8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 1/30

Tell to your child: 

1. I love you.

2. love you no matter what.3. I love you even when you are angry at me.

4. I love you even when I am angry with you.5. I love you when you are far way. My love for you can reach you wherever you are.6. If I could pick any 4 year old (5 year old, 6 year old…) in the whole wide world, I’d pick you. 

7. I love you to the moon and then around the stars and back again.

8. Thank you.

9. I enjoyed playing with you today.10. My favorite part of the day was when I was with you and we were _______.

Tell them: 

11. The story of their birth or adoption.

12. About how you cuddled them when they were a baby.13. The story of how you chose their name.

14. A story about yourself when you were their age.15. A story about how their grandparents met.

16. What your favorite color is.

17. That sometimes you struggle too.

18. That when you’re holding hands and you give three squeezes, it’s a secret code that means, “Ilove you”. 

19. What the plan is.

20. What you’re doing right now.

Play: 21. Freeze Tag

22. Uno23. Crazy 8s

24. Gin Rummy

25. Memory

26. Go Fish27. I Spy- especially when you’re tired of driving and feel snappish 

28. Catch

Pretend: 

29. To catch their kiss and put it on your cheek.

30. That their tickle tank is empty and you have to fill it.

31. That their high five is so powerful it nearly knocks you over.

32. That you are super ticklish.33. That you are explorers in the amazing new world of your backyard.

34. That it’s party day! Decorate for no reason! 

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 2/30

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 3/30

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 4/30

 The Summer Bucket List: Catholic Edition.

1. Attend a Parish Picnic.

2. Sign the kids up for a week of Vacation Bible School.

3. Volunteer throughout the week at VBS.4. Visit a new Parish for Sunday Mass. Nothing unites us as “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic”

Church like being able to attend Mass anywhere, and still participating in the same celebration. *If

traveling, visit here to find Mass times. Don’t forget to support your home Parish the weekends you

are away.

5. Tour a Shrine or a Basilica.

Shiela and I met at the Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Washington, DC) last

 August:

6. Visit a Catholic bookstore. My kids love checking out the children’s section. 7. Check out some Catholic books at the Library.8. Celebrate a Feast Day or a Saint’s Day. We love making cakes and cupcakes around here. Here areour brownie shamrocks from the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity:

9. Make a Rosary garden or place a Blessed Mother statue in your yard.

10. Attend a Saturday Vigil Mass and go out for ice cream after.

11. Attend a daily Mass.

12. Teach your children a new prayer.

13. Say a Novena.

14. Go to Adoration.

15. Go to Confession.

16. Attend a Baptism.

17. Go to a wedding.

18. Go on a Spiritual Retreat. Even if it is disguised as a camping trip.

19. Have a “say the Rosary” play date. 

20. Invite your Priest to supper.

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 5/30

125 Things To Do This Summer 

 YELLOW  (things to do outside in the sun)

1. bubbles

2. catch a butterfly

3. sandbox

4. paperbag scavenger hunt 

5.  water pinatas 

6. water games

7. hopscotch

8. run in the sprinklers

9. make an obstacle course 

10. pull weeds (not everything has to be fun, right? :)

11. sidewalk chalk paint 

12. mud pie kitchen 

13. hunt for predators with water guns

14. sidewalk chalk  

15. ride your bike

16. wash cars, scooters, and bikes

17. plant flowers

18. play hide and seek

19. have a race

20. roller skate

21. play red light/ green light

22. play tag

23. plant a garden- even if its just herbs

24. kiddie pool in backyard

BLUE (summertime treats) I have a bunch of dinner recipes that I want to try that I will

 be adding to our monthly meal schedule (hopefully!). I wanted to make the summer

 bucket list fun for my daughter, and pulling out a popsicle stick that said "grilled chicken

fajitas" wouldn't do much for her.

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 6/30

25. smoothies

26. campfire cones 

27. cupcakes in ice cream cones

28. make sugar cookies and decorate

29. food paint

30. dip a banana in chocolate and freeze

31. take a picnic somewhere

32. muddy buddies

33. mini personal pizzas for lunch

34. candlelight dinner

35. make homemade taffy

36. indoor smores

37. homemade snow cones

38. frozen grapes

39. ice cream in a bag

40. make popsicles

41. use candy melts to make suckers

42. frozen jr mints

43. gelato

44. fruit kabobs

45. strawberry and watermelon lemonade 

46. kool-aid ice cubes and 7-up

47. crabby sandwich for lunch

48. frozen fruit bars

ORANGE (science projects)

49. make bird feeders

50. freeze things and dig them out

51. oily fireworks 

52. fossil cookies 

53. static electricity

54. volcano in a mug

55. m&ms in hot water 

56. glow in the dark party

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 7/30

57.  weather cloud in a cup 

58. blowing up balloons 

59. ice sculptures 

60. sidewalk egg frying w/aluminum foil

61. floating eggs in salt water

RED (art projects)

