Making a House a Home

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June 15, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 16 Comments

We bought a house!

The dream of a house can be the eternally postponed preliminary step to taking up the lives we wish we were living…If you lived in your heart, you’d be home right now.
Rebecca Solnit

We’ve rented this house for almost three years. I’m tired of paying high rent when we could be earning equity.

Aaron has about a year and a half until retirement from the Air Force.

We’re settling down in Dayton, Ohio.

Having always rented a house made us feel like we never had a home. We often wanted to do updates or improvements, but we didn’t want to sink a lot of money into a rental and landlords are often weird.

When we moved in, our son asked us if this was our forever home. He was tired of moving. We all were and are. We didn’t know then that we would be able to purchase this house and stay here.

I lived in the same house for my first sixteen years. We moved to another house until I moved out. My parents now live in a house that will never be my home. I have no memories there.

My husband grew up in the same town – in two houses – where he lived all his youth and young adult life. His sisters still live there. His middle sister still lives in the house where they all grew up.

It’s hard looking back at all the houses I’ve lived in, all the houses our family has lived in during our military moves. I often get confused when I am sleepy or sick, my memories getting befuddled in all the hallways and rooms in my mind.

Home is that youthful region where a child is the only real living inhabitant. Parents, siblings, and neighbors, are mysterious apparitions, who come, go, and do strange unfathomable things in and around the child, the region’s only enfranchised citizen.
Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter

I can finally throw out all the boxes I’ve saved over the years since we had to pack some items in their original boxes for the movers to ship them, like our flat screen TV.

I love getting rid of the clutter! I don’t have to save anything “just in case” we might need it at our next destination.

I only have to keep things I find beautiful, special, nostalgic.

I can paint walls, update the garden, remove and replace fixtures. I can do anything I want!

At a crossroad, a kind soul asked aloud,
“Which way shall I turn? Which way is best?”
Quietly the Universe responded,
“Go until it feels like home.”
Adrian Michael

How I’m Decorating Our First Home

Entry Way

We usually enter our home through the garage.

We have some hooks for bags, hats, and jackets.

We can go straight through another door to the backyard. I have a shoe rack there blocking the seldom used door and I don’t like it, but it’s what it is for now.

We have a large pantry where we store seldom used and bulky kitchen appliances.

The coolest thing is there is a laundry chute from my closet to that pantry and I can scoot the clothes into the laundry room!

Laundry Room

I love having a large laundry room with lots of storage.

I have room for my chest freezer at the end of the counter. We store our baking molds, raclette, fondue, ice cream maker, and slicer on the shelf above the counter.

We often use it as a mud room since it’s right by the doors to the backyard and garage.

I have a huge pantry on the right and a big sink.

There are wire shelves over the washer and dryer and I would like to replace those with cabinets and solid shelves.

We may replace the tile floor. It seems like it needs regrouting or something.

Kitchen

All the flooring on our main level was updated with Pergo wood grain and it’s nice.

The cabinets were painted a weird textured grey and we plan to update those by painting the lower cabinets black and upper cabinets white. It should brighten the room immensely.

I love the granite countertops.

The stainless GE appliances are the best I’ve ever had.

On the right side is our fridge and coffee nook with the pantry we redid when we first moved in.

Breakfast Nook

I love my bay windows and mini jungle in our breakfast nook.

I scored this table and chairs in Utah over ten years ago- at two different yard sales – for a total of $30!

I loathe the little chandelier and will replace it soon with something less ostentatious.

Dining Room

The china cabinet and dishes belonged to Aaron’s grandma.

We all eat dinner together here almost every evening.

Fridays, we have homemade pizza in the basement with a movie on our TV.

Powder Bathroom

Could you believe we lived here almost three years and suffered with these light fixtures being upside down? And I would hit my head when I washed my hands!

We plan to get a better mirror, repaint, and maybe wallpaper an accent wall, buy a small cabinet vanity in place of the tiny pedestal sink and perhaps a shelf or cabinet over the commode. New rugs too.

Living Room

We have six people in our family, so all the cutesy seating arrangements for four I see on design sites aren’t right for us.

I bought a new sofa and loveseat last year. I love the sleek design. I chose the La-Z-Boy Dixie Sofa and Loveseat in Mocha.

The pink gooseneck rocker belonged to my grandma. My parents bought me the Harbor Town recliner last year.

I’m getting a new rug soon. I already have the smaller one by our sliding door to the deck and a runner and little rug at the front door.

It looks a little crowded, but it’s working for now.

Hearth

I love having a brick hearth and mantel.

We have shells from our travels and some fun collected items. I love candles and lanterns.

Reading Nook

We have this weird landing at the top of the stairs that seems like wasted space to me.

Other homes with our similar floor plan have four bedrooms upstairs, but we have only three. Our middle girls have always shared a bedroom.

Thanks to everyone who helped me create this space!

Aaron’s grandma’s chair with the kids’ bookshelf.

Photos of our parents and grandparents watch over the kids.

I plan to get some tall houseplants since it’s pretty bright from our foyer windows.

I just added a floor lamp too.

Bedroom

We have a tall vaulted ceiling that I have no real ideas what to do with. Maybe a center beam?

We plan to paint the walls a pale grey and perhaps get some crown molding.

I ordered some navy and beige paneled drapes to match our new bedding (from Target).

We finally got a new mattress set – after twenty years!

I’m still in love with my bedroom furniture and I couldn’t find any better. No need to update it when it works great.

Not in love with my crooked wedding pics over the bed. We have so much wall space and I have few ideas.

Kids’ Rooms

My middle girls share a room with bunk beds with one window overlooking the backyard. They hate it, but it’s the way it is. They share the hall bathroom that has two sinks.

My son has the other upstairs bedroom with two front windows and ceiling fan. We gave him that room because they bunks wouldn’t fit any which way and the fan would have been dangerous for the top bunk. He uses my bathroom but we may have to reevaluate this soon.

Basement

We love having a finished basement.

I like having the TV and video games tucked out of sight.

I have the kids’ white erase boards on one wall. I have the three kids’ desks where we do any formal homeschool lessons, mostly math. My home office is upstairs with all my bookcases is in a room opposite our dining room.

We bought a used elliptical very cheaply from an older couple moving away and it’s awesome.

