The freedom of frugality

The last few months have been a great time of growth for me.  I have learned much about health and nutrition, beyond my very basic concept of a whole food diet, and avoiding excess sugar.  We are a family of four living on a single, modest teacher's salary.  This has forced us to avoid excess spending and constantly reevaluate our budget.  Only recently have I seen this as a blessing rather than a curse.  We, as many typical young couples did not see the problem with debt, or rather, didn't realize how quickly it would amass to an unmanageable amount.  We have been living within our means for sometime, but will be paying for a few years yet to get out of that bad decision!  I believe God is working on us during this time, to teach us we don't need that money to live on, so that once we have paid it off, we can see fit to bless Him with it, rather than to raise our standard of living.  All that being said, I would like to share some of the frugal ideas we use on a regular bases.  Many of these have healthy side effects!! Recipes will follow soon!

Food: In general the best thing you can do for your wallet AND your body is to cook at home, from scratch.  Not to mention, sitting down to eat a meal together with your family can sometimes be the one time you will all be intentionally together.  Family closeness is a great thing to happen upon if you're not used to it!  I see the result of lacking this in too many families around me.

Bread-I make our own 100% whole grain bread, typically 2 three-loaf batches each month (although we have already run out this month-time to make more!)  

Vegetables and Fruit-Our local farmer's market was just initiated this year, and I was blessed to find a wonderful lady selling her all-organic produce for less than the "standard" equivalents at the grocery store.  My goal for next year is to grow atleast half our fresh produce for the summer, and preserve enough to be able to cook a few meals each week throughout the winter strictly using our homegrown veggies/fruits.  We have only been in our current home for a little over a year, so we are starting from scratch with our garden.

Meat: Or better, perhaps I should say protein.  My husband is a huge "meat and potatoes" fan.  He has gotten used to having those type meals less often though, in exchange for healthier and much more frugal bean/rice/grain based meals.  This is not to say that we are vegetarian, but that I try to use meat as a flavoring, thereby making it stretch greatly.  I will shop only the sale shelves at my grocery store, often finding great deals, and then stretch it over many meals.  We also eat alot of eggs- another item I was blessed to find at our local farmer's market.  These were not cheaper than the industry standard but their taste was worth more than any washed-out, yellow, flat-yolked egg in the grocery store.  

Some of our favorite meals to get out of a one pound package of ground chicken or turkey- meat sauce for spaghetti and chicken burgers.  I can easily get a meal's worth of hearty sauce and about 7 or 8 burgers with this much meat.  The chicken is typically very lean, so it does not cook down the way most beef will, and the burgers are delicious (recipe next time!).

Cleaning:  I use just a few basic products to clean most everything.

Baking Soda-a great deodorizer, and scouring product-too many uses to list right now.

Distilled White Vinegar-disinfectant (when used in series with hydrogen peroxide, it's more effective than chlorine bleach, and much MUCH safer); great for washing windows; for use in furniture polish; great for soaking sponges between uses-deodorizes/disinfects; use in your Downy ball for a residue-free fabric softener.

Castile soap- I have not explored this product a whole lot outside of use in the bathroom, but as I use up my other single use products, I will be expanding this a bit more!

Health and Beauty: I make almost all our products from all natural ingredients

Deodorant-recipe

Toothpaste-recipe I use the homemade toothsoap recipe on here.  Using unscented castile soap without any essential oil provides a nice basic toothpaste that everyone in my house likes.  Also, next time I make it, I'm going to add a bit of baking soda to add a bit of scrubbing action.

Shampoo- "no-poo" or my version coming soon

Body Wash-simply castile soap on a shower poof-very little needed, use scent of choice, although peppermint can tend to be a bit strong for those "unmentionable" parts.  It feels great however for a face wash.

Clothing:  The biggest suggestion I can make here is to make a constant habit to remove items of clothing that you don't feel great in, and then create a wardrobe with many options from just a few pieces.  Lindsay, at Passionate Homemaking has a wonderful series on this called "Simplifying the Wardrobe."  I am still accomplishing this as I am losing weight, and very few things look "great."  To solve this problem partially I will be making some of my clothes as well as some for my girls.  My sewing skills are not amazing, but some simple skirts and pants for the girls are definitely within my reach.  Also, they will help me bridge the gap between my larger clothes and my goal weight which is still a ways away.  Some great deals are also to be had at thrift stores and yard sales.  If you feel a stigma about shopping at these places, keep in mind that often the profits go to benefit those less fortunate, and you might also bring your not so great (for you) pieces back to them to help benefit even more!

