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Creating Thankful Traditions All Year Round

We often think of the Christmas season as a time to celebrate family. Thanksgiving is our time to be thankful. Valentine’s Day is a day to show love. Of course, while it’s good to have particular seasons and special days to celebrate these things, you can feel and show all of these emotions all year round! Whether you follow a particular religion or not, creating traditions of thankfulness is important. As many of us head off to sales, it’s a good time to stop and remember all that we have. The economy can be tight, and finding a job can … Continue reading →

Creating an Inviting Dinner Table

A few years ago I attended a class at my church on homemaking. I remember the woman who taught shared some ideas on how to make your dinner table more inviting. At the time I had small children, thinking more about how I was going to keep the food on the table rather than on the floor or in the dog’s mouths…let alone worry about decorating the table. Now that my children are older, those ideas have been creeping up in my mind. And I would like to try implementing some of them. But first we have to deal with … Continue reading →

Creating A Learning-Centered Home

The primary responsibility for teaching our children lays not on the church and not on the schools but in our own homes. It is our role as parents to teach our children about the gospel and about our Savior. As I studied the section in the Teacher Development manual on creating a learning atmosphere, I saw a multitude of ways that we could apply these precepts not only in our wards and branches but in our homes. Because there were so many fantastic points, I’m going to break this down into a series over the remainder of the week. Today, … Continue reading →

What Feelings Does Your Home Bring?

What feelings do people experience when they walk into your home? Does it feel cold and stiff, as if they have walked into a museum and they can’t touch a thing? Or does it feel warm and welcoming? I don’t think we give much thought to the feelings evoked in others when they step through the door of our home. But it’s something you might want to consider, especially with the holidays just around the corner. Colors can speak a lot about you. Bold, vibrant colors or patterns may be your thing but keep in mind that for others, it … Continue reading →

Saving on Holiday Decorating

I’m not much of a holiday decorator when it comes to my home. In fact, there are only two holidays in which I do, the fall season and Christmas. This is the time of year in which I break out the scarecrows. Mr. Bob (yes, I named him) is my favorite. He is my largest scarecrow that sits on our porch. I also have a few pumpkin decorations that grace my home as well. I keep it neutral. In other words, it isn’t about Halloween or Thanksgiving. It is more of a “harvest” look, so that way I can keep … Continue reading →

The Gathering Room

Depending on the size of your house, it can feel impossible to keep up with it. The more rooms you have, the more cleaning and maintenance there is. But no matter how big (or small) your house is, you should have one room that family and friends can easily relax in. I call it the “gathering” room. It should be a room where people gather and are made to feel comfortable and cozy. It is the room where a warm ambience is felt. So how do you make that happen? First, think comfort. More than likely this room will be … Continue reading →

Furnishing Your Home So It’s Practical and Pleasant

One of the more enjoyable aspects of keeping a home (at least for me) is furnishing it. However I have learned over the years to distinguish between my “wants” and what is practical, yet pleasant. Let’s face it; there are some furnishings that just won’t work. For instance, glass tabletops and toddlers. Or white furniture and children. Or an expensive (even if you can afford it) dining room set with a teething puppy. When shopping for furniture, its best to think practical. This is why most of our furniture is either used or not very expensive. We have three children … Continue reading →

What to Do With Your Leftover Turkey

Yesterday morning I had to clean out my refrigerator. I needed to make room not only for the turkey and other items I bought, but for the food that family will bring on Thanksgiving. I also went grocery shopping for all of the things that I need (at least I hope I remembered everything). But when I shopped, I also picked up some extra ingredients for the day after Thanksgiving. What to do with those turkey leftovers? Turkey sandwiches are always yummy. But I have a favorite recipe that is perfect for the colder weather. It is Turkey Rice Soup. … Continue reading →

Organizing Your Front Hall Closet

Last month I blogged about tackling those unseen areas in our home, the ones that no one else but our family knows is a mess. My plan was to get to these areas one spot at a time. I also talked about writing down all of the areas that need work. At first I thought I would tackle our linen closet, since it is the biggest mess and one of the more commonly used areas in our home. But instead I decided to take a different approach. I am going room by room, starting with the front of our home, … Continue reading →

A Christmas Party for $40

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For those of you who were reading about my progress in planning our ward Christmas party, I must give an update! It was actually a huge success. So much so that I’m hoping they don’t think I should be in charge of this every year. I have to admit that it added a lot of stress to my life during the Christmas season, which is already stressful enough as it is. So, I think I might have to pass if they ask me next year. The decor was the best part, I think. My Bishop originally told me that I … Continue reading →