Homemaker Monday: My Hands, An In-Depth Look

Welcome to the 79th weekly edition of...

Thank you for joining us! If you're new to this carnival and would like to enter your post, please check HERE for the rules and regs.This post is in progress, but below is MckLinky for all of you faithful homemakers who have prepared a post. Thank you!

YOURS:

This portion of Homemaker Monday is still in progress. Thanks for your patience! :)

MINE: Sometimes I see a bottle of pretty nail polish, and think, "I should paint my nails." Sometimes I see a woman's hands with french tips on her nails and think, "I remember when I had that done for my wedding and my hands looked so beautiful. I should get that done again." Then reality hits, and I remember how washing dishes for ten people three times a day chips my nail polish within 24 hours, and having acrylic french tips makes it inefficient to do four loads of laundry every day and makes it difficult to change at least 8 diapers a day or to cut vegetables.

Yes, my hands are the hands of a homemaker, and I'm not ashamed. I don't care that when I shake hands with people at church, that they can feel my sweeping callouses in the fleshy part between my thumb and forefinger or on the palms of my hands...

I don't mind that if someone comes over to visit, they might see...

...on my fingers, because I just shoved another load of wood into one of our fireplaces, our home's only source of heat. Frugality is not always the cleanest principle to practice.

I don't mind that I have...

...because, as I said before, my nails would just look worse with chipped, peeling paint as soon as I did a day's worth of dishes, or changed a day's worth of diapers, or picked off something stuck on the kitchen floor that the broom just won't get.

And I don't mind that I have a...

Yes, I miss wearing my wedding ring, but creating a new human being, one I hope will make a world a better place when he grows up, is worth having to go ringless for a few months.

What about you? Do you have homemaker/mother hands? Are you proud of it? Or do you have model hands? If so, how do you do it? Let's talk!

OURS: Okay, what do all of you wonderful homemakers have for us today? I can't wait to see!

The Unexpected Genius of a Two-Level Island

So have I ever told you it took nearly two years to plan and design our kitchen? And two notebooks of graph paper? I drew out plans like this...



...and this....



...and redrew them and erased them and crumbled them and redrew them again. Finally, from the dust, to cement, slate, hickory, granite, Mexican talavera tile, antiqued faux brick tile and stainless steel, among contractors to whom I could only speak in broken Spanish, and who thought if they spoke in very loud voices to me, using the same words, perhaps I could understand them better...

...emerged our dream kitchen.

I think what has to be my favorite part of our kitchen is the island. I'll show it to you in a minute. We chose a two-level design, like this...



(View from above)

I imagined myself standing at the lower level, preparing meals, while the kids did their homework or just sat and talked, perched atop tall bar stools at the upper level. I imagined friends sharing their lives with me as I made one of my weird health smoothies or rolled sushi (of which I will be posting a how-to soon).

The island was to be 8 1/2 feet by 5 1/2 feet, thus the need, in my opinion, for a two-tier design. I just thought that an expanse of granite that large would be too overwhelming and, more importantly, impossible to transport from the U.S. here to Mexico.

When we first designed our kitchen, I wanted it to be part of a great room that would be in plain view when one opened our front door. To me, the kitchen is the heart of the home, and I truly wanted to express that by making it visible to guests immediately upon entrance. However, my husband was somewhat against this plan. He said the kitchen would always be dirty and messy and that would be the first thing guests saw when they walked in. I promised him he was wrong, and that I would ALWAYS keep it clean.

That was before I knew I was pregnant with twins.

So yes, things changed. My kitchen isn't always clean, especially the island. In fact, we have to store many of the contents of the lower kitchen drawers on our island because we can't seem to find drawer locks the twins can't destroy.

But here's the unexpected genius...the reason you came here...

This is the view of our kitchen when you first walk into our home...



...and this is what you see when you enter our kitchen...



(Yes, I agree the island is a little cluttered, what with my mother's fruit bowls and my blogging paraphernalia, but at least it looks clean, right?)

This is the view of our kitchen when you enter through the side door from the family parking area...