62. make bath paints with shaving cream 

63.  bubble painting 

64. make pinwheels 

65. sewing project 

66. glitter toes

67. make a treasure map and go on a hunt

68. marshmallow and tooth pick sculptures

69. make slime

70. make a paper mache bowl

71. "I wish..." art project 

72. paint cement with water

73.  ABC handprint art book  

74. fingerpaint

75. fingerpaint with pudding

76. self portrait

77. silhouette pictures

78. invisible ink  

79. melt crayons 

PURPLE (learning activities)

80. use a calculator

81. write digits 0-982. puppet show

83. sound sorts

84. write name

85. letter bingo

86. write and illustrate a story

87. follow direction cards

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 8/30

88. etiquette factory

89. Dora letter sound flashcards

90. number bingo

GREEN (hometown activities)

91. bowling

92. bounce house

93. aquatic center/ swimming pool

94. dinosaur park

95. splash pad

96. children's museum

97. playground

98. duck pond

99. city museum

100. train museum

101. nature trail

102. nickelcade

103. Hill Air Force base airplane museum

104. nature center

BROWN (Salt Lake and beyond activities)

105. Symphony

106. Natural History Museum107. Red Butte Gardens

108. Zoo

109. Kennecott Copper Mine

110. City Creek shopping center

111.State Capital Building

112. baseball game

113. planetarium

114. temple square

115. liberty park

116. aviary117. childrens theater

118. Park City

119. aquarium

120. Church History Museum

121. Gateway

122. This is the Place State Park

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 9/30

123. ride the bus

124. fireworks

125. fair

I know there are TONS more ideas (Thanksgiving Pointe, Yellowstone, Dinosaur

National Monument, hiking, Antelope Island, etc....) And there is NO pressure on

accomplishing every single thing on my list. OK, maybe a little pressure- I mean, being

able to cross off my entire list would be amazing!

I hope this list inspires you to make some fun memories with your families this summer.

There are often days or even just an hour when everyone seems to be a little grouchy.

These are some thing I do when that happens:

1. Deep breath. I call out, “Deep breath!” Then everyone stands up and we all take long, slow breaths while we raise our hands over our heads. Then we let the air out slowly while we lower

our arms. The whole movement is very slow and purposeful. We might do that a few times, then

go back to our regular day.

2. Jumping jacks. We all stop what we are doing and do 20 jumping jacks. This is especially

good when they seem to have extra energy and need to use it. It’s hilarious to see the littler onestrying to coordinate their arms and legs.

3. The color game. If its not raining I take a stack of construction paper (each piece a different

color), some tape and some tacks (I used to leave these in a drawer by the front door) and take itall outside. I tack or tape a whole piece of the paper to trees, the car, a bush, the front

door….making sure they are spread out but I can see all of the colors from my chair (that I have

set in the middle of it all). Then I sit in the chair and gather all of the kids around me and I say,“Ready……RED!” Then they have to find the red paper and run to it. Once they are all there I

call out another color and we keep doing it until they are exhausted. Sometimes I modify the

game by calling a kid’s name with a color. You can let the older ones go faster with this version.

4. Play stations in the kitchen. Fill the sink half full with water & utensils, fill a 9×13 pan withrice, another with straws, a plastic bowl with beans. Set it all on the kitchen counter (table,

whatever) and set the timer for 5 minutes. They play at each station for only 5 minutes then they

switch. You stay in the kitchen with them the whole time giving attention to their made upgames. In 20 minutes it’s over. 

5. Emergency toys. I keep toys tucked high up in a closet for just such an occasion. Pull them

out of the closet and set the timer for 30 minutes. Once the timer goes off….the toys get putaway for at least a month. That’s the only way they will work the next time. 

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 10/30

6. Play a game. We’ll all sit and play something unbelievably dull, like Go Fish or a simple

 board game. Sometimes all they need is for you to stop and give them your full attention for 15

minutes.

7. Music. Music is a-MAZing for this kind of problem. If I don’t have the time to play games or

make pans of rice in the kitchen, I will turn on some fun kid music and we’ll all dance around toone song. Mommy dances too (and Daddy if he’s home). One song can reset everyone’s attitude. 

8. Tear paper. Sometimes we all just need to do something wild and completely unexpected. SoI will give each child 3 pieces of construction paper and we’ll stand in a circle and when I say,

“GO!” we all start tearing up our paper and throwing it on the floor. We jump around and scream

and laugh and giggle and fall down and throw the paper around for about 5 minutes. Then I say,“STOP!” and we have to clean it up as quickly and silly as we can. 

9. Lie on the grass. Often, when it’s not too wet, cold, hot….we go outside and lie on the grass.Everyone takes turns telling what they see in the clouds or, if there’s no cloud, I will ask them a

question and we take turns answering. Sometimes we will do it on the trampoline instead of thegrass.

10. Drink something green. I put green food coloring in either lemonade or water. I gather

everyone in the kitchen and give everyone a glass of “Green Goop” and we all drink it at thesame time. We drink it as fast as we can and be silly. If it’s been a really rough day, burping is amust.

