Month: July 2018

The Greatest To-Do List Ever

If you are like me, you like to have a daily to-do list for your kids, and maybe even for yourself to keep everyone on task and get things done. This list may be the same every day, like that list of chores that MUST be done in order for your kids to receive privileges or allowance. Maybe this list is something you’ve put together for the summer of projects around the house that you want to get done before school starts up again. I have a mental check list that I use when company is coming over to make sure my home is clean and has a welcoming atmosphere. The chore chart for my kids breaks down into who has what room for a particular week and what particular tasks have to be done in order for that room to be cleaned properly. These lists can be really helpful. Daily routine makes a house run much smoother than if you try and “wing it” with the housework.

Chore assignments Chore chart

If I ditch the routine, I usually find myself in one of two places. The first one is what I like to call the mom martyr. You know what I’m talking about. I walk around the house doing ALL the chores, picking up ALL the messes, none of which I made of course, all the while thinking to myself how ungrateful the people living under this roof are, and how NOBODY cleans up after themselves, and maybe if I took all of their toys and video games away and they had nothing to make messes with, our house would be clean all the time. When I move into the kitchen, the mental tirade continues. “Oh, its okay to make your own food because you’re really hungry, but cleaning up afterwards…Oh right! That’s the maid’s job! Yup! I am just a glorified maid around here. Nobody appreciates all the work that I do for them. Sheesh! And then there’s the bathroom! Do these kids actually spit on the mirror when they brush their teeth, or is their aim actually that bad?? Speaking of aim, what about that toilet? Ew! Gross!” The reason that I call this the mom martyr, is because even though I have all these thoughts swirling around my head, I never once mention these things to anyone. I just silently fume while doing it all myself.

The other place I go to when we are without a routine is what I like to call mom on a mission. My kids would probably call it mom blows her top, but either way, it’s not pretty, and it’s anything but silent. ALL of my fuming is done rather loudly and if I can see you or hear you, or if I know that you are somewhere in the house, you’d better come running and listen to my ultimatum about either cleaning the house and pulling your weight or losing ALL the privileges! Signs are taped to the kitchen wall saying, “If the dishwasher is full of clean dishes, EMPTY IT! If the sink is full of dirty dishes, put them in the dishwasher or if the dishwasher is running, WASH ALL THE DISHES BY HAND!!!!!” Kids are running scared for the vacuum cleaner, broom, cleaning wipes and window cleaner. If a kid is REALLY smart, they escape outside to do yard work, because that has to be done too, but at least mom is busy yelling at all the people inside. I’m not proud of it, but that’s what happens if I don’t make my kids stick to their daily to-do lists.

I should probably mention that we don’t do allowance in our house. Everyone is expected to help out, because that is the only way our house will run smoothly. Now, we aren’t opposed to paying our kids for doing extra chores if they need to make some money, we just don’t think that our kids need to be paid for cleaning up after themselves. That being said, keeping them on task with their chores isn’t as simple as them not getting any money if they skip their chores. Consequences for work not done can have many different faces. Sometimes electronics disappear. Other times, it might simply be having to stop whatever you’re in the middle of (even sleeping) and being made to do the chore right then. Maybe you miss the next outing with friends or some other fun activity you wanted to do. I’ve even pulled the John Smith card and told them that they couldn’t have their dinner until the job was done. Turns out that eating can be an amazing incentive!

I have to be honest here and tell you that we have a vicious cycle that happens with chores in our house. The kids are really great about doing all their chores for a while, and then they start to let it slip bit by bit. I have to start calling people from their rooms to remind them to do their chores, or sometimes it gets to be bedtime and I ask if everyone did their chores that day, and there is either a volley of excuses and half-hearted apologies or it just gets really quiet and their silence speaks for itself.The lists work for about 6-8 weeks before the mom martyr hits, followed soon after by mom on a mission. After that, Dad gets involved and we have a family meeting. We talk about how a house with as many people as we have living under the same roof can’t run itself. Everyone has to do their share. My husband is my champion and makes sure the kids know that I am most definitely NOT a maid and that I should not be the one cleaning up all of THEIR messes. We remind them of their list of responsibilities, counsel them to do better, and then the cycle starts again.

