Homemaker Monday

Happy Homemaker Monday! Thank you so much for your visits and links and I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

Homemaker Monday

Welcome to Homemaker Monday! Thanks so much for your visits and links and I hope you have a wonderful day! ;)

Homemaker Monday

Happy Homemaker Monday! Below is "Linky Tools" for all of you who have prepared your post for today. Thank you SOOOOO much for your visits and links and I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

Oh, and P.S., if you had a post ready last week, but didn't get to link up because I didn't do Homemaker Monday, please feel free to link it here today, in addition to today's post. Thanks so much for your understanding! :)

Homemaker Monday

One day I'll write my own Homemaker Monday post, but not today! Thanks so much for your links and visits and have a wonderful day!

Homemaker Monday

Thanks so much for your Homemaker Monday posts, links and visits! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Homemaker Monday: The 9-Year-Old Girl's Raspberry Cheesecake

So I edited the photo, but before I could ask her where her recipe for this delicious cheesecake was, the 9-year-old girl went to bed. I'll get to it tomorrow, okay? Thank you for your patience!

And here's Linky for those of you who have your tips, how-tos, and recipes more prepared than I do. Thanks so much for your visits and links and I hope you have a wonderful Homemaker Monday! :)

Homemaker Monday

Getting all the kids ready for back-to-school this evening, so no Homemaker Monday post on my end, but I'm looking forward to reading yours! Thanks so much for your links and visits and have a wonderful Homemaker Monday!

Homemaker Monday: Top Ten 11th Heaven Posts of 2011

Welcome to the 165th 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 Dr. Lisa at "Naked Moxie" for her Asian Lettuce Wraps! Lettuce wraps are one of my all-time favorite things to order when I eat out at P.F. Changs and I was so thrilled to find this recipe linked up last week. And to top it off, the photo is stunning. Look.....

And I love that Dr. Lisa posts a vegetarian alternative. Thanks so much, Dr. Lisa, for linking up and sharing this tempting recipe with us. Your blog is amazing and I'm looking forward to learning more from you. For Dr. Lisa's Asian Lettuce Wraps recipe, go HERE Enjoy!

MINE: So today, this second Homemaker Monday of the year, I thought it would be interesting to share my top ten most popular posts of the year 2011 according to Google Analytics. Here goes!

{Sprouted Wheat Manna Bread}

10. My Testimony of Jesus Christ

9. Cleaning Your Microwave

8. I Heart Mormon Funerals

7. Amazing Cake Balls!

6. Easy 48-Hour Camping Menu

5. Vegan Food My Kids Like: 15-Bean Soup

4. How to Can Dry Beans Without Precooking

3. Best Ever 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

2. All About Me: A Mother to a Multitude, A Wife to One Soldier, A Survivor, A Wife to One Godly Man

And coming in at first place for the second year in a row......

1. Sprouted Wheat Manna Bread

Thanks so much for listening! :)

OURS: Now it's your turn! Can't wait to read your homemaking tips, recipes and how-tos. If you're new to Homemaker Monday, please feel free to dig through your archives and post anything homemaking. Have a great day!

Homemaker Monday: How to Soften Brown Sugar

Welcome to the 165th 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 "Whole New Mom" for her baked oatmeal recipe! As someone who has tried to make a New Year's resolution to eat more whole foods, I was thrilled to find this recipe. It really does sound healthy and delicious. Just look....

Right?

I can't wait to try this! Thanks so much, Whole New Mom, for your recipe! You all will definitely want to check out her blog for more whole foods inspiration! For her post, click HERE!

MINE: So my tip for today is simple, and I may have posted about this before... I can't remember. Anyways....

My husband always does things in a big way, such as marrying a girl with 6 children, which works out fine, because with ten kids, it is usually expedient that things be done in a big way. Thus, the 20-lb bag of brown sugar in our food storage room. Now I am all for buying in bulk, but this particular bag of brown sugar is not air-tight, and after a few days, it began to become hardened. But this was no problem, because 23 years ago, when I lived with my grandmother immediately before the birth of our first daughter, she taught me that all you have to do to soften brown sugar is to put it in the microwave. It works, seriously. I did it tonight, when I made THESE brownies....

