Home Sanctuary

Company Girl Coffee 11.12

This week has flown by as I've been working on my extra projects. The main thing I've been focused on is the Company Girl book. Since I am self-publishing, it is taking extra time to prepare each page perfectly and make sure I've got all the acknowledgements correct....with about 50 contributors, I'm paranoid that I'll misspell someone's name! Today, my graphic designer daughter Lauren and I will be finalizing the cover design and going through everything with a fine-tooth comb. It should be ready for purchase in a few weeks!

But that will be after I finish this painting project for a customer this morning: a mile of rope and sailor's knots. Can you say "tedious?" The end result will be a "pottery barn nautical theme," which will be darling if my hand makes it through.

And now it's time for our weekly feature on Fridays: Company Girl Coffee! Simply link up below as a way to participate in the world wide web's easiest meme....no special theme or subject required. It's a way to get to know each other and connect with other women who frequent Home Sanctuary. Non-bloggers are always welcome to use the comment section as a forum for chatting....we've had baby announcements, prayer requests, life-changing matters and simple self-introductions in our comments and we love it - don't be shy!

Song of the Day: Some Kind of Wonderful, Michael Buble 

Taking a Few Days Off...

Hey there, Company Girls! I'm taking a few days off this week to catch up on a couple of things. I couldn't seem to find any area to cut back from except blogging, so I hope you don't mind! I'll be back by Friday.

In the meantime, don't forget that life is made up of millions of Small Things....you don't have to do every single one, just focus on the things that make life a little better for yourself and the ones you love.  Have a fantastic week!

Much love, Rachel Anne

Coffee, I Need Thee Every Hour

I married a man who does not drink coffee.  He says he doesn't need that crutch to get through life, proving once again that he is one tough dude.

As for me, I go to sleep at night looking forward to my next first cup of the morning, often served to my bedside by my non-caffeinated husband.  For a guy who doesn't know the thrill of caffeine coursing through one's veins, I think that's pretty thoughtful.  But he does know how much a junkie like me needs that first fix of the day.

My coffee habits have changed over the years.  I used to have to slam back a cup of brew after dinner in order to face the nightly homework-getting-ready-for-bed-I-forgot-my-paper's-due- can-I-have-one-more-drink-I-don't-wanna-go-to-sleep routine.  I needed every ounce of caffeine to make it through the last bedtime story and spanking to get those kids to stay in bed.

These days, I can't drink the stuff after 6 pm or I will be guaranteed a fitful night's sleep after tossing and turning for hours trying to get some rest. 

But that first cup....well, I can't live without it.  Or the second.  I can survive on half of the third.

Today's Small Thing begs the question: when was the last time you cleaned your coffee maker?  I wash the pot out each day, but I checked out the reservoir in back and it looks a bit...grotty.  I noticed that the outside is pretty splattered and dusty.  Now that I think about it, my coffee this morning doesn't taste as it should.  I think it's time for a good, thorough cleansing. If you need a good chocolate chip cookie to eat with your coffee, here's my recipe.

POINTS: 30 for unplugging your coffee maker and washing it inside and out.  Now, for instructions on the BEST way to do it, read on: (if you aren't a coffee drinker, you may substitute a tea kettle or another small appliance.)

Ever wonder how to clean a coffee maker the right way? Drip coffee makers need to be cleaned at least once a month to keep your coffee tasting good.

Cleaning your coffee maker takes away hard water mineral deposits, old oils from previously brewed pots and other impurities that can make your coffee taste bad.

A mixture of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water is the best way to clean a drip coffee maker. Mix a full pot of the vinegar and water mixture, pour it in your water reservoir and turn the coffee maker on.

Once the mixture has run completely through, it's important to turn the drip coffee maker off and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pour the vinegar and water mixture down the drain. If you are cleaning a coffee maker that hasn't been cleaned regularly, repeat this step again with a fresh vinegar and water mixture.

Next, rinse the pot out thoroughly with warm, plain water. Then, fill the water reservoir again with clean water and turn the coffee maker on to start the rinsing process.

To make sure all of the vinegar and water solution is completely gone repeat the rinsing process one more time after letting the pot cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

This is how to clean a coffee maker the right way. Cleaning your drip coffee maker on a monthly basis will make it last longer and keep your coffee tasting the best it can possibly be.

