31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day thirty-one} : goals.

So today is the last and final day of October, and I can't believe how fast it's gone! Today I will leave one last tip. Set a goal for what you want in your home and career life. Decide, or at least be thinking about, where you are headed. Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?

Begin to view the daily work of balancing work and home as a means to get where you want to go. Find that groove and that balance if you want or need to continue working. And if the goal is to stop, view this time as a means to an end. Believe that your hard work will pay off, and be kind to yourself while you find your balance.

That's it for the month! Stay tuned for more in November. :)

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-nine} : quote.

I found this great quote that I want to share for today:

"The balancing act of motherhood and a career, and being a wife, is something I don't think I'll ever perfect, but I love the challenge of it." -Kerri Walsh

 

photo credit

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-eight} : make the most of the evening.

Now, evenings I love. I am definitely a night owl. I get a second wind around 9 or 10 pm, and I could probably clean into the wee hours. Unfortunately, the way our life is now, we have to go to bed around that time. :) So our evenings are short, with both of us getting home around 6 pm, and then having to get dinner made and cleaned up before bed. After a long day at work (especially long for hubby!), working on our home doesn't sound very appealing. Here are a few things that can make the evening productive, but still allow you to rest after work:

1. Find a chore you can do while you veg out on the couch, like fold laundry, clip coupons, or balance the checkbook.

2. Plan dinners that can be made in the crockpot, or you have made and frozen ahead of time for your busiest nights.

3. Do a quick pick up of the house before you go to bed to cut down on the clutter of everyday life.

4. Lay out at night everything you need for the next morning- clothes, lunches, etc.

Above all, cut yourself a little slack! You have been at work all day- try to always remember that it is about balance, not perfection.

What do you do to help your evenings go smoothly?

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31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-seven} : make the most of the morning.

I won't lie to you- I stink at this. I hate morning. I mean, really hate it. I don't get up until the last minute, and rush through my morning routine. I barely (and sometimes don't) make it to work by nine. I am the poster child for "not a morning person."

That being said, I do get up at 3 am with the hubs every morning to make his breakfast and lunch. If I am not dead tired, I stay up for a little bit and try to do one or two productive things- switch the laundry, do the dishes from the night before, catch up on Vampire Diaries prep dinner for that night.

Unfortunately, when I climb back in bed for a few hours, getting up when the alarm goes off is almost guaranteed not to happen. But that is a problem for another day. The point of this post is to talk about what TO do in the mornings. I have to say, when I get out of bed for the second time in the morning, I am always grateful to myself if I took a little while to clear the dishes out of the sink, or do some laundry earlier that morning. It just starts my day off right.

Another thing that helps my morning go a little better is to shower the night before. I think what slows me down the most is my shower (I love long showers, and I lose track of time!) or blow drying and straightening my hair. If I can do that the night before, my morning is WAY faster.

So, tell me- does anyone else struggle with morning, but wants it to be more productive? What do you do to help yourself make the most of your morning?

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-six} : keep it simple.

Just a short thought for today. I found this on Pinterest!

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-five} : find your inspiration.

Today I woke up feeling cheerful, inspired, and wishing I could stay home and pour my creative energy into my home. Then I went to work all day, got a headache, had a long commute, and vegged in front of the TV for the evening. My earlier excitement didn't even push me up the stairs to clean the bathroom. Which is, I am ashamed to admit, a project that has been pushed to the side all week. Ew.

Do you ever feel inspired to pour yourself into your home? Try to capitalize on those moments! Obviously we will have days that zap us of our energy and passion, like my day today. So try to mentally note what things give you that zest. For me, I think the fall weather has be especially inspired. I also like rainy days- they make me feel project-y. :) Pinterest is also a great tool for home, cooking, and organizing brainstorms. As long as you don't use up all of your free time just pinning instead of doing. Not that I would ever do that.

Draw on the things that inspire you when you are tired and don't feel like being a homemaker. Envision what you would like your home to be, and build toward that. Take those moments, when you can, and burst out with creative energy. Let your home be a reflection of your inspiration!

What inspires and motivates you?

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-four} : be in the moment.

If you're like me, it can be easy to get caught up in the routine and mundane. In the quest to balance everything, and stay on top of everything, and keep your priorities straight, you can forget to live in the moment.

Remember why you're doing this- this thing called homemaking. It is for someone that you love! (Whether that is your husband, your children, or even for yourself!) If you are always in "go" mode, you are going to miss the important things. The relaxing together as a family....the snuggles.....the teaching moments....the special times with friends.

Don't be so busy with the good things that you miss the great things!

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-three}: take a wife-cation.

So, a lot of "tips" that I read online or in magazines about balancing work and home are focused on how different things are in our culture nowadays. How women basically are juggling both things; how women don't necessarily have to make their home their first priority. We are in a society that doesn't require women to be the keepers of the home any more. We are in a society, although it still has a ways to go, of equality.

Contrary to what is popular or typical in my generation, I begin each of these posts with the understanding that women are called, even commanded by the Bible, to be the keeper of their home. Now, most people in our culture would choke if they read that. It is not considered acceptable. But before I hear a chorus of "amens!," I want to say that I don't hold to the standard of many Christian subcultures, either, in believing that a woman's job is to stay in the home caring for her husband and children. I think that God does lay it on many women's hearts to stay at home. But I also believe He gifts calls many women for the workplace. And that is something to be celebrated as well! I would love to see both of those roles and choices lifted up and admired, instead of judged and put down by those who are staunch in their position.

So rather than hold to any adamant belief about WHERE a woman should be, I would rather focus on WHAT a woman is to be. The Bible is clear that a "wise woman builds her home, but a foolish one tears it down." To me, that is a clear instruction, and a clear choice. Build your home. Whatever your home looks like for you. Whatever building it looks like for you.

And so, with the presupposition that a woman is indeed told to build her home, regardless of her occupation, I would offer you this tip-

Take a wife-cation.

I have this terrible database at work that I always seem to be behind in. Everyone in the state thinks this system is a beast, it's not just me. But it's something that, if I don't put aside time to work on, will never get done. So I do this thing where I tell everyone I am on a SACWIS vacation. (That's the database!) Everyone knows that on my "vacation," I am available for emergencies only, and otherwise I am focusing on this one thing for the purpose of plowing through some serious amounts of work.

If possible- if your job allows- take a day off every now and then to do all those things that you want to do but feel like you never have time to do. That may be something different for everyone. For me, it would be deep cleaning. I like things scrubbed out and organized and wiped down. I also like to do prep work type things in the kitchen- freezer cooking, baking, making snacks for the week, etc. When I feel like my house is clean and our food is well stocked, I feel ready to take on the large task of balancing work and home. It's better to take a day that your husband won't be home, or your kids will be at school, or you don't have other commitments. Take this one day to FOCUS on your home. Just imagine if your daily work for your career could only get done in small increments, at night, while you were tired and wanted to relax. You would be pretty overwhelmed, and probably behind on your tasks! The same applies to homemaking. You need to take time to immerse yourself in it, without distraction, from time to time. Think of it as a "catch up" time. Treat yourself to something relaxing at the end of your wife-cation day! Get a pedicure, or sit and read at a coffee shop. I don't know about you, but I feel much more relaxed and happy when I am on top of my tasks.

What do you do to help you stay on top of your homemaking?

