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Katie T’s Cottage Home Fun Fact #29

Fun fact time! This is a new section I’m including on my blog posts so my readers can get to know me on a personal level!

So, for my 29th fun fact, I want to share that I am going camping this weekend! 

Every year, my family has a campout at my parent’s house. Between swimming in the lake across the street, eating good food, and seeing family and friends! We always have a great time!

So now, let’s jump into how to use a lemon for zero waste in the kitchen!

Lemon Juice for Baking and Cooking

There are so many recipes that call for lemon juice! Besides the traditional lemon blueberry muffins, like the ones I made, there are countless recipes to add lemon juice to!

This has everything to do with food science. Adding lemon, an acidic food, enhances the flavors of the dish. 

This is true for cooking with fish, condiments such as mayo, or tenderizing meats such as chicken. Building on that, adding lemon juice to a marinade is a great way to tenderize meat.

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Lemon juice, like vinegar, is an acid that helps break down the meat protein fibers. Just be mindful of the other ingredients you mix with the marinade.

If it’s dairy-based, adding an acid will curdle the cream. 

Another thing to keep in mind if you are water bath canning is that lemon juice is often used in recipes to prevent bacterial growth that causes botulism.

This is because water bath (vs. pressure canning) requires a specific pH to do it safely. Also note that in this case, it is recommended to use bottled lemon juice from the store.

Each bottle has a standard acidity level, and when it comes to canning, you want to be precise to be sure you aren’t allowing the food to grow any unwanted bacteria.

Lemon Simple Syrup

The second thing you can do with lemon peels for zero waste in the kitchen is to boil them in water and sugar to make simple syrup!

This can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen to make drinks down the road.

I enjoy adding simple syrup to my cocktails, but you can also make regular lemonade. 

As far as a recipe goes, all you need is:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup of water
• About 3-4 lemon peels cut into small pieces

Bring all ingredients to a boil and let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it steep for an additional 30 min.

Once steeping is complete, you can strain the liquid from the peels. But don’t throw them away (see next section for how to use them!!) 

I’ve also used this process to make orange and lavender simple syrup (separately, of course).

So if you feel like experimenting, think 1 part water and 1 part sugar and add the produce of choice. Simmer, then let steep. And bam, you have a simple syrup!!

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Lemon Peel Candies

Next up on using lemons for zero waste in the kitchen is candy the peels! Yes, that’s right, you heard me! And this is the next step after making the simple syrup.

They taste like gummy worms if you ask me!

Instructions are as follows.

Once you’ve removed the peels from the liquid, set aside to dry. You may need to take a napkin and pat it. The big part here is to make sure they are dry so the sugar doesn’t get them soggy.

So, once the peels are dry, add them to a bowl of sugar and toss them around with a fork. Once completely coated with sugar, set aside.

You have just made yourself lemon peel candies! 

A couple of things to note here. Before making the simple syrup, try to cut off the white parts of the peel.

It doesn’t make a huge difference in taste but does leave a slightly bitter taste in the gummies. If you skip this step, don’t worry. I have done so with oranges, and I find it doesn’t make a huge difference.

Also, when you coat the peels with sugar, I’d let them sit out for a bit.

If the peels don’t get soggy by the sugar, then you must be a natural because I can’t seem to get mine to dry enough the first time around.

The solution, if this happens to you, is to dry your lemon peels again and repeat the process. 

Freshly Squeezed Lemonade

Next up on how to use lemons for zero waste in the kitchen is to freshly squeeze the lemons to make lemonade! 

I find the most efficient way to make lemonade is to put about half a peeled lemon with about 4 cups of water in a blender (add some other fruit, like strawberries, at this time if you want to add flavor). 

Once completely blended, strain it into a pitcher using a cheesecloth. I usually place my cheesecloth over a small strainer and pour the liquid.

Once it’s poured, I pick up the cheesecloth by the edges and apply pressure to separate the liquid from the pulp. 

At this point, you can add sugar and additional water to match your liking. I’ve also added honey as a sugar replacement for a more nutritious drink! 

The nice thing about adding strawberries to the lemonade is it’s a natural sweetener. Plus, the frothy top makes the drink taste fresh!

Lemon Zest

The fifth use of lemons for zero waste in the kitchen is to use it for lemon zest! 

