My Prayer Basket

For this type A kinda gal, it made my face squish each up each and every time I had to go searching for a pen or my Bible whenever I wanted to start my quiet time each morning. It made no sense that my books and materials were everywhere, but aside from stacking them on a kitchen counter or in the office, I didn't quite have a solution.

 After browsing some fun sites, I read about the prayer/quiet time basket. Ummm, why in the world did I not think about this? A pretty basket to put everything needed for that special time was a perfect solution.

What's in my quiet time basket?

• my bible
• my prayer journal
• pencils, pens and highlighters
• post-it notes
• devotional books

I keep this right in my living room because the basket I chose blends in with my decor. Simple, easy and perfectly organized- just grab your basket, find a quiet spot and start spending some time with God.

Win-win in my book. :)

My Prayer Journal

If you know me at all, you know I have a slight love affair with binders. They're pretty awesome. I think it stems back from my nerd-ness in college. I was obsessed with my class notes, often rewriting them if they weren't perfect. Yes, major geekiness, but I graduated Summa Cum Laude, so my anal retentiveness paid off.

Anyway, after purchasing this prayer tool for a friend's birthday, I decided that I wanted one. But I wasn't in love with the binder (I'm not a fan of displaying logos, hence my LV aversion) so I figured I could make my own. And I loved the results!

I simply ordered a small binder, some notebook paper that fit, section dividers, a daily planner and voila! A simple prayer journal that I could customize and fit my needs exactly! :) And bonus that the binder came with an attached little pocket for my pens and highligher! :)

I separated the notebook into four sections so far:

1. Daily Planner: Since I carry this around my house and to church functions, it seemed wise to put a planner inside. I gave my pretty 2011 planner to my younger (and much in need of organization) sister. 

2. Notes: I use this to take notes when I listen to mass or radio programs that I love to learn from. Most of the time, I just download them to my iPod and listen right after my quiet morning time. I mainly listen to the following...

• FamilyLife Today with Dennis Rainey (love this one!)
• Homemakers By Choice with Donna Otto
• The Village Church with Matt Chandler (while I love the majority of his messages, he can be a bit too much for me at times, just FYI

3. Thanks & Praise: I used this part of the notebook to worship, praise and give thanks to God for he    has done in my life. Sometimes I write out Bible verses that say it better than me. Other times I write out the song lyrics to wonderful songs that uplift him (My Sweet Lord by George Harrison is amazing and takes my breath away sometimes.) I often just write a list of gratitudes for that day. Even the smallest things show God you recognize His work in your life. ;)

4. Requests: Here is where I write down prayer requests that I have. I also use this place to write down the requests others have asked me to pray for. I once wrote down a request that was weighing heavily on my mind. The very next day, while listening to a particular sermon, God answered my request. It was amazing and so direct, I couldn't believe it. I'm hoping to be able to go back and see where He spoke to me regarding my petitions. Now, I have a record of them!

There are other tabs I'd like to use in the future. For example, a confessions one. Right now, I just confess while praying but I'd like to have the courage to actually write them down. It's such a private thing right now and I'm working up to putting it on paper.

I hope this inspires you to make one of your own and to spend some much needed time with God. I love, love this tool! It's such a wonderful aid that one can use to record their quiet time with God. It inspires me and motivates me to not rush through my prayer time. My life whizzes right by me when I don't slow down and I don't want to miss even one of His blessings.

If you don't feel like going through the trouble of making one, you can find them already made all over the Internet. Some good ones can be found here , here, here and here. Good luck! :)

Are you ready for Monday?

When I first became a homemaker, one of the greatest nuggets of wisdom I received was to be prepared for Mondays.

Mondays.


You know, the day when you hit the ground running (or wobbling) as soon as your feet hit the floor? Reaching for that first cup of glorious coffee, you look around your house through half-shut eyes wondering where to begin your day.

I resolved to be as prepared for Mondays as I could. And it's helped make the rest of the week go smoothly. In homemaking (and life), one small thing often affects the next, good or bad.

My routine for preparing often begins a couple hours before bed on Sunday night. It will take a good 30-45 minutes, so make sure you leave yourself enough uninterrupted time to get everything done. (If your free time happens to be in the mornings, then by all means, do it then. Do what works for your family!)

