Praying for My Children in 2012

This year I'm focusing on one specific prayer request for my boys. I pray lots of big and little things for them each day. I have enjoyed using Brooke's book Warrior Prayers to focus on praying for them. I will continue to pray for their salvation, their sanctification, and their futures. But God also cares about the "little" things I care about, so this year I'm lifting up these specific requests:   

For my six year old, I'm praying he'll fall in love with reading. For my four year old, I'm praying he'll eat a bigger variety of food. For the son we are in the process of adopting, I'm just praying he'll come home in 2012.

What are you praying for your children in 2012? Big or little, let's encourage each other to lift up our children!

One Word Resolution

Make a one-word resolution for 2012.

I've made one-word resolutions for the last three years. In 2009 it was grace; in 2010 it was self-control; in 2011 is was humility. Leading up to choosing the one word, I prayed and examined myself for weak areas. Each year, God has taught me so much through life lessons and as I studied passages on my focus word.

I'm still praying about my one word for 2012, and I'm looking forward to new lessons God will teach me.

Have you ever made a one-word resolution?

Plan Date Nights for 2012

Get out your 2012 calendar and pencil in some date nights! 

Try to plan a date for you and your husband (either out or at home) once a month. Think now about planning a trip for your anniversary. Is there a movie coming out next year your husband is already excited to see? Put it on the calendar! Take a little time to plan now so you make date night with your husband a priority all year long.

Here are more ideas from our Today's Housewife archives on date nights:

• Friday Night Movie from Sandra
• Great Ideas for at Home Date Nights from Nikki
• 7:30? It's a Date! from Alicia
• Just Being Together from Jennifer
• Make a List of Date Night Ideas Together from Kama

Get Healthy in 2012

Most New Years resolutions have to do with getting healthy. Here are some ideas for better health:

1. Drink more water. This is my health goal for 2012. Water makes your entire body work better. 
2. Cut out sugar and/or caffeine. Or, at least decrease your sugar or caffeine intake.
3. Exercise. Get yourself (and your family) moving! I like DVD workouts I can do at home. My husband got a gym membership and likes to workout there. Many people are having success doing a couch to 5K program. Talk to your doctor about what program might work for you and get started. 
4. Start a healthy and reasonable weight loss plan.
5. Eat more whole foods. Open fewer boxes and go through fewer drive-throughs. 

Need some help? We recommend Peak313 Fitness!

Do you have any health goals for 2012?

Get More Sleep

I read that we're getting 10% less sleep than we did ten years ago. Let's make it a goal to get more sleep in 2012! Not getting enough sleep effects how we handle stress, our health, and our energy levels. Create a night time routine that helps you relax so you can get to sleep sooner.  

Here are ten things to do before bed to help you relax:

1. Pray
2. Write in your journal
3. Make a list of things you want to do the next day so you can get them off your mind
4. Don't eat sugar or drink caffeine late in the day
5. Read
6. Take a bath
7. Turn off the the TV and computer at least 30 minutes before bedtime
8. Work out (if exercise relaxes you) or do some stretches
9. Have a clean and organized room so you feel more peaceful
10. Go to bed at the same time each night so your body gets in a good routine

Linked up to Oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday!

Plan Your Week

Every Sunday night I sit down and plan out my week. I work on six things:

1. Homeschool lesson plans.
2. Menu plan.
3. Blogging & editing schedule.
4. My boys' schedules (therapy appointments, play dates, basketball practices).
5. My to-do list.
6. My husband's schedule for the week.

Starting my week with a plan helps make it smoother for me and my family.  

Make a Don't Do List

I made a don't do list last August. I made another one just for December. It felt great to say no to some things so I could focus on what was most important! I'm working on a new don't do list for 2012. What would you put on your don't do list for 2012?

Say Thank You

Buy a box of thank-you cards and try to send out at least one a month. Make someone else's 2012 better!

Get on Pinterest

is my go-to site for recipe ideas, sewing projects, organization tips, and home decor inspiration. It has made my 2011 better and it can make your 2012 better! If you aren't already on, go to the site and request an invite.

If you're already on, you can follow the Today's Housewife writers:

• Kama
• Stacey
• Sandra
• Carol 
• Marci
• Beth
• Kim
• Jessica
• Elizabeth 
• Alicia

And see what others have pinned from Today's Housewife!

Password Protection

To start the new year, you might want to change your online passwords. Experts recommend changing your passwords as least once every six months. To help you remember, put a note pad next to your computer for a couple days and write down every password you use. Keep the list somewhere safe. Don't forget to update the following sites:

• Email
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Blog(s)
• PayPal
• Amazon and other sites where you shop
• Your bank
• iTunes
• Swagbucks
• Pinterest
• Photobucket

Organizing Paper Work

Paper work is a huge issue at our house. My husband and I are stackers, not filers. But, the adoption process and having a child with special needs add A LOT of paper work, so we've had to get better. Here's a helpful chart I found at Just Organize Your Stuff to help you decide if you should keep that paper!