This is perfect to top dishes with, like my blueberry muffins. You can also add them to salad dressings or cooked dishes. 

I’ve also added lemon zest to homemade soap bars before. There are conflicting opinions due to the nature of the fruit zest and spoiling the soap. I didn’t seem to have a problem when I did it, however, if you’re making soap and it’s hot and humid weather, I can see how that may increase the chances of the soap going bad.

I plan on making a soap post soon and will update this section with a link.

In it, I’ll experiment and see if I can dehydrate the zest to create a better alternative. In the meantime, check out my post on the 7 items to include in your vanity bathroom tray. In it I make a homemade liquid soap!

Lemon Peel Cleaner

The 6th use of lemons for zero waste in the kitchen is to make a cleaner with them! This is such a simple process!

All you need is vinegar, water, and lemon peels!

I don’t like my vinegar solution to smell like vinegar (I know it sounds silly), so I mixed 1 part water and 1 part vinegar with the lemon peels and let it sit for a couple of weeks. After it sat, I strained the lemon peels from the liquid and topped it with more water. 

Just don’t do what I did and stuff the lemon peels in a glass bottle like this! I then had to remove the peels from the bottle, which was a slight pain. 

So, if you do it, put it in a bottle that you can easily strain the water out of after. 

And also, as promised, here is a link to a free vinegar solution label! I printed mine on waterproof adhesive paper. It still looks good a couple of years later! 

Dried Lemon Peels and Powder

The last use of lemons for zero waste in the kitchen is to dry them for later use! 

I dehydrated the remaining parts of my strawberry lemonade that I made earlier and then blended it to make a powder. I wanted to see if I could reconstitute it to make a lemonade powder, and let’s just say that it did not taste well at all! 

In hindsight, it makes sense. You remove the pulp, dry it to make a powder, only to reconstitute it in water, and now you have pulp water.

Whomp.

But I’m not going to give up on it! I’m thinking I can add it to vanilla ice cream, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on what I should test it with! Drop it in the comments!

But, you can dehydrate lemon peels and put them in hot water to make lemon tea! 

Lately, I’ve been making lemon lavender tea with a latte twist. All you need is:

• Dried lemon peels
• Dried lavender buds
• 1 tsp of burdock root
• Splash of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp of honey
• About a ¼ cup of milk

Let the lemon, lavender, and burdock roots steep in hot water. Then add the milk, vanilla, and honey and blend it with an immersion blender until the milk has become frothy (definitely do this step in a larger container so you don’t spill everywhere).

Then pour the tea into your mug, and voila! You have a beautifully crafted lemon lavender tea with a latte twist! Top with lavender buds as seen fit.

Zero Waste in the Kitchen: 7 Clever Ways to Use Extra Lemons for Sustainable Living

There you have it! The 7 uses of lemons for zero waste in the kitchen! I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! Don’t forget to comment below and share this post with others! 

Love,

Katie

The post Zero Waste in the Kitchen: 7 Clever Ways to Use Extra Lemons for Sustainable Living first appeared on Katie T's Home.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.

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Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below. I’m always trying to produce helpful content for my readers, and without knowing what you think, it’s hard to know what you find helpful/not helpful. So please leave your thoughts below!!  

Katie T’s Cottage Home Fun Fact #43

For my 43rd fun fact, I want to share that I have a new love for canning!

There is something so validating about opening up a jar of sauce or whatever canned good, knowing it’s made with quality ingredients while being something I contributed to our household. 

Children are a Gift from God

As a Christian homemaker preparing for motherhood, it’s probably no surprise that children are one of the greatest gifts from God.

There is a reason the bible says that children are a reward, a blessing from God.

We, as Christians, are even told to be childlike. Matthew 18: 1-5 warns us that the greatness of heaven is not measured by rank or power but by childlikeness. God wants us to trust Him as our Father. Earthly success means nothing in God’s kingdom. 

And how great is it that God can abundantly bless us with His greatest gift, and in doing so, a parent is submerged into the dynamic of what it’s like to see things through the lens of God? What it’s like to be a parent with a special love for their children. Similar to the unconditional love God has for us.

Preparing Before Pregnancy

While the cliche of never being fully prepared for parenthood holds true, that doesn’t mean you can’t try your best. 