There are several things I need to accomplish during this preparation. I like having all the tools at hand so I don't have to get up every ten minutes to get something I forgot. For my purposes, I gather my:

• agenda/schedule 
• homemaking binder 
• recipes 
• notebook 
• and a pen 

Light a nice smelling candle and pour yourself some water or cup of hot tea. It makes the experience that much more pleasurable and adds a bit of calm to the routine. :)

 Go down the list of the things you need to accomplish this week and divide them up. For my household, I follow this plan:

1. Ask God to bless your week and watch over your family. Reflect on the things you want to accomplish this week. Ask him to help you plan your week so that it is all for His good and glory.

2.Weekly Menu Plan: Plan your menu for the week. Then make a grocery list of all the things you will be needing, making sure to check your pantry so that you don't buy something you don't need.

3. Agenda check: Use this time to take a quick glance at what your upcoming week holds. Are there any doctor appointments, dance classes, or soccer games you forgot about? Make sure your dinner plans revolve around these activities so you are prepared. Not planning is a sure fire way to make sure you unnecessarily spend money on eating out. 

4. Home cleaning/organization plan: Plan the things around the house that need to get done this week. It is always a good idea to have one big task each week. For example, does your fridge need cleaning out? Do the holiday decorations need to be put up? Doing one big thing per week allows you enough time to get it done without having to be a harried mess.

5. Weekly Bible study plan: What things do you want to learn and read about this week? Make a plan for it each day so that you actually do it. You have a better chance of getting it done if you write it down.

Finally, it is so important to actually get to bed on time. It is a bad habit of ours to stay up late on Sunday nights. We don't want the weekend to end. Let me tell you from experience, staying up late makes your Monday mornings that much worse!

Of course, this only works for our family. Your list will look different, especially if you have children. Use this as a starting point and tweak it to work for you and your needs. Once you get into the groove of things, I promise it won't be a chore. I love this little time away to prep for my week. It gives me a sense of calm and order and prepares me for the lovely days ahead. :)

What the realtor won't show you.

It's official. Our house went on the market this week. This whole thing has been so very scary and very exciting all at the same time (but mostly really scary). We've been fluttering around here like busy little bees getting the house ready for the website pictures. Yesterday, we had a cleaning lady come and give it a good deep clean. Our realtor said to expect showings asap so we've been in speed mode for about a week now.

And I still don't feel ready.

I was a little bummed when the realtor (who told me about a gazillion times that she used to be a home stager for million dollar homes) pretty much made my house devoid of any warmth and personality. I was expecting to take down all personal pictures, but not all my floral arrangements, too! Not my birdcages! Not my topiaries!

*photographs taken by the realtor team

Ok, ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating just a smidge. They did come out better than I thought thanks to their professional photographer. But to me, it seems a little cold and sterile. I know that's what people want when they're looking for a home- cleanliness and order. So, I'll stop being a big baby.

Besides, my biggest worry is what I'm going to do with this forest that's now growing in my kitchen.

Anyone got any bright ideas? ;)

xoxo

PS. Can I just say that I. Seriously. Love. You. All. I couldn't have imagined all the wonderful and supportive comments and emails I got. Blogging is such an amazing way to connect with people and I've made some wonderful friends through my blog. Thank you, thank you for your uplifting words.

Five Things...

Yesterday, I talked about my newly revised daily schedule. In an effort to put some sorely needed energy back into my housekeeping, I figured a pretty schedule would help. I'm not one for change, but I notice that when I'm stuck in a rut, changing things up a bit helps to re-energize me.

If you noticed, there is a section there for "5 Things." This is something new that I added. I've read many times that writing down your goals increases the likelihood of accomplishing said goals by eighty percent! It makes sense- you must think about your goals, then write them down, which makes you re-think about them, and if you have them with you, then periodically looking at what you've written reinforces your drive to get them accomplished.

So, I figured a daily goal list might be a good idea. In my "5 Things" section, I write down the five things that MUST be done that day. These things are written in order of importance and are to be completed before the day is over. Sometimes I only have two things, sometimes I have all five spaces filled out. But, I keep it at five max- if there are more than five things that I deem more important than my housework, then I'm balancing way too many things on my plate. If you find this to be true, then start practicing saying the word, 'no.'

And remember these goals are not to be monumental tasks that can't be done in a day. The majority of the time, my five goals are not super critical, but things that might have deadlines. For example, I put things such as:

• *writing thank you notes for Christmas gifts
• *pick up Southern Hubby's dry cleaning because he's out of shirts
• *call a utilities company after noticing a descrepancy on our monthly bill

These are the things that won't make or break my week, but are often forgotten or overlooked. These are the things I don't necessarily want to do, but must be done. I don't like to put these things off until the last moments of the day- checking them off my list first gives me a sense of accomplishment, even if the rest of my duties aren't all completed.

