The Intentional Home, Week Seven: Saturday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Seven: Saturday

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Today, I want to thank you. Thank you for taking the time to trust me with your home. I am just an ordinary mom who likes to dabble with blogging and got a crazy idea to write an eBook. I hope that you feel like you have been in good hands and your home is a more lovely space for you and your family.

I pray that you feel equipped to continue with the daily chores and maintain your new haven. I want you to know there is no condemnation if you fall away or get behind. You can just start right back up with one load of laundry and making your bed and you will catch up.

Thank you for loving your family or maybe it’s just yourself enough to want to give them a beautiful, clutter-free and clean space. I think you deserve dinner out or maybe a coffee date with some girlfriends! Treat yourself well, you deserve it. I may have never met you, but you feel like a friend to me and I will be praying for you.

Blessings on your journey,

Jennifer

The Intentional Home, Week Seven: Friday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Seven: Friday

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures,

 he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths
 for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
 through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,
  for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,
 they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
 in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
 my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
 all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
 forever.
Psalm 23

Today, I want to share a word of caution about perfectionism and comparison. I heard these wonderful quotes about comparing the other day:

 “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
Theodore Roosevelt

“Jealousy comes from counting others’ blessings 
instead of our own.”
Unknown

In our world, we are inundated with images of people living what look like perfect lives. With social media, Pinterest, HGTV and magazines, we are always seeing people that appear to be living better lives than us. This is simply not true. God has blessed each one of us with different talents and people who we love and love us. It’s time for us to start cherishing what we have been given and stop always wanting more or better.

God really used the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp to wake me up to many of the blessings in my life that are happening all around me every day from moment to moment. If you are feeling dissatisfied with your life, or if you just want a great read, I highly recommend this book.

As far as perfect goes. We lost perfection in the garden of eden with the fall of man. It’s not here on this earth for us now, but for those of us who are in Christ will some day know what perfect looks like. So, remember this is our temporary home and yes it is important for us to do our job and make our home a lovely place, but it will never be perfect. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this imperfect life and this imperfect home, you may just need to lower your expectations a little bit.

I know too many people who put themselves into a bad financial position chasing what they think will be the perfect home, the perfect neighborhood and the perfect life only to find that it falls short once again. Friends, what you are seeking can only be found in a close relationship with God, He is the one who fills you up and gives you an overflowing joy. That joy is not found in things!

The Intentional Home, Week Seven: Thursday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Seven: Thursday

Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Titus 2:4-5

I have found making my own household products to be not only rewarding but also a big money-saver. I hope you find the list that I compiled useful:

Homemade Powder Laundry Detergent

1 cup borax

1 cup washing soda (found in laundry detergent aisle, not baking soda)

1 bar either Fels Naptha soap (found in laundry detergent aisle about $1.26 a bar) or castille soap like Dr. Bronner’s (this is more expensive at $3.99 a bar, but there are many scent options)

Grate bar of soap (I use the food processor), you can also cut it and put it in your blender. Once grated add the washing soda and borax to either your food processor or blender and mix. Use one or two tablespoons per load. I put it in before I add the laundry and I usually use two tablespoons unless its a really small load. It works great!

Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Detergent Recipe 

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup liquid dish soap

2 tablespoons pure lemon juice 

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon washing soda

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix until everything has dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour into glass container. Shake before using. Fill dishwasher compartment and pour white vinegar into rinse compartment. 

Homemade Counter Spray/Cleaner

1 cup water

1 cup vinegar

a few drops of your favorite essential oil

Just mix the ingredients and put in an old spray bottle. The vinegar smell with quickly disappear and the essential oil fragrance will linger.

Homemade Cleaner

Baking soda

Re-use a grated parmesan cheese plastic canister or punch holes in the top of a mason jar. Use as you would any powdered bleach cleaner.

Homemade Glass Cleaner

1 cup rubbing alcohol

1 cup water

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Mix ingredients in a spray bottle. Remember to save newspaper to use instead of paper towels.

Homemade Floor Cleaner

1 Cup Vinegar

1 gallon of water

a few drops of essential oil

Mix in a bucket and mop.

