Simply Homemaking

Mile High Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 22:50:00 +0000

Here you are, Mary Jo! These are the best, richest-tasting biscuits I've ever encountered! Even though I don't worry about incorporating natural fats into our diet on occasion, I do feel compelled to limit how often I make recipes this rich:o)

It works just fine to substitute up to half whole wheat flour for the white. I've never tried to make these entirely with wheat flour, so can't comment on how that would taste. I've also substituted regular milk for some of the cream when I didn't have enough. They weren't quite as good that way, but it worked in a pinch. Hope you enjoy!

4 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2 T. baking powder
2 t. salt
2 c. heavy whipping cream, additional as needed
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Gradually mix in enough cream to bind. Stir liquid into the flour until just moist. (Excessive stirring makes the biscuits tough.) Turn dough out onto a floured surgace. Knead about 30 seconds. Pat dough into a round 1/2" thick. (Or, roll dough out in all directions, starting from the middle. A back and forth rolling motion makes the biscuits tough.) Cut with a biscuit cutter. Plunge the cutter into dough and pull straight out. Twisting will cause the biscuits to not rise as high. Dip each biscuit into melted butter, coating top and sides. Place--buttered side up--on prepared baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes, or until light brown. (These may be prepared ahead, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking.) Yields: 24

From: Stop and Smell the Rosemary, pg 208.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 03:55:00 +0000

I made this for dinner tonight, using both fresh broccoli and cauliflower that I had needing to be used. I think it's just as good or better (and probably healthier!) than Panera's Broccoli cheddar, and Micah liked it too! Plus, it was very easy to make. I served this with homemade whole wheat biscuits and fresh blueberries topped with yogurt. (I'm sorry I didn't get a picture!)

(My notes are in italics below)

4 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
(I used 5 c. chicken broth, because that's how much I had, and no water)
1 c. half & half (or 1/2 c. milk + 1/2 c. cream)
1 c. shredded cheddar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. dried minced onion, or fresh onion to taste
1/4 t. black pepper
4 c. bite-sized broccoli florets (experiment with adding other vegetables! We thought the cauliflower worked great with the broccoli)
I also added a few shakes of salt

Combine first seven ingredients in large saucepan. Whisk to combine and break up any lumps of flour. Bring soup to a boil. Then reduce to low. Add broccoli, simmer 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Garnish with shredded cheddar and minced parsley, if desired. 6 servings.

Living in a small home #6

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:01:00 +0000

And one last picture...
...just 'cause I like it:o) These are my $4 daisies from the grocery store. (Walmart also has bouquets for about $4). I like to pick up some fresh flowers now and then when I do my grocery shopping...I think it's worth the four bucks of my grocery money to add some a cheer to my house. Since I don't have any beautiful gardens to gaze out at from my window, I'll have my own teensy one inside:o)

Well that's it for tonight. If anybody actually made it through the entirety of my posts, well...I'm impressed! I'm afraid I tend to be over-enthusiastically rambly when it comes to writing about organizing, decorating, and improving our homes (as inexpensively as possible!). It's just one of my "things":o) Thanks for letting me share my recent home project with you!

Living in a small home #5

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 05:15:00 +0000

Moving to the right of the kitchen/new workspace...the before shot:
See how this shelf (the one that's now behind the couch) used to take up an entire wall? It jusn't wasn't the most efficient use of space. To the left of that, was old hand-me-down desk that I used to keep my good china on. I was always worried about it, because the desk was really too flimsy to be holding such a heavy, fragile load.
Here's the same space now. Last year, I got a great deal on the solid wood french country china cabinet at an auction, and was able to almost fully pay for it with my birthday money. I love it:o) The other wood piece is actually being lent to me by my grandparents. (They bought it at the same auction where I got my cabinet, and haven't been able to transport it back to their home in OH yet. I'll be happy to house it for them as long as they let me!:o) These two pieces have really helped me expand my VERY limited kitchen storage space.