This is honestly the best brownie recipe I've ever come across, in all my years as a brownie connoisseur. I get requests from people of all walks of life for these particular brownies. And I think it's the light brown sugar crust that makes this recipe. So try the brown sugar tip, and the brownie mix! And thanks for listening!

OURS: Okay, now it's your turn! I can't wait to read all of 2012's newest homemaking ideas! Thanks so much for visiting and linking up and enjoy your Homemaker Monday! :)

Homemaker Monday

Happy Homemaker Monday! I hope your Christmas day was filled with goodness and light. I am spending time with extended family this week, so I have no Homemaker Monday post, but for those of you who do, here is linky! Thank you so much for your links and visits and I truly hope the rest of your holiday season is bright!

Fresh Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Add caption

This recipe was shared with me by a friend who posted about it on Facebook. It sounded so delicious, that I had to try it that very day. Thanks, Julie! And can I just tell you.... these are honestly some of the best cookies I have ever tried in my life. The fresh cranberries lend a crisp, cool tang, the white chocolate chips add a hearty texture, and the oatmeal base is completely satisfying! You'll be so glad you made these!

Okay, it's your turn! Can't wait to read your homemaking posts! Thank you so much for your links and visit and I hope you have a wonderful Homemaker Monday! :)

Homemaker Monday: Patience

Welcome to the 163rd 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 Cheryl over at "The Bz House"! Cheryl, a great friend I've met through the blogging world, posted a tip on how to keep water from boiling over a pot, and because this happens all too often in my house, I had to take a look. I can't believe how simple an idea this is and I can't wait to try it! To read Cheryl's tip, go HERE. Thanks so much for linking up, Cheryl! :)

MINE: Patience. John prays for it, and he says it comes in the form of a new (or two) little being we've co-created with God every, roughly, 22.5 months. People tell me that they would never have the patience to raise ten children, but I am no different than anyone else when it comes to patience. Patience came gradually, one child after another, one trial after another, and sometimes, one disappointment after another.

But having this many children is refining, to both John's character and mine, and we wouldn't trade it for anything. The ups definitely outweigh the downs and we feel so blessed we have been given this opportunity to raise and care for these special spirits of God He has sent to us. And here, I want to share a few photos of John doing his thing with the kids. This is entirely the norm, every week.... every day.... and sometimes every hour..... and John loves it, haha, most of the time!

I love these men in my life, both big and little. Thanks for your patience, John. I learn from you every day. :)

Thanks for listening! :)

OURS: Okay, now it's your turn! Can't wait to see what homemaking projects you've got going on. Thanks so much for your visits and links and I hope you have a wonderful Homemaker Monday! :)

Homemaker Monday: When a Digit is Severed

Welcome to the 162nd 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 portion is in progress. Thanks for your patience. :)


MINE: Homemaking isn't just cleaning and cooking. It's chauffeuring, party-planning, tutoring, playing therapist, nurse, and sometimes, like this week, emergency medical technician...

As I read advice over the internet, I find conflicting reports about how to care for a severed digit if you are planning on taking it to the hospital, along with the victim, to be reattached. Thus, this anecdote should not be used for medical advice, just entertainment. You should talk to someone who knows what they are doing if you really want to know what to do with a severed digit.

Anyways..... The 4 five and under, myself, my dear friend, and two of her kids were sitting outside, enjoying the warmth and a little bit of free time before it was time to start lunch. The kids weren't getting along so well, though, so after becoming weary of the continuous fighting and whining, I told the 5-year-old boy and Twin B that they needed to go inside and stay there for a while until they could get along. They went inside and I turned back to my friend to continue our conversation. Soon, however, I could hear them starting to argue again, then I heard the slamming of the wrought iron screen door, then a shriek, then saw my friend look over my shoulder, eyes wide, and heard her say, "Oh, no."

I turned towards the door and saw the 5-year-old boy crying, no, wailing, and holding his finger, which was dripping blood. I ran over to him, grabbed his good hand, and pulled him toward the sink to administer first aid. My friend stayed outside with the other kids.

