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July 20, 2013

Finding Reasons To Stay Home

I've had this topic on my mind for quite sometime now, and finally decided it was worth putting into a post.  Now, before I go on, I just want to say I recognize every one's situation is unique, and not all of my ideas apply to everyone out there, but maybe some of these ideas will at least give you some food for thought.


Finding Reasons to Stay Home from Blissful Roots



When my husband and I were first married I taught first grade for five years while he worked and did night school on the side.  I loved teaching, but there was nothing quite like going home at the end of a busy day filled with a classroom full of six and seven-year-olds.

 Fast forward several years, and I found myself at home with my newborn twins feeling slightly cooped up, and needing to get out of the house (a feeling I'm pretty sure every mom has felt from time to time).

Fast forward several more years, and now I'm home with my six-year-old twins, and my three-year-old.  I still experience both ends of the spectrum (loving to be home, and needing to get out), but for me, I've learned there's something valuable in finding reasons to stay home.  A  lot of these are no-brainers, but it's taken me a bit of effort to actually internalize them.


This is the exact reason I decided to try and stay home more often.  If you're anything like me, you almost always end up spending money on something  you don't really need when you're out shopping.  Now, I know we have to go to the store for certain things, and that's fine.  What I've tried to do is limit (notice I said limit, not eliminate- I still love strolling through Hobby Lobby every now and again) my shopping as a hobby habit, and go grocery shopping once a week.  Because even when buying necessities like groceries I can spend more than I need when I go more often.  



Have you ever wondered how your grandma got so good at making her famous rolls?  Well, back her day she probably stayed home a lot more than we would today, and she had time to practice.  Practice most definitely makes progress which can lead to perfection.  I haven't reached perfection (and probably never will) with my cooking by any means , but I can say I'm not afraid of making homemade bread, I love planning and providing a variety of meals for my family, and I am constantly amazed at the fulfillment that comes making something from scratch.  

Now, believe me, not everything my family eats is homemade, but as I've tried to stay home more often, my love for cooking has definitely increased, I want to do it more often, and for me, I feel it's time well spent and very enjoyable.


This one probably sounds like an oxymoron.  But hear me out.  Because I have three young boys, we do make plenty of messes during the day, but the more I stay home, the more time I have to clean.  We may make several messes during the day (that get cleaned up at the end of the day), but I have a lot more time to clean, clean.  I don't spend my whole day cleaning, but its amazing what 10 minutes here and there will   do to keep my cleaning easier and more manageable.  Plus, when I keep my home cleaner, I want to be in it more.  If I'm working on staying home more often, then I need to make it a place we want to be, and for me that means clean (clean, not spotless).


Any time I'm tempted to load my boys up in the car and go to a store for really no reason at all, I fight the temptation with asking my self this question, "what could I organize instead?".  Crazy, I know.  But I've really come to LOVE staying home and finding myself a good organizing project.  There are always a million things on my organizing list, but by staying home more often that list is actually dwindling.  I love being organized, so this might not be for you, but I can't tell you have good it feels to have another organizing project checked off my list, like have my boys' Lego manuals organized.  And knowing I did something worthwhile without spending a penny is priceless.


This is kind of all-encompassing of what I've already discussed, but really it just makes sense, doesn't it?  Not one of these ideas I've talked about is rocket science.  The more you stay home, the more you'll get done.  I read something recently from a lady who said people are often baffled at how many things she gets done in a day.  Her reason for getting things done,"I stay home."  Simple.  If you want a nice vegetable garden, stay home and weed it.  If you want that bedroom wall re-painted, stay home and paint it.  If you want to try that new recipe from Pinterest, stay home and start cooking.  It really is amazing how much you can accomplish in a day spent at home.


There's no one I'd rather spend time with than my little family, and there's no place we'd rather be than home.  It's really fun to go and do things as a family, but our family has surely benefited from being together at home.  I love the feeling when we've completed a project around the house together, played a game of baseball in the backyard, or enjoyed a meal with each other.  Family time at home is such a joy to me, and actually I'm finding it to be quite a necessity in this ever-changing, busy world.


Wow, I'm feeling a little soap box-ish.  Please don't think I'm perfect at any of this, and I'm not saying we stay home every minute of every day.  We don't.  We're just a typical, regular family who has found the joy and benefits that have come from forming the habit of being home as often as we can.  

P.S.  If  you want to spend more time at home, make your home somewhere you and your family WANT to be.  I could probably devote an entire post on this topic, but do what you can to make your home loving, inviting and engaging.  There's a quote from Gordon B. Hinckley that I've always liked, and it fits here perfectly.

"It is in the home that we learn the values by which we guide our lives.  That home may be ever so simple.  It may be in a poor neighborhood, but with a good father and a good mother, it can become a place of wondrous upbringing..."
(click here to read more on this topic)

What are your reasons for staying home?  I'd love to hear them!
Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

Linking up to these parties & Savvy Southern Style.
  