Homemade Liquid Hand Soap

1 gallon distilled or purified water

1 8 oz bar of soap or two 4 oz bars of soap (I use a vegetable based soap from Trader Joe’s, Oatmeal and Honey, it costs less than $2.00 for two 4 oz. bars)

Bring water to a boil. Grate soap in food processor, or cut into chunks and put into blender. Add grated soap to boiling water, reduce to medium heat. Stir occasionally until melted. Put lid on and let sit overnight. The soap will get think, add it in portions into the blender and blend to reduce thickness. Store in tight fitting containers.

The Intentional Home, Week Seven: Wednesday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Seven: Wednesday

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:15-17

I really like to get rid of clutter, but I also like a good bargain especially thrift stores and garage sales. This can put me on a bad cycle of accumulating and then purging. I want to challenge you as well as myself to consider carefully what we bring into our home.

When things cost only pennies like at a garage sale they can be so tempting to purchase, but they will still take up space in your home and require cleaning and storing. So, even if it is on a $.25 item, it’s good to really evaluate the need before you buy it. Be careful taking kids to garage sales. Haley and I got in the habit of Saturday morning garage sale shopping together and it was fun. But, so many nice people just gave Haley toys and we ended up with a lot of toys that we didn’t need.

I’ve found a new method that is actually working well when shopping retail to avoid the impulse purchase. When I see something that I really like, instead of buying it, I take a picture of the item and the price tag. If in a week or two, I even remember that I liked that rug, for example, I can look at the picture and decide if it would be a wise purchase. I can say every time that I’ve done this I haven’t regretted leaving it on the shelf one bit.

Some people have a “one in, one out” rule that can really make you think before you buy. Regardless, I just want you and me to be more intentional about what you are bringing in.

The Intentional Home, Week Seven: Tuesday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Seven: Tuesday

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them,“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”


Mark 6:31


I’ve found that one of the most crucial things for me to be able to accomplish all that I need to in a day is to take some time for myself to refresh and to feed my soul. At some point during the day, lately it’s been in the afternoon, I’ve made myself a cup of herbal tea and sat down to a good book. I’ve been enjoying reading several of Sally Clarkson’s books and her blog on mothering as of late.

I also wake up before the kids and spend some time reading my Bible or doing a Bible study and in prayer. It’s so important to spend time feeding your soul to be able to serve your family each and everyday.

Today, I want to encourage you to find or create a spot in your home and I time when you will be able to relax and refresh everyday.

The Intentional Home, Week Seven: Monday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Seven: Monday

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 2:2-3

All along I have planned for this to be our week of rest. We will continue with our daily cleaning schedule, but we will not be adding any more tasks. I want to clearly define the cleaning schedule along with some rotating weekly chores to guarantee a regularly clean house. 

This cleaning schedule is what works for me and my house. Your house and life looks different from mine, so modify it to fit your lifestyle. It shouldn’t take no more than 30 to 45 minutes to complete once you get the hang of it. I find it works much better for me than devoting an entire day to housework. You may feel different, once again, it’s what works for you as long as the work gets done.

Cleaning Schedule

Daily

Morning

Make beds

Wipe bathroom counters and sinks

Empty dishwasher

One load of laundry

Chore of the day

Evening

Load and run dishwasher

Wipe kitchen counters

Sweep

Pick up basket/straighten up

Rotating Daily Chore

Monday: Vacuum

Tuesday:  Clean mirrors, windows and other glass

Wednesday: Scrub toilettes, tubs and showers

Thursday:  Mop floors

Friday: Swing day (see below)

Saturday: Catch-up day

Swing Day

Week one: Wipe furniture and cabinets

Week two: Scrub oven, fridge and microwave

Week three: Wipe furniture, blinds and 

window seals

Week four: Wipe down walls, doors, vents and baseboards

The only difference here from what you’ve been doing is the rotating Friday chore, called “swing day”.

Of course, there are a few other chores that are good to do seasonally. Some of those include cleaning the outside of your windows. A great way to clean windows is to fill a bucket with water and about a cup of vinegar. Use a sponge to wash the window with the vinegar water and squeegee after.