Upon putting his finger under running water, I was shocked to see how damaged it was. After rinsing for a few seconds, I quickly wrapped it in a clean rag, then I froze and thought for a second. I didn't remember seeing any nail, and the finger seemed shorter than it should have been. It then hit me, like a lead brick, that a part of his finger was missing, and that I would need to go find it.

My first instinct was to simply pick him up and sit him on the island, next to where I had retrieved the clean rag, and to tell him to wait while I went to look for something. He obediently stayed. I then went back to the door and got on my hands and knees and began looking for a piece of finger. It was difficult, however, because there were a lot of wood chips and dry leaves the color of skin and I kept picking up things that weren't a finger portion. My friend soon saw me on my hands and knees and asked what I was doing. I told her that I thought part of the 5-year-old's finger came off and I was looking for it. She got down and started helping me. No sooner did she began, than I glanced over to the bottom of the door, and attached to it, by a thin line of blood, was what I was looking for. I pulled it off the door and put it in my hand, and when I looked at it, I gasped and nearly threw up because it was the entire top portion of the 5-year-old's finger, from about 1/4 inch below the base of his nail, cut off at about a 45-degree angle. I think what got to me the most was the fact that his little fingernail was dirty, just like it always was when it was attached to his body. I was holding a portion of my son's body in my hand, a part so familiar, and natural when it was attached, but so horrifying when dismembered! I let out a curse word, which I'm not proud of (I guess too many PG-13 movies), then I ran back to the kitchen, and I don't know if I got the 5-year-old boy off the island or put his severed finger portion in a bag of ice water first, but somehow, at some point, the 5-year-old boy ended up on the couch, with his severed finger in a Ziploc bag. I then called the local doctor to see if he was working in town, but there was no answer, so I told my friend I was going to have to go to the big town. Without hesitation she said that she would stay with the little kids and take care of lunch for my big kids.

When we got into the car, I wasn't sure exactly where to have him sit. I didn't want him on my lap, because it is dangerous to drive 15 miles on curvy roads with tiny shoulders with a child on your lap, but I wanted him where I could see him, so I decided to buckle him into the front seat. We started to drive, and his cries became whimpers and he said "Mom, I might die," and I said, "Son, no you won't, because your bleeding has stopped and you are going to be okay." He stopped crying then, and said he wanted to go to sleep, and I said I could understand that because then he wouldn't feel anything. And he asked if the doctors were going to be able to sew it back on, and I said yes, I think so, and then after a few moments of silence, he said in a soft voice, "I feel like I'm dying," and I looked over and he was reeling sideways, passing out. I grabbed his shoulder, and jerked him back up, and yelled "No, no, no! You can't go to sleep right now! You have to stay awake until we get to the hospital!"

He was deathly pale, I thought maybe he was going into shock, so I just tried to distract him from going to sleep and drove faster.

We finally arrived at the hospital after what seemed like hours, and I put my purse across my shoulder, and grabbed the ice bag with his severed finger portion in one hand, and picked him up and carried him like a baby into the hospital because he didn't have shoes on and because I didn't think he could walk without fainting.

I walked through the emergency room doors and up to the front desk, held up the Ziploc bag, and in my broken Spanish I said, "He cut his finger, and it is here in this bag."

I was quickly taken to a bed in a room with other beds divided by light blue curtains, and the 5-year-old boy was examined by two nurses, a doctor, then another doctor, an orthopedic surgeon, who was summoned from a nearby hospital. Having the 5-year-old boy examined by him made me feel reassured, because I knew he was an expert. After examining him, he spoke very fast Spanish words to me, and I thought I understood that he was going to take him into surgery, put him to sleep, and attempt to reattach the finger. I know he said much more than that, but that was all I got.

I had changed the 5-year-old boy into a hospital gown by this time, and one of the nurses started to pick him up and carry him out of the room. I followed her and offered to help, but she said she was fine. I followed the entourage into another room, then I saw the nurse handing the 5-year-old boy to someone else through a long, tall paneless window, which I thought was odd, because I didn't know why it wouldn't be a door. I then realized that this was where I was going to be separated from my son, and I asked if I could go in, knowing what their answer would be, and they said no. The 5-year-old boy started whimpering and I grabbed his hand and said he would be fine and that the doctors were going to fix his finger and that it wouldn't hurt at all.