Our sectional sofa is still holding up ok after 10+ years.

There is a wet bar that I want to update with a new updated counter, faucet, and hopefully a narrow refrigerator in place of the pantry or a short beverage cooler in place of a cabinet.

My eldest daughter, almost twenty, has a bedroom and bathroom to herself in the basement but no windows.

Garden

We have a large front yard. We’re tackling the clover and weeds and trying to grow grass in the bald spots.

We have a little garden beside the garage where we get the most sunshine. We have peas, spinach, lettuce, green beans, cucumber, yellow squash, radishes, and carrots.

Our back yard slopes down to a lovely creek. It’s very shady.

We’re updating slowly as we can afford it.

We added pretty stepping stones and pine wood chips to a muddy area.

I plan to turn the sand pit into a Japanese shade garden.

We plan to sand, repair, and repaint the deck in brown or gray floor with white railings.

There is a firepit surrounded by too large gravel. I want to place some flat stones around it for a seating area.

Hostas are poking through the wood chips on either side. We need a new fence and I think I will prefer a picket instead of rail and wire.

Four walnut trees are coming down next month. You can see two on the right. The walnuts fall on our deck and it’s dangerous!

It’s really quite scary knowing we are responsible for all the maintenance on this home.

We know we need new siding and deck repairs. Most of the inside is in fantastic shape and we just want to make some updates.

We got a 30-year VA loan and I wonder if it will ever get paid off.

Elemental Blessing For A New Home

Before a human voice was ever heard here,
This place has known the respect of stone,
The friendship of the wind, always returning
With news of elsewhere, whispered in seed and pollen,
The thin symphonies of birdsong softening the silence,
The litanies of rain rearranging the air,
Cascades of sunlight opening and closing days,
And the glow of the moon gazing through darkness.
May all that elemental enrichment
Bless the foundation and standing of your home.
Before you came here, this place has known
The wonder of children’s eyes,
The hope of mornings in troubled hearts,
The tranquillity of twilight easing the night,
The drama of dreams under sleeping eyelids,
The generous disturbance of birth,
The anxieties of old age unclenching into grace
And the final elegance of calmly embraced death.
May the life of your new home enter
Into this inheritance of spirit.
May the rain fall kindly,
May daylight illuminate your hearts,
May the darkness never burden,
May those who dwell here in the unseen
Watch over your coming and going,
May your lives of love and promise
Refine and deepen the mind of this land.
John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us

For a New Home

May this house shelter your life.
When you come in home here,
May all the weight of the world
Fall from your shoulders.
May your heart be tranquil here,
Blessed by peace the world cannot give.
May this home be a lucky place,
Where the graces your life desires
Always find the pathway to your door.
May nothing destructive
Ever cross your threshold.
May this be a safe place
Full of understanding and acceptance,
Where you can be as you are,
Without the need of any mask
Of pretense or image.
May this home be a place of discovery,
Where the possibilities that sleep
In the clay of your soul can emerge
To deepen and refine your vision
For all that is yet to come to birth.
May it be a house of courage,
Where healing and growth are loved,
Where dignity and forgiveness prevail;
A home where patience of spirit is prized,
And the sight of the destination is never lost
Though the journey be difficult and slow.
May there be great delight around this hearth.
May it be a house of welcome
For the broken and diminished.
May you have the eyes to see
That no visitor arrives without a gift
And no guest leaves without a blessing.
John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us

We removed the bottom hooks! We are HOME.

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How to Be a Good Homeowner

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June 15, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Whether you think you’re currently living in a transition house or your forever home, there are things you should do to take care of your property on a regular basis, to ensure that you’re being a good homeowner.

After all, if you did ever decide you wanted to sell, it’s easier to do when your house has been well cared for, rather than being allowed to get a little run down and tired. But beyond the salability of your house, your family’s safety and comfort are even more important.

Monthly and seasonal upkeep and maintenance routines

There are a few things that you should do on a regular basis, as part of your home care routine. Some are essential to the safety of your home and family and others are just a good idea to ensure that you get maximum enjoyment out of your home.

Check filters and vents throughout your home. This includes:
- Cleaning / replacing your furnace filter / checking the AC filter for debris;
- Making sure the dryer exhaust is clear and reminding everyone who does laundry to clean the in-machine filter every time they use it;
- Checking your kitchen and bathroom exhaust vent / filters to make sure they are clean and in good working order;
- Vacuum dust from air vents throughout your house to avoid breathing in dust when air is circulated;
- Check other external air vents, beyond the dryer, to make sure they are clear of debris, snow or other blockages.
Clean the garbage disposal by running it with something as simple as ice, and then flushing it with hot water and baking soda, to give it a thorough going over.
Check drains and faucets.
- Showerheads and faucets can get clogged up with mineral deposits, depending on how hard your water is, so keeping them clean will keep them running smoothly;
- Check drains in showers, sinks and tubs for blockages: a hunk of hair can do a lot of damage if it’s not dealt with! If you’ve got a jet tub in the bathroom, make sure all the jets are clean and working properly.
Keep up the pool. When in use—and depending where you live, that can be year round or just a few months in the summer—make sure that all the systems for your pool and/or spa are working correctly, including filters, heaters and so on. Regular maintenance of these will save you a lot in the long run.

On a seasonal basis, you should also:

Check your alarms. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors should be checked and batteries replaced; and double check the location of your fire extinguishers. You should also check all electrical cords at this time to ensure they aren’t fraying, which can be a major fire hazard.
Do a closet change over. Move fall and winter clothes out into storage closets or boxes and bring spring / summer clothes into your everyday use closets and vice versa. There’s no need for mittens to be handy in July!
Deal with your lawn care seasonally as well:
- In fall, you need to prepare your garden to settle down for the winter; you should also make sure that your gardening equipment is cleaned and stored, hoses are drained and water is shut off to the exterior.
- In spring, you need to help it back to life by raking up leaves and debris, aerating your lawn and getting the planting beds ready for another season.
Check the pool. If you have a swimming pool, spa or both, make sure that you are doing what’s necessary to open and close them diligently. Repairs are a lot more costly than just making sure everything is in good repair along the way.
Service all appliances. Have your furnace and AC checked and serviced seasonally, as well as fireplaces; make sure to have your wood fire chimney swept before you put it to good use and avoid a chimney fire. If you use window units for AC, make sure they’re clean, to avoid spraying dust and debris when you turn them on.
Check gutters and downspouts. Keeping water flowing away from the foundation of your house, whether in a spring storm or days of autumn showers is essential for a safe, dry basement. Make sure your gutters are clean and free of debris and check downspout positioning.