Try it today- it doesn't have to be on fancy stationary; it can be written on the napkin the Starbucks lady gave you this morning. The main thing is that you write them down. Review them every couple hours throughout your day.

And here is the link to my daily schedule. Again, you must have the downloaded fonts from Kevin & Amanda in order to get the same look. Thank you to all the gals with your suggestions. I hope this works. If it doesn't work for you, leave me a comment letting me know.

View hsc-daily-schedule-template-doc

View hsc-daily-schedule-blank-template-doc

xoxo

My Daily Schedule

In an effort to pursue my goal of ::creating:: a welcoming home, I've revamped my daily schedule. If you've been reader for a while, you know that I follow a daily routine, which changes day by day. When I started working on my schedule last year, I took inventory of all the household chores I did in a week. I split them up according to section of the house and made a daily to do list.

Sometimes everything gets done. Sometimes nothing gets done. I'm working on my addiction to perfection because I like my house to be perfectly in order. But it's most certainly not. And perfection is not mine for the taking anyway- it's best left to God.

“. . . There have been wives who in their zeal for Christ’s work outside have neglected Christ’s work inside their own doors. . . . While they were winning a place in the hearts of the poor or the sick or the orphan, they were losing their rightful place in the hearts of their own household.

“Let it be remembered that Christ’s work in the home is the first that He gives to every wife, and that no amount of consecrated activities in other spheres will atone in this world or the next for the neglect or failure there.”                      
                                                               - from The Wife’s Part in The Family by J.R. Miller

Now this is where ya'll come in, well, at least my technology savvy gals. ;) I've scanned this in and uploaded it, but I know that does absolutely no good because you will need to adapt and edit it to suit your home's needs. Is there a free file sharing site that I can use to share this with everyone? I'd love to be pointed in the right direction!

Also, the fonts and little pictures can be found at Kevin and Amanda's website. Amanda is amazingly talented and shares all her goodies with you for free! Love it! Although this is not a requirement, you will need to download the fonts if you want to get it looking like mine. Oh, and if you're dying to use my handwriting, you can find those there. too. ;)

Pea Jacks & Matty Font

Pea Jennifer Bee Font

Pea The Bees in Love Doodles

Once I can get this in 'file sharing' mode, I'll be going through the little sections with you, as well as explain my "5 Things" theory. Till then...

xoxo

Vineyard Vines Giveaway Winner & a Download

Winner, winner is.....

Mrs. Real Life!!!

Head on over to her place to congratulate her. And crack up at her Not Me Monday. Oh, and while you're there, say a prayer for Stellan, who sadly is back in the hospital.

**********************************

For all those that were wanting my cleaning schedule, you can download it by clicking here. I spent quite a while trying to figure out a way to show it in a way so you could see the cute as pie fonts I have mine in, but unfortunately not everyone has those fonts, so it wouldn't show the same on everyone's computer. So, it's in the plain Arial font right now. It's okay, cause now you can edit it to look exactly as you'd like it to look. Of course, you'll be changing all the chores as this one applies to my home, but hopefully the format I use will get you started. :)

And lastly, I was convinced by my friend Kelly to blog about a weird, but delicious snack that I love to eat. Yes, you are seeing it correctly- Baked Cheetos and Peanut Butter. I've always been a fan of those "pregnant lady cravings" sort of snacks. It all started with dill pickles and Bluebell Vanilla ice cream. Honest! Something about the sourness of the pickle combined with the sweet ice cream. Serious yum factor. Don't be afraid to try these- I've turned many good friends into Cheeto and PB snackers. It's delish! Do you have any 'preggo lady craving' snacks that you adore? Share with us!

Happy crazy snackin'!

xoxo Y

* Just updated my blog header. I don't know what's gotten into me- I'm so fickle! But I do like this one. What do y'all think? Better now or before?

Q & A Part 2: Tassels, Moms and Paint Colors

Thanks for coming back! Here are the last few questions. I left out those that had already been answered previously, so check back in the archives if your question wasn't answered. :)

Did you relationship with your mom change after you got married?

The majority of my relationship changes occurred when I went off to college. Before I did, my mother and I butted heads all the time. Our relationship was very tumultuous. We were the same, her and I- stubborn, spoiled, opinionated, did I mention stubborn?