11. Crawling. I have everyone put shoes on their hands and crawl around until I say stop. Then

they have to freeze like a statue until I say go. Sometimes I’ll call out pieces of furniture for them

to crawl to. We’ll do this for about 15 minutes then stop and put the shoes away. 

12. Baths. These are not get-clean baths. These are play-baths. 15 minutes in the tub with a few

toys and no washing hair. Just time to stop everything and play in the water.

13. Read a book . If everyone is tired I will grab a book and read it aloud in an unusual

way…with an accent, like a monster, while acting it out, hanging upside down off of thecouch….something that makes it different. 

14. Hold hands. Sometimes everyone just needs Mom for a few minutes. So we’ll hold handsand walk around, outside if possible but inside works too. I’ll say something like, “Tell me what

you liked about today,” and we’ll walk and talk and touch for a few minutes. 

15. Quizzes. I’ll line them up in front of me and zing them with questions. They have to answer

really quickly and if they take too long I say, “Zing!” and they have to fall down and get back up

again. (If you’re not feeling creative, just think of a favorite book or movie and ask themquestions about that, “What’s the name of the character that_____,” “Who had the last line in the

movie?” “What color was ____ wearing when she was running?”, etc.) This is especially good

for nursing moms that need to sit for a few minutes and the older kids are needing attention.

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 11/30

16. Color their name. I write their name in really big, puffy letters and they get 3 Crayons to

color it in. No sharing, no trading…just 3 colors…GO! 

17. Have a snack . You sit with them and talk for just a few minutes. Don’t set them down and

walk off. Just sit there for a few minutes and toast your glasses together and say, “To a better

day!” and eat a little something.

18. The Whisper Game. I say, “Let’s plat the Whisper Game!” and set the timer for 5-10

minutes. That whole time you sit and talk but everyone has to whisper. Do what you can to makeit silly and animated, like lean to their ears or tiptoe around the room while you’re whispering. 

19. Animals. I sit on the couch and and gather them around, with an arm length between them.

Then I call out animals and they have to act like that animal until I change the animal. I might

switch it up by calling out a specific child’s name with an animal. 

20. Slow down. This one is good to do after any of the other activities. We all move and talk in

slow motion. I will walk around and they follow me and do what I do….all in slow motion. ThenI give them turns being the leader. This is fun, but it takes the energy back down and you’reready to go back to normal.

As you can see, the main focus of these activities is to stop what you are doing, stop rushing,stop being frustrated and spend a few minutes together doing something completely different. It

is essential that Mom or Dad participate. That’s what really pushes the reset button. 

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 12/30

Summer is traditionally the time I organize my life for the coming year. Because I homeschool,summer is the time I plan our coming school year. This year, I am on a mission to reorganize my

whole life!

Sometimes life gets in the way of our plans, right? That’s been the case for me for quite a while

now. In our crazy hectic life, our schedule is constantly flowing, moving, changing. It drives mecrazy. I like routine. I like each day to pretty much be the same. Unfortunately, life hasn’t

cooperated over the last few years.

This year, I want consistency, even in the chaos. My home –  down to the closets and drawers –  

needs a makeover. Life has been so hectic, I have found myself wallowing in the chaos to long!

Something has to change and I want to get on with it. Now.

Have you ever felt that way? Do you think I can get my whole life organized in six weeks? Or at

least be on my way back to a household that runs smoothly? I plan to try my best!

Over the coming four weeks life will go on as usual. We have lots of family birthday parties,three grandchildren coming from Michigan to spend the month, trips planned, homeschooling to plan, food to cook, laundry to catch up on…. You get the idea. But I really need to get my calm

in the chaos back! So, despite all of my wonderful summer family plans, I plan to make

organizing my life a top priority.

Are you looking for the calm in your chaos? Join me! June 18 –  July 27, 2012 

Challenge Week #1: Reorganize Household Notebook and File Crate Systems and Family

Schedule

Challenge Week #2: Clean Out Kitchen Cupboards and Reorganize

Challenge Week #3: Reorganize Storage Closets

Challenge Week #4: Reorganize Clothes Closets and Drawers

Challenge Week #5: Reorganize Bathrooms and Clean Out Book Shelves

Challenge Week #6: Plan Home School Year and Clean Out Home School Closet

Here Are The Posts: 

1.  The Life Management Binder 

2.  My Household Notebook 

3.  Summer Challenge Update 

4.  The File Crate System

5.  The Home School File Crate System

6.  More to Come!

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 13/30

{ source }

Summer Challenge 2012: Get Organized 

Wow, I remember when I started A Virtuous Woman way back in 2001 and the internet was so

different back then! We didn’t have all the cool software that we have today. I remembercreating my household notebook and it was one of the first printable ones on the internet! I didn’t

have Adobe back then, so how to make them printable was an issue. My how things have

changed!

So what is a Household Notebook/ Life Management Binder? It’s a binder that holds all of theimportant stuff you need to remember everyday!

You can still  print our our basic Household Notebook here. I love colorful forms, but these are

 just basic black and white ones. Printing them on frequent basis means a lot of ink and if you’relike me, you can’t afford the colored ink! But then, maybe you don’t mind the extra expense, and

would love some color in your notebook. So, either way, you’ll find something that works foryou!

