Sugar Sweet

Brown sugar turned rock hard? No problem! Take the heel from your loaf of bread and throw it in with your sugar. Within a few hours the sugar will have absorbed all the moisture from the bread and be soft again. This is a tip I learned from my mom and is probably well-known but I thought I'd share it anyway. :)

Here's some interesting facts about brown sugar. I learned some new things and maybe you will too!

• Brown sugar is essentially white sugar that has some molasses mixed into it. 
• Some people think that because the sugar is brown it is healthier (think white rice vs. brown rice) but it's not the case. Sugar is sugar whether it's white or brown. :)
• Because brown sugar has molasses in it, it makes cookies slightly chewier when baked with.
• Because it is not very abrasive, brown sugar makes a great exfoliant for skin.

And because I'm trying to make this post be at least a little interesting (ha ha) here's a recipe also that features brown sugar. My good friend Charlotte shared it with me and it is super easy and very yummy. Four out my five kids liked it which is really saying something for my picky crowd!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3-4 chicken breasts
Mix tomatoes, brown sugar, and pepper flakes. Pour on chicken. Cook.on low for 6-8 hours. Shred. Serve on tortillas, cheese, lettuce and sour cream. Also good on a salad.

And this concludes my informative yet slightly boring post about brown sugar. Funny, when I told my thirteen-year-old daughter about the post I was working on she responded with, "Yawn. Mom that is so boring. If you want to keep your followers you'd better come up with something more interesting." 

Well too bad, Ainsley. It's staying boring so there. Homemaking isn't too awful exciting but I for one happen to find brown sugar interesting so there! Hmm, I think I need to get out more. ;) Leave it to the teenager to "keep it real". ;)

Two Words: Stair Baskets

Everyone has their "pet peeves" when it comes to housework and I am no exception. There are certain things that just bother me. I can live with dirty toilets for a couple of weeks and crumbs on the table don't bother me either (although that is my husband's pet peeve so I am trying to get better). I tend to be pretty lax when it comes to cleaning, mostly due to my handicap. Being on my feet is just hard. However, there is one thing I cannot stand. CLUTTER.

I grew up in a very cluttered house. My parents were catalog hoarders and even though we had three bar stools sitting at the kitchen counter I rarely remember the counters being cleared enough to use them. And if they were it was usually because I cleared them! We never really had a system for containing our stuff and so it just built up and built up. Back then, being a kid in my parents' home, I really didn't have much control over the clutter.

Fast forward to my own home and I do everything I can to control it. When the house is picked up I feel more peaceful. In fact, if ever I am having a stressed out moment usually picking up the counter tops calms me right down. Whatever works right? 

Today I am here to tell you about a life saver to control clutter in a multiple level home. Stair baskets.

This little beauty right here makes life so much better when you can't stand clutter. Living in a house with five children can make clutter get out of control at lightning speed if I don't work to contain it. For a few minutes in the morning and then again after school the kids and I sweep the main floor in search of anything that doesn't belong.

Anything that belongs upstairs goes in the upstairs basket and anything that belongs in the finished basement goes in the downstairs basket. As I'm heading up or down for something I try and grab a few items out of the baskets and put them away. My sweet grandma likes to call this "Putting my head before my heels." :) But mostly, my kids are in charge of emptying them during their regular chore time after school. They do a great job and the random things get put back where they belong.

I love these baskets because they keep everything contained and out of sight until we can empty them. And since they are designed for stairs they fit perfectly along the wall and stay out of the way. The exact one that I have can be found here on Amazon. I've had them for several years and they have lasted well, especially considering that kids mostly handle them!

If I only had a one level home I imagine this system could be used just as well there. Someday Nathan and I plan to downsize to a rambler when our kids are gone and then I imagine having a cute basket at the entry to the hallway or something that can collect everything waiting to be put away.

If you are tired of things just sitting out because no one is motivated to walk all the way up or downstairs to put them away, try a basket!

Oh and make emptying them part of your daily routine otherwise they'll just go to waste. Or better yet... make your kids empty them! ;)

The Best App for the Busy Mom (Who wants to Keep a Tidy House)

I love to make New Year's resolutions. It's always great to set the bar a little higher for oneself and then try to improve. I've already written a post on setting a cleaning schedule for myself in an effort to get better at keeping my house clean. Since then, however, I've jumped into the current century and found a great app for my phone to help me improve.