...and this is what you see if you walk up to our island...



Not too bad, right? See, I was able to keep the kitchen relatively clean this day, even though I have a 3-year-old and 2 20-month-olds under foot at all times.

BUT...

If you were to walk around my island, to where the sinks are, THIS is what you might see...



Here you can view many of the items we have to store on our island, along with the recent tray of doughnuts I never got around to putting on a plate, various loafs of store-bought and homemade bread, dishes, and other miscellaneous kitchenware. There is also a laundry basket with a baby doll stroller in it on the floor. There must be a reason for this, but because I can't get into the mind of my 3-year-old, I will never know why.

Thus, the unexpected genius of a two-level island. It helps your kitchen appear clean and organized even if you have three kids 3 and under. Thanks for listening.

Wordless Wednesday: I May Be a Poor Housekeeper, but I Love to Fold Towels Pretty

I am pleased to list this post at 5 Minutes For Mom's "Wordless Wednesday".

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My Current Much-Needed House-Keeping Inspiration

Every so often I will receive an email from some lovely lady who shares how much I have inspired her. She says because of me and my blog, she does more in her home, she keeps it cleaner, she does more with her children, she cooks more naturally. This is always entirely shocking to me. I shared one such email with my mother recently and she said, "I think you should tell them you don't spend all day cleaning your house." I agreed with her. She did feel bad about saying this and later apologized, but I told her there was no need to, as she was right. I don't spend all day cleaning my house and I think you need to know that. When I take photos for my blog, I try to veer away from photographing super messy areas and I often crop out random toys, crumbs, or other clutter which would make for an unseemly photo. When I take photos of food on what looks like a pristine granite island countertop, what you don't know is that I just push the dirty dishes, onion peels, and mis-matched measuring cups off to the side where you won't know they're there.

So there, I admit it. I'm not a good housekeeper. But I want to do better. I really, really do, so below is my current inspriration. I am going to print this quote out on cute cardstock and stick it on my fridge, just as soon as I put away the laundry that's been on my couch for three weeks, load the two dishwasher loads of dishes that are in the sink, and file the mail that has been sitting on my island for nigh unto 2 months now. Wish me luck.

The following quote is taken from a talk given by Julie B. Beck, the general president of Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the largest women's organization in the world. Enjoy...

"Mothers who know are nurturers. This is their special assignment and role under the plan of happiness. To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. Therefore, mothers who know create a climate for spiritual and temporal growth in their homes. Another word for nurturing is homemaking. Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home. Home is where women have the most power and influence; therefore, Latter-day Saint women should be the best homemakers in the world. Working beside children in homemaking tasks creates opportunities to teach and model qualities children should emulate. Nurturing mothers are knowledgeable, but all the education women attain will avail them nothing if they do not have the skill to make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth. Growth happens best in a “house of order,” and women should pattern their homes after the Lord’s house (see D&C 109). Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women. "

To read Sister Beck's entire talk, click HERE .

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Homemaker Monday: Two Things That Beautify - A Vacuum and A Razor

Welcome to the 48th weekly edition of...


Thank you for joining us! If you're new to this carnival and would like to enter your post, please check HERE for the rules and regs. (By the way, if you have been featured on Homemaker Monday in the past, your name is on my left sidebar. Check it out!)

YOURS: This week's "YOURS" goes to Sweet Pea at The Newlyweds! Posted on her blog is a scrumptuous how-to on making "Outback Steakhouse Bushman Bread". In addition to using typical ingredients, such as whole wheat flour and butter, this recipe also calls for molasses and cocoa! I am completely intrigued by this and can't wait to try it! Look at how lovely it turns out...


Thank you so much for your repeated inspiration here at Homemaker Monday, Sweet Pea! I can tell you always put so much thought and preparation into your posts and I truly appreciate your efforts! For The Newlywed's entire post, click HERE.

As for the "How I applied it to my life" weekly feature, in which I actually utilize the "YOURS" featured homemaking tip and report on it, I have been vacationing at my mother's home and have not necessarily had the opportunity to try the recipes and tips of the past few weeks. Thanks for your patience on that and I'll be up to par just as soon as I get back home!