If you like the color but don’t want to print out each day, I’ll share with you tomorrow how I am

currently setting up my household notebook with the best of both worlds!

So I’m going to share some of my favorite links for household notebook printables: 

  A Bowl Full of Lemons Planner Organization 

  Week At a Glance from Amy Bayliss 

  Calendars and Goals from Amy Bayliss 

  Household Management Forms from Money Saving Mom 

  Home Management Binder from Life Your Way 

  Our Life Binder from Finding Home 

  Printable Planner from the Organized Housewife 

Some other ideas I like: 

  A Day in My Life’s take on a laminated Daily Docket 

  How to Develop a Family Mission Statement by Passionate Homemaking 

Do you have a favorite source for great printables? Have you ever used a Household

Notebook/ Life Management Binder? What have you accomplished today to get your home

organized for the summer? Share with us! 

You can find more ideas on my Life Management Binder Pintrest page. 

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 14/30

 Why Simplify? 

by Lindsayon Jun 04, 2008in frugal & simple 

Live simply that others might simply live. ~Elizabeth Seaton

This quote has been on my mind quite frequently…mulling over the reason for simplicity. “Simple

living” is not a new fad, and yet it has been coming to the forefront as of late, possibly due to the

challenges in our current economy for many a family.

I have heard many reasons given for pursuing simplicity including: savings and retirement,

purchasing a home debt free, tight budgets, desiring to be less dependent upon the consumerist

mentality of our culture, health, peaceful home and life, less stress, etc.

These are all wise reasons for pursuing simply living, many of which have been my desires as

well…but should there be something more? Some more eternal, over-arching God-glorifying

purpose for pursuing simplicity?

Simple Living throughout History

As I mentioned previously, ‘simple living’ is nothing new. Here are a few historical examples, which

were shared in Tim Keller’s Ministries of Mercy : 

Take the story of John Wesley, a man who died with nothing left but a coat and two silver

teaspoons, and this was not due to any lack of resources. He earned as much as 1,400 pounds

annually toward the end of his life through the sale of sermons and books. He never spent morethan 30 pounds each year, and said himself, “If I leave behind 10 pounds, you and all mankind bear

witness against me that I lived and died a thief and a robber.”  

George Muller of Bristol left $850 at his death, and it was estimated that he gave away $180,000

dollars to the Lord’s work. 

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 15/30

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 16/30

How do we apply this? My question and pray has been, how can I live more simply in order that

others might simply live? How do we pursue simplicity in meal planning, household maintenance,

schedule, purchases, etc?

I would like to commence a series of post on steps toward simplicity. On upcoming Wednesdays, wewill posts tips for simplifying your home and lifestyle, sharing with you lessons we have learned

through the journey. I have so much more to learn, but as long as we remain focused on the God-

glorying goal of living generously for others, He will supply the grace sufficient for the task. This is a

purpose worth living for!

I hope to encourage you all in ways of simplifying in order to be most effective with your time and

resources for the glory of God, seeking first the kingdom, giving more generously, remaining

content with little, and keeping our hearts and minds where the true treasure should be stored in

heaven.

Developing a Family Mission Statement 

by Lindsayon Jul 16, 2010in building the family 

“Every decision we make is ultimately governed by some kind of inter est or goal or objective or

value or principle, whether we know it or not. A Family Mission Statement is an effort to bring to

an explicit level what your goals and values are so that people are on the same page.”   – Stephen

Covey 

Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy

is he,” which has always challenged me in the importance of casting a vision and mission for our

family. Without vision and direction, we could easily wander aimlessly through life and wasteprecious hours and moments that could be invested in the things of the Lord. We can get easily

distracted in the superficial issues and lose sight of the greater purpose. I am often such a person,

desiring great things in my heart, but never practically writing this out on paper and making a

purposeful plan to review it regularly.

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 17/30

A mission statement is not something that is developed overnight, but it is invaluable frame of

reference to use in making the everyday decisions in addition to the long term goals and plans. It is

the inspiration that can encourage you when you have a challenging day. It can help refocus your

family when you get off course. It answers the question: where are we going as a family? Where are

we gifted that we could facilitate greater service to one another and the world around us? How can

we purposefully accomplish that?

Where to Begin? 

I encourage you to read 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families  by Stephen Covey as an excellent

source of inspiration and purpose for beginning this assignment. Here is the steps we took to

develop our family mission. Make sure to make this a family affair, if possible, or if your children are

young, you and your spouse. We will be far more effective if we seek to work together as co-labors

in the mission God has assigned us.

1. Pray

Developing a mission statement cannot be completed without prayer. Spend as much time as

necessary on this step, just seeking the Lord as to the direction he would desire for your family to

take. Spend several days in preparation in this manner. We spent several weeks praying and

thinking about the questions below individually before coming together to discuss it.

2. Ask Questions

Sit down together with your spouse and family and evaluate your passions and desires with these

questions. Take lots of notes.

  Where are we going as a family?

  What are our priorities?

