Finding Joy in Your Home

Welcome back to the seventh episode of my brand new podcast: The Homemaking Foundations Podcast –Where we give you the tools, inspiration, and encouragement you need to craft a Gospel-Centered Home. In case you missed it, you can listen in to the last episode here: Episode #006: Freezer Cooking & My Homemaking.

As a busy wife, mom, and blogger, it can be really hard sometimes to know where I should spend my time. Between all the chores around the house, cooking 3 meals a day, trying to show love to my husband, caring for and nurturing my kids, and squeezing in some time to write...some days I just don't know where to start or what I should spend my time on. If I didn't have to sleep or eat, maybe I could get it all done. But it's impossible. I can't say yes to everything, I know that I need to have priorities in my homemaking but the hard part is knowing what those priorities should be!

That's what today's episode is about: Setting priorities for our life and homemaking so we can better determine where we should spend our time as homemakers. 

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In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The importance of knowing when to say YES and when to say NO to opportunities

How to create a priorities list for your life, family, and homemaking

Finding the freedom in knowing you CAN'T do it all

Breaking your personal priorities down into bite size pieces

[Tweet ""Creating a personal priorities list is vital in enabling us to determine what is truly important..." - Crystal Paine"]

Episode summary

I created our personal and family priorities last Summer and it has been so freeing knowing what my husband and I have decided on as priorities in our lives. It allows me to freely say yes to the priorities we've established and happily say no to the things that don't line up. I was inspired to do this last year by the book Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine.

“Creating a personal priorities list is vital in enabling us to determine what is truly important and what opportunities we can pass up. After all, if we don’t know what is most important to us, how will we know it when it comes our way?” – Crystal Paine, pg 17.

This is the challenge we are tackling today. We are going to walk through creating a personal priorities list for your life. I encourage you to block some time out for this, go somewhere quiet, grab a cup of coffee and really let yourself pray and think about where your priorities in life are.

Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Hf #1: What Does it Mean to be a Homemaker?

Hf #3: Setting the Atmosphere in Your Home for God's Glory

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode

How I use Freezer Cooking to Help my Homemaking

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Homemaking Foundations Podcast on iTunes

Book of the Week:

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life - Crystal Paine

Of course today I am going to highlight one of my very favorite books, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. The author is Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom and I just can't get enough of what she has to say! Her book has been transformation when it comes to how I run my household and feeling like I'm actually in control of my home!

Let me just tell you, that with 4 young kids, I often feel this desperate survival mode. Like I'm walking through each day just barely surviving. Just holding on until bedtime for when I wake up and do it all over again.

If you have ever felt this desperation at trying to manage it all and feeling like you are barely treading water (or maybe you feel like you are drowning!!) then this book is for YOU!

Welcome back to the sixth episode of my brand new podcast: The Homemaking Foundations Podcast –Where we give you the tools, inspiration, and encouragement you need to craft a Gospel-Centered Home. In case you missed it, you can listen in to the last episode here: Episode #005: Serving From Within Our Homes Through the Biblical Art of Hospitality.

In the last several episodes, we have been covering the Biblical aspects of homemaking, how we can serve from within our homes, and more. But today I want to talk about something on the practical side of homemaking: Freezer cooking and how it can have a huge impact on your home and your kitchen!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How I came to fall in love with freezer cooking

The different methods of freezer cooking

Tips for a successful freezer cooking day

A quick getting started guide

And resources for recipes & meal plans

[Tweet "The goal of freezer cooking is to cut down on your time spent in the kitchen, at the grocery store and to save money."]

Episode summary

My journey with freezer cooking started one night, early in our newlywed days as we went out on our favorite date: prowling around Barnes and Noble. My favorite section to hunt through are the bargain and discount books right up at the front. I always find awesome cookbooks and other practical books for awesome prices! And this night I came across I book called Once a Month Cooking: Family Favorites and my kitchen changed forever.