If you're ever in need of nice furniture pieces, I highly recommend checking out local auctions. I don't know if they're good everywhere, but the one by our house is AWESOME. (To give you an idea...here's how we paid for our china cabinet: We got it for $350, as well as a vintage corner cabinet for $150. We resold the corner cabinet on Craigslist.org for $275 cash, and sold the old flimsy desk where the china used to live for $35. So that's $350 - $160 profit = $190, which my birthday money from generous family members nearly covered. Believe me, I had been looking for a nice china cabinet for a couple of years, and most of them are well above $1000. Since there was no way I was paying that, I was pretty motivated to get creative to get what I wanted:o) If you attempt something like this, though, definitely do your research and have a good understanding of what the pieces you're considering are worth in different markets!

Living in a small home #4

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:37:00 +0000

My workspace, the "before shot":
This is where our little dining table used to be...now my workspace! (This is the view opposite the fireplace. The kitchen is to the left) It's a big mess right now, but it's my plan to get this space cleaned and organized over the next couple of days. The desk used to be white, but needed to be repainted. I decided to be bold and try green instead. (I stole the desk from our study/2nd bedroom, where Micah works, and he's currently using one of those fold-up tables from Sams.) The brown shelfy-thing next to it is one of those rolling kitchen carts....a hand-me-down from my mom. It won't fit in my kitchen, but I'm trying it out here instead to give me more room to work and store things. I'll post an "after" picture when I get this area set up!

I'm already really enjoying having my own space to work. I like having it out in the main part of the house because I can keep an eye on things cooking in the kitchen while I'm working or quickly check something online, etc., while I'm doing housework. But having it in the public area of our house does mean that I'll have to work extra hard at keeping it looking neat. Uh-oh ;o)
Our dining table now sits in front of the sliding glass doors (which we don't use very often), in between the couch and the kitchen.

Living in a small home #3

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:37:00 +0000

Entryway, before (click to enlarge):
Don't you love the built-in mirror over the piano? Must have been an eighties thing (when this house was built). There's also a floor-to-ceiling three-paneled mirror plastered to the wall in our bedroom. You don't know what a temptation it has been for me to take a sledgehammer to them...so it's probably a good thing I don't own a sledgehammer:o)

One thing I've tried to do as I set up our home is determine what my clutter problem-areas are and figure out an inexpensive solution for dealing with them. My biggest trial has been (and still is) paper clutter...mail being a big one. To help with this, I have a white "mail in-box" (see above) right by the front door to collect mail until I have a chance to deal with it. I must admit that I still let it spill over and pile up on top of the piano now and then, but as long as I deal with it daily or even every few days this doesn't happen (and this makes me happy:o) I also had (and still have) a small glass bowl for keys and a decorative wood organizer-box for out-going mail and other little misc. things we don't want to forget sitting right beside the front door. (BTW, Ross is the BEST place to find inexpensive wood organizer type thingies!)

But, alas, we were still encountering "the floating coat problem". Since our coat closet is the only place we have to store the vaccuum and cleaning supplies (there is no utility room or closet in our house--the washer and dryer are in the garage), and we're sometimes (Ok...usually...always) too lazy to take our coats all the way to our bedroom closet when we remove them, I installed the following shelf/hook rack:
It may not be ideal, but it works! And they coats look better there than sitting on my couch. (I also took down the set of three EMPTY picture frames that have been hanging by the front door for 2 1/2 years waiting for pictures, and moved my crosses there instead. Phew...that's better!:o) The key bowl and organizer-box I mentioned live on the little white round table. Handy.

Living in a small home #2

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:06:00 +0000

The living room from different angles (click to enlarge)...
This bookshelf (which desperately needs to be repainted, but I probably won't get to that for a while!) provides extra storage without being too intrusive or taking up a whole wall (as it used to before the rearrangement) Right now it holds my cookbooks, CDs and a few decorative things, but I'm looking forward to getting it reorganized more efficiently soon.
The wicker chair used to live in our bedroom, but has been moved to make room for baby stuff (baby will be rooming with us for the first few months). The wooden box on the coffee table holds all the remotes. (BTW, wouldn't the fireplace be SO cute if we could take down those two ugly brick trails climbing up the wall, whitewash the brick, and put up a real wood mantle? Do you think the landlord would notice?;o)

Living in a small home #1

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:14:00 +0000

Yay...I've been wanting to do this post for a while:o) I LOVE seeing how others arrange, organize and decorate their homes--particularly small homes--so I wanted to share what we've done with ours. We're currently renting a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home. It's about 950 sq ft. Since we now have a little one on the way, it's become necessary for us to reorganize everything to make room for him. I also needed a workspace of my own--a place to pay bills, work at the computer, etc--so I wouldn't have to camp out on the couch or the dining table or (gasp!) in my bed anymore, often leaving piles of papers in all the places we need to use for other things!

