Favorite Kitchen Tips

I wanted to pass along my three favorite kitchen tips. I think I learned them on Rachael Ray, but I can't really remember for sure...

One, to clean the microwave easily just bring a bowl of water with a bit of lemon juice to boil in the microwave then just wipe out the oven with a paper towel. No harsh chemicals to worry about and no scrubbing necessary. Although you may have to take the turning tray out to wash in the sink. It helps to get rid of odors that get trapped too.

Two, to get all the grime off a can opener, and to make it perform like new again just run wax paper through the can opener a few times. Repeat whenever it gets gunky again. This trick has saved me a few bucks every few months from having to buy another can opener. I've had the same one (cheap from walmart) for a year or so now and the handle is starting to break from using it so long.

And lastly, instead of using a cook book stand (especially for recipe cards and magazine cut outs), I use a chip clip and clip the recipe onto my cabinet door. It's easy to read and hard to spill or splatter anything on the recipe. LOVE THIS ONE!

Some people have told me they have a hard time leaving comments, and I need to check into that because I would love for you to be able to pass along your favorite little tricks! I think everyone is looking for fast, effective ways to make cooking and cleaning easier!

Nature or Nurture??

Careful, Cautious, Clean....Classic "first-child syndrome" coming out in Mae. We went to a print shop yesterday to laminate a few things (ran out of contact paper and so did Walmart!) and the floor was old and dusty. I was so embarrassed (but a little proud inwardly) when Mae replied, "Messy, Messy, Messy." to the printers' kind words, "May I help you?" as she looked down at the floor in need of a good sweep.

I had to explain that it's OK to get in the baby pool after we get a little grass in the water, and that it's perfectly acceptable to eat pudding with your fingers when it's an art project on the back deck. She checked on that rule a few times before digging into the pudding paint.

She's plenty messy at supper time, or at any meal time for that matter. But otherwise she usually keeps a pretty tight ship, especially when compared to some two-year-olds who are simply acting their age. Sometimes I wonder, "What have I created??" when she demands perfection, or cleans up after the other preschoolers in Sunday School... Then again, with the combination of Jon's perfectionist nature mixed with my determined spirit what else can we expect but a little girl who knows exactly what she wants and how she wants it. On the other hand, I've heard this strong-willfulness peaks around three years old! I guess the Nature v/s Nurture battle will never be resolved.

Humble Beginnings

We're still in our beginning, only being married five years on August 7, but we definitely haven't stayed in the same place all that time. We haven't stayed the same physically, emotionally, spiritually or mentally either. That's another story for another time. This is about our home. The first two houses, which we rented, we lived in were both small and built before central heating and air was a common household commodity in the south...same story for the lack of dishwasher, washer and dryer units (luckily, these were added later, but not original to the house), and neither house had more than one bathroom. When we were looking to buy our first home we made a list of things we needed and things we wanted. On the top of my list was that we have more than one bathroom and that neither bathroom include PINK tile! Apparently tile came in two colors in the 1950's, blue and pink. We were "fortunate" enough to have pink tile in both rental homes. We did our best and made it our home. The first house (pictured below) was VERY tidy, VERY clean and definitely NOT baby-proof. There were no toys, except for the cat's toy mouse and I cleaned every week like I now attempt to clean every month. We both worked full-time, ate most meals out and went away for weekend trips often. We loved our little "dollhouse" and I still miss the way the floor furnace would creak and crack in the winter. I loved curling up with a book (which I was able to do often) while Toby the cat stretched out across my lap. I could sit on that little porch and watch the neighbor's kids play. We didn't have TV for the first two or three years we were married, and I recommend that for all newlyweds. We also have never lived less than an hour's drive from our parents, which I also reccomend for newlyweds :)

Awww...look at the newlyweds,

so unsuspecting (in a good way of course!)

Our second home was a last-minute find once we found out Jon was accepted into pharmacy school at UGA. He was put on the waiting list for the second year in a row and we didn't find out until July that he was accepted and we would be moving to Athens. I was in the second trimester of pregnancy with Mae and we needed at least two bedrooms. It took a lot of cleaning, clearing out and hard work (mostly by our moms) to get that place livable...but it's where we brought Mae home from the hospital, where I rocked, prayed and sang lullabies in her nursery before she was born that November. From our window I witnessed the farmer neighbors harvest their crops and watched leaves raining down from the surrounding trees. We caught up with those neighbors recently at the Farmer's Market. They said that little house has never been the same since we left :) My kitchen counter top was mostly the tops of the washer, dryer and water heater...In fact that's how the crock pot lid shattered into a million pieces, I learned NOT to use the dryer while also using it for a cook top!

