How to Make Money Blogging

I don't blog a whole lot about blogging here, as that is not the main purpose of this blog.

However, I do realize that many homemakers are looking for ways to make money from home.

Therefore, I do have a couple resources available for you.

First, if you don't yet have a blog, you can go here and use my step-by-step instructions to set up your blog.

Second, if you're looking for specific ways to make money with your blog, you can download the quick start guide here for all of my best ideas!

Natural Cleaning With Norwex (Christmas Gift Guide)

Today I'm reviewing another product that was sent in for the Christmas Gift Guide.  Be sure to check out all the ideas there!  You'll find plenty of ideas that will interest you as well as help to support some of your fellow homemakers.

If you're trying to remove toxins from your home, a good place to start is with your cleaning supplies.  Many of them contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that are not good for you or kids to be breathing.

An extremely simple way to get started switching to natural cleaning products is to use Norwex products.  I was sent the household package to try out, which includes an Envirocloth, a Window Cloth, and a Dusting Mitt.

This package gives everything you need for most of the common cleaning you would do.

When using Norwex cloths, all you do is add water to the cloth and clean like you normally would.  The specially-made fibers attract and trap dirt much more effectively than a regular cloth does.  The cloth can hold up to seven times it weight (in other words you can clean a very dirty surface without having to rinse your rag!)  Antibacterial silver woven into the fibers inhibits bacterial odor, mold, and/or mildew growth within the cloth.  Your cleaning cloths will not get nasty and have to be thrown away like a regular rag would.

I enjoyed using the dusting mitt to clean my ceiling fans.  It made the job much easier since my hand was completely encased in the cloth.

My kids had a little different idea.  They decided to clean the bathroom floor with it.  At least they tried to be helpful, right?

My favorite item by far, though, is the window cloth.

I absolutely love how well the window cloth cleans glass.  All you need is water, and there are no streaks!

I can wet the rag and turn my kids loose to go wash windows without worrying about letting them use window cleaner or whether there will be streaks all over the window!

My mother-in-law bought me something very similar for Christmas several years ago, and I loved it!  If you're Christmas shopping for other ladies you know, I am sure any homemaker would be grateful for anything that will make her job easier.

If you're interested in finding out more about Norwex products, you can connect with Michelle Morgan on Facebook, and she will be happy to answer any questions that you have!

I'm looking forward to exploring some of the other products Norwex offers.  They have a large selection of non-toxic cleaning products as well as personal care products.

Which product would you want to try first?

Teach Your Kids to Clean Up Their Own Messes (5 Tips from Experienced Moms)

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.  #EurekaPower #CollectiveBias

Is it really possible to teach kids how to clean up their own messes?

I'm still working on this with my own children.  I have a lot of things that I work hard to implement, but I wanted some experienced “been there, done that” moms to speak out so I could make sure I was on the right track.  Thankfully a lot of you chimed in on Facebook with what has worked for you.

I've compiled it all here into a (hopefully) logical format for the benefit of all of us younger mothers.  You know as well as I do how quickly the messes appear!  Teaching kids to clean up their own messes will not only save heaps of time in our own homes, but it will also help our children become responsible adults with good habits that will greatly help them to achieve harmony in their own families.

1.  Start teaching them early.

Teaching children from the get-go how to clean up their own messes makes it so much easier later on down the road!  From the moment they are able to make a mess, they can be taught how to clean it up.  My children have all been able to throw away trash and put toys in a basket or bin beginning right around age one.

Little ones can understand more than we sometimes give them credit for!  Tell your child, “Put it in the trash can” while gently holding their hand and helping them drop it in.  They will get the hang of it very quickly.

2. Stay consistent.

This one is tough if you are expecting immediate results.  You won't.  Anything worth having takes time, and if you want a child who knows how to clean up his own messes, you'll have to take the time to teach him how.  And you'll have to stick it out to see that he does it every single time.  If your child is old enough to do a craft, he is old enough to put the supplies back in the box.  If he can cut up the construction paper into itty bitty pieces, he can vacuum all the pieces that fell on the floor.  Don't do it for him, even if it would be faster for you to do it yourself.

Developing routines can also help kids get in the habit of cleaning up after themselves.  If you have them make their bed every single day as soon as they get up, it will become second nature to them.  If you always have them straighten up their room right before they go to bed, it will (hopefully someday, eventually) become a habit.  (I'm still waiting for this to happen.  Just being real here.)

