The Urban Homemaker Blog

Author: The Urban Homemaker

  • It’s not About the Money, it’s About the Time

    In our Sunday paper, there is a weekly column in the business section written by a father and son called Yoder & Sons.  The senior writer is chief of the Wall Street Journal San Francisco Division, the junior writer is his 14 year old son.

    Yesterday’s column tackled the topic of whether son Levi can use his own hard earned money to buy an X-box.  Levi of course arguing the side of why he should be permitted to spend his money as he sees fit.   Dad came down firmly, fairly, and articulately on the negative.

    I quote Dad, Steve:

    “It’s not about the money, it’s about the time. So it doesn’t matter whose money it is: We won’t have an Xbox or PlayStation of Wii in the house.”

    I did a double take to re-read the above words at least twice.  I’m not the only parent who is saying a young person’s life is already overloaded with distractions and temptations to waste time!!!!

    The author/parent was saying his son didn’t need any more time wasters in their life/home.

    All I can say is AMEN. AMEN AMEN.

    And I thought I was the only parent who didn’t allow this junk, I mean time waster, in my home.  Enough said.

  • The Idol of Success

    My Sunday School class has been looking at idols of the heart that can get in the way of effective parenting.  We studied Ezekial 14:1-16 and discovered that as long as there were idols in the hearts of the prophets, God let them have it their way. The results were not pretty.

    One idol of the heart can be “success”.  My definition of success can certainly be a block to my dear daughter learning to be accountable to God.  I take things into my hands rather than allowing God’s might arms to handle the matter.  Why do I think I need to help out God?

    Reaching her heart to want to please God is my job, by asking good questions.

    This is a whole new mind set for me.  How are you doing with reaching the heart of your young people?

  • Plan for the Holidays Now!

    Sometime ago, I developed a 12 Week Holiday Timetable which was designed to help me and others start planning ahead for the holiday season.  Although we at The Urban Homemaker, don’t advocate complicated or expensive holiday celebrations, we wish to encourage you and your family to focus on the true meaning of the holiday season.  The timetable helped me systematically begin my holiday gift making, card writing, holiday baking, gift wrapping and memory making in an orderly way.

    Sheri Graham, homeschooling mom of five, adapted my timetable into an an ebook based on my 12 Week Holiday Timetable.     The 12 Week Holiday Planner for Christian Families by Sheri Graham is filled with practical and useful charts, planner pages, recipes, crafts, the Jesse Tree Devotional and other useful information.

    Sheri says, “My desire in putting together this eBook is to provide a tangible way for you to plan out your holidays so they are enjoyable, less stressful, and more filled with the things that really matter.”

    The Planner includes:

    • Ideas of what to do weekly for the 12 weeks
    • “Sheri’s Tips”- tips to make your holidays meaningful, shared throughout the ebook
    • Christmas Craft and Gift Ideas
    • Memory Making Ideas for the Family
    • Ideas for Baked Items to Share/Give Away
    • Ideas for Meals to Freeze for Use during the busy Weeks
    • Decoration Ideas
    • Supplies to stock up on ahead of time or when on sale
    • Ideas for a Holiday Baking Schedule
    • Kids’ Gift Idea List
    • PLUS!!! “The Glorious Coming: A Jesse Tree Celebration of Advent” – Jesse Tree devotionals
    • Much Much More!

    Testimonials from women who have used the Planner:

    Dear Marilyn,

    “I purchased Sheri’s book last year as a result of her phone seminar with you and I absolutely love it.  I used it every day last year and I plan to use it every year from now on.  We did the Jesse Tree and it was a special part of our holiday season.  More than anything I appreciated how Sheri’s book constantly reminded me to slow down, observe the wonderful joys of the season and of my children and to focus on what Christ would hope we would focus on.  I highly recommend this book.  Love love love it.”Shae

    Dear Marilyn,

    “I found it very helpful to have a plan to go by instead of scurrying around wondering what to do next.  By the time December rolled around, we had everything done and were able to just have fun.  We had time to take in all sorts of Christmas plays and made crafts and just had time to talk.  It felt like and old fashioned Christmas because we kept the TV off for most of month, thereby eliminating a lot of the commercialism.  We popped popcorn and ate apples by the fire just like Almonzo in  Farmer Boy.  It was really magical.”  Lindy Sellars