Personally, I think if you start preparing for motherhood when you get the exciting confirmation of pregnancy, you are not allowing yourself ample time to prepare to the best of your ability.

Similar to getting married. You shouldn’t have those important marriage discussions after you’re engaged. Likely, you would have had those discussions before the proposal, all to determine if your partner is equally yoked. 

And I’m sure many of you may be preparing without realizing it. 

For me, preparing for motherhood looks like personal growth. Trying to become the best version of myself. Asking myself what qualities I can work on today while life is “consistent” to help better the mother I’ll become down the road.

For example, I cannot expect to be the type of mother who reads bedtime stories to my children if I can’t even get in the routine of reading myself. While it’s not impossible to develop that habit when the time comes, it’s certainly unlikely.

In addition, what conversations can I have with my husband about how we will raise our children? What decisions do we need to make today to help give us the best physical, emotional, and spiritual health for when that day eventually comes?

It’s easier if you are around others who have children. You get to witness those who are close to you as parents and ask yourself what qualities you admire and want to obtain in your motherhood role.

Just be mindful that not every quality you see in other parents is a good fit for your situation. This is especially true when bombarded with content from social media, which leads me to the next section. 

Taking Social Media for What It Is

Social media can be a powerful yet destructive tool. That’s why Victoria, creator of Thyme and Tenderness, has advice on navigating social media when preparing for motherhood.

Victoria is a 30-year-old mom of 1. She’s been married for 8 years and resides in southern Maryland. She is passionate about homemaking and has been sharing content and inspiring others since 2018. 

Victoria Says:

“They say that becoming a mother is the most “natural” experience to go through, and although that may be true for some, it isn’t for others. When I became a mother, there were many things that felt effortless, but there were also many things that I had no idea about. 

I also found that there’s so much “noise” out there when it comes to being a mother. So many have opinions about what makes or doesn’t make a good mother. Not to mention all the information, videos, and stories we have to weed through when it comes to infant and child care.

When someone is trying to learn what to do as their new role as a parent, they might become paralyzed with confusion over all the abundance of information. 

My advice to any new mother is to mute all of that “extra” noise.

You don’t need strangers on the internet to tell you what to do. Limit who you’re getting information from. Choose only a handful of older, wiser, trusted individuals to be your counselors. Ideally, your own mother can help be your guide or even your grandmother. But sometimes that isn’t always possible. In that case, a trusted female friend with experience with motherhood would be your best ally. 

Social media is a wonderful tool to learn new things. It’s where many go for parenting advice. But, social media can be a two edged sword. On one hand, it can be very helpful, but on the other hand, it can be harmful. For every good piece of advice, there are 3 bad pieces of advice out there.

The best way to sort it all is to ask yourself the following questions: 

-Is this in harmony with the basics of what I know?

-Does this sound too good to be true?

-Is this overly sensational?

-What do the comments or feedback on the post have to say?

Asking yourself those questions while reading or learning on social media can help you sort out what is good advice from the bad. The more information you gather, the easier it is to make an informed decision when learning what to do in your motherhood responsibilities.” 

With almost any information, we need to take a step back and analyze if it applies to our lives. 

Not only are there lots of voices, but everyone’s circumstances are different. What might work for the vast majority may not work for you for one reason or another.

Don’t be afraid to do what’s best for your situation.

The Relationship With Your Husband

Preparing for motherhood is more than analyzing who you want to become as a mother. Another key component is the relationship with your husband and how the addition of a child may impact those dynamics. 

That’s why Grace is going to walk us through what we need to know about our marriage with the addition of a little one.

Grace is a dedicated Christian homemaker, wife & mother who believes in the transformative power of nurturing a home. She enjoys exploring and learning all there is to know about gardening/homesteading, creating culinary delights, and loves sharing traditional living content online via @thatjoyfilledhome. 

Grace Says:

“Children are life changing in the best way possible. When a baby is born it transforms a woman from maiden to mother, and quickly our lives are consumed with this new little bundle of joy, especially in the early years when all their needs come from mom. However, it is easy for this to strain a marriage.

My best advice is to always put your marriage as a priority above children.

I know that seems counterintuitive, and I’m not saying neglect your children. I am saying that your marriage will last far past when your children grow up and leave the nest.

