May 2, 2024

Saturdays with Shandy: 6 Weeks to Make Your Home Shine for the Holidays! Week 3

October 20, 2012 by

 

Happy Saturday! Are your living and dining rooms sparkling clean? Doesn’t it feel like a weight is being lifted each week? I know it does for me! Each week, we are one step closer to having a sparkling clean home for the holidays! And how did you do with tuning into your five senses while cleaning? Let me tell you… my house smells amazing!

This week and next, we are focusing on the kitchen! These are, perhaps, the two most important weeks of this 6 week journey, as the kitchen is where we do all of our preparing! Cooking, baking, freezing items for later, wrapping presents… the list goes on!

It’s possible you noticed the picture at the top of the page and maybe it made you smile a little. I want you to read (or sing!) these words with me…

A robin feathering his nest has very little time to rest while gathering his bits of twine and twig.  Though quite intent in his pursuit, he has a merry tune to toot.  He knows a song will move the job along…

We all know that song, right? At least most of us here in the States. So what does Mary Poppins have to do with cleaning? Listen carefully to the words she says at the beginning of the song…

In every job that must be done

There is an element of fun.

You find the fun, and… snap!

The job’s a game!

Do any of us really think that scrubbing our floors, cleaning the stove, and polishing woodwork is fun? I’m going to be 100% honest with you. As much as I love being a housewife, that part of my job is usually not a fun time for me. I love the results, and I love blessing my family this way. I do not, however, love the hard work. I want to love the work, but I’m just not there yet. Can you relate? But remember in Colossians 3:23 we’re told to do everything enthusiastically, so let’s do this with a smile on our faces, a song in our hearts, and some songs on our iPods or CD players! Music can be the element of FUN! A song will move the job along! “They themselves lift up their voices and sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.” Job 21:12 (AMP)

After we pray, and after reading your assignments for the week, please comment here letting us know how last week went for you and share your thoughts about this week… what do YOU do to make a job fun??? Then head on over to our Facebook group to share your pictures and to find out what our fun activity it is! And be sure to join us next week as we continue to make our homes shine for the holidays, and for some free Christmas planning printables!

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Let’s pray:

O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation! Lord, thank you for another week. Thank you that we are able to work with our hands to serve our families this way. Let our work be pleasing to you, and let it bless our families. Holy Spirit, please be with us and put a song in our hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Your assignment:

Today – Today we are tackling our pantries! This is super important, as we tend to do a lot of shopping for holiday cooking/baking, and need plenty of room. Remove everything from your pantry. Throw away anything that is expired or questionable. Wipe down the shelves. Put in new shelf-liner if you’d like! If you have a walk-in pantry, give the walls a scrubbing if they need it, and make sure ceiling is free of spider webs. Wipe down the baseboard, and sweep & mop the floor.

Now it’s time to get organized and put everything back! I just LOVE an organized pantry!  All the veggies in one place, all the breakfast items in another, all the pasta in another, etc., etc. If you have cleaning and miscellaneous supplies in your pantry, those get organized, too. Two half-empty bottles of the same cleaner? Combine them, and recycle the extra container.  Cleaning rags that should’ve been thrown out long ago? Time to bid them farewell. You get the idea! This is the time I would also clean up my vacuum and disinfect my mop.

For some awesome pantry organization ideas, you can go to our Saturdays with Shandy board on Pinterest! I will have some great cleaning tips there for you, too! http://pinterest.com/gchministries/saturdays-with-shandy/

Monday – Today we are working on our refrigerator! Start by getting rid of expired items and forgotten “science experiments” if you have any. This is definitely the time to have the dishwasher empty and ready to clean any dishes you may be taking out. Now get some hot, soapy water and clean the refrigerator shelves, followed by wiping down the inside walls and door(s). Just like with the pantry, organize as you put items back. Do you have a bunch of ketchup or hot sauce packets from take-out places? Toss them if they’re old, or if you have newer ones you want to keep, put them all together in a plastic container. Salad dressings go on one shelf; condiments on another, etc. I will post a picture today (Saturday) of my before and after from when I did this a few months ago, so you can see how I organize my fridge. Now that we’ve moved, that refrigerator is now in our garage and is all clean, empty, and awaiting Christmas goodies and extra beverages, but I do have the refrigerator in our new kitchen to clean! I am doing this right along with you!  Grumbling Rejoicing right along with you!

