Homemaking Mondays: A Space for Mom

Hello!  

Today I'd love to share with you a space for Mom. 

I think it's important for all mom's to have a place that is just theirs in a home. 

Yes, she no doubt claims the kitchen, but she needs a place to rest,

and to be productive at the same time.  

I am blessed in this home to have my favourite arm chair 

tucked away in the corner 

of the dinning room by the window.  

It is close to the kitchen so I can stock the stove, stir dinner,

take things out of the oven and not have to be 

standing around when it's not needed.

If you are like me...it's not good to walk away and get busy 

in other parts of the house.

That's when things get forgotten and burnt. 

Yup...saying that from experience. :) 

I love to be able to read my Bible in the mornings here. 

A quiet space where the Lord gives strength and learning as well. 

Sometimes it's just a spot to enjoy a cup of tea and watch out the window 

or smell the mint plants as you brush past them.

It is also my station for when the kids are working on 

their homeschool lessons at the table.

I can be productive when they are not needing me.

In my corner space I keep the yarn out that I'm planning to use. 

My space was such a mess of bags of yarn and baskets of stuff.  

So when I saw these little crates come on sale at the store:

I snagged a couple. 

I put all my sock yarn in one, and my cotton dishcloth yarn in another.

There are still baskets and bags of yarn, but I can see it better and 

I pray I'll get to using it up for it's needed end 

in good time.

It's easier to get things done that are staring you right in the face.

Plus it looks much nicer now. 

I kept this one basket up on top to stash some of my tools in. 

I found that sweet lacy wooden ruler and use it a lot. 

This past month I picked up the blue plastic sock form for the smaller socks in our house.  

It's still big...but then again so are my kids feet! :)  

I have a little blue sewing tin to keep some buttons and my darning needles in.

I have a big stash of knitting needles, but I just put the ones I need now in the basket.

I also put a lacy doily on the crates because they are all rough. 

Come spring I'll sand them down and paint them. 

At least for now the doilies will help keep the splinters away and the yarn from snagging.

My daughter has created a bag for finished products.  

She has been knitting scarves and wash clothes. 

They will stay here until she is ready to find them a new home. 

Here is a pair of socks I just finished for my older son.  

He's quite happy with them and I made them a touch taller 

so they protect his legs when he skates. 

I just started on a pair of socks for me...then we'll all have some new socks.

SO...I'll be sitting in my comfy chair in the corner knitting today.

Just a couple more days left this year....would be nice to start the year with some new socks...

but not sure I'll make it. 

It's so nice to have that quiet space that I can watch and manage the household 

and still not be on my feet all the time. 

Do you have such a place?  

It may not look anything like mine. 

I used to just use one of the kitchen chairs and tuck my work basket 

on the counter of the kitchen when I wasn't using it.  

Or is your favourite spot a step on the staircase in the middle of the home?  

I've done that to.  

It's just nice to have a place where you can get off your feet from time to time and still

be apart of what is going on around you.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: A Quiet Morning

Hello! 

How is your day going?  

We have been cold here, but a chinook is just blowing in to warm us up. 

There hasn't been much direct sunshine.

The sun will come up behind the clouds and then just move low over the sky 

until it goes down behind the mountains.

The sunsets are beautiful! 

My younger daughter just had her birthday and she requested a 

chocolate peppermint wacky cake. 

She loves woodsy things so I added some spruce boughs and cones 

with a dusting of icing sugar over top. 

Oh, and my son put a homemade bear candy on the cake to. :)

It is quite delicious....we're still eating on it.  

My youngest son's socks are finished.  

He's quite happy with them and I'm so glad that they will be used. 

He noticed after putting them both on that the stripes were matching!  

I suppose I got the ball of yarn right in the middle with them. 

I just hope that he doesn't wear them out too soon. 

I still have to learn how to properly darn them. 

Now I'm working on my other son's socks.  

One down and I've started on the next. 

This morning was a quiet morning.  

I was able to get up, shower, start the fire, and read through part of the 

book of Ephesians before my oldest got up. 

What an incredible truth that God's mercy and grace has extended to the gentiles. 

A mystery that is revealed in the New Testament though Paul. 

Even then as my oldest and I made breakfast I had to go up and wake the house.  

Was a very nice quiet morning as the light slowly crept into the sky.  

After things were cleaned up and the kids had gone out to shovel the drive and rink I sat with a cup of tea in the dim living room in my great grandmother's rocking chair and just enjoy some quiet. 