About a year ago, I posted house pictures on my old blog. Here was my living room then (click to enlarge):

See that little dresser/table in the corner? I had to confiscate it to use in my bedroom as my nightstand. And the green braided rug? It was the unfortunate victim of our dog's puppyhood potty-training mishaps. When I could no longer combat its, um, "fragrance" with spot-cleaning, it earned an unceremonious trip to our curbside. (I bought that rug for my bedroom when I was fifteen! Poor thing.) Also, the throw pillows on the couch and the tablecloth have since joined the rug due to stains, general wear-and-tear, and in the case of the pillows, lumpiness from too many trips through the washer. (We must be hard on our things! Oh dear :-p )

On the other side of the fireplace was a refurbished dresser (without handles) holding dvds, games and misc. electronics. The TV sat on top facing the couch. Beside that, was our front door. I never liked that you used to walk into our house and see, first thing, the back of that TV.

So, I now happily present the new living room set-up:

This is what you see when you walk in our front door now: the couch sticks out into the middle of the room, facing the fireplace, instead of being placed flat against the wall, and the dresser lives in the corner instead of right inside the front door. (I still don't like that the TV is always sitting out, but it's the best we can do for now.) Thanks to my wonderful sister's Christmas gift to me, my dresser now has the glass handles I've been wanting for two years...yay!:o) We were also able to get the new rug and the green curtains over the sliding glass doors with Christmas money this year. (The curtains replaced some truly horrendous cheap plastic blinds that the landlord installed. They broke the very first time we tried to open them. I was SO happy to see them go!)

I'll post some more pictures in the next couple of posts, since for some reason blogger won't let me upload more than two pictures per post!

Some answers to prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:58:00 +0000

For over a week, I've been wanting to take and post some new house project pictures, but everything has conspired against this plan:op Last week, the insomnia I've been struggling with frequently throughout this pregnancy reached a new level (as in...I was lucky if I could doze off for two hours each night), at the same time as Micah came down with a bad cold. For the whole weekend, we were two pathetic houseridden couch potatoes who laid around in our pjs groaning:op

Thankfully, Micah's cold had seen it's worse by Monday morning, and I've slept better (though still not optimally) the past few nights as well. (It's hard to get optimal sleep when you're up at least five times a night to visit the restroom!)

We're thankful that Micah found another job he can do to help keep us afloat while he continues to explore more permanent options. He began on Monday morning. We've come to find out that his contract work in the new home inspection industry will be no more...at least for several months or until we see a drastic housing market recovery. So it's a very good thing, and we're thanking God, that we were not relying exclusively on that income. Now we're continuing to pray for direction on where to go from here.

Baby and I are doing well at almost 27 weeks along. I had an appointment with my midwife today, and from here on out will be going to see her every two weeks instead of monthly. Baby's heartbeat and measurements and so forth have been good at every appointment, and he's very active these days. We're thankful for good health for both he and I this far! We're planning on a homebirth with our midwife if all continues to go well. We also have a hospital less than ten minutes away if a circumstances warrant. (Some of you may now think I'm nuts, but that's OK:o) I don't have anything at all against hospitals and plan to use one if any major complications do arise.)

With the start of Micah's new schedule on Monday, I've also been trying to become more productive and disciplined with my time managment. I'm still not quite where I want to be since my lack of sleep has really been messing me up, but I'm getting there. I look forward to getting back to posting more on homemaking topics again very soon as I (hopefully) get into the new swing of things.

