One Step at a Time (Imperfect Homemaking Challenge)

Healthy changes come one simple step at a time.

Sometimes that's literally.

If you've been struggling to find time for an exercise routine, your challenge today is simple.

Today's Challenge: Take a walk

That may be a walk around the back yard or around the neighborhood.  Just get up and get moving!

You don't need a fancy exercise routine.  Just move!

Instagram challenge: Post a photo of your view on your walk.  Use the hashtag #imperfecthomemaker to encourage other members of this community.  (Follow me here.)

If you’re just joining the 31 Days of Imperfect Homemaking series, you can see all the posts here.

The Way to a Man’s Heart (Imperfect Homemaking Challenge) (Plus a Giveaway from Mighty Nest!)

“The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.”

We've all heard that phrase, and I have found it to be true.

Now, I'm not saying that the only reason my husband fell in love with me is because I could cook.  (Just for the record, I doubt I would be married today if that was what it took!)

But I have found that men love to eat, and my husband is no exception.

He has been so patient and supportive on this healthy living journey.  But when he gets away from home and all my crazy health food, he will often grab a soda or candy bar from the snack machine at work.

He knows it bad for him, but in his words, “I'm all for health food, but when you're hungry, you're hungry!”

Bless his heart.  I'd rather go without than eat junk food, but men aren't that way.  They'd rather eat junk food than no food at all.

And that's why we wives need to make sure there is always something available for them to eat.  Something homemade and healthy.

Today's challenge: Make something yummy for your husband to eat anytime he's hungry.

Okay, okay.  That's probably a tall order.  If you kept enough on hand for anytime he's hungry, you'd be cooking and baking round the clock.  But you can make his favorite snack or treat and multiply it times four.  Give him one batch and freeze the rest.  You can use your back-up reserves anytime he's rummaging through the house and you haven't had time to make something fresh.  (Just don't let him know you have anything in the freezer or it will be gone when you go to pull it out.  Men do crazy stuff like get up in the middle of the night to eat while you're sleeping — at least my man does.)

{Photo Credit: Live Simply}

Instagram Challenge: Post a picture of something you made for your husband!  Use the hashtag #imperfecthomemaker to encourage other members of this community!  (Follow me here.)

If you’re just joining the 31 Days of Imperfect Homemaking series, you can see all the posts here.

 Giveaway!

To help your baking go a little more smoothly, I, along with some of my fellow bloggers, have partnered with Mighty Nest to bring you a giveaway of  $250 worth of baking supplies!

The winner will receive the following:

• 2 cup Bake & Store
• 4 Cup Bake & Store
• Endurance Silicone Spatula
• Airtight Spice Jar
• Brownie Spatula
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring cups
• Cast Iron Loaf Pan
• 10″ Bundt Pan
• Baking/ Grilling Stone
• Mini Muffin Pan
• Silicone Mixing Spoon
• 12 x 17 Bamboo Cutting board
• Stainless Steel Whisk

Mighty Nest provides organic and non-toxic products for your home, and everything they sell meets strict standards for safety and quality.  They carry glass and stainless baking gear and food storage, green cleaning supplies, natural bath products, and other home essentials. Everything is selected to be free from known toxic ingredients such as BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, formaldehyde, flame retardants, parabens, etc. Anytime you order from MightyNest, they’ll give 15% back to the school of your choice. It’s a great way to be healthier and support your local school.

To enter, just complete the form below:

New Action Cameras from Best Buy (Christmas Gift Guide)

Disclosure: I have been compensated for this post in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card.  As always,all opinions are 100% my own.

If you asked me who the hardest person for me to buy for at Christmas is, without a doubt I would say my husband.  I am not a guy and I can therefore never figure out what a guy would like.

But when I heard about these action cameras, I was pretty sure he would think they were fun — kind of like a toy for men.  When I mentioned it to him, he knew right away exactly what I was talking about.  If you have a guy who is active in any way, he will think this is cool.

·         GoPro HERO4 Black: the most advanced GoPro ever, featuring improved image quality and a 2x more powerful processor with 2x faster video frame rates1, HERO4 Black takes award‐winning GoPro performance to a whole new level.

·         GoPro HERO4 Silver: the first-ever GoPro to feature a built-in touch display. Controlling The camera, playing back footage and adjusting settings is ultra-convenient—just view, tap and swipe the screen. With 1080p60 and 720p120 video, and 12MP photos at a staggering 30 frames per second, HERO4 Silver combines powerful, pro-quality capture with the convenience of a touch display.

·         GoPro HERO: Featuring high‐quality 1080p30 and 720p60 video, and 5MP photos up to 5 fps, HERO captures the same immersive footage that’s made GoPro one of the best-selling cameras in the world.

GoPro cameras range anywhere from $129 to $499 in price.

Learn more at www.bestbuy.com/GoPro or visit your local Best Buy to check out the latest cameras in person.

(Don't forget to check out the other items in the Christmas Gift Guide, although this is the only one we have for men so far.)

