happiness – The Self Cleaning House

cleaning, decluttering, family traditions, happiness

Pssst….It’s time to take the Christmas decorations down

Posted on January 16, 2024 by theselfcleaninghouse

Pssst…. It’s Time to Take the Christmas Decorations Down

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but it’s time to take the Christmas decorations down.

As I sit here typing this, my gaze drifts across the street to our neighbor’s house, still brightly adorned for Christmas. While I genuinely appreciate the beautiful lights, angels, and the lighted deer in the yard before Christmas, once the new year has begun, it starts feeling more like clutter than decor.

I’m all in for the Christmas tree and everything that comes with it, the day after Thanksgiving! Bring it on! I love every bit of it—the beautiful tree in the living room, the festive music, and the neighborhood lights. It’s cozy and fills me with joy.

However, as soon as the kids have torn through the packages on Christmas morning, the coziness starts turning into a bit of a mess. I begin to yearn for that clean feeling back in my living room, missing the space taken up by a tree that’s now missing most of its lower decorations, thanks to the cats, and a ribbon hanging a bit wonky.

After everyone leaves, and the house is cleaned up with the food put away, the tree starts to stare at me with its skirt all wrinkled up and no presents to cover it. It seems to be leaning a bit. It reminds me of someone at the office Christmas party who’s had a couple too many! It seems to want to be put back in its box so that it can emerge glorious again next year, the day after Christmas!

To design the future effectively, you must first let go of your past.
-Charles J. Givens

I’ve been known to take the tree down ON Christmas day. No, I’m not a Grinch! Those pine needles, though! What a mess! We generally take our tree down the next day. It’s not nearly as fun as putting them up, but in the end, the house is all clean, I have that space back, and I’m ready to face the New Year without dragging last year into it! We had a tradition for many years of burning our Christmas tree in the back yard as a way of symbolizing the end of the year and the beginning of a new one.

So, dear neighbors, I know it’s cold out, but it’s time to put the Christmas decorations away.

Love you all!

Elizabeth XOXO

cleaning, family, habits and routines, happiness, memories, routines, self discipline, spiritual

Home is a Feeling

Posted on February 23, 2019 by theselfcleaninghouse

The house where we raised our children was, shall I say, less than nice. When we moved in, there were three different wallpapers in the same room, purple kitchen cupboards with pink sponge painting on them, (Gag!) and bathroom tile that looked like a three-year-old did it with lots and lots of glue! It was bad! We had to remove carpet from one of our daughter’s bedrooms and couldn’t afford to replace it so she had a plywood floor. Our bedroom was in the basement and had a cement floor. On top of all that, the house was olive green. Blech. It was just not a pretty house.

We did a pretty good job of sprucing it up!

Over time we were able to paint the house, turn the seven-foot tall weeds into a decent yard, and paint the god awful purple and pink kitchen cupboards white. Wow, was that a job! We never could afford carpet while we lived there and there remained a lot of things that were not aesthetically pleasing about the house.

Even though our house was not pretty, people that would come to our house always commented on how “nice” our house was. I am pretty sure I managed a “thank you” after picking up my jaw off the floor each time!

I tried to figure out what it was that made people say that. It certainly wasn’t our super nice furniture! Although my mother in law’s hand-me-down 1970’s couch might have been cool once, it really wasn’t. It couldn’t be the beautiful artwork hanging on the walls that had been carefully selected from our exclusive GoodWill.

I am fairly certain that is was the feeling you got when you walked in our home and not the Thrift store curtains and well-overused second- hand piano that gave our guests that impression. It felt clean, peaceful and full of love.

I really struggled when we first moved there with all the work that needed to be done, the painting, the fixing, trying to make it look nice plus all the housework and laundry and cooking and homeschooling for a family of five. Then we took in a neighbor girl and we were a family of six! Family friends were struggling so I took on cooking and cleaning for them.

I struggled, it was hard, I did it, but my attitude was awful. I raised my voice at my kids when they didn’t do their chores in a timely manner. I complained to my husband about everything I had to do. I nagged him to do things. I was miserable and I was making my family miserable.