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-two} : share the load.

I don't know about you, but I struggle with wanting to be a full time homemaker....along with being a full time employee. I want to have the home of someone who has their whole day to pour into it. I want to make more from scratch and clean more and have my laundry put away every day.

But the truth is that I can't do it all, and I definitely can't do it all alone. It will depend on your work schedule, and your husband's as to how much you can split the work. It's important to be able to rely on each other, and ask for help when it comes to the care of your home. Try sharing the work according to how much time each of you have off, or what kinds of chores each of you don't mind doing. For example, my husband doesn't mind folding the laundry, since that's a chore that can be done in front of ESPN. :)

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to keep everything going on your own. Be willing to share in the responsibility and the control of the home!

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty} : maturity.

I like it. :)

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day nineteen} : make double.

Today's tip is to double up! Whenever you make a meal that could be frozen or turned into lunches, make two! If you are in a two income family, chances are you need lunch ideas. Make sure you make enough for leftovers for the week. We tend to spend money on out to eat when we have nothing that appeals to us left in the fridge. Having enough to eat for the next few days really helps us avoid the fast food pitfall.

When you can make a meal that can be doubled for the freezer, you should! It is little to no extra work to double up on a recipe you are already making for dinner. Throw it in the freezer for day when you don't feel like making anything!

 

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31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day eighteen} : push through.

So, unfortunately, I skipped days 15, 16, and 17. On Monday and Tuesday, my hubs and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! I decided to forgo any blogging and just relax. We both took off of work on Tuesday, and spent all day just relaxing and hanging out. We went to a nice dinner and watched the Presidential debate after that- so romantic, I know! Then Wednesday, I had another lovely allergy flare up and couldn't think straight....sleep was about all I could muster up. :(

So today, my energy is back a little bit, and in light of my house being neglected for a few days, along with the blog, my advice for the day is to push through. Do something, even when you don't feel like it. For example, I get up really early with the hubs to pack his lunch. Like 3 am early. After he leaves, I just really, really want to go back to bed. But before I do, I try to do a little something that I can be proud of- switch the laundry, load the dishwasher, straighten the living room- just one thing, just to make a little progress.

When you work, you probably won't have many days where you just clean your whole house top to bottom. You will probably have to do your homemaking in small increments. So be ok with that! Get used to doing a little here, and a little there. Make progress whenever you have the opportunity!

Even when you don't have time to do a lot, or you are really exhausted- push through and have a small accomplishment!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day fifteen}

Today is my one year anniversary of marriage to the best man in the world. So I'm going to hang out with him the rest of the night....see you here tomorrow for more blogging! :)

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day fourteen} : set a timer.

Do you have a problem area in your cleaning? I know I do- it's definitely our bedroom! I am pretty good at keeping our downstairs straightened up......by gathering everything and throwing it in the bedroom. :(

Here's an idea for managing a problem area: set a timer for 15 minutes every day and focus solely on that area. Don't feel that you have to clean the whole space. Fifteen minutes and stop.

If you consistently do this, your problem area will quickly become an area of discipline! Everyone can find fifteen minutes, even in a busy day. So devote a little bit of effort, and you can stop feeling guilty about that off limits zone!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day thirteen}: take time off from the busy.

This weekend we are playing the role of "vacation home" to our five year old nephew. And it is FUN! And I will not think so when I have a five year old I can't give back, I'm sure. :)

Today I woke up to the sound of my husband and nephew talking about how they slept and came down to see them chilling out in pajamas on the couch. I made coffee and oatmeal and we watched Power Rangers all morning. It was completely non-productive, and I needed it.

I need to grocery shop, pay the bills, and clean the house. I need to do the laundry, and do my freezer cooking. Instead of all of those things, I was introduced to the (horrible) show, The Amazing World of Gumball. Have you seen that? Awful.

But although I was not impressed with the content of the Cartoon Network, I loved the chance to snuggle up and do a whole lot of nothing. We walked up to the Farmer's Market, and made lunch and dinner, and went out doe ice cream. My house is still messy, and the laundry still needs to be done. But a pumpkin is carved and glowing all night in his bedroom, thanks to LED tea lights left over from our wedding, and a little guy is having a good weekend.

 

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Sometimes that's what matters, and that time is what's needed to recharge for the work week.

31 days to Balancing Work and Home {day twelve} : sleep.

Sleep.....don't sacrifice it. I personally need about 8 hours. I never used to, but I guess that's what aging does. :)

When we stretch ourselves too thin, we won't be great at our job or in our home lives. Sometimes sleep is what we do with the few hours we have left over. It takes a back burner to or busy lives. But that's really no way to do it! If you make getting a certain amount of sleep a goal, you will have much better balance and, well...sanity in the rest of your life.

That's it for today. Short and sweet, because we are having our five year old nephew over for the weekend.

Get enough rest- even if it feels like you don't have the time.

 

 

{photo credit}

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day eleven} : is it a good fit?

As with everything, we will eventually have to ask ourselves if our job is a good fit for our lives. In this economy, you can't be too choosy if you need to work. However, you do have to consider all of the factors. For example, is your paycheck still big enough to make it worth it, after you pay for child care? Is your job flexible when you have a sick child?



(photo credit)

 



I am so blessed to have the job I have. My boss asked me a few months ago what my long term goals were for my position. We were able to talk openly about my desire to go down in hours when I had a child, and what that could look like. In the meantime, my job is nice and flexible. If I am not feeling well, it's possible for me to work at home. If I need to leave early, it's easy to request that last minute. I can be somewhat confident that when I am ready to begin my family, I can work with my boss to figure out what my needs are and how I fit at the company.

I know not everyone has that. My heart goes out to those who can't stand being at work, or are looked over for promotions due to making their children a priority. It's a tough world out in the work force.

So ask yourself what yourself if your job is working for you as a family and home-oriented woman. If it doesn't, is there an option that could be better for you? Could you work at home a day or two out of the week? Could you cut back in some areas and work fewer hours? Is finding a different job a possibility for you?

I know this post may not be applicable to everyone. I just want to throw out some food for thought. I love working. But I also am very thankful to have a position where I can make my home and husband a priority. And I don't feel bad about that- about both of those things being important to me! The point of this is to think outside of the box. Get creative! Sometimes that's what it takes to find a balance in our lives.

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day ten} : just say no.

When I didn't get home until 11:30pm yesterday, I knew I'd need to skip Day 9. I had the best of intentions for sticking to 31 days straight of blogging, but I guess sometimes life gets in the way of plans!

So, anyway,picking up again with day 10, I want to talk about saying no. It's a tough thing to be working and homemaking. That means taking control of your time. And sometimes that means saying no to things. It's easy to pile your commitments so high that you can't do a few things well.

It's important to consider every slot on your calendar and weigh whether or not you should be filling it up. Focus really is the key here. If you want to focus on your home and family, you will have to let some other things go- especially if you are also working! Only you can decide which things you must keep and which things are not worth your time.

After you prioritize your time, you have to be kind to yourself. Stand by the decisions that you make and don't bad about it! You are the one that is accountable for the way you spend your minutes. So spend them investing in what matters!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day eight} : maximize your minutes.