  What are our strengths, gifting, talents?

  What is the main purpose of our home?

  What are practical ways we can serve each other?

  What are practical ways we can serve others outside our family?

  Name three things you think you could do better as a family.

  What would people say today about our family as a whole?

  What would we like people to say about our family as a whole in 30 years?

  If our home could be filled with one emotion, what would it be?

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 18/30

  How do you want to build relationships in your family?

  Name three adjectives we would like people to use to describe our home environment.

  If we could name one principle from which we want our family to operate, what would it

be?

  What characteristics do we want our children to have as they grow up? What do we want

them to be skilled in?

For further questions to evaluate, check out Simple Mom & Family Cornerstone list.

Make note of any quotes or verses that stand out to you. Consider how you might incorporate

these as well.

3. Narrow it Down

After evaluating the above questions, we narrowed our list down to our top ten priorities. Here is

the list we compiled for our family based upon evaluating the questions above and our priorities:

God must come first (“Unless the Lord builds the house the workers labor in vain”)  

Proactively seek to confess sins, love, and be quick to forgive each other

Kind and not ashamed to show affection with one another

Mission minded –   joyfully serving the Lord together

Living simply in order to give generously

Love for learning

Good stewards

Hospitable (caring)

Using gifts for the kingdom (computer programming, writing, teaching, music, etc.)

Grateful  

4. Write Your Statement

Then we took those priorities and goals and compiled it into a mission statement. Our statement is

still in process, but this was our first draft. I seek your help and accountability in sharing this. We do

this not for our own sakes for the greater purpose of God’s glory: 

We will keep Christ at the center of our home.

We are committed to each other and will proactively practice humility, forgiveness, unconditional

love, and share affection and encouragement with each other.

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 19/30

We are committed to living a missional lifestyle by living simply, giving generously, demonstrating

hospitality, and cultivating gifts within each member of the family that can be used to further the

Kingdom of God.

We will be good stewards of the earth that God has entrusted to our care.

Our home will be a place where grateful hearts abide and where a love for learning is always

nurtured and encouraged.

We are raising our children as disciples that love to learn, give, work, serve, and in turn send them

out to share Gods love with the world.

Ours is more lengthy at this point than it needs to be. Our short purpose statement has always

been:  living simply in order to give generously (read more about this passion in my original series

Our Journey to Simple Living). Yours can be as short or as long as you desire. Stephen Covey’s family

statement is as follows:

To create a nurturing place of faith, order, truth, love, happiness and relaxation and to provide

opportunity for every person to become responsibly independent and effectively inter-dependent in

order to serve worthy purposes in society through understanding and living the Gospel of Jesus

Christ. 

5. Create Action Statements

With each priority listed, develop one or more action steps to complete over the next six months,

year, or as you see fits best with your family. For us, we had to ask: how will we keep Christ the

center of our home? By having regular family devotions, praying together at meals and the

beginning of the day, and evaluating everything we do in our home to make sure Christ is honored.

We will live missionally by reaching out in hospitality twice a month, welcoming new neighbors into

our community, etc. By making action statements, you will be actively making steps towards the

fulfillment of your goals in your home.

6. Set a Plan for Review and Evaluation

Mission statements will not go far without purposing to review them and evaluate your progress.

Make a plan for this. Set up reminders on your computer to review it. We plan to review on a yearly

basis when we do our year end evaluation, but also when we get away on vacation throughout the

year.

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 20/30

With each and every thing we consider adopting or committing to as a family, we need to ask:

what has this to do with that? Asking this in light of our mission statement and the glory of God. 

7. Pray Again and Never Stop

Finally, dedicate it to the Lord. Commit your mission to Him and trust that He will guide you in the

fulfillment of it. Do not trust on your own strength, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He

will direct your paths (Prov. 3:5).

Since beginning the process of developing our family mission statement, it has provided such clarity

and direction to our daily lives. We know what our purpose is and we our passionately working

together to accomplish it. By God’s strength, we want to be laborers in the extension of His

Kingdom!

For further inspiration: The Benefits of Having A Family Mission Statement by Stephen Covey

God bless your efforts to live purposefully for His glory!

“He who has God and everything has no more than he who has God alone.”  ~ C.S. Lewis

The management of finances seems to be the biggest marital conflict and often causes great stress,

worry and anxiety. Why is this? Why is there such a strong trend among wives and mothers to be so

focused on frugality? I have struggled with this issue over the last few months, and I have desired to

seek out the Biblical truth in these matters. In light of our family motto that I have written on the

top of my blog (living simply in order to give generously), I would like to expand upon this in a short

series.

I will be addressing the question: Why have we chosen to live a simplified lifestyle and what is my

purpose behind it? We will be looking through Scripture to distinguish if and what the Biblical basis

is for frugality, saving, and giving, and what does the Lord require of us in the use of money and our

personal resources, especially as it relates to being wives and mothers.

I do not claim to have a full understanding in this issue, but with the help of my husband and the

Word of God, I am seeking to come to a more balanced and God-glorifying position on these issues.