I guess all who have "humble beginnings" are truly blessed. I am fond of my grandparents stories of their first homes, the basement one-bedroom apartment. And I love hearing my parents stories of how they robbed the pennies from their loafers for a run to the store. There's something about not having much that brings couples and families closer together. We still don't have much, or any money or possessions, to call our own. I look around our home and see that most of the furnishings were gifts from family or the bargain we grabbed. We don't have a garage, a pantry or built-in custom ANYTHING! I love our little yellow house and love the closeness it brings to our family. I know I will miss this much-of-nothing phase of life (if it ever ends!) just like I already miss our first two little homes and the memories made there for those short years. We give thanks for God's protection and provision over our home.

Homeschool

I put a book together of all the artwork from Mae's K2 year of preschool at the Learning Train. A book full of Jack-o-Lantern's, Turkeys, hand prints...Valentines, Snowmen and Shamrocks. Mae doesn't remember making them, and doesn't remember what the leaves look like in the fall or Santa's famous words, "Ho, Ho, Ho!". It will be a whole new experience all over again when the seasons change, Christmas comes and even when we make Valentine cards for our family and friends. Mae and I really enjoyed looking at it together and I explained to her that she made all of the beautiful pictures at school, "Remember, Mae, with Ms. Ashley?" It's been a couple of months since she's been to "school". She looked at me, a little puzzled, and said "No, Mommy. That's my s'cool." as she pointed to the little corner I created for us. I made that space for us to huddle together as we talk about letters, numbers, shapes and colors. We'll sit together on that over-sized pillow and discuss the weather, days of the week and the activities of the day. She'll learn from puzzles, books and bible stories. She'll use markers, crayons, playdough and most importantly her own imagination to discover new things. Our adventure in homeschooling is soon to begin!

I realize that one of the most important parts of preschool is being around other kids, "socialization," and also learning to follow instructions in a group. We'll have to put forth effort to make playdates and do community activities with groups of children. I'm using the ABEKA K3 books for numbers and letters, and following my own ideas for seasonal units. I'm really excited, and I'm so happy Mae is catching on to the new idea that her school is at home.

LIttle reminders of a dream come true...

a little yellow house, a swing set in the backyard, lemonade on a hot day, tiny handprints...everywhere, baskets of toys, artwork displayed on the fridge...

I am surrounded by so many little things that remind me of my dreams come true. The desire of my heart has always been (except for a brief lapse of consciousness in my middle school years when I wanted to be shipped off to a boarding school in California to pursue an acting career along with Jonathan Taylor Thomas...yeah, some of you know what I'm talking about here). Anyway, the desire of my heart has been this: to be a wife, a mother, a homemaker and to do these things in a way pleasing to God. When the weight of my responsibilities, frustrations and uphill battles fall on my shoulder, it's hard to remember that I'm living "the dream." But there are moments in my day that remind me of what a blessed life I have been given.

When I was in college and was really wanting to find my future husband (before Jon and I even met) I would think about what the future might hold...not the big stuff, but the little things. I would think about how I wanted to be a thoughtful wife who would bring my husband a drink while he mowed the lawn, or had a home that was homey enough for our family to enjoy. I wrote letters to my "future husband" telling him these things and wrote one very important letter which I reserved for our wedding day. Thinking about the future and praying A LOT on the subject made the wait worth while and helped me through the tough times when I didn't see marriage anywhere in sight (or any good prospects on campus!). Jon and I met at my brother's church, became friends, started dating, got engaged and got married within a couple of years. Our fifth wedding anniversary is coming up on August 7 and we've gone through a lot of changes since we said, "I do." Good changes, and difficult changes but nonetheless my dreams have come true.

"Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home..."
Titus 2:4a

Daddy Date

Waiting for Daddy...

Flowers for Mae

Mae had her first date last night...with her Daddy! She was so excited all day waiting for Jon to come home from work and pick her up for their special time together. She had seen the two of us go on a date last week and she couldn't wait to have Daddy all to herself this time around. While getting dressed for the evening affair, she chose her outfit, shoes, bracelet and purse all by herself. Of course with the shoes she choose she had to take a pair of socks in her purse to wear on the playground. She even insisted that she wear a bow in her hair for the special occasion. I don't really know how she knew to do all of that on her own...but she did! She has really been wanting me to take her picture A LOT lately, so this was a perfect opportunity for a model photo shoot. I could literally see her self-esteem rising...even more so when Daddy brought home flowers for the beginning of their date together. Mae wanted "chicky 'n fries" from McDonald's and Jon went all out including apple juice and ice cream. They were gone for TWO hours and had a great time. It will have to become a monthly ritual for the two of them to get away together and have their special time. Jon is a great role model for what she should look for in a husband and father to her own children. I try not to think about that too much, but sometimes I just can't help it! Now, tomorrow night it's my turn to go out with Jon again. We're trying to go out once a week together on a date by ourselves. It's a little challenging to find babysitters and a block of time every week, but the time we spend together is very rewarding! I'm planning to take Mae out to pick blueberries one morning, just the two of us. Also, before we head to the beach Mae and I will go for pedicures and haircuts! She also LOVES to shoe shop so that will be fun in the fall when we have to shop for shoes again. I'm not sure how Nate will want to spend his special time with Mommy and Daddy, we'll just have to wait and see!