Why You Need to Embrace This Season of Life

It is very late — probably later at night than I've ever blogged before.  But this is the first time I've had a quiet moment for the past, oh, week or so, and I wanted to snatch the opportunity to put some of my thoughts down on (virtual) paper.

It's been a busy time in our family's life, and of course it comes just as I was seeming to find a good routine after our latest baby was added to the family.  (It always takes me forever to get my ducks in a row!)

My nice little routine was upturned and our family entered a season of busyness as we help my in-laws get their house ready to sell after having lived in it for years and years and years.  (It's a lot of work when you've lived in a house that long!)

You know that term “it's just a season of life”?  It's so true.  We all have seasons in our lives.  Sometimes the term refers to a very long period of time, such as the season of life when you have kids in “the nest” and the new season when they're grown and gone.  But sometimes a  season of life is just a short little stretch that is defined by a certain event, such as having a newborn in the house, canning and preserving season if you're the kind that grows a big garden, moving, a loved one who is ill and for whom you are caring until they are better, etc.

But no matter whether the season is short or very long, it seems like most of the time I hear the term being referenced, it is with an air of wistfulness for it to be over and on to the next season.  Well-meaning mothers who know their proper role and are making their families their priority will say “I'm in that season where I need to focus on my family.  When my kids are grown and gone I will have time to pursue my dream of…” (writing, art, etc.  — you fill in the blank.)  That is true and noble.

When you're in a short season of busyness as with a move or other transitional period, you might say, “Well this is just a season, but I can't wait until this is over with.”  I actually made a similar statement regarding the situation our family is in right now.  I wasn't complaining; just stressed and tired and looking forward to being “unstressed” and “untired”.

But while remembering that life comes in seasons is good, and entering those seasons without complaint is even better, why should we wish those seasons away?  Why can't we embrace whatever season it is in which we find ourselves, knowing that God has brought those particular circumstances into our lives for His divine purposes?

In seasons of busyness, tiredness, and stress, he reminds us to depend fully on Him.  (Isn't that great that those seasons follow times of peace and calm when it's so tempting to think we've got it all together and forget to depend on Him?)

I for one am going to not just accept the fact that this is a season and look forward to the next season that is more enjoyable; I am going to embrace right where God has put me today!  I'm going to soak up every lesson that is there for the learning.  I'm going to depend on Him to give me strength when I'm tired.  And I'm going to thank Him that He knows exactly what is best for me!

I hope I've encouraged you today to do the same, no matter what season it is in which you find yourself right now!

P.S.  Can I let you in on a little secret?  That “next season” that you're looking forward to so much?  It doesn't usually turn out exactly as you'd envisioned anyway.  I'm not saying your entire life will be one of living from miserable experience to miserable experience; I'm just saying life will pan out differently than what you have planned for yourself.  But that's because the Master Designer has a much better plan!  Will you embrace each aspect of it as it comes your way?

15 Self-Directed Activities for Toddlers

With the homeschool year about to start, I am once again faced with the question of “What do I do with the little ones?”  I need them to stay occupied so I can help the older ones with their schoolwork, and I need something that will hold their attention for a good while.

Here are some ideas that meet all of those qualifications.

Popsicle Stick Puzzles

Popsicle stick color matching

Build a cupcake

Building with velcro and craft sticks

Pipe cleaners and a spice jar

Button practice with felt

Clothespin Color Match

Weaving with pipe cleaners and a cooling rack

Practicing shapes with stickers

Popsicle Stick Shape matching

Pom poms and tweezers

Printable Sewing Cards

Block puzzles

I spy book

Magnetic items and a cookie sheet

If you want even more ideas, you'll want to check out my newest eBook!  You'll find a selection of ideas that isn't too hard for you to set up for your children but will keep them occupied for a good while!  Take a look here!

Bloggers: Take Better Photos With Your Phone Using SHOTBOX!

I'm definitely not a photography expert. Not by a long shot. (No pun intended.) But I do know this – lighting is everything.
You've probably seen the bloggers who DIY some sort of lighting setup for themselves. But I write to bloggers who are BUSY homemakers trying to blog in their spare time.  We just don't have time for fancy setups (and we might not know how either!) We also don't have space to store it. Hence, our photos are not great or we fore-go photos altogether, which we really shouldn't.
Enter SHOTBOX.
I was recently at a conference where the inventor was demonstrating it and I bought it immediately. It's EXACTLY what we bloggers need for our busy selves. We get the right lighting for our photos, any time of the day or night, and then we can collapse the thing in a second and store it out of the way when we're done.

They are on KickStarter right now, trying to get funding. But that's a good thing for you because it means the prices are discounted until they are fully funded. So basically if you buy now through the KickStarter it's quite a bit cheaper than if you wait.
I called my husband to tell him about it and ask what he thought and he said right away, “I think you should get it!”
Even though I don't take a ton of photos, in the long run it's going to save me a lot of time and a lot of trouble as well as help this very poor photographer get some decent pictures for her blog. The fact that I can snap awesome pictures just using my phone is going to be fantastic. These are just a few samples of stuff that was taken on a phone camera:

I signed up to be an affiliate because I knew I had to come home and tell you all about it, (see…there's my affiliate disclosure) but I would have told you about it affiliate or not. It's going to be a game changer for so many of us.
(Although, their affiliate program is rather problematic right now, and it will only track if you actually click through the link and buy at that exact time. If you'd pretty please come back and go through my link again if you decide to snatch one up [you should while they're discounted so much] I would love you.)

