Schulz Family Snippets
• Wednesday, March 17, 2010 - Well here it is...
Posted By ~Christian Country Mama~
My new Blog link is here... ~The Christian Country Store~
I will miss you ladies on here, but it just kinda hit me wrong the way I was told I could not post my Country Store on here. So I have decided to move on else where. I will keep this Blog open so I can come back and visit my "friends" on here.
God Bless You All,
~Christian Country Mama~ |
Comments (2) :: Permanent Link
|
• Wednesday, March 17, 2010 - Wordless Wednesday
Posted By schatzi
• Mar. 17, 2010 - Green Spring Clean!
Posted By HSB Front Porch
|
I love this time of year! Days are slowly getting longer; the sun is warmer (when it does come around), and everything is ’springing’ to life. It’s time to fling open some windows, let some fresh air in and get down to spring cleaning and organizing!
In order to get down to cleaning, I need to have things organized, first. As a homeschool family, I believe we are extra challenged to keep clutter at bay! All those projects, papers, supplies, books, and wait - why is there a clay canoe in my bathroom sink? (As my youngest daughter admitted, “I wanted to see if it would float”. Hmm, well…okay, she IS learning, I tell myself!) If you are a homeschool parent, you may know exactly what I am talking about!
As much as I love all of my children’s beautiful writings, projects, creations, copy work verses, math lessons, craft projects….I know you’re nodding your head right now… reality though is that I just can’t keep it all, keep my sanity and keep our home organized! Keeping our homeschool projects and such organized can be a challenge. So, as we go about our learning we keep record and memory of projects and such by taking pictures. This works for us! Don’t get me wrong, we keep some special things such as a poem, special story, etc. in a scrapbook that we have for each child, along with pictures of what they’ve done as well. Not only does this serve as a very special ‘Memory Book’ of sorts, but it keeps things organized in a manageable way that is very simple.
We do the same with clothing; winter clothing gets tucked away for next year and out comes spring/summer clothing. Things that need to be passed down to the next child get moved, things that need repair go into the sewing area, and things that are beyond repair go in the ‘rag bag’ for use in cleaning if they have no other use. I like to have 3 boxes or large plastic containers available when I start this process. I use one for things to donate, one for things to sell (or give away) and one for things
that need to be tossed, along with a large canvas type bag or ’stuff sack’ I use as the ‘rag bag’. These come with me through the house as I embark on this process. I go to each room or area until all has been gone through. When I do my Spring Cleaning, I get brutal and toss, toss, toss! Once I’ve combed through each room, it’s time to get down to cleaning!
A Few “Green Spring Clean” Recipes:
Although it seems we clean all the time, this time of year we deep clean! Everything gets dusted, wiped down, and cleaned off. It’s just amazing how many dust bunnies can accumulate in such short order!
Here is a short list of supplies to gather, right from your kitchen and laundry room:
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Lemons
Salt
Borax
Olive Oil
Now gather up some old sour cream containers (or used glass canning jars with lids), a couple of empty sprayer bottles, some of those old articles of clothing that are in the rag bag, and maybe a green ’scratchie pad’.
In just a few minutes you can have basic, frugal, non-toxic cleaners that WORK to clean your home. Let’s get these items all together and get going on a “Green Spring Clean”!
Surface Cleaner
This works great on counter tops; I use it on the kitchen floor for spills and such too! Take one of your empty sprayer bottles, and add 2 cups of warm water, 2 TBS of Vinegar, 1TBS Borax, and 1TBS Lemon Juice. Shake it up well and voila; you have a multipurpose spray cleaner that is a great surface cleaner!
Bathroom Scrub
Grab another one of your old containers. Add in a 1/2 cup of both Baking Soda and Borax, 1TBS of Salt and sprinkle in drops of Lemon Juice (about a TBS full will do the job). Now, I say “sprinkle in” because you don’t want your liquid caking in to one big clump with your dry ingredients! Mix this slowly; as you add your lemon juice a drop or so at a time. Once you have it all in the container, put the lid on tightly and shake it up to mix a bit more and you have a great non-toxic scrub for your toilets, showers and tubs! Now with some elbow grease and one of those green scratchie pads and/or toilet brush, you’ll have sparkling clean tubs and toilets!
Carpet Cleaner
Grab one of those handy empty sprayer bottles! Pour in 2 cups of hot water & 2 TBS baking soda. Shake well and spray over the carpets lightly, let it sit for awhile and vacuum up. This freshens up the carpeting without those toxic, dusty powders or those terribly toxic carpet cleaners! I like to add essential oils to this mixture to kill germs and add a nice scent too! 20 drops of Lavender essential oil will do the job (or any essential oil you like that has anti bacterial properties that you like).
Now that we have a few basic cleaners made up, how about a wonderful Spring/Summer Potpourri blend to bring a little ’spring’ into the home? I love to have our home smell nice and inviting, and here is a potpourri blend that you can easily make up and set out in a pretty dish, or toss a cup into a simmering pot of water! You can even take a handful and put it into those single, old socks that you can never find the match for… tie the end in a knot and you have the most frugal sachets around! Tuck them into dresser drawers and closets for lovely fragrance throughout the home! (No one will ever see them and they use those mystery single socks that you’d just toss anyway!)