Your marriage is also the worldview you are giving your children of what marriage looks like. You can choose to give them a picture of covering offenses in love, being quick to forgive, loving each other when the other is being unlovable, or you can give them an image of bitterness, resentment, keeping score, and being contentious.

The health of your marriage impacts future generations, and it needs to be tended to. Be intentional to make time for each other, go on dates, listen intently to what the other is saying, don’t neglect the marriage bed, and set healthy boundaries.  Remember you are a team.“

I feel like this concept is not discussed nearly enough. 

It might seem contradictory to God’s teaching, but the church recognizes this to be true. I remember during my marriage prep pre-cana classes, they told my husband and I, that we, as a couple, should prioritize each other above our children. 

In that way, preparing for motherhood means working on your relationship with your husband. Use this time to build a strong foundation so that, when the time comes, you and your spouse will be solid. 

Preparing for Motherhood as a Christian Homemaker: Future Mom Advice from the Experts

There you have it! Why preparing for motherhood should not just be limited to the duration of pregnancy and some helpful tips and advice from experienced mothers! Comment below if you have anything to add regarding your motherhood prep journey! Until next time!

Love,

Katie

The post Preparing for Motherhood as a Christian Homemaker: Future Mom Advice from the Pros first appeared on Katie T's Home.

Also, check out my grocery shopping digital downloads for an organized mealtime routine! So, without further ado, let’s jump right in!

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I also ask that you please leave your thoughts in the comment section below. I’m always trying to produce helpful content for my readers, and without knowing what you think, it’s hard to know what you find helpful/not helpful. So please leave your thoughts below!!  

Katie T’s Cottage Home Fun Fact #37

For my 37th fun fact, I want to share that I am looking forward to the fall season that is approaching!

I live in New England, so I see all the pretty leaves changing!

5 Dimensions of Health

When most people think of health, they think of exercise and eating healthily. While this is important, it’s only a fraction of what it means to be healthy.

In addition to physical health, there are 4 other categories of health. These categories include mental, emotional, social, and spiritual.

Many typical health-promoting content creators focus on the physical health end of the spectrum.

While this isn’t bad in itself, it is missing the other four pieces of the puzzle. Without the other pieces, you don’t have a full healthy lifestyle.

With that said, today I will discuss some of the things I take issue with regarding some health-promoting content and what a realistic goal should look like. 

Getting Up at the Crack of Dawn

So, the first healthy lifestyle habits that I want to discuss revolve around the time you wake up. 

So often, I see content creators with the “what my morning looks like” trend, and they start with an early morning at 4:30-5:30. While some content creators are honest, I have doubts about some.

As a result, it’s so easy for the rest of us to feel lazy or less than because we are not waking up super early. 

Now listen, if that’s when your biological clock wakes you up, then that’s great! I have no issues with that. 

My point is everyone is different and in a different season of life. I think anywhere between 6 am and 8 am is a perfectly healthy time to wake up naturally. 

So not only does this unrealistic goal set high expectations for ourselves, but if you’re struggling to get up before 8 you’re fed tips and tricks on how to wake up early.

In some situations, these can be helpful, but I find it’s covering up the heart of the matter.

My morning routine and waking up have drastically shifted over the last 10 years. The times in life when I struggled the most to get up were usually because of external factors going on in life. 

On the contrary, the times when I find it easier to wake up are the periods in life when I am at peace with where I am. 

These “tips and tricks” distract our attention from the root cause of why it’s a struggle to get out of bed.

I know this may not be the case for all, but I’m sure plenty of you can relate to the idea that getting up may not be easy because of external factors. These external factors consume your emotional, mental, and even social well-being. So it’s no wonder you can’t wake up early.

So, my recommendation for those struggling to naturally get up early in the morning is to stop putting pressure on yourselves and start addressing the situations in life that are holding you back. 

And it could be as simple as getting more physical activity into your day. Other times, it may look like diving into the depths of your emotions and doing the hard work of healing.

It’s not easy and will take time. But the outcome will be completely worth it. 

The Problem with Routines

Next up on the list of healthy lifestyle habits for a down-to-earth catholic housewife is to discuss routines.

A routine by itself is a good thing. However, too much of a good thing is not a good thing. But before I discuss why that is, I want to mention that some routines are completely unnecessary.