Now that you are done with the inside of the refrigerator, do the same with the freezer. While you’re cleaning the inside, make sure you are cleaning the seal and any crevices carefully. Things like to hide in there if you aren’t careful to keep it clean. Now that the outside is clean, clear off the outside – remove magnets, notes, artwork, and anything else that may be there. Wipe down all sides of the fridge, including the top! Carefully move the fridge away from the wall (careful if you have a water line!) and clear away any dust bunnies that have accumulated. Now is a good time to sweep and wipe down the floor back there before pushing it back up to the wall. Be selective in what you place on top and on the doors and side of your refrigerator. Clutter makes it look untidy, even if it’s the cleanest fridge on the block!

Tues – Today we are cleaning our microwave and small appliances like the toaster and coffee maker. If anyone needs tips on how to get any of these clean, just ask! I have a great tip on how to clean your microwave on our Saturdays with Shandy Pinterest board! It’s the way I personally clean mine and it works great! You definitely don’t want to clean the inside of your microwave with a chemical cleaner, so take special care.

Wed – Time to clean the dishwasher. For a great how-to, check out our Pinterest board!

Thurs – We are cleaning our oven/stove today. I personally do not use the chemical sprays in mine. I don’t like the fumes, and it’s just not a very safe method. And you guessed it… there is another how-to on our Pinterest board! (Why try to reinvent the wheel? LOL)

Fri – Catch up on anything you haven’t completed. Then, enjoy your evening! You’ve definitely earned it this week!  We’ll be back in the kitchen for week 4, but isn’t it great to know the hard stuff is behind us? What a relief!!!

Blessings,

Shandy

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Saturdays with Shandy: 6 Weeks to Make Your Home Shine for the Holidays! Week Two

October 13, 2012 by

This past week, we decluttered and tackled front porch and entryway cleaning projects. How did everyone do??? It wasn’t too hard, right? A little bit each week will add up to a whole lot of stress removed from our holiday celebrations! Remember, we are taking before & after pictures every week, and will have the opportunity to share them in our Facebook group on Saturdays only, so be sure to head over there today to post your pictures! I can’t wait to see what everyone has accomplished so far!

This week, we are going to focus on our living and dining rooms. In our house, our front room, or “keeping room” (also known as the living room, great room, parlour, or sitting room) is where we spend much of our time, and is where we invite our guests to sit and make themselves at home. Keeping rooms, historically, were a room right off the kitchen where Colonial families would gather to glean warmth from the kitchen stove. It’s not so different today, as many homes have fireplaces in their living rooms. Not mine, sadly, but many. *sigh* But it is our gathering place, and is where we spend most of our time together as a family.

As such, it should be a comfortable, warm, inviting place, free of clutter, dust, and otherwise unpleasant things. And then there is the dining room. The place where we pray together, break bread together, and fellowship together. If we had Jesus as a guest in our home, we would invite Him to have a meal with us in this special room, so we want this room to be the best it can be, right? Homey, clean, and welcoming. The living room, dining room, and kitchen (which we will get to next week) work together to be the hearts of our homes, so let’s give them the love they deserve.

Have you ever thought about using your five senses when it comes to making your house a home?  The way a house smells speaks volumes about the people that live there, especially the one(s) responsible for housekeeping. What do you smell when you enter your home? Do you have wonderful smelling candles burning, or perhaps a loaf of bread baking in the oven… or do you smell something offensive to your senses? What do you see? A clean, cared for home… or is it unkempt and unorganized? What do you hear? Maybe hymns, contemporary Christian music, or Christmas songs playing in the background… or do you hear harsh, unpleasant noises?

What do you feel? When you sit down on your couch, do you have a soft blanket, or maybe a homemade quilt draped nicely over the edge… or are there crumbs, pet hair, or little plastic Army men there that you’re constantly brushing away? What do you taste? Do you have goodies on hand for unexpected guests, and dinner in the oven every night for your family… or are you constantly scrambling to throw something together or running for take-out way too often?

These things either help to make a house a home, or a place to dread coming home to. Which one are you creating? I encourage you to think about these things as we continue to work on making our homes shine for the holidays!

