Home Comforts

For me, home is wherever my family is. That being said, having a homey home is very helpful. Having a clean, organized, well-run home is not only comforting and relaxing, but also better for the entire family’s health and well-being. I’ve recently started reading Cheryl Mendelson’s Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House, and even in the beginning pages, the author hits the nail right on the head:

Would you like to read more? Join me over at Finding Beauty where I give you ten simple ways to make a house a home.

Be a Lady! and a link-up

I am not what you'd call a feminine woman. Or at least I wasn't. Back in school I was a tomboy. I even had a boy-like haircut back in my really really uncomfortable years (in my own defense, I *detested* that haircut the minute I stepped out of the salon and literally prayed every night that my hair would grow overnight). I was not petite (I didn't prefer "big boned" either). I didn't have long fingers. My feet were big. I can't even remember when I started wearing make-up. I despised wearing skirts and blouses.

Now that I'm an adult, I'm still not petite. I still don't have long fingers (although I've stopped biting my nails). I still have big feet (size 10, y'all!). Now, I believe God has called me to some of the hardest jobs He created...that of wife, mother, and woman in general (at least in today's day and age). In that role, I have become more feminine than I've ever been. And it's something I'm still working on.

I'm not afraid of skirts anymore. My work-outside-the-home job requires uniform, so skirts aren't an option there. But skirts and dresses (especially sundresses in the summer) are no longer my nemesis. My hair is now long and curly (thank you, mommy and dad for giving me those curly genes!), and although it's in a ponytail much of the time (especially summer: thick, hot hair + midwestern humidity = sticky, hot mess), I love to wear it half up. I'm hoping to get one or two Lilla Rose flexi-clips or hair sticks sometime (I'm considering becoming a consultant too!). I wear a little make-up from day to day, and I've sought out make-up tips and tricks specific for my coloring. I even have a Pinterest board for make-up, hair and nails, and another for clothing and shoes.

All of these things are, I believe, easy little things almost every woman can do no matter what season of life they're in. Now as a brand new mom, I wanted nothing to do with anything but stretch pants and a (hopefully) daily shower. {smile} But I am trying to make a point of getting a little "made up" each and every day. It's sort of like FlyLady's getting dressed to your shoes: putting those little finishing touches on can really lift your spirits and make you feel like you're ready for anything.

None of this has to cost major coinage either, friends! I buy my make-up at Wal-Mart, not Estee Lauder. Most of my clothes come from Goodwill, not Macy's or Coldwater Creek. I do look at certain clothing magazines and modest feminine websites to see examples of what looks good together. You can pair up pieces from different shopping trips...just know what you have in your closet already. Keep it to basic pieces that you can mix and match, or add simple "flair" with a scarf, belt, brooch, etc. If there's something special you just can't get off your mind, save up for it or put it on your Christmas or birthday list.

Ladies, the Master Creator made us women to be women. It is very possible to accentuate our femininity without "baring our all" for the entire world to see. Be the woman God created you to be.

Today I'm linking up with Finding Beauty:

P.S. Check out Finding Beauty starting in November, when I will be a weekly contributor on Mondays (visit every day for other writers as well!).

Nourishment

Good morning, friends! Can I tell you something? An old high school friend posted on Facebook last night about not liking to cook. About liking the idea of cooking, but not the act. She asked for opinions from people who love to cook...she asked if there was any way to learn to like cooking.

This got me to thinking. I enjoy cooking. I might even go so far as to say I love cooking. Some days are worse than others, at least for now, because I'm still working outside the home. Some days I get home just in time for the kids to be "starving", others I'm not home in time for dinner at all. But the days I get home with time to spare, I love to prepare a meal for my family. I'm not very ambitious with food however, which is sad. But when you have a set (read: limited) food budget, it's hard to try out a new dish...even if it turns out perfect, if the family doesn't like it then you are stuck, scrambling to throw something together so the masses get fed.

So...why cook? Why love to cook? Why love putting different ingredients together to create a completely different taste? Is it all about the food? I will admit that certain flavors just push me over the edge...my homemade garlic cheese bread?

TO. DIE. FOR.

But is it just the food? Flavor is important, of course. But the bottom line is we use food for nourishment. We need it. Our bodies need it to survive. I enjoy cooking because it nourishes my family.

In that same line of thinking, I enjoy reading the Bible because God's Word nourishes my soul. When I feel all dried up, I look to The Ultimate Source, the River of Life, to water my parched heart. When I just can't operate anymore because I'm simply starving, God gives me life-sustaining chapter and verse, an all-I-can-eat buffet of absolute truths.

So yes, I love to give my family nourishment. Whether that nourishment comes in the form of family dinner, hugs and kisses, a bedtime story, teaching my children the Word of God, a safe, relaxing, tidy home...it's my God-given job.

Today I'm linking up with Raising Homemakers and A Wise Woman Builds Her Home: