Congratulations to Dallimomma! You are the winner of the Chocolate Lollipop Dress from Kait Emerson Designs. To claim your prize, please email your size preference (6 months to 5T) and your shipping address to notesfrommynest@gmail.com no later than noon, EST, Monday, August 4th, 2008!
My thoughts...
This week's format is going to be a little different and I would LOVE some feedback from all of you. You have proven that you aren't shy about commenting during the giveaways so think of this as another giveaway of sorts. It's your turn to give away your best home organization tips and tricks! Share with the rest of us how you keep your nest in order! Comment to this post with your best tips for home organization! I'll go first!
MY THOUGHTS...
Carolyn Mahaney's book, Shopping for Time, has really changed my perspective on my role as a wife and mother, and has inspired me to give more careful attention to my home. As I evaluated each area, I discovered that it was my lack of discipline in the little things that was eating away at my time and making it difficult to truly minister to my family. A few seemingly small adjustments in my daily routine have had a tremendous impact in a very short time. So much so, that I wanted to share them with you.
1. I am purposefully nourishing myself with the God's Word throughout my day. Each morning, I write a few verses of Scripture on a large index card and place it on the kitchen counter where I will see it every time I walk by. By meditating on just a few verses, phrase by phrase, throughout the day, I'm finding that memorization comes easily. I was also pleased to discover that rather than my idle mind turning to anxious thoughts as I go through the more mundane tasks of the day, instead, I find myself almost subconsciously turning His Words over and over in my mind, effortlessly. Who knew that such a seemingly small act could make such a difference!
2. I am systematically straightening my house, back to front (there is method to the madness!) each morning. The reason I begin in the back of the house (our bedrooms and bath) is that those were the rooms most often neglected. Most days I would somewhat straighten the living room and kitchen but never quite make it down the hall. Then our bedrooms became the dumping grounds for all the clutter and laundry collected elsewhere because I could just shut the bedrooms doors and forget about them. By cleaning those rooms first, I'm less likely to discard clutter and unfolded laundry in the bedrooms from the rest of the house. I'm finding that this simple routine, requiring about 30 to 45 minutes each day (including loading/unloading the dishwasher and doing at least one load of laundry), is making a huge difference in our home. By maintaining order, I don't spend hours trying to dig out of the chaos and mess and I have more unhurried time to spend with my family. It also makes hospitality much easier since the house stays fairly presentable all week!
Ok, now it's your turn!