An easy way to clean fans is using an old pillow case. Just put the pillow case over the fan blade and rub. It works so great and you avoid dust in your hair! Other things to consider is washing shower curtains, dust ruffles and curtains from time to time. 

Most of these chores that don’t fit in the rotation, we get done when it is needed and the mood strikes. 

Remember, if you miss a daily chore, be sure not to miss the same day the following week. Do your best to go no more than two weeks without doing the same daily chore. The key is to be intentional to maintain that easy to clean task! 

The Intentional Home, Week Seven: Sunday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Seven: Sunday

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

You have worked so hard for these last six weeks or however long it’s take you to get here, regardless you are here. Congratulations! This week we will be focusing on maintaing all that you have accomplished.

The Intentional Home, Week Six: Saturday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Six: Saturday

They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Acts 2:45

It is now time take care of your pile of outgoing stuff, if you haven’t already dealt with it. It’s decision time! You can have a garage sale, otherwise known as yard sale or tag sale. It can be donated to a number of different charities or friends. If you have things of value, you can sell those on Ebay or Craigslist. There’s no right answer.

If you decide to donate it to a charity, make sure that what you are donating is something that people would actually want. It’s really not nice to dump damaged or dirty items on them. I know from experience from working at my church’s outreach center that people really can be rude about dumping on us. It’s quite time consuming and frustrating to then have to throw away their junk. Of course, I know none of you would do that!

If you have a lot of inexpensive items to sell, I would recommend a garage sale. Here are some suggestions for a successful and easy garage sale:

-Make clear signs with arrows from a major street to your house

-Advertise in your local paper, post it on Facebook and there may be a local Facebook group to advertise garage sales

-Only label large or pricier items with a price tag

-Make all of the clothes one price like $.50, all the shoes $1.00, all the books $.50 and make a large sign displaying these prices

-Lay clothes or items out on tables or blankets, boxes even work well for clothes

-Start your garage sale early like a 7:00, serious shoppers get started early

-Pick a nice day for your sale

-If you have kids, they might enjoy making a little bit of money selling lemonade

If you have some items that you think are too valuable for a garage sale then Ebay would be a good option. First, research your item’s value, know how much it costs. If you are unfamiliar with listing on Ebay, have a friend help you. But, if you are a little computer savvy, it is really quite easy. I’m guessing you are computer savvy, you are reading an eBook after all! Make sure to take good pictures of your item and give a detailed description. While the item is in the auction phase be sure to answer questions from buyers promptly.

You may want to use Craigslist or another local online “garage” sale sight. I just urge you to not be alone if someone is coming to either buy or look at an item. You can never be too careful these days!

As I am constantly getting rid of clutter, I tend to just donate it right away and not wait for a garage sale. I enjoy blessing friends with hand-me-downs. My husband is great at Ebay and he’ll use it a lot especially with cycling products that he can buy and sell at a discount. 

I hope you have a little fun with this process and maybe even make a buck or two!

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks 

Straighten the house up in the evening

The Intentional Home, Week Six: Friday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Six: Friday

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
Dueteronomy 29:29

You’ve done such a great job of getting rid of the clutter over the last six weeks. As you evaluate your home, is there still an area that seems hard to contain the clutter? Maybe it’s by the door where shoes and bags get tossed? I’m not sure what your area might be, but today is your day to think of a solution to that area.

Do you need a large basket by the door for everyone to throw their shoes? Maybe you need more hooks for bags or purses. Perhaps it’s the pile of schoolwork that comes in from school or all the books and supplies if you’re a homeschooler. 

You can buy inexpensive hooks at home improvement stores, but I’ve found many of my storage solutions at garage sales or thrift stores. Of course, any big box retailer will probably have something to fit your needs, it all just depends on your budget and time constraints.

I’ve actually found a small area in our hallway to be the perfect spot for pool supplies in the summer, coats in the winter and backpacks during the school year. Even a garage sale find small bookcase is tucked into our hallway to hold games.