I barely made it to the computer before bedtime today. My hubby has been giving me the "you're crazy" look as I announce before bed, "I still need to blog!" But I'm doing it, and I'm pretty happy about it. :)

So today is simple- maximize your minutes. Find little slivers of time during your day, and make the most of them. Maybe you don't feel like you have a lot of extra time, but I guarantee you can find a little bit if you try. Make a few important phone calls on your commute. Write your shopping list in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

The key to making the most of your time is multitasking. For me, this works as an incentive. I can do things I have to do at the same time that I do things I want to do- like catching up on shows on my laptop while I chop veggies or do my freezer cooking in the kitchen. Or listening to an audio book while I'm cleaning. Find ways to fit in the things that make you happy with the things that make you proud of a job well done!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day seven} : declutter.

I recently read this post over at Looking for Love, Luck, and... about purging your home of unwanted things. And I heartily agree with her.

Day seven is all about the purging and decluttering. When I get swamped with cleaning at my house, it is because there is stuff all over. Junk mail, laundry, books, dishes- you name it. I can tend to get kind of messy, but when I buckle down and clean, I clean deep. I am all about "a place for everything and everything in it's place." If it doesn't have a place, or a purpose, it's gotta go!

Today I spent a lot of time cleaning our bedroom, which is honestly a catch all space for me. I know, that's bad. I'm trying to get better. It is just so easy to clean up downstairs where people will actually see it, and then toss the leftovers in the bedroom and shut the door. Like, for weeks at a time. Today, I made a huge pile of things to get rid of. Tomorrow, I just have to muster up the self-discipline to take it to Goodwill.

Having too much stuff is a great way to always have a messy house. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to keep it clean. Period. So get rid of things as you clean! Do you really need to keep folding up that ripped dish towel and putting it away? Do you really need all 45 pairs of shoes? Could you pare down the number of Tupperware containers filling the cabinet?

If someone else could reasonably use something, like a pair of jeans that's nice, but you haven't fit in for two years, donate. If it is not something you would give someone, like old underwear- throw it in the trash. But by all means. purge.

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day 6} : plan ahead.

Welcome to day 6! I am pretty proud of myself for blogging 6 days in a row already. Just goes to show that I can make time for what I want to do; it's not impossible. Like Grey's Anatomy. Somehow I always manage to keep up with what's goin' on at the hospital. :)

So, the name of the game for day six is plan ahead. Having a plan in place will make your life go a lot more smoothly. And isn't a smooth day like gold for the working woman? Of course, our weeks will have their surprises, and sometimes no amount of preparation can calm the storm that is our home. But some good prep work goes a long way when home isn't your full time job. Below are some things we can plan ahead to help us stay organized!

1. Meals
Having a meal plan not only helps you grocery shop wisely and save money, it keeps you from ordering pizza every night on the way home. It doesn't stop me every time, but it helps. There are definitely days where I scrap the plan and enlist the help of one Papa John.

2. Freezer cooking
Having some back up food in the freezer can also save you time and money. And help sever your relationship with the Chinese food place. There are times we work late, or I haven't had time to grocery shop, and it is really helpful to have a casserole in the freezer. I also like to have things in the freezer like homemade pizza crust, freezer burritos, and baked goods. We try to stay away from processed foods, so I love gleaning wisdom and recipes from ladies like Crystal at Money Saving Mom when it comes to freezer cooking in a short amount of time.

3. Outfits
I can't tell you how much time I waste and how much mess I make digging through my clothes trying to find something to wear every morning. My morning routine is something that is seriously lacking. Laying out an outfit at night before I go to bed would be a great step toward a smoother AM.

4. Days of the week
Get old fashioned or channel Sheldon from Big Bang Theory (any other fans out there?) and label your days. Make Monday your laundry day or Tuesday your freezer cooking night, or Wednesday your comic book store night  bathroom cleaning morning. You get the idea. I'm not talking about being rigid or inflexible, I'm just saying that if I always make sure I take 20 minutes to clean my bathroom on Mondays, I will have a toilet that I can allow impromptu company to use. And then I don't have to have another meltdown about how gross my home is and how tired and busy I am. Not that that ever happens. :)

How do you stay organized during the work week? What things do you plan ahead?

Back in the saddle with couponing.

So I've taken some time off from couponing, because I had enough stuff. We were pleased to have a stockpile large enough to share with all of our out of town guests for our wedding last year. And I LOVE being able to give things away to someone who needs it. Or just blessing someone by offering to let them take a few things while they are over visiting. Currently, I am wanting to start doing college care packages. So, needless to say, all of that dips into our stockpile. I noticed the other day that hubby is down to about 3 deodorants in the deodorant container. Uh oh. So I've been back in the swing of it, and probably spending too much out of excitement as I build up my stores again. :) Below I've shared a few transactions that I did last week. I'm pretty proud of them! *Note- I didn't list out which deals gave me back Balance Reward points or Extra Bucks, just listed the amount I received after the total.


Walgreens:

(2) Softsoap body wash- $3 each (reg. $4.79)
used (2) .50/1
and (2) $1/1 Wags coupon booklet
FP= $1.50 each

(2) Oreo small packs- .99 each (reg. $2.49)
used $1/2
FP= .49 each

(3) Optic White toothpaste- $2.99 each (reg. $4.89)
used (3) .75/1
and $3/3 Wags coupon booklet
FP= $1.24 each

(3) Optic White mouthwash- $2.99 each (reg. $4.99)
used (3) $1/1
and $3/3 Wags coupon booklet
FP= $.99 each

(2) Hefty zipper storage bags- $2.00 each (reg. $3.49)
used $1/2
FP= $1.50 each

(2) Scott Naturals paper towels 6 pks.- $5.00 each
used (2) .50/1
and (2) $1/1Wags coupon booklet
FP= $3.50 each

Total before sales and coupons- $61.18 + tax

After sales, coupons, and $4 of Register Rewards- $16.67 + tax

That's a savings of 73%! Plus, I earned 250 Balance Rewards Points through Walgreens new program.

CVS:

(1) Softsoap body wash- $3.50 (reg. $3.89)
used .50/1
FP= $3 each

(1) Softsoap hand soap- $3.50 (reg. 4.99)
used .35/1
FP= $3.15 each

(2) 2L Pepsi- $1.00 each (reg.$1.99)

(2) Dawn dish soap- .96 each (reg. $1.87)
used (1) .75/1
and (1) .50/1
FP= .21 and .46

(1) Swiffer refill- $7.49 (reg. $11.49)

(1) Olay bodywash- $5.50 (reg. $7.99)

(1) Covergirl concealer- $12.99
(1) Covergirl eyeshadow- $2.99 (reg. $5.99- B1G1 50% off deal)
used (1) $3/1
and (1) $1/1
and $4/ $12 cosmetics purchase CVS coupon
FP= $7.98 for both items

(2) Old Spice deodorants- $5.49 and $2.74 (B1G1 50% off deal)
used $1/2
FP= $7.23 for both items

(2) Newspapers- $2.00 each

(2) Travel sized Tresseme shampoos- .99 each
used $2/2 CVS coupon
FP= free

Total before sales and coupons- $72.02 + tax

After sales, coupons, $10/$50 purchase CVS coupon, and $7 EB's- $24.02 + tax

That's a savings of 67%! Plus, I earned $16 back in EB's!