And then they ushered me out and closed the door and told me where I could sit and I waited, and tried to call John, which was very difficult because I had forgotten my cell phone and he was 3 hours away at work, and I had to call many of my friends and family and ask them to try to reach him, but it took so long, and then when I finally was able to reach him, he was in a meeting and couldn't talk to me, so I had to face more silence alone and then I began to try to remember what the statistics were as far as deaths from anesthesia and I began praying really hard.

Soon, to my utter relief, my father-in-law and sister-in-law walked into the lobby and I felt like the world had been lifted off my shoulders. While they were there, the 5-year-old boy was finally wheeled out, and the doctor was able to tell them that he had successfully reattached the finger portion. My FIL and SIL were able to understand everything that was said and to my great relief, translated it for me. All the news was good, the instructions clear, and my family left promising to bring me something to eat and drink. I told them I couldn't eat, but they said that I would be there several more hours and at some point, I would probably be hungry. I agreed and accepted their offer.

After thanking them and wishing them good-bye, I went into the recovery room with the 5-year-old boy and waited for him to wake up. He was sleeping so soundly, and his previously ashen face was now peachy with rosy cheeks. He looked wonderful. I laid down on the sofa next to his bed and fell asleep for a few minutes until the nurse returned and said she needed to give him a shot of antibiotics. The act of pulling down his underwear brought him out of his sleep, and he began to whimper and cried when he got his shot, but quickly quieted when the nurse turned on a TV high in the corner of the room, flipped the channel to a cartoon, and gave the 5-year-old boy the remote. He would later tell his sister that this was his favorite part of being in the hospital. We don't have TV.

For the next three hours, we watched movies together, intermittently napping, and sipping on drinks. It was relaxing and pleasant and nice to spend time alone together, and to feed my boy the vegetable soup he was served.

Before being discharged, my FIL returned to help me check out. What a relief it was to have him there. He also kindly agreed to go to the pharmacy on the way home to pick up the 5-year-old's meds so I wouldn't have to stop. I owe him and my SIL a debt of gratitude for all they did for me, especially for the delicious sandwich they brought back to the hospital which I was eventually hungry enough to eat.

And I love living in a small town, because while at the hospital, the 5-year-old's kindergarten teacher called to see if we would still be in the hospital when she passed by on her way home, because she wanted to come visit. Unfortunately, we were about to be discharged. While we waited, another friend called to let me know he had heard what had happened and to see if there was anything he could do. These little gestures completely warmed my heart and made me want to be a better person. And upon arriving home, the 5-year-old boy was presented by his 6th-grade brother a poster his class had put together at school. In the center of the poster in block letters were the words "GET WELL SOON!" and surrounding that were sweet notes from each student in the class. Intermittently taped between the messages were pieces of wrapped hard candy and chocolate! It was adorable!

In conclusion, all's well that ends well. The 5-year-old boy plays like nothing happened and we will return to the hospital on Monday to see how the attachment is going. Wish us luck!

And thanks, as always, for listening!

OURS: Now it's your turn! Can't wait to read your homemaking tips! Thanks so much for your visits and links and have a great Homemaker Monday!

Homemaker Monday

Crazy, crazy weekend, so not sure I'll get a Homemaker Monday post up, but here's Linky for those of you who did! Thanks so much for your links and visits and have a WONDERFUL Homemaker Monday!

Homemaker Monday

Here's Linky. You know what to do. Thanks so much for your links and visits and have a wonderful Homemaker Monday! :)

Homemaker Monday

I'm tending a sick husband this evening, so I will most likely get my Homemaker Monday post up tomorrow morning some time. Here's Linky, though, for those of you ready to link up! Thanks so much for your visit and links and have a wonderful Homemaker Monday! )

The Chores We Do of a Saturday Morning

If you've ever wondered how large families keep up with all the tasks that need accomplishing, here's how one mom, namely myself, does it. Let me explain something first. On Saturdays we have three types of chores: family chores, personal chores and consequence chores. Family chores encompass the common areas, such as living areas, bathrooms and the like, and personal chores include anything the kids messed up themselves, such as their bedrooms, bathrooms and dirty laundry. Consequence chores are jobs I've assigned as punishment for not doing assignments throughout the week or for unacceptable behavior, such as being disobedient, name-calling, and such. For more about that, you can go HERE if you'd like.