MINE: This week's post is about two products that beautify my world, one in the form of removing dust, crumbs and other miscellaeous debris from my floors and one in the form of removing unwanted body hair for a more attractive me during the scantier-clad months of summer at the pool or beach. Let's start with the vacuum.

As of late, I've had my share of struggles with my various vacuums. My regular, all-purpose vacuum is in the winter of it's life. All of the attachments have been lost, as the sweet children leave it out for the toddler and twins to reach, and the cord is becoming increasingly alarming, as the rubber insulation is tearing and splitting up and down nearly it's entire length. This concerns me because sometimes, just sometimes, I find one or more babies chewing on the cord, and I certainly wouldn't want anyone to experience the feeling of 110 volts coursing through their bodies. Come to think of it, maybe that's why the cord has so many rips and splits in the first place. Either that, or because of the fact that the dear children continually run over the vacuum cord while they are vacuuming.

We also have a small cordless vacumm on which I posted previously, but that is too weak to succeed at picking up the immense amount of material that ends up on my floor. Also, during a major ovehaul of the food storage room, adjacent to the kitchen, one of the lovely children unplugged the charger cord from the outlet and I have not encountered it since. I hope I can replace it soon, as it truly did serve it's purpose while it was a vibrant, charged object in the prime of its life.

To get to the point, I needed a new vacuum. I hadn't really even planned on making the purchase during my visit to the states, but when I walked into Target and saw the huge display of Easylite Dirt Devils, on sale for $44.95, I took the leap and made the purchase...


I have to say, I LOVE this vacuum! One of the selling points, besides the cheap price, was the fact that it weighs under 11 pounds - perfect for the kids to help without having to haul around the dilapidated dinosaur we previously had. Here are the cons and pros...

Pros:

1. It's super-light weight and easy for the kids to maneuver, and even carry upstairs.

2. It has two functional attachments, one pointed-tip and one with a brush...



3. It sucks....really really well, surprisingly so for it's weight.

4. It's bagless, and the kids think it's really cool to watch the debris whirl around in the plastic canister.

Cons:

1. There is no release lever for when one needs to move the handle from the upright position into the standard vacuuming position. I find I have to place my foot on the front bottom portion when I want to begin the vacuuming.

2. It's so light-weight, the plastic feels like it came out of a Cracker Jack box. I keep thinking, "This is going to bust any time now." After all, you DO get what you pay for.

Even with the two cons, again, I do love this vacuum. I find myself actually looking for opportunities to plug it and push it around the house, thus beautifying our home in a much more pleasant way than before.

Now, for the razor. In my past life (which was two weeks ago) I used Daisy razors. They were what I grew up on and they were pink, therefore I was sure that none of the men or boys in my family would use them.

Then, about a month ago, a friend suggested that I try the Venus. She said it was the only one she would even consider using, so I took her advice.


Let me tell you....there is a difference between two blades and five blades. With the Daisy, I found that I would go over a spot on my leg several times before it actually felt smooth, then I would go over them all over again when I was finished to make sure I had gotten everything. With the Venus, it didn't even feel like I was shaving. The head is large, and oval and unlike before, when I would have to straighten my leg when I got to the knee area to avoid nicks, I simply shaved right over my knees in their bent position. It was amazing! I went over each portion of my leg just once, and I certainly did not have to repeat the process all over again as I usually did with the Daisy. I felt free and liberated from the bondage of having to shave and realized I could actually enoy it with the Venus, as there was so much less of a risk of nicks and it was exponentially faster. I won't be going back to the Daisy.....ever. Thanks, Girl (you know who you are), for your advice. That's what friends are for!

OURS: All righty then, let's see what all of you awesome homemakers have for us today. What's coming up in your garden? Are you using it at your dinner table? Let us know what's going on in your life. Thanks for joining us today and I hope you have a GREAT Homemaker Monday!

P.S. As you can see, I'm using a new Linky system called MckLinky. Mr. Linky has just been unfaithful too many times, so I'm leaving him for a younger model. Just click on the "Click here to enter your link" link. Couldn't be simpler. Please let me know if you have any problems at all. Thanks!