Make Personalized Frugal Resources

To help cut down on costs, we create several of our own household resources and decorations. When you can find inexpensive materials, making your own products can greatly reduce some costs. For example, we assemble our own magnets and print our own pictures for wall hangings.

We made fall leaf and family picture magnets so far.
You could do this with many more items,
like paper snowflakes and more!

To create magnets, we print off a few photos (of family, favorite scenery, themed objects), laminate them, and stick adhesive magnets on the back. Using our at-home laminator (worth the purchase!) and buying small magnets from our local craft store (with a coupon!) helps this project be inexpensive and personal... and good for gifts, too!

To print our pictures, we either print (most printers and phone cameras create decent enough pictures for up to 8x11 size) on our own printer and frame, or wait for coupons to local office supply stores for specials they run on larger prints. Simple frames can be made (here's a tutorial for making 10 frames for about $5 each) or found for lower prices during sales or at thrift stores.

For Christmastime, we made a "Christmas Card Garland" on our stair railing to help reduce clutter of Christmas cards sitting on counters or the mantel. (You could modify this project to suit other needs or themes.)

We just used ribbon ($2) and small, painted craft clothespins ($3 for a box of 50):

Christmas Card Garland -
image copyright Under God's Mighty Hand

A close-up of a mini-clothespin holding the card to the ribbon 

A couple of other projects we’ve done:

• Fall button craft canvas
• Natural household cleaners
• Makeshift computer monitor mounts
• Many toddler educational resources, including felt board activities, puzzles, and fine motor skill games

A bonus to these homemade resource projects: We usually complete them together as a family! Several projects have portions in which kids of different ages can help, and my husband and I work together to finish projects as well. Good quality time!

What can you make together (instead of buy) for your home this new year?

Make One of Your Dreams Come True

2011 was a hard year for my family. Many dreams we had for our future died when our son was diagnosed with autism and we accepted the fact he may live with us forever. As some dreams died, new ones grew to take their places. It was a year of pruning and we are now entering a time of new growth as a result of that pruning.

One dream I've always had was to write a book. That dream didn't die, but it did evolve. I read this quote and it changed my dream:

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."  ~Toni Morrison

When I was reading all the books I could find about autism, I noticed there weren't many books about faith and autism. So I wrote one. My dream came true. I made it come true.

Do you have a dream? Is there something you've always wanted to do that you haven't done yet?  

Make 2012 the year your dream comes true.

Find a New Solution for an Old Problem

Is there something you can never find? Is there a spot in your house that's always messy? Take a few minutes today to brainstorm a new solution to a problem you've had for a while. At my house, we can never find the cord we need. So I got a pocket chart and now we keep them all hanging next to the computer. I scanned Pinterest for more uses for pocket charts, and look what I found!

 17 Uses for a Pocket Organizer (from Apartment Therapy)

 In the bathroom cabinet (from The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking)

 Organizing winter accessories (from Overcoming Busy)

 Organizing school/craft supplies (from I Can Teach My Child)

Maybe you'll get inspired to find a new 

solution  to an old problem too!

Do the Work!

Sometimes harvesting motivation to get stuff done becomes a tough challenge.

When you’re facing a tedious and daunting task, set a timer for 10 minutes and work for just that long. Often, you’ll keep working after the time dings! (And if not, at least you were able to accomplish 10 minutes toward a task.) Just getting started can produce great results!

Photo from Microsoft Clip Art

A few quotes to serve up motivation to do the work (whether it be in the home or serving others!) rather than procrastinate or feel hesitant about it:

• On contributing what we can, even when we feel like it’s too little: “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” – Mother Teresa
• “The best way to get something done is to begin.” – Author Unknown
• A post on not stalling
• On doing work with love: “I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ Ask yourself ‘How has he loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?’ Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without love is slavery.” – Mother Teresa
• “Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” – William James
• An inspiring post from writer Jeff Goins on doing the work of your dreams
• “She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks…She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” – Proverbs 31:17, 27
• “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” – Proverbs 14:23

Schedule an Active Family Day Each Week

At the beginning of each month, have each family member suggest fun and active ideas for the whole family to participate in! Collect 4 or 5 (or more!) ideas, and then plan for a "family fitness day" (or even just an hour) each week for quality time and to promote a healthy routine of exercise together. 

Photo Credit

Some ideas to try:

1. Go disc golfing! (Check out the PDGA site for local courses.)
2. Have an at-home dance party – crank up the music and get moving together to see heart rates and smiles increase!
3. Create Your Own Game as a family! (Click the link to see one idea.)