I remember one day saying “God, something has to change!” and in my head, I heard “yes, you do.” Uuughh……that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I knew it was right though. I said “ok, but you are going to have to help me!”

It was then that I came up with my mantra. “Make every room better, every time you are in it, even if it is just to smile.”. I repeat that over and over in my head as I move about my house. Now, I don’t know if smiling in an empty room really makes the room better, but I know it makes my attitude about cleaning and serving my family better!

When I began to do that, my heart started to change. Love gives. I wanted to serve and bless my family. I began to develop a system to keep our house clean without stress. It made such a difference in our home! It was then that people would comment on how beautiful our home was! It wasn’t just clean. It felt peaceful.

We can learn every trick in the book about cleaning and organizing and making things look nice, but if all we have is a clean house and a resentful attitude it will be felt. Your family will feel it, your guests will feel it.

“My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,”

Isaiah‬ ‭32:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I am far from perfect and I still have to pray and overcome a bad attitude now and then. I get tired, sometimes exhausted and need to remind myself that my time with my kids is short. It is my heart’s desire to bless my family as much as I can, as long as I can. To create happy, loving memories of a home with that “feeling”.

cleaning, family, happiness, organizing, spiritual

Blessed

Posted on January 31, 2019February 5, 2019 by theselfcleaninghouse

We are BLESSED! We are so very blessed that our homes are full to bursting. We are so blessed that we have garages and sheds and storage units to hold it all!

We are so blessed that I think we sometimes forget what it means to really need anything. I have several coats and jackets, but there is one that I really want at Target. I have a lot of really cute boots….but I know there is a pair with my name on it at Kohls!

We are so blessed that our closet rod is sagging in the middle…. I know, ’cause mine is. Yet there are people in our own towns that don’t even have a coat. Can you imagine what a difference your “extra” stuff could make for someone in need?

I am not for a minute suggesting that you don’t deserve to buy things or have nice things just because there are people going without. I believe that if you earned the money to afford it then you most definitely deserve it! I am suggesting that we all get rid of our “extra blessings”. What good is a sweatshirt that you have not worn for seven years, hanging in your closet? What if we took all those things to women’s shelters or homeless shelters? What a blessing it would be to them!

I was reading a devotion by Rick Warren. I will link it here, but I am going to share a portion of it with you. I encourage you to go and read the whole thing. It’s not lengthy.

Empty Hands Receive Greater Blessings

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:11, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (NIV).
What an amazing verse! God makes you rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion, which will result in thanksgiving to God.
God doesn’t bless you so you can be greedy; he blesses you so you can be generous. You give away, and God gives back to you so you can give more away and he can give more back to you and on and on and on. God doesn’t give you things so you can pile them up. When you let go of what’s in your hand, it’s now empty to receive greater blessings from God.
But as I’ve said before, God’s giving to you is based on your attitude. That’s why it’s so important to live with an attitude of gratitude.
Rick Warren

I just love that! “Empty Hands Receive Great Blessings”! I am so excited to continue to let go of my excess blessings so that God can continue to bless me so that I can bless others!

Let’s not ever forget to be grateful for all the things we have and to never be dissatisfied because we don’t have the best car or pretty carpet or the newest phone. Let’s choose to be grateful for all our overflowing blessings! We ARE truly blessed.

Let’s continue to be grateful for what we have, declutter our lives and homes of our “extra” and bless others in the process so that God can continually bless us. What a wonderful win-win!

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
NIV

Blessings! XOXO

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CBD Oil What it is and how it works in our bodies

I just pulled out my copy of Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life”. It has been many years since I have read it and after finding the above passage I felt I wanted to read this book again. I highly recommend it! If you would like a copy for yourself click on the image below to purchase from Amazon! You will be supporting me at no extra cost to you! Thank you!

cleaning, happiness, organizing

Happy Decluttering!

Posted on January 10, 2019 by theselfcleaninghouse

Hi Friends!

We are going to start this year off with a bang! We are going to focus on DECLUTTERING!!!! I am sooooo stinkin excited guys! I am doing this right along with you! We are going to toss, donate, rehome and classify!

