Warm Inside

I have been taking care of sick children since last Friday. It has been hard physically. My body is drained by the end of the day. However, I have a warm feeling inside knowing that I am healing my children. I have used natural remedies, nutrition and sleep to heal my family. It has been amazing to see how taking these simple steps has benefited both them and me. I even made my own throat lozenges, thanks to this recipe. It is Warm.

I have started taking an online cooking class- Whole Food Kitchen by Heather from Beauty that Moves. She is fantastic. I have loved reading her blog for a long time now. When a friend posted about this class, I knew this class was what I needed to help my family down this path of better health. I changed my family's diet from SAD (the Standard American Diet) to a whole foods, plant based diet. It has not really been a diet, more a healthier way to nourish our bodies. It has changed my recipe book quite a bit though and sometimes I feel like a cook the same things over and over again. This class is amazing. I have already learned so much and it is only the second week. My children might not like me when I finish up this course, but I think over time they will come around. Anything that is worthwhile can start off being a difficult. Endurance is the key. This class makes me feel Warm.
Sometimes I find myself needing to escape. Getting out of the house can be an answer but not on a day like today. It is cold, wet, and rainy with sleet. I needed something nourishing but warm. My mother brought me over a box of grapefruit from her tree and they were just waiting to be used. (Thank you Mom.) I found this recipe a while ago and knew tonight was a perfect night to give this drink a try. Oh, this tea is divine. Sweet and sour and oh so Warm. (I highly recommend using raw honey and finding a friend with a grapefruit tree.)

(From Martha Stewart)

This day has been a cold one on the outside. As the evening slows down, I find myself Warm Inside.

Peaceful

Some days do you wish that you could run away from the cares of the world? Where would you go?

This place, this cabin, brings peace and perspective to my life. Every summer that I visit this place I come home a different person- stronger, gentler, kinder, full of purpose.

Our cabin means different things to each individual in our family but JOY would be a word  that everyone would use to describe this place.

On this day of laundry, errands, and lessons, I will visit this place in my mind and remember the quiet and peace it brings to me.

Where is your place of peace?

My new friend Emily over at Abide with Me wrote a fantastic post and link to this wonderful article: On Loneliness: A Letter to my Children. May it bring peace and introspection to your day.

Turning Your Home into a Bakery

I love to bake bread. I began baking bread shortly after I was married. I remember my first lesson with my mother. We used my grandma's bread recipe and made bread by hand. It was an incredible experience. I loved kneading the dough and watching it rise in the greased glass pans. The anticipation of how it would turn out was overwhelming. The timer finally going off and out came the two most gorgeous loaves I have ever seen. They were breathtaking. There was a sense of accomplishment and awe. I baked bread by hand for a year and then my husband gave me a Bosch mixer for a Valentine's gift. I was in heaven.

Over the last nine years of my marriage, I have perfected my bread, trying out new recipes but always going back to my favorite. I love that my home becomes a bakery. The smell of homemade bread as you walk through the door can't be replaced. There is nothing like that smell. No candle can compare. I had a baby four months ago and took two weeks off from baking. After two weeks my children were begging me to bake bread again. The store bought bread was just not the same. It put a smile on my face and warmed my heart to know that what I do matters to the most important people in my life.  

I only bake whole wheat until now. I have recently heard of this book and I can't wait to get it in my hands. (It is on its way!) I need to branch out and try new breads. Homemaking and bread making go hand in hand.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312545525/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00#_

 

What is your favorite kind of bread?

Happy Homemaking!

New Year

Alot has been on my mind lately- mostly how do I do EVERYTHING that is required of me? At the start of the new year I was LAZY. I did not get out of bed until 8:30, breakfast did not happen until 10 and my poor children were bored to death. I was barely surviving. It drove me crazy living this way. My shower happened later. I was always rushed getting ready and I don't like being rushed. My scripture study suffered and I think I said my prayers but I can't remember.
Life is a journey- a joyful journey. So I decided to change things up. When my children went back to school after Christmas break I made it a habit to get UP before my children. It was fantastic! It was energizing! It was complete! I feel so much better. I don't feel rushed. My days feel accomplished. There is joy. There is a schedule and we all feel more grounded.
So here is to a fantastic year of getting up early.
Happy New Year!

Laundry

Every Saturday I am always doing laundry. Laundry, as we all know, can be a daunting task. So here is a little inspiration as you share your time with your washer and dryer.

I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home…. I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby. ~Nancie J. Carmody

Happy Laundry Day!

About Me

I am Samantha- a wife to one amazing man and mother to 4 (almost 5) incredible children. Life is busy but full of laughter and lots of hugs and kisses.
I am a lover of many things-

• Cooking
• Cleaning
• Eating Healthy
• Sewing
• Organizing

AND these are the things that you will find me blogging about! I have loved turning my house into a home and thankfully there is always more to be done.

Welcome to Everyday Homemaking!