A few websites with family fitness facts:

•             American Heart Association – Healthier Kids
•             PBS Parents (including a great article with specific tips on motivating movement)
•             America on the Move
•             KidsHealth with teen fitness information

Healthy in 2012 - Juicing

For the majority of women, we are always trying to lose a few pounds. And what a better way to start 2012 right? A new year. Probably a majority of New Year's Resolutions have something to do with taking better care of the body that God gave us. Is that one of yours this year?

For one of our wedding gifts, we got a juicer. I love it. I actually leave it out on my counter so I use it more. We use it 1-2 times a week for breakfast. My husband is a worship leader and before getting married - wouldn't eat anything before church on Sunday morning. Now, I at least get him to drink a glass of juice and he loves it. It is healthy and nutritious, but not heavy or fattening. And there are so many nutrients in it - all those vitamins. So easy is the clean up as well. I hope to start a compost pile in the spring and use the scraps and peelings and cores for that.

Here are some websites that will give you a better idea for juicing and its benefits. Be creative (especially when there are allergies out there). And most people think it is more expensive, but I haven't really found that to be the case. It's perfect if you get a lot of fruit at once for a bargain deal or at a pick-your-own place or something like that.

Juicer Recipes Now

Free Juicing Recipes

So, just like your mother told you to eat your vegetables - now you can drink them, too! And what a healthy way to get your family to drink their vitamins and vegetables and fruits too!

Read

Go to the library.

Say yes to two bed time stories with your kids.

Join a book club.

Research something you've always wanted to know more about.

Dust off a classic you haven't read since high school.

Be able to say, "the book was better than the movie."

In 2012, read more!

Learn to Take Better Pictures

2012 will be full of moments you will want to capture. We rounded-up some tutorials to help you take better pictures, no matter what kind of camera you have!

• A Very Beginners Guide to Manual Mode from SomeGirl's Website
• 44 Essential Digital Camera Tips and Tricks from PhotoRadar
• 31 Days to a Better Photo from My 3 Boybarians
• How to Get Better iPhone Photos from SomeGirl's Website

A Better 2012 for Someone Else

Think about reaching out to make 2012 better for someone else. Here are a few ideas:

1. Sponsor a child through World Vision or Compassion International. If you can't commit to supporting a child each month, check both sites for details on giving a one time gift, or information on writing to children who are sponsored but don't get many letters.
2. Serve veterans who have served our country. Check out the VA website for information on volunteering or giving.
3. Buy a gift that will benefit a family for years to come. Through organizations like Gospel for Asia, you can buy cows, goats, water purifiers, or sewing machines. These gifts can be life changing for the families who receive them.
4. Shop with a purpose. Last month, ladies from our church hosted a Back to Africa jewelry party. The items are hand-made by ladies in Africa and profits generated help their families.
5. Partner with a specific ministry that is serving an area or a people group you have a passion for. Because we are adopting from Ethiopia, we have a heart for orphans specifically in Africa. Organizations like Mercy House Kenya and Into the Streets of Ethiopia are making a difference in the communities they serve. Many orphans are easy targets for those in the sex-trade industry, so supporting Love146, who works to end child sex slavery, can literally save lives in 2012.
6. Meet local needs by volunteering at a shelter, a nursing home, or hospital. Ask your church if they partner with any local outreaches and get involved.
7. Support your local crisis pregnancy center through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or offering to user your talents to help them with a website redesign or redecorating their waiting room.
8. Give the gift of time. You could organize a respite night for special needs families in your area through your church. You could offer to drive an elderly family friend to a doctor appointment. You could go grocery shopping for a family who just had a baby. You could babysit for a mom whose husband is stationed or working far away.
9. Give stuff away. Donate books to your library, give baby clothes to the crisis pregnancy center, pass furniture and electronics on to a family who could use an upgrade. 
10. What ideas do you have for making 2012 better for someone else?

Pray for opportunities to serve others in 2012 and God will open your eyes to the needs in your community and maybe even around the world!

Linked up to Top Ten Tuesday!

Read Your Bible

You will have a better 2012 if you abide in Christ. Part of abiding in Christ is spending time in His Word. We encourage you to have a time of Bible study and prayer every day, a "quiet time." The recently released book, Savoring Living Water, will encourage you to start or strengthen your existing quiet time.

Create a Tax Documents File

Before you know it this W-2's and year-end giving statements will be arriving in the mail. If you haven't already done so, create a file folder near your mail center to put all these important papers together so you can be prepared when you start filing your taxes.

Showing off Your Menu Plan

Sarah's goal for yesterday was to organize your recipes. After you get organized, you might want to show off your menu plan each week. Here are a seven ideas I rounded-up from Pinterest! 

