Power Mom

As I rolled out of bed before everyone else in my family today, I realized how powerful I am. I am Mom. My choices make or break things for this family. I could stay in and sleep as long as the rest of them, but the morning would then be hectic and unpleasant. Instead, I choose to rise early, get myself ready, pray for my family, and set us up for the day with a good breakfast and things in order, ready to go.
Power Mom...not a mom who seems to have it all together, or rushes around always busy. Not a mom who works out at the gym or who manages a career. These don't give us power. Our power lies in our choices. Do we pursue our selfish desires, or do we sacrifice for our family. And, is it really a sacrifice? It's a pleasure for me to serve my husband and family. In fact, it's why this blog is so sporadic. They always come first. Life goes so much smoother that way, and I love it. Really, I don't need "me time" if my mind is set in the right paradigm. The paradigm of being the helpmeet I was created to be.
So, off I go...a quick bath while I pray for my family. Then I will pack up what we need for our day and help them enjoy the time we have together this morning eating a healthy breakfast that will feed our bodies. We're not perfect, but wow, this morning I just realized how powerful my choices are. Am I going to be a Power Mom, or a Martyr, "poor-me" mom? I choose Power Mom.

Kid's Allowance and Chores

I recently read a quote that made perfect sense to me..."A parent's job is to raise adults, not children." It is a constant struggle, because they are kids. :) My husband and I want to teach our children how to manage money and how to take care of themselves when they leave the house. With my new focus on efficiency, I have put together a plan which implements allowance, chores and addressing negative behaviors.
Monday is a big chore day for me, so I was inspired to complete this list of chores for the kids. Once I think of something, I like to go for it immeadiately! :)

ALLOWANCE
Each DAILY task = 10 cents
Each WEEKLY task = 25 cents
ELLIE (10) AND WILL (7)
Daily
1. feed Kady (E) collect eggs (W)
2. feed Frank (E)
3. sort laundry
4. empty garbage cans
5. walk Kady and get the mail
6. unpack backpack/lunch box
7. complete homework
8. help make lunches
9. put laundry away
10. empty dishwasher
11. pick up stairs
12. help cook dinner
13. set the table
14. load dishwasher
15. sweep kitchen
16. Make dad’s coffee
17. Make dad’s lunch
18. nightly pick up
19. Read 20-30 minutes with Will
WEEKLY
1. clean Frank’s cage (E) vacuum stairs (W)
2. clean chicken coop (E) clean windows (W)
3. pick up dog poop (E) pull weeds (W)
4. vacuum room (both)

Here's how we're going to work it:
Every two weeks, the kids get an empty mason jar. We have one jar filled with small marbles and 16 big marbles. Each time a daily task is completed, they get to add one small marble to their jar. When a weekly task is completed, they get to add a big marble to their jar. Here's the catch: if I have to pick up after them, or if they perform the negative behavior we are trying to eradicate, then I get to take a small marble from their jars and put it back into the big jar. On payday, we'll count up the marbles in the jars and convert them to money.
The goal is for the kids to do all 4 weekly chores and 40 daily chores. This equals 5.00. I suppose they'll have to do more to make up for the marbles they are bound to lose. We'll see how it works!

PS I got some ideas for the task list at http://totallytogetherjournal.com/chores-aka-but-thats-why-we-had-you/ .

Jump In

I learned a lesson this past week. It's a lesson I should have learned a long time ago, but so it goes. The kids and I spent several days at my parent's house, and much of our time was spent in their pool. I am typically a wuss, I get in the water one step at a time even though it is 100+ and the cool 82 degree water feels SO good. I finally realized that my hesitation was robbing quality time spent with my kids. So, I finally jumped in.
The more I thought about it, this is a metaphor for life. How often does God lead us somewhere, and we go in one step at a time testing out the water? I waste so much time! If I have given my desires and my life over to Him, shouldn't I trust that He will lead me? So, if God has taken me somewhere, or has somewhere for me to go, I am going to be looking out to make sure I just jump in!

Hot Spot

What on earth is a hot spot? Right now, in AZ, you'd probably name any one of the many wildfires burning, and that would be true answer. But, in your house, a hot spot is any spot where junk piles up. I have four major hot spots: the counter right next to my refrigerator, my stairs, the bench at the top of my stairs, and my entry way. If I take time each day to clear these off, my house is looking pretty good. If I don't, watch out! My day timer/calendar gets so covered it's useless, my stairs - which are visible from the main rooms of my house - make everything look cluttered, and my entry way looks like a shoe store. Really, it doesn't take long IF you clear them every day!!! So get started now! What are the hot spots in your house? Grab the kiddos and clear them out. Then just sit and enjoy how nice it looks. :)

Good Morning Summer! Hello Routines

Good morning Summer!