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Let’s pray:

O taste and see that the Lord is good! You have blessed us with wonderful abilities to sense the world around us, Lord. Let us be ever mindful of how we can use these gifts to serve our family and friends. Be with us this week as we work to make our homes inviting, peaceful, comfortable places where we can fellowship with one another and where we would be proud to welcome You for dinner. Help each of us to remember to give You thanks before each meal, Lord. Remind us to slow down, and let there be a revival in gathering around the table to eat as a family. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Your assignment:

TODAY – Comment below to let us know if you are mindful of the five senses when cleaning and decorating your home, and what you do to make your home pleasing to the senses. Be sure to post your before & after pictures in our facebook group! Read the assignments for the week so you are prepared for what’s to come. Now let’s get cleaning! 🙂 Clean all blinds and window treatments in your living and dining rooms; clean any mirrors and picture frames you have on display… anything with glass. No sense in getting the glass cleaner out repeatedly! If you’re not sure how to clean your blinds, dust your ceiling fan, clean a microfiber couch, etc… go to our Saturdays with Shandy board on Pinterest for some awesome tips! http://pinterest.com/gchministries/saturdays-with-shandy/

Monday – Dusting day! Dust living and dining rooms from the top down: ceiling fans, ceilings & walls, baseboards, and woodwork; clean TV, electronics, and remotes; dust shelves, mantles, tables, other wood furniture, decorations, lamps, etc.

Tues – Clean all doors, doorknobs, light switches, and fingerprints/scuffmarks on walls. Get out the touch-up paint and take care of any places that need to be touched up.

Wed – Clean out and vacuum the couch and other upholstered furniture. Vacuum or sweep & mop the floors in your living and dining rooms, moving all the furniture.

Thurs – Organize! Go through any drawers, cabinets, etc. and organize your belongings, getting rid of anything you no longer need or use.

Fri – Catch up on anything you haven’t completed. If your upholstered furniture and/or carpeting needs cleaning, clean them or have them cleaned. Did you remember to clean with the five senses in mind? Maybe light a candle, or put on some soft music. Then enjoy your evening! You’ve earned it!

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We’d like to invite you to be part of our online Bible study! Click on “Sign-Up Here” at the top of the page to learn more or to register for the Women’s Bible study and be added to our facebook group!

If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord & Savior and would like someone to pray with you, email Prayer@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and someone from our Prayer Team will contact you soon.

Blessings,

Shandy

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Saturday’s with Shandy Showers

October 6, 2012 by
6 Weeks to Make Your Home Shine for the Holidays!
Week One by Shandy Showers
 
