Making Your Home a Haven Challenge

Thank you for all of your great comments yesterday! I want to respond to several questions in future posts, but used my afternoon blogging time to work on the challenge - so did not get it done yesterday. Stay tuned for the answers!

Here is how we did for day two:

1. Refresh your spirit.

Our verse this morning was:

Matthew 6:20-21, "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

2. Do your morning routine.

We finished breakfast and our morning routine a little before 9 and started on our daily chores.

3. Take time to plan.

As mentioned yesterday, I always do this the night before. My chores for Tuesdays are always:
* Vacuum
* Laundry
* Clean Master Bath
* Iron

We finished all of these things. Both girls helped put the clothes in the washer and Emily always helps clean the bathroom. I iron while she watches a short morning movie. Our morning was not as photogenic as Monday! But, we did work together to accomplish the necessary tasks.

While folding laundry, we practiced Emily's verses A through E and started learning the F verse. This is one way I hope I invested my treasures in Heaven today as we read in our devotional at breakfast.

4. What's on the menu for dinner?

Broccoli Chicken Lasagna, French Bread and Salad. I didn't do much prep in the morning as I had cut up the chicken from Monday night's roast chicken and set the bread out of the freezer. The broccoli was already chopped and frozen from a previous chore - so everything was pretty well ready to assemble. I made two and put one in the freezer for future use!

5. Project of the day.

We put our aprons on again, started some Christmas music and simmered the same pot of spices. (Lots of you asked about the spices and I'd already planned to post this with an upcoming Mitford idea - so I promise to share the details!)

Today's projects were:
* Clean out, declutter, and organize a drawer, shelf or closet. Since I do my planning the night before I wasn't sure how my to-do list would match up with her challenge this morning, but I had already listed needing to clean out the cabinet next to my stove and when you see the pictures you will see why this needed done!

Thinking on our verse from yesterday - I was challenged when I opened this cabinet even in how I treat the possessions that God has entrusted to my care. This was an eye-opener to me as I looked at what a shambles I had let this become.

Before:After:

* Our second challenge was to tackle a project that I've been procrastinating on too long. Again, this was already on my list (in fact it has been for a few days) to clear off the top of the washer and dryer. It had become a place that I stashed all my craft projects and I hated that I let it get this way - but it was just one of those things that I hadn't gotten done.

Before:
After:

How wonderful it is to walk by these tidy spaces now! These things definitely make my home seem like more of a haven than big cluttered spaces do! Visit Crystal's blog to see how others are doing on the challenge as well!