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49 comments:

  1. I'm past my mothering years and in my empty nest but I find your principles still apply. One I would add is contentment. When I'm out shopping I run into items like Martha Stewart's mixing bowels in a new color. They match my kitchen, they make me smile...excuses! The thing is, I don't need them. I have a perfectly good set. So not only would I be buying something I don't need, I'd have an extra set cluttering up my kitchen. You have written this so well. You're a wise woman!

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    1. You hit it right on the head, Pamela! Contentment is what it's all about (I need to rewrite my post now!:)). It's all about learning to be content with what you have and where you are. And I completely understand your bowel dilemma! I have a terrible habit of collection kitchen ware. It is a tricky balance, isn't it? You said your bowls make you happy, and we need that, but not with all the excess I guess. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom with me!! Come back anytime. Enjoy your day!

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  2. I totally agree!!! I'm also in my empty nest and still feel the same.....save money is #1 for staying home!!! Sometimes temptation gets in the way........and you get sooooooooo much done being at home!!! Not to mention that all important time for hobbies and crafts that you never had time for before but never forgot!!!

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    1. It's nice to hear there's others out there who feel the way you do. This world is so busy and fast-paced that I think being home is a rarity these days. I sure enjoy it, though! Thanks so much for visiting and for your kind comment!

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  3. I really enjoyed your post. All my children are grown, married and with children and it's just me at home. I've been divorced for 25 years (yikes never thought it would be this long) but I've always wanted to be at home instead of working. There's so much I could be doing to get my home organized, but "le sigh" until the time God sends me the husband He has for me I will just keep dreaming and believing my day will come to be able to stay at home. Thanks for this post it encourages me to keep believing that my time will come.

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    1. Well, hello Ms. Oklahomaredhead (love that!). I'm so glad you took the time to stop by and comment. Your thoughts made my day! Isn't life all about timing, and being content with where we are right here and now. There are many, many days I wish I could go to work, but I've come to learn that my home is my work, and if I were working anywhere else, I'd be doing the best job I could. I need to do that at home. And your time will come! When it's right it will. I guess the trick is finding ways to still enjoy your home and do what you love with it when you can, but not wear yourself out. Little things here and there can make a big difference. Anyway, I'm going on and on.... Thanks again for stopping by! I sure hope you'll visit again soon!

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  4. Thank you for this post and for reminding me of my purpose. I have a 2 month old - my fourth and last baby and she has been really fussy lately and I'm just trying to cope. I was thinking this morning how nice it would be to just stroll around Target just to GET OUT, but I can't because I live in the middle of nowhere and we have no stores. So maybe I'll go organize something :) Or try to :) Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for writing this post, as another stay at home mom I really appreciate it. And dont feel like you need to apologize or walk on egg shells around "working" women, I'm so tired of having to feel that way, even within the church nowadays. I know it's where we need to be!

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    1. I totally feel your, "I need to get out and stroll around Target"! We all need that sometimes, but I really have found that I've become content with being home more often. It's just like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it is. Thanks so much for your comment! It's so nice to know your not alone. Best of luck with your little ones. Enjoy them, and enjoy your day.
      P.S. I try not to spend too much time on Pinterest, but when I can't get out and shop, I do enjoy scrolling through the pages of Pinterest. It's a bit like shopping without spending money. :)

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  5. I am your new subscriber (from India). I loved your blog and especially this post. I quit my job 8 years back to help my son, then 12 yrs, with his studies as he had ADHD. While I am happy to say that he is now in college and doing very well, by God's grace, somewhere in these years I felt I had become a "no fun" person. I no longer felt the need to go shopping except for essentials, and as I was at home most of the time I was content with the shoes, make up and handbags already in stock. I was beginning to feel I was not "with the trend". BUT you have put it so beautifully in this post, that I now realise that I AM actually content with what I have. I don't have to get up early and rush around doing things because I have a train to catch. Home cooked meals are wholesome and filling. Plus my husband and son are happy that whenever they come home I will be there. I am now a full time crocheter and I have found a new passion - blogging. So all in all I can say that I am content.
    Thank you very much for putting it so beautifully.
    Regards, Sangeetha

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    1. Hello, Sangeetha! So nice to "meet" you. I love blogging for the fact that I can meet people from all over the world. I can say you are the first person I've ever conversed with from India. Thank you so much for stopping by, for being a follower, but most of all for your touching comment! You made my day! It's so nice to know you're not alone in the way you're feeling, isn't it? And it's wonderful to have support from others. As far apart as we are, and as different as parts of our lives may be, we still have the same issues to deal with. I'm so glad what I wrote helped you. It's helped me to put it in writing and be more content at home myself. Come back anytime! I'm on my way over to check out your blog. Can't wait to see your crocheting! Have a wonderful day!

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  6. Thank you for this great post! I'm going to stay home today. :)

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  7. You see that your house is a chaos even after you have cleaned. Why one must bother trying the impossible? To tell you what can be done. For one thing, those people whose house seems clean always do not live in uncertainty. Another reason - people have a propensity to occur unexpectedly. House Cleaning

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