Over the years my cooking has changed and I now cook more whole foods and try to stay away from things like white flour and processed foods. So while I don't use this cookbook anymore, and I've come across some amazing freezer cooking resources since then, I will forever be thankful to have come across this cookbook in the clearance section.

In this episode my goal is to introduce you to freezer cooking and give you the courage to try it out yourself! I will share more details about freezer cooking, the different methods you can use, and how it can have an impact on your cooking, your kitchen, and your family!

Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Meet our newest twin boys: Remington & Ryder

Once a Month Cooking: Family Favorites

Once a Month Meals (AMAZING website full of freezer cooking resources)

Pyrex Baking Dishes I use for casseroles/lasagnas

Pyrex Storage Set I use for things like individual lunch portions

Resource of the Week:

Once a Month Meals Website

Usually in the podcast I take a minute to highlight a book of the week. But instead, today I want to highlight what has recently been the most helpful thing to me: Once a Month Meals.

They are a website devoted to freezer cooking meal plans and recipes! They have a TON of amazing free meal plans each week including a whole food meal plan, paleo, gluten-free, kid friendly meals and more!

They do have a subscription option which gives you access to additional features (which I think are worth it in my opinion) but they also give SO much away for FREE and it's awesome! This is where I recommend you start for amazing freezer cooking meals and menus. 

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you so much for listening in to my podcast. If you want to ask a question (that I will try to answer on the podcast) please leave me a voicemail below so I can feature you on the podcast and so I can cover what you want to hear! (Find out more about submitting a question here)

Welcome back to the fifth episode of my brand new podcast: The Homemaking Foundations Podcast –Where we give you the tools, inspiration, and encouragement you need to craft a Gospel-Centered Home. In case you missed it, you can listen in to last week's episode here: Episode #004: Taking Baby Steps to Healthier Living for God's Glory.

It can be hard sometimes as busy homemaker's to find the time, energy, and ability to serve within the Church and in our neighborhoods. That's why I think this topic in today's podcast is so important: How can we, as busy homemakers, serve God from within our homes? Through the Biblical art of hospitality.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How we can serve God from within our homes through hospitality

The Biblical command behind hospitality

What hospitality looks like (and what it doesn't)

Practical Tips for practicing hospitality

And diving in deeper

[Tweet "The ultimate purpose of hospitality is to minister to those around us – both believers and unbelievers."]

Episode summary

Hospitality: What comes to mind? Do you picture a beautiful house complete with a gourmet meal, friends around the dinner table, and polite chit chat? Hospitality can be this, but it’s really much more.

Hospitality can look like:

Inviting a non-Christian family out to pizza after the soccer game.

Sharing a picnic at the park with the single mom down the street.

Inviting that new couple at church over for Sunday brunch.

Hospitality can come in many forms but the ultimate purpose is this: To honor and obey God by serving those around us. As Christians we are called to practice Biblical Hospitality…and practice it with joy!

Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Homemaking Foundations Podcast on iTunes

Practicing Hospitality: The Joy of Serving Others

Romans 12:13

Hebrews 13:2

1 Peter 4:9

Hospitality with Confidence

A Heart for Hospitality eCourse

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Book of the Week:

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life

Each week I feature one of my favorite books that connects with what we've been chatting about. And today that book recommendation is Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine. This book is probably in my top 5 favorite books of all time. And the reason I'm mentioning it today in conjunction with hospitality, is because this book is for anyone who feels like their house is out of control or they just can't stay on top of things. Crystal walks you through how you can set priorities in your home and actually follow through with those home management systems so you can finally feel in control of your house!

I own this book in print which you can find on Amazon. But I also have this book an an audiobook from Audible.com because I love it that much! And right now - you can download it for FREE as an audiobook when you sign up for a free 30 day trial from Audible.com. Just remember to cancel your subscription after 30 days if you don't want to continue.