Forty-seven. Seventy-nine. Eighty-six. Do those numbers mean anything to you? I’ll give you a hint… Thanksgiving. Christmas Eve. New Year’s Eve. Can you believe it?  Have you done anything yet to prepare for the most wonderful time of the year?
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How many of us have had holiday celebrations over the years that have been marred by anxiety because our house wasn’t as clean as we would have liked it to be, or because we waited until the last minute to do everything and exhausted ourselves in the process? I will be the first to raise my hand and say, “ME!” But not this year. Not for me, and not for you if you follow along with us!
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Welcome to “6 Weeks to Make Your Home Shine for the Holidays!” Whether you are a domestic diva or don’t know a duster from a dishcloth, this is for you! Every Saturday for the next six weeks, we will meet right here on the blog to learn how to prepare our homes for the upcoming holidays. (And when we’re through, don’t go anywhere, because we will have a new series on decorating for Christmas and making handmade gifts!) You will check here for your weekly assignments, and are welcome to leave comments and/or ask questions. Maybe you’re not sure how to do something or are wondering if there‘s a better way to do it… just ask 🙂 Then we will head on over to our secret Facebook group, where we can post before & after pictures and have some fun with what we’re accomplishing!
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In my experience, any successful cleaning spree starts with clutter control! So to kick off the first week, we are kicking out some of that clutter! I just moved to a new state this past weekend, and did some major purging the last week of packing. We took nearly 20 bags to Goodwill, made 4 trips to the city dump, put several items out for bulky waste pick up, and gave our neighbor several pieces of furniture and knick-knacks. Even after all that, I bet I can come up with more to banish from my home, so I’m going to do this with you.
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Let’s dive in, ladies! First, take a garbage bag and quickly go through every room in your house. Anything that needs to be thrown away, throw away! Last week’s newspaper, that drawer full of old makeup, junk mail, those shoes that should’ve been retired a year ago, the sweater that’s beyond repair, the bag in your teenager‘s room from last night‘s fast food run… fill up that garbage bag! Now you’re going to take a box or a bag and find 25 more things to either give away or throw away… the pile of sweaters you never wear anymore, the jeans that don’t fit or went out of style in the 80’s, the old toaster you have stashed away as a backup, the old books you’re never going to read again. 25 things. It’s really easy, and your house will start to breathe again.
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I’ve done this before, and because I love a good challenge, I found my first 25 items, then found a bunch more! It feels so good! I encourage you to have your kids do this as well. Maybe start small with them and have them put 5 things in the giveaway box. Or maybe 10. Make it a game and see who can fill up their box the fastest! The only rule: don’t overthink anything. If you have to think about it, it doesn’t mean as much to you as maybe you thought it did.
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We want to see how much you’re clearing out and cleaning up and congratulate you on a job well done, so be sure to take before & after pictures every week! You’ll have the opportunity to share them each Saturday in our facebook group! A clean home is a happy home, and your home is going to be very happy for the holidays!
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Let’s pray:
As we prepare our homes for the holidays, let us remember to do everything enthusiastically, as something done for You, Lord. (Col 3:23-24) May our preparations be done decently and in order (1 Cor 14:40) and let them be an act of service to You and our families, so we are able to welcome the holidays with gladness rather than anxiety, keeping You at the forefront of all our celebrations. Thank you, Father, for these women and for this opportunity to support and encourage each other. Bless our efforts, Lord, and help us make wise decisions so we do not become distracted or discouraged. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Your assignment:
TODAY – Comment below to let us know you’re taking part in this series and let us know the biggest challenge you face in preparing your home for holiday celebrations.
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Today & Mon – Throw Away & Give Away Challenge (see above) Remove those items from your home right away.
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Tues – Gather/Buy/Make Cleaning Supplies, and you’ll need a 3-ring binder (w/ a clear pocket on the front) and a 3-hole punch. You will be using this binder for this series, as well as future series. We’ll have some free printables for you along the way!
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Wed – Front Porch: Shake out welcome mat. Use your outdoor broom to knock down webs, and to sweep the front porch and walk. Wash windows facing the porch, as well as your front door and doorbell. If your siding or trim is dirty, or if you have railing, take a bucket of warm, soapy water, and wash that as well. Clean outside light fixtures. Tidy things up, and put up some fall decorations if you’d like!
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Thurs – Entryway/Foyer: clean out & organize the coat closet. Wipe down closet door. Wipe down walls, trim, and baseboards if dirty or dusty. Wipe down light switch(es). Sweep and mop floor. Clean light fixture.
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Fri – Catch up on anything you haven’t completed, then enjoy your evening! You’ve earned it!
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We’d like to invite you to be part of our online Bible study! Click on the “Sign-Up Here” button at the top of the page to learn more or to register for the Women’s Bible study and be added to our Facebook group!
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If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord & Savior and would like someone to pray with you, email  Robin@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and someone from our Prayer Team will contact you soon.
Blessings,
Shandy

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Shandy lives with her husband, Scott, and daughter, Gabriella, in Kirkland, Illinois. She also has an adult daughter who lives in Wisconsin.

She’s a Titus 2/Proverbs 31 “virtuous woman in progress” and has a passion for homemaking and raising a family. She considers it a huge blessing to be a modern-day archetype of the classic housewife. Though her infertility diagnosis has prevented Shandy and Scott from growing their family, they are not putting God on a shelf, and are believing Him for their miracle baby.

Shandy believes in old-fashioned traditions and family values, and loves the music and movies of the 1940’s… especially the musicals. She’s loves Elvis, contemporary Christian and country music. She enjoys genealogy, knitting, crafting, country road trips, cozy fires, horseback riding, and living history museums. Her favorite season is autumn, and she loves everything about Christmas!

In addition to blogging about homemaking for our women’s ministry, Shandy is the Executive Administrative Assistant to the Founders of Girlfriends Coffee Hour. She has also served as a Sunday School and VBS teacher in her church, and has also been in puppet ministry, choir, and handbell choir throughout the years. She loves to be involved and bloom where God plants her!

She is blown away by what an awesome God we serve, and endeavors to be salt and light in this world so that others may come to know and love Jesus.

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