Giant Eagle:

(4) Northland Juice- $4.24 each
Buy one get one free sale
FP= 4 @ $2.12 each

(1) Scope mouthwash- $2.50
used .75/1
FP= $1.00

(2) DeLallo Pasta- $2.48 each
Buy one get one free sale
FP= $1.24 each

(1) Fresh Express salad- $1.00

1/2 lb. Deli Turkey- $5.99/lb.
FP= $3.17

1 lb. Deli Ham- $4.99/lb.
FP= $5.04

Beef Stew Meat- $6.13

(2) Reynold's foil- $3.00 each (reg. $4.39 each)
used (2) .55/1
FP= $1.90 each

(6) Tampax Pearl/Radiant tampons- $3.00 each (reg. $4.99)
used (3) $2.50/2
and (3) $1/2 GE coupons
FP= $1.50 each

(1) Icy Hot- $2.99 (reg. $3.99)
used $1/1
and $2/1 GE coupon
FP= free

(1) 3 pk. disposable foil pans- $1.00 (reg. $2.39 each)

(3) Bounty napkins- $1.00 each (reg. $1.29 each)
used  (3) .25/1
FP= .50 each

(4) Bounty single roll paper towels- $1.00 each (reg. $1.69 each)
used (4) .25/1
FP= .50 each

Total before sales and coupons (according to my receipt- not all the regular prices are listed on there!)- $95.49 + tax

Total after sales and coupons- $44.60 + tax

That's a savings of 53%!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day five} : messy or dirty?

There is a difference between messy and dirty. When you don't have time to do much cleaning, focus on things that will smell if you leave them for too long: dishes, garbage cans, wet towels, toilets.

I know that is over simplified, but if you're like me, a messy house is overwhelming. Because I want my house to look like this-

-I get discouraged when it doesn't measure up. Then I stop trying to maintain. I let my kitchen get crazy, and put off the dishes until tomorrow. Or the next day. (That's actually what I need to do right after I finish this post!) It's hard for me to focus on one or two key areas on busy weeks. And when you don't have a plan for busy times, work piles up.

So today's tip for a busy week is to settle for messy and aim for clean. Try not to run out of clean cups or panties, and forgive yourself for the rest.

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day four} : lose the pride.

My advice for today....buy the packaged cookies from the bakery.

Why such trite advice today? Because we put so much pressure on ourselves to perform. I know not every working woman feels this way, but I am one that likes to make things from scratch. It kind of kills me to buy any packaged food. Whenever I am signed up to bring food to some event, I like it to be something that I made. So, I have to ask myself at times if it is a matter of wanting to be healthy and eat whole foods, or is it a matter of pride? For our meals at home, I would say it is about health.

But yesterday, I had to scrap the baking pride and pick something up at the grocery store for a meeting while I was running late to work. I would rather wow people. I would rather be the person with the best, yummiest dish. I like people to ask for my recipes. That's pride talkin'!

This week I've been busy. This week, I've been trying to focus on my house. This week I didn't have time to make yummy things. Because I work all day. And you know what? That's ok. Bake when you can, buy when you need to in order to maintain your sanity and be a good steward of your time. That's what I'm learning.

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day three} : maintain.

 

Word of the day: Maintain.

 

When you work, even part time, you will have to come to terms with the fact that your house is not going to be clean 100% of the time. Truthfully, no one has a clean house all of the time, but it can feel like you are the only one who doesn't have time to work on your house.

 

 

I don't know about you,but I tend to get tired and let things go. I clean like a madwoman, and then I don't for like a week. Or sometimes two. And then I am sick of it, and I get overwhelmed and upset that I have so much to do. And then I clean like a madwoman. And the cycle goes on....

 

Wouldn't it be better to do a little everyday? That's what I'm working toward. I'm trying to maintain my home, a little bit everyday. I am trying to let go of unnecessary stress and forgive myself for not having a sparkling kitchen at all times. :)

 



31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day two} : no guilt!

Today will be short and sweet. Actually, my goal is to keep all of these posts short and sweet. I barely made it to this one; I have a little over an hour left to get today's post in! I am looking forward to the pressure of the challenge! :)

 

Here's the thought for today on balancing work and home:

Don't allow yourself to feel guilty about wanting to have- and be great at- both a career and homemaking. I think we are pressured to choose by many forces: our jobs, our friends, society, our own thoughts. It's ok if you want to be great on the job and great in the home. You can be! So set aside the guilt, if you struggle with it. Set aside the perfectionist expectations you may have for both aspects of your life. And revel in the fact that you have it in your heart to do amazing things in both of your realms of influence! It's not an easy thing, so let's get to work finding a balance, shall we?

September's Giveaway Winner Announced!

Thank you so much for participating and following me here on the blog and on Facebook! I appreciate everyone's help as I slowly but surely build the blog. :) Keep checking back for more, as I join the 31 Day challenge and blog every day in October about balancing work and home.

Without further ado...

The winner of the Scentsy plugin is Michelle Wold Jolley! Thanks for each of your thoughtful comments, Michelle! You can comment below to let us all know you are claiming your prize!

Please send me a message on Facebook to claim and work out the details of receiving your prize!

Thanks again everyone, and congratulations, Michelle!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day one} : intro.

For the month of October, I'm linking up over at the Nesting Place, where they are having a 31 day blog event. I heard about via Sarah Mae, who is by far one of my favorite bloggers out there- check out her site! There is always something good for my heart when I read her writing.

I found out about this kind of last minute, but I am eager to join in the fun, and accept the challenge of blogging for 31 days straight! Judging from how busy my life got as soon as I committed to writing The Working Girl's Guide series in September, this will be a tough goal for me.

But October is my favorite month, and I am feeling energetic and ready for adventure! So, since I haven't had a lot of time to decide what my 31 Day topic should be, I am going to continue to share about balancing work and homemaking. Rather than lengthy posts, this will be 31 days of tips and tricks, my own life's mishaps, and sharing tidbits from my heart. I hope you all share your own moments in the comments as we all strive for balance and the building up of our homes and lives!

I'm cheating a tiny bit and making Day #1 an Intro. :) I'll be back to share tomorrow with something a little more substantial. I'll also be announcing the winner from September's giveaway, so stay tuned!

What's on the Menu 9/30- 10/6

Here's what we're eating! It's been a while since I've posted regularly, so I'm hoping to be up and running more often in October. :) Do you have a menu plan? Feel free to leave a link to your menu post in the comments!

Sunday- We went to some friends' for dinner, so I didn't have to cook! Yay!

Monday- It's band night for hubby, so we just grab something on the road. Nice part of not having kids: we don't really have to plan anything for dinner if we have things to do. Bad part: we eat more Wendy's than we should.

Tuesday- Small group- we are bringing salad toppings. This will be a good way to use up some end of season garden tomatoes!

Wednesday- Chili and cornbread- hoping my crockpot doesn't burn my food this week. I really don't want to buy a new one. :(

Thursday- Fish tacos with rice and mango salsa

Friday- Meatball subs and salad

Saturday- Beef stew and biscuits

Make ahead and freezer cooking- This week I need to keep dealing with garden tomatoes and figure out what to do with those. :) Also, I'm going to make Freezer Lasagna Casserole, cookies, and granola bars. Hopefully.

The Working Girl's Guide, Week #5- Determine Your Future Goals

Here we are at the last week! Thanks for joining me and reading along. September has been a crazy month in our house! It seems like anytime you commit to something, five other things pop up that make it hard to do.