It's been a while since my last post. I just didn't have time with work and family. Now that summer is here, maybe I will have some more free time. Just a blurb about one of my favorite things: my ipod touch. Now, I try not to get too attached to material possessions, but my ipod touch houses two great things: my Daily Audio Bible podcast and my Home Routines app. Neither of these things I NEED, but I certainly enjoy them, and my hubby really enjoys it when I use my Home Routines app.
This app lets you input your routines and check them off as you go. You can do this at home with a chart and such, but it is so nice not to have to deal with that. I got my ipod touch as a gift, and the Home Routines app was $2.99. Definitely worth it. Each time you check off ann item, you get a star. We joke about how many stars I get in a day. So, this morning with no school we are back to our full routines. Even the kids get into it, helping to get all of our stars. They know they don't get free time until our morning stars are done. :)

Our morning routine:
computer
dressed
breakfast
laundry
dishwasher/dishes
counters/table
calendar/hotspot
sweep floor
dinner
chickens/garden
vacuum
zone
one weekly task

This is all based on the flylady...www.flylady.com I've adapted her philosophy to my life. The Home Routines app is also based on her philosophy. You should be able to click on the title of this post and go to her website. Be careful! It can be overwhelming. Our job is to figure out how it fits into our lives. You don't have to do everything! I like to get up early so I can listen to the DAB podcast while I bust some of these out. More on what some of these things mean, like hotspot, next time. Good luck, and happy summer!

100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread in Five Minutes

Here is a recipe worth trying out. It comes from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. There is an entire website dedicated to making bread in 5 minutes a day: www.artisanbreadinfive.com. It is a fabulous concept! The website and books are worth checking out. I found the Artisan Bread book at my library. Since this first book, the authors (one being a professional baker) have published also a book titled Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day with recipes using more whole wheat.
I have had a hard time getting this bread to rise, but it could be due to my being at 5,000 feet above sea level. So, I decided to post this recipe anyway, for those of you who are at lower elevations. When I figure out the secret for my altitude, I'll post it again.
It is definitely worth a try! Easy and yummy.

A few notes:
I have made this with milk and also with all water.
Yeast is MUCH cheaper when bought in the large container vs. packages.
I use grapeseed oil, which I buy in bulk from Azure Standard.

Ingredients
1 1/2 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 c lukewarm milk
1 1/2 TBSP granulated yeast (1 1/2 packets)
1 TBSP sea salt + 1 tsp sea salt
1/2 c honey
5 TBSP neutral flavored oil, plus more for greasing the pan
6 2/3 c whole wheat flour (freshly ground if possible, and NOT whole wheat pastry flour or "graham" flour) I like to use my sprouted flour.

Directions
1. Mix yeast, salt, honey and oil with milk and water.
2. Mix in dry ingredients WITHOUT kneading. This is easily done by hand with a spoon.
3. Cover - not airtight - and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top); approx. 2-3 hours.
4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, or I like to throw it into a container (or two) with holes punched in the lids and put into the 'fridge for a while. Usually until the next day. (This dough is pretty sticky.) The dough can be kept in the 'fridge for up to 5 days.

On Baking Day
1. lightly grease your loaf pan. Using wet hands, scoop out a 1 1/2 - 2 lb handful of dough.
2. Quickly shape the dough to fit your pan and drop it right in. It should be filled a little more that half-way.
3. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes for a 1 1/2 lb loaf OR
preheat to 375 for a 2 lb loaf.
5. Bake 1 1/2 lb loaf for 50 minutes and 2 lb loaf for 60 minutes.
6. Remove from the pan and let it cool completely before slicing.

This recipe yields 2 loaves if you use 1.5 lbs of dough, or one 2lb loaf and some rolls. My family isn't sold on it yet, but again, I think it is due to the high altitude factor. When I figure that out, I'll let you know!

Vita-Mix

A few years ago, when I was just starting my health journey, I was over at a friend's house soaking up as much of her wisdom as possible. She whips out this blender, fills it up with all kinds of healthy stuff, turns it on and walks away! What is this?! A blender that doesn't get all clogged up? A blender you don't have to babysit, and make sure it doesn't fall off the stand? This blender, a Vita-Mix, instantly made my wish list. I knew it was costly, but really how much could a blender be? Uff da. Quite a bit more than my hubby was willing to part with! So, I learned to be content with my garage sale blenders. The old seventies blenders sell for about $5, and last longer than those I purchased new. I like my smoothies thick!
Fast forward to Fall 2010. I figure out that if I want to feed my family according to Nourishing Traditions, I need to be making things from scratch. It's much cheaper (more on that in a later post)and healthier. So I begin to research grain mills and stumble upon one little sentence on www.thenourishinggourmet.com which basically said a Vita-Mix works great for grinding grain. Hooray! Here's my in! Long story short: everything worked out and I got a Vita-Mix for Christmas!
Smoothies have never been better! They sell a wet container and a dry container. The blades are different. I can grind 4 cups of flour in 1 minute. This machine really is incredible. I debated between trying to grind the wheat in the wet container, but really felt at peace when I got the dry container. It works great, and costs less when you purchase them together. Another bonus: clean-up is a breeze.
Final thoughts: the Vita-Mix rocks. If you can save your money to purchase one, I highly suggest it! If you can get it as a combined gift from everyone you know, even better. :) Go for it! It really makes life a little easier and healthier. :)