Total Truth Thursday | All things domestic : Grandma's knowledge

Welcome to our seventh Total Truth Thursday! Thanks to all of you who have linked up every week and shared your heart! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about!

Before we dive in and link up, here are a few reminders:
1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today's topic is all things domestic!

Confession time! When we first got married, I absolutely LOATHED the day-to-day tasks of housekeeping. I loved the fun decorating part, but the upkeep, blah! Oddly enough, it is something that I have come to kind of rather enjoy. Nothing makes me happier than whipping out the steam mop and making my floors sparkle. I love folding fresh out of the dryer clothes. We don't have a dishwasher, the two hands typing these words are solely responsible for getting them clean.

 I can remember my Grandmother saying 3 things consistently when it comes to housekeeping. I'll share some of her wisdom. 

1) "A man with a wrinkled shirt is a sign of a lazy wife."

Yowza, let that smack ya one good time. Growing up, I thought this was derogatory. As an adult, I totally believe this 100%. I am so very fortunate to be a stay-at-home mama/wife. My husband works hard and we made sacrifices so this was possible. If I don't work outside of the home, my home is my job. It's my job to take care of things, including my husband. I have known several stay-at-home wives who don't work, inside or outside the home. If your husband is working so you can stay home, the least you can do is give him a clean, relaxing place to come home to.

Now before you start thinking I'm a 50's housewife, I understand that means your house won't be perfect. I can tell you we have plenty of days here where Mr.J walks in the door and laundry is piled on the bed, the dishes need to be done, and Little A's toys are covering every square inch of the floor. But I do make it my goal to do my best around here so Mr. J can just relax and be glad to be home. He does help me with things around the house when I need help, he isn't above starting some clothes in the wash, helping with dishes, or picking stuff up. 

2) "Your house should always be ready for unexpected company."

Ever had someone call and say "Hey can I stop by in about 10 minutes?" and you start freaking out wondering where you can shovel all of your stuff so it appears clean? My hand is raised. (See #3 for more, they go hand-in hand)

3) "A little goes a long way"

Grandma said, doing a little each day goes a long way.  To make this somewhat possible, I made myself a cleaning schedule. I have assigned tasks for each day. They all take around 30 minutes. 30 minutes each day to have a clean house. It's not hard, it just takes getting into a routine. It's less hectic knowing only 30 minutes are put into this instead of one extremely long day of playing catch up on chores. 

I will close with this, take joy in your home ladies. I thoroughly enjoy taking care of my family. It's service, to them and to the Lord. I love knowing I get to make them healthy food everyday, they have clean sheets to sleep on, clean clothes to wear, and a nice place they can relax. Don't set the bar at perfection, you will burn yourself out without obtaining it (for longer than 5 minutes of course). Serve with a joyful heart. For me, dishes seem to be my least favorite, but when I do them, I either listen to praise and worship, or listen to a sermon or speaker, it makes it fun. Instead of thinking it as a burden to have to clean up, try being thankful instead. Hate the dish, thank God for food to dirty them up. Hate doing laundry? Be thankful you have a family to wear the clothes and a washing machine!! It's all about attitude

Total Truth Thursday | Parenting: Call Me Old Fashioned

Welcome to our sixth Total Truth Thursday! Kelsea and I started this link-up in hopes that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about! 

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know:
1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today's topic is kids/parenting.

Parenting seems to be that ONE topic that gets every single person fired up, super judgemental, and closed minded. I am doing todays post a little differently and just hitting on some bullet points. Before you read, you need to know a few things. These are MY opinions. Yours are probably different. I will NOT judge you, you are entitled to parent the way you see fit, and I the same. I respect your opinion, please respect mine. Now let's get this ball rolling. 

1.) I believe in spanking.

(Insert gasp) You read that right. I was spanked as a child and it had some side effects called discipline and respect. It  caused NO irrational sense of fear, neglect, hate, or a knack for violence. I am THANKFUL my parents spanked me. I didn't get near as many as I deserved. I was a very strong willed, stubborn child but the idea of a spanking from daddy could turn me into a sweet little angel in 5 seconds flat. Little A is no dummy. When he goes to do something he knows he is not allowed to, you will hear him say "no no no", because he KNOWS what he is doing is wrong. He will get a spanking (let me assure you, it is a smack on the bottom, not a violent rage of lashes), then I get on his level, explain "it is mommy's job to keep you safe, if mommy says no, it means no. We must listen to mommy. I love you" We hug, he gives me a kiss and everything is all gravy baby. 

I will add that when we are playing outside, Little A likes to wander to the edge of the driveway and get close to the road. His ball when into the road so naturally he chased after it, only he didn't see the van coming down the street, I ran towards him and yelled "STOP" and he immediately, without hesitation, stopped. It took us a few days and a couple spankings before that event for him to learn when mommy says stop, it means stop. His obedience saved his life.

2.) I DON'T believe in co-sleeping.