I'll tally up and announce the winner of September's giveaway tomorrow, by the way. My plan had been to do it today, but keep checking back for the big news! :)

So, for this last week, I wan to talk about determining your future goals. Why? Because what we want to have eventually affects what we do and what our attitudes are like now.

#1- What do you want long term?
Do you want to stay at home with your kids, or even without kids, to care for your home? Do you want to continue in your career? Do you want to work a little bit but focus on home? Do you wish you were able to stay at home, but need to work for financial reasons? It's hard to make these kinds of decisions. I don't have kids yet, and I'm already stressing out about it. :) Some women feel called to be at home full time, and some do not. But, whatever path you are going to take- whether being a full time homemaker, or balancing work and home, those goals will affect how you keep your home now.

#2- How can you reach your goals?
If you plan to quit working, maybe now is the time to be planning financially and preparing to transition out of the work force. If you are planning to continue working, now is the time to learn some balance and homemaking habits that will make life a little easier. Even if being at home seems like a distant dream, be thinking of what you can do now to reach it. If you want to enhance your career, how can you achieve being great at that, and also being a great homemaker? Learn the skills and habits now that will increase your chances of success at work and homemaking, in whatever combination you choose.

#3- Being content in your current role.
This is the real kicker. Whatever it is you do now- whether you are a working mom that wants to stay at home, a stay at home mom that wants to work, a single girl that wants a husband and family, or a married girl without kids yet- that's what you are, right now. Instead of focusing on what you don't have, be content with what you have in the present. It's good to have future goals, and then work toward those. But it is also important to embrace the role you are currently in. This is hard if you just don't think you have the life you want- if it's hard for you to be at work when you just want to be at home. Or to want to have children and be a mom, but you haven't had the opportunity yet. These aren't small heartaches- but hold on to the fact that God has you in this role for a reason, and use the time to it's fullest!

Thanks again for joining up with my blog- I hope you keep coming back, and I hope you enjoyed The Working Girl's Guide to Proverbs 31!

Coming soon....

We're a having a little family day today, so I'll be on for the finale of the Working Girl's Guide series later on tonight or early tomorrow! See you soon!

The Working Girl's Guide, Week # 4- Set Small Goals

We're almost at the end of our month!  I can't wait to tally the entries and announce a winner for our giveaway!

For me, this has been a crazy, crazy month. We've had out of state company, gone camping, been sick, been busy at work, and just plain tired. Sometimes I feel bad about not blogging more often, about all the things I'd like to...but I am trying to practice what I preach and cut myself some slack! I honestly feel like it's been an accomplishment this month to clean my bathroom a couple of times and change my sheets. Yikes. Ever have one of those months? I just keep thinking, "I don't even have kids yet!" Kudos to you that do.

Anyway, I am hoping I can slow down a tiny bit in October and share some more fun things like wrapping up our summer garden and sharing our newly decorated bathroom. For now, I am pushing through to the end of September, this series, and this giveaway! I hope it has been a small inspiration to some of you. I have tried to share what I need to hear and keep reminding myself! :)

This week, I want to talk about setting small goals.

I don't know about you, but I bite off more than I can chew. Like all the time. I have a thing for setting myself up for failure. I have a day off and plan to clean the whole house, do freezer cooking, all the laundry, grocery shopping, make crafts, blog, catch up on a show, read a book, work in the yard, and go get my hair cut. Because I am off work, so why shouldn't I be able to do all of that, right? (If only I could accomplish that much AT work.)

#1- What would you like to do better? ...Realistically....
I could answer "What would you like to do better?" quickly, with a super long list of 1,000 things that I beat myself up about every day. But, realistically? Well, that's a different story. That makes me ask myself if I am being honest about my time and energy. And I am sometimes delusional about my time and energy. When setting goals, it is important to live in the real world, where I work 40 hours a week, and have commitments other than my homemaking. It is important to draw on all of the things we have talked about so far: not comparing myself to others, especially those in a totally different situation than myself; choosing priorities; managing my time efficiently; and letting things go. Not easy. I like to just skip to the lofty goals and subsequent guilt, myself. :)

So, while my nature is to make goals like "Always have a clean house," and "Lose 20 pounds by Christmas," or "Have dinner on the table 20 minutes after I get in from work every day," I have to honestly evaluate my life first and be kind to myself. Being realistic helps foster a sense of accomplishment instead of failure, and produces results instead of guilt.

#2- Set 5 goals, or fewer, and break them down into bite sized pieces.
I say "or fewer," because I feel like 5 is probably realistic for me. If I had kids and still worked full time, I'd probably go with fewer. But, choose your number based on a realistic evaluation of your time and energy! Instead of having the goal of spring cleaning my entire home once a week, it would be better for me to choose to focus on lightly cleaning the house once a week, or focusing on one room a week. Using this example, if my goal is to lightly clean the house once a week, I should break that down into smaller goals. Perhaps I should do just the bathroom on Monday, and just the laundry on Thursday. If I am realistic, I can actually accomplish something. Too often, my plan of action is clean everything until I am exhausted and then be angry when it doesn't all get done. If I am being honest about my schedule, sometimes just getting the bathroom clean and some laundry done every week is awesome. But I struggle with being happy with just that, because I want to do it all, have it all, and be it all. This is where being honest with yourself and kind to yourself comes in.

No one, in my opinion, is better at articulating and teaching goal-setting than Crystal over at Money Saving Mom. She is really fantastic, and I hope you check her out. I learn so much from her posts about breaking large goals into bite sized pieces, and her continual encouragement.

#3- Reward your progress.
I don't know what that looks like for you. Not everyone can or should reward themselves with tangible things like a shopping trip or sweet treats. That can form some bad habits if you aren't careful! I have always been one of those weird people that is actually satisfied with the rewarding feeling of a job well done. If my whole list gets done, I feel a warm glow looking at my very highlighted page. It's lame, I know. However, I do not feel the same way if I had 10 things on the list, and I was only able to cross off two. But I should still find a sense of accomplishment in what I have completed. Now, I am not talking about lowering standards, making excuses, or celebrating mediocrity. I am talking about bringing our goals back down to reality and being proud of the hard work we do, instead of feeling guilty about not doing more and more. So reward your progress. I'm not saying do ten minutes of cleaning, and then reward yourself with three hours of TV. I am saying to recognize that you are making progress toward your goals. Did you keep your goal of cleaning the bathroom once a week this month? Instead of lamenting about how much you didn't get done, like the laundry and the dishes and the terrifying spare room (am I the only one that has one of those?), take 15 minutes and go for a walk. Pick up the book you've been wanting to finish and sit for a while. Like I've said before, be kind to yourself! Be proud of your daily successes and focus on the progress!

Do you struggle with setting realistic goals? What are some ways you celebrate your success and continue to get better?

The Working Girl's Guide, Week #3- Create a Routine

Thanks so much for your patience as I had to postpone this post until today. My plan was to pack, organize all the food for camping, clean my house, and then sit and blog until it was ready to go camping. (And then later, even create a post about how to efficiently pack for camping! Ha!) The reality was that I was still cutting up and bagging chicken breast 10 minutes before it was time to pull out, with my hair still wet and dishes in the sink. Which smelled very bad when I got back. That's reality. :)

So, a few days late, here is The Working Girl's Guide, week #3. Thanks to all who have faithfully read along!