Did you know that Jesus talks about money more than any other topic? Apparently it is a very

important issue to the heart of God.

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 21/30

I think we need to seriously ask ourselves: what is my purpose in pursuing frugality? Is this pursuit

God glorifying or is it for selfish reasons?We each need to come to a place of conviction and

purpose to the reason we choose a lifestyle for our family. Why have you chosen to live the way

that you do?

I grew up in a large home and assumed that’s what I wanted for my family when I got married. I

often felt a twinge of jealousy when I heard of friends my age purchasing their first house while I

had to “settle” with a tiny apartment and loud neighbors. 

Looking back I am so thankful for living in small spaces and the experience of moving five times in

less than 4 years. Each move left me holding on to my “stuff” with a looser grip and realizing that

owning less can be a freeing blessing.

The Lord has used these moves and small apartments to teach me contentment. The type ofcontentment where I’m no longer “settling” for less, but when faced with the option, I’m choosing

it.  While these trinkets and “necessities” that fill our homes aren’t inherently wrong, they are

temporary and fleeting and can easily become burdensome.

In our society we often think that having more than we need is a blessing. I argue that it can be

tiresome and a burden. If you, like me, are living in a small space and struggle with contentment,

here are some reminders of the blessings of less.

1. Less to Clean 

Times of cleaning truly bring out my contentment and thankfulness for a small space. I often think

of how much more of my time would be spent cleaning a larger home. I can vacuum my entire

apartment in less than 10 minutes. I love scrubbing only one toilet! Dusting is a 10 minute breeze.

With less space I’m able to keep a deeper-cleaned home instead of spending most of my energy

keeping things “looking” clean. 

2. Less Chasing 

When we’ve stayed at my parent’s larger home, I’m always amazed at how exhausted I becomefrom chasing little ones. I’m sure this isn’t a huge deal when children are older, but with new

walkers and wobbly toddlers, chasing can become an all day affair. Small spaces allow young ones

the freedom to move around the house without gates and still be within earshot and eyesight of

Mama.

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 22/30

3. Less to Decorate 

Small spaces are not only less intimidating to decorate, but they are much more friendly to the

decorator on a budget. I love decorating a small room to be cozy and functional without the

pressure to find pieces simply to fill empty spaces.

4. Less to Maintain 

Whether large or small, all homes require maintenance. Appliances break down. Furniture wears

out. Walls need new paint. Roofs leak. Lawns need mowing. Smaller spaces can reduce the time and

money spent on keeping a home maintained and comfortable.

5. Less Space for Clutter 

With limited closet and storage space I’m forced to weed out useless clutter due to the lack of

clutter hiding spots. I wouldn’t deal with my clutter nearly as much if it didn’t invade my space soeasily. This lack of space is a blessing! My space keeps me accountable to what we do and don’t

need around the house.

“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and

we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be

content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8 

Whether you are in a large or small home, may your hearts be filled with contentment,

generosity, and thankfulness to the One who provides for our needs so faithfully. 

Simple Steps to Declutter Your Home 

by Lindsayon Aug 13, 2010in frugal & simple, making a home 

Stuff, stuff, stuff! Are you struggling to keep your head above water in maintaining your home in a

simple and peaceful manner? It takes a bit of persistent effort to maintain a simple home, but it is

well worth it, as you can turn your focus towards the more important things in life – relationships

and hospitality. 

I feel like I am always in a mode of decluttering, because I hate things not serving a purpose in my

home. As I have been packing some of our goods in preparation for a potential move, it has helped

me further declutter and seriously evaluate what do I want to take to another home. If it can stay in

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 23/30

boxes for several months, is it really needed? Do I need ten cookbooks? No, I only use two of

them.

For every item that gathers dust, it takes time to clean, maintain, or clear out of the way to

accomplish another task. Let’s join forces in taking an aggressive attack towards clearing away theclutter!

1. Keep Your mission at the forefront

Decluttering is only successful when I keep the right mindset. What is the purpose? So that my

home can be a more peaceful place for the rest and refreshment of my family and those God has

called us to serve in our community and church. I don’t want to be spending hours each day  

housecleaning. Decluttering removes that need. Use the opportunity to teach your kids about giving

generously to bless others with your stuff. Include them in the process.

2. Work room by room

Start decluttering by working room by room throughout your house. Start at the door and do a full

sweep of the room, top to bottom. Empty drawers, cupboards, and closets. Ask yourselves these

questions as you evaluate each item in your home:

Do I use it?

When was the last time it was used?Do I care about it?

Is this item beautifying my home?

Could someone else use it more?  

3. Work quickly and be aggressive

Make sure to work quickly and don’t think too hard about each item.  What is your first instinct? 

The more you think about it, the more you will be able to justify keeping the item.

For clothing, reverse the direction of the hangers for any items that you are unsure about. If they

don’t get worn in the next month, you will know for sure that they need to go. For children’s

clothing, eliminate what clothes you don’t care for or stained. Limit the numbers to 6-8 outfits. For

toys, reserve a few toys per child and remove the rest or rotate them in storage. Kids don’t want or

need tons of toys. It is overwhelming to them.