Copyright © 2005  Best-Coffee-Makers-Online.com.   All Rights Reserved.

Song of the Day: Black Coffee, Julie London

Company Girl Coffee 11.5

It has been an exciting week over here, while Priscilla has been taping a new Bible Study series. On Wednesday, Tom and I were actually PART of the filming - as our artwork was part of the story. I regret that I did not paint my nails for all the close-up shots of my hands as work - painting, moving the computer mouse, drawing, etc. RATS! I screwed up my moment of fame. But, truth be told, I rarely polish my nails anymore because paint sticks to it - so I just go with the short, minimalist look....and I guess this DVD will show a realistic view of an artist's hands: plain and slightly dry.

Totally not the point of the Bible Study.

Much more important was my hair. It was a little flat, but I did my roots that morning so I'm OK with it.

Every Friday is called "Company Girl Coffee" around here - it's a chance for everyone and anyone to link up and invite people to their blogs to visit. Now, I know not everyone is a blogger, so don't think you can't participate if you don't blog. You can visit with us in the comment section - don't be shy! Simply tell us a little about yourself so that when we see your name on a comment, we will know who you are! It's fun and easy - and a great way to make some new friends. Join in!

 

I'm Seeing Spots

 

I'm pretty good at getting the big things done around here.  But it's the little things, oh the little things, that are my bugaboos.  Sometimes it will take me forever to pick up a piece of paper or clean something small or do some tiny task that I KNOW won't take but a minute....but with all the BIG things that need doing, well.  I just can't stop to take care of those little details with more important things to accomplish.

But they still bother me.  And that's why it feels so good to finally do those irksome little things that niggle at the back of my mind.  I love getting points for paying attention to tasks that may be a bit insignificant in and of themselves, but make life seem....better when they're done.

Doing the Small Thing of the day gives me a whole lot of pleasure as I move through the "Have-To's" of my day.  I've done something important today, and it gives me the will to face the bigger tasks.

So that brings me to Today's Small Thing, which about something that I am ashamed to say, I don't deal with well.

Spots.

They're tiny.  They're not hurting anyone.  They don't make anyone late to events.  But they hang around for far too long.

There are many places that spots deposit themselves at my house.  Our drooley dog leaves spots on the carpet from his slobber.  Yech.  If he weren't so old and decrepit I'd kick him out of the house.  I hate myself for being so gullible as to fall for his arthritic "excuse" to be inside.

Kids (and adults, mostly invisible guests) spill drinks on the furniture and leave the tell tale spots behind.

Grease seems to jump onto my clothing when I cook and, yep.   Da Spots!

And I'll dab things up as best I can at the moment they occur, but sometimes those spots want to take up permanent residence and ruin my whole sanctuary thing with their careless splats of indifference.

Our Small Thing today is to eradicate spottage in just one area of your house.  This is one you really have to be careful with, because once you start chasing down spots with say, a bottle of Resolve, you can  become obsessively crazy and never stop.   So I warn you.  Limit yourself, and have 911 pre-dialed on your phone in case you start to lose it.  When you start looking for spots, you'll find them everywhere.

POINTS:  50 for working on laundry spots, carpet spots, furniture spots, upholstery spots or anywhere else those spots might lurk. JUST PICK ONE AREA, and....be careful.  Don't tell me you weren't warned.

Don't forget to limit yourself if you can...and feel free to let us know where you eliminated spots today! Don't forget that your kids can help you!

Song of the Day: Cruella DeVil, Disney

November Prizes

I'm excited to share what our prizes will be this month! I hope this will be excellent incentive to get as many points as you can, because I will be giving out the gift of TIME to the winner.

The Most Points Winner will receive a FREE decorating consultation with me.

As a color expert and artist, I find that most people have trouble picking colors for their walls and furniture. I always approach home decorating with an eye for how paint color can transform a room, and it's one of the fastest and best "bangs for the buck." Maybe you aren't sure how to arrange your furniture or how to accessorize what you already have......I can help you with that! The Most Points Winner will be able to send photos of their problem room, and I will make a simple, affordable plan to turn it into a true "sanctuary" room on your budget. This will be FUN, ladies.....I can't wait to see who will win this!

