~The Blessing of Friendship ~

Brotherly companionship :-)

Teddy and Caleb are friends - aren't they too cute holding hands? Hehe :-)

Tips For Keeping Your Home Presentable :-)

Since I love reading other people's housekeeping and homemaking tips, I thought I'd put a few of mine on here. :-) I think it's very important that we wives/mothers make our homes a happy and peaceful place for our families, and I don't think this is possible if the house isn't at least half way presentable. Haha
I do admit to loving books on decluttering and cleaning; I think because these things are part of my "job description", as my mom says. :-)

* Have a housekeeping schedule/chart so things don't pile up on you. I get overwhelmed if I feel I have to get everything done in one day, so I spread the cleaning and laundry chores out over the days of the week.

* Try to pick up all the toys and other items that family members may have left around the house before you go to bed. Straighten everything up ready for the next day.

* In the morning, tidy anything up that you didn't get to the night before. :-)

*When you walk in the house after going out, put your coat, bag, etc. away where it goes right away to avoid clutter piling up.

*Try to clean up as you go along when preparing meals, so you won't have a huge mess to clean up after eating.

*If you don't have time to do the dishes, at least stack everything in the sink, not all over the counter tops.

*Fold laundry in the laundry room or your bedroom, so that if you are interrupted (which you will be if you have children-ha) everyone won't have to see the piles of clothes, towels, etc. sitting around.

*Keep the living room clean and picked up in case of unexpected company. :-)

*Always make the beds in the morning. This makes a big difference.

*And of course, have a place for everything and everything in its place. I can't stand clutter. Haha Not only is it unsightly, but when you go to find something you need, you will waste a lot of time digging through piles of stuff.

My house isn't always perfectly clean and neat, but I know if I keep the basic things going right, it won't take me long to get it clean again. Which is important when you have a baby and 3 year old who take up a lot of your time. They are very worth it, though. :-)

Do you have any homemaking or house keeping tips you'd like to share?

A Christmas tea party and our real Christmas tree!

One of our tea party guests, Netta, with Nathanael and Teddy.

The table all set for the party.

Above is the tree we cut down last Saturday at a local Christmas tree farm. There is a picture on my sidebar of Ben, Nathanael and Teddy after we chose our tree. :-)
We decorated this tree in a very traditional style and colours, with ornaments we've collected over the years, and some from my childhood.

Real trees smell so good!

A Christmasy corner of the living room. :-)

The ornaments are stored in these hatboxes during the year.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :-)

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas....

Which isn't likely, considering it's Summer here in Australia- but at least I have a white tree! Haha
Since we had "Christmas in June" this past year, I didn't feel like putting up ALL of our Christmas decorations again, especially since I now have little Teddy to help keep me busy. :-)
But here are the ones we have up, in case you'd like to have a peek. :-)

I've had this little doll for several years.

This was my ornament for 1998- Mom bought

one for each of us every Christmas. :-)

Ben and I bought this one.

Teddy's "1st Christmas" ornament


Mom gave this to me for my last birthday-

I love anything teacups, teapots, etc.!

The "fireplace" in our front room.

We are still considering getting a tree from a Christmas tree farm for the front room. We shall see. :-) If we do, I'll be sure to post some more pics.

Our "new" dining set :-)

I've been searching for a long time for an affordable white or cream "shabby chic" style dining table and chairs to buy. After several months of looking on eBay, I finally found one close enough (sort of, haha) to go and pick up. It was about 3 hours each way. It is my Christmas present from Ben, and I just love the way it looks in our family/dining room!

There is a set just like this one at Everyday Living that I really wanted, but it cost too much for us. This was about half the price, including the fuel we used. So, that was a blessing. :-) Also, our old table and chairs sold quickly on eBay and paid for 1/2 the cost of this new set.

The white chair pads were an unexpected bonus. :-)

A fresh, airy look, just in time for Summer. :-)

Nathanael and Teddy's Room

I've shown you photos of Nathanael's room before, but things are little different now that Teddy has moved in, too. :-)

The change table with some furry friends and an adorable
pillow made by Kathryn at http://ourshabbycottage.blogspot.com/

Notice the new "Beatrix Potter" curtains found on eBay. :-)

The boys' initials in Beatrix Potter letters. :-)
And a picture of Teddy in the bath- 3 months old. :-)

Finished Rocking Chair Project

I love rose decals....

Nathanael wanted to model the chair. :-)

The rocking chair has a fairly rough coat of paint. But that makes it more "shabby chic", right? Haha

Actually, I just don't have time to try for a perfect finish. And the overall effect is much better now. :-)