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 24/30

4. Persevere for the end is worth it!

The initial re-haul may take some time. It took me a solid week, taking one room each day. After the

initial re-haul, maintaining a simple clutter free home is so much easier, and takes a bit of time here

and there – often taking place with the changing of the seasons in my home. I like to take about 30minutes each week to declutter one area of my home.

When you seek to intentionally declutter your home, it makes it so much easier to be a peaceful

and joyful homemaker. It is like a weight is taken off your back. Your spouse will benefit from a

refreshing place to come home to. Your children will be more content. And your home will be more

prepared to minister to others through hospitality. It’s a win win situation! 

Vacation FOOD

This post is brought to you by Passionate Homemaking’s monthly contributor, Michele Augur . 

 Amy asked: “My children are older (11,13,14,15), but many tips will apply to all ages. We are

heading out on a 16 day summer road trip in August. I have filled our trip full of parks, factory tours

and many many other free or low cost activities. I am planning on preparing home cooked food

throughout the entire trip. Normally, I can manage this, but our trips are usually a week or less at atime and we aren’t continuously moving. On this trip, we won’t be in any one place longer than two

nights. I would love any tips from you and your readers on food ideas, entertainment in the vehicle,

etc. I am spending 5 months planning! 

P.S….we are taking a small travel grill, a cooler and in most rooms we will have a fridge and

microwave only. I also plan on taking my large electric griddle for pancakes, etc. That is a about all I

have to work with!”  

I am so excited for you, Amy! Our family loves adventures like these.Preparing home-cooked food while traveling is usually the most frugal and healthy option for

meals on the road. Some advance planning certainly helps, though! Here are some tips to make the

trip go a bit smoother for you (and feel free to jump in with your own suggestions!).

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 25/30

Before a long road trip, I usually write out a flexible meal plan  to work from as I make my

preparations. You can adjust this as you travel, but it helps to make sure you don’t forget anything.  

Plan for plenty of finger food picnics! 

Right before our departure, I schedule a baking day. I prepare items such as cookies, granola, 

granola bars, breads, and muffins for snacks & meals. (These likely won’t last two weeks, but it gives

you a head start.) 

When packing your cooler, use “leak-proof” containers; otherwise your food will get soggy when

the ice melts! Here are some staple items we like to pack:

  Dried & Fresh Fruit 

  Containers of Veggies (already cut into finger food pieces) 

  Homemade Trail Mix (When traveling in hot weather, be wary of carrying chocolate, which

can melt!) 

  Shelf-staple treats, such as Peanut Brittle 

  Jars of Peanut Butter 

  Eggs (Hard-boil some ahead of time, and pack raw ones in an egg holder  ; cardboard egg

cartons dissolve in a cooler full of ice!) 

  Nitrate-free Hot Dogs, Pepperoni Sticks, Smoked Salmon, Jerky, etc. from a local meat

market

  Cheese (already sliced, and stored in a container in the cooler, or containers of Feta ) 

  Quick-Cooking Grains (such as oats, quinoa, or millet) for hearty “one pot” meals boiled on

a camp stove (or you can microwave quick-cooking oats). 

  Beans (You can cook some ahead of time, or pack dry or canned beans. Lentils and Split

Peas are especially quick-cooking.) 

  Tortillas (These are your space-saving foods for the end of your trip, when the baked goods

run out, and are a lightweight option for packing on a day hike.)  

  Canned Fish (Choose a healthy & sustainable option, such as wild Alaskan salmon.)

  Lots of  Pancake Mix (Prepare your own homemade “mix” ahead of time! When your br ead

runs out, make a big batch of pancakes at breakfast, and make sandwiches out of them for

lunch.) 

  Jars of Homemade Yogurt (You can use this in salads, dips , or for breakfasts with fruit &

granola. )

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 26/30

  Popcorn (Pop a big batch to take with you, or pop some over a campfire/camp stove.)  

  Water (Make sure everyone has their own water bottle for the car, and fills them up before

heading out for the day.)

Photo credit 

Meal Ideas: 

  Grilled Meats & Veggies (You can take along Shish Kebab sticks for a great “finger food”

meal! Try eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, or onions) 

  Campfire Roasted Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes (Wrap in foil, and tuck into the coals. Stuff

with beans, cheese, & veggies after roasting)   Wraps (Our favorites are a combination of Salad Greens, Pear Slices, Feta, and Dried

Cranberries in Whole-Grain Tortillas , or  Black Bean Wraps. ) 

  Veggie & Cheese Omelets (You can even do “breakfast for dinner.”) 

  Fish Cakes (on the griddle) 

  Grilled Fish or Chicken at dinner can be transformed into salad sandwiches for lunch the

next day.

When packing your kitchen supplies, take the bare minimum you need to prepare and wash up

quickly  , so that you can get back out on the road! 

Kitchen Staples/Utensils: 

  Knives (Find ones with their own cover, so they can travel safely.)

