Managing Your Home Part 3

A little while ago I wrote this:

..."Organizing your home is quite the task. It takes a super mom to herd her little monkeys and get everyone and her home in order at all times. This, however is unrealistic and will only bring frustration and disappointment to those mothers who thrive on this.

But there is hope for us all, even for me as I write this in the midst of a chaotic moment in my home. I write down lists for my kids of chores that need to be completed before we begin our day. "Build the home, before we play in it" is somewhat what we are after. Well, I have my eldest back chatting and rebelling, my daughter in cloud 9 dreaming of butterflies and singing, and my littlest one, causing havoc as she trots along. Not the haven, I was hoping for.

I put KLOVE on for motivational music, to help us focus and plug in, only to find out it's just adding to the chaos. I really am starting to feel hopeless now, how does anyone teach their children to contribute to the family life"...

And now, finally! 

We're done scheduling for now! It took some time, figuring it all out because no day in the week is the same for us. But we're done for now. We're on trial mode right now, just to see how well the master schedule will work out and I already have a feeling, that I'll be doing a few minor changes here and there, but all in all, I'll say it again - We're I'm DONE!

Here's an example of a day during our week. Oh yes, I went to dollar store and purchased 7 frames and some magnetic strip to minimize our fridge clutter. It looks nicer...

I've noticed better behavior in the kids and especially in me, holy moly, less of that tensed up wicked witchiness! The kids have been back chatting less, and it seems that they cannot argue with a schedule on the wall, but they can argue with me. If it's written, it goes and I've noticed an attitude change in them, I really have.

We get bible time each morning, and it can last from 15 to 30 minutes. I'm using this book with them, and we're enjoying it. The kids sit still, even our youngest who is 2 and these lessons lead to some deep conversations and it has really helped us bond. It gives a good start to the mornings and focuses our attention to the one who gives us time. Jesus. 

I must admit, I'm more flexible than maybe some other mothers are, using this method, and it's ok. Sometimes we decide to do other stuff instead of what's on the list, however, I've still noticed that everything gets done and we have plenty of rest too. It takes practice and consistency to create a new habit, a new schedule. We'll get there, I know it!

Another thing I have noticed is that the kids argue and bicker less. One, they don't get too bored and end up in each others faces, and two, I have the time to teach and take the time to guide them when I see a problem arising. I also believe that our bible time in the mornings places our hearts in a way that our minds are tuned with doing what is right. This is my opinion.

One thing I like about colour coding the schedule is, that my middle child doesn't yet know how to read, but by knowing the theme of the colours, she memorizes them quickly.

More on Organizing your home and scheduling HERE!

More on Fun With Kids HERE

More on Managing Your Home HERE

What are your tricks for keeping on top of things, or semi? :)

Homeschool - DIY Story Time Pillow Covers

We have circle time daily with our kids. This usually happens just before bed time. We ask the kids to grab their "Bible-Piiri" (Bible Circle in FINg-lish) pillows and gather around in the living room. My husband has normally prepped a topic, which he then reads about and then we discuss it. This is a real hit, the kids have so much input. Sometimes we discuss straight from their kids Bibles and sometimes the topic is related to what happened during the day.

Anyhow, here is how we made their circle time pillows even more special. I got a set of white pillow cases from Walmart and fabric pens. I have increased the colour range of the pens since then, ready for future projects.

 They drew things that made them happy, things they like, are good at etc.

The theme of the month is OBEDIENCE. This theme should last a life time, hence the printing on the pillows :) A good verse to memorize.

Black Void

I have this black hole in my life. It started out small, maybe the size of a pin head. It gradually grew and as it did, I became more idle, immobile, guiltful, sad, and the more it grew the more I fed it. How do I feed the black hole? By being here. Yes, here, on the internet. To be more clear, on FB, on DailyMail, on other trashy "News Paper" sites and by accidentally coming across trash online.

I "quit" FB a few months ago. I still log in to check out the latest news and photos. FB has turned into a propaganda and Pinterest site. I scroll down the news feed and my eyes are exposed to everything. A picture of a starving child comes up with this: "like and share if you care, keep scrolling if you're don't!" Ugh,  I never feel good after my visit, yet I still visit. The DailyMail focuses on the negative and the evil of the world. It brings out the saddest and soul stirring news. I never feel good after I visit, yet I still visit. It's the curiosity that pulls me back in.

Our eyes are the windows to our souls. What we read and watch will feed our soul in one way or the other. EVERYTHING we read or watch WILL affect our soul and well being in one way or the other.

I have lived it. I am still living it. I chose to open up a tab and read the latest kak online. Sometimes, usually, more often than not, I come across the latest sad news on innocent children being hurt or killed by sick people. My heart and soul aches. The "well" written imagery on the ordeal creates images in my mind that are disturbing. Imagery, forever in my mind. I carry that.

In the same way, most of what is on TV, and its imagery is forever imprinted on my mind. Scary movies, (which I have not watched in years because my psyche can't handle it) vain and promiscuous shows. I carry that baggage. Baggage that is cancerous.

This builds up, or should I say It grows. My worry and disappointment grows. But the next day, I am at it again.

We don't have TV but I am still feeding my energy sucking void, by replacing it with the ones listed above.

Youtube is dangerous. I honestly believe that it has to be one of the most dangerous sites for anybody to be on, especially for kids. This is what I meant about "accidentally coming across trash online".