Annual upkeep and maintenance routines

Keep out drafts. Checking and fixing/replacing caulking and weather stripping around windows and doors can go a long way to keeping out drafts and avoiding losing all your heat or air conditioned air—with costs that go with it—to the outdoors!
Keep water out. If you live in an area that sees flooding, make sure your sump pump is in good working order and if you don’t already have one, get a battery back up for it! Just fill it with water to test that the sump runs and then go outside to make sure it’s draining. A power outage is all it takes to go from a bad storm to a flooded basement! Check foundation seams as well, to make sure you aren’t on your way to a leak.
Look over appliances. While the furnace and AC probably get regular maintenance, how often do you inspect / clean the refrigerator coils or check the drainage hose from your dishwasher or clothes washer? A regular inspection and cleaning of all your appliances can keep them in good working order for longer.
Check the roof. What you’re looking for is tiles that are peeling or lifting up, which can let water, snow and ice leak into your home, causing a lot of damage to the interior. This is also a good time to check the siding or brick work on your home, to make sure that it is all in good repair.
Mend the drive. If you have a driveway, fix cracks or have it resealed to ensure that it remains in good repair over the long term.
Check the deck. Wooden decks, stairs and railings can rot over time so a regular inspection to make sure that they aren’t loose or coming loose is a good idea, for everyone’s safety.
Deal with interior organizational projects. If you’ve always been meaning to clean out and reorganize the garage, your basement or all the closets in the house, it’s a good idea to take a look at these projects on at least an annual basis. Otherwise, it can get a little overwhelming to dig into and you might never do it! Having a home for all of your stuff is essential to keeping it tidy and clean, making it a comfortable living space for everyone.

Every few years upkeep and maintenance routines

Water heater. It’s worth making sure your water heater is in good order, particularly if you own it versus renting. The last thing you need is a rusted out heater base to give way! You should also check the pressure valve to make sure it’s operating as it is supposed to.
Attic insulation. Take a peek up in the attic to make sure that your insulation is in good shape, hasn’t been disturbed or otherwise lost its loft. You may need to add some every 5 years or so, depending on the quality and type of insulation.

Over the longer term

Life expectancies for various appliances and fixtures of your home vary, depending on the whether patterns you experience but as a rule, you should be thinking about budgeting to replace the following items over time:

Roofs – every 25-30 years for asphalt shingles
Windows – every 10-12 years for vinyl encased windows
External doors – every 15-17 years
Siding – 30-40 years
Eaves / Soffit – 30-40 years
Garage doors – 10-15 years
Water heater – 8-10 years
Sump pump – 4-6 years
Furnace – 18-20 years
AC – 15-20 years

It might seem like an overwhelming list, but a lot of it is just a matter of habit. A little upkeep and maintenance will help your home look good and take care of you longer, avoiding costly repair bills and allowing you to budget for big replacements when they might be needed.

Source: Marty Basher is the improvement and organization expert with Modular Closets, https://www.modularclosets.com. Marty regularly contributes on topics of DIY renovations, home design, organization, improvement and more, helping homeowners get the most out of the spaces in their home. Modular Closets are high-quality and easy-to-design closet systems made in the USA you can order, assemble and install yourself, in no time at all. Using closet modules (closet pieces you can mix & match to design your own modular closet), homeowners everywhere are empowered to achieve a true custom closet look- for nearly 40% less than standard custom closets.

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Creative Leftovers

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December 23, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

As the kids get bigger and older, we don’t often have as many leftovers as we used to have, but occasionally, there is a serving or two left that gets shoved to the back of the fridge shelf.

I try to do a fridge cleanout a couple times a week for lunches and maybe a dinner if there’s a lot.

Using up leftovers is a necessity for a frugal waste-free lifestyle.

Having a good pantry and freezer system is key to using up leftovers. I have to plan to have certain items to make this successful and tasty.

I keep chicken and beef stock in the freezer and have some boxes of storebought organic stock in the pantry.

I have a huge assortment of spices and sauces.

I stock up on canned beans when they’re on sale. I just don’t have the freezer room to batch them from dried. Bags of frozen veggies when they go on sale for $1 or less.

We can our own marinara sauce.

I occasionally buy rotisserie chickens if I have a coupon or they’re on a really great sale. They’re awesome to use in many different recipes and I make stock from the bones.

I try to keep potatoes and onions on hand at all times. Also fresh carrots and celery.

These are our favorite ways to use up leftovers creatively:

Soup

I love making soups with various leftovers. This is a great way to clean out the fridge after a busy week!

Creamed vegetable is a favorite at our house to use up old veggies in the drawer.

I can always make soup with leftover chicken like this lovely lemony dill chicken soup.

Vegetable soup is my go-to to throw everything together, especially with leftover beef. I like to add beans and noodles to make it like minestrone.

Beans, lentils, or split peas are great in soup with a ham bone or smoked turkey.

Leftover ham is great for soup like ham and bean soup.

We like to make stock from turkey, chicken, and beef bones. Nothing goes to waste!

Split pea soup with leftover ham and poultry stock is a winner.

Casseroles

Noodles and rice with a cheesy sauce and leftover meat with some veggies makes a great casserole.

Turkey Divan is a great way to use up poultry leftovers.

Pot pie is another favorite with gravy, meat, and vegetables. Refrigerated or frozen dough, or drop herb biscuits on top make it quick and easy!

Salad

Leftover grilled meats and all sorts of veggies can be served cold over lettuce greens. I sometimes sneak a bit of bacon to save for later in a salad. This is a great lunch idea.

See our favorite salads.

Remix

I love making fried rice for my family. It’s a simple, frugal, easy way to use up leftovers. I often make extra rice just to have leftover for this meal.

My girls like ramen, and I love making it healthier with an egg, leftover meats and veggies, and homemade teriyaki sauce.

Stuffing canned biscuits or crescent rolls with cheese and chopped meats is a fun instant snack or lunch.