Look around your house for things that you already own to help keep things organized. If you still need storage solutions, make a list of the things that you could use to help in areas that seem hard to contain. That way if you’re out shopping and run across something, you will know this is what you need.

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks 

Straighten the house up in the evening 

The Intentional Home, Week Six: Thursday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Six: Thursday

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
John 21:25

Today, we will tackle some paper clutter issues. Almost nothing stresses me out more, or makes a house look messier than stacks of papers lying around.

At times, I've had different ways of dealing with them, like having a basket to put paper in. But, that would just end up to be another stack of papers, just located in a basket. That's a step above the counter or desk but it's still not a great solution.

I bought a small file box paper organizer about six months ago and it has really cleaned up my stacks of papers. Another good option is an accordion style organizer. You can tailor the dividers for whatever fits your needs. I have the dividers labeled:

Haley Schoolwork and Art

Important School Papers

Coupons

Bills to Pay

Receipts

Weekly Menu Plans

Important Papers

Harrison's Folder

Church Stuff

Follow-up Folder

This needs to be in a location where you go through mail and backpacks. I have it in my laundry room, which would be my command center. It is located right off my kitchen, so I go through Haley's folder and the mail each day on my counter. Then I immediately put the papers into their home, which is also the recycle bin a lot of times.  

If you do this on a daily basis, then you won't have the stacks of papers that build up and can become a daunting task.

I go through the organizer as needed, but at least once a month. I actually don't pay the bills. So, I put those in this orange basket located on Matt's dresser along with any mail that is for him. This way Matt has any mail specific to him in a place where he can easily access it.

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks

Straighten the house up in the evening 

Thursday’s chore of mopping

The Intentional Home, Week Six: Wednesday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Six: Wednesday

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

I’ve decided to give you one more day to tackle the kids rooms or any other space we’ve missed. But now that your home is pretty much clutter free, it’s time to add our final daily chore. Yes, there’s one more, I’m sorry!

In the evenings before everyone goes to bed you are going to straighten up the house. This shouldn’t take long at all you will straighten pillows on the couch and generally put things back in their place.

If you have kids and a lot of stuff strewn about, then I have a suggestion that’s helping me. I've devoted an old laundry basket to nightly pick up which has certainly sped up that process. Everything that is out of place goes into the basket and the kids help get it back to its rightful home. This has stopped the 18 trips back and forth through the house getting things back to their home. Of course, this is also a great job for the kids to do on their own. One of my kids' chores is to put everything back in their room and pick up their room before going to bed. 

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks

Straighten the house up in the evening

Wednesday's chore of scrubbing toilettes, tubs and showers

The Intentional Home, Week Six: Tuesday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Six: Tuesday

Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Luke 6:31

Today, you can either finish up on the kids’ rooms, guest room or tackle a playroom if you happen to have one.

The same rules that I listed above for toys apply to the playroom. At times, I’ve wished we had such a room, but I knew if we did then we would just have more stuff, especially toys. Maybe this describes you. I want to challenge you, just because you have the space, do you really need all that stuff/toys? Of course you don’t. All of those toys and stuff is taking time away from your life. You may not get it all done today, but start chipping away, you will be glad that you did.

The key with toys is having a home for them all to be easily put back when the kids are done playing. You don't need expensive storage solutions, I've found plastic bins and baskets to work great. 

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks

Tuesday’s chore of cleaning the mirrors and glass around the house

The Intentional Home, Week Six: Monday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Six: Monday

By wisdom a house is built, 
and by understanding it is established;
Proverbs 24:3

You are approaching the finish line! This is your last week of “decluttering” your house. Next week, we will be focusing on tools and systems to maintain it and many you are already doing!

This week we will be tackling any area of your home that we haven’t yet. If you have kids still living at home, we will start with their rooms. If not, you may have a guest bedroom to work on instead. If you have both kids’ rooms and a guest room then this task can be spread over as many days as needed.

For kid’s rooms:

If you’re dealing with kids’ rooms, then I’m guessing you’ll be dealing with toys. As a general rule, kids have way too many toys, I know mine do! But, more annoying to me than the toys is the little trinkets or treasures that they accumulate. I’ve found a solution for those little items. Each of my children have a bin or basket for their trinkets. When the bin starts to fill up, I will give them the task of going through it and parting with some of them.