Since I left the house, I think we've both mellowed out. Meeting Southern Hubby has had such an amazing impact on my personality. Marrying him made me put someone else first for once. When I became a wife, I got involved in my Catholic church and once again became interested in my faith and strengthening my relationship with God. My mother has used this time to age wisely- realizing that the little things that tended mess up her day weren't that big of a deal. We both used to be pretty high strung (okay, I still struggle with this) but my mother has really become a more calm and relaxed person.

That being said, we don't fight as much anymore. I see all the stuff she did for me and see that it was for my own good, not because she wanted to ruin my life. I guess you could say I grew up a bit. I definitely wish she we were closer, wish she cried when she saw me in my wedding dress for the first time, wish she came over more often, wish she wanted to go shopping, or to lunch. But I don't think that's the type of relationship we have, for whatever reason. All I can do is pray about it- leave it in God's hands. It is this way for a reason and I don't know what that reason is yet.

I could go into it further, but I'd have to make an emergency appointment with my shrink for Monday. ;)

You poor dear, another household management question! ;) I was wondering what program you used to create your daily schedule- Excel, Word, or something else?

Oh, Lulu! I used Microsoft Word to create my schedule. You can find a picture of it here. But for some reason I wasn't able to get it onto Adobe so that other people can download it. Does anyone have an idea on how to do this? I'd send you a thousand air kisses! I probably should put out another one, as I've changed it up a bit here and there.

I want the sweater you have in the picture with your friends! It's absolutely darling! And your headband matches so well! Where did you get it?

Thanks so much! I love that sweater, too. Both are actually from J.Crew. But they were purchased a couple of years ago. :( I love fashion, but don't like to buy things that are trendy. My style is more preppy classic so that I am able to wear them season after season. And I don't mind spending a little bit more if it's made well because I know it will last a lot longer.

I don't have a blog account but I wanted to know where you get your tassels from. Did you ever get that one you showed us a couple months ago? I really like the way they look.

I make no attempt at hiding my tassel obsession. To date, I have one on every lamp on my downstairs floor. Yes, this is a bit much but I did use the word obsession, didn't I?

My latest tassel gems came from this wonderful Etsy shop! Her name is Megan and her shop is Megitys. I love love love her tassels. You can tell they are made with the best materials and her talent is plainly obvious in the craftsmanship. We did a little trade, some necklaces for some tassels and it was the best decision. And I just headed over there the other day for little looksie and she's having a sale! :) Shop away!

Happy Saturday, y'all! Go pick some flowers and put them in your hair. :)

xoxo Y

Making Your Home a Haven: Drawer or Closet Challenge

Today over at Tammy's, she's challenging us to clean up or tidy one a drawer or closet that needs some attention.

Everyone has a junk drawer in their home, right? Well, here's ours.

My goodness, that was embarrassing to show! Hopefully I'll be able to get a picture of it clean. I've got a super busy day today. (Aren't all Mondays super busy?) I've got some recovery cleaning to do, a Weight Watchers meeting to go to (yes, I've been paying for it for two weeks, and have yet to go...bad!), and some orders that need to get out. I'd also like to plan some WW meals for this week. Does anyone have any good websites that have a variety of WW meals with the points already counted out?

Alright, off to take care of the day! Don't you just love Mondays? No matter how badly last week was, or how little we feel we got done, we get to wipe the slate clean every Monday. :)

Happy clean slates!
xoxo Y

Organization Sheet

Good morning Ladies! What's for breakfast? (I made Southern Hubby these yesterday and they were delish!)

After a mailbox full of emails about my organization sheet, I wanted to remind new readers that I did indeed write about it. You can find the post here. I'll try to upload it to Adobe again, but at least you'll get the gist of it and can model your own. I hope that it brings you as much help as it has me. In fact, I am filling mine out for the day right after I blog! :)

I also wanted to let you home decor goddesses know that I added a decorator's fabric folder into my household binder. I stapled all the fabrics that I've used, or have thought about using. Then I punched some holes in it, stuck it in my binder and voila! For those that are avid garage sale and thrift store shoppers, this might be a good idea to carry around when out on those shopping trips. No more wondering if something you have your eye on will match the current colors in your home! Eeasy peasy.

And one more tidbit, for those who asked me to notify them when they were on sale, I've added two new necklaces to my shoppe- The Carolina Initials Necklaces and the Aniston Littles Necklace. Be sure to check them out! More darlings to come soon!

