Homemaker's-- "Haven" or "Hovel"

• She looketh well to the ways of her household

It's time for another Homemaker's Haven post, where we set goals and seek some accountability for our efforts to fulfill them. This week Stephanie at A High and Noble Calling has a good post titled A Mary or Martha Thanksgiving, about keeping our priorities straight this busy holiday week.

Let me preface this next part by saying that I'm so glad I read the post this morning from Fishmama at Life as Mom about not comparing ourselves to others. She's been working on what she simply calls the "Get a Good Habit Going" challenge, where she works on one or two small things to get her routine in a better working order.

Do you ever have "one of those days"? I think I've had one of those weeks, which I've had before, but somehow it seems worse because I started off so well. I set my clock and got up just a bit earlier, I kept the television and the computer turned off, did some necessary shopping and cooking, but somehow slid back into mediocrity and worse. I did get to bed earlier some nights, not so early others. I set my clock anyway and got up and did my morning/daily routine about half the time, which is an improvement, but not as well as I had expected. I totally flubbed up the extra baking. One day I started and realized that while I had stocked up on most of the things I needed, I was missing a vital ingredient. So I switched gear and went a different direction, but I have burned or messed up in some way almost everything I've attempted, so I am taking a step back and regrouping! Today I have to run a couple of errands, catch up on laundry, and straighten the living room/dining room/kitchen; and then tonight and tomorrow I'll either get my baking done or throw that plan completely out the window, according to the results I get!

Last week's menu plan went pretty much as I'd planned, although not in the order I listed them. I made everything I'd listed except the pot roast, and I'll hold off on that until next week. This week we're planning on leaving bright and early Wednesday morning and won't be back until Saturday night, so the next two nights will be using up leftovers or making something quick and simple.

This week's goals are:

1. Clean out the fridge--besides the current leftovers which we'll use, there are some things "lurking" in the back that need to be thrown out.
2. Be sure laundry is caught up to simplify packing and traveling
3. Pick up and put away my "hot spots" on the coffee table and dining table
4. Pack
5. Do my baking--or not(!)
6. Take the time to keep myself mentally and spiritually grounded by spending some time with the Lord in prayer and reading my Word--holidays can be stressful, even when they go smoothly, which brings me to...
7. When the room gets hot and stuffy and the kids get loud, and there's no place to go to be alone--take a deep breath and go to my "happy place" and don't let the stress get to me--which is easier if I don't neglect #6

How have you done this week on making your home a haven?

Until next time...