What’s your favorite way to use up leftovers?

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Organizing Recipes

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November 4, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 25 Comments

We have a lot of cookbooks.

I have a bin full of handwritten recipes from my husband’s two grandmothers. I plan to scan those in to my computer so they’re never lost. I’m working to organize them in page protectors or even a printed scrapbook cookbook.

All recipes tell a story.

I have two BHG cookbooks. My mom’s with handwritten notes and a newer one. I prefer my mom’s where she jotted down when I made wheat bread for a colonial class project. She also added the years she made which Christmas cookies or cakes.

We also collect a lot of recipes – from magazines and online sites.

How to Organize Recipes

Recipe Binders

Super easy to make a recipe binder and fun for gifts for the cook or foodie.

I have started compiling recipe binders for my kids as keepsakes of our favorite family recipes for them.

What you need for a recipe binder:

Big 3 ring binder or several small binders for various cooking styles (desserts, main dishes, grilling, baking)
Pretty cover for binder
Dividers
Clear page protectors
Clear small pockets for small recipe cards and/or recipes clipped from magazines

Cooking Journals

I have a couple recipe journals to make notes when I try new recipes.

I seldom follow a recipe exactly, and it’s a huge joke with my kids that no recipe is perfect for me. I always want more of something, add a little of this or that, or don’t measure.

My grandmother never measured anything.

We measure garlic with our hearts.

My husband is often irritated that I don’t make the same dish twice because I often don’t measure or follow the recipe the same way or I don’t remember how I tweaked it last time and everyone loved it. I’m trying to remember to make notes in the journal!

Computer and/or Software

Eat Your Books
Trello
Dropbox
OneNote
Office documents
MasterCook
Cook’n

Apps

Many cooks prefer to declutter and have recipes digitized.

This makes recipes searchable by several criteria, saving time and space. You can easily pull up a recipe on a tablet or laptop on the counter or table while you cook.

Evernote. I love this app for all sorts of digital organizing.
BigOven
Basil Recipe Manager
Pepperplate
Taste
ChefTap
Paprika Recipe Manager
Copy Me That Recipe Manager

I have pin boards for lots of our family interests, and several for various cooking genres.

This helps me to find the recipes easily again and also share my faves with you!

Organizing recipes is a huge task to undertake, but I may digitize most of our recipes this summer to clear up space and get them all in one place.

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A Mother’s Résumé

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October 28, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 16 Comments

I haven’t worked at a “real job” for at least a dozen years.

It’s frustrating that introductory small talk still focuses on “What do you do?” and is disdainful or even scornful of motherhood as a vocation. People even dare ask or mention that my education was a waste. It’s like my only worth is in a salary or job for pay outside my home.

These microaggressions don’t endear me to people whom I’ve just met. They dismiss me as unimportant because I don’t have a salary and it’s so frustrating.

Motherhood isn’t valued in American culture. Homeschooling is still considered weird.

There’s little purpose to keeping up my LinkedIn profile.

I can’t imagine going back to teach at any school, at any level. I sometimes miss the classroom, but the hassles and negatives don’t outweigh the few positives. I don’t have current state certification and I don’t have any desire to jump through hoops to recertify.

If you hired someone to do the work of maintaining a household, especially if you have children, the cost would be approximately $ 90,000 a year. This is what a “traditional” at-home spouse would get paid today to clean the house, be a personal shopper and personal assistant, run errands, and take care of the children.
Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman, Ph.D., Julie Schwartz Gottman Ph.D., Doug Abrams, Rachel Carlton Abrams M.D.,

Things You Didn’t Put on Your Résumé

How often you got up in the middle of the night
when one of your children had a bad dream,

and sometimes you woke because you thought
you heard a cry but they were all sleeping,

so you stood in the moonlight just listening
to their breathing, and you didn’t mention

that you were an expert at putting toothpaste
on tiny toothbrushes and bending down to wiggle

the toothbrush ten times on each tooth while
you sang the words to songs from Annie, and

who would suspect that you know the fingerings
to the songs in the first four books of the Suzuki

Violin Method and that you can do the voices
of Pooh and Piglet especially well, though

your absolute favorite thing to read out loud is
Bedtime for Frances and that you picked

up your way of reading it from Glynis Johns,
and it is, now that you think of it, rather impressive

that you read all of Narnia and all of the Ring Trilogy
(and others too many to mention here) to them

before they went to bed and on the way out to
Yellowstone, which is another thing you don’t put

on the résumé: how you took them to the ocean
and the mountains and brought them safely home.

~Joyce Sutphen

As a mother for the past 19 years, I can attest to having quite an impressive work history and specific skill set.

The mental workload of being a mother far outweighs any “job” I’ve ever had.

As a teacher in various school and classroom environments, then as a homeschool educator for the last 15 years, I honed my expertise by focusing on my students’ unique needs.

As a military spouse, I retained my skills and honed a lot of new ones over the last decade and a half.

There are no gaps in my work history. I worked constantly, year-round, daily, overnights, with no vacation days, through sickness and injury, and during two deployments with no assistance or support.

Experience

Director of Child Development

$39,744 average annual salary

Oversee social, academic, and emotional development of students from birth until adulthood
Develop educational programs and standards
Design program plans, oversee daily activities, and prepare budget for activities and curriculum
Support gross and fine motor skills
Maintain instructional excellence

Educational Leadership

$88,390 average annual salary

Knowledge of pedagogy and methodology
Relationship building
Continuing education in field regarding trends, concerns, issues
Global mindset
Plan cross-curricular lessons for various ages, abilities, interests
Conflict resolution
Extensive library
Use of technology
Personalize feedback on student assignments
Advise students regarding academic courses and career opportunities
Encourage students to present their views and participate in discussion
Share personal experiences and values
Record keeping

Project Management

$134,182 average annual salary

Initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria at the specified time.
Establish expectations
Be proactive
Organization
Risk management
Delegation
Teamwork
Growth Mindset

Life Coach

$46,678 average annual salary

Discuss needs and goals
Develop strategies and plans
Keep records of progress
Evaluation
Adjust goal strategies as needed
Assist manage stress and increase productivity
Excellent listening and questioning skills
Confidence to challenge in a caring way
Support goal-setting, personal growth, and behavior modification