    Dear Marilyn,

    “I really enjoyed this tool. I used the charts the most.  I enjoyed writing down all those ideas for Christmas in one place.  I didn’t have to search for slips of paper or reinvent the wheel, so to speak.  This year, I noticed that I already have some good ideas down on paper.  Also the very best thing, is that my Christmas card address list is all in one place with just a few new addresses to add.”   Jamie Payne

    CLICK HERE TO CLAIM YOUR PLANNER

  • Celebrating Fall

    My sister and I cooked up quarts of applesauce Friday morning from outstanding Paonia apples. We have learned, over the years, the best sauce, is a combination of different types of apples. This year we used three of my favorites, Honey Crisp, Jonathan, and Gala. A bit of sugar and plenty of cinnamon mixed into the sauce, then poured into jars,wipe the lids, screw on the caps, water bathed, cooled, checked for good seals, and the beautiful pink sauce now lines my pantry shelf for the winter that is coming.

    What a huge sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, and contentment to complete this activity.

    My sister and I, usually with some children to help (not this year though) have made this applesauce-making day a family tradition we look forward to every Fall. Normally we aim for the last week end of September or the first weekend of October so we can also enjoy what is known in these parts as Color Sunday.

    Color Sunday is “officially” designated as the last two week ends of September when the Aspen trees are at the peak of their golden, yellow brilliance. About a 45 minute drive from here is actually the world’s largest Aspen grove all in one place. Behind the gorgeous and colorful trees are the tall mountains of Mount Gunnison and Mount Beckwith, both are in the 13,000 to 14,000 feet in elevation range.

    This year, my friends from Denver, Mary and Atif joined my sister and I for Paonia’s annual Mountain Harvest Festival. This includes, farm tours, wine tastings, a chili cook off, an evening of concerts for one small price at several different venues, brunch in the park Sunday morning, craft fairs, fabulous weather and a farmer’s market. Although this little tradition, The Mountain Harvest Festival, was established a few years after our family moving to the western slope of Colorado, I skipped it last year as the loss of Duane was too fresh for me to consider attending any of the events.

    The one thing I hadn’t counted on this year, however, is these particular friends are almost the only ones I have NOT seen since the Memorial Service. They found themselves struggling with driving over here knowing Duane wouldn’t be here. What will it be like for them? Nearly 18 months since Duane’s passing, truthfully I hadn’t even considered that this might be a bit hard for all of us.

    After all, these special friends had assisted Duane and I with our semi-annual grain sale for 15 years always followed my a family dinner in a restaurant. There were so many wonderful memories, now over. After spending some time at Duane’s grave side Saturday morning, I think we were all able to take one more step towards acceptance and closure and then move on enjoying every minute of the entire week end together. Memories we will never forget of just being together.

    I truly praise God for how far he has brought me in the last year and a half that I really could just savor and enjoy the company of my friends and the new fun- time traditions we started this year by spending the evenings around the campfire. I am a widow, a single mom, beginning to see that God is healing my broken heart, starting new things in my life and that he truly is faithful to have plans for me, plans for welfare, not for evil, to give me a future and a hope.

    May you and your family enjoy God’s goodness during our Fall season of harvest, warm days and cool nights. I encourage you to take the time to enjoy harvest events, putting away the last of the garden produce into the freezer or canning up the remaining tomatoes. Savor every moment, find the good and the positive in all things and you will begin to experience a contentment you didn’t know could exist.

  • Is God Good, all the Time?

    As you know, my husband Duane passed away suddenly and unexpectedly nearly 18 months ago.  Taking over his part of the family business and household maintenance responsibilities, becoming a single mom to three, putting on a wedding, loosing my computer system are just a few of the challenges I have faced in the last year.

    Yes, I have doubted that God is good all the time and I have struggled, been tired, depressed, weary and discouraged.  I have had to persevere through it when I didn’t think I could do one more thing.

    I had to decide that I would not be discouraged, I would not give up, I would not give in.

    I had to hang onto God’s word continuously when I didn’t feel like it at all, for days and weeks at a time.