As you'll see, doing the family chores isn't that big of a deal. Each child is assigned only three chores, which can be finished in our to two hours. Personal chores, if they are kept up on all week, are manageable as well. It's the consequence chores that have been creating a problem for the kids in recent weeks.

One reason the kids accumulate consequence chores on Saturday is because they often do not do their one morning chore. Each child is assigned a quadrant of the kitchen to clean before they leave for school, which chore takes about ten minutes, but since the beginning of this school year, which was when I implemented the kitchen clean-up tasks, the kids have not organized their time in order to accomplish their jobs. Thus, each time they shirk their responsibilities, I do their parts of them, but then add two consequence chores to the Saturday chore list. This makes them pay me back for the time I spent in the kitchen, and it also gives them an extra chore to help remind them to improve.

I suppose when you see the chore list, you're either going to cheer for me, and thank me for being such an inspiration, or you're going to want to report me to child protective services. Anyways, this is it....

Key:
K - the 16-year-old girl
R - the 15-year-old boy
L - the 11-year-old boy
C - the 9-year-old girl
CC - Consequence Chore

Family Chores:

K Deep clean living room
R Deep clean dining room
C Deep clean hallways
L Deep clean entryway
K Deep clean big bathroom
R Deep clean green bathroom
L Deep clean game room
C Deep clean basement halls and food area
R Deep clean theater
K Deep clean music room
L Pick up stuff outside in play-place
C Pick up toys and trash in backyard, patio and basketball court area

Personal Chores:

-Deep clean bedrooms
-Deep clean bathrooms
-Fold nad hang up laundry
-Practice Piano
-Make your basketball shots (This is important because basketball is a big deal here, and if the kids aren't good at it, they aren't going to want to be involved. Conversely, if they are skilled shooters, they will enjoy being on the team, and going on trips, and basketball will be fun for them. Practicing something is almost never fun, but once you get good, it pays off.)

And just for fun, here's a list of my Saturday morning chores...

-Deep clean my bathroom
-Deep clean my bedroom
-Wash and hang laundry (usually 3 to 5 loads)
-Put away all laundry
-Get my church clothes ready
-Get kids' church clothes ready
-Plan and prepare Saturday and Sunday meals
-Organize something that has been neglected during the week

Consequence Chores:

R CC (Not sweeping kitchen part, Mon.) Clean white fridge
R CC ( " ) Organize, sweep and mop food storage room
L CC (Leaving beach towel on floor) Deep clean twins' room (He wrote here, "That wasn't me.")
K CC (Not getting ride to school, Mon.) Clean silver fridge (She wrote here, "What the heck?")
C CC (Not doing kitchen part, Mon.) Organize playroom
C CC ( " ) Sweep and dust mop playroom
C CC (Not doing kitchen part, Tues.) Deep clean 5-year-old's room
C CC ( " ) Windex inside and outside french doors
L CC ( " ) Clean kitchen cabinets for 15 minutes (He wrote, "I did.")
L CC ( " ) Clean trashcan, inside and out (He wrote, "I did.")
C CC (For arguing when I asked you not to) Clean wall behind high chair
K CC (Not doing kitchen part, Tues.) Make something good to eat
K CC ( " ) (I actually forgot to write something in this space. She got lucky.)
R CC (Not doing kitchen part, Tues.) Clean out fireplace in kitchen
R CC ( " ) Fill all fireplaces with wood
C CC ( " ) Babysit Baby Hippo for 20 minutes
C CC ( " ) "
R Just a reminder that you are grounded because you were suspended from school for a day for not having a school logo patch on your jacket.
R CC (For hanging out at the store after football when I asked you not to) Iron Baby Hippo's church outfit
The 11-year-old boy wrote this... "MOM MAKE FIRES IN THE MORNING"
L CC (For arguing when I asked you to stop) Babysit Baby Hippo for 20 minutes
K CC (Not doing kitchen part, Thurs.) Iron twin church outfit
K CC ( " ) "
C CC ( " ) Find twins church shoes
C CC ( " ) Windex all silver appliances
L CC (Leaving blanket in kitchen, Thurs.) Vacuum playroom stairs
R CC (Not doing kitchen part, Fri.) Sweep and mop laundry room, including under baskets and hampers)
R CC ( " ) Iron 5-year-old's church outfit
C CC ( " ) Deep clean broom closet
C CC ( " ) Vacuum basement stairs

