Scheduling

A wonderful way for a stay-at-home daughter to serve her family is to create and maintain the family schedule! This week I surveyed everyone in my home about what they wanted to get accomplished during the week and compiled a list.

Following the example in the Maxwell's book, "Managers of Their Homes," I gave everyone a color and built a master schedule, from 6:00am, through the entire day until 11:00pm. Listing mine, and all the children's school hours, piano practice, chores, reading, and free time.


Scheduling really makes all the difference in our house. When we have nothing to govern our day by, the children are wild and unproductive, often resulting in punishment. When we have the schedule, they are productive and self-disciplined. They can't wait to rush to the schedule to see what they are supposed to be doing.


We re-do the schedule every few months to keep things new and interesting. It's like getting new school supplies, you'd be amazed at how enthusiastic a child can get about getting his or her work done efficiently!


Of course, we don't always get everything done, and there is a lot of room for flexibility. If Nana calls and asks us to meet her for lunch, we are free to do it - especially if everyone has gotten their things done up until that point. It's truly a blessing, and a wonderful thing for a stay-at-home daughter to work on for her mother, also very good practice for when she is a wife and mother herself!


I'd love to hear about your schedule or scheduling plans, please leave a comment!

God Bless,
Flibby

Happy Birthday to My Mother!

Today is a very special day. Quite a few years ago, my dear mother was born.

Just a few things I love about my mother:

My mother loves the Lord. She is one of His called, and wants nothing more than to serve Him and please Him all the days of her life. She has no greater joy than to see her children walk in Truth. She brought six lives into this world. She teaches them from His Word and prays that the Lord would call each of them His own.

My mother loves her home. She loves adventure and outings along with her family, but on most days, she would rather stay home under the comfort of our roof. She serves her family constantly, and usually unacknowledged, with a sweet and quiet spirit.

My mother is brilliant, and hilarious. She is a free thinker and never hides her opinions. She takes the time to talk with all of her children, in all seriousness, but she is also able to laugh at the situations at hand. She jokes and laughs with us on a daily basis. Her sense of humor is what makes life in the Kudzu house magical! She can match anybody with her wits, and she knows it!

My mother is spontaneous, as well as my father. With the both of them as our parents, we have come to appreciate the fact that spontaneity is the spice of life! Some of my fondest memories were things that happened without any planning whatsoever. While teaching and modeling the fact that it's certainly wise to plan and prepare, my mother also has fun with us simply by being herself and taking things as they come. She can also turn anything into a school lesson!

My mother is beautiful. Literally, she is strikingly gorgeous. Truly. If you don't believe me, watch the video below. Actually, watch it anyway. I worked hard on it.

Not only on this day, but everyday, we rise up and call my mother blessed. She is worth more than all the precious jewels in the world.

Happy Birthday, Ma mére.

(Another little known fact about my mother: she loves blog traffic. And even more, she loves comments. Help make her birthday grand, head over to her blog and leave a comment! Lurkers, today is your day to come out and show your appreciation for the fantastic and whimsical, Lady Why!)

A Thought For Thursday: J is for Joy

This is a neat little memory tool for prioritizing your time and how you spend it:

J- Jesus First

O- Others Second

Y- Yourself Last

Although it seems so simple, JOY is a great way to remember to put the most important priorities first.

Many times (and I am guilty of this myself!), we put ourselves first, without thinking about others and what they might need. There are so many people who are hurting or just need a helping hand, and we are so occupied with ourselves that we miss the bigger picture. God wants us to help and be more mindful of others.

Sometimes we shove God aside, saying or thinking things like: "I will read my Bible later" or "Praying isn't that important".

God is the very backbone for my life. If He wasn't here, my life would be totally different. He loves and cares about me. If I truly loved Jesus, why would I put Him aside? I try to remember this before thinking of my own time.

JOY has really helped me place my priorities in order, and I know this will help you too! :)



You can feel free to place the graphic in your sidebar.

Wishing you all a lovely day!
~*~Courtney~*~

Happy Birthday Flibby!

Today is Flibby's birthday!