Do you treasure moments like that? I sure do. 

While the kids were out skating or working on their own projects I did some more knitting. 

Then I made some stew from the leftovers in my fridge.  

I love leftover stew/soup...it uses up things and is it's own treat as it rarely is re-done.  

I'm not one for recipes either..so it's just whatever is available at a certain time. 

I hope you have a beautiful day! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Butterflies and Indoor Fun

Hello! 

I'd like to share with you some fun butterfly cards that I have recently made.  

I had found this great set of chipboard butterflies and they 

kept popping out at me when I entered my craft space.  

So.... they needed to find a home. 

I know butterflies are a summer creature,

but they are lovely all year round.

I had fun putting together the papers and ribbons.  

These little postcards I got online ages ago 

needed homes to, so I made some more cards.

Then I was given some lovely brads and added those to.

Something fun to give to someone in the middle of winter. 

Some colour and to let others know they're thought of.

I made something this week out of pure desperation actually.

It was time to get something made for supper and I had not planned anything. 

Nothing sounded good so I headed to the fridge to see what needed to be used.

I found cream cheese, pesto, spinach, and some grated cheese.  

I needed bread as well, so I made some.  I used some of the dough like a pizza. 

I rolled it up after layering all the "leftovers" and added some sprinkle cheese on top.

I've since been educated that it's called stromboli. 

It was delicious! 

This week my kids for their homeschool meeting at the local community centre 

worked with another family to create a fun obsticle course...below is the beginning. 

It went all around the room and one of the mom's timed the kids and it was so fun! 

The kids tried to best their own times and it got a lot of energy out. 

Which was good for my kids had a morning in the kitchen and there was chocolate! 

My daughter and I put these together.

My daughter and sons made rice krispie squares together and then drizzled leftover 

chocolate over top.  It was leftover from dipping pretzels...never got a pic of those. 

They also made some cheese buns. 

I love it when we have kitchen times together my children and I. 

They are getting so good at the little things of measuring and problem solving for heating and such. 

We have the wood cookstove and it's a challenge to get the oven the right temp for the right amount of time. Then there is the stove top and finding just the right "hot spot". 

I love that my kids all can manage the wood stove and stock it when needed. 

Today we were out chopping wood and hauling it to the porch woodbox.

They are all hard workers and it doesn't take long to get that job taken care of. 

Then they headed to the skating rink beside the house.  

We had a blanket laid out on the bank to sit on.  

Our bench collapsed yesterday...so I'll have to find a way to fix that. 

For now the bank works.  

Winter is a wonderful time to do things indoors and outdoors.

What have you been up to?

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Winter Splendour and Busy Hands

Hello! 

I'd like to share some of God's winter splendour with you.

It is so beautiful when the frost covers the trees. 

The dead trees around take on more frost and the shades of white and grey

blend through the forest so incredibly. 

I love how the shades take away the gloom of the darker days.

Then the sun comes out and lights up the sky sending rays to 

make the snow sparkle like diamonds.

Gives me pause as I go about the days needs.

This past week I made some marscapone cheese 

for some tiramisu cake.  

Just heavy cream with lemon juice warmed at a certain temp.

I don't drain mine and find the creamier texture 

works just fine in the cake.

I also made some meatballs for supper tonight. 

Just some ground beef and some spices. 

(salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, tarragon, and parsley)

I had to quickly store the leftovers before the kids devoured them.

Now there are some in the freezer for other meals.

I've also been working on socks.  

I finished this pair for my daughter.

I use the Rye sock pattern for these. 

Then this pair for my husband. 

I used a solder's sock pattern and it made them nice and big for him.

I just found this picture of the pattern online.

Now I'm working on a pair of socks for one of my boys.  I'm not fast, 

but I try to keep my hands busy. 

I have made some cards that I'll post later this week. Just needed some more in my stash. 

I have now cleaned up my sewing area and hope to be doing some sewing. 

I have been whittling away at my mountain of mending as well. 

I hope to get it finished this week. 

There are always those little jobs that seem to build up 

when you tell yourself that it can wait until tomorrow.  

I find that it is so much more fun to create new things then 

to mend those that have worn spots. 

Something I'm working on. 

I hope that your week is lovely!  

Sometimes I don't know what to share...

but this is a little of what is going on in my home. 

With homemaking it is always changing.  

There are always things to attend to.

Things that give you pause and thank the Lord.

Things that make your days full with serving your Lord and your family.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer