July's Theme

The theme for July is Heritage (now that the month is half over). We focused on freedom the first week and this week the focus is our own family heritage. Next week will be our Pioneer heritage. Then the week after that we will focus on our own family heritage again.

Homemaking and Talents

I think that homemaking and homekeeping offer lots of opportunities for developing talents. It wasn't until I quit working (outside my home) that I discovered things that I like to do and may be good at. As a side note, I taught school previously and I had such a hard time pulling the curriculum together. I really struggled with writing workshop and how to teach First Graders how to write. Then I had my little boy and I was looking on the internet for activities for him to do and I found a website explaining how to do writer's workshop and other literacy activities and it clicked in my brain. I understood what I could do to teach writing and also the other reading activities. It finally made sense. I also discovered that lesson planning came more naturally. Ironic because I'm not currently teaching school.

Anyway.

I also became interested in scrapbooking. But I haven't really scrapbooked pictures - I have used the scrapbooking stuff for other things.

For example, I put together a binder to keep all of my schedules, etc. (Fly Lady calls it a control journal). Fly Lady also said it didn't need to be fancy or to let our perfection get in the way of making it. But the reason I took the extra time to make it pretty is because it motivates me. I mean sometimes I just don't look forward to cleaning and laundry and dishes. When I see my binder cover I am reminded that I can do more than just be a maid. I have other skills and talents and gifts. I see it and am reminded that I can also be creative and create things. Also, it gives me a sense of accomplishment.

So here's my cover.

It's kind of hard to see the details. The picture is by Greg Olson and it's called "Heavenly Hands". I chose this picture because it reminds me of my role in my home.

I put a quote on there too to remind me of my purpose and role as wife, mother, woman.

It is by Spencer W. Kimball. It says:

"To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman's strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help, to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home--which is society's basic and most noble institution. Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals know in the midst of storm and strife."

Gardening

On the Martha Stewart website there is a list of places to buy vegetable seeds. Here is that list:

seedsavers.org
johnnyseeds.com
rareseeds.com (heirloom seeds)
seedsofchange.com (organic seeds)

Sunday Activities

My little peanut is three so, I decided we need to start doing more Sabbath appropriate activities. Before, he would just play and have a nap. (Those were the days.) One thing we do is write in a journal. I have him tell me what he did during the week or what he learned at church and I write it down. He sits by me so he can see me write it. Then he always has to have a turn "writing" and recently I've had to trace his hands and head and nose and whatever other body part he can put on the page. It will be fun to read this when he is older.

Talents & Gifts

May's theme is Talents and Gifts.

This is an area I don't know very much about. I haven't worked very hard on figuring out what talents or gifts I have (at least not consciously). I've had experiences with spiritual gifts, but I don't think I've ever been conscious of a spiritual gift that I have.

The things I spend my time doing are things I like so maybe those things could qualify as my talents. I remember doing crafts for Mutual in Young Women's and it seemed like they always involved tole painting in some form or another and that is something I cannot do. So I never considered myself crafty or talented in that way. Then the scrapbooking revolution hit. (But I don't really scrapbook.) I learned of all the cute things that could be done with paper and scrapbooking embellishments and I like to do paper crafting and who would have ever thought that the computer would be used as a crafty tool! So with all these new "inventions" I might consider myself crafty.

That was kind of a tangent. But for May, I want to focus on how talents and spiritual gifts can help us along our journey through life and how we can develop talents and spiritual gifts.

Order and Homemaking, Part 2

I thought this would be easier to read if I broke it up.

A few projects I am working on now to become "organized" are:

~ Going through each room and finding a home for every little thing.

~ Getting boxes or totes to store all of my projects so I can pick up after myself and still have
easy access to my projects.

~ Making a chart of daily routines for my DS.

~ Making daily to-do cards for myself.

~ Making a Family Info Binder, plus a personal Binder for me.

I am torn between getting the house decluttered and making our charts and schedules. I don't know which one to concentrate on first, so I do a little bit of both.

I'll post more about what I've finished with pictures later.

One last thought ~ I do believe there is a connection between clutter and behavior and how we view ourselves. The more uncluttered our homes are, the more able we are to focus on teaching and training our children in the gospel and building lasting relationships with our families and focusing on what's really important and (one more and) making sure our personal lives are in harmony with the gospel teachings. Also, we feel better about ourselves and are happier which spreads to our family. Also, I don't know about this yet, but I'm hoping there's a correlation ~ our children will be better behaved. (I'm thinking that children (my child) get overwhelmed and easily distacted with all the clutter.)

Order and Homemaking

Like I said before, when I think of order, I think of an organized home with everything in its place. This I struggle with. That's probably why I think of neat & organized when I hear the word order. So, these are reasons why I struggle:
~ I am truly a perfectionist and I put things
off until I can deal with them perfectly, which
leaves a lot of unfinished projects and things
without a home and sacks of paper.

~ I don't pick up after myself when I'm working on a
project. I tell myself that I'll come back to it and it
is usually a few days later when I get back to it.

~ Life happens. I wish sometimes (all the time) that I
could stop time and just do what I needed to do
and then continue on with life.

~ I honestly think I have ADD or something. I was
reading somewhere that said how girls usually don't
get diagnosed with ADD, but it manifests itself when
girls get older and gain more responsibility. That fits
me.