I have known Flibby for several years now, and look up to her as a great example of Godly daughterhood. She is always serving others and ministering to people- I can't wait to see how God uses her this coming year!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

A Time for Everything

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. "

Happy Birthday Flibby!
~*~Courtney~*~

We've been tagged!

~Poppy

My dear mother over at Where The Kudzu Grows has tagged Flibby and I to participate in a very fun looking meme!

Okay, I'll go first!

~I've flown all the way across the country to visit all the best theme parks in California. The highlight of the trip was riding a 255 ft. tall roller coaster.

~I can do a Cockney accent, and am quite often known to talk that way for an entire day :)

~I ate raw oysters for my 13th birthday.

~Flibby and I have met, talked to, and had our picture made with Charmian Carr. If you don't know who that is, she played Liesl in The Sound of Music!

~I am a complete perfectionist and I always pay very close attention to detail.

~When I was about 5 years old I was deathly afraid of 'The Tin Man' from 'The Wizard of Oz'.

~Before I started piano lessons, I took voice lessons for 2 years and I sang at many recitals. I also sang 'The Lords Prayer' at a wedding when I was 10.

Okay Flibby, it's your turn!
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~Flibby

Here are a few little known facts about me:

~When I was 11 years old I traveled with my Nana all the way to Greece! We visited the site of the first Olympic games, saw all the major cities, and cruised to all the islands. It was the trip of a lifetime and I stopped to pet every stray cat.

~I've ridden the "Tower of Terror" at DisneyWorld 13 times in one day.

~I remember the first time I ever cleaned up anything by myself, the first time I lost a tooth and the first time I ate an ice cream cone without getting it all over my face. My earliest memory was from age 2.

~I've stood on the stage at "The Grand Ole Opry" and met a few of "The Radio City Rockettes"

~Poppy and I have met Susan Egan, one of my favorite Broadway stars who originated the role of "Belle" in "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway and voiced a few characters in Disney movies.

~When I was little, I thought my dad was the coolest guy EVER. I still think so.

~Between the ages of 10 and 15, I was incredibly shy. I wouldn't even talk to a cashier to pay for something or answer the phone. My mom would find stuff for me to do that forced me to talk to strangers until was cured of my shyness.

Now, we tag:
My cousin Dory over at Seedlings to Sunflowers
Smokestack at Progress of Pilgrims
Southern Belle at Wisdoms Way of Learning

On the Gift of Song...

Mine is a very musical family. This is not to say that we are particularly talented family, but simply one who takes great joy in music and the making of it. My siblings and I love singing with each other and each of us devotes an hour or so a day to the study of the piano and sometimes other various instruments. Music is an extremely worthy and fulfilling hobby for a young person, especially the stay at home daughter. It allows one to express her sincerest emotion or simply to relax after a long day.

Classical music is quite soothing and provides a pleasant atmosphere to the home during the daily duties. My mother loves to put classical music on during school hours. Whenever one of us has a lag between subjects we can quietly comment and converse about the composer or the particular section in the song. It's a very easy way to learn about music and their composers.

Apart from classical music, my family also enjoys opera. My mother's current favorite is Paul Potts, but we love most opera in general. Poppy and I love show tunes a lot, and we sing them constantly. We are quite fond of musicals! But, I think the best kind of music is the kind that you make yourself. Playing an instrument is a very satisfying past-time. We start our music education from birth, we've been singing to Noah his whole life! He loves music and smiles from ear to ear whenever we sing or dance. We make up little songs for him and sing all the little rhymes we used to hear when we were little. My mother and father also make up songs on the spot, as do my siblings and I. We actually have quite a few songs that we sing which are only known by our family and singing in the shower is considered a necessity by those who occupy our household! (Except for my dad ~wink~)

Once the children turn five, they start piano lessons. I help my younger sisters during the week and when the work is finished, we play fun songs and sing. Reading music is an excellent skill to have and it's as easy as learning to read English! It comes in quite useful. In our church young girls play the piano during the services and a few of them teach piano lessons as well.