I guess I should do a quick explanation of how I keep my house clean and orderly. I do a little each day. I am so not into the all day Saturday cleaning like my mom used to do. I don't work outside of the home like she did so there's no reason for me to not clean my house during the week and save Saturday for family time. :)

I came up with a system to always have a clean house but not work myself to death in the process. I simply divide my household chores amongst the days of the week. For example I clean the bathrooms every other Tuesday. I deep clean the kitchen and mop the floor every other Wednesday. Every Thursday I wash the whites, etc. I've got it worked out so I mostly only do one major chore per day which leaves me time for baking, errands, and playing with my two children that are still home during the day. It's a great system! To see it in greater detail clink on this link.

If you clicked on it then you noticed that I wrote all of my chores out on a calendar and color-coded it. It worked fine but it was time consuming. Now comes for the exciting part. Last year I discovered an app that reminds me of whatever I need reminding of.

It's called the To Do Reminder and I cannot say enough about how awesome it is. All I have to do is type into the app what I want to be reminded of and then the app does the rest!

It can remind me of my daily chores and keeps track of which ones come on any certain day. It can remind daily, hourly, every two weeks, monthly, whatever I need. I also like that it keeps reminding me every ten minutes for a time until I dismiss the task. Oh and did I mention it's free?!?

Here's an actual screenshot from my phone. Today is Saturday and I made that day be my "catch up on blog" day. Hey, I can mark that one off! ;)

Get this app! It's great!

Why I Chose Homemaking and to be a Stay-at-Home Mom

 Homemaking is a real profession. It is one that I take very seriously! If it could be put into a job description I imagine it would be something like this:

1. 1. You will accomplish something worthwhile that can affect the happiness of those around you.
2. 2. You will help choose the working conditions and establish a pleasant atmosphere for others.
3. 3. You will help control expenditures.
4. 4. You will decide what work will be done, when it will be done, and how it will be done.
5. 5. You will enjoy being around everyone in the entire organization and will have the opportunity to bless their lives and help them accomplish great things.

When put that way it sounds like the perfect job, right? To me it is just that. I love what I do. :)

I realize that everyone's journey is their own. What works for some may not work for others. This article is based upon my own experiences and opinions. It is not meant to tell anyone else how to live their lives, rather it is to show how I find joy in homemaking and why I feel it is so important.

I remember having a conversation a few years back with a friend whose last child had just started kindergarten. She told me, "Now that all my kids are in school I have nothing to do. The house is clean and I'm just so bored. I'm going to have to go get a job!"

The conversation has stuck with me all these years. I found it interesting that this friend thought that her homemaking career was over simply because her children were not home for part of the day. Homemaking is more than just being home when the kids are little. It is so much more!

Society has been trying to teach us for the last 50 years or so that women are not contributing to society unless they work outside the home. Women have been told that we have to "have it all". Not only do we need to be the perfect mother but the breadwinner and always have dinner on the table at five while maintaining a germ-free home where nothing is ever out of place. I conducted a sociological poll on facebook and one mom told me that she works, "...because I'm not just a mother. As a woman I have equal rights and desires to fulfill my goals and my career. It's a good example for our kids and especially our daughters." While this friend is entitled to her own opinions and believes she is teaching her children to be more well-rounded, I believe that I too am teaching my children by staying home.

As I said before, I am not you. You are not me. If you have to work outside the home, or if you want to work outside the home, so be it. Only you can decide what's best for you. I'm just here to defend what I feel is a dying profession. This makes me sad because homemaking is the single most important profession there is!

President Ezra Taft Benson (a former prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) once said, "One great thing the Lord requires of each of us is to provide a home where a happy positive influence for good exists." It is my responsibility to make sure our home is a happy home. I feel I can do this best if I make homemaking my primary profession.

I believe that all women are homemakers whether they work or not, are married or not, or have children or not. It is part of our divine nature as women to nurture those around us. How well we fill this role depends entirely on our commitment to it and how well we juggle the other responsibilities we place on ourselves.

I grew up in a household with a mom who worked outside the home. I never understood why she wanted to work. She would always tell us she worked so we could have the little extra things we were used to getting. I would've traded all those little things though for a more relaxed, peaceful home life. It wasn't until I grew up that my mom revealed to me that she just didn't enjoy being home. She needed the social interaction that came with working. Mom loved her various jobs. She loved learning new skills and serving those in our community. My mom was a great mom. She always managed to make it to all our various school functions despite working. She helped me with my school work and I always knew I was loved. She fulfilled her church responsibilities to the best of her ability and was a friend to all. She tried her hardest to be everything to everyone!