So what exactly IS clutter? Clutter isn’t just that stack of last weeks mail on the counter and the pile of magazines that you just haven’t had time to read yet. Although those things ARE clutter, there are so many more things that are clutter.

clutter
(klʌtəʳ )

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense clutters , present participle cluttering , past tense, past participle cluttered
1. uncountable noun
Clutter is a lot of things in an untidy state, especially things that are not useful or necessary.
Caroline prefers her worktops to be clear of clutter.
Synonyms: untidiness, mess, disorder, confusion
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/clutter

Clutter is anything that makes your space too crowded or busy and causes stress, anxiety or confusion. Clutter is unnecessary and drags you down, even if you don’t realize it. It can be too many pictures hanging on the wall, too many clothes in the closet, excess Christmas decorations, an entire shoebox full of nail polish….and you get your nails done at a salon. Too many lipsticks, phone apps or salt and pepper shaker collections. It can be too many projects, sports activities or even the wrong people.

You can try to organize clutter, but it is guaranteed to turn to chaos the minute you turn your back. Organized clutter is ….still clutter. The only way to truly organize and KEEP a clean and tidy home is to get rid of the clutter!

Clutter not only is an eyesore and an annoyance. Did you know that clutter actually affects our health, our choices, and our relationships? Clutter actually makes you tired. Your brain is forced to deal with every item you see. It is like a program running in the background that is making decisions and choices and using energy to do so.

I listened to these podcasts over again this week. There is an incredible amount of wisdom here! I can’t say enough about Chalene Johnson! A former “messy person” she knows what it is like and how to go about changing it. She has so many tips for getting rid of “stuff” and keeping your things organized. You can be free of the mess and clutter that prevents you from having the life you want!

https://themodelhealthshow.com/decluttering-your-life/

The Model Health Show with Chalene Johnson Episode 287

If you are new to podcasts these are a great first! I am obsessed with listening to podcasts whenever I get the chance! I listen to them at 1 1/2x speed so that I can fit more in! Learning from people that have more wisdom than you do is….wise!

Proverbs 2:2 “So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding.”

Proverbs 3:13 “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.”

Best Of The De-Clutter Project

Chalene Johnson Best of the De-Clutter Project

Please take the time to listen to these podcasts! They are exciting and uplifting. Listen while you are putting your make up on, doing your hair, driving to work. What a great way to start your day, filling your mind with good ideas, positive thoughts, life hacks, and wisdom!

I don’t know about you but I am really looking forward to going through my house again (yes, again…. decluttering is not a “one and done”, it is an ongoing process) and digging even deeper this time! It is so freeing!

Happy decluttering!

I hate belongings. I hate clutter. It really bothers me because I can’t think properly. If you’ve got distractions in front of you, your mind goes nuts. ~ Simon Cowell

cleaning, family, family traditions, food, happiness, organizing, planning

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 3, 2019January 3, 2019 by theselfcleaninghouse

Happy New Year Friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

We had a “quiet” New Year’s celebration this year. Quiet for us anyway. It was still rather noisy and full of laughter and fun! It was just our family and a couple of friends playing games, eating and generally having a good time.

It wouldn’t be New Year’s Eve without the annual tree burning. I honestly don’t know how this tradition even started. For years we have been burning the Christmas Tree in the backyard in the snow New Year’s Eve night.

It seems so symbolic. The representation of the end of the year. All the past year’s mistakes go up in a pillar of black smoke and we are given a clean slate to start new. We get a chance to make different decisions and make better choices. It, in some way, resembles the forgiveness we were given when Jesus died on a tree and then defeated death to give us new life.

It is awesome sight to see a tree burning in your back yard! Safely… for the most part!

It is now January 2nd, and everything is back to reality with the addition of maybe some new resolutions to actually make changes this year. It is a good thing to want to make good changes in our lives! We often have such lofty goals that we totally miss the mark and are more discouraged than before though, and that is not where we want to be.

The key is making small changes that will lead you in the direction you want to go! Having someone to be accountable to, that can encourage you, guide or help you is good too!