(insert ANOTHER gasp) The closest we ever got to co-sleeping was me dozing off during a mid-night nursing session with him in our bed. Little A refuses to sleep with anyone anyway. My thoughts on this are simple. I believe co-sleeping causes a co-dependency. Little A knows, if he wakes up in the middle of the night, Mommy will be right there. But he also is confident in his ability to sleep alone. I have a friend who co-slept until the age of 2. Her son is now 8 and still isn't able to fall asleep by himself, she has to lay down with him. He doesn't have the confidence in his ability to go to sleep by himself. I also think co-sleeping is dangerous. I know this is such a touchy subject. If you co-sleep, I am in no way passing judgement. That's your kid and your right to choose, have at it. But it doesn't happen with us.

3.) We Vaccinate

Having a mother, stepmother, and sister in the medical field, you better believe we do our research. This was no question for Mr. J and I. I was vaccinated growing up, so was he. I think modern medicine can be a HUGE blessing. Of course, I believe God is the Great Physician and I have personally seen him preform medical miracles. Little A is up to date on all of his required vaccinations. While getting the shots are NOT fun, I am always thankful after. I know this is also a HUGE debate today, but personally, I like to do anything preventative I can. 

4.) Little A NEVER EVER EVER goes out in his jammies.

(Thought I would lighten the mood a little ;) )  Even when Little A was first born, if we went out, he had clothes on. It wasn't necessarily jeans, sometimes it was a cute little sweatpant outfit, but he has never in his entire life been out of the house in his PJs. Why? It is just a pet peev of mine that I really don't even know how it got started. We have had some early morning breakfast dates and Mr. J will suggest that I just let him go in his PJs but it has yet to happen. Now Little A has some pretty adorable jammies that people would just eat up, but for some reason, I just can't seem to let this go haha. But fear not, if you bring your child out in jammies, I will not judge, just smile. 

There we have it folks, just a little list. I hope you aren't passing judgement too harshly and are accepting of our differences of opinions. I think it's funny how my co-host in the Link-up Kelsea wrote today how she is against spankings. We have different view points but I respect hers and admire her as a mother. Never forget, God gave you instincts specific to you, and your child for a reason. Do what is best for your child and yourself. Keep an open mind and spread LOVE not judgement. 

At his 1 year check-up, before vaccinations

Total Truth Thursday | Modesty: Both Ends of The Spectrum

Welcome to our third Total Truth Thursday! Kelsea and I started this link-up in hopes that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about!

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know: 

1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today's topic is modesty.

Modesty is a lost art these days. Today's trending fashion is quite frankly, way too exposing. Crop tops? You mean long sports bras. Shorts? I'm pretty sure I have underwear that cover more than these itty bitty short impostors. 

I can't raise my hand saying I never took part in the shortie shorts epidemic. In middle and high school, I wore short shorts, bikinis at the beach, and etc. Looking back, it's quite embarrassing. There is a link to those "bad boys" I dated and the way they treated me, and how I dressed.

I've also been on the total opposite end of the spectrum. When Mr. J first surrendered to Ministry work, I felt that I (like all traditional Baptist's) had to do a complete 180. I wore skirts 24/7 for a short 4 months because that's what I thought was expected of me and what I had to do.

This is where personal convictions come in. Do I think wearing skirts and only skirts is bad? Not at all. Do I think I can wear pants and be modest, absolutely. I can be cute and fashionable without showing the entire world every square inch of my body. I respect my husband and the fact that my body is not just my own. It's pretty disrespectful for me to show every other man out there a lot of skin. That's for my husband's eyes alone. 

I want my son to grow up seeing women for who they truly are, their inner beauty. Not how well she looks in daisy dukes. My purpose in life is to glorify Christ in ALL things. I want Christ to be proud to call me His daughter, I want to represent my church, my family, and myself in a respectable way. 

The long and short of it is modesty is only as boring as you make it. It's a personal choice that you set the standards for with God's guidance. Present yourself as you want others to see you. Be ladies and set the standards high. 

                                                                                               photo credit

Guest Post : Amanda Basinger

Ever met someone and instantly, you are so impressed and encouraged by them? This was my reaction when I met Amanda. Her husband, Doug, and Mr. J grew up together. My mother-in-law said there was always at least a few Basinger kids at her house (He comes from a family of 11 kids). Lots of funny stories of these families together have been told. 

I have only met Amanda in person one time when her family came to visit our church. I have poured my heart out to her more times than I can count and I always walk away from our conversations encouraged and feeling much better. I thought it wouldn't be fair of me to keep her all to myself. So sit back, and get ready for a double dose of encouragement. 

