The Hidden Art if Homemaking

(This post was originally published on my old blog on Nov 12, 2008)

I've been working on a lapbook to go along with The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer. This is an excellent book with lots of wonderful ideas on how to realize your full potential, while creating a fuller, richer homelife for yourself and your family. Mrs. Schaeffer works from the premise that everyone has God given talents, gifts of creativity given to us by a creative God, and we shouldn't allow our present circumstances to keep us from using those talents. For instance, Mrs. Schaeffer describes how to create a "home" that reflects your own personality- whether you are renting in the city, single and "waiting", living in a nursing home, or even living in a drain pipe. She also points out how stifling our talents hurts us and those around us, and gives pointers on ways that everyone, even a mother with many young children, can use their gifts of music, drama, drawing, or writing to bless their own small audience.  This book covers a multitude of other topics as well, including cooking, flower arrangement, clothing, creative recreation, and even integration. It is not a "how-to" manual , but rather an idea manual, guaranteed to get those creative juices flowing. 

In the process of re-reading this book, I was convicted of an area where I have been sinning against my children.  While I am all for art and creativity, I also have this practical side which can't tolerate what I consider to be a waste. So when my children spend hours creating elaborate, artistically decorated  notes, I get rather impatient with them. Why spend all that time and effort, not to mention the "waste" of paper, on something which could have been spoken in a matter of seconds? Yet I now see that this just one of their ways of practicing "hidden art." It is a good thing, given to them by a God who created all things to be good.  And just like Him, it is their desire to fill the world with beauty. (And they didn't even need a book to tell them how!)

The Hidden Art of Homemaking is an excellent book with lots of wonderful ideas on how to realize your full potential, while creating a fuller, richer homelife for yourself and your family. It covers a multitude of topics including cooking, flower arrangement, clothing, creative recreation, and even integration. It makes a great study for mothers to do alone or with their daughters.

Don't Bite The Hands That Bless You!

I have a confession to make. I'm  angry. 

I just finished reading a post on the Homeschool Share blog explaining why they have decided to remove all their FIAR resources, as a matter of concience, and I am totally stunned by many of the comments that post recieved.

For those of you who do not know, the Homeschool Share website is a labor of love produced by Ami Brainerd. Every one of the resources offered on the site is available FREE to users because Ami and a limited number of other volunteers are willing to sacrificed large amounts of their time to create them.

You would think that a woman who gives so generously to help others would be the subject of undying gratitude from the hoards who have done nothing but recieved free gifts from her hands. Yet, there is a number of people out there who feel it right to censure her because she made the decision to stop sharing a few of those resources. And that makes me mad. 

I've posted on this topic before, and I don't see how I can say it any better, so I am re-posting a blog article I wrote four years. Perhaps it will be a reminder to others out there to be more grateful for what they are given.

There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
If you have studied economics you are probably familiar with the expression "There’s No Such Thing As A Free Lunch." As homeschool moms who face an abundance of teaching resources, avaiable at the click of a mouse, with no cost to us personally, it is easy to forget this fact. But the truth is, none of those "free" resources are really free. Each and every one of them has cost somebody something to create them or host them and it is by their generosity that these resources are available to us. In return, we ought to consider it our duty to show gratitude for the benefits we receive.

Here are three easy ways to demonstrate your appreciation to these "silent heroes" of the curriculum world:

1. Don’t forget to say "thank-you". This ought to be obvious, but how often do we really send out notes of thanks for the freebies we receive? Most of these individuals ask for nothing more than to know that they have made a difference in someone’s life. Be dilligent to encourage those who otherwise receive no recompence for their labors and they will feel that all their time and effort was well spent.

2. Be fair in your critiques. Have you ever downloaded something and thought, "What a waste of my time! I could have done a better job than this!" or "This isn’t what I was hoping for!" Yet, the fact that you have no need of that item doesn’t make it less valuable to others that might download it, or make its creator any less generous for offering it.

As both a reviewer and a publisher on the Currclick website, I like to keep up with the comments posted there. Over the past several months I have noticed some very bad reviews being given to products which are offered as freebies. People download a file because it costs them nothing, then give a review based on how the product fit their needs, rather than on the quality and merits of the product. They do this without stopping to think what it cost that publisher to offer it in the first place or to consider what their review will do to the overall reputation of that publisher. I wonder how many of these publishers, after making such a sacrifice and receiving such a poor thanks, will have the desire to make that mistake again?

3. Respect copyrights. It is easy to assume that because a publisher is willing to give his product away, he has given up all rights to it. Yet this is not the case. Many publishers use free promotions to draw traffic to their websites and generate income to support themselves. Others offer freebies solely for the gratification that comes from helping others. No matter the reason, and no matter the price, these items are still under copyright. It is up to the publisher to decide where they are posted and who receives them. And it is also up to the publisher whether or not these items should remain free.

Too often I’ve seen examples of files being copied from various websites and posted on Yahoo Groups or on file sharing sites without the permission of the original creator. I ‘ve also witnessed conversations concerning limited time freebies. Someone who has missed out on the opportunity to download a previously posted freebie will request that the item be forwarded to her and someone else will send it. We may see these as harmless acts, but if intellectual property rights are not respected, more and more publishers will decide that these "free" products are not worth the cost.