Us kids were left at home to fend for ourselves from the time we were in elementary school all the way until we left the nest. Although it taught us to be independent and responsible it was often chaotic and unhappy for us too. We fought a lot and there was no one to play the role of peacemaker. The house was messy and very cluttered, simply because my mom didn't have time to maintain it (and because 70's houses have zero storage and tiny rooms). ;) I didn't like coming home to an empty house. It was lonely. I couldn't just call my mom and tell her about my day. I'd have to wait until she came home. 

My mom only worked part time but on the days she did work she'd often come home exhausted and a little cranky.  On the days she didn't work she was constantly trying to play catch up; Feverishly cleaning the house and trying to fulfill all the other roles she had to play. Although my mom liked working I think sometimes she lacked balance in her life. It stressed her out sometimes which in turn stressed out the home. 

My favorite memory of my mom was one crisp fall afternoon when I was about 10 years old. I came home from school to the front door wide open, the screen door filtering in the pleasant autumn breeze. Inside, the house smelled of apples and cinnamon. I can still see my mom standing there in the kitchen as I turned the corner, spooning applesauce into jars. She was wearing her favorite red plaid shirt and a warm smile. The house was clean and felt cozy and happy. I just stood there soaking it all in. How I wanted my mom to be home everyday when I came home!

That moment right there is what I knew I wanted when I became a mom. I wanted more than anything to be that "happy homemaker". The kind that was always home when her kids walked through the door. The kind that kept the house clean and orderly and always had cookies in the cookie jar. The kind that was content just being a mom and taking care of a home.

My mom was and is a great mom and honestly I don't feel like we are victims because of her working. It was all we knew. She doesn't regret her decision to work outside the home. She's told me as much. She did the best she knew how to do. She is always the first one I call when I have news, good or bad. She is not only my mom but my friend too. I don't know what I'd do without her. I don't fault her for not wanting to be home. She was doing what she felt she needed to do to have fulfillment in her life.

For me, however, I love being a homemaker. I don't want or need anything more in my life. I find being a stay-at-home mom completely satisfying. It's challenging and I thrive on running a household. Honestly, there aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I need to get done in my chosen profession. Thankfully, the only deadlines I have are the ones I set for myself and I'm a pretty flexible boss. ;)

In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord tells the Latter-Day Saints how he wants his temple to be. This same doctrine can be applied to our homes: He says, "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning; a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God." D&C 88:119

This is scripture is my mantra. Sure I could go get a job. Sure I could finish my education. But I know I wouldn't be able to have the home I work so hard to have if I did those things. I don't do well under high amounts of stress and having to juggle those extra things would sure be stressful. I want to eventually continue my education but it won't be to get a job once my kids are out of the house. It will be to accomplish a goal, to fall back on if I need it, and to learn more about something I've always wanted to. I don't ever intend to work if I don't have to. I want to always make my home be my job. I want to be able to drop everything and help my kids with their own families. I don't ever want them to feel like they've taken a back seat to a career or other pursuits. 

"There's a time and a season for all things" so the saying goes and right now my time is to be home with my babies, creating the happiest home for them possible. Even when they are all in school I will still be home. I won't stop being a mom just because my kids are gone. The house won't go to school. I know I will have plenty to do. :)

I am not perfect at my chosen profession. I'm a blogger who writes about homemaking but that doesn't make me perfect. No one is perfect! My house is never perfectly clean. I have frustrations and things I want to improve on. The point is I am happy. I am happy doing what I do. Said the prophet Spencer W. Kimball, "Heaven is a place, but also a condition; it is home and family... It is quiet sane living; personal sacrifice, genuine hospitality, wholesome concern for others. It is living the commandments of God."

A home is more than mortar, brick, mud, wood, or thatch. It is a place where something of heaven is built into its foundation.

And that is why I chose homemaking and to be a stay-at-home mom. I want to be able to devote all my energy, all my soul into making my home-- our home-- a little piece of heaven. It's a work in progress for sure but it is one to which I am wholly committed to.

I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

Low Impact and Fun Exercise Ideas for the Physically Impaired/ Uncoordinated/ Nonathletic AKA Me

If you're like me you probably ate way too many cookies and fudge over the holiday season and were too busy eating the above mentioned things to get in any exercise. And if you're also like me you're thinking, "Okay, enough is enough. It was fun to splurge for a little while but I know I can't eat nothing but junk. Why? Because then I feel like nothing but junk."

