I'm constantly inspired by the Proverbs 31 woman. I often read through her virtues and practices and ask the Lord to help me grow to be more like her. I long to teach my daughters homemaking skills that I've learned gradually on my own through my adult years and I hope to set them up as well as possible to be keepers of their own homes one day, all the while working together here and now.
The roots of our endeavors are always aimed at honoring God by being good stewards of what He's given us as well as how we spend our time. Plus, we enjoy the creative process involved in many of the things we make and do (or don't do for that matter) and we're always on the lookout for new ways to glorify God in our hearts most importantly, but also in the logistics of daily life.
As we grow and learn new things together, the goal is to develop lifestyle choices that become natural for our children as they branch out eventually. Like so many parents throughout history, the things that we're toiling to figure out here in our generation will prayerfully be common practices for the next generation...and hopefully that will give them a head start. More than anything else, we pray our children will desire to seek the Word as the motivation for all that they do and for my girls Proverbs 31 is a platform we refer to often.
. . . . . .
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31:10-31
. . . . . .
The Proverbs 31 woman is resourceful. She works with willing hands and is industrious as she cares for her family and home. I hope to become more and more like that as I progress from habitual ways of doing things toward greater efficiency, creativity, and stewardship.
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31
In an effort to simplify products we use at home and consumerism in general, we've been honing in on our most minimal/multi-purpose cleaning solutions as we've been making different types of soaps with common ingredients. From laundry detergent at a fraction of the cost of our previous brand to hand soap, shower soap, dish soap, spray cleaners, etc...it seems our best bet at simplicity, longevity, and affordability starts with castile soaps, both solid and liquid. For most recipes we use Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soaps, but for laundry we've been using Kirk's Coco Castile Bar Soap since it's less expensive. The process is fun and easy and it chops our shopping list down which I love. (Not a big fan of errands over here)...especially right now with this gal who prefers my lap over her car seat:
(Hello online shopping!)
Also, considering we'd like to eventually live somewhere less convenient to grocery stores,
it only makes sense to be less dependent upon products and better adapted to making things at home.
Enter soap making...
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31
In an effort to simplify products we use at home and consumerism in general, we've been honing in on our most minimal/multi-purpose cleaning solutions as we've been making different types of soaps with common ingredients. From laundry detergent at a fraction of the cost of our previous brand to hand soap, shower soap, dish soap, spray cleaners, etc...it seems our best bet at simplicity, longevity, and affordability starts with castile soaps, both solid and liquid. For most recipes we use Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soaps, but for laundry we've been using Kirk's Coco Castile Bar Soap since it's less expensive. The process is fun and easy and it chops our shopping list down which I love. (Not a big fan of errands over here)...especially right now with this gal who prefers my lap over her car seat:
Also, considering we'd like to eventually live somewhere less convenient to grocery stores,
it only makes sense to be less dependent upon products and better adapted to making things at home.
Enter soap making...
This past week, Elka and I made some foaming soap dispensers to remedy and simplify a few more spots in our home.
Elka's always up for any type of crafting she can get into so she was just the girl for the job!
We started off with mason jars, making a round circle of nail holes in the center of our lids. Since we always have
various jars on hand (plus the ingredients used for this recipe) our cost for this project was next to nothing.
(Tip: Boiling all parts first, water included, reduces potential bacterial growth.)
various jars on hand (plus the ingredients used for this recipe) our cost for this project was next to nothing.
(Tip: Boiling all parts first, water included, reduces potential bacterial growth.)
Then, we carefully used needle nose pliers to cut away the excess...
...and make a hole for the foaming spout.
Next, we carefully pried the hole to just the right size, curling sharp edges in, and inserted the pumps. We both recycled what we had and bought a few inexpensive ($1.50) foaming soaps at the store and just used the foaming pumper, discarding the rest.
We filled our jars with a few tablespoons of Dr. Bronner's Baby Unscented Castile Soap (which lasts forever), filtered and boiled water, and a few drops of essential oils, Thieves for the bathrooms and Lemon for the kitchen this time. (I usually use Lavender for laundry.)
And there you have it.
And there you have it.
Super simple foaming hand soap...
...also perfect for the bath and shower too just not in glass dispensers.
We love the yummy smells on rotation. I love the ease of having all our ingredients on hand.
And it's always a bonus to streamline another corner of our daily life by simply making soap.
. . . . . .
Homemade Foaming Hand Soap
2-4 Tbsp. liquid castile soap
1 1/4 c. filtered and boiled/distilled water
3-5 drops essential oil
(optional: 1/2 tsp. olive oil for moisturizing)
. . . . . .
We love the yummy smells on rotation. I love the ease of having all our ingredients on hand.
And it's always a bonus to streamline another corner of our daily life by simply making soap.
. . . . . .
Homemade Foaming Hand Soap
2-4 Tbsp. liquid castile soap
1 1/4 c. filtered and boiled/distilled water
3-5 drops essential oil
(optional: 1/2 tsp. olive oil for moisturizing)
. . . . . .
"She...works with willing hands."
Proverbs 31:13
