A Clean House Children's Book Lesson Learned


I've been avid reader since I was 3 years old. It's my go-to for relaxation, entertainment, and as much knowledge as I can possibly glean. So when I found this beginner chapter book at the book sale last fall, with the title that obviously grabbed my attention, I thought this would either be a fun read or educational. I got both.


Tess' mom tells her that her aunt and cousin are coming to visit and it's time to hurry and get the house cleaned up. They remember how neat and tidy everything during their last visit to their aunt's house, so they want theirs to be just as nice. But they've not cleaned for a while, so it's going to be a huge undertaking. I know that feeling...


They empty, sort, donate, and clean everything in sight. They get absolutely not help from their pets, who think this is a great new game and try to play along, making a mess along the way. One project turns into three more. Been there, done that...


By the time their family arrives, Tess and her mom are exhausted from all that work, everything the girls want to play with has been put away, and they're worried about getting crumbs from their snacks on the clean table. They decide that they'd rather have a good time with their company than be so concerned about having the house look picture-perfect, and they end up having an amazing visit with the people they love and enjoy. I've come to that conclusion myself...


I should have known that there would be a great message in a children's book, just like there often are in big-people books. I, for one, can get so caught up in the chores and the to-do lists that I'm so exhausted I can't enjoy the finished product. Or I go on to the next list with a smile and a nod. What a sweet reminder today that it's not always about working harder - sometimes it's about working smarter and enjoying the experience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holland Creme - That Amazing White Stuff In Donuts

Image
I remember going to the grocery store every Saturday morning when I was growing up, and my favorite place in the entire store was the donut case. All the glazed, powdered and filled baked goods drew me like a magnet. My favorites, far and away, were the ones filled with that beautiful white, fluffy creme. At the time I didn't know it was called Holland Creme - I just knew it was the most amazing concoction ever. Ever. Here is my version of this sweet treat. You can make your own fried donuts and fill them, or like I did here, you can cut a crevice into store-bought donuts with a knife and fill them with creme in a piping bag. Either way, you're going to love it. Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup shortening 1 cup butter 1 Tbsp vanilla 7 cups powdered sugar 1. Make a simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool complet...
Read more

Recovering An Old Card Table And Making It Usable Again

Image
This card table recover project has been on my to-do list for months. I've been using it as my workspace in the craft room for quite some time, and it sees a lot of abuse. Here it is now, with a neutral cover on it so I can take better pictures for my tutorials. There were dents and dings in the old blue covering from metal tools. And yes, I've used my embossing heat tool on it several times, leaving pretty good scars. The padding underneath the blue cover also made it difficult to keep paper crafts flat when adhering them together, so it was time for something new. That's where a simple vinyl tablecloth comes in handy. The process to recover the table is pretty simple, but I learned a couple of lessons the hard way. I share them with you now. First, don't do this on any surface but a carpet. I tried it on the deck int he sunshine to get better pictures, but all it did was tear up the cover. Second, get a second pair of hands to help you kee...
Read more

Crafts For Teen Girls To Make

Image
In our teen girls Bible study, we're studying our way through the Proverbs 31 woman and it's been such a blessing to me, as I hope it's been to them. Every month we spend an afternoon or an evening together studying Scripture, making something amazing in the kitchen and creating something that corresponds to the verse we're in. Choosing the crafts each time can be a challenge for several reasons. It needs to be something they can completely finish (or do most of) because once they leave they're probably not going to work on it themselves - that's just the nature of teenagers. Remember? It also needs to be a project that keeps they're attention, is age-appropriate and is cool enough that they'll want to keep it or give it to someone special. But hey, no pressure on the Bible study leader, right? Here are just a few of the projects we've done together in the year we've been meeting. * This month's craft will be the adorable cross stit...
Read more