Author: Jenny Irvine

40 Things to Give Up or Give Back During Lent

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During Lent I am often troubled with what to give up. Nothing ever quite seems “right” or significant enough. I personally do better with giving to others and doing more of something. It stretches my heart, increases my level of empathy, and gives me sincere gratitude for all the things I’ve been given: oppose to, an act of “giving up” say; chocolate, which does not in fact stretch me beyond these walls.

 
I encourage you to do whichever is going to help you grow spiritually.  If fasting from a given item, thing, food, or habit does then by all means do that – but, if you are like myself and the fuel that feeds your soul is “doing” then get moving and act today; what are you waiting for? It’s not too late!




40 Days of Giving

 “40 Things to Give Up or Give Forward”

 Give up sugar drinks (pop/soda, juice)
 
Eat no or minimally processed foods 
 
Give up trying to be perfect; God doesn’t expect perfect. He wants you to take action, build strength, and learn from failure. 
Give up eating out
 
Give up your fears; pray for strength, wisdom, and growth. May your fears be cast aside and the next 40 days prepare you to let your wings spread wide open. 
 
Television 
 
Make a point to eat together at every meal (Be sure to register for your FREE Table Talk Starters for some great family discussion) 
 
Have a whining/complaining jar “do all things without complaining” if one fails they in turn pay a quarter. All monies shall be donated at the end of Lent. 
 
Give up social media
 
Implement no electronics after a given time of day (this includes phone use) 
 
Give up coffee, tea, or alcohol
 
 
Ice cream, cakes, and cookies 
 
Go vegetarian for 40 days or give up all red meat. Who knows you might just like it. 
 
Give up cheese and other dairy products
 
Turn the radio off in the car during lent. Use the time to talk with your family, pray, and reflect. 
 
 
Give up snacking after dinner 
 
Give up the need to impress others. Be you and do it well! 
 
Give up gossip, drama, and making comparisons. We all have a purpose, a drive, a mission to be fulfilled. Encourage others and share your story.
 
Be the “GIFT” of Lent (Give it forward for 40)




 
Make care packages for homeless
 
Bake cookies for a the firehouse
 
Clean out closets and donate gently used items to those in need
 
Make blankets for a local women/children shelter 
 
Purchase new books and stuffed animals for the pediatric cancer unit
 
Send flowers to an old friend
 
Take your kids to a nursing home to play games with the residents 
 
Go on a nature hike in your neighborhood and pick up garbage along the way
 
Make a meal for a new mom
 
Donate canned food to a local pantry
 
Host a can drive and donate all money to the local humane society or animal rescue
 
Make cards and jam for an elderly neighbor
 
Invite someone over you would like to get to know better for tea/coffee and donuts. Friendships don’t just happen you must initiate them. 
 
Babysit for a friend’s kid(s) free of charge 
 
Sign up for a marathon. Train during lent and start your fundraising campaign.
 
Give a just because gift to your mail carrier, the librarian, and doctors office to show your appreciation for them. 
 
Volunteer at a local soup kitchen
 
Make encouraging book marks and leave them in library books for others to find. 
 
Use your talents to teach others. Teach someone to sew, cook, or read.
 
Make a point to be generous to others through a cheerful smile, a simple act (hold the door), or letting someone cut in line. Wear your heart on your sleeve and put your pride in your pocket. 
 

A Well Planned Day; 24 Hrs to Live Purposefully

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If you are anything like myself, you love schedules, routines, and structure. I work best when I know everything has a place and a time to be accomplished. If that is the case you might also be a bit curious at times as to what other peoples schedules look like. 


Or maybe, you are the complete opposite and can fly by the seat of your pants and change plans at the drop of a hat. If that is you please contact me, I would love a lesson or two from you on how to roll with the punches a bit more. 


I can remember a time long before I had kids of my own; I was babysitting a family, who coincidentally home-schooled.  I, a traditional schooled child found myself ever so inquisitive as to just how this family made it all work. Where did they do school? How long did it take? How do they “do” school and live their life? What do their meals look like? I wanted to know everything. I was intrigued and OK a bit nosy. Ha, there I said it. 

When peoples lives differ from our own it’s only natural to want to learn more. My fascination of schedules and/or routines runs deep and getting a behind the scenes look of how others “do it” provides a window into their life that we wouldn’t otherwise have.

Ironically 16+ years later here I am being asked these same questions. I am now the one answering “how we do it“. Rest assured there is no “right” or “perfect” schedule or method to getting things done. I certainly don’t have all the answers nor do I have it all together. However, if have learned anything over the years it is despite my instinct to plan every minute of my day leaving room for the unseen is among the most important. 

If you are feeling unproductive in your day, not accomplishing your goals, and feeling stressed a schedule or routine that makes room for those things might be just what you need. If you have a schedule and still are stressed, unproductive, and defeated at the days end then let me encourage you to revamp it. 

