Thanks for listening. :)
11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Today I am at a loss for words.
Feel free to come up with a title for this post or a clever caption!
Thanks for listening. :)
Thanks for listening. :)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
How to Make An Easy Night Stand
While visiting a friend recently, I got the idea to make a simple night stand for my newly assembled guest bedroom. (Thank you, 19-year-old boy, for leaving your bedroom for me to girl up.) She used two piles of books and a TV-tray. When I expressed to her that I had lots of extra books I didn't know what to do with, but no extra TV-trays lying around at home, she dug into her storage and gave me one! What else are friends for? She blogged about her nightstand HERE, and now I'm blogging about mine....
This came together in about half an hour, was free, and it's cute and functional. Thanks, BJ!
This came together in about half an hour, was free, and it's cute and functional. Thanks, BJ!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Homemaker Monday
I will add my post Monday morning some time, but for those you of who are early birds, here's Linky Tools! Thank you so much for your visits and links and have a great Homemaker Monday!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
How to Stop Nagging Your Kids
Say the word "nag" and the term wife and/or mother usually comes to mind. According to Webster's dictionary, to nag means "to annoy by persistent faultfinding, complaints, or demands". Mothers often find themselves having to repeatedly remind children to clean their room, do the dishes, brush their teeth, do their homework, come home on time, drive carefully, remember who they are, and turn off the TV. And yes, this is annoying to them, thus we are considered naggers.
In the past, Saturdays seemed to be the worst of all days for me. Perhaps because I created a to-do list a mile long and because the kids were home to nag, I nagged. And I nagged all of the kids, all day. No wonder they wanted to leave as soon as their chores were finished.
A couple of years ago, though, I read a book that changed things. This book taught me to give the kids a list of chores and to create consequences, both good and bad, that will be realized when the chores are done... or not.
This cuts out the Saturday morning nagging! I simply type my kids chores into myjobchart.com where they can log in and see what needs to be done. Myjobchart.com comes with a point system whereby kids can earn rewards such as a date with Mom and Dad, an ice cream party, a movie night, or even a toy or game. This alone is great motivation to get things done without me having to nag.
However, the teenagers aren't so easily motivated by a juvenile internet job chart and point system. With them, harsher measures must be taken. Their rewards for getting their chores finished include being able to invite friends over and visit friends, use the computer for something other than homework, like Facebook, and getting movie time in the theater downstairs. Again, the consequences can do the nagging so I don't have to.
So last Saturday I had made an extensive list of chores for the dear ones to complete. They knew that they would not be able to invite friends over, play the Play Station or the computer, nor watch movies unless this list was completed. I began work on my chores wholeheartedly, but when I looked out the window, what should I see but the 14-year-old boy doing this...
I immediately felt my nagging adrenaline began to pump through my veins, and I began the process of stomping the down the hall to give him a good talking to. Halfway through my trek, though, I remembered my no-nagging policy. He could play basketball to his heart's content (and maybe if he keeps practicing he will actually make the team this year) and at some point he would remember that he couldn't have friends over (the wish of his heart) until his chores were finished.
So I grabbed my camera, put the strap around my neck and instead of nagging, took pictures of him and some of his siblings...
As you can see above, at the least the 9-year-old girl had started her chores, which included 30 minutes of Baby Hippo babysitting. The twins helped out with their chores, too...
...or not...
Anyway, I never nagged once and eventually he did get everything crossed off his list. It felt great not to have my name be synonymous with "nag", our house got tidied up, he learned a lesson about time organization and I got some fun pictures.
Let's see if I can remember to do this again next Saturday. Thanks for listening!
In the past, Saturdays seemed to be the worst of all days for me. Perhaps because I created a to-do list a mile long and because the kids were home to nag, I nagged. And I nagged all of the kids, all day. No wonder they wanted to leave as soon as their chores were finished.