  Can Opener

  Cutting Board

  Biodegradable “All-Purpose” Soap (such as castile soap ) & a scrubber for washing your

utensils

  A set of dishes for each person (Wash immediately after use, so you’re not carrying dirty

dishes!) 

  A few favorite spices: Cinnamon, an Herb Blend, and Salt & Pepper are usually sufficient  

  I like to take a heat-resistant silicone spatula/scraper/spreader, which works for almost

everything!

  While you’re at hotels, remember to restock your cooler with ice (so you aren’t buying ice

as often).

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 27/30

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 28/30

life  – how you use your time and how you relate to your possessions), and finally financial clarity

(simplicity of spending – how you relate to your money).

Hebrews 12:1-2  states, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily

entangles. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…” 

This book is a call to acknowledge honestly what is really holding us back. “Throw it off” as Hebrews

describes. Get it out of your lives and thoughts, for even good things can lead to sin, if we become

consumed with it and turn it into an idol. Nancy shares,  “Even nobl e pursuits become clutter when

they endanger our sanity and leave us with no time to connect with God.”   You will encounter

struggles in the battle (it is hard to say “no”), but remember to keep fixing your eyes on Jesus! He is

our Source! He provides the ability to lay aside the clutter in our life and be set free through Christ

Jesus. “Through the toughest times in our spiritual lives, it’s our God -empowered persistence that

keeps us moving forward.”  

“Our suitcases are filled with all kinds of dead weight: habits we need to give up, attitudes we’ve

long since outgrown, and activities and possessions that no longer serve a reasonable purpose.”  Are

you ready to clean out those suitcases? Then, I strongly encourage you to find a copy of this book,

and prayerfully read and journal through it. Nancy provides very thoughtful clutter buster questions

at the end of each chapter that will provide you with strategic tools for destroying the clutter in

your life. She also provides a wealth of practical tips for diagnosing and attacking the clutter in the

inner, outer, and financial areas of life.

I personally have grown a lot in understanding how to simplify my life in the outer realm, but while

reading this book, I realized how much I had yet to grow in simplifying my life in the inner realm.

The Lord has graciously used this book to help provide so much more inner clarity and purpose that

I have ever experienced!

I’m eager to read her other book: Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful

Holidays and Special Occasions! It’s the perfect time of year! 

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 29/30

Christina asked: I had a question on how to simplify my bookshelves. I went to conferences on the

value of collecting and keeping godly books and lets just say I’ve gotten quite a collection! How do

you determine what books should be saved? My Aunt said the likelihood of my reading a book twice

is minimal so I should just get rid of all of my books. But others say there may be books I want my

 future children to read for a “generational library” and that godly books are hard to come by! I

definitely want to de-clutter my shelves but I really have no clue how to go about it! Any advice you

can give me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!!! 

Books! Oh glorious books! I am a huge fan of reading myself and it can be easy to amass a large

collection, especially if you practice frugal book reading and buying practices.  It is definitely very

wise to collect books, especially if you can choose them carefully. Books can be very dangerous as

well. It is best to take wise precautions and ask thoughtful questions before even purchasing a

book. These same questions can be asked as you simplify your collection.

Is this book beneficial and edifying?

Would I or did I grow as a result of this read?

Or is/was it fluffy (light in truth and not really stretching my understanding)?

Would I read it again?

Would this book help build mine or my children’s intellect as a result of this read?  

Did it stretch me?

Does this book truthfully retell history?

Does this really deserve a place on my shelf?  

Books you will find on my bookshelf include: Christian living (not just light weight books but books

that really challenge and grow me spiritually), Bible-study helps, historical books (learn from history

or we shall be doomed to repeat it  – books that truthfully detail the past), good solid classics (that

we enjoy as a family and/or my children will benefit from in the future), and lots of biographies. I

love learning about the lives of those who have gone before me, especially missionary biographies. I

honestly have only a few select fictional books.

There is definitely a place for fun and light reading, especially on those nights when you can’t sleep,but those books can easily be found at the library and do not need to take up space on your shelves.

If a book really truly deserves a place on your shelf, make sure it gets good use after you have

completed it. Loan out your books to family and friends. Start a loaning library or donate books to

your church’s library. Share your books and see others be blessed as a result. This is one simple way

8/13/2019 Summer & Simplify

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/summer-simplify 30/30

of being generous! Don’t just let them sit and collect dust for years…make them worth the

purchase!

If a book does not deserve a place on your shelf, pass it on! Sell it on  Cash4Books or Ebay or simply

give it away.

Simplifying the Home School Resource Collection

For all the home school mommies out there, consider giving your input on simplifying the home

school resources collection. Some of the above evaluation questions may be helpful, but I would

love to hear from those with a bit more experience than I.

Heather asked: I have 7 children and we are relaxed homeschoolers, so the education of my children

 partially depends on the material we have just hanging around our house, so I keep alot of books. Ido use the library, but I also purchase many. There is no telling what the children will be interested

in the next day. So getting rid of books is tough. Do you have any helpful guidelines on

keeping/getting rid of books?  

What tips do you have to share on managing the book collections? Do you have any specific tips for

managing home school resources? Please share!