I am so excited about the upcoming things planned for The Self Cleaning House this year! We are going to work together, step by step to get rid of clutter and organize the things we need to keep. We are going to learn how to decide what to keep and what to get rid of! We’ll find out what needs to be cleaned and how often we need to clean it. What are the best tools and supplies for cleaning? How do you make it look nice once it is clean? We will talk about time management, kids, meals and menu planning, self-care, positive attitudes, self-talk and keeping Jesus at the center of our lives.

I don’t claim to know all things clean and organized and so there will be some guest bloggers here to share their knowledge and skills!

Most importantly, these things are not going to be so hard, time-consuming or overwhelming that it takes away from your family time or your weekends. They will be small changes that will be fun and lead you to have a clean, peaceful home for you and your family to enjoy.

We are going to do this together! We are going to stick to those resolutions to clean and organize your home and we are all going to be doing it together!

When you enter your email to follow the Self Cleaning House, you will receive an invitation to the exclusive Self Cleaning House Facebook Group! There we can discuss what topics you want to hear about, chat about questions or ideas you have. We will do challenges and get daily reminders for things.

I am looking forward to transforming our homes together this year so that you can spend more time doing what you love!

Cheers to a very happy 2019!!

cleaning, family, family traditions, food, happiness, memories

Holiday Traditions

Posted on November 19, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

Traditions are something that you give your family that will last long after you are gone. They are a gift you give your kids and they give their kids.

Traditions make your family unique. It is what makes your family special and different from the neighbor. Tradition gives us a feeling of belonging, a part of something exclusive.

woman preparing christmas table — Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

As parents, it is our responsibility to pass on our core values and beliefs in a way that they will be as meaningful to them as they are to us. There is no better way to instill your values into your children than through tradition. Faith, patriotism, integrity, responsibility, work ethic, and compassion can all be taught through tradition in a way that it becomes a part of them and they will pass it down to their own children.

Traditions give security to children. Something they look forward to year after year. Your children will remember the traditions forever. The gifts at the holidays and birthdays will be quickly forgotten.

Families need to be held together by that bond of memories and traditions. Now more than ever we need to keep our traditions and give that gift of belonging and history to our children so that they never forget who they are!

It is important to involve your children in your traditions! Take the time to explain why you are doing those things and where it came from. Family history gives them pride in who they are and in their family. It’s that sense of being part of something big and special. The most important thing about tradition is that it is done every year!!

Our traditions have changed slightly over the years. When my husband and I were married, we combined and morphed our traditions together and add a few of our own. It makes OUR family unique!

We have a lot of traditions in our family! I will share a few of them with you. It’s always inspiring to see what other families do and I am always looking for new ideas. I would love to hear what you do!

We go to church on Easter morning every year. We have lamb for dinner and always have communion as a family before dinner. Easter baskets for our kids always had a new swimsuit for the season!

When our kids were young we went downtown to the local fireworks display for the 4th of July every year! Over time the crowd got really bad and it just didn’t feel safe anymore. So now we have a huge BBQ at our house, play yard games and do our own fireworks in the street in front with our neighbors. The May Family Annual 4th of July Party is awesome!

The planning, baking, and cooking for Thanksgiving with my girls is one of my favorites. Before we pray over the Thanksgiving dinner, we each say what we are thankful for. After dinner, we play games, watch football, and just hang out in comfy clothes until we are hungry again and then we have rolls with turkey and cream cheese and cranberry sauce, and more pie! Mmmmmm!

The day after Thanksgiving/Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year! Not because of the shopping. That is fun and all but our favorite part is going to our local annual lighting ceremony, parade and fireworks! Rain, cold or snow has never stopped us from being there. It is the most wonderful time of the year! After the fireworks we go home and have Cheeseburger Chowder for dinner. Yummy!

Putting up the Christmas Tree and decorating it has always been super special for all of us. We all get involved! We play Christmas music, have a fire in the fireplace, drink hot chocolate and have Clam Chowder for dinner.

When our kids were little they always got to open one present on Christmas Eve. My daughter has continued to do that with her daughter but changed it a bit. She makes a Christmas Eve box for her to open. She gets new Christmas jammies, slippers, a new movie to watch that evening among other things. Such a fun thing to do!