Domestic Engineer

$59,496 average annual salary

Oversee operations of all systems and procedures
Budget for and allocated appropriate expenditures
Delegate operational tasks to promote equal labor division
Maintain cleanliness and sanitation of all work, play, and living areas
Food purchasing, preparation, and storage
Multi-tasking
Home economics
Laundry expertise
Basic mending ability by hand and sewing machine
Organization and efficiency

Religious Advisor

$58,130 average annual salary

Education about religion and faith through various books, activities, social justice, music, tradition, travel
Evolve faith through experience and learning
Help understand spirituality to promote peace, healing, and union with God and others
sensitivity, empathy, and understanding
Ensure proper growth and relational development
Spiritual counsel and advice
Meet their spiritual, emotional, and relational goals
Meditation and contemplation

Protocol Officer

$71,135 average annual salary

Research traditions and customs
Distinguish between time-honored tradition and mindless repetition
Knowledge of preferences and customs of each person
Prioritize welcome and respect
Educate daily on etiquette and customs for various situations
Minimize or eliminate any opportunity for embarrassment or offense
Establish and enforce consistency using logic
Develop itineraries and agendas
Identify security risks and create safety plans

Travel and Event Planner

$41,873 average annual salary

Research, suggest, and decide where to go, methods of transportation, car rentals, hotel accommodations, tours, and attractions
Advise about weather conditions, local customs, attractions, necessary documents, and currency exchange rates
Visualization
Organization and planning
Plan and execute ceremonies and special events

Budget Analyst

$71,590 average annual salary

Manage family finances, analyze and prepare monthly expenditures
Estimate future financial needs
Research of domestic economic and spending trends
Develop projections based on past economic and spending trends
Technical analysis, monitoring spending for deviations, and preparing monthly and annual reports
Analyze investments and their market performance
Education about financial terms, issues, trends, economic history

Historian

$55,800 average annual salary

Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance
Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as collect data sources such as books, pamphlets, and periodicals
Thorough investigative and research skills
Analyze and interpret information
Interest in human behaviour, culture and society
Enquiring mind

Personal Stylist

$50,346 average annual salary

Attention to detail
Analytical mind
Problem-solving ability
Knowledge of fabrics, colors, seasonal items, accessories, etiquette
Knowledge brands, designs, trends

Personal Chef

$62,282 average annual salary

Customize unique meal and snack plans
Skilled at recognizing flavors and judging the balance of seasonings
Knowledge of kitchen tools and appliances and their uses
Procure and organize various recipes
Shop for all groceries within budget
Prepare the meal in a timely manner
Clean up the kitchen to excellent standards
Store leftovers promptly

Chauffeur

$22,440 average annual salary

Transport people to various activities in a safe and timely manner
Stock vehicles with amenities
Keep vehicles shiny and clean
Vehicle maintenance and repair

Waste Management

$64,000 average annual salary

Plan, implement, and coordinate comprehensive waste systems designed to maximize waste prevention, reuse, and recycling opportunities.
Evaluate the success of plans and make changes as necessary.
Minimize the impact of waste to protect the environment.

Plumber

$50,620 average annual salary

Unclog sink drains and pipes as needed
Replace salt in home water softener
Humidify and/or dehumidify the air in home
Repair water supply lines, waste disposal systems, and related appliances and fixtures

Special Skills

Good at untying knots
Feeding picky children and spouse
Finder of lost things
Making shoddy rental houses comfy and homey
Empath
Introvert
Comforter
Creativity
Innovation
Initiative
Time management
Stress management
Interpersonal relationships
Excellent verbal and written communication

Research

I can research anything. I enjoy researching. I loved researching literary, psychological, and educational analyses in university – and all the details of citing the sources properly. I can find anything on Google. Over time, I just have learned the best keywords for a search. I can find the best whatever we’re looking for in minutes, before we move to a new base or city. I research what we’re learning about in our homeschool and design my own curriculum.

Frugal

We have learned to thrive with one income. We’ve learned to survive with one vehicle. I’ve worked with very tight budgets as we’ve raised and homeschooled four kids all over. We focus on eating well and traveling and living life to the fullest. We’re investing for the future with 529s, IRAs, mutual funds, life insurance, and retirement plans. We’re paying down debt.

Multitasking

I can do it all and do it well. When life gets hectic, I’m in charge to streamline everything. I have a great memory and seldom get sidetracked for long.

Adaptable

Things change. We’ve received written orders that have changed last minute. We had to cancel plans to travel on vacation in order to PCS. We’ve had extensions fall through. We’ve experienced deployments. I have to stay flexible. I have to be strong for my kids.

Critical Thinking

I don’t want my kids just to regurgitate information and blindly obey. I want them to know right from wrong and question everything – me, tradition, reality, authority – why? why? WHY?

Observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making

Understand the logical connections between ideas.
Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.
Recognise, build, and appraise arguments.
Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.
Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way.
Reflect on the justification of their own assumptions, beliefs, and values.

Education

M.Ed. secondary English education, gifted endorsement

B.A. English literature with minor in psychology, cum laude

Summary

As a military spouse, I have some unique skills.

I may have developed these abilities anyway.

But my life is very different than it could have been because I married an Air Force officer, my dad retired from the Army Reserves, and both my parents worked as GS employees since forever.

Being a military spouse can be like having a full-time job. Much of the expertise I’ve developed over the years are highly transferable and marketable in the workforce.

All in different seasons and different bases, I have worked outside the house, stayed at home, worked from home, and considered going back to school. I have a master’s degree in education, so that’s essentially an expensive piece of paper at this point since I don’t want to go back to teach in a school.

Every day, I develop and further solidify impressive marketable life experience just by supporting my active duty husband, being a stay-at-home mom, and homeschooling my kids.

I may not have an impressive résumé or curriculum vitae, but I know what my abilities are.

My worth is not only in what I do. My value is not in the income I bring or don’t bring into our household. As a wife, mother, and homeschooler, I have intrinsic value in the efficiency of my household management.

The TRUTH about the military spouse job search.

There’s little to no personal fulfillment.

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7 Tips for Designing With Artificial Plants

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June 18, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Opting to decorate your home with artificial plants may seem like an unforgivable decision if all you know of faux plants and flowers are plastic options which look as fake as they are.