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Please Join Us Today For This Week's "Make It From Scratch" Carnival!

Welcome to this week's...


...blog carnival! Being the host, I got to be the first to see all of the wonderful things people are making from scratch in the blogosphere. Rather than tell you about them, here - let me show you!

Karen Bastille presents Grandmother’s Dollhouse » Sock Toys - How to make a Sock Penguin posted at Grandmother's Dollhouse.


Karen Bastille also presents The Ojo De Dios - Winding Luck posted at Thrifty Creativity - "A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.".


Homesteaderbelle's Blog presents "How to Pasteurize Goat's Milk".


Things Your Grandmother Knew presents "Vintage Sunbonnet Pattern".


Kitschy Kitschy Coo presents "Craft-Scan Friday: Make Amusing Table Favors From Fruits & Vegetables".


Kitsch Slapped presents "A Rose Made From Any Used Stocking Still Smells As Sweaty".


The Connection presents "Artist of the Month".


Treasuring the Moments presents "Fish Tacos".


Mixed Media Artist presents "Twisted Fabric Painting".


Y-2K Hippie presents "How I Feel About Raising Critters to Eat".


Surivial Stew presents "Survival Stew: Easy Chicken Soup".

Dating Beautiful Women presents "The Original Tiramisu Recipe".

Smart-Bottom Enterprises presents "My Paper-Covered File Cabinet".


Kate presents How to Make Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce posted at Our Red House.


Katie presents Recipe Connection: Frugal, Healthy Homemade Dressings with Olive Oil posted at Kitchen Stewardship.


Renee V. Rouse presents Frugal-Living-Skills Blog: Family Meals for Under $5 - Tater Tot Casserole posted at Frugal-Living-Skills Blog.

Gregory E. Rouse presents Raised Bed Garden Mounds posted at Raised-Bed-Gardening Blog.


Greg Rouse presents Lean-to Dubree Hut posted at Wilderness-Survival-Skills Blog.


jim presents Making Your Own Dog Food posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.


Neighbor Nancy presents How To Make Jam -- A Beginner Tutorial posted at Recession Depression Therapy.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents How To Furnish Your House On Any Budget, Even For Free posted at The Digerati Life.


vh presents Pedro’s Curry posted at Funny about Money.

The Smarter Wallet presents Money Saving Ideas To Create A Frugal Household Budget posted at The Smarter Wallet.


Darcy presents My $13 Paper Wall posted at Smart-Bottom Enterprises.


Local Nourishment presents Kohlrabi. Weird plant, yummy food posted at Local Nourishment.


Annette Berlin presents Quick Drop Biscuits posted at Craft Stew.

Rani presents Hot Chicken Salad posted at Christ's Bridge.

Mama Bear presents Margherita Pizza posted at Gotta Little Space.


Renee presents My Cooking Adventures: Vegetarian Salisbury Steak posted at My Cooking Adventures.


Mom2my9 presents "Vegan Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes" posted at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven.


So there you have it! Hope you have a great time perusing all of the awesome "Make It From Scratch" posts. Don't forget to leave comments to let our writers know they are appreciated! Next week's carnival will be hosted at It's Frugal Being Green. Make sure you don't miss it! Have a great day!

I am pleased to list this post @ Biblical Womanhood's "Frugal Friday". Check out her blog for TONS for great money-saving tips!
I am also pleased to list this post at...
-Tip Junkie's "Talk to me Tuesday",
-5 Minutes for Mom's "Tackle It Tuesday",
-Tammy's Recipe's "Kitchen Tip Tuesday",
-Blessed With Grace's "Tempt My Tummy Tuesday",
-Mary's "Tightwad Tuesday",
-Jen's "Tasty Tuesday" and
and -The Lazy Organizer's "Talk About Tuesday".

If you liked this post and would like to join me here on a regular basis via email or other reader, please...
Subscribe

(You'll be helping to pay for at least one of the nine kid's college tuition.)
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