Spring & Summer Potpourri Blend
1 Cup Dried Lavender Buds/Flowers
1 Cup Dried Rose Petals
½ Cup Dried Rose Buds
1 TBS Whole Cloves
½ Cup Dried Chamomile Flowers
½ Cup Dried Calendula Flowers
Place all ingredients in a wide bowl, mix together well; you can also drizzle 20 drops of Lavender essential oil and 20 drops Geranium essential oil over the mixture and mix well. The remainder you can leave sealed in a container or Ziploc type bag for about a week, shaking up and tossing around the ingredients every few days. I store in Ziploc type bag and replace as needed. This also works beautifully in homemade, hand sewn pretty sachets!
If you’re looking for more natural cleaning recipes, come on over to our website and check out our
Joyfully Home keeping,
Lisa
“She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 10:27, NASB
Once the clutter of paperwork is cleaned out, we go through our curriculum. This is a great time to take stock of what we have on hand for next year! What worked? (What didn’t?) What will need to be purchased? What is my oldest child done with that I can reuse with a younger child? What needs to be tossed? I use natural, homemade, non toxic cleaners for everything. Not only are these ‘green’ but they are a huge money saver! I use a variety of recipes depending on what I have on hand. I love to use essential oils — not only their pure fragrances but also for their anti-bacterial properties! But if you don’t have essential oils in your home at this time, you can simply make up your own natural cleaners without them.Homestead Simplicity: Natural Clean EBook. It’s LOADED with naturally clean recipes!
As you can see, with just some simple organizing, basic ingredients and elbow grease you can have a ‘green spring clean’ too! |
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Mar. 17, 2010 - Straw Bale Happenings......Shopping for Windows!
Hello to all our homesteading friends! We hope all is well in your little corner of the world today.
Fred and I have been asked to blog about our straw bale home building project. As many of you may know, we are building a house made of straw bales! We're doing quite a bit of the work ourselves to eliminate the high cost and a 30 year mortgage. We're hoping in the end to have a low mortgage for about 5 years. We do not want a mortgage payment when we retire or the high costs of heating and maintaining our home! Our first plan was to have NO mortgage payment. But that would have been very difficult to do. Maybe if we were younger and had more time? So I encourage you younger folks to think about getting out of debt and building debt free now....while you are young. It's such a good feeling!
There are a few reasons we are building a straw bale home.
1.) The "R" value is high........35 - 50! That's good. Average is 25 in a standard home.
2.) It conserves energy and saves you a lot of $. It lowers the heating and cooling utility bill big time.
3.) Anyone can do it! It's tedious work......plastering those bales of straw, but even a child can help build a straw bale house.
We're at the point where we are doing some of the work ourselves and doing some pricing around.
This past weekend, Fred and I visited a unique store in downtown Syracuse run by Habitat for Humanity. They recycle surplus building materials that are donated for new building projects on a budget... maybe some low cost materials for our construction project! We would like to find good windows at a bargain price. We also checked out the kitchen cupboards and interior doors. It was time well spent. I think we may go back and buy some picture windows for the sun porch when the time comes.
Click for Habitat For Humanity Store Photos
Thank you for joining us in our adventure! We will strive to keep you up to date on what we are doing. Some weeks may be more interesting than others.....depending on where we are at and what we are doing.
Fred & Teresa and family live in central N.Y in a rural farming community. They enjoy living the country life on their 1 acre homestead "Red Maple Roost!" Our goal is to one day be "off the grid." We strive to live a more self sustaining lifestyle on a shoe string. Blessings one and all!
|
Comments (1) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - Let Everyone Say Amen
Blessings HSB bloggers. I pray that all is well with you and your precious families.
This early morning, I have returned from work, and as I sat here praying, and thinking over the last few days and hours, something is on my mind, and heart, rather heavily. I recently wrote a blog titled "Be Careful Little Eyes What You See." The reason I wrote that blog was two-fold. First, because it disturbs my spirit when I see or hear that others are being less than Christ-like to friends or neighbors, and because I see myself often failing that mark. The seond was because in times of great stress, this nation has always been wise enough to call out for the mercy of God, and that has brought mecry and change, and helped us maintain our heritage, and our freedom. But, as I see many of the things now accepted as the "norm", I wonder, am I crying out loud enough? Am I doing what I should? Now, I am not speaking of tirades and anger or protest marches, or writing some great treatise on political or spiritual matters. I am talking about speaking straight to the Heart of the Matter...to the Father. I am talking about face-down, or on my kness, (at least figuartively), crying out for wisdom and mercy for the people of this nation, and leaders, and my own family and friends.
I think back to the time when I visited a church, and the pastor there read passages of Scripture, and the members of the body read back a passage to him. Called "responsive readings," this signified that the members were actually hearing the message preached. At the end of the readings, the congregation would always say "Amen." I think I need a little bit more of that "responsiveness" in my own life, as I read God's word. I need that "Amen" moment!
