As the temperatures drop and the days get shorter, we are drawn to the insides of our home more. Is your home comfy and a welcome respite from the demands of the day? I try to have some holiday scented candles started in the morning to help me get going in my day. I love the smells of apple cinnamon while I'm cleaning. The scent of cinnamon is a natural mood booster. And let's face it girls, there are days when we could use any extra little kick in the rear to get us going!



Around mid-day, once my oldest gets home from school, I will blow out the candles. I will light them again later towards the evening when I hear from my hubby to let me know he's on his way home. I want the house to smell inviting when he walks in after a long, hard day at work. Working in the military services is not the easiest job out there. So I try to keep things calm here at home. But that isn't always the case with a newborn and 3 others running around. Lol.

During the day, I will get as much cleaning as I can get done. I will have the kids dressed in clean clothes. And hopefully have something taken out to thaw for dinner. If it isn't a growth spurt week or just a fussy day for the newborn, then I have time in the mornings to start preparing supper so that in the evenings when it is not so calm, I can get it going one handed. Usually because I'm nursing as I'm cooking. That is why I get the 2 handed jobs like chopping vegetables. Laundry still isn't in the routine yet, but I'm working on it. Weekends seems to be when I can get the folding done. Baby Pumpkin is only 5 weeks old now. So I'm not really stressing about not being able to get my usual routine done in one day. Right now I can get one day's routine done in one week. It's just the sanity cleaning now. What I call "sanity cleaning" is only the stuff that has to be done in order for me to not lose my mind. It's different for every person. My number 1 biggest, is toys all over the living room floor. They have to be picked up. I do not like my living room floor with toys strewn and left there to step on. What is your number 1 cleaning thing that HAS to be done for you?


I love the picture above with the apples being peeled. I try to imagine what that housewife is preparing the apples for. Does she have kids that need a snack? Is she baking a pie? Or she might be preparing a treat for her husband once he comes home from working out in the fields all day. The grapes in the sink are rinsed and draining to be added to the apples for a light snack to go with lunch. What story does this picture say to you?