Artificial plant manufacturers have significantly honed their craft in recent years and they now offer an excellent option when laying out your interior design. From lower costs to higher versatility, artificial plants bring a lot to the table.

Here’s everything you need to know to craft a knockout look with faux plants.

Choose the Right Artificial Plants

While there are incredible faux plants and flowers on the market, there are still many other inferior options which look tacky and fake. Make sure that you see the plants in person or choose a product with a proven track record. Many Balsam Hill reviews rave about the realistic look of their faux plants, for example, which helps you to make sure that online purchases will still meet your expectations for realism when they show up on your doorstep.

Find Unique Spots for Surprising Designs

Because fake plants don’t need real sunlight, this means you can create unique designs by utilizing plants in locations that their real counterparts could not survive. If there’s a specific plant you want in your home but it can’t thrive where you need it, look into purchasing an artificial plant of the same variety.

Change-Up the Way You Pot Them

The benefits of not having to keep your plant healthy don’t stop in where you place them, there’s also how you place them. Because you don’t have to worry about what the plant needs to survive you can get creative with the vessels you use to hold your plants. Change it up and create some truly one-of-a-kind designs.

Hide Them With Realistic Layouts

While the prior points touch on way to use your artificial plants to get looks that simply aren’t possible with real plants, sometimes you still want your plants to look like they are alive. The best way to create this illusion is to get realistic with your planting. Place them in a location that a plant could reasonably grow, and use real soil in the pot to give the impression of a living plant.

Add Living Plants Into the Mix

Just because you are decorating with artificial plants doesn’t mean you have to fully zero out your budget for fresh plants. Combining real plants with faux plants gives you the best of both worlds. Your artificial plants help to fill out your displays and create contrast to the areas where you swap in fresh plants. This is an excellent way to have the benefits of fresh flowers while also having a larger array of flowers to show off and keeping a reasonable budget.

Accent Your Designs With Plants

One of the biggest benefits of artificial plants is the ability to use them as decoration on other pieces of interior design. Because you don’t need to worry about keeping your Balsam Hill flowers and plants in the sun, planted or watered you can add them onto structures and pieces where real flowers would wither and die to create beautiful floral arrangements.

Adjust Each Plant for the Right Look

Artificial flowers are often made from sturdy materials which makes them more malleable than real plants. This means you can lay out your design, then fine tune it by adjusting petals or stems to manipulate them until they look just right, without worrying that you’re going to break the stem.

The days of tacky faux plants are in the past. Modern artificial flowers and plants allow you to create looks that can’t be matched with real plants, all while spending less in the long run because they don’t die. As you plan your next project, consider utilizing artificial plants into the design

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What We Eat Every Week

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April 30, 2018 By Jennifer Lambert 13 Comments

We actually eat almost the same things every week.

It helps with planning and grocery shopping.

I use Checkout 51 and Ibotta apps along with Kroger sales and coupons to plan our week.

We buy most of our fruits and veggies and other items at Kroger. I occasionally buy organic. I plan to buy more from local farmers markets and perhaps growing some of our own this year.

We buy almost all our meats from a local butcher shop. I like knowing our meat is local and without hormones and other additives. They live happier lives and we’re happier not consuming mass-produced feedlot meat.

What We Eat Every Week:

Breakfasts

My husband usually makes breakfast for the kids on weekends and lets me sleep in. They love egg hash with sausage and potatoes, pancakes, waffles…all the things I seldom make. Tori’s favorite is eggs Benedict.

My typical weekday breakfasts for the kids are a combo of scrambled eggs, Oscar Mayer natural bacon, Jones sausage links or patties, steel-cut oatmeal, 10-grain porridge, cheesy grits, Annie’s canned biscuits with jelly, occasionally homemade muffins or scones.

Katie sometimes makes a lovely breakfast cake or muffins.

The girls sometimes get up late and have the yummy new protein Cheerios.

I have coffee and sometimes what the kids are having, but usually a mango-spinach or berry smoothie. Sometimes yogurt with fruit and homemade granola.

Lunches

Katie loves to make these little tortilla pizzas. Quesadillas are an easy lunch that kids can make.

We often have sandwiches or charcuterie platters.

Sometimes, we have leftovers, but we’re getting to the point there aren’t many! Sometimes, we have a fancy tea time with cute little sandwiches. When the kids were little, we did Muffin Tin Monday.

Dinners…

Sunday

We usually have leftovers or something quick prepped from the freezer.

Twice a month, the girls participate in church activities in the evening, so we don’t bother making a big fancy meal most Sundays. Sometimes, we even get some takeout.

Monday

I’m usually rested after the weekend, so I go all out and prepare something special.

I’ll go to the store and get fish to try or something a little different than our norm or that takes more time.

Sometimes, we have huge salads with grilled or leftover meat.

We like chicken Marsala.

Tuesday

Tacos, duh.

I make our own taco seasoning and use it in lots of dishes. Sometimes, I make a taco noodle casserole or baked chicken enchiladas.

Sometimes, we mix it up and have Asian tacos.

Wednesday

Usually something in the slow cooker, like a stew or roast. Sometimes something that’s quick and easy that can be thrown together last minute.

Swiss steak is delicious with lots of veggies.

Pork tenderloin is super easy and flavorful.

Everyone loves these Asian slow cooker pork ribs.

Our favorite soups: cream of vegetable, dill chicken, ham and bean.

Thursday

Usually something easy like pasta, potatoes, or rice and a grilled meat and steamed veggies. The kids have an architecture class at the library and it’s about a 30 minute drive, so we’re home about 7 and my husband finishes up what I’ve prepped.

Cashew chicken is a go-to that’s really easy to make.

I marinate meat in bags and it grills up super nice! These are great for camping, busy weeks, or grabbing a bag from the freezer when I’m out of ideas.

We reviewed eMeals one year and got some fun new meal ideas.

Friday

Homemade pizza. With a movie.

I usually have sliced tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, oregano basil garlic, with a few dollops of pizza sauce.

My husband and two kids like sausage and/or pepperoni. Two girls like sausage, pepperoni, onions, and red bell peppers.

Saturday

We often grill steaks or hamburgers.

When my husband travels out of town or works late, I make the things he doesn’t like – like tuna casserole or turkey divan, and lots of bell pepper dishes.

I’m also incorporating more vegetarian dishes into our family’s recipe repertoire.