A big thank-you to those who have hung in there with me and my blog through all of it's recent ups and downs...eh, make that downs:o) I appreciate each and every comment and encouraging word. You guys are awesome!:o)

One of my favorite songs

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:51:00 +0000

I love to hear this song when I'm going through something difficult...the words are such a good reminder. Just wanted to share!

I'm back!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:58:00 +0000

Wow: somehow I entirely missed posting during the month of December. First there were the holidays, and then our trip to Ohio to visit Micah's family (which we just returned from a few days ago). Mercifully, the Ohio weather was nice to me considering that I don't own a coat warm enough to sustain sleet, snow and icy winds. You'd think I would...after all, I lived in Ohio for two years while I was going to school...but no, somehow I suffered through those years with substandard coatage and just learned to walk very quickly from building to building.

So anyway, it was 70 degrees and drizzly when we stepped off the plane in Columbus on the 8th of January. As this was the exact weather we'd left behind in Texas, I felt as if I hadn't actually gone anywhere. Of course, a self-respecting Ohio winter will not feature tropical temperatures for long, so it did grow colder over the course of our stay. But at least I got to enjoy a gradual freeze-out instead of an in-your-face one.

Highlights of our trip included visiting with Micah's family (naturally), our trip to Lehman's Hardware (I love that place!) as well as a real thrift store and a Mennonite shop that sells HUGE bags of cinnamon sticks for 91 cents. (I bought two of them and am hoping they still smell as fragrant come next Christmas when I am planning to simmer them to my heart's content. I simply haven't allowed myself to indulge in the cinnamon sticks from any grocery store in close proximity to my house...you know, the little bottles for $8 that contain about six sticks each.) This Mennonite shop also had every other type of spice at unbelievable prices, as well as granolas, meats and cheeses and an assortment of other yummy things. What do you suppose it would take to encourage a Mennonite enclave to set up shop in my area???

The Mennonites also know how to run thrift shops. Here in my area of Texas, we have stores masquerading as thrift shops, but which persist in charging outrageous prices for almost everything. For example, imagine a dinky, scuffed up wooden hanging shelf of the type which might cost $8 or $10 new at a discount store like Ross. Furthermore, imagine the choking sensation that emerges in your throat when you notice a pricetag on said junky shelf at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army reading $18! Yes, this has been my painful experience. My local "thrift" stores also sell the Walmart or Target $1 movies for $2-3 each, and plenty of extremely dated and worn clothing items in the $7 and up range. When I know of at least a few places where I can buy this year's styles new for practically the same price. Can you tell this is a sore spot with me?:o)

So I thought I'd gone to thrift store heaven when I walked into this elegantly laid out little store in Ohio, where I managed to scoop up these milk glass vases for 35 cents each:

I can guarantee you that these would have been priced at at least $4-5 each in my local stores, if they had any such pieces at all (My local stores seem to specialize in items from the eighties). And my local stores also never have such things as 25-cent hand-crocheted coasters and $2 hand-knitted afghans (which I was prevented from buying only because of the color scheme). I still haven't gotten over my envy of the folks living within driving distance of such a resale mecca.

In closing this lengthy rambling saga, I'd like to request your prayers for Micah's job situation. Unfortunately, the housing market decline has severely affected his day job (which was done on a contract basis), and he's currently trying to find something else to help us pay the bills right now. We don't know what the more long-term future will hold...that is, how long the housing market will continue to be shaky, or whether or not he will remain in that industry. We are thankful that God's allowed Micah to develop a website that has been successful in bringing in some income, and we're trying to trust Him to provide the rest of what we need. I guess He thinks we can use even more intense practice in frugal living:o)

Also, sometime over the next few days, I'll try to post picture of my recent home improvement/organization projects. I guess I've hit the "nesting" phase of my pregnancy! Until then, hope your weekend is happy and productive!

Seeing Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:38:00 +0000

It's a boy!

And won't I have a lot to learn, seeing as I come from an all-girl family! So far, the pregnancy is progressing well at 18 weeks, and the ultrasound technician didn't find any problems to be concerned about. We're thanking God for good health for both me and baby this far!

*Will try to write a more detailed update on us very soon:o)

It's good to be reminded what they go through for us

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 03:37:00 +0000

When a soldier comes home, he finds it hard....