If there are consequences for failing to clean up after themselves, kids can get the hang of things very quickly!  Toys left all over their bedroom floor?  Take them away for a week and see how well they remember to put them away next time!  On the flip side, be sure to reward any effort they're making to implement good habits.  (I noticed you made your bed every day this week without being told!  I think that calls for a second helping of dessert for you!)

3. Make it easy

Make cleaning up as easy as possible and it will help your child tremendously.  If there is a huge mess, children can get overwhelmed very easily and give up because it looks too hard or they don't know where to start.  (We adults do the same thing, don't we?)

Here are some ways to help make cleaning up easier for them:

• Don't give them too much stuff in the first place.  The less they have, the less they can scatter everywhere.
• Don't let them get out another toy until the first one is put away.  This goes along with the point about consistency. It's important to help your child develop good habits.
•  Sometimes things get out of hand: the aftermath of a playdate, a day out of routine, etc.  When there's a gigantic mess, help them focus on one small area at a time.  (Put all the books on the shelf; now put the army men in the container; etc.)
• Have a specific place for everything.  Make it clear where things go.  Use labels.  If they can't read, label with pictures.
• Use baskets and bins so they can put everything away quickly and easily.
• For messes beyond toys, keep the appropriate cleaning supplies at their level so they can easily access what they need.  I keep large towels handy for them to wipe up spills as well as some non-toxic cleaner and rags.

I also like to let my oldest (he's 7) vacuum the floors.  It's a huge help because there is constantly a nice collection dirt, crumbs, and tiny bits of paper on the floor.  With a baby in the house who puts everything in her mouth, it's a priority to keep all that cleaned up.  (Not to mention it doesn't exactly look beautiful to have a filthy floor.)

After 8 years of using the same vacuum, though, it was time for a little upgrade.  A quick trip to Walmart remedied that situation and I found myself with the Eureka Suction Seal 2.0 .  (Read all the way to the bottom of this post to see what I think of it.)

4. Lead by example.

(What was I saying about making the bed?)  Seriously, how can you expect your children to clean up their own messes when your own room is always a mess?  And don't be afraid to jump in and help when they have their own messes to clean up.  Doing it for them and helping them are two different things.

5. Make it fun

Getting frustrated, yelling or acting like a slave driver are not the best ways to help kids get their work done. Make it fun instead.  Have a race to see who can put 10 things away the fastest.  Or race the timer to see if they can clean their room before the timer goes off.

Speaking of fun, my kids thought I had gone crazy when I told them we were going to break in our new vacuum the other night.  I gave them a bowl of flour and let them throw it all over their room.  You can see the whole video on instagram.

So, how do we like it?

Well, you know that silly little meme about vacuuming the same piece of paper over and over?

I didn't have to do that with the Eureka Suction Seal 2.0!

The Suction Seal technology consists of special plates that raise and lower against the surface maintaining suction and seal without scattering debris.

Also, the Air Speed technology uses a wide tube of air with minimal bends and twists that allows air to move freely across a shorter and more direct path.

You can see a video of it in action here.

I have a combo of carpet and wood floors in my house, so it's really nice to have a button that I can push with my foot to switch back and forth between the two.

And THIS.  This, my friends is a retractable cord.  Love!  No more winding.

It's easy enough for my 7 year old to use it and powerful enough that when he runs it over the floor too quickly it still sucks up the mess.  (Let me just tell you; he had a blast with this photo shoot.  Dumping flour on the floor?  Playing with mom's new vacuum?  He was all too happy to help!)

Although normally $148.88 (which is totally worth it in my opinion), it's actually on rollback throughout the month of November for $129.00.  Definitely worth considering if you're in the market for a new vacuum.  I love that it has all the attachments too.

So which of these tips for teaching kids to clean up their own messes do you think you need to work on the most?

Parent Like You’ve Overslept (Christian Parenting)

What does Christian parenting have to do with oversleeping?

“Oh no!  The alarm didn't go off and now we have to leave in less than an hour!”

Ever been there on a Sunday morning? My husband and I have.

We dash to the kids' rooms and start throwing their covers off.  “Quick! Get up!  Go potty right away and head to the breakfast table.  I'll set out a granola bar for you.  Scarf it down as quickly as possible, wash your hands, and in the meantime I'll lay your clothes out on your bed.  Get yourself dressed, put your shoes on, and start brushing your hair.”