We can use lists for all areas of our lives. Grocery lists, lists for what clothes the kids need, lists to keep track of school work, car maintenance, budget and on and on. What about my personal life? Is there a list to keep myself on task with that? Absolutely! There is a master to-do list that far too often, I seem to forget about. It can make anyone’s life run much smoother and will help make you into a person that others will look up to and admire. It’s a list that will also help you pursue a better way of living, and I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t want to better themselves. The things on this list are not always easy tasks to complete, but they are important for living a life that glorifies God. You can find this list in Romans chapter 12. I’ll paraphrase and put this list into modern, everyday terms:

  1. Love others with a genuine love.
  2. Hate evil and cling to what is good.
  3. Love others with a brotherly love.
  4. Do better than everyone else in honoring others.
  5. Don’t be lazy in serving God.
  6. Rejoice in hope.
  7. Have patience when you’re going through hard times.
  8. Constantly be in prayer.
  9. Give to the needy.
  10. Show hospitality.
  11. Bless the people that are unkind to you.
  12. Share in other people’s joy, but be willing to share in their sadness as well.
  13. Get along with others.
  14. Don’t be too proud to love on those less fortunate then you.
  15. Never be wise in your own eyes.
  16. Don’t repay evil with evil.
  17. Have integrity.
  18. Live in peace with everyone as much as it depends on you.
  19. Leave revenge up to God.
  20. Don’t give in to evil, rather overcome evil with good.

Like I said, not everything on this list is easy to accomplish, but it is what God desires of us. It’s a good thing that He is patient with us and will help us learn to model our lives after the life of His son, Jesus. We just need to be faithful in making the tasks on this list a daily habit. Just like our daily to-do lists help us to keep our houses in order, this list can help us to keep our spiritual lives in order, and maybe those watching us will recognize something different in our lives. Something real. Something that will point them to Christ.

 

Finding Truth In Gumballs

The other day, I had to run some errands and my 7 year old asked if he could come along. I told him that I would love his company and off we went! Our first stop was at the dollar store. As we were walking in, I noticed that Joe was clutching something tightly in his fist. When I asked him about it, he showed me 2 quarters that he had taken from his bank at home. He knew that the dollar store was going to be one of our stops that day, and he remembered seeing some of those candy machines there that you put coins in and turn the dial to get your treat. Every little kid has to get candy from one of those old machines at least once in their life, right?

After we finished paying for all of our items, Joe took his time to examine the contents of each machine so that he would get just the right candy. His first quarter he spent on a gumball. I was so surprised and delighted when he turned and handed it to me and said, “I bought this for Timmy, because I know how much he loves gumballs! Can you keep it safe for him?”

Timmy is my youngest son whom Joe has a love/hate relationship with at the moment. I believe that they are truly the best of friends. Joe is 7 years old and Timmy is 5 years old. All of their other brothers are much older than they are, so they are pretty close. These two are constantly with each other. They share a room, they share toys, and well, they pretty much share everything. However, spending that much time with someone comes with its challenges. They are easily irritated with each other. They have a hard time agreeing on things. Joe doesn’t want Timmy to touch ANY of his LEGOS, and Timmy hums. All. The. Time. He tells me that’s just the way God made him. While that’s true, I think it has more to do with the fact that Timmy doesn’t like quiet. If it’s too quiet, he’ll just start saying whatever pops into his mind, or he will hum. I think it’s adorable. Joe, on the other hand, most definitely does not. He gets super irritated with him and just wants him to go anywhere else then where he can hear him. This is why I was so surprised when Joe decided to spend his money on his little brother that day.

After choosing his own piece of candy from the machine, Joe and I started across the parking lot to our van. There on the ground, lying near the curb right where Joe could see it, was a shiny quarter. He looked up at me as if to ask if he was allowed to pick it up, and at that moment, I realized that I had been given a wonderful opportunity to share some seeds of truth with my precious son. I said, “Wow, Joe! You found a quarter! That’s so cool! You were super kind when you bought that gumball for Timmy, and I think that God saw that and wanted to bless you by giving you this new quarter to replace the one you spent on your brother! God loves to bless His children, especially when they bless others!” (From Luke 6:38)

Having that experience with my son made me think about all the opportunities to share truth with my kids that I had probably missed because I simply wasn’t looking. 2 Timothy says that we should always be prepared to preach the Word of God, and who better for this mama to preach to than my own kids? God needs to be a part of every single aspect of my life in order for my kids (and others) to see Him living in and through me, so I’m going to grab a hold of every opportunity to show my kids God’s truth in the ordinary, everyday moments that so often tend to pass by without being noticed. Moments like the other day when we saw God in a simple little gumball.

 

 