The Random Drawing Winner will receive "Self Talk, Soul Talk" by Jennifer Rothschilds.

This book has such a simple, yet profound message about what we say to ourselves and how we can replace the lies with positive truths and sensible soul talk. I think every woman should read this and I'm delighted to share a copy with you this month.

Let's make this a "November to Remember!" by having fun with the Small Things and encouraging one another each day. Thanks for joining me here for another month.....I LOVE doing this with ya'll!

Sole Mate

I looked around in disgust at the careless way the people in this household left their shoes everywhere. No matter how many times I tell them to please. put. them. away., it seems like my demands fall on deaf ears. It's like I'm their slave and they are happy to let me pick up after them. In resignation, I began scooping up the pairs to remove them to their respective closets, but suddenly stopped, mid-scoop.

Three of the five pairs of shoes in the living room were mine.

Another pair of my sandals was by the back door.

Sheesh!

I guess there is something to the saying, "more is caught than taught," and in this case, my family has caught my penchant for leaving shoes around - despite what I've taught them!

Today's Small Thing is to gather up the shoes that may be loafing around the house and put them where they belong. If you don't have any loitering sets of soles - give yourself a pat on the back and take today's points for being so neat. This is an easy one and makes you feel great seeing shoe-free entries, steps and living rooms all at one time!

50 POINTS

POINTS: 50 for gathering the sole mates and putting them in their places

October Winners

I'm posting late this morning -agh! Of all mornings to be late, it WOULD have to be when you are waiting with baited breath to find out who won. I'll explain my tardiness in a minute.

The Most Points Winner is: Trudy Mintun, with a whopping 1540 points! Trudy really got into the "sorting" day, which had unlimited points available....this is what she said in her email:

I sure did enjoy this month. I finally got to do points all the way through the month. The day i enjoyed the most was the day we sorted things. I had way too many piles of things around the house. I now have organized craft bins. I did knitting needles, crochet hooks, colors of yarn, type of yarn, and patterns (men. women, children, baby, home). I also sorted my embroidery floss into their respective little dividers. I did socks, summer and winter clothes, I sorted out good towels from scrub towels (I now need some new towels), I sorted books that I want to keep from books that need to go to the used book store. I then sorted books from the used book store that I could donate to the library.  I had a great day!

You never know when a Small Thing will strike a chord with you and make you go a little bit nuts - in a good way!  Congratulations, Trudy - WELL DONE!! You will receive the gift certificate to Sam Moon.

Our Random Drawing Winner is Tracie Troester. Tracie will receive the Anthony Evans CD, which I know she will love.

I'll announce November's Prizes tomorrow - mostly because I'm still behind from this weekend and have a little detail to wrap up before I let you know what they are. We spent much of the weekend finishing up a cool graphic art piece that is being featured in an upcoming Priscilla Shirer Bible Study. It seems like no matter how much you plan, there are always last-minute snafu's that cause anxiety. I admit I was really, really anxious about this one. I'd show you a photo but I'm not sure I have permission.

Priscilla, taping at a museum

Filming took place yesterday - so we got up early to pack up the 8 x 12 foot canvas and frame, and then set it up on location at a museum. I guess now you could say my work has hung in a museum - ha! Probably the closest I will ever come to that happening. Priscilla makes taping look easy - she is just. so. good. By the time everything wrapped up and we got home from dinner and unloaded, I was just too pooped to pull together today's posts. So that's my story - it was an exciting day, to say the least, and I can't wait until ya'll can see the video and hear Priscilla make me sound like Michelangelo to make her spiritual point! :)

 

Vote for Change

Today is Election Day across the U.S. for scores of local and statewide political races. I'll be so happy to see the end of the mud-slinging commercials, how about you? Golly, I'm afraid if some of these people win political office, life as we know it will cease to exist! Such doom and gloom, fear and despair (at least if you vote for the "other" guy)... I'm glad my hope is not based on which party has the most seats in Congress.

At some point today, I will take my voter registration card and and go vote for the lesser of the two evils in each race. I don't hold out much hope for the "change" everyone seems to promise so I'm just going to work on what I can on the home front. I'll stump for that any day.