As far as toys go, you need to keep these under control. Thinning them out several times a year is a good idea, especially before Christmas and birthdays. If any toys are broken or in poor condition, just toss them. It is a good idea to involve your kids in this process. My son isn’t a fan of getting rid of his toys as he is only five, but at times we have donated some of his nicer toys to the church. He now plays with them with his friends in his classroom, this has worked out great. Letting a young child give a toy to an even younger child is a nice thing to do as well. Haley blessed a little friend with all of her princess dresses last year. I know Haley felt so good about her gift to that sweet girl.

This is the one area that nice storage will serve you well. But, don’t just assume that you need to buy the toy chest or toy storage bins from the big box store. You can accomplish this with much less costly and more attractive solutions at times.

Here I used a garage sale Ikea television stand for a toddlers room. It was the perfect height for him and these baskets (another garage sale find) worked great. 

I believe the key with keeping toys organized is giving every toy a home. This way when the room gets destroyed it is so much easier to put back together, since you know there is a place for everything. I like using baskets and bins. Harrison has a nice large bookcase in his room and my daughter has a built-in bookcase.

If you haven't already, this would be a good opportunity to get your kids to start making their own beds every morning. Encourage them to be good stewards of what God has given them and begin building these good habits early.

For guest rooms:

Walk into your guest room or extra bedroom. What is the purpose of this room? Do you actually have friends or relatives come visit you? Or, perhaps you would like to have friends visit, but you are embarrassed by the state of this room? Maybe this room just sits unoccupied or used?

If you would like to use this room as a guest room more often, then examine this space. Is it inviting and welcoming for guests? If it is not, then this will be your goal. Think of the things that you would like to have if you are traveling and staying in this room. I’m guessing you would enjoy an uncluttered space at the very least. 

You can pretty much use the same process that we used for our master bedroom for this room. Leave only the things that you find beautiful. Leave space in the closet with empty hangers for guests. Towels on the dresser and a book or magazine on the night stand is a wonderful touch.

After you get your guest room beautified, you need to invite that friend or relative to come visit! No more excuses!

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink

Monday’s daily chore of vacuuming

The Intentional Home, Week Six: Sunday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Six: Sunday

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Acts 20:35

Happy Sunday, friends! I hope that you are enjoying all that you have accomplished! I have one thought that I wanted to share with you today. A lesson that I’ve learned on my journey to live a more simple life is that having too many choices isn’t always helpful.

I mentioned last week that when I have fewer clothes in my closet, getting dressed is so much easier. I also find this when grocery shopping. I have a much better shopping experience, if I limit myself to only buying items on my list or even going to a smaller grocery store with fewer options.

In this society, we can often be bombarded with advertising that tells us, “Owning more will make you happier.”  On my journey to owning less stuff and having a more simplistic lifestyle, I’ve learned that actually owning less, makes me more content. It’s less to take care of and so much less burdensome. Owning less stuff is just freeing!

As we continue to de-clutter, I want you to become more aware and intentional about what you are bringing into your home. We will touch more of this on week seven. 

The Intentional Home, Week Five: Saturday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Five: Saturday

If your husband or older kids are home today, this might be a great opportunity to have them go through their closets. If your husband is anything like mine, then he will see how nice and airy your side of the closet looks and want his to look the same. Well, the same with men’s clothes of course!

My husband went through his clothes multiple times to minimize his shirts to just the ones that fit him well and had the look he wanted. In doing this, he has been able to give his clothes and really bless several other men.  Your husband, on the other hand, may have no interest in clearing the clutter. In which case, he may just give you the green light to do some clutter removal without his help. Don’t pressure him, we are far more aware of other people’s clutter than we are our own. You’ve done your part and you now have a closet that’s working for you!

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks

The Intentional Home, Week Five: Friday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Five: Friday

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17

Today, is your chance to tackle any other closets in your house. Whether that be a linen closet, craft closet, guest bedroom closet or a coat closet.