Create a routine.

When you are overwhelmed, and your house looks nothing like how you want it, and you have ordered pizza twice this week because you worked late, and you have no more clean underwear....take a deep breath, and rely on your routine. When I feel like I'm making no progress, this is the only way for me. I can count on the fact that if Monday is a night I can clean and do laundry uninterrupted, then at least some cleaning and laundry is getting done. I can count on the fact that if I just give myself one hour to clean the kitchen in the morning before I fall back into bed, I will wake up to a clean(er) kitchen. Sometimes, when you have a home, and a family, and job, it is vital to know how to put one foot in front of the other, and to know that you will get some results from that.

It probably sounds like I am describing a depressed or struggling woman sometimes as I talk about the difficulty of achieving balance between work and home. Sometimes I am. I think when you want both things- really, when you want balance in anything at at all- it is disheartening when you feel like you aren't achieving it. But that's perfectionism talking, not balance. The search for perfection will only bring more burden; the pursuit of balance will bring joy and freedom. I'm not there yet, by the way.

#1- Time management is everything.
In high school, we did an exercise in during a Life Management class. We were all given a notebook with these print outs scheduling our entire day in half hour blocks. All we had to do was write in everything we did during the day, and then evaluate our time. For me, this tapped into a love of organizing and scheduling that I didn't know I had. When I was able to look back and observe what I had done with my hours and minutes, I suddenly realized that I was in control of them. I told my minutes what to do. Some things, like going to school, were not optional. But otherwise, for the most part, I could choose. I could use my time like currency on things I found most important.

Are you unsure of where your time goes? Do you plan to do so many things, and instead get overwhelmed and do nothing at all? I do that at times. But take a few days, and log your hours and minutes. This will tell you the truth about what you do with your time, and how much you really do have. You may find you have more than you thought. Or, you may find that you are expecting too much out of yourself in the time you have on your hands.

#2- Be organized.
It is easy to be caught off guard, and continually be off schedule when you have a lack of organization in your life. Now, organization is not everyone's gift. That's okay, but it's not an excuse to live in chaos. If it's not your gift, you will have to work harder to make your life more organized and less stressful. And if it is your gift, you will have to work harder to show grace to others for not moving at your speed all the time. Part of planning your time should be to address areas of your life that cause you stress and work toward organizing them. Perhaps your morning routine is a lot of trouble for you. (I know I can relate to that one!!) Try giving up ten minutes of your time in the evening to lay out your clothes for the next day. Maybe you can never find anything in your cabinets. Make it a priority in your time to focus on cleaning up and organizing this area. Whatever it is that causes you stress and slows you down, tackle it. The transition between work and home will flow much better with organization. There are so many ideas out there for simplifying life! You can't log onto Pinterest without seeing some. :)

#3- Make time for yourself.
You can have your schedule down to a science, and be as organized as a girl can be, and still be stressed and overwhelmed. Why? Because once you get on a roll, that pull toward perfection is strong. You have to fight it! We all want to be admired, to be really great at things, to be the one other women whisper about...."How does she do it all, and have such great hair at the same time?" (My secret desire is to be someone with great hair all the time. Too bad I hate spending time on my hair.) But honestly, that is just fake. If that's your pursuit, you're missing the point. It's something we all get sucked into, some more often than others. I think I get sucked in weekly- but that is a slippery slope, ladies! This really isn't about keeping all of the balls up in the air at the same time. I can't stress that enough- to you, or to myself. That's why you have to stop and make time for yourself. For your sanity. For your mental, emotional, and physical health. By all means, get into a routine! Plan your day, prioritize your time, organize your life. But don't forget to take care of yourself. To reward your hard work. To step back and remind yourself that this is not about being perfect. It is about being balanced. It is about building up your home. Creating a place of peace and joy. You cannot do that without peace and joy in your own heart. I encourage you to set time aside to do things you love, and that rejuvenate you.

That's it for today...thank you for joining me! Don't forget that a comment below is an extra entry into the Scentsy giveaway! Take a moment to share what you do to create a routine or make time for yourself!

Yay for mini vacation!

Today's post for The Working Girl's Guide will be postponed until Monday because we are camping all weekend!

The Working Girl's Guide, Week # 2- Choose Your Priorities

Time for week #2 of the Working Girl's Guide! I hope last week's "Cut Yourself Some Slack" was helpful. I know I've been reminding myself to relax my expectations this week.

So, this week, I want to talk about choosing priorities. Here's the thing about working and homemaking: it's a balancing act. It's that way for everyone, no matter how much time they spend at home. As women, we often have to split our focus and priorities in many directions. That being said...

Choose your priorities!

While working and building your home, you will find that you have to choose which things are going to come first. When you are not totally immersed in home life, and are also focused on the daily stresses of your career, it is easy to become overwhelmed and not want to do any of it. I know at the end of a long work day or week, or even if I am just feeling tired, it is easy to put my home entirely on the back burner.  Rather than balancing the two, I can lose my focus on both. I can feel like I deserve to let it all go, because I am tired. Here's the truth:

#1- You can't have it all, do it all, and be it all.
If you try, you will burn out. You may be able to appear that you can have it all, do it all, and be it all for a while. But that's not very genuine. That actually separates you from others for the sake of your pride. You really don't have to have it all together and have it all figured out. We have to learn (me, especially!) to let go or our perfectionist standard- both the one we hold for ourselves, and the one we hold for others! So if the goal isn't to have it all, how do we improve balancing our work and home lives?

#2- Pick one or two things to do excellently.
What is THE most important thing? Maybe you'd love to stay home, but you are unable to and need to bring in an income. Examine why you'd like to be home during the day. Is it to spend more time with your kids? Cook from scratch? Clean and organize? Take more time to relax and pamper yourself? Further your education? Whatever it is that you want to do- that you wish you could balance- make that your priority for home life. For me, it's cooking decent food. I don't get it right every day, but it's important to me that I use ingredients in my meals, and that they do not come out of a box. Now, there are 100 things I would love to do in my home. I am discouraged that there is an enormous pile of laundry in my room and my "storage"spare bedroom is terrifying. I want to get to those things. But, if I only have time for one "home priority" on a workday- it's cooking a good meal. If I work at it, I can start to incorporate more things that I want to prioritize. I could even choose one thing each day to focus on so that it all gets some attention. Now, the goal here is still not to have it all, do it all, and be it all. It's to achieve some balance. Whether you work or not, balance is still key. You will never be Superwoman! (sorry!) I can begin by defining what is most important to me, and work from that base. For some women, this may not be acceptable. Many choose to stay home because that IS their priority. For me- at least at this stage in my life, but maybe always- having a job I love is a priority. I don't see myself being a stay at home mom in the future. Maybe I will change my mind, who knows? But wherever you are, you will have to choose to prioritize what it most important, and learn how to maintain the rest.

#3- Let the rest go, and be kind to yourself.
By "let the rest go," I don't mean stop cleaning your house if spending time with your children is your top priority. No, unfortunately, there are many dreary things in life that need to be done, even if we do not deem them top priority. However, what I do mean is this: stop stressing out over it. I want a clean house, a home cooked meal, a happy husband, a job well done during my workday, and a gorgeous yard. All the time. Every day. But that's not so realistic. What can I do about it? Manage my time to do a little of everything, which we will talk about later. Make my priorities, and become skilled at those things. Enjoy and feel proud of what I do manage well. And then be kind to myself about the fact that the bathroom didn't get cleaned thoroughly this week.