On Christmas morning we open presents…like at the crack of dawn! A lot of times my husband and oldest daughter have to work at 7am-7pm Christmas (they are law enforcement) and we want to have them there for presents so we just all get up really early! Then we put on a huge brunch for all the extended family. It is an open house style so that people can come and go as needed. It’s nice to get to see people without anyone feeling like they have to be there at a certain time or stay until the party is over. It works out great! Later in the evening, we have a nice family dinner.

We have always had a big New Years Eve party with lots of friends and family and champagne! They are so much fun!

Keep your family traditions alive! Give your children the memories and traditions that will continue to live on for generations.

Please enjoy my favorite pie crust recipe! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Holiday Recipes / Holiday Recipes

Perfect flaky pie crust everytime!

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 3/4 cup shortening

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 egg

1/2 cup water

Mix first 3 ingredients, add shortening. Cut in until crumbles. Beat water, vinegar and egg. Combine with flour, stirring until moistened. Do not over mix. Divide into 5 pieces. Chill. Makes about 5 single crust pies.

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camping, cleaning, Coeur d' Alene River, happiness, motivation, organizing

Minimal Stuff Makes Minimal Mess

Posted on October 23, 2018October 25, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

My husband and daughter took a couple of weeks off for hunting. After a week of “camping in the fall” and not seeing anything, they came home. They are still hoping to get some day-hunts in before the end of the season!

My hubby, bless his heart, decided to be productive the last week of his vacation time and clean the garage! We clean the garage really well a couple of times of year. Isn’t it crazy how fast it can get disorganized again???

Photo Credit: memes.com

This time we decided to really clean it out. Not just organize the “stuff ” but take a good hard look at what we have and decide if we really need it, if someone else could better benefit from it, is it replaceable, or is it trash?! We were brutally honest with ourselves. We made a “Trash” pile, a “Donate” pile and a very small “Sell” pile (that is a dangerous pile and you don’t want many things in that one or they will just be re-assimilated!) We also had a pile of “Things to return to others”.

We opened boxes, took things off shelves, pulled things out. We ended up with a truckload of things to go to the dump, a truckload to take to donate and a few things to sell. It felt AMAZING!!!

I honestly thought I would not come up with a lot to get rid of. I hate clutter. I don’t like a lot of “stuff”. Come to find out, I had a lot of crap I didn’t realize was crap!

Truly taking an honest look at what I had, was so freeing! I realized that a lot of things that I had been keeping, I was keeping out of fear. Fear that I would need it and not have it. Fear that if I did need it, I wouldn’t be able to afford to replace it. Fear that someone would be offended if I got rid of it. Well, kicking fear to the curb and thinking “If my house burned down, would I miss it? Would I be able to replace it? Would I buy another one? ” helped me to get rid of soooooo much!!

Getting rid of “stuff” is the only way to really have a self-cleaning house. Minimal stuff makes minimal mess.

I have started on a new “Crap crusade” in my closet and I am excited! I will keep you posted on that venture!

When you let go of stuff you unclog the positive flow and new and wonderful things can come into your life in many ways, not only just in your garage. When you hang on to too much stuff and things it clutters your mind and life, not just your home. Your life isn’t meant to be stagnant. By hanging on to old things, too many things and unnecessary things you are blocking the stream of abundance that belongs to you!

Remember when you were a kid or when you told your kids that they couldn’t have a new toy unless they got rid of one (or five!)? Yes! Just like that! Our life is supposed to be rewarded and blessed, but first…. you have to get rid of some stuff.

you can't reach for anything new

I encourage you to kick the fear, tell yourself that it’s ok to let go. Enjoy the amazing feeling of a clean uncluttered home, and the positive things that will come your way!

Go get rid of some stuff!!

cleaning, family, happiness, memories, routines

Wanna know a secret??

Posted on October 12, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

Psssst…… Wanna know a secret??! My house isn’t ALL that clean. You can’t eat off my floors, and my fridge is crowded and a lot of the baseboards are dirty. My desk has kids workbooks and coloring pages on it and there are clothes to be mended on top of my sewing table. We won’t talk about the garage.