I'm sure most people look at me and roll their eyes when I talk about exercise. I know I'm already skinny. I know I don't need to lose any weight. But guess what? You're not supposed to exercise just to lose weight! Skinny people can do damage to their hearts too. Just ask my grandpa who had a quadruple bypass surgery nearly 20 years ago and he wasn't fat at all. Or my grandma who had congestive heart failure and she wasn't fat either. When I think of all the benefits that exercise has ie it's good for your heart, it reduces stress, it keeps you looking young, it reduces your risk for cancer and other diseases such as osteoporosis, AND it helps you look and feel good it's a "no brainer" to me! And keep in mind that if you are overweight then your risk for heart problems/cancer/dying at early age are greatly magnified so that should be even more motivation to take care of yourself.

In reference to the title of this blog post, yes, I am physically impaired, uncoordinated and very nonathletic. I have a seriously crippled foot and nerve damage which gives me very limited mobility in my left foot and toes. Because of that I am uneasy going to a gym or an aerobics class. It would be too awkward for me and I worry I would injure myself. But even with a physical impairment I have still found ways that I can exercise that are low-impact and fun.

I'm not professionally trained nor am I an expert but if you're in the market for some new ideas here's some of the things I do:

I. Video Games-- I have always loved playing video games and since my husband happens to be a collector of games we have many at our house. Though I don't have time to play too many of them I can always make time for a video game that is not only fun but gets me moving too. Here are the ones I've tried and really like:

              

• Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus-- Using the Wii balance board these games guide you through a variety of fun and challenging activities.  My favorites are step  aerobics (which I happen to have a perfect score on for perfect rhythm,) for Wii  Fit and Boxing for Wii Fit Plus. On the Plus game you can also create your own  workout routines. Just make sure you jog in place while loading the next activity  to keep your heart rate up. These games are perfect if you are just beginning to exercise and need something very low impact.

• EA Active Games-- The one I have is EA Active 2. I must say I LOVE this game! Not only does it have many fun games (some of my faves are mountain boarding and basketball) but it is super high tech. It can monitor the amount of calories you've  burned plus your heart rate. It also has the ability to create custom work outs based on what you're trying to accomplish. For example if you're wanting to do only cardio workouts or strength training you can choose from a vast amount of exercises to do just that. Personally, I like to have a little of everything (some  strength, some cardio and some core) and even though I'm limited in the kinds of exercises I can do, thanks to the customizing, it's doable. :)

II. Zumba-- It's all the rage right now! If you like to dance and feel like a "hot mama" then you'll most definitely like Zumba. There's classes all around, they even teach one for free at my church but there's no way I'm going to subject myself to that kind of humiliation! I've got decent rhythm but because one foot doesn't work properly, it doesn't always look that way. If I do zumba on a DVD, YouTube, or a video game though the only people who are there to laugh at me are my kids. :)

III. Dancing-- Speaking of dancing, what a great and fun way to burn some calories! I like to turn on silly songs for my kids and I to dance to. They love it although there are too many of us to fit comfortably into the living room these days.  ;) If you are looking for some great kid tunes we like The Laurie Berkner Band and my kids also love Ace of Base. I was a teenager in the 90's what more can I say? Also, Just Dance is a great video game option for dancing. We have Just Dance Kids and even though it's got kid music there's enough for me that I like to do it too.

IV. Exercise Videos-- Back in the day I had a Kathy Smith aerobics DVD. I loved the routine but COULD NOT STAND Kathy herself. Too happy, too annoying, and I found myself cursing her perkiness every time I watched it. After my third baby, I discovered the Biggest Loser workouts and got hooked. Since all the people are novice exercisers it's super low impact whic is safe for me to do, yet it gets results quickly, perfect for trying to lose that baby weight! And Bob Harper hasn't annoyed me yet in the seven years I've been doing his workouts.

V. Pilates and Yoga-- I do yoga through all my pregnancies and it always helps so much! It's perfect for aches and pains.  Pilates is great too, especially because it focuses on core muscles. Both are wonderful for de-stressing due to all the deep breathing and for toning flabby muscles.

VI. Walking!-- Walking has always been and will forever be my favorite way to get exercise. I used to have a treadmill and while it was fine, I prefer being able to be outdoors. People have asked me what my secret is to losing my baby weight so quickly. The secret is walking. Strapping my babies into the stroller and walking uphill as much as possible. If you don't like walking by yourself, then take your dog, take your kids, take your husband or take some friends. The great thing about walking is you can still have conversation while doing it. Plus, the fresh air is invigorating and you can set your own pace. Plus, it's free. ;)

Okay, now if you're sitting there and are getting angry because this skinny girl is trying to guilt you into taking care of yourself, I'm sorry. It's just always never made sense to me to not take care of the body God gave you. You only get one life to live, you only get one body. Take care of it. Fat or not. Give yourself permission to take care of yourself so you can be the best possible you!