I’ll end with a quote from Jessica Feliciano of Notebooking2Learn. I believe she voiced the thoughts of all our "silent heroes" when she wrote:

"For those of you who have been blessed by the free resources that you find here and elsewhere among generous homeschooling mom’s, please don’t take them for granted. They truly are labors of love and many times cost their creators much more than time. What some may not realize is the that the cost of clip art, printer ink and paper to make these resources and to make sure that they "work" before they are shared can really add up. If you are blessed by a free resource, consider taking the time to say thank you. It is a little gesture that goes a long way. Be considerate of the creators and make sure you link others back to their work and don’t just share a resource because it was free. Be grateful for the resources that are available and don’t make a habit of expecting more."

More posts on this topic:

• When Frugal Is Illegal by Kim Kautzer
• Thank You to all of my Loyal Readers by Erica of Confessions of a Homeschooler

How To Bag Groceries

Although I have never worked in a grocery store, I am pretty certain that these stores have no program for training their employees to bag groceries. And if they do, it isn't working. I cannot count the number of times I have arrived home with ruined groceries, or the times I have had to rebag items at the store to avoid impending disasters.

When all the children were home, there were eleven people in our household and I would spend an average of eight hours a month in the grocery store shopping for them. I spent another two hours a month driving to and from the store, and about three or four hours each month putting away the groceries I bought. Usually I shopped twice a month, and I filled two carts to over flowing each time. So, I think it is fair to say I have invested a good deal of time, as well as money, in grocery shopping.

{My dream is for a world where every loaf of bread would arrive home unsquished and no one would ever find a package of butter in a bag of clothing three days after it was purchased. In order to facilitate that dream, I am offering this guide to bagging groceries without charge to stores world wide. Please feel free to print copies and distribute them to your employees.}


Don't Mash The Merchandise!

Obviously common sense dictates that bread should be placed on top of the other groceries in the cart. However, there are other ways to mangle this delicate item that aren't quite as obvious. First, and most annoying, is when the loaves are placed into the bag horizontally so that they close up like an accordion when the weight of the bag causes the sides to pull in. Similarly, placing too many loaves into the same bag can cause this mashing when the bag is picked up. Heavier types of bread, such as bagels, should never be put in the same bag as lighter ones. The same rule applies to tomatoes and other heavy items which may be prone to squishing. Put them on top of the other items, but don't put them on top of the bread. You're bagging groceries, not building a sandwich.

Eggs, though slightly sturdier and better packaged, should also be treated with care. Although you technically can fit three or four boxes in the same bag, you must remember that the customer is going to have to pick that bag up and carry it. If it is too full, it will either break or it will just be extremely hard to maneuver. Trust me, it is not a timesaver to have your eggs scrambled ahead of time.

Other squishy items that you might want to protect: chips, taco shells, bananas, avacados, and other soft fruits.


Keep Similar Items Together

Let's face it, bagging groceries is an art. However, there's more to this art than just creating an aesthetically pleasing arrangment of cans and boxes. Though it may be tempting to add a splash of orange to that bag of white T-shirts, a block of cheese will look much better a week from now if it is in your customers refrigerator and not sitting on their bedroom floor. And while it might be a good idea to group "bathroom items" together, you may need to break things down a little further. Toothpaste should NEVER share a bag with toilet bowl cleaner. Frozen foods will travel better and stay frozen longer if they are placed together. Lettuce, on the other hand, does not belong anywhere near ice cream. Not even if you're pregnant.

Raw Foods Are Not All Equal

There's been a lot of talk in recent years about the benefits of a raw foods diet. However, I'm sure that most of us would still agree that eating raw meat is a bad idea. Along those same lines, packing raw meat in a bag with groceries which are intended to be eaten raw is also a bad idea. This would include foods such as cheese, luchmeat (yes, I know they're both meat. that isn't the point.), and snack foods, as well as pretty much anything from the produce section. Raw meat should only be bagged with other raw meat. Just remember that meat can be heavy. Don't put too much in one bag, and double bag if you have any doubts.


Too Much and Too Little

Moderation in all things, especially when it comes to bagging groceries. While conserving resources may save time and money in the short run, you might end up with a lawsuit on your hands when those twenty pounds of canned goods you packed in that one tissue thin bag end up on your customer's foot. On the other side of the spectrum, there really isn't much point in bagging every *s* i* n* g* l* e* item in its own bag, now is there? Remember, once your customer leaves your register, they will have to move those groceries two more times before they are done- once from the cart to their car and again from their car to the house. Over bagging and under bagging both make this process harder than it needs to be.


Other Tips

The most important thing to remember about bagging groceries is to pay attention to the cues of your customer. If they just throw everything on the conveyor belt hap-hazardly, you are probably safe bagging that way. But if they have taken the time to place the groceries on the belt in a meticulously organized fashion, know that this is a test and you will be graded. Happy bagging to you!

What's Your Grocery Shopping Grumble?

Share your story about your worst supermarket experience.