A couple of years ago, though, I read a book that changed things. This book taught me to give the kids a list of chores and to create consequences, both good and bad, that will be realized when the chores are done... or not.
This cuts out the Saturday morning nagging! I simply type my kids chores into myjobchart.com where they can log in and see what needs to be done. Myjobchart.com comes with a point system whereby kids can earn rewards such as a date with Mom and Dad, an ice cream party, a movie night, or even a toy or game. This alone is great motivation to get things done without me having to nag.
However, the teenagers aren't so easily motivated by a juvenile internet job chart and point system. With them, harsher measures must be taken. Their rewards for getting their chores finished include being able to invite friends over and visit friends, use the computer for something other than homework, like Facebook, and getting movie time in the theater downstairs. Again, the consequences can do the nagging so I don't have to.
So last Saturday I had made an extensive list of chores for the dear ones to complete. They knew that they would not be able to invite friends over, play the Play Station or the computer, nor watch movies unless this list was completed. I began work on my chores wholeheartedly, but when I looked out the window, what should I see but the 14-year-old boy doing this...
I immediately felt my nagging adrenaline began to pump through my veins, and I began the process of stomping the down the hall to give him a good talking to. Halfway through my trek, though, I remembered my no-nagging policy. He could play basketball to his heart's content (and maybe if he keeps practicing he will actually make the team this year) and at some point he would remember that he couldn't have friends over (the wish of his heart) until his chores were finished.
So I grabbed my camera, put the strap around my neck and instead of nagging, took pictures of him and some of his siblings...
As you can see above, at the least the 9-year-old girl had started her chores, which included 30 minutes of Baby Hippo babysitting. The twins helped out with their chores, too...
...or not...
Anyway, I never nagged once and eventually he did get everything crossed off his list. It felt great not to have my name be synonymous with "nag", our house got tidied up, he learned a lesson about time organization and I got some fun pictures.
Let's see if I can remember to do this again next Saturday. Thanks for listening!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Homemaker Monday
I'm just going to be honest. I'm drowning in catching up with stuff since the week my mother-in-law died and I had the flu for five days and we had 21 people staying us. Thus there has been no blogging since Baby Hippo's b-day, and I don't think there will be a Homemaker Monday post from me today.
That being said, I would still LOVE to read your posts while I'm breastfeeding Baby Hippo, so go ahead and link up below! Thanks so much for your visits and links and have a great Homemaker Monday!
That being said, I would still LOVE to read your posts while I'm breastfeeding Baby Hippo, so go ahead and link up below! Thanks so much for your visits and links and have a great Homemaker Monday!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Baby Hippo is One!!!
Let's start with a chronological progression of Baby Hippo's development since before he was born...
In utero...
First photo out of utero...
7 hours old, taken by my favorite professional photographer, Shauna Nielsen
1 month old...
2 months old...
3 months old...
4 months old...
5 months old...
6 months old...
7 months old...
8 months old...(compare to in-utero photo above, just for fun)
9 months old...
10 months old...
11 months old...
And the birthday boy...!
He looks a little confused and concerned because of this...
But soon he warmed up to the idea...
....although Twin B never did. He just solemnly held the stick the entire time....
Still, what with these...
...and this...
(Looks a little possessive, doesn't she?)
...we all had a great time celebrating the anniversary of Baby Hippo's birth. Happy birthday, Baby Hippo! We love you!
In utero...
First photo out of utero...
7 hours old, taken by my favorite professional photographer, Shauna Nielsen
1 month old...
2 months old...
3 months old...
4 months old...
5 months old...
6 months old...
7 months old...
8 months old...(compare to in-utero photo above, just for fun)
9 months old...
10 months old...
11 months old...
And the birthday boy...!
He looks a little confused and concerned because of this...
But soon he warmed up to the idea...
....although Twin B never did. He just solemnly held the stick the entire time....
Still, what with these...
...and this...
(Looks a little possessive, doesn't she?)