So I'm wide eyed following the latest gossip, show (youtube), tabloid and then after I've discharged(sucked out) my positivity and energy, I attend my precious gems. I am not present though. My mind lingers on what I've read, what I've seen and the after shocks. After shocks as in deep in thought, deep in worry, deep in compassion, and sadness I am not strong enough to carry. My children ask me questions, buzz around me, they talk... I nod, smile but I am not here. I've waisted my first hour of the day, surfing in trashy waves. How clean and fresh am I? How motivated and energized am I? Where is my focus?

Can you count the number of times you have logged back online to "check"? It's like going to the fridge again after 10 minutes from the previous time, again, to "check" if magically any food has appeared, only it is to check for news, latest news to only eventually see that it's all the same and time still passes by. Time you can never have back.

Not only that, but I have missed out on here and now, by being around but not being here. This poem called "Dear mom on the iPhone" is what I am talking about. Have I swapped being with my precious to being with the app? I don't want to, not anymore. Whether you are a parent or not, student or retired... where is your focus?

I know what the news tomorrow is, without even reading tomorrow's news, and I can tell you what it will be.

- NOT good.

Tomorrow's news is not good. Until the second coming of our Christ, Jesus, the news will always be filled with bad.

There IS good news though. Good News which will never change. regardless of what is happening around you, in your heart or in the world. Nothing we read on the news or see on TV can change the love story, the Truth that has been bestowed upon us. That good news is your life manual, the love story between God and YOU. The Bible.

Where is your focus? Can you put down your pinning on Pinterest, your daily sharing on FB and your logging in to your favourite gossip news site and focus on what really matters. Focus on the eternal? Focus on today, a gift?

Food Pyramid part 1

A few weeks ago I taught my son the Food Pyramid, straight out of a 1st grade health and nutrition book. Mid way, I stopped the lesson and gave our support teacher a call. I told her "I cannot teach this rubbish and I have a dilemma, what am I to do?"

How can I teach my son something I know is NOT true and not because I am a new ager, but because I believe in God and His word to be true. In the Bible it clearly teaches us what our first two major groups should be... and they are :

Genesis 1:29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

PLANTS that have SEED in it and FRUITS with seed in it.

Now this is the same God who breathed the planets, said and it was done. Pretty knowledgable, right? I mean, he probably knew what He was doing when he made every plant to benefit us differently, right?

I CANNOT teach my children that consuming dairy products above fruits and good fats is the right way to go. I could count that as child abuse, really. These innocent children who look to me for food and never second guess the nutritional value of my cooking, they might question the paletable side of it, but never the nutritional value of it- I then give them "so called food" that fights against their bodies' ability to heal itself, improve itself, and  manifests illness and other chronic unpleasent symptoms.

No, as a parent I should be teaching them about what makes your bones strong, what makes your muscles strong, what makes your hair shiny, what keeps your joints healthy, what fights colds, and prevents infections, which is anti-imflammatory and anti-viral, which food builds bones, heals your body, what do enzymes do, etc, etc. How to treat and co-treat (sometimes along side medicine) EVERY ill health from WITHIN and  what not to eat and WHY. Knowledge is power. The more you read, the more you dig.. the more you know.

Let me give you an example : Most pyramids have a tiny little section for oils. Our family's pyramid has a good size sliver for "good" oils.  Our preferred oils are different from what most school book pyramids teach. Good oils include, avocados, olives, salmon, fish oil, coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil, hemp oil, nuts and seeds... etc.

Let me give you another example from the dairy group:

We do enjoy cheese and ice cream, but it's not the second or third consumed group in our diets.

Dairy, the way it's made today, is not good for you. (Some people will argue that dairy-in any shape or form- full stop-is not good for you). Milk won't penetrate the gut wall. Calcium won't absorb at all, or very very little. Hence, you are calcium deficient. It also gives you other unpleasant side effects. You get more calcium from sesame seeds and broccoli than you do from milk.

Deuteronomy 14:21  "You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."

I believe that there is nutritional truth in that verse. When I was a young girl my father was a teacher at a Jewish school for a season. One day he came home with a revelation and told us we shouldn't drink milk and eat meat at the same time. I don't remember knowing why and I don't know how long it lasted...

Now this seemed to be the law for the people in the Old Testament (and others may think it means something else) but nutritionally this makes sense! The calcium of the RAW milk will not absorb if taken in with meat. The toxicity of the meat prevents it. I truly believe that osteoporosis and other bone ill-health could be reduced and even prevented, if not stopped or reveresed by changing a "few" things in our daily diets.

In this case, changing the store bought milk to an -as close to it's original form- raw milk, almond mylk, coconut mylk and/or hemp seed mylk. That trio is amazingly beneficial for your body.

SOY milk (tofu and other soy based products) is BAD for you, it's poison, it should have never been taken in in such large quantities as we see in our western world today. Soy prevents vitamins, minerals and nutrients absorbing into your body and is a hormone DISRUPTER etc. Not good.

It's all dandy if someone doesn't know, but we need to do the research for ourselves, and read ALL sides of a story, right! You cannot even take what I am saying as the final truth, you need to take what I have said here and take it, compare it and weigh it against well supported and honest research. You need to do what you feel is right for your family. We make decisions out of love, right? God sees your heart, where you are, He blesses the right direction and meets you where you are. We cannot know it all in a day. But start your journey, start from Genesis 1:29.


As a homeschooler, I should teach my children 2 pyramids. What the "world says" and what WE believe.

There are areas, which I have not covered yet, such as meats, other cheese and milk products, wine, cooked food, raw and live food etc, etc. I will. This is why this post is "part 1"- check in for more posts.. You'll be surprised.