We seldom dine out. I am usually disappointed at the quality for the price. I don’t like not knowing where my food comes from or what’s in it.

And I like that I can eat dinner in my loungewear.

There isn’t much that I can’t make myself at home – better and cheaper.

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Kitchen Tools for Kids

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January 22, 2018 By Jennifer Lambert 20 Comments

Our kids like being helpful and useful around the house and they want real tools, not just toys.

While we love and encourage pretend play, my kids also want to use real tools to make real food. Our kids quickly got bored with play kitchens and wanted to use the real kitchen. These tools are functional, sturdy, fun, and fit smaller hands well.

I’m a big believer in letting kids help shop for and make their own food, along with helping during the more boring preparation and cleanup. It’s an easy authentic way to teach about healthy eating habits and household management.

We live in our kitchen and show our love for each other by cooking and eating together.

I don’t assign chores or use checklists or charts. See how I motivate here. We all work together cheerfully to keep the household running smoothly.

These are our favorite kids’ tools for children to help with household chores.

Kuhn Rikon Knives were a huge hit for our kids. They loved the fun design and could really cut veggies, helping in the kitchen.

They’re sharp enough to chop carrots, but don’t slice into little fingers.

Peelers are appealing to kids and these bright fun ones are perfect for little and big hands!

We also like this spiralizer for all sorts of uses!

Toaster tongs are a great safety tool to keep little (and big!) fingers from getting singed by hot toaster parts. Toasted breads are an easy item for kids to make!

Even when they were too small to use the oven, my kids loved having their own oven mitts.

They would often just help by holding a corner of that cookie sheet to bring it near the countertop.

Silpats are great for nonstick baking and can also be used on the countertop for nonslip use when rolling out dough or kneading bread.

Immersion blenders are handy (almost mess-free) tools for whipping up sauces, scrambling eggs, and blending soups.

One of the first things our kids learn to cook is scrambled eggs and we love these pans for their quality, sturdiness, and nonstickiness.

This is my absolute favorite silicone whisk for so many jobs!

Electric kettles keep boiling water in a safe container rather than an open pot on the stovetop. The kids love helping to make tea!

Cleaning supplies made for smaller hands are great and my kids loved having their very own kid-sized items to help clean up!

Reusable cloths help get any cleanup job done with pretty colors and without harsh chemicals.

I love this fun mop, broom, and dustpan.

My kids each had their own broom set. The bright colors are really fun and they’re the perfect size and very sturdy.

Pretty soon, my kids are using the same tools I do and we’re dancing around each other in a lovely choreography as we make meals together.

You can see many of these tools in action here!

See all Kids in the Kitchen posts.

What are your favorite kids tools?

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Decorating on a Budget

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December 11, 2017 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

There are quite a few decorating challenges for military families.

Since we move every few years, we have the fun chance to redecorate often, but we need to do that on a budget.

I don’t like nor can we afford to buy an entire house full of new goods every few years when we move.

Home Décor Hacks for Military Families:

Blank Empty Spaces

Moving to a rental means a lot of white or blank walls. It’s an empty canvas!

What can we do with all that plain wall space?

Bright furniture, fun drapery, and eye-catching wall art help combat those boring spaces. We love our travel photos!

Rugs are great for tile, hardwood, linoleum – really any floor surface. It really pulls a room together. We have several mixy-matchy rugs that tie in our favorite colors and add warmth and cushion to tired feet.

Storage

Tables with cabinets, shelves, drawers, and baskets do double duty as storage containers so I don’t have to feel cluttered.

I like to display all my books in big bookcases for easy reference.

We showcase our keepsakes on the mantle and sofa table.

Lighting

Lighting sets the mood.

We love natural lighting, but it gets dark early in some seasons! We prefer simple table and floor lamps (preferably on dimmer switches!) instead of harsh ceiling lights in the afternoons and evenings.

We love to gather in the living room and play board games or snuggle up to read together by the warm glow of our table lamps and candlelight.

Furniture rental

Furniture rental is a great option for active duty military personnel since with each new PCS comes a new living situation. Temporary unaccompanied duties are also a great time to use this option.

That sectional sofa we have today, may not fit in our future home.

By working with CORT, we can find the right pieces to fit our existing spaces. Then when we are ready to move to the next base in a new city (or country!), we just give CORT a call and they’ll come pick it all up!

CORT works with military personnel to provide what we need when we need it. The best part of the furnishing process – CORT picks it up when we are ready to move on to the next assignment!

Learn more about CORT on their blog.

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How to Clean a House

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November 8, 2017 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We’ve rented a lot of houses.

We have to clean the rental houses when we move to a new location. I’ve never paid a cleaning service. Some homeowners have been surprised to hear that and perhaps a little nervous, but it saves us hundreds of dollars and only takes a few hours of work to get a house ready for the next renter.

I try to keep things clean and neat all along so it’s not such an overwhelming job.

It’s easier to clean a house that isn’t full of clutter.

How to have a low-maintenance house:

Minimal lifestyle. Refuse. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Rot.
A place for everything and everything in its place. If you need more stuff to store your stuff, minimize.
Low-maintenance and enduring surfaces and materials. Leather is more durable and easily wipeable than microfiber upholstery, for instance.
Eliminate knick-knacks and flat surfaces to minimize dusting.
Clear the floors. Hanging items (TV, coats, lights) make it easier to clean floors. Tile and wood is easier than carpet.
Vent bathrooms with fans or open windows to reduce mold.
Run the stove fan while cooking to reduce grease in the kitchen. Clean regularly.
No shoes in the house. Install a shoe cabinet by the door.
Under counter or wall soap dispensers in kitchen and bathrooms. Keep counters clear.
Gas fireplaces are cleaner than wood-burning ones.
Plants for air cleaners. I love my houseplants!
Store perishables in clear airtight reusable containers to eliminate waste.
Use only dishwasher safe kitchen and dining items. No paper products! Less hand washing.
Run full loads in dishwasher and washer/dryer.

Having less stuff and a low maintenance household reduces anxiety.

While those Pinterest pictures of cutesy decor look nice in images, they’re not for my reality. We don’t redecorate with every season, or even every time we move to a new house (and we move frequently with the military!). We’ve had the same furniture for almost 14 years.

