Making My Own

I think I'm deciding that I'm too idealistic for my own good. I'm realizing how very much I need my logical, realistically-minded husband to keep me in line. Everything seems possible to me! I overestimate my abilities, underestimate how long things will take and, in general, just seem unable to make sound judgement calls. Some cases in point:

"Making my own" sounds great to me. Very domestic. Very natural and healthy. Cheaper! Yes, I think I ought to make my own, so I have been. And here is how it's going . . .

Shampoo. Baking soda and water, with lavender oil. It's okay for the kids, maybe, but I do not like this for me! After several weeks, I switched to Miracle II for my hair. This still didn't work out right, and when I went for my bi-annual haircut I was convinced that I needed to move on.

Conditioner. Water and apple cider vinegar. Ummm... maybe.

Laundry Soup. B questioned me on this one when, on a Saturday morning, with three loads of laundry ready to go, I was grating FelsNaptha to put into the Vitamix with Borax and washing soda. I don't love the scent, nor am I convinced that it's doing a great job (but I'm not all that great with laundry anyway). Kind of fun, but also . . . more work.

Bread. LOVE it. Finally have a great recipe to make five loaves at a time. Only problem is that I'm killing my Kitchen Aid, which can't stand up to the stiff dough.

Muffins. Yay! A friend recommended Falls Mill baking mix. Now, my made-from-scratch muffins are ready in a fraction of the time, and I still feel that I've not compromised. (No preservatives, etc.)

Yogurt. Another friend generously gave us fresh, raw milk. I tried this crock-pot yogurt recipe. Twice it turned out very well. The last time, not so much. But, since the milk was free, it's still a positive, I think. We eat a lot of yogurt with granola.

Soup. We eat a LOT of soup in these autumn and winter months. Hooray for Bob's Red Mill 13 bean soup! I can soak this, simmer it during school hours, and have a yummy soup by supper time.

We also use cloth diapers, cloth napkins, grind our wheat and other grains, and basically make as much as possible from scratch. Much as I love it, I do feel a bit tired! Several friends have recently encouraged me to look for some shortcuts and compromises. I'm trusting their wisdom (and realizing how much I need wisdom spoken into my life!), and taking their advice to heart. Some things don't matter as much as they feel like they matter to me.

The Lord says that He establishes the work of my hands. He's given it to me to do. He also doesn't give me more than I can bear, and so I want to be sure that I'm not putting more on my plate than He is. The best way I can think to align myself with His plans is for me to be alone with Him. THAT is my priority- not making everything from scratch.