...to listen to his son whine about being bored.

...to keep a straight face when people complain about potholes.

...to be tolerant of people who complain about the hassle of getting ready for work.

...to be understanding when a co-worker complains about a bad night's sleep.

...to be silent when people pray to God for a new car.

...to control his panic when his wife tells him he needs to drive slower.

…to be compassionate when a businessman expresses a fear of flying.

...to be grateful that he fights for the freedom of speech.

...to keep from laughing when anxious parents say they're afraid to send their kids off to summer camp.

...to keep from ridiculing someone who complains about hot weather.

...to control his frustration when a colleague gripes about his coffee being cold.

...to remain calm when his daughter complains about having to walk the dog.

...to be civil to people who complain about their jobs.

...to just walk away when someone says they only get two weeks of vacation a year.

...to be happy for a friend's new hot tub.

...to be forgiving when someone says how hard it is to have a new baby in the house.

...not to punch a wall when someone says we should pull out immediately

The only thing harder than being a Soldier...

Is loving one.

Update and some thoughts about struggling

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:19:00 +0000

Quick update on the pregnancy, and then maybe my hormone-addled brain can come up with something else to say;o)

I'm at about 8-1/2 weeks, and so far everything is going well. Just a few more weeks before I enter the 2nd trimester...I'm excited to reach that milestone! My fatigue continues, and the nausea has gotten worse, but so far I've been lucky enough to avoid throwing up.

An anonymous commenter suggested that I get my thyroid checked out, and I did take that advice. While it's true that I deal with many of the symptoms associated with a thyroid condition, we're very grateful that my THS blood level turned out to be exactly in the middle of the normal range. My midwife suggested that my symptoms are probably due to some other hormone imbalance that will hopefully correct itself with this pregnancy or with the right supplementation. I'm also hoping to start exercising a little more regularly, so Micah and I are looking into the possibility of getting a used treadmill. I would LOVE to have one, although it will be no easy task finding a place to put it in our tiny house!:op

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moving on, I had something else I wanted to share. The last year or so has not been an easy one for me, due in large part to our infertility struggle. I know I cannot possibly compare our experience of waiting 1.5 years to conceive with that of those who wait several years, or who are diagnosed with medical conditions that make conception impossible or unlikely, but the pain of unfulfilled longing is there nonetheless. And when you have not been tested for or diagnosed with any problems but still go months (which turns into a year and then starts inching towards two) without conceiving, it becomes difficult to deal with the ongoing uncertainty and frustration and worry. Innocent queries or teasing by well-meaning people become very painful. I also began finding it difficult to visit mommy-blogs, because all those pictures of sweet babies and cute kid anecdotes just reminded me that I was without one of my own.

Why am I sharing this? Well, it's certainly not to make any moms feel bad about posting those baby pictures! I'm sure that if God brings our little one safely into the world next May, I won't be able to keep from sharing my joy through pictures and stories, either! I know from experience that such things can be a source of sadness for someone, however, and I hope I never forget what that ache feels like, or cause unecessary pain through careless words or an unfeeling attitude.

This whole ordeal for me has been a firm reminder that I should never take my blessings for granted. There is always somebody who would give anything to have something that I have, and sometimes don't appreciate nearly enough. It's also a reminder that nobody is without some pain or struggle in their life...even when that pain isn't visible on the outside. In our case, Micah and I chose to deal with this struggle privately, with the exception of telling just a few close family members and friends. We have other struggles which we have been more open about--such as our overwhelming burden of school debt which has and is causing a lot of hardship--because we hope that our experience and the things we've learned can help keep others from having to going through the same things. But whether out in the open or not, everybody has some pain or difficulty. There is no such thing as a "perfect life" on this earth.

It's easy for me to look at some other person's life as portrayed on their blog and come away with the misconception that that person never struggles, or has it completely "all together" in a way that I never will. And even though I greatly value genuine authenticity, it's sometimes just a little too easy for me to portray only the happy and cheerful side of life on my own blog, rubbing off those jagged little corners that so inconveniently show that I'm a fallen person in need of God's grace. I don't want to do that! I don't want to have a blog full of gloom and doom either, because really...who wants to read that...but I want to be honest about the bad as well as the wonderful.