We live here. I have a daycare here. There is a lot going on in this house at all times. If you are looking for how to keep your house looking like Martha Stewart’s house, this is the wrong place.

If you want a seemingly effortless tidy home without stress, I am so glad you are here!!

It took me a long time to start this blog because I was afraid of being judged and afraid people would expect me to have a perfect home if I talked about ways to clean your home and keep it clean. I finally went for it, but I want you to know… my house isn’t perfect! In fact, there may be a lot of people reading this that have a cleaner home than I do!

The point of this blog is to help you not have house cleaning rule your life. To do house KEEPING, not house CLEANING.

I will welcome you to my home at any time of the day. My house may have toys in the living room and kids everywhere but the dishes will be done and the bathrooms will be clean. It IS possible to have a clean and tidy home with kids!!

The kitchen is clean after breakfast!

All the toys are picked up before we head outside to play!

The blinds are probably dusty….. I will get there. That’s ok. My routines keep my house clean. When I have a moment, if all six kids are asleep at the same time, I may or may not clean the blinds. The important things are taken care of.

My house will always be moments away from company ready and I welcome you all but don’t expect it to pass a white glove test! It will be tidy and mostly clutter free and I won’t mind at all if you want to use my bathroom. The oven may need to be cleaned and crumbs in the silverware drawer. I have routines for that too and will get to it. I am not going to knock myself out to have everything done all the time and all at once and I don’t want you to either!

So, if you are looking for ways to have your blinds clean and the slider track look brand new, there are lots of blogs for that. I am just here to help you have a tidy home you don’t have to stress about and to teach you habits that make that happen so that you can enjoy the truly important things in life! I promise you, it IS possible!

Check out my routine page and set your Self Cleaning House in motion! Once those basic routines are in cement then we will move on to things like slider tracks and oven cleaning!

Right now, go do your daily routines and then go play with your kids and make some memories.

cleaning, happiness, motivation, spiritual

“I’m Sorry”

Posted on October 9, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

Warning: This post has zero to do with house cleaning…. and I am not going to apologize for that! (I almost did!) It is very personal and deep. It’s been on my mind and I just felt it needed to come out. I hope that someone can benefit from it. I am no therapist and I may be all kinds of off base, but these are just my thoughts.

“Stop saying you’re sorry.” “Stop apologizing.” I’ve been hearing a lot of that and reading it on social media and the like. Apparently, women are notoriously bad about saying “I’m sorry” for every little thing, whether they have any responsibility for it or not. I don’t know if it’s necessarily a gender thing or if women are just more vocal about things in general.

I one hundred percent believe you should apologize for things that you did wrong. Absolutely!

Saying “I’m sorry” for things you had no control over implies guilt. It’s false guilt but guilt just the same. Your mind can’t tell the difference.

Those of us who over apologize are very aware that what we are “sorry” for is not really our fault. We are seeking to “fix things”.

The more you accept guilt the more your mind believes it. Your self-worth suffers. Your confidence diminishes. You might be the nicest kindest person in the world, and you probably are! But you start to believe you aren’t. There is a lot of conflict that goes on inside. You want to be a good person but good people don’t do all these things that we are constantly apologizing for.

Just as good affirmations work, so do bad ones. You can’t be “sorry” for everything without your consciousness believing that you are at fault.

It is a double-edged sword. You say “I’m sorry” because you really are a good person but it makes you feel as if you are not.

So how do we change? For many, probably most of us, it’s not just a habit. Changing this “habit” is about as easy as changing your eye color! I believe you need to know the why behind the behavior to change it.

I did some serious soul searching. I am sure there are many reasons that people over-apologize. We are all different. We’ve all had different upbringings. The basic reason behind it is about the same though.

When you say you are sorry, you are taking responsibility for the action, situation, etc. meaning you now own it. Only when you own it can you take any control over it.

The fear of others being angry, unhappy or upset is what drives over apologetic people to say “I’m sorry” all over the place.