Just as a closing thought.  The most significant change for me lately in being frugal has been my attitude about life.  I've been praying for guidance and encouragement about coming closer to a sustainable and simple life.  With plans to stay home to raise our children (currently 2 girls, hopefully more to come), to homeschool, and to achieve as much of a mini-farm as our town will allow on our lot, my vision has been changed from someone "surviving" staying at home, to someone growing to do my best at all the jobs I claim by staying home.  Most importantly, I strive to glorify God by living out the life he created for me.  Secondly, I honor my husband, by (hopefully) creating a haven for him to come home to, supporting him in his work, and his God-given call of Music Education and Ministry.  Thirdly, I am raising my children up in the way they should go, to know their Lord and Savior, and to live a life glorifying Him.  In all these things, we are called to be good stewards of the resources God has given us.  Finances tend to be one of the most substantial of those resources, because in today's world they interconnect everything.  God has given us so much more than we need, and yet, if we let the influence of society make our decisions, we will very quickly desire more money, more stylish clothes, a newer car, a bigger house, that better job, etc.  

To be frugal isn't just to pinch pennies; it is to thank God for his blessings, and to not squander them.  Oh, to make our lives more reflective of Christ!

Quiverful?

I've been struggling lately with the concept of Quiverful lately.  I truly believe God is omniscient and omnipotent, and He certainly knows better than anyone, especially me, when I should have more children.  I have seen His miracles, His provision come when we've needed it, NOT when we were "ready" for more children, but when they arrived.  My husband was hired to his first teaching job when our first was 5 weeks old.  We conceived our second, and God provided an amazing new community and teaching job just a few months before her birth.  We can see His hand working in all the circumstances of our first few years of marriage.  Many look upon our first years of marriage as unsettled, chaotic, but I can see His promises, His preparation in all of it, just so He could bless us with the home, the job, the children that we have now.  Why would I NOT want to trust Him even more.  

So, where's the struggle, you ask?  I would love to have 10 or more children.  I trust that if God gave them to me, he would provide us the means to support and certainly to love all of them.  My struggle comes with the notion of "what if two children are all God has planned for me?"  I sit in eager anticipation of experiencing another pregnancy and delivery (yes, I enjoyed the labor and delivery too!).  God is working in amazing ways to lead our family to a much deeper appreciation of Him than even many churches see as normal.  I am still an unperfected work, and always will be, with no hopes of righteousness without the sin covering blood of Christ.  I believe the more children Christians have, in alignment with God's will (not out of selfish desire,) the more our future generations will be able to reach people for the Kingdom of God. 

I have to remind myself daily that I must be content in my circumstances.  I must be happy with "only" two children before I can be ready to accept more.  I cannot see my children as an incomplete blessing in themselves.  God has already lavished his love upon me through my husband and two amazing girls.  I cannot imagine those living the quiverful life, dealing with the prospect of never having children.  Again, I remind myself that this is a season of life.  I am also called to outreach, to teach my children to love their Lord with all their hearts, minds, and strength.   

As in all things, I pray not that God would change my circumstances, but that God would mold my heart, making me into the vessel He desires me to be for my husband, my children, and those around me.  

If you are in this same season of life, wether you share the quiverful mentality or not, I would love to hear from you!

Convincing the inconvincible...

As of late, I have felt a great peace about being a stay at home mom and wife.  With many of the changes we've made, I've felt like God is going to bless us with more children.  My husband however has never been real sure.  He was happy to have more than one, but more than two he feared, would be too many to give his full attention.  I've been talking with him lately about my peace from God, and asked him to pray about it.  Unbeknownst to me, he has been doing this and speaking with friends of ours that currently have 3 children, much closer in age than our two.  The husband of the couple reassured him that 3 is really not a big deal, and that seems to have put Erik at ease, so he gave the go ahead last night to have more children.  I feel so blessed that I have a Godly husband, willing to prayerfully consider and discuss the topics for which I feel burdened!  I could not help smiling last night when we were talking, discussing baby names, and basking in one another's presence.  We have recently begun the devotion, "Night Light," by James and Shirley Dobson, and though very short lessons, they have really helped us break down the communication barrier, and provide an appropriate time to discuss relationship-relevant questions without the innuendo that we are asking out of criticism.  I highly recommend this devotional for any couples who don't have much time to fit one in, or who are just starting out with a couples study.  Each day is intended to take 10 minutes or less, and there are 6 months worth of lessons for every day of the week.  I eagerly anticipate the direction our family is headed.  We are growing closer and closer with each week and month!