While the kids eat a granola bar or some other hastily thrown together “breakfast”, we do as promised and lay out their clothes so they can go straight to their rooms to get dressed.  Somewhere in the mayhem we try to find a second to sneak into our room and throw on our own clothes.

I head to the bathroom to put some order to my hair and simultaneously holler out instructions to the kids. “Yes, sweetie,  you put your undershirt on first.  Whoops, go switch your shoes around; they're on the wrong feet.”  I can hear my husband telling a boy to stand still while he helps him get his belt through the belt-loops.

A quick brush of hair here, a record-breaking tying of shoes there, and somehow we all find ourselves buckled into the Suburban.  My husband and I look at each other and say with a relieved sigh,  “Whew.  We made it.”

Almost inevitably one of us will remark on the ride to church, “How is it that on the days we wake up late we end up getting to church earlier than when we get up on time?”

As I thought about this scenario I realized that we should model our parenting after a late Sunday morning dash to church.

I couldn't help but think of Moses' mother and the few years she had to teach him about who he really was and who God is.

We  become more efficient with our time when the realization of how limited it is bears down heavily upon us. (Click to tweet that.)

We knew we had to hurry or we'd be late for church.  Moses' mother Jochebed knew she had to use every waking moment to instill an unshakeable foundation of faith into her son before she relinquished him to live in the Egyptian palace.

But I'm afraid our parenting ends up being patterned after a “we got up early; we've got all the time in the world” Sunday morning.

We think we've got plenty of time to teach our kids what they need to know.  So we don't capitalize on every moment.  We play a game on our phone when we could be teaching them a verse.  We watch a movie when we could be reading the Bible as a family.  “Later,” we say.  “We've got plenty of time to do that.”

But in the blink of an eye we find ourselves celebrating another birthday.  Our child is another year older, then another, then another.  Until suddenly, eighteen birthdays have come and gone and our child is ready to leave the nest.  “Wait!” we think.  “There are still a lot of things you need to know!  I don't think you're prepared to face the onslaughts of this wicked world!”

But it's too late, mom.  It's too late, dad.  Ready or not, the time of departure is here.  You wasted time because you thought you had plenty of it.

How in the world was Moses' mother able to accomplish so much teaching in such a short amount of time?  How did her son stand up for his faith in Jehovah when he only lived in his home for a few short years before spending the rest of his youth in the Egyptian palace?

Here is what I believe must have happened, and what we as parents in this wicked world must practice before our children leave our own homes:

1. Remove the non-essentials

When Jochebed knew how limited her time with her son would be, I doubt she spent even one single minute gossiping with the neighbors, sewing a new dress for herself, or whatever it was that Hebrew women did for entertainment.

On a late Sunday morning, my husband and I fore-go a nice breakfast, skip out on making our bed, and make do with an old hair bow for our daughter if we can't find her new one.

As a Christian parent, what can you eliminate from your life to make more time to teach your child God's Word?  Do you need to delete the games off your phone or give up some of the outside activities that keep you running every night of the week?

2. Maximize every moment

Even without non-essential fluff filling up her time, Jochebed's window of opportunity for teaching her son was still severely limited.  She had to maximize every moment of the day.  When she was kneading bread, she was probably teaching Moses.  When she was washing clothes, he was at her side learning about God.  When she was sweeping the Egyptian dust from the floor of her home, she was talking to her son about Jehovah.

Deuteronomy 6:6-8 says:

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

No matter what we are doing, we can be teaching our children about Christ.  My children often sit up on a stool while I'm cooking dinner and we memorize verses.  Use every day situations to teach your children Biblical truths.  When you're eating grapes, teach them that Jesus is the true vine and that they cannot do anything without him.  Every moment can be used profitably, but you must constantly be watching for ways to do so.

3. Keep going even when you're tired.

Moses' parents were slaves in Egypt.  No doubt they worked incredibly hard and were bone-tired pretty much all the time.  But they didn't let that stop them from taking care of what was most important – teaching their child about his God.

I admit; I fall short in this area far too often.  When we've been gone all day and don't get home until late, it's so tempting to send the kids straight to bed without family prayer time.  Or when we're having a busy day, it's easy to skip things that would be part of normal routine, like reading the Bible together.  But the hard days are really the days when we need God the most!  When we say “Not today; I'm exhausted!” we are teaching our kids by our actions that we don't really need God's help.