 RobbyGurl's Creations

 from Taylor Gray

 from BHG

 From BHG

 from Design Finch

 from Mom's by Heart

from Redefining Domestic

Organize Your Recipes

Anyone else have stacks of recipes all around your house? Stacks of food magazines, printed out recipes, recipes jotted down on scrap paper, recipes on old-fashioned recipe cards? Or is it just me? And to make matters worse, I have tons of recipes bookmarked online in various places--Google Reader, my Firefox browser, and Pinterest, just to name a few.

Lots of good recipes to try, and I hardly ever use them. Because I can't ever find what I'm looking for. Sigh.

Over this past year I have made an effort to corral this mess into a form that is usable for making my menu plans. Though my method isn't as pretty as what Stacey suggests, I've employed pretty much the same tactic: using binders, page protectors, and folders to divide and conquer recipes into four main categories: main dishes, side dishes, breads, and desserts. Every so often while my husband and I are watching TV or relaxing at home, I'll take the time to tackle the pile. I'll decide what I want to keep, then cut it out, stick it in a page protector in the appropriate binder, and voila--a handy cookbook at my fingertips. If I don't have time to do the sorting then, I just stick the recipe in a folder to come back to later. It works really well for when I want something new, or when I know I've seen a recipe for X lately...

It's not an overnight or 30 minute project, that's for sure, but the rewards are well worth it. So why don't you take a little time [perhaps during a game this weekend] and start the process to help 2012 be a bit tastier.

Sarah began blogging at The Pajama Chef in order to chronicle her adventures in and love of cooking and baking. Sarah is currently a graduate student at Indiana University working towards a Master of Library Science and a Master of Arts in African Studies. Sarah's efforts in the kitchen would not be possible without the assistance of her husband, Ben, and his stellar dish-washing and sous-chef skills. Sarah and Ben were married in May 2009 and enjoy running, reading, involvement in a local church, and spoiling their kitty, Sheba.

Make Appointments

Since you already have your 2012 calendar, go ahead and make the appointments you know you'll need next year like teeth cleanings, well-visits, vet visits, eye exams, and back-to-school physicals. You won't be rushed at the last minute to squeeze them in!

Handy Hanger Trick

Take 5 minutes to reverse the direction of all the hangers in your closet. Hang them all uniformly with the opening toward you. (You can get extra credit for grouping clothing in like colors.) When you wear something and place it back in your closet, hang it in the conventional manner. In 60-90 days, you'll know exactly which items in your wardrobe don't get worn and should be considered for donating or selling.

Creating A Housekeeping Schedule

I used to think my grandmother was so old-fashion and stuck in her ways. Since the time my dad was young, she operated on the same schedule. Laundry on Monday. Ironing on Tuesday. Cleaning on Wednesday. Errands on Thursday. Or something like that. I used to think that was so restrictive and boring. Looking back, I think it was brilliant!

That woman’s home was always in order and she always had time to help someone in need or to stop and chat over an iced tea and fresh baked cookies. I guess her routine wasn’t so crazy!

When I stick to a housekeeping schedule my life is far more organized and peaceful. I don’t feel the pressure to get all my housecleaning and other household tasks done in one back-breaking day. My house actually stays cleaner and I have more time for activities outside of housework.

Why not take some time today and design a housekeeping schedule that will work for you to implement in 2012? Here are some suggestions for tasks that might be added to a housekeeping schedule: laundry, ironing, bathrooms, vacuuming, bill paying, grocery shopping, errands, baking.

 Let us know how your schedule turns out!

Start Journaling

Do you journal? 2012 would be a great year to start!

I saw this idea on Pinterest and started this quick journaling process last summer. I keep track of the weather, what we did that day, my Bible reading passage, what I cooked and if we liked it, and anything else interesting from that day. It only takes a couple minutes each night before I go to bed.

This idea was also on Pinterest, and looks like a cute way to keep up with just one highlight from each day.

Do you journal? What method works for you?

Unsubscribe from Unwanted Emails

Last month I realized I was deleting about twenty emails each day without even reading them. They were from stores where I had shopped or newsletters I had signed up for when my boys were younger. I took a little time to scroll to the bottom of each one and find out how to unsubscribe. Now, I'm not as overwhelmed when I open my in-box. Take a few minutes today to unsubscribe from unwanted emails so you're more efficient with the time you spend on-line!

Fill in Your 2012 Calendar

Today's Task: Get a 2012 calendar. Use your 2011 calendar to fill in the important dates on your new calendar, like anniversaries and birthdays.

Countdown to a Better 2012

For the next thirty-one days, we'll be sharing tips and ideas to make 2012 more organized, more efficient, and more peaceful.


Small projects you will be able to do in one day, these real-life ideas from the Today's Housewife team and some of our readers can make a big impact on your and your family.

Join us as we Countdown to a Better 2012!

Share your progress and more tips with other readers on Facebook and Twitter.