devotion to my Devotions

I've found myself floundering over the years to find an intentional and meaningful time to have regular devotions to which I will stay committed.  I started yesterday midstream on a reading plan found at http://www.christadelphia.org/readplan.htm .  I've of course started in the middle of the books, but I hope to establish this habit, so that by the first of the year, I can start at the planned beginning of the readings and yearly keep on this regimen.  Having studied Bible/Missions in college, I did so much reading for class that I got burnt out on the idea, so it's been a struggle for me to establish this daily time as a desirable habit.  

This morning I read in Chronicles, Ezekiel, and John of God's provision for us.  In Chronicles, his provision for King Asa leading battle in His name.  In Ezekiel, aliens (Gentiles) included in the land dispersement.  In John, Jesus spoke of sending the Holy Spirit, and directed the disciples how to pray in His name.  

I have experienced many, many times, God's provision and amazing timing when he sets something in motion.  For instance, I mentioned last time of our first daughter, Anna, being a surprise.  She was unplanned, but God provided in such amazing ways for her birth.  My husband, 2 1/2 months after we found out we were pregnant, 2 days after Christmas, was laid off from his job.  Within twelve hours, he was hired at a new job, with over a $1.00/hr raise, and insurance that left us owing only $200 for my entire pregnancy and delivery.  We also, during this time, were able to purchase our first home.  Shortly after Anna's birth, my husband found his first teaching job, and God continued the stream of blessings coming our way.  Some of these were blessings disguised as hardship, sacrifice, endurance, but we see now God was preparing us for greater and greater blessings.  More on that later!

A new blog for a new start...

As you can probably tell by the title of my blog, I am a Christian homemaker.  My husband, Erik, and I have been married for a little over 4 years, and we have two beautiful daughters, Anna and Lydia.  I will upload more photos as I have time.  Erik and I were married before my last year of college (majoring in Missions/Outreach), and we got pregnant a few months after our wedding.  Anna was a surprise, but such a blessing.  Lydia is 27 months younger than Anna, and was born September '07.  For the first time since college, I held a part-time job at our local state park over this past summer, and the change it caused in my household and family life was the final kick in the tail to get me to listen to God calling me to the honor of being my husband's helpmeet, raising our wonderful children, and keeping our home.  

In the realm of keeping the home, the two most important things I've been working on lately have been improving the quality of the foods we are eating, and the condition of our home.  As far as foods, I have recently gone from using sweetners to avoid refined sugars to using all natural sugars, honey or stevia.  I have also started using alot of whole wheat flour rather than avoiding alot of grain based foods (which was my previous false notion of the way to avoid white flour, etc).  Raised by a diabetic, I had alot of concepts of healthy eating that were partially accurate but not thorough enough for me to apply in my life.  For instance, I grew up avoiding sugary foods, but ate chemically sweetened substitutes.    After a discovery a few months ago that I believe I'm allergic to some preservatives found in common store bought bread, or really any processed food, I started making our own bread.  Along with a few other changes, like having fresh organic produce from our local farmer's market, I lost about 10 pounds without realizing it.  Now, I have plenty more weight to lose, but as I have made even more changes, I have lost a total of 30 pounds over the last few months.  I'm hoping for about 100 more by this time next year, but mostly I want to strive to become more and more healthy, and raise my girls having healthy eating as the norm, not something they have to discover on their own later in life.

  In regard to the condition of our home, this is something I've been constantly struggling with and striving to improve.  Since we married, my husband and I have lived in 5 different places.  With each move, we have purged unnecessary belongings including clothes, furniture, knick-knacks, childhood belongings that no longer hold any meaning, and much more. We've even given away a truck to a church friend in need of a vehicle.  All this to say I have a long way to go, but I am constantly trying to get down to the bare necessities, and create systems to keep the remaining material possessions in order and efficient.  

  For anyone stumbling across this post, or reading back from a future post of interest, I apologize for the rambling, but I feel like it is necessary to introduce myself and give a platform from which to discuss certain topics in the future.

God's blessings to everyone!