Let me just say this right now (!): I'll never be one of those energizer-bunny moms who accomplishes 1,265,788.7 things everyday. I'm terrible at waking up early, although I hope to soon be able to stop sleeping in until noon (can I just blame this on the pregnancy?). I'm naturally a perfectionist, and this is BAD. I'm not some SuperChristian who memorizes new Bible verses every week, and my prayers are too often hasty or forgotten. And my house looks like a pigsty right now, because I've completely let myself fall off the organization band-wagon (again, I'm hoping I can blame this on the pregnancy!). Over the past several months, I've been a horrible blogger...very bad at writing posts and answering comments in a timely manner. I won't go on...you get the point!

Whew...I'm glad to get that out of my system. Now I can go do those piled-up dishes so I'll actually be able to cook tomorrow...and yes, it is 11:00 at night!;o)

The Details

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:54:00 +0000

Oh, it was a so fun to read all the sweet comments! Thank you all for sharing in our joy!:o)

The baby is due in early May. Different due date calculators have given me dates within the May 4th - May 6th range, so I'll just average it out and say I'm due on May 5th until a health professional tells me differently:o) The fun thing is, my birthday is May 10th...so baby and I have a very good chance of sharing birthdays!

As you can see...we're not very far along yet (about 5-1/2 weeks). We originally planned to wait at least a couple months before we announced the pregnancy to anyone besides our immediate families and best friends, but my mom about flipped out when she learned this meant she had to keep quiet too;o) She convinced us that more people knowing meant more prayer for the health and safety of this little one, and that we shouldn't give in to our fears of what might happen (miscarriage, etc. Yup, I'm admittedly a bit paranoid about this.) So, the cat's out of the bag, and we're just going to try to trust God with the outcome!

This pregnancy comes after almost 1-1/2 years of hoping and trying, so I certainly don't take it for granted. We were very close to going in for testing to figure out what was wrong. In fact, we tried to get an appointment in August, but the office was booked. So we had decided to wait until September. Thankfully, the Lord had other plans:o)

Some of you asked how I told Micah...well, he was with me when I took the test! So I didn't get to surprise him in any creative way, but I was glad that he got to share in the initial shock and excitement when the test turned positive! We did have fun surprising my family over the weekend, however:o)

So far I haven't been very sick, but I've been exceptionally tired. Even normal walks make me feel out of breath! I've also had a few other symptoms which fall into the too-much-information category, but I'm sure you ladies can imagine;o) I'm pretty much expecting the morning sickness to arrive at any time, considering I never get a pass on the joys-of-having-female-hormones, but that's truly OK! I'll take it ALL for the sake of being blessed with this little one! (Just remind me of this periodically over the next eight months, OK?;o)

Well, I think the baby's hungry, so I better go get something to eat! (Ha! I hope I don't start annoying people with this "the baby wants ice cream," "the baby is tired" stuff! ;o)

What's been on my mind this past week...

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:24:00 +0000

To my husband...

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:06:00 +0000

Happy 4th anniversary, honey!

I love you!

Keeping the Kitchen Fresh

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 20:38:00 +0000

Since I abhor the thought of sour dishcloths and germy sponges in my kitchen, I've worked out a little system that works great for me. Instead of a sponge, I have this scrub brush:
It has a scraper on one side, and works great for loosening dried food or pre-scrubbing dishes before sticking them in the dishwasher. The best part? I've had this thing since we were married (four years ago) and haven't needed to replace it yet! I simply stick it in the silverware compartment EVERY time I run the dishwasher and it comes out fresh and clean-smelling. When not in the dishwasher, it lives in the stainless steel holder pictured.

As for the dishcloth I use to handwash dishes and wipe the counters, I always replace it every single morning with a fresh one. I have a mini "laundry basket" under my kitchen sink to collect the used dishclothes until laundry day:

"A little cottage is always very snug..."

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 22:52:00 +0000

Micah and I have always talked about building our own home. We'd contract out the big stuff, and then try to do a lot of the finish work ourselves. Now granted, it will probably be years before we can actually do this, because we first have to become debt-free and then save up some money...but it's fun to dream, isn't it?

