Category Archives: Homemaking

Embracing the Opportunity, Part 2 of Our House Adventure


Posted by Renae

Now that we had a house to pay off, the pressure mounted. We had to finish fixing up the house we lived in and get it on the market. We had already remodeled the bathroom and painted almost everything, but the outside was still a wreck.

We worked for a month and in the end our house had gone from this:

To this:

We put it on the market with high hopes of selling quickly. Having two houses was a financial challenge we didn’t want to endure for long. In the past three years, we had been eliminating bills and now we had three credit cards maxed out!

In the weeks that followed, we managed to get our new house gutted, but making money took priority over remodeling. I tried to wait patiently for the offer that would ease the pressure, but I bothered our Realtor and paced way too much to call my trying a success. It took six weeks for an offer come, but that was okay. We would be out of debt again with money to spare!

The problem was that our new house still wasn’t inhabitable. We weren’t sure what to do. If we moved into the construction site it would only slow down progress, but we had to sleep somewhere.

The week of closing we found out that a neighbor had an old, camp trailer for sale. It was soon parked in the driveway and I began cleaning and moving our clothes into it. A friend stopped by and teased,

“Oh, I bet you’ll only have to live in that trailer for a year and a half.”

I didn’t think he was very funny, but I laughed anyway. I knew I had to keep my sense of humor in this transition. The situation was far from ideal, but it would be worth it.

Closing finally came and a train of trucks, cars, and a trailer pulled out of town. My dad was shocked that I was so calm when he left the rubble and mess of my new home. Mom assured him,

“She likes it out here.”

And I do. Even though it’s been cold and messy and annoying living in a construction zone, I like it.

When I shivered in the trailer at night, I told myself that it could’ve been worse.

When my husband and I moved inside the house to share a room with my daughters, I considered the blessing of owning our own home.

When I get frustrated because my kitchen is gutted and ugly, I just remember that this was my choice. I begged my husband to get me this house. I wanted the possibilities and the opportunities.

The opportunity to overcome the obstacles.
The opportunity to invest in my family.
The opportunity to make a profit from doing what I enjoy, taking a cast off, ugly place and making it beautiful.

I can’t wait to see the end result!

 


Dave Ramsey Would Not Approve


Posted by Renae

“You should just look at houses. I bet you would find something that would make you want to move.”

“Oh, I don’t know. We can’t get a mortgage, because we just started a business. Besides, if I sell my house, where will we live?”

My house was small, but I was content. However, browsing real estate ads is something I do for fun, so maybe my friend was onto something. When I saw a house on 2 acres listed for only $18,000, I begged Dylan to take me out to see it.

The house was scary, but the possibilities excited me. A view of the mountains…Two acres of land…Twice the amount of room in the house…I freaked out.

“Dylan, please buy me this house!!!”

We had been slowly getting out of debt. Our home was paid for, and now I was dreaming another one.

When I found out this cheap house had sold for four times the asking price just a few years ago, I wanted it even more. Could we figure out a way to jump on this opportunity? We had more than enough equity in our current home to cover this new place, but we didn’t have time to wait for it to sell.

I remembered the high credit limit on one of our credit cards. That wasn’t enough, but pawing through the bill drawer I pulled out as many statements as I could find. I had canceled a lot of credit cards over the years. How many did I have left?

And what kind of crazy thing were we even thinking? Buying a HOUSE on credit cards!? I am sure Dave Ramsey would not approve.

It was risky, but we decided it was worth it. We put in an offer and began the process of getting money from our credit cards to pay for a HOUSE! It worked! The whole house needed to be gutted, but we would have time to fix it up while we waited for our other house to sell. Or so we thought…

(to be continued)

 


How the Basket Lady Organizes Homeschool


Posted by Renae

When the librarian called, he recognized my voice.

Oh, you’re the basket lady.

Should I be offended?

I used to take a backpack to the library and then transfer the books to their place next to the couch, but grabbing my old, wire basket saves a step. It does a great job keeping library books corralled, and it’s the perfect size for our check-out limit.