Happy Hump Day!
xoxo Y

Making Your Home a Haven Mondays- Setting a Bedtime Routine

Happy Monday, y'all! I feel so thankful today for God's provisions, especially new beginnings. I have been so bogged down with obligations outside of the house that I feel that I've let some things slip. I may be absent some time this week as I try to get my priorities straightened out.

The challenge for this week over at Tammy's place is to set up an evening routine. Since I sort of jumped ahead and posted one when she had us set a bedtime, I'm going to re-post those and make any necessary changes to those.

The Southern Housewife's Nightly Routine:

• After dinner, clean up the kitchen, sweeping the floor, disinfecting the counters, rinsing and putting the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, and making sure my sink is empty and shiny! How nice is it to wake up each morning to an gleaming sink and empty counters?!
• Do a quick 15 minute clean up. (pick up clutter, arrange sofa pillows, clear the kitchen bar aka catch all for mail, keys, purse, misc., empty replacing, etc.)
• Feed the babies and give out meds if necessary.
• Change into pajamas.
• Do my nightly face regimen and brush teeth.
• Take my vitamins and any medications.
• Read over my schedule for tomorrow. Write down any special errands or chores that need to be done.
• Praying with Southern Hubby. Lately we've been reading Moments with You by Barbara and Dennis Rainey from FamilyLife, which y'all know I love with a capital L!
• Snuggle up with the Southern Puppies and get some beauty rest!

Recently, SH and I have been reading about extra marital affairs, but not the kind that you may be thinking about. The ones I am referring to are "screen affairs." We first heard about this at our Weekend to Remember conference back in February. How hard those words hit me! I always thought I was a faithful wife. I never cheated on SH with any man ever! But I was cheating him out of my time with my blackberry and my computer.

So we decided that at night, we need to put away the blackberries and the Internet. If SH is working, then I can get on and play around, but the night time needs to be just for us. I was so caught up in reading homemaking blogs and writing my own, that it became something that was taking me away from the very thing I was trying to work on a promote- marriage! How ironic.

Are you having any 'screen affairs?' It doesn't just have to be phones or computers. Are TVs, and video games keeping you away from spending time with the family at night? It's different for everyone. This week, challenge yourself to turn off the screens at night!

Happy Haven Mondays!

xoxo Y

PS- I wanted to say THANK YOU so much from the bottom of heart for all the sweet and kind words about our new family addition. You really have no idea how much they mean to me and it brought tears to my eyes to see how much of you out there really care about animals. They are God's creatures too, after all. Without further ado, here he is, the newest Southern- Mattie!

Where my craftspiration takes place

Since I neglected to show y'all my craft room's before and after shots from yesterday's post, I decided to post them today. But I must give you all a warning. What you are about to see is horrifying. It will make your blood run cold and make the hairs on your arms stand on end. Yes, the before pictures are that terrifying. Ladies over the age of 70 and ladies who are pregnant are strongly urged to take caution.

OK, with that out of the way, on the pictures!

The Southern Housewife's Craft Room before:

(when it was an empty room, then housed the TV that was so 'antique, SH had to get a new one, then became the holiday decor storage room, then my craft room)

It was indeed in a dreadful state. I'm so embarrassed to show these pictures! Thankfully it was only this bad for the months of December through January. Before then, it housed that ugly TV and the futon frame. It stood empty for the first 3 years we lived here.

Then my sweetheart found some time in his hectic work schedule to build the sewing desk he got for me. Since I told him I wanted a handmade Christmas in support of handmade gifts, he "built" this desk for me and told me that he also wants to make me a fabric cutting table. Did I marry a dream, or what?

The Southern Housewife's Craft Room After:

And here is what it looks like now. Keep in mind, it is NOT perfect. I still have a lot of things to do in here like organize all the little boxes with sewing notions, re-fold and organize my fabrics (Did I even mention I'm addicted to buying fabric on Etsy? I just love Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Joel Dewberry, and the like.), and probably about a hundred only small organizational things. The other sides of the room is still empty and all the Christmas decoration boxes are in the closet now.

Oh my gosh, y'all. I'm so just kidding. I think I would have a heart attack if this were really my craft room. This enchanting room belongs to Heather Bailey. If you'd like to see more of her studio, there is a link near the end of this post. OK, well now mine is going to look like the pits compared to this one, but oh well, it's mine and I love it! :)

I had just sat down to do a project when I took these, so the desk is already messy! :(

If you'd like, we can take a closer look at some of the things in my little sewing niche that I adore. The colors and textures in this area inspire me daily.