Let’s take, for example, a classic skincare routine. 

If you’re eating healthy, exercising, and monitoring things like the shampoo you use, and external factors like housing and allergens, then your skin should be healthy by itself. 

Sure, you may need to moisturize after a shower or rinse your face when you first wake up, but after that, everything else is extra. Now, I know everyone has different skin types, which impacts the need to use additional products. 

However, I wholeheartedly believe that if your skin is acting up, it’s your body’s way of telling you something is off. If you’re using all of these products on your skin to make it glow, you could be missing the signals your body is trying to tell you. 

Not only that, but you’re spending time and money in doing so. As a result, this is taking time from your day to tend to other matters while ignoring the signals your body is trying to tell you. 

So, now that that’s established, I want to reiterate that routines are a good thing when done correctly. 

Having structure helps to stay organized and know what you need to accomplish.

But when there’s too much emphasis on structure, you risk missing the bigger picture.

For example, in my college years, I took between 5-7 classes in a semester, worked 20 hours a week, exercised almost daily, made time for family and friends, and managed to get straight A’s for most of college.  

The thing is, I was always so stressed, especially when I was falling behind because my whole life revolved around a scheduled routine. This hindered my ability to have a healthy emotional life.

So, make sure to make room for the “unstructured” parts of life, away from having a routine.

Just like a child needs unstructured play time, we need unstructured moments to step away and live in the moment. 

This is also where your spiritual health can influence your life. Ask God what he is calling you to do. If your focus is just on the next task at hand, you’ll miss the small nudge from Him.

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Eating Healthy

The next healthy lifestyle habits I want to share revolve around eating healthy. 

When I see content like “what I eat in a day,” I feel like it can be slightly misleading. While yes, I’m sure plenty of content creators eat super healthy, as they describe in their content, it doesn’t just stop there. 

My issue comes from the content creators Promoting their healthy choices, who are probably filming what they Ate on a Monday after the regret from the weekend diet is sinking in.

And I can’t even say what they are doing is entirely bad, but what happens is again, people have an unrealistic expectation set for themselves because they see all of these healthy eating posts. 

Also, keep in mind, that some content creators who eat super healthy are doing it because it is part of their job as content creators. The other factor is that healthy food (especially take-out food) might be more readily available in other places of the world. 

Here in the US, we have to worry about so many preservatives, additives, and dyes, to name a few, never mind the type of food we are eating. 

That’s why my personal goal is to make more food from scratch, but even that can be unrealistic. Short of eating the same few types of food every day, I can’t do it all. 

And the thing is, everyone’s “diet” will look a little different because everyone is different. 

You got the vegetarians and vegans in the world who feel completely fine with a diet of beans and pea pods, and I’m over here eating homemade beef jerky for breakfast because my body is craving protein. 

And I’d argue that’s part of what it means to be healthy. To listen to your body and what it’s craving. Now, just because you’re craving chips doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the food of choice, but rather that you’re probably dehydrated. But you get the idea.

Two documentaries that go into more detail on this notion are “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones” and “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut”. These documentaries are super detailed about the different fundamentals of health and how to achieve it. Especially the video on gut health, which focuses on your everyday diet and food consumption. 

So, yes eat your fruits and veggies, get protein, drink water, and incorporate healthy carbs. It’s not complicated. Do the best you can do while still allowing yourself to splurge now and again. 

Get Your Priorities in Order

I believe prioritizing is vital for those looking to create healthy lifestyle habits. 

I won’t go into too much detail on how to prioritize as a homemaker because I have a full guide on how to prioritize below. The key is to make sure you prioritize your overall health. Not just “you”.

Prioritize your relationship with God (spiritual health). Prioritize your love language in your daily routine. Prioritize the things that bring you purpose. 

Don’t just prioritize your “to-do” list. This will set you up for only being productive through the lens of society, and as Christians, we are called to prioritize God as number one. Everything else will fall into place.

Also, prioritize your mental health. Don’t be afraid to take on a new challenge or set time aside to learn a new skill that interests you. 

Life itself is a voyage of lessons, so by default, we are constantly learning.

But when’s the last time you made time to learn something that interests you, all in the name of health? It’s easier to picture health in a way that is associated with exercising, but the mind also craves a challenge, just like our bodies crave the physical challenge of exercise. 