Let’s not over think this task. Work quickly. If you’re in the coat closet, are there coats that no one has worn in the last winter or two? Unless, they are for skiing or something specialized, then you can part with them.

If you’re going through the linen closet, do you have towels or sheets that are never needed or used and still in good condition? These could be given to someone in need and really bless them.

Are there things in your closets that are never used and just taking up space? Could that closet be utilized better for things that you need more frequently? For instance, just because a closet was designed as a linen closet doesn't mean you are limited to using it for linens. Our linen closet does store some bedding, but I also use it to house gift wrapping supplies and art supplies for the kids.

At this point, you have already seen how much easier you house is to clean without all of this stuff, so this should be a breeze for you. You are learning to let go of all that stuff! You are also seeing how being intentional about daily chores can simplify your life as well. You are on your way to having an intentional home!

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks

The Intentional Home, Week Five Thursday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Five: Thursday

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

1 Peter 5: 2-4

Well, was it easier to get dressed this morning? Of course it was with that beautifully well-organized closet of yours. If you have children still living at home, then we will spend some time working on their closets as well. If you have young children, then you are in charge of this process. If your children are older, then you might want to involve them in the process. I even involve my eight-year-old when I clean out her closet. My five-year-old son really couldn’t care less, so I don’t bother him with it. 

Kids are a little tricky because they grow, even if you tell them to stop and stay five, they just keep growing. Insert sad face here. Therefore, I am never quite sure if they will be able to wear the winter clothes from this year next year. Chances are they won’t. But, any case, if they are still in good condition, I hold on to them. It kind of works out nicely, because even if they end up not fitting, I am able to bless some friends with clothes that are actually in season instead of handing them a bag of sweaters in the summer. Get my drift? 

For the most part, just go through their clothes and discard any clothes in bad repair. This will give you a chance to see what they have if you are about to change seasons. I like to put their clothes together by color, it just makes me happy. I have winter and summer clothes hanging in the same closet with the out-of-season clothes pushed to the back.

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks

Thursday’s chore of mopping

The Intentional Home, Week Five: Wednesday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Five: Wednesday

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
1 Peter 2:21

It's time to go back to your closet. If you think through your morning routine, where is one of the first places you go when you get out of bed? Your first decisions of the day are made right there in your closet. What do I wear? If your closet is cluttered and out-of-control, no question it can add stress to your morning. If you're anything like me, you have a thing for shoes. Perhaps you have a big pile of shoes on the floor of your closet? Let's clean that up.

Yes, we must purge! I know it's hard, but I also know you have shoes in your closet that you don't wear. Maybe they hurt your feet, or you got a great deal on them and you're still waiting (three years later) to find that perfect dress to go with them. Perhaps you're a stay-at-home mom now, but you still have ten pairs of heels and you don’t obviously wear them around the house. Let's just use the same rule we used when going through our clothes yesterday, if you haven't worn them in a year, it's time to say bye-bye. Of course, you do need to hang on to a grubby pair for yard work or what have you, but do you really need five grubby pairs of tennis shoes?

Now, we must address the keepers and it is not acceptable for them to be in a pile on the floor! There are several inexpensive ways to address this problem. I am a big fan of either over the door shoe holders or shoe holders that hang down from the rod. There are also plenty of options for shoe racks that sit on the floor of your closet. Preferably, it would work best if all of your shoes had a home in an organizer. If you have limited space, you might consider putting your out-of-season shoes in a bin. If you choose this option, be sure and label the bin before tucking it away.

I'm going to venture a guess that many of you already have shoe organizers, yet your shoes still end up in a big pile on the floor. Here's the habit that must be formed: when you come in, you put your shoes back in the organizer. I'm guessing it takes all of two seconds to do this, but the habit will keep your closet tidy. You'll find I repeat myself a lot, but habits and routines that take very little time really simplify your life and help create a peaceful haven in your home.

Here's the clincher: when you bring a new pair home, an old pair has to find a new home. This will make you think twice before impulse buying that cute pair calling your name. Wow, I'm really surprised how much I just wrote about shoe organization, anyone still with me?