Hello sweet Amanda, why don't you tell us a little more about yourself and your family

My name is Amanda (25) and my husband is Doug (30).  I am a busy stay at home mom of five little ones, Brandon (6), Lynndsey (4) Julia(3), Hunter(2), and Jacob(8 months).  Along with my 5 little ones I also babysit two more for a close friend while she works Monday-Thursday (Josie/4 and Joshua/2).  So as you can imagine we have a very busy and full day!!  My husband Doug works as a Chemical Tech for a landscaping business.  Thankfully his job has been very flexible where he has been able to take time off as needed, go in late, or come home early as needed.  Although his job is flexible, during the busy seasons he often works LONG hours.  

You have 5 kids under the age of 6. How do you manage the demands of every day life?

Well First of all I start each day with a GIANT cup of COFFEE!!!  Haha just kidding, but I do love my morning coffee.  Honestly there are many days I wonder the same thing "How?!?".  I have a couple bible verses that talk about how I can do ALL thing through Christ, or that with God ALL things are possible, and that a soft answer is always the best way to handle things.  With all these things in mind, a VERY scheduled routine, and a lot of LOVE we somehow make it all work.

You also homeschool, what has been the hardest part and the most rewarding part?

The hardest part of homeschooling is definitely keeping those busy toddlers out of things while I teach the two oldest kids.  We all have a "together time"  in the morning where we all (all 7) say our pledges, calendar time, colors, numbers, songs, and bible time.  This gives the little ones a little bit of school fun and the older ones enjoy it too!!  But after that "together time"  when school really gets going(math reading writing, you know the "hard stuff") keeping those toddlers busy is tuff!  On the flipside the most rewarding part of homeschooling for me is without a doubt the proud and accomplished smiles they give as they learn to read!!  My 4 year old Lynndsey is the perfect example for this right now.  Shes starting her basic phonics and learning to sound out short vowel words and short sentences.  Last week she read "The sun is hot."  all by herself and she was so excited!!!  Probably the first sentence she has ever read all by herself.  She even ran and read that same sentence to daddy when he come home!!

Being a mom can be such an emotional roller coaster, when things get hard, what do you do to help?

What do I do or what do I try to do?!?  Unfortunately like most moms sometimes I just loose it and find myself fussy at the kids.  What I try to do and what really helps is when I just take a step back and PRAY!!  Then I can comeback to what ever the situation is a lot calmer and refreshed.  Think about it for a minute, it would be difficult to leave an honest Prayer still Angry, upset, or overwhelmed.  Phillipians 4:6-7  really helps me on days like this, just reminding me to take everything to God in Prayer!!  Also Proverbs 15:1 just reminds me to handle things calmly.  Whatever the situations is reacting harshly or with anger will just make things worse,so staying or speaking calmly helps he handle or prevent a lot of "emotional roller coasters".

(Amanda's kids are the 4 in front, the 2 in the back, she babysits)

Having boys is a a whole new ball game, they seriously have NO fear. What is the craziest thing one of your boys have done?

This one is tough for me because my boys (thankfully) havent been to hard for me.  I think the craziest thing has been when my oldest son (6) walks across the swingset (ON TOP!!) as a balance beam!!  The most difficult part with my boys really isnt their lack of fear but instead their wondering minds.  I find ir difficult to keep their attention and I repeat my self constantly! (this is where I have to practice my patience, lol).

In today's society, we are seeing less girls grow up to become "ladies", how are you instilling that in your girls?

This question really lays heavy on my heart and is very important to me,  First and most importantly I have to say "by example!"  Your children will naturally follow and learn what they see.  So if you what your daughters to grow to be ladies the respect their husbands, then you must respect and submit to their daddy.  If you want your daughters to dress modestly then you have to set those standards with your own clothing.  For me its important to remmeber that my children love and admire me, they look up to me.  I also talk to them.  I dont just say NO we dont do that, or NO you cant wear that, or NO NO NO.  Its important for me to take the time to explain to them WHY we dont do that, or WHY we dont wear that.  Also by praying with them, and reading the bible with them.  This helps them see that when they have a problem or when they dont know the answer, God can help!!

What is a verse that really encourages your heart and why?

A verse that encourages me the most is phillipians 4:13.  It says, " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  With this verse in my heart I know that with God I can make it through any and all situations that come my way.  Even a busy stressful day with 7(my 5 +2 more) hungry and tired little ones. 

What do you like to do for "me time"?

"Me Time"?!?! No Im kidding, although it happens in small suddle ways it is very important.  Mostly I take the kids "Nap Time" and I Shower, get on facebook, pinterest, TV, read anything I want!!  Or at night after I put the kids in bed Doug and I will watch TV or just sit around and talk (without being climbed on or having to talk over the noise!)  Occasionally (1-2 times a year)  I will go out with some friends and just have a "girls day out"!!  Something about enjoying a nice lunch with some wonderful conversation without 10 million trips to the bathroom just says relaxing to me :) (Sometimes I think my kids just go potty so they can wash their hands again!)  Although I love my kids so  much a little "me time" helps keep me sane!! ;) 

She's pretty much amazing right? Thank you Amanda for sharing your heart, I am so thankful for our friendship and your influence.