ABC's of Homemaking

Here is a neat thing for you to do and post on your blog. Make sure to leave me a comment with your link to your blog for others to have a look-see also.

• Aprons--y/n If y, what does your favorite look like? Yes and aprons are almost always a part of my daily attire, so much so that I brought this one (which happens to be my favorite) to Maryland with me. -- I have a reversible that my mom made that is a pastel flower print. On one side she cross stiched a purple iris along with a lily, daffodil, and pink tulip and attached it up top where the pocket is supposed to be. So not only did she sew the apron in love but took extra time to cross stich my favorite flower (iris) for me to look at all the time.
• Baking--Favorite thing to bake? I love baking bread. It makes the house smell sooo good! I also love to bake goodies like chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin, and I am looking forward to start baking with pumpkin as AUTUMN is my most favorite time of the year.


• Clothes line? Yes-I use it almost every week depending on the weather this Spring, Summer, and soon to be Autumn. Winter I will come inside and use the modern clothes dryer as I am not as bold as the Amish venturing out into the snow drifts to hang clothes.


• Donuts--Have you ever made them? Yes-A long time ago but would love to make some again soon. Autumn is a good time for this along with some apple cider, yum yum!


• Everyday--One or two homemaking things you do every day? Something I loathe - Dishes. They are just so not my favorite thing to do. I also make my bed (my childrens is just a lost cause right now as they inevitably get messed up within an hour of making)


• Freezer--Do you have a separate deep freezer? Yes, and it is almost full. I have to keep in mind that Hubby will be bringing home a deer this December, Lord willing, to supply us with meat for the winter.


• Garbage Disposer? Yes-and I love it. I take all my veggie/fruit scraps to the compost pile and all the rest to the disposer. This helps in two ways, my garden next year is going to be rich in nutrients and my trash all year round will smell a little fresher than it normally would.


• Handbook--What is your favorite homemaking resource? "The Home Management Binder: The Housewife's Best Friend" e-book by Candy at http://www.keepingthehome.com/. I'm still working on putting my Home Management Binder together. I also refer to http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ as well as other various websites and blogs of which are located in my sidebar (and saved in my favorites)


• Ironing--Love it or Hate it? Or hate it but love the results? Hate it, and have not ironed in years unless it was ABSOLUTELY necessary.


• Junk Drawer--y/n? Where is it? Yes, kitchen cabinet drawer, and the cabinet above the desk in the kitchen. Both of these it is high time to clean out and start afresh.


• Kitchen--color and decorating scheme. Americana tan, blue, dk red - My wall border is hung around the edge of the ceiling and looks like distressed dk blue wood with pegs and old fashioned kitchen utensils hung all around with some red berries thrown in for good measure. (My dining room is open to the kitchen and it has the Saltbox houses and under it says "In God We Trust"


• Love--what is your favorite part of homemaking? Learning to trust in God's plan for me and my house. Growing into a seasoned Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 Woman. Also putting full faith in God as the head of my household first. Realizing that in order to have a Happy Home with happy hubby and children that I must devote my time to Him First thing in the morning because I know that he will direct the rest of my day as I build my home in all of my Homemaking duties.


• Mop--y/n? Yes, once or twice a week- usually on Tuesday or Friday


• Nylons, machine or hand wash? - Haven't worn them in years. I prefer legs to be free but in winter I wear either socks, tights, or leggings under my skirts.


• Oven--do you use the window or open the oven to check? - I use the window as I have heard that by opening it up you lose a few degrees of your cooking temperature and then your oven has to work itself back up and this wastes a little bit of electricity and will have to pay for it later.


• Pizza--What do you put on yours? Everything, I like it loaded with the "normal" stuff, you know, minus anchovies, etc. I especially like BBQ or Hawaiian w/pineapple


• Quiet--What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? - With 3 small children I don't usually get too much quiet time so most of mine is during the morning before they wake which is when I do my Bible reading (I use The One Year Bible NLT and my Nelson Study Bible NKJV), then I read a few pages to a chapter of, "A Mom After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George, and then I journal and pray in "The Power of a Praying Parent Journal" by Stormie Omartian. During the day if I do get time I will get on the internet or blog.


• Recipe Card Box--y/n? What does it look like? - I have one and have tons of recipes inside and outside of it that need to be organized. It is a Longaberger recipe basket.


• Style of house--What style is your house? 3 bed room, 3 bath brick ranch w/2 wood burning fireplaces decorated mostly country and primitive.


• Tablecloths or Placemats? -- Clear tablecloth over wood table and placemats at kid's places.


• Under the kitchen sink--organized or toxic wasteland? -- Semi-organized with mostly homemade cleaning agents.


• Vacuum--How many times per week? -- Once


• Wash--How many loads of laundry do you do per week? -- New schedule to start first week of October. Ideas taken from http://www.keepingthehome.com/ from Candy's e-book, "The Home Management Binder: The Housewife's Best Friend": Monday-Hubby and My clothes, Tuesday-Children's clothes, Wednesday-Towels & washcloths, Thursday-Rugs, Friday-All Bedding and anything else I may have missed.


• X's--Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off? -- I've tried this but it just doesn't work for me as I keep adding to it and then it seems like there is just so much to do that I just don't get hardly anything done due to the stress of it all. So what I have come up with to start the first week in October is a daily rotating schedule of which I will post soon. This again was taken from "The Home Management Binder: The Housewife's Best Friend" and I am excited to start working on it. If all goes well it should help me get things done that I need to and still have some free time for me to blog or read. I am also working on a schedule using various methods in order to work for our family and I will be posting that soon also.


• Yard--y/n? Who does what? -- Hubby cares for the lawn and planting the garden and I care for the flowers and tend the garden after he plants it (he does also but I'm the main one). Speaking of gardens, I'm in the process of trying to plan next years so that we will have an abundance and am also planning to can as well. Both of which I am extremely excited about and have about 7-8 months to work on getting it all together.


• ZZZ's--what is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed? -- By evening I'm pretty much too pooped to do much but I try to straighten up the dining room and kitchen so it is not weighing heavy on my mind when I wake up for my devotionals in the early AM