Finding The Time

I don’t think I have yet to cover the topic of “homemaking” on my blog.  I have mainly focused on encouraging each of you weekly.  However, this week has been a little hectic, and I thought I might answer the one question I get a lot.  “How do you make time to do it all?”

Now, if you want the short version of this post, then the answer is simply, “I don’t.” 

I simply have to pick and choose what is most important.

I would love to say I have the perfect home routine.  I would like to say my kids are perfect angels.  They keep their rooms neat and tidy and are always respectful of their parents and any adults they meet.  And my husband and I never have a disagreement.  Plus, he always picks up after himself, closes the shower curtain after showering, and puts down the toilet lid when he is done.

I wish I could say we have dinner on the table every night and that we NEVER EVER eat processed foods, food with seed oils, sugar, or candy (even though I try really hard).  Oh, and my laundry is ALWAYS done in a timely manner.

All of that is definitely in my dreams.

The reality is that I am just like you, and I have to make time to do anything.  My husband and I were talking, and when asked about personal time, I realized that I really don’t have any, other than the small amount of time I specifically carve out for myself.  I don’t count writing this blog as personal time.  Most of the time, we are on the road, working with the church, attending a function, or doing something else that may come up.  I think this pretty much sums up a lot of us.

Yet, I think taking time out for our home is important. 

Personally, I have a hard time relaxing if my home is dirty.  Now, when I say dirty, I’m not talking about everything being sparkling clean.  What I mean is that things are picked up and somewhat tidy. 

Take a moment and decide what “tidy” means to you.

Each of us defines it differently.  My tidying is simply making sure there isn’t stuff strewed all over the living room floor, my bed is made, dishes are not in the sink, counters are cleaned, and my table is uncluttered.  I like to make sure my kids’ rooms are within reason.  They are kids, after all.  I try not to spend more than 5 to 10 minutes tidying a room. I have found that by doing this, I feel less pressure during the week when I come home.

There is no reason your family can’t help!

Teach your kids early on the importance of tidying up their toys.  As soon as they begin dragging them from one room to the next, it is the best time to start teaching.  They won’t do it perfectly, and you will have to accept that fact.  However, getting them to understand why it is important to pick up after themselves will cause you less stress in the long run.

Now, if my daughter or husband were to read this post, they would fuss and tell you that I am a whole lot worse than that, but in my defense, I have a certain amount of tidiness that works for me.  Those days they will tell you about will be the days I become an ogre and want my house clean.

I must make myself see reality on a daily basis.  My house isn’t meant to be in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  Yet, I like to take the time to beautify my home.  It is something that I enjoy!  It gives me pleasure. Besides, shouldn’t we be good stewards of what God has given us?  However, you won’t be able to walk into my house at any given time and see it magazine-worthy. We actually live in our home.  

I love pulling in my driveway, seeing my decorated porch, and then walking into my fresh-smelling home.  I recently found two old area rugs at a garage sale.  When I saw them, I knew I immediately wanted them for my porch.  Oh, I can hear all the questions!  My husband and daughter wanted to know what in the world I was thinking as well.  However, when I cleaned them up and put them out on the porch, my vision came to life for them.  My husband, while sitting on our swing, stated that it felt homey.

However, the day I brought the vacuum outside to vacuum them, he came out and asked me if I realized I looked like the crazy woman in the neighborhood.

How else was I going to clean them off?

When do you have time to do laundry?

One day a week.  That’s the bottom line.  Every person in my house had better make sure all of their clothes are in the hamper by Friday, or they will go another week without what they need.  OR they will find time to wash clothes for themselves.   

This may not work for you.  Another option that may be easier for you is to wash a load prior to work in the morning and then come home to dry the load and put it away. 

My recommendation though, is that whatever method you find works for you, DO NOT, under any circumstances, leave it in a clothes basket for a later date.  I can hear so many of you groaning now and telling me that I just don’t understand.  Guess what? I DO UNDERSTAND!  I’ve been that person who has every good intention of getting to that laundry basket later, only to find we are living out of it until my next day off.  Get it done and get it out of the way.  It will be one less thing on your plate.

I watched a YouTube video awhile back by “But First, Coffee”.  She talked about putting laundry away and how instead of folding everything, only for your kids to destroy later, you should just lay them in the drawer.  It takes less of your time, as you aren’t folding anything and putting it away immediately.  I highly recommend watching the video, as she gives lots of tips and tricks.

How do you have time to bake and have fresh food?

That’s another question I get a lot.  It is true that it does take time to make fresh food.  I won’t deny that.  However, over time, I have learned a process.  Just as I learned taking a few minutes a day to tidy a room makes all the difference later, I also learned setting aside a time to bake and prep for the week changes everything.

Granted, there are still days we come home and sandwiches are on the menu, but the fact we have fresh bread for those sandwiches makes all the difference in the world.

My recommendation is to invest time in what your family enjoys.  If you have a favorite meal, when you go to cook that meal, make double of it to freeze for later.  Instead of worrying about what you will have for breakfast the next morning, find out what your family enjoys and take one day that month to prep some for the freezer.  Pinterest is full of freezer prep ideas.

It really is as easy as that!

I personally like to take one day a month and prep extra items we enjoy throughout the month, such as cinnamon rolls, pizza pockets, and pizza dough, and place them in the freezer to have ready at a later date.  Once a week, I will put the ingredients in my bread machine and then make biscuits for the freezer while it is mixing.

Yes, I have a teenager, but I also have a 6-year-old who requires my constant attention.  How do I do it with him?  I let him help me where I can.  Many times, he drags up a kitchen chair and stays right beside me while I prep the food. He loves to ask a lot of questions, and he absolutely loves to help with the process.  Many of your small children will be occupied for quite some time if you get them involved in what you are doing.

Another great way to keep them involved is to give them some of the biscuit dough you are preparing. I give some to my son, and he likes to roll it out and cut it with cookie cutters.  Very similar to Play-Doh, but less messy, in my opinion.  Plus, he just eats it when he is through.  We are weird like that.

One other thing I recommend when it comes to food prep is using equipment that will make your job easier.

Listen, I know it can get expensive, and that is why I always look for sales.  Decide on what will make things easier for you and start looking.  Don’t buy it until you find it at the right price.  It will definitely be worth the wait.

I found my bread machine at Ollie’s for $50 and my Ninja food processor at Walmart for $75.  Both cut down on my prep time tremendously.

BEST INVESTMENTS EVER!

Listen, these are just MY personal suggestions.  What works for me may not work for you.  You have to find what works best for you.  But don’t say you cannot do something until you have tried.  There will be days when you just don’t think you can do it all, AND that’s okay.  Just try and do what you can.  Make a schedule for yourself. 

We talked about taking time out for yourself in a previous post.  The only way you can make that happen is to figure out what works for you and your family, make a schedule, and make it happen. 

“Don’t say you can’t until you prove you can’t.” Les Paul

What a way to live!  You don’t know if you can do something unless you try it. However, it may not work out the right way the first time, so remember,

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again.” Robert the Bruce

Now, I’m getting off here to go and spend some time doing what I want.  After all, my house didn’t require a lot of attention this week, thanks to the help of my family.