If something goes wrong, and I say “I’m so sorry” (even though I had nothing to do with it) I am accepting blame so that you don’t have to. That way you don’t need to be angry at yourself or someone else. Now I own it and can try to fix or smooth out the situation so that all will be well. None of this is really truly valid but it is the subconscious, if not the conscious thought process.

It boils down to fear of other people’s anger or perceived anger and the desire for control of a situation to avoid anxiety.

Ultimately, it is a very self-destructive, which is ironic considering that it is a defense mechanism.

I am going to work on positive affirmations to repair what I’ve done with the destructive behavior. I am going to let others be responsible for their own feelings and situations.

Thank you for allowing me to share and I hope that it helps you to stop next time you start to say “I am sorry” and think, “am I responsible for this?”.

Here is a great article from thelawofattraction.com on overcoming being an over-apologizer!

cleaning, food, happiness, organizing, Tips and Tricks

Everything has a home and everything in it’s home

Posted on August 3, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

aromatherapy bloom blossom bright — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

One of the most consistent things you will see in a clean home is that everything has a home and everything is in it’s home.

You can have a disheveled room and pick up and have it clean in just minutes if everything has a place to live.

If an item has no place to live, it is wandering aimlessly around the house from one flat surface to another feeling out of place and awkward.

Imagine how that whatchamacallit you ordered from Amazon must feel. It got ripped from a shelf, shut into a box and thrown into a truck. After a few rough rides, air turbulence, conveyor belts and another truck ride, it landed at your front door hoping for a warm welcome and a good home. Alas, it’s been moved from coffee table to kitchen counter to dining table, never really fitting in. All it wants is a real home. A place where it belongs. Have a heart! Find your whatchamacallit a home!

In all seriousness, establishing where something will live eliminates frustration when cleaning, it also helps prevent procrastination. As a bonus, you will always know where something is when you need it! Which also means you can delegate when necessary because you know where things are!

Next time you bring something into the house, think about where it’s forever home will be and put it there. NOT a temporary home on the dresser for now.

You can have a clean home for a hot minute without a home for everything but it won’t be that way for long. An organized home has a home for everything.

Making sure nothing is left homeless will save time cleaning, make your home more stress-free and allows you to do more of what YOU want to do!

We are in the middle of summer here in North Idaho, but I am already looking forward to fall! I love fall! The cool crisp air, the beautiful leaves, the boots, scarves and pumpkin spice lattes! Yup, I am that girl.

Apples are another of my fall favorites. We go apple picking at a local farm every year. Our whole family goes together. Hot fresh apple cider warms your hands while you stand in line for the pumpkin doughnuts, the aroma alone is worth standing in the long line. Local vendors are selling their homemade goods. Kids scream with delight at the bounce houses and beg to get their faces painted. Wonderful memories are made there!

So when I stopped in a roadside fruit stand and found Honey Crisp Apple for $12.95 for a giant box I had to get them! I can’t wait to go pick them myself but just couldn’t pass them up at that price. So let the apple cooking, baking, eating begin!

One of the first things I did was make a fresh apple cake. Seriously one of my favorite “apple” things!

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I peeled four apples. I needed four cups of apples but these things are the size of my head so I ended up with eight cups! I put the other four cups in a ziplock bag with a couple teaspoons of Fruit-Fresh and some water and put them in the fridge for something else.

I used my really cool apple peeler/corer to peel the apples. Super easy and fast!

Yummy!!!! Warm with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is the way to go!

1 cup butter or shortening

2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 cups flour

4 cups chopped apples

Topping

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter melted

1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and brown sugar together. Blend in eggs. In a small bowl combine salt, soda, cinnamon, and flour. Stir into shortening/sugar mixture. Fold in apples. It will be very thick. Put in a greased 9×13 baking pan. Combine melted butter and sugar and sprinkle over top. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake in a 350 F oven for 50 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.
Serve warm or room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

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� DVO

Click on this picture to order Fruit Fresh from Amazon! This stuff is great! I cut up apples for my husband’s lunch, put a little Fruit Fresh in a ziplock bag and some water, add the apples and shake! No brown apples!