Count Your Blessings… And Friends

When you think about most of the content for healthy lifestyle habits, it accounts for a single person, i.e. drinking water, exercising, getting good sleep, etc. All those things are good, but it’s missing pieces for an overall healthy lifestyle.

Focus on spending time with good people.

We become the people we surround ourselves with. So, if you are spending time with people who are content in their misery, they will bring you down with them.

Instead, focus on the good people in your life and make room for them. We are social beings, and while some have an easier time socializing, everyone needs to make time for the good people in life.

Sometimes it’s difficult to prioritize building strong and healthy relationships with good people when life is filled with responsibilities, commitments, and everything in between. Don’t let those things hold you back from creating a life worth living.

Healthy Lifestyle Habits for a Down-to-Earth Catholic Housewife

So there you have it! Some down-to-earth healthy lifestyle habits for a Christian housewife. Let me know in the comments if you feel validated with any of these or if you disagree. As always, I’m so happy that you are hear, and don’t forget to follow for more! Until next time!

Love,

Katie

The post Healthy Lifestyle Habits for a Down-to-Earth Catholic Housewife first appeared on Katie T's Home.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

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I also ask that you please leave your thoughts in the comment section below. I’m always trying to produce helpful content for my readers, and without knowing what you think, it’s hard to know what you find helpful/not helpful. So please leave your thoughts below!!  

Katie T’s Cottage Home Fun Fact #33

For my 33rd  fun fact, I want to share that I love sushi! 

It’s a new love as of 2 years ago, and my only regret is not trying it sooner! Luckily, I can make up for lost time!!

Know Your Why for Living with Intention

The first tip on living with intention is to know your why. Without it, the other tips later on in this article will be less meaningful.

Knowing your why is the fuel behind your purpose in your homemaking role.

Why do you get up in the morning and do what you do? Why do you continue to do what you do? Why are you choosing to do what you do?

Knowing your purpose will influence the decisions about what you should and shouldn’t take on.

For example, my “why” is because I want to cultivate a life that I love. I love what I do. I love that I can share and inspire other young women with knowledge and tips on facing certain issues.

And, I love waking up knowing that I am abundantly blessed with another beautiful day hand-crafted by God himself. 

If you’re struggling to think of your why, then perhaps it’s time to make a change.

Spend more time with the good people in your life. Make more room for alone time with God. Try picking up that hobby you’ve been wanting to do for a long time. 

It doesn’t always have to be expensive. For example, if you want to take dance classes but, can’t afford them, then search for different dance routines on YouTube and dance in your living room! You may feel a little silly at first (speaking from personal experience), but it’ll be worth it!

Living with Intention: Learn How to Self-Reflect

Knowing how to self-reflect is a huge step in living with intention. The two go hand-in-hand, and you can’t have one without the other. 

Self-reflection requires you to self-monitor your behaviors and emotions. Learning your behaviors and emotions is essential in knowing how to live intentionally.

When monitoring your behavior, think about the things you like about yourself. Think about the things that you know you can improve upon. 

For example, if you self-reflect and recognize that you have poor posture, actively think about how you are standing and correct your posture when you’re slouching. If you can get in the habit of doing so, you will be more intentional.

Emotions, on the other hand, are much more complex. It’s not as simple as fixing that particular situation. This self-monitoring is essential in those moments where we feel our emotions are strongest. 

Are they good emotions we want to continue, like happiness and joy? Or, are they negative emotions like stress and sadness?

So many times, we feel a strong negative emotion, and instead of doing the uncomfortable or inconvenient self-reflection to determine why we have that emotion, we push it down to the depths of our being to go unresolved. 

The problem with ignoring these emotions is that they will eventually pile up until we snap, which completely contradicts what it means to live with intention.

Instead, take a second and ask yourself why you feel the way you do. Take a deeper dive into your emotion at that moment and try to untie the meaning behind it. Once you can give that emotion meaning, it will set the course for how you move forward in similar situations. 

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Learn How to Prioritize

Knowing how to prioritize is the second to last tip in this article on living with intention. 

I won’t go into detail on how to prioritize because I have a full guide on learning how to prioritize as a Christian homemaker, but I will explain why knowing it is essential in intentional living.