These chores the children must finish before they can play outside, have friends over, use any media, or go anywhere. Every Sunday we talk about how we can avoid these consequence chores, so we'll see if yesterday's talk had any effect at all.

So what do you think of this? Am I Nazi or am I teaching the kids responsibility the right way? By the way, assigning consequence chores keeps me from nagging and yelling at my kids, something I've struggled with since they came into this world. I've found that if I simply say to my kids that they just earned a consequence chore, quietly go to my notebook and write it down, and wait for Saturday to come, I don't lose my cool. It really works.

One more thing.... You may ask why I save all the chores up for Saturday. The answer is because we are so busy during the week with a few afternoon chores, homework, extracurricular activities, and trying to have family dinners together, there is simply no time.

Anyways, I know this post was somewhat disjointed, but it's up, and thanks for listening! :)

And here's Linky! Thanks so much for your visits and links and have a wonderful Homemaker Monday!

Homemaker Monday

Hey Everybody! Thanks so much for your visit to Homemaker Monday today! I'm not sure when I'll get my post up, but here's Linky tools for those of you who are ready. Thank you so much!

Homemaker Monday: Using a Clothes Line

Welcome to the 158th 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 The Southern Housewife at "Her Southern Charm". In Southern Housewife's post, we meet two different types of wives. Which one are you? Or are you a little of both?...

"The wife in House #1 is discontent. She gossips and slanders her own husband, complaining about him not putting the toilet seat down or leaving his dirty laundry all over the house. She packs too much into her calendar- church meetings, coffee or shopping dates with friends, volunteering, pedi/manis, hair appointments, soccer games, PTA events, etc. And while all of these are fine in moderation, when they begin to interrupt your time as a wife, mother and homemaker, they take you away from ministry to your family. She rarely makes time to pray over her family and ask God to make her a blessing to those she loves."

This paragraph really hit home, especially the part about slandering one's husband. I sometimes find myself complaining about the irritating things John does, but I rose-color the word "slander" with "venting". I realized after reading this what a horrible thing I had been doing. I definitely do not want to take out a mortgage loan on a house like this. She continues...

"The wife in House #2 makes her family a priority above all other activities. She is available to her husband and children. She knows that the connections she has with her God, family and friends are what makes life beautiful. She isn't a doormat or a slave, and reminds herself to take joy in the simple and mundane tasks that need to be done. She regularly practices hospitality with neighbors and those in need. She doesn't have the best decorated or largest house, but knows that her home is her ministry and uses it to spread love instead of hate and discontentment."

This was inspiring to me as a reminder that my family comes first. Community, church, and even extended family members may ask me to spread myself thin with requests for my time, but it is my right and responsibility to put my family first, and even to say no at times.

The best part about Southern Housewife's article is that she lists seven ways to become more like the wife in House #2. To read her entire post, go HERE. Thank you so much, Southern Housewife. Please feel free to take the "I Was Featured" button from my side bar and we'll looking forward to hearing from you again soon!

MINE: I just have to share something I've been doing lately that I love. At some point, for some reason I can't recall, I became obsessed with the idea of using a clothesline. Unbelievably, I've never had one, so I bought up the issue with John. Because John loves to do things for me, he drew up some plans, asked me to approve them, then set the workmen to building the clothesline. This is no ordinary clothesline, though. My clothesline is like an upside-down pyramid with five lines on each side. It also spins. And since John knew the kids would figure out a way to climb up on the structure and swing around on it, grabbing my blankets, towels, and unmentionables, he decided "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

To the clothesline he added fully adjustable swings on each corner so that when I'm not using the line, the kids could sit, stand or hang on wooden dowels that swing from each corner. The genius of this is that they are also easily removable, so if I don't want the kids to swing on it, I simply remove the hooks and put the swings in the corner of the yard. Look at this....