Amen, literally translated means, "So be it." So, when I say a prayer, and I end it with Amen, that is really what I am saying...it is speaking in faith. The problem is, I am learning I need to do less "amening," and a lot more speaking~!
Prayer changes things. Why? Because when we pray, we are speaking in faith, and faith moves the heart of God! Building faith is simple. Walking in it is not always so easy. But, we know that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God," so, if I want those "Amen" moments to be witnessed and seen by all who know me, then I had better get my "speaking" in better order! I had better learn to speak as He says that I should, and when He says I should.
That is what is in my heart today. And, I know, if I am obedient, then when I say "Amen!", it will really be "SO be it!"
Let everyone say, "Amen."
May the Lord bless you as you seek to follow Him in all of your ways!
Bev
|
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - I will not be posting here except one more time to give my new link
Posted By ~Christian Country Mama~
They said I could not put my Country Store on this HSB and would not let me even post till I deleted it, so I am going to find another place to go to. I hope those of you who are friends and like to read what's going on with our Farm, will go to my new link, when I find one, and come visit me there.
All my Love to you all,
~Christian Country Mama~ |
Comments (1) :: Permanent Link
|
• Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - I AM BACK!!!
Posted By Colleen
Well, after being off here for a VERY long time, I am happy to say I am back! I quit coming because of time issues ....I was neglecting my home and family too much. But now I feel I have a handle on things..with the LORD'S help!
I have been extremely busy......I now run our Natural Health Store. My hubby and daughter used to help me with it, but they are too busy, so its all mine and I am loving it! I love helping people heal through herbs and vitamin supplements. Take a look at our store website. www.ccparker.info . I have also continued homeschooling and let me tell you, it has been a huge challenge to say the least! There have been many tears...maninly my sons, but mine too! Just a lot of frustration over not having enough time or in his case MOTIVATION to do the schoolwork and now I find myself behind so we are playing catch up!! But I am happy to say its getting better.....I am doing a reward system to try and get him motivated and its working. I know the Lord wants me to homeschool, so I am trusting Him to help me get through the rest of the year on a high note!
I have missed all of you so much on here! Especially you, Bev!!! How have you been my dear, dear friend. I am so sorry to lose touch with you but thankfully you are still on here and I have a lot of your blogs to read and catch up on!! I look forward to talking to you again.
I am at my store now, and have tons to do, so I will be back tomorrow or the next day...but I will not take such a long break this time!! Take care and have a BLESSED day!
Blessings, Colleen |
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - I heard a HEALTHY SQUIRMY heartbeat today!!!! YEAH!!
Posted By Gabbie
Today I had an OB appointment to hear a heartbeat and hopefully determine due date. Now if you have read previous posts, you know Doc didn't think I was pregnant. He didn't believe me after 4 home tests, a bloodtest, and morning sickness. LMSO He told me before Christmas I wasn't ovulating and couldn't get pregnant, so he didn't believe me. Now, God is good ok???? Cause I was able to tell doc.....My God is bigger than your tests! LOL He told me he wouldn't believe me till he heard a heartbeat, so today.....when he found it.....he smiled and said...listen to that!! He told me he was 100% sure I was pregnant! HE believes me finally! So of course, me being onery.......I thumbed my nose at him and said, I TOLD YOU DOC!!! He just laughed and laughed at me. He said the baby is squirmy and very active already and the heartbeat was nice and strong! So, I go for a sonogram on April 6th and he will officially tell me my due date. But for now, it is tentatively October 15th. We are excited and thrilled of course.
|
Comments (5) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - Happy Days
Posted By simpleoldgurl
glitter-graphics.com
It is gorgeous here today! The sun is wonderfully bright and the temp hovers in the mid-sixties. Spring is making its appearance, and it is Happy Days again at Furbelow.
In the greenhouse, little seedlings are popping up in their trays, and daffs and yellowbells wave in a gentle breeze. The camelias are having one last showy week, and some of the blooms are a big as tea cup saucers, white, and red, with harmonious pinks thrown into the mix. It is a beautiful day, and I rejoice in it!
Though I have to work this afternoon, I have completed many of my daily tasks already. Two loads of laundry wave on the clothes line, and you can smell the orange and lavender essence wafting when you walk by.
The kitchen is full of prisms of sunlight, and supper is in the crockpot...pepper steak. Yeast rolls await popping in the oven, and Little One sits quietly at my side in the computer room. She is reading Tom Sawyer, and every once in a while, a glimmer of a smile crosses her precious face...Tom up to some mischief no doubt!
I wish I could play hookey with him today...hop on an old raft and sail down Black River, fish a bit, and just grin at the world's wonders! But, it is to work I must go, so, I must sign off for now. I think I will daydream for a few minutes before heading out the door...care to join me? There are fish aplenty!~
Wishing you all a happy day, and until we meet again, may the Lord bless you GOOD!
Bev |
Comments (9) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Mar. 16, 2010 - Homestead Quote of the Day...
Posted By HSB Front Porch
|