Today's Small Thing is to make some small changes in your own precinct.  "Change," in this instance meaning, "to replace the old with the new."

You can elect to:

• Change the sheets on a bed

• Change the towels

• Change the batteries in your smoke alarm 

• Change a light bulb

• Change the oil in your car

• Change your tablecloth

• Change your undies, or simply turn them inside out.  Good to go.

OK, that last one was in very poor taste, sorry New Girls.  I'll get my spin doctors on it right away.

In exchange for your vote today, I will give you some mighty fine points.  And since I'm the President of Company Girl nation, that's a promise I can keep.

POINTS: 10 for each change you make today, limit 10 changes.  You can adopt some of my proposals, or you can elect to make your own changes.  You decide!

100 possible points today!  Let's see Congress top THAT!

Song of the Day: Waiting for the World to Change, John Mayer

November to Remember, Minimally Speaking

First: October prize winners will be announced tomorrow. Thank you to all who participated last month - it was a fun one!

Second, here is a new Tally Sheet for November. You'll want to have this handy! The fridge is a perfect spot for it. Download TallyNovember10

Now, our Small Thing:

Minimum Maintenance. 

It's something I like to bring up every once in a while because it is the little thing that makes the bigger things (like juggling a busy family life) possible. I think we talked about it in August last time, but if you're like me, I need a continuous nudge to remember to put it into practice.

I credit the genius of Bonnie in Bonnie's Household Organizer for this concept. Bonnie gives some guidelines for a simple daily maintenance routine that I've adapted to my own family's needs over the years. It is MAGIC, ladies.  

Most of you know this already, but let's review together again anyway....because it will make November a month to Remember. Minimum Maintenance in a nutshell is this:  acknowledging that every day a minimum amount of effort will go into that day to make it work.

Minimum Maintenance is NOT a thorough cleaning process.  It is a morning (or evening) run-through of the house, that gives you a successful start (or finish) to your day, whatever happens.

Here is what Bonnie says:

1. Spend 5 minutes per room, picking up and straightening. NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES! (Except the kitchen, which gets 15).  When your friendly timer goes off, you move on.  Oh, good!

2. Don't start cleaning too deeply during your morning run-through.  Save that for later.

3. Don't let the needs of others control your life.  (ex. telephone calls, TV shows, etc.)

4. Make the dinner decision early. (By 10:00)  Deciding early give you more choices, even if you are deciding to eat out.  It gives you control.  Try an easy monthly menu plan.

5. Start from the outside in.  Clean off the top of the counter before you attack a drawer.

6. Categorize items as you go:  start grouping stuff as you pick up.  Don't get bogged down in specific, precise categories, just simple groups so that when you begin to really organize, half the job is already done.

7.  Learn to pick up before the mess becomes monstrous.  We often don't pick up a little piece of paper because the rest of the house is so messy.  For today, just pick up the stuff you took out and used TODAY.

8. Make the picking-up process a habit.  At first it will take great effort, but soon it will become a second nature.  Clean as you go.  Having paper towels or pop-up wipes handy in each bathroom makes it easier to do a quick swab o' the deck.

So even if my home is a complete disaster, picking up and straightening the areas we live in gives me a euphoric feeling of success.  Knowing that I HAVE to move on after 5 minutes in each room helps keep me from getting bogged down in my quagmire of despair.

Sometimes it has worked better for me to do 5 minutes per room in the evening, rather than in the morning.  I like to wake up to a neat house, and getting the kids to pitch in to for quick pick up gives them an excuse to stay up 5 more minutes. 

Today's Small Thing is to get out your timer give Minimum Maintenance a chance to work its magic. This month, I am going to give ample opportunities to take MM from theory to reality by giving you plenty of points for working on this habit.

Try to do MM every single day, jotting down when you have done it. Simply put a little "MM" on your calendar. I will be giving some surprise bonus points...randomly and without warning :).... throughout the month that will make it worth your while

POINTS: 50 big points for trying Minimum Maintenance. I'm not looking for perfection - just daily picking up and dinner planning that works for your family, using the above general guidelines. Need some more info about it? See what it really looks like here - it will help!

Song of the Day: Can't Fight this Feeling Anymore, Glee Cast