When my child has committed the same offense 354 times in a row, I really don't feel like dealing with it any more.  I'd rather go hide in my room, bury my nose in a book and forget my troubles ever existed.  But those are the times my child needs instruction the most!  He is obviously struggling with something, and I need to help him work through it God's way rather than leaving him to sort through it on his own. As a parent, these things are emotionally exhausting.  But it's a battle you can't afford to lose!  Stay in the fight!

4. Live with a sense of urgency.

Jochebed knew her days with Moses were numbered.  She tried to cram in everything she possibly could to those few short years with her son.

When we wake up late on a Sunday morning, the prevailing atmosphere in our home is “Hurry, hurry, hurry!  Don't talk; it will slow you down.  If there is any possible way to complete any part of the morning routine faster or more efficiently, do it!”

When it comes to parenting, the sense of urgency must be the same.  Don't slow down.  Don't get distracted.  Keep the pressure on.

Ephesians 5:15-16 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

5. Never give up.

If we wake up late on a Sunday, we could say “Oh well.  I guess we won't make it this morning.  Might as well go back to bed.”

But if we did we would miss all the blessings that come from a day of worship and of fellowship with believers.  (Not to mention we'd be disobedient to God's command not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.)

The stakes are even higher when it comes to teaching our children the word of God.

There are days when I have literally said “This is impossible!  My kids are not listening to a word I say!”  But giving up is not the answer.  To give up on teaching them the Word of God is to give up on an eternal soul!

As I close, I want to share with you the 3 things that we need to focus on teaching our children:

First, they need to have a Biblical understanding of their own personal salvation.  You can teach a child to parrot phrases like, “I am a sinner.”  “Sin has a penalty.”  “Jesus died on the cross to pay that penalty.”  “I need to trust Jesus to save me from my sins.”  But if they do not know from scripture that these things are true they will never become more than just that: parroted phrases.  When speaking to your child about salvation, focus more on teaching them the scriptures that point to Jesus as the only way to heaven rather than trying to get them to memorize the “right answers”.

Once your children have professed salvation through Christ, they need to know why and how to live a holy life.  Again, point them to the Scriptures rather than your own words.  Teach them what the Bible says they must do to be obedient (obey parents, speak the truth, be kind to others, etc.) then teach them that they cannot obey in their own strength.  Teach them what the Bible says about putting off the old man and putting on the new man, about renewing their minds, and about hiding God's word in their heart that they might not sin against him.  Teach them how to detect and avoid the wiles of the devil by putting on the whole armor of God.

Finally, teach them how to win the lost to Christ.  God commands every believer to “preach the gospel to every creature”, and we need to send our children out equipped to do so.  Teach them not just what to believe, but why they should believe it.  Their beliefs will be challenged by the world, and they need to know how to defend their faith and stand boldly for the gospel.

Make scripture pre-eminent in your home.

Teach it. Memorize it. Live it.

And parent like you've overslept.

.. now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Rom. 13:11

DoTERRA Essential Oils Review

Today I have another review for you as part of our Christmas Gift Guide.  (Make sure you check out all the ideas there!)

I've been using essential oils for cleaning for a long time.

But there are so many more ways to use essential oils!

My fellow blogger Virginia George also sells DoTERRA oils, and she sent me this lovely starter kit to review.

The thing I liked most was the sheet of 101 uses for Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint that came with it.

I read over the whole thing when I first received the kit, and have gone back and referred to it several times since.

A few examples of what I've done with the oils:

1. Lemon – added to my mop water to help loosen some of the gunk on the floor.

2. Lavender – used to help remove a splinter from my son's finger

3. Peppermint – put it in a diffuser to relax me when I had a headache

Seriously, there were so many practical uses for just these three oils!  I can't imagine what all you could do with more of the oils from doTERRA!

I'm pretty conservative when it comes to essential oil usage.  I always want to make sure they're diluted properly, and I don't ingest (controversial I know, but that's my personal stance.)  But even so, there are plenty of ways to use these oils.

One thing that impressed me in particular about Virginia as a rep. is that she is super helpful.  She reached out to me several times to check if I had any questions or needed help using the oils.   In fact, this is her business motto: When you enroll in doTERRA with Virginia, you don't just get a product, you get a friend. And step by step help to navigate the world of essential oils, natural health, and how to integrate oils into your lifestyle. 

If you're wanting to get started with essential oils, I highly recommend hooking up with Virginia. She will help you get started and help you find the right oil to address your particular health needs.