Here's our dream house (Click link for floor plan and pics of the inside):

Now to make this home perfect, it will have a finished walk-out basement room underneath (we can't have "real" basements in the south!) to serve as a school/craft/playroom. We would also one day build a separate studio office building for our businesses, with a small guest suite attached to that. In our dreams, there will be at least a couple acres, a garden, lots of shady trees and a picket fence.

I absolutely prefer small houses! I was excited to find the this architect, because he has an entire collection of small-sized cottages with simple and non-excessive layouts, but with all the character and detail of the vintage homes that I love. Have fun looking through all the styles and pictures!

Update on Us

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 03:23:00 +0000

My recent absence has definitely been longer than I like to be away! We've been very busy and have a lot up in the air right now with a possible move and some other things.

That said, however, I am trying to view blogging as an "option" and not something I have to do every day, or several times a week. Just something I enjoy doing when I have the time and/or the inspiration. That's the best place for blogging to take in my life right now. While I'd like to check in at least a few times a week, that might not ALWAYS be possible. But I greatly appreciate my regular visitors and ESPECIALLY enjoy the interactive aspect of blogging whenever I have the chance to participate in it!:o) I'm constantly amazed at and thankful for how many wonderful and thoughtful women I'm able to meet and "talk with" courtesy of the blogosphere!

So the possible move: We'd like to hopefully move someplace where we can save money and Micah has greater earning potential in his line of work (all the better for our mission to become debt-free!). A lot of factors have given us a push forward on this, including some changes at Micah's company and multiple rent increases where we're currently living (in a period of only six months!) We're currently looking at all of our options and it's seriously stressing me out! Can I just say...I INTENSELY DISLIKE things being up in the air. I'm the type of person who likes to plan and have my ducks in a row, so uncertainty is not easy for me. But it is a good opportunity for me to pray and learn to trust God, and I'm trying to remind myself of this daily whenever I start to have anxiety:o)

I'll keep you updated on our situation as we know more! Hope you all have a GREAT weekend!

Our Peach

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 02:27:00 +0000

This is Peaches ("The Peach," "Peach-muffin," "Goof-ball," "Poo-face," "Miss Peach," "Snort"). She is usually a good-natured dog, and very playful--in spurts. (She'll suddenly just start bouncing off the walls for no apparent reason. And yes...we do limit her coffee and sugar;o)

The little stinker figured out how to lift up the blind covering the front door, and this has since became her favorite vantage point from which to bark at strangers, cats, and the garbage can. (Well, not so much anymore...but she sure had a fit the first few times she saw it sitting at the curb! If she considers anything remotely out of place in her environment, she'll let it know!)

Peaches adds liveliness to our home, and is good company for me when Micah is gone. We're happy to have her as part of our little family.

Deja Vu?

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:34:00 +0000

Five years ago, at an open-air market in England, I bought this:

I loved the scene: the girl drinking tea, and the ADORABLE puppy looking up at her (I love tea...and puppies!). Unfortunately--for lack of a good place to hang it--it's been stuck away in a closet for the past few years. But when we rearranged some furniture and wall hangings recently, I had a "space open up" and decided to dig out the print. I'd almost forgotten what it looked like. Imagine my surprise when I pulled it out and saw my 1 year-old puppy (a mixed-breed), Peaches, depicted in the picture!

Even Peaches' spots are almost identically placed to this puppy's. (I'll share a couple photos of Peaches in my next post...for some reason, I can't seem to upload more than two pictures per post!)

So much for garage sales...

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:36:00 +0000

Micah and I tried to have a garage sale yesterday...to little avail. I guess we hadn't let our home get cluttered enough before we decided to dig out. We had two tables and a desk full of stuff--along with a few larger misc. items that we spread out directly on the driveway--but we had to agree that our offerings looked a bit measly once we had them all arranged. Our passersby must have agreed, because most of them didn't bother to stop. (Micah said that he probably wouldn't have stopped either:op)

Problem is--I told Micah--I'm not willing (nor do we have the space) to let piles of junk build up just so that I can have a more appealing sale! We came to the conclusion that we should probably stick to selling items off individually online (Craigslist, ebay, amazon, etc.) or give them away. For me, it works much better to keep the house purged of clutter on a continous basis than to allow it accumulate for one big sale (or even a joint sale with someone else where I could get by with having less stuff). Besides...truly valuable items will usually bring in more profit online than with a limited garage sale audience anyway.