– Make a list of all that you do in a day. Over the next 2-3 days write down all that you do every 30 minutes. (Meal prep, school, laundry, etc.) I know this sounds daunting but, trust me you will thank me later. 

– Now, write down all like or similar activities together and put them in order of how you would like them accomplished. (Example: take shower, blow dry hair, and apply make up would become one; a  “morning routine“) You are not writing your activities in a given time slot. You are simply making a list; a routine of sorts. You are not bound by time but rather, the tasks at hand that need be accomplished. 

Here is an example of my typical morning;

Morning routine (shower, pray, read/write)…someday when I sleep more than 4hrs at night this time slot will include work out.
Breakfast (eat and feed the little ones)
Morning maintenance  (get dressed, make beds,  brush teeth, etc.)
Start school

– Now, write out the 24 hours in your day again in 30 minute increments. Or go HERE and print your free worksheet already to go for you. 
12:00AM 
12:30AM
1:00AM

– You will now, fill in the time slots with the general things that need to get done and their allotted time slot. This is not binding you to these times but simply bringing awareness of what needs to get done in what time is available to you; 24 hours.
12:00AM sleep
12:30AM sleep
(No brainer, right?!)

You might be amazed at just how much you try to cram into your 24hrs and it is only when you write it out that you can gain a clear picture as to where or what might need to go. Staying focused on our priorities can help us better plan a purpose filled day. Don’t bog down your schedule with things that are not helping you accomplish your goals; let go of those things and “say no“. 

A schedule or routine is not something that will forever remain unchanged. It is constantly evolving and in need of evaluation. Do only what works for you and you alone. We are all guilty of making comparisons. I assure you no man has it all together and no man can do it all. That includes you and I despite how we may make it appear. 

It is only with a little planning, a rough outlined schedule, and through Gods wisdom we can begin to really do His work and focus on the things that really matter.

And for those of you who are dying to know what a “typical day in the life of myhappyhomestead.com” looks like CLICK HERE (go ahead… I would be curious too)

4 Ways to Reclaim Your Day

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The phone is ringing.


Facebook is calling our name.

Our favorite TV show is on.

The cell phone is blowing up with text messages.  

Does that sound at all familiar? Our lives are filled with distractions and temptation like no other time in history. We are inundated with information and the outside noise often pulls us away from the very things that deserve our utmost attention. Remember your priority list and goals?

Do you hear it? That noise; tick-tock,tick-tock. It is the sound of the clock and worst yet, it is your time slipping away. 

All of the outside distractions are a constant pull on what really matters. Maybe it’s your time with God, your husband, children, a career, or your physical healthy that are suffering most. 

I know the outside noise for me is certainly a ring leader in my procrastination struggles. I often am late because I choose to give my attention to something that at that exact moment is likely unnecessary and undeserving of it. The phone tends to be a big one for me. I hear the ringing and I proceed to answer despite my keen awareness that it will likely lead to a late arrival somewhere or at a minimum a severe falling behind of our schedule. With only 15 minutes to spare before running out the door; I pick up “hello“. Something so innocent; something, I clearly should have ignored. Now, we are going to be late and I am grumpy towards my children as a result of a choice I made. I rush them out the door, yell too much, and have an overwhelming sense of guilt. This is just one example of how how our choosing unwisely can directly affect our children.  Can you relate? Unfortunately, It is often those that are the innocent bystanders that get the wrath of our poor judgement calls.

How can I do better? I know I can. How can you do better? There’s always room for improvement. 

Here are a few ideas that I have/am taking up and hope you will join me in doing the same; let’s reclaim our days and precious time together.

4 Steps to Reclaiming Your Day
1) Turn off the ringers or do away with the house phone all together. 

2) Set limits; strict limits as to when you can partake in social media. (apps like “Focus” and/or setting your phone timer for a given duration of time that you are allotting for such can help immensely.)

3) If you have a favorite TV show maybe watch that program only and then turn the TV off. There really is no benefit to watching the 2 shows before or after it. If you are really daring get rid of TV all together. (I’m pretty sure I could do away with TV but my family would not approve*)

4) Texting is great; I love it! You can’t hear my kids screaming and I can respond when I have time. However, looking at the top of someones head and the lack of real socializing that comes with texting is really quite annoying. Set limits. We are social persons made to be in the company of others not solely to communicate through machines. 

At the end of the day we are left with choices and what we choose to spend our time doing on a given day directly effects how we feel and behave. How we feel or behave directly effects our productivity and priorities. It is a chain reaction. When our kids make poor choices there are consequences and as adults that still holds true. 

Join me in choosing wisely the things that are deserving of our time. 

*I do not recommend making any permanent changes that will affect the family directly without consulting them on such matters first (i.e. getting rid of the TV) it might not go over so well otherwise. *