If I can find time to do it with five kids and a crooked foot then you can too. :)

Making Grocery Shopping Great

Hi! I'm here today to make your life a little easier. What? You are always looking for things to be easier in your life? Well great! You've come to the right place. :)

A long time ago when I was a blissful newly-wed my husband and I used to do our grocery shopping together. We'd meander up and down the aisles buying what was on our list and anything else we wanted. Time was never important. We enjoyed our bonding time at the super market. Fast forward to us five kids later and that happy time has come and gone. I cringe if I have to take all the kids to a store and even shopping with my husband has lost its appeal. Bottom line-- Grocery shopping is a chore. I dislike it. Somehow having five kids and very little time sucked all the fun out it.

Being an organizer like I am, I decided the only way I could make grocery shopping a tad "funner" was to add some organization to it. Here's how I did it:

First off I started with this cool doo dad. It's a dry erase board on my refrigerator. I really can't take credit for this brilliant idea. My sister-in-law has one in her house and I copied her. Thanks, Michelle! So anyway, the purpose of this board is for everyone in the family to write down grocery items as we run out. I try to avoid in-between visits to the store and like to only go once a week if I can help it. This doesn't always work out but training everyone to write down what we need helps tremendously. Hmm, apparently my son wants some car stickers and I need rubber gloves. Random? Yes. Typical? Yes. :)

This past year I have had a new baby at my house and trying to think of meals that A) my family would eat and B) were quick to make was becoming increasingly difficult. So I decided to make a table of all the meals we liked to eat and divide them amongst the days in the month. I tried to come up with at least two for each day so we could have more options. This has worked out great and it has taken all the guess work out of meal planning. Plus, my kids don't have to ask me what's for dinner anymore. :) Oh and in case you're wondering, yes, we do eat breakfast for dinner every Sunday. My husband cooks that day and he only knows how to make breakfast. Yummy!

With my handy list as my guide, I then turn to my kindle fire. Using ColorNote I type in all the menu items needed for the week as well as the things that were written on the dry erase board. Since my meals don't change from month to month I can save the list and reuse it the following month for the same week. Brilliant! I usually put all the items that are found on the same aisle on the same line for added convenience. One quick tap and the item crosses itself off. It's very cool. I can also move items up and down on the list so I can arrange my list by order of the aisles in the store. And yes, I do that. I am that geeky, er organized. ;)

With these three simple ideas grocery shopping has become slightly more enjoyable and much quicker too. Here's one more tip: Become an early morning shopper. If you can get to the store before 9 am you will shave at least 15 minutes off your trip. 

Use that 15 minutes to have a piece of chocolate while you read your favorite book. You've earned it!

New Year's Resolutions 2014

First and foremost, I would like to say how deeply sorry I am to myself and my loyal followers (if you haven't given up on me) that I can't seem to get into a good habit of regular blog posts. I am a mother of five children now and that has thrown everything out of balance. Now that baby boy is nearly one things should settle down a bit and I am hoping to get back into the swing of things. Which brings me to my goals for this year:

• Get back onto a regular cleaning schedule for the house. I created an awesome schedule for myself a couple of years back and I am resolved to get back on the schedule with a few modifications. For example: I no longer have to vacuum the main floor of my house because our pet Roomba does that. :) I also have two less bathrooms to clean and less dusting to do because my two big girls are old enough to do those things now. I instituted "10 Minute Pick Up" for my kids where we take the last ten minutes before it's time to leave for school and pick up as many things as we can. It works great. Finally, I cut down on the amount of cleaning I do. I opted to do a deep clean of the kitchen every other week as well as the bathrooms. Why? Because I can and I refuse to let all my free time be filled up with cleaning. The kitchen will still be dirty in another week as well as the bathrooms. :)

• The other goal I have for myself is to try one new meal a month and one new dessert. I have a recipe keeper where I like to clip out recipes and save them for later. One problem: later never seems to come. So this year I want to finally get around to trying all the recipes I've clipped so I can stop storing them if they are gross or keep on using them if they are a hit with the kids.

Finally, this has nothing to do with my own goals but just something I want to say. If your goal is to be more organized this year then I hope you can find ways to do it! Refer to this blog for some tips and I promise I will try to update it more regularly. :) So many people look at me and my house and say" Wow. She really has it all together." The only reason I know this is because people tell me that. I promise you I have many days where I don't but I have learned that having a place for everything, teaching my children how to pick up after themselves (and then holding them to it), and managing my time wisely have made my days run so much more smoothly. 

With my new goals I hope to be an even happier homemaker. I hope you reach your goals too. :)