    I had to decide if God’s word is reliable, trustworthy, worthy of praise, and whether or not he had plans for me for good not for evil to give me a future and a hope.

    In Job 2:10, after Job has suffered enormous losses and physical pain, he tells his wife, “You are talking like a foolish woman.  Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”  A scripture I frequently cling to is Prov 3:7:  “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”  (Translation, don’t allow yourself to go into self-pity.)

    Another verse that keeps me going is Lamentations 3:22, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.”

    Friend, Stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord.  Determine whom you will serve today, discouragement or hope.  Make that decisions based on truth and not feelings and God will meet you.  His word promises he will.

    If you need a friend to talk or pray with, please contact me at marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com  Blessings to your day,  Marilyn Moll

  • Pesto Pasta Power

    A few weeks ago, I introduced my latest ebook, Value Meals for Busy Moms.  Getting that book published inspired me to start making simpler meals, meals concocted by using what is in my hand.  What I mean, I am using whatever is in my cupboard, leftover in my refrigerator, ripe in the garden garden, or sitting in my freezer and improvising.

    Yesterday I made Pesto with what basil was left from my garden.

    Pesto is so easy.  Whirl in your blender, pine nuts or walnuts, Parmesan cheese, at least one cup of packed basil leaves, a clove or so of garlic, dash of salt.  When that is all nice and finely chopped, add a pinch of salt and some olive oil for a smooth paste.

    I like to freeze pesto in small portions for that garden fresh taste in the winter time.  I thaw frozen pesto and add several Tablespoons of it to spaghetti sauce to make me remember the summer harvest.  I also use it instead of mayonnaise in a BLT sandwich.  YUMMY!

    I discovered that if I add a tiny pinch of Vitamin C powder to the pesto, it doesn’t darken or oxidize.

    So is spent yesterday thinking about what I could add to pesto and pasto and make a decent dinner.   While the bowtie pasta was cooking,  I found leftover roasted chicken to chop up and several garden ripe tomatoes.  Chopped up the tomato, combined the pasta, the pesto, and chicken, VOILA!  This dinner was a winner and oh so easy.

    I even had time to saute a little bit of garden Swiss chard with garlic and we had greens for a side dish, just like spinach.

    My dinner tasted so garden fresh.  Our Colorado growing season is just too short.  I am actually thinking about next year’s garden already.

    If you love Pesto, try out my Pesto Lasagne recipe, it is fantastic!

  • How to Select a Grain Mill and Save

    When I purchased my first grain mill, I was the stay-at-home mom of a 22 month old daughter and money was extremely tight. In fact, before my husband gave his OK for this purchase, he asked me,

    “If I buy you this grain mill will you commit to making all of our family’s bread?”

    Yes, that question threw me for a loop and I had to carefully count the costs and see if I was that committed or if this was just a passing fancy. Eventually I said, “Yes, I will commit to baking all our bread.”

    That was over twenty years ago and I have never looked back! Maybe it is time for you to invest in a grain mill.

    Once whole grain is milled into flour, it begins going rancid and loses a significant portion of the nutritional value and baking properties within seventy-two hours of milling. Freshly milled flour should be used within a few hours and will make the best bread imaginable.

    Commercial flours are already rancid and bitter. Husbands and kids love bread made from freshly milled flour.

    Maybe you have determined it is time for you to commit to baking your family’s bread. Possibly you have already enjoyed the benefits of freshly milled flour, courtesy of a friend or relative; and you are ready to invest in your own grain mill.

    Regardless, you already know that you will be much more satisfied with your baking results when you are able to use high quality home milled flour.

    The good news is that now you can purchase The Wonder Mill and save $30.00 just by filling out the rebate form.

    You can also obtain a complimentary copy of my spiral bound book, A Beginner’s Guide to Baking Bread ($14.95 value) now through September 30, 2009.

    The “best” grain mill, is the mill that meets your personal criteria for price, noise level, storage space requirements, warranty, and versatility. My personal favorite is the Wonder Mill.

    The Wonder Mill is a micronizing mill powered by electricity and utilizing technology that originally was developed for the pharmaceutical industry to derive fine, uniform powders. The Wonder Mill produces very fine, powdery flour at low temperatures. Remember, the finer the flour the higher rising and better the bread!