Home Made Ice Cream

Every Independence Day, for as long as I can remember, we have enjoyed a tradition of eating home made ice cream! This tradition started back when I was a little girl, and I have continued it with my own family.
I remember the week before July 4th, my mom would bring out the old ice cream maker and we would put all the ingredients in the metal canister, put the top on and plug it in. We would alternate handfuls of ice with sprinkles of rock salt and layer them until we covered the canister. My hands would get so cold! The motor was really loud as it churned the ice cream, but that was all a part of our tradition of making this delicious treat!
At first, we only made vanilla ice cream and then after a few years we found a decent recipe for chocolate as well, so we would make a gallon of each flavor. At some point in my later teenage years, my mom found a fabulous new recipe for our ice cream tradition. Oh my lanta! It is absolutely amazing! The secret is that you use instant Jello Pudding in the recipe.
After I got married and started my own family, my mother asked if I would take over making the traditional ice cream for our annual Fourth of July picnic. Of course I said yes, and she passed on the old ice cream maker for me to be able to share this great tradition with my own kids.
I had received an ice cream machine of my own as a wedding present, so we could now make the ice cream two gallons at a time, which was really helpful since we had a pretty sizable crowd when we all got together on the 4th with our growing families. Needless to say, two gallons just wasn’t enough for our crowd! We also decided that having only two flavors just wasn’t cutting it anymore, so, I set out to add to our traditional chocolate and vanilla. I started with just two additions, cookies and cream and chocolate brownie, and now I’m up to making eight different flavors of deliciousness, and I would love to share my recipes with all of you!

The Right Machine
First of all, you’re going to need a good ice cream maker. The machine we used when I was a child as well as the one I received as a wedding gift was a Rival brand. They’re great quality. This year when I was out in our garage where I store our ice cream makers when we aren’t using them, I accidentally knocked one of the motors down and it broke into several pieces. I immediately went online to Amazon to price a new machine. They do have Rival machines, but they aren’t the same as what I wanted, so I looked at the Hamilton Beach models. Not only are they a bit cheaper but they look just like the ones I already have with all of the same features. I went ahead and bought this one, and I was very pleased with the way our ice cream turned out!
Now that you know which ice cream maker to get, I can share this yummy recipe with you. As you will see from the list of ingredients, this is definitely not a fat free, sugar free or diet friendly recipe in any way. (Good thing calories don’t count on holidays, right?)
All of my flavors start with one of my two original flavors which are chocolate and vanilla. From there, the add-in possibilities are endless. I would love to hear what different flavors you come up with if you decide to try your hand at making ice cream!

You will need a lot of ice and a big bag of rock salt.

CHOCOLATE or VANILLA

3 (14 oz) cans of sweetened condensed milk

2 (6 oz) boxes of instant pudding (chocolate or vanilla for whichever flavor you are making)

1 1/2 tsp of vanilla

2 1/2 – 3 quarts of half and half

Put the first 3 ingredients into the metal canister and stir well before adding the half and half to the fill line.

Put the paddle in and the top on and then place the canister in the machine. Hook up your motor and then plug it in and let it spin for a minute before adding your layers of ice and salt. It should take anywhere from 20 – 45 minutes to churn. As the ice begins to melt, continue adding more ice and salt to keep the canister covered. The motor will slow down or stop completely when it’s finished. You can put the metal canister right in the freezer or you can pour your ice cream into your own container. We save gallon sized ice cream containers throughout the year just so we will have them for July 4th! I should mention here that I make 2 different flavors per batch of ice cream. I have two containers ready and pour half into each before putting my add-ins in.

 

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE

After churning your chocolate ice cream, just add bite sized pieces of brownies. I like to buy Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies and just pick off the candies. Keep in mind, I am making 8 flavors at a time, so I don’t take the time to make home made brownies for this. It still tastes amazing and is one of the kids’ favorites!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH

This is an add-in for the vanilla ice cream. Confession time. I use a whole roll of Nestle’s pre-maid cookie dough for this. Yup. Raw eggs and all. We haven’t gotten sick off of it yet, so I’m not going to stop, but for those of you who prefer the egg-less option, you can make your own dough with this recipe.
Just cut up your dough and mix it in the churned ice cream before putting it in the freezer.

COOKIES N CREAM

Take an entire package of Oreos and put them in a gallon size ziploc bag. Crush them up or roll them with a rolling pin and then mix it into vanilla ice cream before freezing!

CHOCOLATE MINT COOKIES N CREAM

Use chocolate as your base, and then follow the directions for Cookies N Cream using mint flavored Oreos instead! I’ve only ever used plain and mint flavored Oreos, but with all the different flavors that they have, I’m sure that you could add whatever your favorite flavor is to make a new flavor!

SALTED CARAMEL/SALTED CARAMEL TRUFFLE

I put 2 flavors here, because not everyone is a chocolate lover like me! For both flavors, you’re going to mix up a batch of caramel sauce ahead of time so that you can mix it into your vanilla ice cream when it’s cooled down. If you want to add the “truffle” flavor, cut up a handful of Ghirardelli Dark & Sea Salt Caramel Squares and mix them in. This is my mom’s favorite flavor!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER

This was my personal favorite this year. It has chocolate for the base. Take a cup of creamy peanut butter, a pinch of sea salt and 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Mix it until smooth and then drop chunks of it into the ice cream.

The ice cream will need to freeze for at least 4 hours. I usually make mine several days in advance, since I always have tons of other food to prepare!

I hope that you enjoy this tasty tradition as much as we do!