...we all had a great time celebrating the anniversary of Baby Hippo's birth. Happy birthday, Baby Hippo! We love you!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Homemaker Monday: If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em....
Welcome to the 124th 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.
YOURS: This week's "YOURS" goes to Jill at "Women Who Do It All"! Jill posted a tutorial on how to make a darling crochet flower headband. What I love about this pattern is that the headband and the flower can be separated to be worn alone, or together. She also gives detailed step-by-step instructions so that maybe even a novice like myself could attempt this! Plus, she also takes amazing photographs. Look....
Right? For Jill's entire post, click HERE. Thanks so much, Jill, for linking up to Homemaker Monday and please feel free to take the "I Was Featured" button from my left sidebar. We'll certainly look forward to hearing from you in the future!
MINE: On a daily basis I fight the battle of the twins quarreling one with another. They fight over who gets the orange cereal bowl, who gets to wear the soccer ball sleeper, who gets to play with the red train, even though there are ten of them, and sometimes they fight just to make each other scream.
Yesterday was one of those days when they never ceased pushing each other down, just for fun. Fun for the pusher, that is, which changed from hour to hour. The pushee would just fall on the floor, dramatically, and cry.
Just when I thought I was going to scream and pull my hair out, a thought came into my head. Perhaps John was praying for me again. My inspiration was to lead the twins to the living room, throw most of the throw pillows from the couches onto the middle of the living room rug, then, because the twins couldn't get enough of pushing each other down, encourage them to push one another down onto the pillows.
What had been constant screaming all morning turned into barrels of laughter! Look....
Okay, so the photos don't really depict the laughter thus far, but just to show how much they were enjoying this, here's Twin B calling to his brother to continue the fun after he had run off...
...then patiently awaiting his return...
And Baby Hippo...
...couldn't resist getting in on the fun...
It was nonstop...
We're definitely doing this again tomorrow. Thanks for listening!
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.
YOURS: This week's "YOURS" goes to Jill at "Women Who Do It All"! Jill posted a tutorial on how to make a darling crochet flower headband. What I love about this pattern is that the headband and the flower can be separated to be worn alone, or together. She also gives detailed step-by-step instructions so that maybe even a novice like myself could attempt this! Plus, she also takes amazing photographs. Look....
(photo not available)
Right? For Jill's entire post, click HERE. Thanks so much, Jill, for linking up to Homemaker Monday and please feel free to take the "I Was Featured" button from my left sidebar. We'll certainly look forward to hearing from you in the future!
MINE: On a daily basis I fight the battle of the twins quarreling one with another. They fight over who gets the orange cereal bowl, who gets to wear the soccer ball sleeper, who gets to play with the red train, even though there are ten of them, and sometimes they fight just to make each other scream.
Yesterday was one of those days when they never ceased pushing each other down, just for fun. Fun for the pusher, that is, which changed from hour to hour. The pushee would just fall on the floor, dramatically, and cry.
Just when I thought I was going to scream and pull my hair out, a thought came into my head. Perhaps John was praying for me again. My inspiration was to lead the twins to the living room, throw most of the throw pillows from the couches onto the middle of the living room rug, then, because the twins couldn't get enough of pushing each other down, encourage them to push one another down onto the pillows.
What had been constant screaming all morning turned into barrels of laughter! Look....
Okay, so the photos don't really depict the laughter thus far, but just to show how much they were enjoying this, here's Twin B calling to his brother to continue the fun after he had run off...
...then patiently awaiting his return...
And Baby Hippo...
...couldn't resist getting in on the fun...
It was nonstop...
We're definitely doing this again tomorrow. Thanks for listening!
OURS:
Okay, I can't wait to see what homemaking tips, recipes, how-tos or even disasters you have to share with us today. If it's your first time linking up, feel free to dig through your archives and post anything homemaking! Thanks so much for your visits and links and have a great Homemaker Monday!