Many of us struggle to step away from autopilot and take a stand for how we want to spend our time.

The problem is that society has set itself up to reward people pleasers and those who can do the next best thing. 

People pleasing is a common problem in today’s world. By feeding into this ideology, we give the other individual’s opinion authority over our wants and desires.

As a result, this leaves someone doing things they don’t want to do, all in the name of what others will think. 

However, if we have our priorities in order and know our “why” as discussed earlier, this will help us say no to the things that don’t bring value to our lives.

Plus, it will free up our time to do those things that give us homemakers purpose and value. We are not simply going through the motions because of other people’s beliefs but rather being intentional in how we want to spend our time. 

Living with Intention: The Art of Being Mindful

Being mindful is the last stepping stone to living with intention. 

While the two are very similar, being mindful is smaller scale compared to living with intention, which encompasses the big picture.

Being mindful is buying the ingredients for the recipe you intend to make for dinner, compared to being intentional in how you cook the dinner. 

Being mindful means you can foresee possible negative or positive outcomes before they may or may not happen.

You observe your surroundings and think about the actions you are initiating in and the potential implications it may have. 

Some mindfulness is learned, while, on the contrary, some learned behaviors may obstruct mindfulness. 

For example, you may have grown up in a house that added felt furniture pads to the bottom of the furniture legs to prevent scratching. When you move out and get your furniture, you know to be mindful and use the felt pads because it was learned.

On the flip side, you may grow up doing something and continue doing that thing because it’s what you were used to. For example, I grew up in a household that peeled the carrots. One day, as I was peeling carrots, it occurred to me that it was completely unnecessary. As long as I washed the carrots well, there wasn’t a need to do the extra step. 

Learned mindfulness is its step towards intentional living. However, mastering what I call, situational mindfulness will help you make leaps and bounds towards being more intentional with how you live your life.

When you are in a situation where you have to exercise that part of the brain, you are taking the time to be aware of your surroundings and the potential pros and cons of responding in a certain manner. 

Living with Intention: Inspiring Young Woman in their Homemaking Role

Learning the art and skill of living with intention will help you slow down and be more aware of your surroundings and situations in life. I hope this post has helped you and, I look forward to hearing what you have to say in the comments below!!

The post Living with Intention: Inspiring Young Woman in their Homemaking Role first appeared on Katie T's Home.

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Katie T’s Cottage Home Fun Fact #31

For my 31st fun fact, I want to share that I have a new favorite shopping store, Azure Standard! 

If you can be flexible in your schedule, I highly recommend ordering from Azure Standard. They have wheat berries and dry goods that are significantly cheaper than a traditional grocery store.

The only catch is that you have to meet at the dropoff location, and you never know the exact date and time until the week before. So again, flexibility is a must.

Schedule Your Homemaking Chores

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Cleaning Schedule
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Weekly Meal Planning

Cons

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So now, let’s jump into the ministry of homemaking and the 5 prioritizing skills every Christian woman needs to know. Check out my bundle deal to help overcome the common prioritizing struggles!!

Start with Prayer

It’s not a ministry of homemaking if God isn’t the priority. Without him, we can do nothing. 

This is why it’s so important to start your day with prayer. 

Not only does this bring a clear mindset, but it will help you accomplish far more than you could ever imagine. And I’m saying this from personal experience. 

When I prioritized God in the busiest moments of my life, things just unexplainably fell into place. 

And not only that, but things that once seemed important became irrelevant after spending time with God. And I think that’s part of what it is to be human. We get so wrapped up in trivial things that we forget the important stuff. But if we put God at #1, we’ll subconsciously prioritize what matters in life without thinking about it. 

One of the easiest ways to do this is to ask. Ask God to direct your steps for the day. Pray that he will be with you and KNOW that the holy spirit is in our hearts, guiding our way. 

If you’re struggling with knowing how to fit God into your morning routine, I have a full guide on how to do so in the article above. 

Be Realistic with the Time You Need

Being realistic about how long it takes to complete a task is the second skill in your ministry of homemaking. After all, we only have 24 hours in a day.

I struggle SO hard with this one at times. Unfortunately, I never give myself enough time to complete a task. And at the end of the day, this only leaves me feeling stressed and frustrated because I can’t check off all the things on my list to do. 