And here is the view of the beautiful sky as I hung my laundry...

This Saturday was the first time I used my line, and I was able to hang five loads. It felt great to be outside in the fresh air, saving money, and helping the environment, and on top of everything else, John was super-impressed.

What are your thoughts on using a clothes line? I would really like to know.

Thanks for listening!

OURS: Now it's your turn! Can't wait to read your homemaking tips!

Homemaker Monday: Finding Photography Inspiration From Google Images

YOURS: This portion is in progress. Thanks for your patience! :)

MINE: Recently I decided it would be fun to do a journalist-style photo shoot of a couple of the missionaries in our area. If you remember, Mormon missionaries are young men usually between the ages of 19 and 21 who serve the Lord for two years in varying destinations all over the world. In order to focus on the work of sharing the gospel, they are asked to have somewhat limited contact with friends and family back home. Our son, who is also a missionary, is able to write to us once a week, and can call on Mother's Day and Christmas. We look forward to his emails every Monday afternoon, and he ours.

Although mothers the world over are overjoyed the day their sons go out and serve their missions, it can sometimes be difficult for moms who have spent 18 years raising them, focused on this purpose, who then must severe their apron strings so abruptly. It was for this reason that I decided what a wonderful thing it would be for me to take photos of the missionaries in their current working conditions and send them to their mothers.

So I wondered how I would go about doing the photo shoot. What poses would I use? How would these pictures be different from your average missionary companionship photo? It occurred to me to go to google images and there I typed in "lds missionaries working" and found all kinds of inspiration.

The first photo was a typical missionary-walking-away-from-the-camera shot. This one is really cool because of the reflection on the tracks....

We don't have tracks in our town that I know of, so I thought of a lovely location about a block away, and when the lighting was just right, John and our family, on the missionaries' preparation day, drove them there on our way to take them home. Here's the original, having been cropped, brightened and contrasted a little...

...and here, the edited version, with a little cross-processing and vignette. And just for your info, I used the very simplistic editor at photobucket for my post-processing. One day I'll get light room, but for now it's one-click editing!

Next I came across another quite typical photo of some elders (title for young LDS missionaries) walking, facing the camera. I love this photo because it really captures the society in which they are serving.

Since I didn't have time to secure any livestock to walk down the road, I simply asked the elders to turn around and start walking back towards me...

....and because I know moms love this kind of thing, I added a popular and meaningful scripture, which in English says, "I will go and do what the Lord has commanded." I thought I was original, but then the 16-year-old girl reminded me that my photographer friend Shauna had used this scripture on a photo of her son. She said I was copying. It all came back to me then, that yes, indeed, this is where the original inspiration had come from. Hope you don't mind me copying you, Shauna! It's the highest form of flattery! Here is the same photo with again, some simple cross-processing and vignette action....

Okay, so I loved the following inspiration because it highlights the companionship, but it also focuses on only one missionary. I thought that the moms would like this highlight of their sons as well.....

Here's mine, which I think I like even more because, of their own accord, the elders chose to face sideways, which adds interest...

...and now again with the post-processing, including one of the elders favorite scriptures....

Now, for the final portrait, I came across an elder reading scriptures....

While I liked the focus on the word of God, I had remembered that I had seen an inspiring photo of a man sitting on a chair studying a book in front of a window. It was an image that stayed with me because I thought it would be an excellent pose for John. So I set it up with the missionaries ...

It's definitely by far my favorite image in the series, especially after the simple post-processing....

I am so pleased with how these images turned out, and I share this with you so that you might know you can do it quite easily, too! Search for inspiration on the web, in books, and in magazines, and if you don't have a fancy edited program, find one on the net. I've heard picnik and gimp are good. But most importantly, have fun with it!

Thanks for listening! :)

OURS: Now it's your turn! What homemaking tips do you have today? Can't wait to see!