Brainstorm with me:  What would you use the SHOTBOX for?

(One cool thing people are doing with them is stop motion videos with Legos.  Can you imagine how much your kids would love using it to start their own YouTube channel?)

If you're a busy homemaker trying to keep up with a blog, you'll definitely want to join our Facebook group, The Busy Homemaker's Guide to Blogging for Profit.

What Your Child Needs to Know About Obedience

As mothers, we know we should be teaching children to obey.  They need to do what they're told — right?

But are you really training your children to obey, or are you just trying to get them to do what you want them to do?

For example:

You tell your child to clean up their room.  5 minutes later you come by and they are still sitting in the floor doodling with a toy.  You say it a little more firmly, “I SAID clean your room!”  A few minutes later and there might be one thing put away.  You say even louder “Clean your room NOW!”

“Ooh, mom's starting to get louder now.  She's starting to get more serious about this.”

When you repeat yourself over and over and your children know that you don't really mean business until you get loud enough, you are not really teaching them to obey.  You are teaching them to stay out of trouble.

They are not doing what they're told for the right reasons.

Do you want your children to obey because God says so and because they want to please him, or do you want them to obey because they might get in trouble if they don't?

What will happen to them when they're adults and there is no one there to correct them when they make a wrong choice?

The motivation for teaching your children to obey should be so that they can learn to be Godly adults.  Training children that all they need to do is to stay out of trouble is setting them up for disaster further down the road.  You'll end up with a teenager (and later an adult) who has the mindset that he can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn't get caught.

I don't think that's what you want.

So what should you do?

First, you should teach them from the Scriptures why they need to obey.  If you need a resource to guide you, the Obedience Bible Study from Not Consumed is very good and includes interactive ideas to reinforce what you're teaching your kids.  You can purchase it here.

Second, you should show your children by your actions that staying out of trouble is not the goal.  Don't let them disobey until you get angry or frustrated enough to finally discipline them.  Expect obedience the first time they're told, and administer the appropriate correction as soon as they disobey.

Do you need to work on correcting your children right away?  Are you concerned that neglecting to do so may harm them spiritually?

Honeydew Melon with Mint

Guest post by Imperfect Homemaker contributor Andrea.

I don't really like the summer.  I'm not all about tans, sunscreen, beaches, or anything hot.  I am definitely more of a winter girl.  I love the snow…except in New York City.  But that's a different story.  I don't enjoy going to the beach, or sitting in the hot sun.  But one of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh fruit and vegetables that are easily obtained.  I especially enjoy honeydew melon.  Last year a friend introduced me to honeydew on a whole new level – add some fresh mint!

I have some windowsill herbs that constitute the entirety of my urban garden.  Peppermint is one of the plants that I haven't killed off yet, so I just snipped off a few springs.  After chunking up my honeydew, I added the chopped mint.  It adds a whole new dimension to the juicy melon that makes it even more of a treat!  You can add a peppermint garnish, too.  If you want to dress it up even more, add some chopped cucumber for a flavorful salad.  If you don't grow peppermint at home, you can probably find some at your local farmer's market, along with other fresh herbs.

This is one thing about summer that I can love!

What I’ve Learned About Homemaking From the Older Generation

Perhaps when you saw the title of this post you envisioned all the domestic skills of days gone by.  You imagined an older lady teaching me how to can food from the garden, wash clothes by hand, or knit blankets.

But that's not where I'm going with this at all.

I've been watching the older ladies I know, and I've learned a lot about homemaking from them without their ever saying a word to me.

When I go to church, here's what I see:

I see ladies whose bodies are old and worn out.  When they walk up the steps to the choir loft or go downstairs to teach their Sunday School classes I see them hobbling along and hear the occasional “Mmph” that involuntarily escapes their lips as they wince in pain.

Their tired eyes betray the sleepless night they've spent as they tossed and turned in pain.

But still they serve, week after week, without a single word of complaint.

The excitement over the privilege of serving God overrides the weariness and pain that their worn-out bodies feel.

It's not easy or convenient for them to serve the Lord in these ways, but they do it anyway.  They love the Lord and want to be faithful to serve him until they no longer have any breath in their body.

Then I try to imagine these ladies in their younger days, their lives full of children to love and housework to be done.

I imagine them as young wives and mothers fighting weariness and discouragement, often feeling overwhelmed, but never giving up as they fulfilled God's calling to love their husbands, love their children, and to be keepers at home (Titus 2:4-5.)

I want to be like that!  I want to follow their example of perseverance when the days are difficult and tiring.  I don't want to give up when the going gets tough.

Will you join me in following the example of the older generation and work diligently to build your home?

Will you persevere through the most difficult days?

Will you do all this with joy, counting it a privilege to serve your King in this noble task to which you have been assigned?

Will your sunset years find you still serving others as well as your health allows, the younger generation of wives and mothers observing your faithfulness to your home and family and to the Lord?

Or will you leave your home and family ill cared-for, throwing up your hands and quitting when the task feels too hard?

Fellow homemakers, let's work.  Let's labor diligently, not giving up when the going gets tough.  What a privilege to serve God in the place where he has called us!  Let's do it faithfully, through good days and bad, not stopping until God brings us to the place of eternal rest.

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