I'm not talking about procrastination, or having a dirty house. I'm talking about skipping the guilt reel full of self loathing every night as you lay in bed. You know what I mean- reflecting on how bad the house looks, how bad the kids were, how unsexy you looked today, how quick the meal was, how unproductive you felt at work. Why not change our attitudes and focus? Why not choose one or two priorities, and then reflect on the accomplishments, no matter how small, each day? Stand back and admire the clean kitchen, even if the living room is a mess. You'll be a lot happier!

What's on the Menu {9/2-9/8}

We had family in for the weekend, so we've been winging it a bit with with the meal planning. Here's what we are eating!

Sunday- Out to eat

Monday- Hubby made an awesome meal of pan fried chicken topped with shallots, peppers, and mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and fresh green beans. Yum!

Tuesday- We stayed in and had leftovers and ice cream. :)

Wednesday- Spaghetti with sauteed chicken and grape tomatoes, garlic bread

Thursday- Mike has band and I'm gonna dig into the leftovers again :)

Friday- Chicken tacos, chips and salsa

Saturday- Mike's band has an outdoor festival, so we'll eat there!

We're definitely keeping it simple this week!

Make ahead/freezer cooking- Finish tomato sauce (I finally blanched and cooked down the tomatoes!) and can it; make cookies and zucchini bread; chop and freeze the bell and banana peppers from the garden.

The Working Girl's Guide, Week # 1: Cut Yourself Some Slack!

Sound familiar, anyone? 

Welcome to Week #1 of The Working Girl's Guide to Proverbs 31! My hope is that this series will be a motivation to you as a woman in the workforce who values her home life. Since I am the one writing, you'll hear a lot from my perspective: newly married, working full time, no kids. I am very aware that every situation is different! I also know that adding children to the mix of working and homemaking is a whole new ballgame- I have tons of respect for you ladies "doing it all,"  and I hope you share your comments and perspectives with the rest of us! So, this is just me, sharing what I know and have learned about working while trying my hardest to keep up with the domestic side of life. I hope there is something written today that encourages someone else! Without further ado....

Cut yourself some slack! 

 

The cartoon above says it all! I really feel that way a lot of the time. I either get cranky that so much is expected of me (from whom, I am not sure), or down on myself that I'm not doing better. When my kitchen is dirty, and there is laundry all over the floor of my bedroom, and I just don't feel like cooking dinner because I have had a long day- I judge myself as a woman. I measure myself by my own unrealistic standard (usually the standard in that cartoon!). And I come up short. Every. Single. Time. Ever feel this way? 

#1- Homemaking is important. 

I believe in making your home a priority. When I say to cut yourself some slack, I don't mean that it's ok to just not care about your home because you are busy with other things. I think that being a keeper of the home is a calling for women, regardless of where you spend  40 hours a week. I know that may sound old-fashioned to some people, but it's what I think. Homemaking skills are not something magically acquired when you become a wife. In fact, the priority of homemaking is not just for wives and mothers! It's also for the younger girls, the single girls, the college dorm girls, and every other stage of life. Maybe you don't feel this way, that keeping your home is a calling. Maybe you're just here for some tips or a quick read- that's ok, too. But from my heart I want to share with you that as women, we set the tone for our home. Our space and the way we keep it is a reflection of us. We have a choice to build it up with care, attention, and skill, or to tear it down with negligence and apathy. So what's a girl to do when she doesn't stay at home all day? It's easy not to care sometimes. But if you are looking to find balance, I hope we can learn together for the next few weeks!

 

#2- What's out there for us?

If you're like me (and you just might be,  since you found this blog), you know that most homemaking blogs out there, awesome as they are, are geared toward the stay at home mom. Which is great, unless you don't stay home. Or you're not a mom. I can't tell you how many countless recipes and tips and inspiring articles I've read on some really great sites. But I'd love to see how to balance some of those great ideas with a full time job. My blog is named The Modern Girl's Guide to Proverbs 31 because I seriously love that woman. She is the epitome of balancing a family, a household staff, cooking, creating, selling, sewing, and child rearing. She also runs more than one business! I love that! I wish she had a blog. :) I will have to just keep reading her chapter. But why am I bringing up the lack of blog reading for working ladies? Because.....

 

#3- Comparison is the thief of joy.

The cartoon exaggerates about the ideal that a woman should live up to. But don't we do that to ourselves? We compare ourselves to what's out there, instead of realizing that our situation is different. For example, I love reading all the wonderful blogs out there about cooking from scratch with whole foods, and gardening, and home decorating, and cleaning, and crafting, and being a keeper of your home. However, I started really getting down about all that I didn't do. I eat bread from the grocery store. My floor is not always very clean. I want to organize and decorate more often, but my evenings are cut short by my husband's and my work schedules. I had to step back and realize that I am not a stay at home mother. I know that should be obvious, but I really have to remind myself that I am not the same as someone else. My life is not the same. Now I am not suggesting that stay at home wives or mothers have all the time in the world on their hands. Because right now, we're not even really talking about time; we're talking about priorities. And the women I was comparing myself to had made a choice to have their home be their full time priority. I have not. So what I need to learn is first to stop comparing apples and oranges, and then to focus on balance instead of perfection. Make sense?

 

So, ladies, don't hold yourself to some crazy standard. Stop comparing your home to another woman's home. This is your life. And whether you love your job and want to continue to work forever, or your goal is to be able to stay at home- cut yourself some slack today!

 

 

 

 

September's Contest and Giveaway! {the details}

During the month of September, I am focusing on building the Modern Girl's Guide! Not only will I be introducing a five part series- The Working Girl's Guide to Proverbs 31- but I will also be doing a giveaway! The goal is to reach 100 followers, both here on the blog and on Facebook, but the giveaway still stands, even if I don't reach the goal! Nice and easy!

To enter the contest, you must become a follower here on the blog, and then like The Modern Girl's Guide on Facebook. For additional entries (increase your chances of winning!), leave a comment on each of the five posts in Working Girl's Guide series. There will be a post each Saturday in September, so keep your eyes open!

So, that's one entry for liking The Modern Girl's Guide on Facebook AND following the blog, and up to five additional entries for commenting on each post in The Working Girl's Guide Series. If you already follow the blog, and you already like us on Facebook, then you are automatically entered! Just make sure you do both things!

The prize: your choice of a Scentsy Plug In! I will tally the entries and pick a winner RANDOMLY (promise!). The contest will close at midnight, Saturday, September 29th, Eastern Standard Time. Then I will announce the winner on the blog the following Monday. You will have 3 days to message me claiming your prize, and choosing your Scentsy Plug In! Another winner will be chosen if you have not claimed your prize in 3 days. I will verify that the winner has followed the blog and likes The Modern Girl's Guide on Facebook. Additional comments/entries are not required to win, they just increase your chances!

Note: Your prize must be shipped to an address in the US; no international shipping!

Thanks so much for reading The Modern Girl's Guide to Proverbs 31! I am looking forward to getting to know you all better throughout September; I hope you enjoy the upcoming series!

The Working Girl's Guide to Proverbs 31 {an introduction}

I am excited to introduce this five week series for those of us who are out there in the workforce everyday. (Ladies who are full time wives and moms, or those who work at home- keep reading on! You are welcome as well; we will be talking about lots of useful things that everyone can apply!) 