The Importance of Scripture Memorization (Imperfect Homemaking Challenge

Last Sunday I emphasized the importance of making time to spend with God every single day, and I also linked to some ways you can find time for God even when it feels like you can hardly even breathe.

One of the things on that list was the importance of Scripture memorization so that you can always have it in your mind to meditate on throughout the day and even at night as you fall asleep.

If there's one thing I've learned about Imperfect Homemakers, that is that we tend to procrastinate on things because we don't have the perfect system all figured out yet (or maybe we do and we don't have time to implement it.)

Maybe you're waiting until you've got some fancy Scripture memory plan, or maybe you've got something elaborate in mind, but you just can't find the time to do it.

Stop waiting until you have the time to memorize scripture and just do it!   

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Psalm 119:11

If you are a Christian, it is crucial for you to have God's word hidden in your heart, and you don't need to put it off another moment!

Instead of watching that TV show — memorize a verse.

Instead of reading that blog post — memorize a verse.

Instead of browsing your Facebook or Instagram feed – memorize a verse

Instead of playing that game on your phone — memorize a verse

You find time to do all those other things; you can find time to memorize Scripture too!

“I would, but I don't know where to start.”

Uh, oh.  That “I would, but…” is a phrase you're going to have to start watching out for in your homemaking and in your life in general.  It means an excuse is about to come out of your mouth.

Perhaps you really aren't sure where you should start with daily Bible reading and memorization; that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it at all.  It's all good and better, I promise, so just start somewhere!

If you've never read through your Bible before, a good place to start is with the book of John; it will help you so much with your assurance of salvation as well as just helping you learn about Jesus!  Another good thing to do is read one chapter of Proverbs each day of the month.  Start over and do it again every single month.  It is a well-spring of practical instruction for every day life.

If you don't know what to memorize, choose one verse from your daily Bible reading that God used to speak to your heart and memorize it.

Daily Challenge: Choose one verse and memorize it.

 

Instagram challenge: Post a picture of the verse you chose to memorize.  Use the hashtag #imperfecthomemaker to encourage other members of this community!  (Follow me here.)

If you’re just joining the 31 Days of Imperfect Homemaking series, you can see all the posts here.

Quick and Easy Decluttering (Imperfect Homemaking Challenge)

Just like with deep cleaning, I have a tendency to hang onto the mindset that unless all my “regular” cleaning is done, I can't do any organizing and decluttering.

My daily schedule is so full that I can't even set aside 15 minutes to work on it.

So instead I do crazy stuff like look at the same thing 20 times, thinking “Why do I have that?” instead of just getting rid of it right then and there!  It's mental clutter, ya'll, and this brain of mine is so full that I can't afford to be cluttering it up with stupid stuff like that!

“Well, I need to sell it on eBay or at least put it in the yard sale pile,” I tell myself.

Look, if I don't have time to think about it, I certainly don't have time to sell it on eBay!  And do you know how much work it is to do a yard sale?  Who am I kidding?

Instead, I need to do some quick and easy decluttering by sending it to one of three places  — immediately:

1. The trash can.

2. To church, to see if someone there would like to have it.

3. To the thrift store.

Gasp!  You would throw away a perfectly good item?!

Why yes! As a matter of fact I would!

Let me tell you about the super-organized people I know.  (If they're super-organized, they obviously know what they're doing, and I could stand to learn a thing or two from them.) One thing I've noticed is that they're constantly throwing stuff in the garbage.  They understand the concept that time is money.  They could make a quarter off their junk at a yard sale later, or they could just pitch it now, and quit using up valuable time and energy, space in their house, and space in their brain on an item they no longer use or love.  It seems to me that all that trouble is not worth a quarter.

(Don't get me wrong — I think there is a time and a place for yard sales, and we've held some very successful ones in the past.  However, there are seasons of life where you just need to get rid of your things immediately and move on.)

Today's Challenge: See how many things you can find today to get rid of.  You don't need to go on a full-out decluttering spree. Just take notice of things as you go about your day.  If it would only earn you a quarter at a yard sale, pitch it.  If it's something nice that someone else may want, put it in your car immediately and drop it at the thrift store next time you're out or give it to a friend at church.

Instagram challenge: Post a picture of what you did to spend time with your kids today.  Use the hashtag #imperfecthomemaker to encourage other members of this community!  (Follow me here.)

If you’re just joining the 31 Days of Imperfect Homemaking series, you can see all the posts here.

10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Save Your Family Money (Imperfect Homemaking Challenge)

There are a million and one ways you can pinch your pennies and help your family live more frugally.

But I know it can be overwhelming.  You're doing well to put food in your family's belly without worrying about whether you could have purchased that ground beef for 50 cents less per pound.  Sometimes you know you're wasting money and you just don't care at the moment.

But don't let the fact that you can't implement every single money saving trick in the book stop you from doing what you can!

Today's Challenge: Choose one simple thing you can do to save your family money.  It doesn't have to be complicated; just do something!

Instagram Challenge: Post a picture of today's frugal venture!  Use the hashtag #imperfecthomemaker to encourage other members of this community!  (Follow me here.)