If I’ve learned anything about living in so many different houses, it’s how to clean them quickly and easily – whether for company, a housing inspection, or landlord walk-through before leaving.

It irritates me to no end that so many rental houses have cheap paint that flakes or isn’t washable. We take tons of pictures during an initial walkthrough of any flaws we don’t want to be responsible for repairing, but there’s always something that we notice after living in a house for a few months. Landlords shouldn’t cut too many corners to save money. They just have to make those cosmetic or major repairs for the next tenants anyway.

I like to streamline my cleaning methods.

Always begin from the top and work your way down.

Ceiling fans and light fixtures, countertops, cabinets, etc. and floors last.

I use reusable sponges and cloth rags, only occasionally paper towels. We also have a carpet cleaner that works wonders.

For rug spots, baking soda usually works great. I often work it in with a brush, let it dry, then vacuum it up.

My favorite natural cleaners: vinegar, citric acid, baking soda, peroxide, rubbing alcohol.

Living Room

Dust cobwebs from ceilings, fans, door jambs, and window sills.

Wash windows with vinegar and/or soapy squeegee and dry with newspaper on a cloudy day for no streaks!

Vacuum and wash floors. Don’t forget the baseboards!

Mop your way out of a room, and it helps to keep the mop head going in the same direction of the grain of a hardwood floor – this reduces the chance of streaks forming.

Make sure to vacuum and wash sliding door tracks.

Bedrooms

Dust cobwebs from ceilings, fans, door jambs, and window sills.

Wash windows.

Vacuum and wash floors. Don’t forget the baseboards!

Kitchen

Dust cobwebs from ceiling, window frames, doorjambs.

Wash walls. Use baking soda and/or soap. We do our best when the paint isn’t gloss or semi-gloss. We’ve had to pay damages because of stains, but it really isn’t our fault when there’s shoddy or cheap workmanship. Gloss paint should be in bathrooms and kitchens!

Wash windows.

Wash cabinets, in and out.

For those flat top stoves, a razor blade removes the crusted-on spots. For gas stoves, make a paste with baking soda and water and scrub the cool surfaces. Let sit for a few minutes and then rinse. For electric coil stoves, wash the cool and unplugged coils with soap and rinse well. Try not to get the plugs wet. Stainless steel pads can scrub the drip pans well.

I keep the drip pans and oven lined with foil to help with cleaning.

Clean ovens with baking soda and peroxide. A razor blade also gets all that icky baked-on grease off the oven door. For the oven racks, soak them in baking soda or citric acid. We do double duty and use bathtubs for soaking grates and drip pans.

Wash refrigerator, including door seals. I take out and wash shelves and drawers in warm water. Pull out the entire unit and clean vents and underneath. We often find cat toys!

For stainless appliances, use a damp microfiber cloth, then buff with a dry one. Always wipe in the direction of the grain of the stainless.

Wash the seal and rim around the dishwasher.

Vacuum floor and mop floor.

Bathrooms

Get those mirrors clean. Use vinegar to remove any residue. I like squeegees to get them streak-free.

Citric acid gets even the hardest stains out! We use this in toilets.

Dust cobwebs from ceiling, window frames, doorjambs.

Wash shower and tub. Sometimes, I have to let them soak for the vinegar to work. Baking soda is a great scrub. Citric acid is also good for stains.

Clean sinks, counters, drawers, cabinets.

Wash walls.

Vacuum and wash floors.

Yes, sometimes I even use bleach.

Windows

Use vinegar to remove any residue. I like squeegees to get them streak-free. Newspaper also works better than cloth or paper towels. Clean sills, frames, and tracks.

Walls

Patch holes in white walls with plain toothpaste or buy wall patch spackle.

Dust corners for cobwebs. Don’t forget to wash baseboards! Vacuum lint and dust from radiators, air vents, and air returns. Wipe off any residue.

Floors

Vacuuming hard floors saves time and does a better job than brooms or dust mops. Don’t forget to wash baseboards!

Scrub tile floors with a hard sponge mop or brush. I even used a razor blade to get off tough spots on the tile.

Mop your way out of a room, and it helps to keep the mop head going in the same direction of the grain of a hardwood floor – this reduces the chance of streaks forming.

Washer and Dryer

A cup of vinegar in the washer cleans out most residue. I use a cloth and wipe out the seal and leave the lid open. Wash out soap dispensers.

Clean the lint trap in the dryer, vacuuming and wiping out residue.

Garage

We have a couple Rubbermaids of camping equipment in the corner. Also, coolers and some other seasonal items are stored nearby.

We keep yard toys on a low shelf that the kids can reach.

Tools are on a shelf and work desk.

Gardening and lawn care items are on a shelf or hanging. The lawnmower is in the corner with the gas can.

Bikes and scooters are neatly stored along the side. I have to enforce this!

By the door is another shelf with gardening and birding items.

I prefer no shoes in the house. We have a shoe shelf by the door. Sometimes, the shoes don’t quite make it in the shelf.

Sweep or blow floor frequently to keep dust, dirt, and leaves from coming inside on the bottoms of feet.

Outside

Trim bushes and hedges.

Mow and edge lawn.

We sweep or blow driveway, porch, patio, and deck areas frequently to make sure they look neat and tidy.

I can’t justify paying a lot for lawn maintenance on a rental house. We occasionally buy some low-maintenance, high-producing flowers that last a whole season – impatiens or petunias or pansies. I get mulch or pebbles or straw for upkeep in beds because I like everything looking neat. We are stewards of the house and it’s our responsibility.

Sometimes, landlords complain that the house isn’t clean or neat enough, or they feel there’s more than general wear and tear. Whether I missed a spot or they’re trying to make excuses to refuse the deposit return…

I just calmly ask how I can make it right.

For one landlady, it was a window shelf in the bathroom that had some dust, vertical blinds that needed to be wiped again, and a toilet base needed to be wiped again. They also had cloth wallpaper in the kitchen (are you kidding me?!) that would not come clean. So they blamed us for grease stains and we only got half our deposit back.

Another landlord complained about my children’s welcome chalk drawings on the front concrete stoop (really?!) and that the lawn wasn’t professionally mowed and edged (since our lawn equipment had already been shipped).

Some landlords are just really nitpicky and don’t really want to return that deposit.

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