For example, last year, I went peach picking with a friend. I wanted to preserve and make a ton of peach desserts to freeze, so I opted for the large tray and picked a ton of peaches.

The farmer warned me that peaches don’t have a long shelf life. I told myself, “nah, I have time”. 

As you can imagine, I threw away a ton of peaches because I didn’t have enough time to get through them all. I was also anxious about finding the time to finish what I had set out to do.

So, be realistic with the time you have. Also, don’t be afraid of cutting back.

Sometimes, less is more. And I think simple living should be encouraged more than it is.

If you struggle with answering the call to a slow-living lifestyle, you’re just in luck! Check out the article above for a detailed guide on how to answer the call for a simple life. 

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Listen to Your Body- Don’t Force It

Next up in the 5 prioritizing skills for the ministry of homemaking is to listen to your body and not force getting things done.

Now, I’m not saying don’t ever do the dishes because you don’t feel like it. I am saying to listen to your body and what it’s trying to tell you.

If your homemaking routine starts with dishes and then laundry to follow, switch it up. If you feel like doing laundry more, then do that first.

Don’t feel like you have to keep a rigid schedule. 

Part of what makes homemakers essential in a household is the flexibility. If you go out of your way to be flexible for everyone else and not yourself, then you’re doing it wrong. 

Everyone is in a different season of life. You are in a different season of life than 5 years ago. So, tasks may take longer to accomplish because of external factors such as kids, a new home, anxiety or depression, or even a full or part-time job. 

If your body is telling you it doesn’t feel like doing dishes at that specific moment, wait a bit. It could be God’s whisper to delay that chore.

For example, my husband does the vacuuming (yes, he likes it, and yes, he is slightly OCD). But if he vacuums the kitchen before I make dinner, he runs the risk of having to do it again because I dropped cauliflower bits all over the floor when I was cutting it up. 

Sometimes, waiting is the best thing you can do. And if you’re body is sending you signals to put it off, it might be worth listening to.

Again, if you’re trying to discern, give it to God. Pray about it. Give it a minute and feel the way he is directing your steps. 

Take Part in Finacial Matters

The 4th skill out of the 5 for the ministry of homemaking prioritization tips is to be involved and intentional in financial matters.

When it comes to homemaking, this isn’t talked about.

And I think it’s so sad. Many traditional homemaking tips don’t discuss finances. They assume the husband who provides the income should be in charge of financial matters, but I think this way of thinking lacks balance.

Your husband might make the money, but it’s your job to leverage it. So, both parties need to be involved. 

And why wouldn’t you want that? If time equals money, and the husband provides the money, don’t you think you would want to make that dollar stretch? Knowing that taking part in financial matters and doing what you can will only increase the value of his time.

It means cooking certain meals over others because it feeds a large family. Or having a zero-waste mentality in the kitchen and utilizing every part of the food. 

It means learning the art of saving money so you can invest in important things.

Or even learning what constitutes as a frivolous item and how to stop buying such things that hold you down financially. 

Either way, taking part in financial matters plays a big role in homemaking.

Know Your Love Language

Last but not least, in prioritization skills you need to know in the ministry of homemaking is knowing your love language. 

This skill is not talked about nearly enough!

Because the reality is, if you know your love language and can fulfill it in your homemaker role, then you will find so much PURPOSE.

But if you don’t know your love language to prioritize it, then your responsibilities as a homemaker will get old real quick.

Take, for example, the love language of quality time. 

That is my top love language, so I make sure I spend time with the people in my inner circle. 

Whether it be quality time with my husband or hosting a ladies’ paint-and-sip night like in the article above. Spending time with others is how I feel the most loved. And this love trickles into my work as a homemaker. 

So, learn your love language and prioritize it in your daily schedule.  

Ministry of Homemaking: 5 Prioritizing Skills Every Christian Woman Needs to Know

So there you have it! The ministry of homemaking prioritization skills that every woman needs to know! I hope you enjoyed reading about this and got some handy skills to have in your back pocket. Comment below on your favorite homemaking skill or even the one you struggle with the most. Until next time!

Love,

Katie T 

The post Ministry of Homemaking: 5 Prioritizing Skills Every Christian Woman Needs to Know first appeared on Katie T's Home.