I believe that it is reflected in Scripture that our home, whatever that looks like, is to be our top priority as women. Sometimes making your home a priority means bringing in a second income. In this economy and culture, that is very often the case. Some people and groups of people believe very adamantly that the role of a woman/wife/mother is to be at home full time. That's ok, if you believe that. Or if you don't. Or even if you are somewhere in between!

I think God lays it on some hearts to be at home full time, and some to work any number of hours, for a variety of reasons. I also strongly believe that just because you are at home full time does not mean you are building up your home. And vice versa: just because you are at work does not mean you build your home or make it a priority any less! 

The truth is, homemaking is hard work. Period. 

Somewhere, you will make sacrifices. You might have to sacrifice that extra income to be at home full time. You might have to sacrifice your time in order to be at work all day. And if you can stay at home without struggling financially, you may have to sacrifice having your spouse around more because he is working a lot for that income! Still some could stay at home without struggling, but prefer to continue in their career- and that's fine, too! So you see, no one has the perfect, ideal situation with tons of time for work, cleaning, cooking, husbands, children, and themselves. Everyone is struggling somewhere with their role as a woman, or wife, or mother. The female role is forever being defined and redefined. 

This five part series is going to be geared toward organizing your home, managing your time, and forgiving yourself for the things that take a back burner. (And we will talk about which things should take a back burner!) I will be sharing time saving, stress-reducing ideas, and ways to get more done in less time. Oh, and I will be preaching to myself, and learning along with you- I'm definitely not an expert! 

Finally, during September, I am making a focused effort to promote The Modern Girl's Guide! My goal is to reach 100 followers, both here on the blog and on Facebook. At the end of the 5 weeks of Saturdays, I will be choosing a random winner for a special giveaway, whether the goal is reached or not! Prize, entry, and contest details to be announced! 

I am so glad to have you join me, and I hope you keep reading The Modern Girl's Guide for all things homemaking!

What's On The Menu {8/26-9/1}

Here is what we are eating this week! I am super excited about my sister coming to visit me from Florida, and bringing with her our other sister's baby, who I have not seen in about 10 months! We have a fantastic week planned, and I am looking forward to cooking for my family!

Sunday- Eggplant parmesan, sausage and spaghetti Or get horribly sick and do nothing, make nothing, eat nothing. Poor hubs had PB & J. :)

Monday- Hubs has band; I'm eating leftovers. :) And then hopefully doing my freezer cooking!

Tuesday- Small group- We are bringing toppings for subs- Yay for using up garden tomatoes!

Wednesday- Freezer Lasagna Casserole (eating quick, then going to pick up the sister at the airport!) Think I will make a small eggplant parm on the side this night- we really have to use it before it rots!

Thursday- Chicken and lemon-garlic green beans with red potatoes

Friday- Chicken enchilada stuffed zucchini boats (Never did get to these last week!)

Saturday- Homemade pizza

Breakfasts- Pancakes and bacon, oatmeal and fruit, French toast and potatoes, zucchini bread

Lunches- Lunchmeat sandwiches and fruit, grilled cheese and soup, leftovers, salads

Make Ahead/Freezer Cooking- I confess, I did not blanch, chop, and freeze my tomatoes- so I really need to do that before they go bad! Same with shredding and freezing my zucchini. That's my main goal this week, because I am getting ready for company!




Linking up at: Money Saving Mom

Farmer's Market Trip= salsa and sauce

A couple of weeks ago, hubs and I headed out in the drizzling rain to go up to the local farmer's market. It's close enough to walk, but we were being babies about the weather. :)

Can I just say it is super easy to spend all of your money at the market??? I remind myself that I am supporting local farmers when I realize I am all out of my cash stash that I brought. It goes quick!

We did get some meat and dairy, so that ate into our little farmer's market budget quickly. So worth it! We bought this really yummy mozzarella filled pizza sausage from Green Vista Farms, and some drinkable yogurt from another grass fed farm. We were leery at first, but yum!!!!!

We brought home this beautiful haul, and got out everything to make tomato sauce and salsa. Some of this stuff is from the garden, too. I snapped the picture after we got out everything for cooking.

Then hubs made this beautiful, yummy salsa.(That's him in the background looking up recipes.) He has the patience to chop everything very tiny. My salsa would be a lot chunkier. I made some tomato basil sauce, and we ate it with our yummy, sustainably raised pizza sausage. De.licious.



Linking up at: Gastronomical Sovereignty, Sew Chatty, Skip to My Lou, Ninth Street Notions, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Frugally Sustainable, A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, A Diamond in the Stuff,

make it. {don't buy it}

If you get on Pinterest for any length of time, you are likely to go down the DIY road. In fact, I just announced to my husband that everything someone could ever want was on Pinterest and it is the greatest place on earth. (I might need help!)

I am attempting to see which products are worth forgoing the coupon scene, and switching to the homemade version. I am not one to make everything from scratch, if I like the store bought version better. For example, I tried several DIY ideas for wet Swiffer pads- the washcloth version, the cut up fabric, etc. At the end of the day, I just really love buying them in the box. I don't like the trouble of making my own, or the results that I get. I know some people like them, I just think it's too much work. I like the convenience of Swiffer.

However, I discovered that I do love homemade fabric softener. Some folks think it smells to much like the vinegar that's in it, but I actually like that. The vinegar has been good for my towels. I've made it before, and so this attempt was a refill for me. I don't think I'll be going back to the store bought version. I really like the more natural, mild smell of this DIY. I used this recipe from One Good Thing by Jillee.

All it took was 3 cups of vinegar (I got a huge container at Buehler's for $2.50), 3 cups of water, and 2 cups of hair conditioner (about $1.00 or less for V05).

Mix it up, and you're done. So simple.

This made 6 jars (a great use for upcycling spaghetti sauce jars!), that held 2 cups each. That lasts in our house for a month or two. If you have kids, I might double the recipe. :) 

I also tried this recipe for homemade Febreeze. I've never made this before, so I'll have to let you know how I like it. I'll admit, I am skeptical. It was very easy and very inexpensive, so I hope I'm blown away. :)

This called for 1/8 cup of fabric softener ($4.99 at Geyer's), 2 tbsp. of baking soda (.59 at Aldi), and water to fill a spray bottle (I used a 16 oz. bottle, $1.00 at ACE Hardware).  I do not recommend using the homemade softener for this, as vinegar and baking soda don't mix. :) At these amounts for the ingredients, I could probably make countless batches of this. Bringing my grand total to $6.58 for dozens of bottles of Febreeze.

Do you make or buy your household cleaning products? What do you think is more cost effective?





{Linking up at:}

Sew Chatty, Skip to My Lou, Ninth Street Notions, Mad in Crafts, A Bowl Full of Lemons, A Diamond in the Stuff, Not Just a Housewife, Sugar Bee Crafts, Time Warp Wife
Crystal & Co., Ginger Snap Crafts,Trendy Treehouse, It's Overflowing
Women Living Well, Raising Homemakers,We Are THAT Family,Fireflies and Jellybeans,
Handy Man, Crafty Woman,Someday Crafts,Southern Lovely
52 Mantels, Delightful Order , Frugally Sustainable, Live Renewed,