If you know someone who enjoys a more “natural” way of doing things, this would make a fantastic gift.  You can see how the starter kit is packaged in an attractive box that makes it perfect for a gift.

Check out everything Virginia has to offer here.

Disclosure: I received the starter kit free of charge to facilitate this review.  However, as always, all opinions are 100% my own.

To the Mama Who Feels Like a Failure

Guest post by Laura Carnes

To the Mama Who Feels Like a Failure,

I guess I never felt like a failure growing up. My parents were amazingly supportive and encouraging. I made good grades and always felt school was pretty easy. (Well, there was that one quiz in Geometry, but let’s not talk about that). All went well, until I got married and had children. Great heavens, that was the beginning of what felt like a horrid down-hill spiral of FAILURE!

I forgot everything, never could remember where I put the diaper bag, much less if I put wipes and diapers in it. All those lovely stories about “knowing your child’s cry” and having this amazing “bond’ with your child just seemed to mock my inabilities even more. I remember many times looking down into the adorable albeit dirty faces of my beloved children and thinking “I have no clue what I am doing. I don’t think I understand a word they are saying or vice versa”. I finally came to the conclusion that motherhood definitely does NOT highlight my best skills AT ALL. Truth be told I realized that I FELT like a BIG FAT FAILURE!

I messed up altogether too often.

I yelled, actually yelled, at my kids. I can’t remember my Mama ever yelling at me and my sisters.

My house was never FULLY clean and my kids ate –brace yourselves- CANDY! We even ate cereal for supper sometimes. And heaven forbid, they get sick and need a prescription.Like I was going to remember the dosage for 10 straight days. Forget about it!

The horror of it all was starting to weigh on me. I was (and sometimes still am,) tired, overwhelmed, and yes, a bit emotionally unstable! At some point you finally have to admit what is going on in your home and face it.

And there it is- GUILT. Big, ugly, you aren’t good enough and never will be- guilt!

Then, I realized- I really can’t be a good mother on my own and furthermore I think God agrees with me!

Isn’t that the point? I have come to the conclusion that every circumstance and life situation God puts us in to further our dependence on Him and remind us of our deep abiding need to allow Him to be for us what we can not be on our own. (Click to tweet that!)

That includes Motherhood!

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and he shall bring it to pass.”

There it is in plain black and white. I was trying my hardest to understand, and remember, and stay awake, and etc. etc.

God’s desire is for us to trust. Rest in Him and the ability only he can give.

John 3:3 “He must increase but I must decrease.”

Was I doing all this to be big in my kids eyes or to show them how BIG my God is?!  (Click to tweet.)

Practically though, the Lord taught me a few lessons (and still is) about what to do when I fail my family:

1. It is not only okay to ask your children’s forgiveness when you mess up, it is actually GOOD for them to see you apologize and admit when you have failed. Be real with your kids, because honestly, they usually already know that you messed up. We tell them to be honest with us, then proceed to try and hide our own failings. They not only know, but tend to resent the inconsistency. Admit you were wrong and ask for forgiveness. Model the right way to handle your sin and be a good example of working through your mistakes. They need to learn that from someone that loves them.

2. It is not wrong to ask for help. I repeat, it is not wrong to ask for help. I have found that when I really communicate my needs to my husband, he makes a concerted effort to step up to the plate. He often just doesn’t realize that I need help or if he does, is not sure what specifically I need. Men appreciate specifics! Well, mine does and I am sure I am not alone. Which brings me to:

3. YOU are not the first mama to feel this way! You are not alone. I am sure that not all Mamas feel this way…well, at least not everyday. And neither will you! It is just that – a feeling! My parents were constantly reminding us that “Feelings should not determine actions.” (Tweet) Just because you feel like a failure doesn’t mean you are. Take a step back, a deep breath and then keep moving forward.

I recently have taken up running as exercise and- well let’s just admit it- time for my sanity. The principle of endurance has been reinforced everyday in my sweat and tears. The only way to reach your goal is to keep moving even when you want to quit. The only true failure is quitting.  (Tweet) If you are still trying, and learning, and growing, and making mistakes, and doing better the next time, then you are not a failure, my friend. You are a human!

Parenting may not highlight my best features, but it certainly reveals what needs my focus- dependence on the GOD who is the GREAT I AM when I am nothing.

Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!”

Isn’t that good to know?  Because right now I need to go. My kids are calling!

Love,

A mama who's been there

P.S. Don’t wish the years away! The days are long, but the years are short.

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