I have colors that pop!

And then there are those muted tones that blend in with their surroundings.

Don't you just love these wooden spools?! They were given to me by Josh's dad and they once belonged to his mother. Oh, to pay only ten cents for a spool of thread...

Now with all the beauty and inspiration around me, how could I not have given the area a spin? I mean, it was a given! So I decided to whip up and a small coin purse for my sister to put those all important laundry quarters that every college kid needs but never has. Southern Hubby got a bunch of quarters in change and we're going to put them in there and add it to a care package we're sending her.

This is from my Heather Bailey fabric collection. I love this girl! Her fabrics are precious and the picture on her blog are amazing. She really has talent in pretty much everything she does! Seriously, if you have an extra ten minutes today, go and poke your nose into her blog. I drool over her pictures and craftiness. Oh, and her craft room...we'll lets just say it makes mine look like child's play. ;)

Here's the finished product! I love that aqua and orange combination. I think I may have to make one for myself!

Alright friends, off to my homemaking duties! Hope the craft bug bites y'all soon!

Happy crafting! xoxo

UPDATE:

My shop was chosen to be on the Shop Local front page on Etsy! Whoo hoo!! (you may only be able to see this if you live in Texas. Not sure. Any non-Texans able to see it?)

Homemaker's Haven Monday & Making a Happy Home Monday

Since these two are quite similar and I want to participate in them all, I figured I'd just combine them. :)

If you remember from last week's HHM & MYHHM, I assigned myself 4 different goals. And as much as I hate to admit it, I didn't finish all of them. I think I'm expecting too much of myself by trying to do too much. This week, I'm going to lighten my load a bit. Not living up to my own expectations is very discouraging (I'll be talking more on this later in the week.) So, instead of trying to do that, I want to encourage and lift myself up. I'll be taking it a bit easy this week.

laundry room before

This past week I was able to do the chore I wanted most- deep clean my laundry room. My room isn't very big, but it was getting very, very junky. It seems that most houses have a place that they put things that they have no idea what to do with. When company comes over and I need to ditch something, my laundry room is where it goes. I'm able to close the door on it and forget about. That is until I have laundry to do!

So I began to get to work....

How embarassing are these pictures?! Yikes!

But thankfully after an hour or two and help with a little dancing music from Maroon 5 and Mr. George Strait, I was able to get a sparkling, dust free, beautiful laundry room back! Look at all the junk I purged from this tiny room! Our gym shoes, Southern Hubby's dusty golf shoes (which consequently convinced him that he doesn't golf nearly enough!), Southern Puppy's travel bag, blankets, golf balls, my favorite tote bag for traveling, whew! I'm re-tired just look at this! Thankfully it's finished and I'm in love with it! And for once, actually don't mind doing the wash anymore! Well, at least for now! ;)

laundry room after

This upcoming week, I really want to focus on the most important thing I need to do in order to have a blessed home- spend my mornings in prayer with God. Most of the days last week, I was able to get up early and do Bible study and prayer but there were a couple of days that I did not. And those were the days that I felt the most lethargic and not very pumped to bless my house. So, I know that daily time with Him is one of the most important factors of actually getting things done around here with a cheerful spirit. So, that will go first on my list for the week.

The Southern Housewife's Challenges for January 26th-30th:

1. Focus daily on spending my mornings with the Lord. I want to continue my readings on The Excellent Wife, listen to the daily podcasts on Homemaker's By Choice, and write my prayers down in my journal.

2. Third times the charm... I'd like to finish the second curtain panel for my master bathroom.

Okay- that's it. That is all I'm going to be accountable for this week. Yesterday I went to the bookstore and purchased Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. Just once chapter in, it has already opened my eyes tremendously and I have been so inspired. If you struggle with perfection and trying to do it all like I do, please get this book. I can already see how it will change my attitude on homemaking and individual prayer.

Oh, and one last thing- I made my yummy rolls again on Friday. They were very delicious but this batch turned out a big doughy. I cooked them for a bit longer than the recipe called for and even put my oven up 5 degrees. Baking divas, what am I doing wrong? The only difference between this batch and my last one was that I used half bread flour and half all purpose flour instead of all bread flour. I heard doing this would make my rolls a bit more fluffy. Instead, it made them more chewy and doughy! Does anyone have any tips for what I can do to keep my bread from doing this? Any help is appreciated!

Happy Homemaking!