That library basket works so well, I don’t care that basket lady and bag lady sound so similar.

I have bigger things to battle, things like books and paper.

Organizing Books

Since we don’t have a separate room for our personal library, our living room has three large bookshelves in it. I make space for a few pieces of pottery, because I crave beauty as much as I like books.

Our books are loosely organized by category and size. Curriculum is on the shelf above our binders. Reference books are to the left of my desk. Favorite children’s books are on a separate shelf next to the couch.

Organizing Paper

Besides books, our homeschool fills up with paper. My girls each have an old-fashioned school desk with a bit of storage for their plethora of drawings.

When their desks are full, we sort through and keep their best and favorite works of art.

What we decide to keep goes into a three drawer organizer. I also slip in small treasures, cards, and keepsakes to add to their binders or scrapbooks later.

School papers used to pile in my plan book and languish there.

Then I found a $2 letter sorter to control that disaster. It’s perfect for holding file folders on my desk. Papers that need to be graded and papers that need to be filed are in separate sections. And my plan book fits right in the front.

Organizing Other Stuff

My desk drawers organize all of our office supplies:

  • erasers
  • pencils
  • staplers
  • hole punches
  • flash cards
  • stickers
  • paper cutters
  • notebook paper
  • extra gadgets
  • even the bills

I would like a new desk some day, but that might be as strenuous as packing the whole house.

Some of our puzzles, cards, and games are stored in a small dresser that I use as a sideboard in my kitchen.

I even cram things under the couch, but we won’t discuss that right now.

I’m a bit concerned about other nicknames that could arise if I divulge all the places I hide stuff.

What is your biggest organizational challenge?


One Income in a Two Income World


Posted by Renae

I groan inwardly when I’m promised tips and tricks to save money.

Working Mother Jennie Magill Shopping with Her Children at the Super Market

For the price of one gourmet latte’ a week, you can purchase this amazing _______.

I don’t buy gourmet anything. It is on rare occasion that I veer into Starbucks.

I budget for groceries. I save to buy curriculum.

I’m not complaining. I just realize marketers don’t get my family.

Early in our marriage, my husband and I decided to make all of our financial decisions on his income alone. That has not been without it’s challenges, but it has saved us from many pitfalls. It has also stretched us as we practice creativity, determination, and patience.

When I drive my husband’s car with it’s dents and hanging fender, I chant, ”It’s paid for.” Then I force a smile as the rattling begins and the wind musses my hair.

It’s not too hard for me to be content. I just have to remember we give up some luxuries in order to gain some other things more important to us: simplicity and freedom.

It’s okay to shed a way of life where wants often morph into needs. I don’t need a gourmet latte’, and I’m pretty sure I don’t need the latest, greatest, amazing product (or even last year’s model).


The Importance of Making Memories Happen


Posted by Renae

My five-year-old girl, Sweet Pea, skips across the grass while her brother sails past on his bike with one flat tire. Around and around the park heads bob and smiles erupt. I glance around every once in awhile to see where they have scampered.

They enjoy the freedom to practice their childhood games. I enjoy the adult conversation.

Tears flow when we have to leave. As an afternoon of playing with her cousin at the lake etches into her heart, Sweet Pea shouts,

I’ll never forget this!

I never want to forget her response to the simple delight.

Since I like to stay home, it’s easy for me to forget how important it is to get out and explore. How important it is to create moments my children will remember. How important it is to simply be with my kids and enjoy them instead of pushing and pushing.

Yes, we need to do lessons. But what kind of mother-teacher am I? Tired, worn out, and grumpy?

Homeschooling is not just for my children. It is for me, too. It is an opportunity for me to discover the depths of my motivation. It is an opportunity to learn from the precious ones in my care.

The pressure is real. There is a weight of responsibility, but can I put the worry aside? Can I enjoy the moments so I never forget?

Pounding out words helps me remember, but capturing a memory is not the same as creating it.

An important part of my responsibility is to make memories happen for them, for us, for future generations.

What are your children remembering?

(Photos are from a Father’s Day hike in the Snake River Canyon. I neglected to take my camera to the lake.)