Singing is also one of our favorite things to do. I've done some research on the proper breathing techniques and such, and Poppy has taken some voice lessons in the past. We love to teach everyone to sing in harmony or rehearse a number with choreography to perform for Noah! Talent is not important, it's only necessary to have fun and glorify the Lord in your music. The quote, "God said, 'Make a joyful noise' not a beautiful one." is one that I've remembered for so long I don't even remember where it's from.

Music is mixed into every one's daily lives. Whether or not you consider yourself a musical person there is always some points in the day when you are exposed to it. Whether or not you pursue music as a hobby, it can still make your life most enjoyable. I encourage you to take a moment to appreciate the music around you, it is quite a marvelous gift of the Lord.

May the Lord bless you and fill your heart with song.

--Flibby

Valentine's Day for Stay-At-Home Daughters

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite times of the year! Even though it's emphasized as a holiday for couples, we always make it a wonderfully fun day for everyone in our house! Each year we make our own home-made Valentines and pass them out to everyone in the family... it's become quite a fun tradition! We try to 'out do' last year's Valentines with new fresh ideas!

Here are some of the cards I made for my family this year.

I can't wait to see what the rest of my family has come up with!!

Recently, I've been thinking about ways that a stay at home daughter can reach out to others on Valentine's Day. Last year, a good friend from my church held a Valentine's bake at her home. All of the single girls in our church got together and had a wonderful time socializing while baking cookies for the older members of our church, as well as those who were stuck at home or sick. It was wonderful fun and those cookies were such a blessing to our church members! I also love to voluteer at the local assisted living center and nursing home. The people there love to hear hymns and I love to play them on the piano. It's so much fun to spend time with older people-- they are so wise and have so much to tell!

This year, I've already been preparing and planning ways that I can glorify God on Valentine's Day as an unmarried daughter. First of all, I made Valentines and wrote lengthy letters to some of my more distant relatives telling them all about what our family is up to now and how much they mean to us. I know they'll love to receive those, especially my great-grandmother and great-aunt! I also helped my younger siblings with their letters and valentines for our relatives.

I love to serve my family by cooking and baking, and this year (shhhh, don't tell) I'm making a surprise Valentine's day dinner complete with a fancy cake. I even bought a special tablecloth to decorate our table.

Be sure to check back, I'll post pictures of the finished cake (and supper). Hopefully it will turn out well! I've already bought some frosting.... mmmm....


Another way I've helped others celebrate Valentine's Day is by babysitting for my family or the neighbors so that parents can enjoy a night out together. While their parents are gone, I help the children make special messages for their mom and dad... and leave them on their pillowcase! My parents love to receive cards and surprises from us!

These are just a few ideas for an unmarried young lady to be a blessing to others on Valentine's Day! I'd love to hear your suggestions! Leave a comment below!

Crystal from Biblical Womanhood is holding a great Valentine's Day contest for the unmarried, the deadline is tomorrow! Head on over there and take a look!

--Flibby

Why I Wear A Dress

A lot of people ask me why I wear dresses, and why I prefer them to pants. I decided to post some of the most common questions I receive about the dress/pants issue.

Why would you want to wear a dress/jumper/skirt? Wouldn't you rather have the "freedom" of wearing pants?
I find that I can still do everything I could do in pants in a skirt or dress. I can do home construction, ride a bike, mow the lawn, and do it all in a skirt! There is very little that I "can't" do in a skirt. Right now, I can't even think of one thing.

Pants are more comfortable and less constricting, right?
For me, I found that this was totally different. There was actually more room to move about in most skirts. There are some skirt styles that do have less leg room, but I find that it helps me to take small, lady-like steps.

OK, I like the idea of wearing dresses, but I can't find anything decent!
Most of my skirts/dresses are found online or secondhand. I also have sewn many of my skirts/dresses. One of my favorite skirt patterns can be found for free here, and I would also like to make this pattern here. It really is easier than it looks.

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A few reasons I like to wear a skirt
They are more feminine
They are more comfortable
They can be dressy or casual
They twirl so nicely
My list could go on and on!

How about you? Why do you like/dislike dresses and skirts?

Have a great day!
~@~Courtney~@~

Adding a Touch of Charm to Small Spaces!