A Heart for Hospitality eCourse

 

Join me for my exciting new eCourse on hospitality! This Biblical-based and practical course walks you through all the aspects of extending hospitality from the Biblical definition to meal plans to cleaning for guests to small space hospitality and more! Find out more about the course HERE.

15 Video Sessions on the Biblical Art of Serving Others through Hospitality

Welcome back to the fourth episode of my brand new podcast: The Homemaking Foundations Podcast –Where we give you the tools, inspiration, and encouragement you need to craft a Gospel-Centered Home. In case you missed it, you can listen in to last weeks episode here: Episode #003: Setting the Atmosphere in Your Home for God's Glory.

The aim of my podcast is to give you the encouragement, inspiration, and tools you need to craft a Gospel-Centered Home and so one of the first things I want to talk about is the impact that we have on our family. The first aspect of this I want to talk about is how we can take baby steps towards healthier living for God's Glory.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Our responsibility in healthy living

Making an idol out of healthy living

Taking baby steps towards healthy living including:

Cooking from scratch, eliminating toxins, exercise, and more!

[Tweet "Our goal in healthy living should not be to lengthen our lives but rather more fully serve God."]

Episode summary

Today I want to talk about something that we don't often think about as homemakers, and that's how our own health, and the health of our family is important and can be used to Glorify God. It's not about the latest fad diet or fitting into those skinny jeans. It's about the ability to serve God to the best of our ability.

As a homemaker, wife & mother I know it’s my responsibility to make sure my family is living a healthy life. We are not perfect at it but I do strive to create a healthy environment for my family. I think it is glorifying to God to take care of our health and our bodies.

Throughout this episode we will take a look at what our responsibility is in healthy living, God's sovereign control, and then dive into the baby steps we can start taking towards healthier living for Gods Glory.

Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Homemaking Foundations Podcast on iTunes

Episode #003: Setting the Atmosphere in Your Home for God's Glory

Psalm 139:16 and Matthew 6:27

Physical Exercise: What I Do and Why - John Piper

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Cooking from Scratch Resources:

7 Simple Tips for Once a Month Cooking - Young Wife's Guide

My Postpartum Freezer Cooking Plan - Young Wife's Guide

Balancing a Homemade Lifestyle - Young Wife's Guide

A Grace-Filled Approach to a Healthier Lifestyle - Young Wife's Guide

10 Favorite Real Food Recipe Websites - Keeper of the Home

Simple Steps to Begin Cooking Homemade - Keeper of the Home

10 Ingredients to Make From Scratch - Keeper of the Home

Eliminating Toxins From Your House Resources: 

Learning How to Make DIY Products for Your Home - Young Wife's Guide

The Dangers of Sunscreen - Young Wife's Guide

3 Steps to a Naturally Clean Home - Keeper of the Home

Find Safe Products by Reading Labels - Keeper of the Home

Trim Healthy Mama - Book of the Week

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Book of the Week:

Trim Healthy Mama: A Common Sense Guide to Satisfy Your Cravings and Energize Your Life

While there are many excellent books I could recommend for healthy living, my eyes were really opened when I read Trim Healthy Mama. I had heard good things about this book for months, but because it's a bit pricier, I was hesitant to actually order it. When my husband said he wanted to try and lose weight, I decided to go ahead and take the plunge and buy it. While I bought it to help us lose weight, the chapters and chapters in the beginning all about healthy living and eating,

In this episode I want to talk about something that we don't often think about as homemakers, and that's how our own health, and the health of our family is important and can be used to Glorify God. It's not about the latest fad diet or fitting into those skinny jeans. It's about the ability to serve God to the best of our ability.

As a homemaker, wife & mother I know it’s my responsibility to make sure my family is living a healthy life. We are not perfect at it but I do strive to create a healthy environment for my family. I think it is glorifying to God to take care of our health and our bodies.

Throughout this episode we will take a look at what our responsibility is in healthy living, God's sovereign control, and then dive into the baby steps we can start taking towards healthier living for Gods Glory.