leads to frazzled, frustrated moms when you stick to your kitchen floor. Likewise, not deep cleaning leads to built-up dirtiness that simply takes longer to tackle.
Since moms multitask well, rethink your approach to deep cleaning by incorporating it in your day-to-day tasks.
And the next time your hubby agrees to invite overnight company at a moment's notice, hand him an old toothbrush with the dirtiest bathroom as his personal assignment.
Mary Steinke
Mary speaks at retreats and moms groups, teaches Bible studies, and writes many Hearts at Home newspaper articles. Before children, she worked in full-time ministry as chaplain in such diverse settings as nursing homes and prisons. Mary resides in Normal, Illinois, with her husband, Harry, and three sons.
Now, my fastidious in-laws would be seeing our home at less than its best. Worse still, my schedule included no time for a systematic, complete cleaning before they arrived.
Most moms dread the cleaning process, whether surface or deep cleaning, because nothing stays done for very long with kids at home. With three busy kids, I simply don't have a "free" week in my schedule to devote to deep cleaning--spring or otherwise. But I could include some deep cleaning with my regular surface cleaning schedule.
What worked for this messy homemaker mom was multitasking--learning to do regular cleaning along with spring cleaning--year round. And realizing that my house would only really be completely clean the day the last kid moves out and our dog dies.
So try these divide-and-conquer techniques for five minutes, an hour or an afternoon to get some deep cleaning done any season:
In the kitchen
- Scrub the backsplash and wall tiles while water begins to boil.
- Clean both the inside and outside of an appliance each time.
- Include some dishwasher-safe knickknacks in the dishwasher when it isn't full.
- Remove smudges off cabinets while waiting for your children to get ready.
- Wash your baseboards while talking on the phone.
- Wipe down the kitchen chairs in another room as the freshly mopped kitchen floor dries.
- Scour the other sink while the water from the faucet turns from ice cold to hot or vice versa.
In the bathroom
- Use an old toothbrush to clean around the shower grout while you're showering.
- Clean the walls with a wall eraser product since bathrooms tend to be small and special products tend to be expensive.
- Scrub the tub by giving your preschoolers their own scrub brushes and gentle soap while in the tub. When they are in bed, finish up with a stronger cleanser.
- Remove old reading materials while waiting for your kids to finish brushing their teeth.
In the living/family room
- Use a lint brush to remove dust from sofa pillows.
- Ask every family member to clean during TV commercials.
- Send your kids on a scavenger hunt with a dust mop underneath the furniture. Hide a couple of quarters to keep as an incentive.
- Remove scuff marks on hardwood floors or stains on carpet instead of channel surfing.
In the laundry room
- Wash curtains when the delicate load has room for more items.
- Refresh dry-clean-only drapes by putting them in the dryer on low with a slightly damp towel.
- Save used dryer sheets to freshen the smell of wastebaskets or clothing drawers.
Throughout the house
- Squeegee all the inside windows on a sunny day.
- Squeegee the outside of the windows when the temperature hits 60 degrees.
- Use a ladder to clean all the tops of every door frame instead of doing it one room at a time.
- Dust every picture frame while waiting for a download on your computer.
- Clean all the light fixtures in the house on a rainy day.
Not cleaning regularly leads to frazzled, frustrated moms when you stick to your kitchen floor. Likewise, not deep cleaning leads to built-up dirtiness that simply takes longer to tackle.
Since moms multitask well, rethink your approach to deep cleaning by incorporating it in your day-to-day tasks.
And the next time your hubby agrees to invite overnight company at a moment's notice, hand him an old toothbrush with the dirtiest bathroom as his personal assignment.
Mary Steinke
Mary speaks at retreats and moms groups, teaches Bible studies, and writes many Hearts at Home newspaper articles. Before children, she worked in full-time ministry as chaplain in such diverse settings as nursing homes and prisons. Mary resides in Normal, Illinois, with her husband, Harry, and three sons.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
What I Am Reading Right Now. . .
What Do I Know about My God?by Mardi Collier
This book is a personal testimony of Mardi's quest to grow in her knowledge of God. It's a practical book about knowing God in your every day life and in your thinking. In it she shares a simple devotional idea that has been life-changing for her and that she hopes will encourage others to grow in their relationship with God. Included also, are some helpful Scripture tools.
Publisher: Journeyforth (05/01/2006)
ISBN: 1591666813
List price: $8.95
Monday, January 22, 2007
What I Just Finished. . .
Becoming A Woman of Influence: Making a Lasting Impact on Others
by Carol Kent
Retail price: $14.00
Navpress; (October 1999)
Navpress; (October 1999)
ISBN: 1576831345
What I Am Reading Right Now. . .
It's a Wonderful Life
by Terrie Chappell
$19.95
The pages of this book are a breath of fresh air for ladies who are tired of trying to love their husbands and serve God in their own strength. From the very first page, your heart will be uplifted by Terrie’s candid, humorous, and down-to-earth approach to loving God, supporting your husband, and serving God’s people both biblically and joyfully. You’ll find new joy and fresh strength as you delve into these pages. Discover that it really is a “wonderful life” when your life is dedicated to Jesus Christ!
In these pages you will discover…
- How to deal with ministry challenges
- How to nurture your soul with the Lord
- How to pray for your husband
- How to uplift the heart of your husband
- How to bring your children up for God
- How to be a blessing to your church family
- How to conquer life’s greatest tests
- How to find strength in the Lord
- How to be faithful to God and others
(280 Pages, Hardback)
Synopsis taken from the above webpage.
Monday, January 15, 2007
My FAVORITE Ladies' Ministry Website. . .
Julia has incredible things on her site. Make sure to take some time and explore it!
http://www.creativeladiesministry.com/
http://www.creativeladiesministry.com/
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