Today I'm going to share some advice on how to decorate a small space (like your bedroom) inexpensively.

This summer, my sister and I moved into a much smaller room when we were preparing for the arrival of family member number 8! We painted the room a lovely green color and then we had the task of decorating within a budget of virtually nothing. We were given some hand-me-downs from our dear friends and we didn't spend a single cent! But, I'm aware that this doesn't happen every time, so here are some tips for decorating on a budget. This is also helpful for those who'd like to make their room festive by decorating for Christmas! Often the living room, kitchen, and outside of the house get decked out for Christmas while the other spaces in the house are neglected. I love to decorate my room for Christmas! It's amazing how much Christmas spirit can be cultivated just by having your one little spot of the house decorated.

Anyway, when decorating on a budget, some of the most expensive things are the bedding and furniture. I am partial to handmade quilts as bedspreads! I don't have one, but I know that these are things that are specially made, and will last for years to come! Furniture can be provided inexpensively through garage sales and thrift stores. My family goes garage saling every Saturday and we have found most all of our furniture from these inexpensive sales. You can see many a testimony in the archives of Where the Kudzu Grows and Whiskers on Kittens. My father is great at finding things that people are throwing away near his office and he brings home some wonderful finds at times! It's a great feeling to refurbish a tired item back to its former glory. Sometimes all it takes is some repainting. It's frugal and satisfying!

Very small and subtle things can be done to any room to add some charm and beauty... cutting fresh flowers for a vase, for example. One thing I like to do is reuse the decorations that my mother has retired. The old garland and ivy branches that she's used year after year, and just can't seem to find a spot for would normally be placed back in the attic with the empty boxes until Christmas is over. But, I can use them to do my own decorating! It's so much fun to add your own style to your surroundings and it's great practice for when you are married with your own home to decorate. I like putting small decorations in my hope chest to use later in life. Another great thing to do is to make a notebook full of your ideas. I used to cut out tons of magazine pictures and save them in a binder, commenting on each aspect and what I liked about it. It was so much fun, and now I have a huge notebook that I can look back on and get some wonderful decorating ideas!

When you have a small space, the most important thing is to eliminate clutter. No matter how much beautiful decorating you've done, your space will still look disorganized if there is too much clutter. Making the most of every possible area and using all unseen areas for storage are helpful tips for this. I make a point to go through my things every few months and make sure that I haven't acquired anything that I don't need. My room is still quite cluttered though! This is something that is the biggest problem in my room, and I'm having to be resourceful to find solutions. With the exception of valuable keepsakes, if I haven't used it in the past three months or so, it's usually okay to get rid of.

When decorating an area, it's so much fun to play with color combinations! I love to find things in nature and use the colors from an object when coming up with color palettes. I do this when I make graphics all the time. Nature is an amazing work of art! The Lord is truly the best Designer!

The part that is the most fun about decorating is letting my own personal tastes show through. My mother and I seem to have very similar tastes, and I love to help her with the decorating around the house!

I hope this has been a help to you as you endeavor to make your space a beautiful one and as you polish your homemaking skills!

God Bless You!

~Flibby

Sugar Cookies

Hi there!

We have been baking sugar cookies today.... aren't they lovely?

Everyone was working hard.....







Although one little cutie was just having fun eating the dough!



Stars waiting for the cookie sheet



Here are a couple of original designs

Our House


Daddy


Here is the recipe:

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 c. Butter
2 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 Eggs
5 C. Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 c. Milk

Directions
Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add vanilla. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift flour into seperate bowl, Measure and add salt, soda and baking powder. Sift again. Add sifted ingredients alternately with milk. Stir until smooth. Chill in refrigerator for several hours. Roll out to 1/4" thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Place at least 1" apart on greased cookie sheet and bake at 400^ for 8-10 minutes. Makes 6 dozen (or so).

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We had such a wonderful time making these. We will be decorating them later today, with lots of colored icing!

(In case you are wondering about all the recipes, I am working to build a recipe file of my family's favorite recipes for my hope chest.)

Have a wonderful day from our family,
~@~Courtney~@~