BTW...This definitely doesn't mean I won't be shopping at garage sales. I will. And the bigger, the better:o)

The Thinking Homemaker

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:20:00 +0000

I was just thinking how blessed we are to have access to so much information through the internet. Sure, 95% of it is trash...but the sheer volume of content online insures that there are some wonderful educational resources to select from as well! Between that and the library system I rarely have problems finding the information I need, whether I'm searching for new recipes, reading a finance book or expanding my knowledge of history. (And if all else fails, there's always used books from Amazon:o)

As a homemaker, I believe I have the right and the responsibility to nourish my mind. I also firmly believe that the education I pursue should be as broad and balanced as possible...not in any way limited to immediate household concerns (although I do certainly spend time learning about those too). Why? Because the mind is a muscle that needs to be fed so it won't shrivel up. And because God created me with an innate curiosity which I assume He expects me to use for his glory. Not to acquire knowledge for its own sake, but so that I can practically apply it, share it, and develop a proper understanding of eternal truths and how they play out in the world around me.

There are many types of information I'm interested in, but today I thought I'd highlight a few blogs I enjoy reading because of their intellectual curiosity and usually graciously-presented questions/arguments.

(Please note that I don't necessarily agree with or endorse everything on these sites...but I do like being challenged by good discussions and varying viewpoints! I find that the TRUE value in sites such as these comes from analyzing the viewpoints presented constantly against God's Word.)

True Womanhood - This site seeks to explore what Christian womanhood looks like...getting past cultural expectations and stereotypes and examining the heart of true womanhood according to Scripture. You'll find lots of thoughtful and challenging dialogue here.

Boundless - Yeah...I know it's a site meant for singles. But I'm a long-time reader of the original Boundless articles site--since my early college days--and continue to appreciate the wide-ranging and interesting topics they present!

Walk Slowly, Live Wildly - This site challenges my notions of what I NEED materialistically. I love Sara's passion and the thankful spirit she exhibits.

The Happy Feminist - I'm sad that Happy Feminist seems to have disappeared from the blogosphere. I'm including her here anyway, because I hope it's only a temporary absence! Though I probably disagree with HF about 90% of the time (and quite naturally...because we've built our worldviews upon polar-opposite premises), I've deciphered a lot about secular viewpoints from reading her blog. And I can't say enough about her graciousness towards disagreeing viewpoints (which unfortunately doesn't translate to some of her regular commenters...but you can't win them all;o).

I'd love to hear about your favorite "makes me think" blogs/sites! And now--because I have to balance interesting online reading with real-life responsibilities--I'm off do some housework:o)

Sticking it to Perfectionism

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:14:00 +0000

We've just finished a very busy week at our home which included a week-long visit from my sister and her husband from up north, and the beautiful wedding of a family friend. It's now time to get back to "normal life"...and yet, when is life ever truly "normal"?

"My normal" seems to be constantly in flux. On a week-by-week basis, I'm constantly being stretched to be flexible...to find that balance between structure and flexibility that allows me to put my highest priority of the moment first. As I alluded to in the last post, I'm a recovering perfectionist. Let's just say that "flexibility" doesn't always come naturally to one such as myself! Instead, my natural inclination is to become embroiled in a project and not come for air until it's finished "properly". By which time, of course, my husband and dog have starved to death, and the remainder of my house is in shambles.

Out of curiosity...how many of you are fellow recovering perfectionists? Last night, Micah jokingly suggested that I should start a "Recovering Perfectionist Support Website". The funny thing is, I'd already been seriously considering adding a page or category or something about learning to overcome perfectionism to this site, as it's something that can really trip up homemakers! (Oh, how I know!) For those of you who don't struggle with this particular malady, don't worry...you'll be sure to find me lamenting one you DO deal with at some point...just give me another week or two;o)