    So why wait? You know your family loves home baked whole grain bread!

    Get started making the best whole wheat bread and get my cookbook with over 80 pages of recipes and information for free PLUS $30.00 rebate.

    Click Here to order now!

  • Exclusive, Invitation Only Norwex Sale

    On Friday, Sept 4, 2009, I am doing a one day Norwex Enviro Product email sale with phenomenal hourly specials!
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  • Paonia Cherry Days

    I can’t believe it is almost the 4th of July!  In Paonia, Colorado we have our biggest community celebration of the year, Paonia Cherry Days.  The festival was actually organized over 60 years ago to celebrate the Cherry Harvest, Community, and family.  My family and I always look forward to all the events, especially “church-in-the-park” followed by a community barbecue sponsored by my church.

    Anyone living in the Front Range of Colorado really should consider visiting Paonia for old-fashioned family fun and delicious, locally grown cherries over the fourth of July or make plans to visit later in the summer when the fruit harvest is fully under way.

    Cherry Days is one the oldest continuously running annual outdoor festivals in Colorado. This year the festivities begin on July 3rd with Downtown Days featuring food and entertainment along with sidewalk sales and fun activites for the whole family. July 4th will start with the Firefighters Breakfast and after breakfast be sure to head downtown for Paonia’s 1st Annual Bed Race, beginning at 1st & Grand at approximately 9am.

    The race will be followed by our traditional Parade through town culminating in the Town Park. Both the 4th & 5th will feature musical entertainment, arts & crafts fair, silent auction and a great family carnival in the Park. The evening of the 4th you can celebrate with Sweet Sunny South and Three In The Morning, performing, live, in the Town Park. Plan your Fourth of July celebration with a visit to Paonia…Where Fun Happens Naturally!

    Visit the Paonia Chamber of Commerce website for more information.

  • Parental Rights are in Jeopordy.

    I have received countless emails encouraging me to contact Congress and the Obama administration regarding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  According to the website, parentalrights.org, the CRC has the following implications and provisions.

    The Obama administration is currently pushing CRC ratification.  As for me, I believe NO international law should trump our US Constitution or our Sovereignty as a nation and fast and decisive action is needed.

    Ten things you need to know about the structure of the CRC:

    • It is a treaty which creates binding rules of law.  It is no mere statement of altruism.1.
    • Its effect would be binding on American families, courts, and policy-makers.2.
    • Children of other nations would not be impacted or helped in any direct way by our ratification.3.
    • The CRC would automatically override almost all American laws on children and families because of the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause in Article VI.4.
    • The CRC has some elements that are self-executing, while others would require implementing legislation.  Federal courts would have the power to determine which provisions were self-executing.5.
    • The courts would have the power to directly enforce the provisions that are self-executing.6.
    • Congress would have the power to directly legislate on all subjects necessary to comply with the treaty.  This would constitute the most massive shift of power from the states to the federal government in American history.7.
    • A committee of 18 experts from other nations, sitting in Geneva, has the authority to issue official interpretations of the treaty which are entitled to binding weight in American courts and legislatures.  This effectively transfers ultimate authority for all policies in this area to this foreign committee.8.
    • Under international law, the treaty overrides even our Constitution.9.
    • Reservations, declarations, or understandings intended to modify our duty to comply with this treaty will be void if they are determined to be inconsistent with the object and purpose of the treaty.10.

    Ten things you need to know about the substance of the CRC:

    • Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children.11.
    • A murderer aged 17 years and 11 months and 29 days at the time of his crime could no longer be sentenced to life in prison.12.
    • Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.13.
    • The best interest of the child principle would give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent’s decision.14.
    • A child’s “right to be heard” would allow him (or her) to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.15.
    • According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defense than it does on children’s welfare.16.
    • Children would acquire a legally enforceable right to leisure.17.
    • Christian schools that refuse to teach “alternative worldviews” and teach that Christianity is the only true religion “fly in the face of article 29” of the treaty.18.
    • Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.19.
    • Children would have the right to reproductive health information and services, including abortions,  without parental knowledge or consent.20.