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks

Wednesday's chore of scrubbing toilettes, tubs and showers

The Intentional Home, Week Five: Tuesday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Five: Tuesday

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;

    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

Proverbs 31: 21-23

I think the closet is an important area to continue to focus, the goal of this final phase of your closet makeover is for you to look in your closet and easily find something you enjoy wearing. Wouldn't that take some pressure off in the morning? 

If there are things that you just weren’t sure about in the purging process on Monday, then you can hang onto them. But, we will turn the hangers around backwards. At the end of the season if those hangers are still turned backwards then it's probably time to let them go. I understand there may be a few exceptions, like the nice black dress that you need from time to time. But for the most part if it hasn't been worn all season let it go.

We need to arrange your clothes in a system that makes sense to you. There are several options. I am currently using a system that pairs outfits together. Mainly, I have skirts with a matching top or two hung together. I have all of my jeans together and all of the tops that go with my jeans hung together. This makes getting dressed super easy. Once again, this is not about perfection, my closet doesn’t look like a department store.

Another option is hanging clothes together in categories, for instance all dress shirts are together, golf shirts are together, slacks are together and so on. Clothes can also be sorted by color using this system. One thing that I love about this system is you will see if you tend to buy a lot of the same thing, like blue shirts for example. So when you are out shopping and see a great blue shirt, you can stop yourself from buying it, since you already have five or ten of the same thing hanging in your closet.

Here's your opportunity to evaluate your wardrobe. Are there gaps that need filling? Do you have several bottoms that you love with nothing to go on top? Make a list of what you need and then next time you are out shopping, you will know what to hunt for. My focus here is not to be materialistic, but rather to simplify your life in this area. I hope this helps you find something to wear!

Oh, one thing I failed to mention. If you’re closet is not large enough to hold out-of-season clothes and you store them in bins or what have you, be sure and go through this process again with those clothes when the season changes. Make sense? I hope so!

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink 

Wipe down the bathroom counters and sinks

Tuesday’s chore of cleaning the mirrors and glass around the house

The Intentional Home, Week Five: Monday

For an Introduction and Table of Contents for The Intentional Home, click Here.

Week Five: Monday

John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same." 
Luke 3:11

Did you see that? We are on week five and you’re still here, or at least I hope you are still with me! This week we will be focusing on the closets in our home. If you only have one, then you’re in luck! But, I’m guessing that you have at least three and maybe more.

Let’s start in the master bedroom closet and tackle your wardrobe and whatever else happens to be hanging out in there. Here’s the deal, most of you have way too many clothes. So, I’m going to ask you once again to be ruthless. 

Here’s some criteria on deciding what clothes need to find a new home:

-If it has holes, tears, stains or just plain worn out, it needs to go. (Yes, you can hang on to one or two for painting projects or playing in the mud with the kids.)

-If you have not worn it in a year. Okay, you can hold onto that dress that you have for a formal occasion. But, if it’s been several years since you’ve worn it, chances are you won’t want to wear it if an event comes up anyhow.

-If it does not fit properly. That means you need to let go of the size 6 jeans if you’re currently a size 12 and vice versa. Bless someone else with these items. The only exception is for those that are pregnant or planning to have another baby soon. Then, it might be worth it for you to hold on to a few of those “in between” sizes.

-If you do not feel like the article of clothing is flattering or becoming on you. We all fall prey to the clearance rack and pick up things because they are a great deal even if it isn’t really our style or color. If you don’t feel great in it, then once again think of blessing someone else who can really use it.

I’ve found that the fewer clothes I have in my closet the easier it is to get dressed. If I only have articles of clothing that fit me well and give me confidence, then it just makes getting ready so much easier. 

I’ve helped several friends minimize their closets and each one has had similar results. Less is more when clothes are concerned!

Tomorrow, we will come back to the closet and get it all organized. You are welcome to skip ahead if you’re ready for step two.

Daily Chores: 

One load of laundry from start to finish

Make your bed

Unload the dishwasher in the morning, load and run it at night

Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink

Monday’s daily chore of vacuuming