Our mom’s give us plenty of advice as we grow up, especially as we reach adulthood. But how often do we listen to it? When we’re moving out of the house is a great time to seek mom’s wisdom on some of the important things in life––like how to keep a house.
Make your bed!
You’ve probably grown up hearing those words: make your bed. And while you may have ignored them many times, nothing cleans up a bedroom more than a bed that is made. And this doesn’t mean tossing your dirty laundry on the bed and covering it with the comforter before guests arrive. Visit wikihow.com to learn how to neatly make your bed, hospital corners and all.
A well-made bed may be aesthetically essential, but a clean set of sheets is hygienically important. You should get into the habit of changing to a clean set of sheets once a week. Not only will this remove dust mites and dirt, but it will help your sheets last longer too.
There are a few basic things you need for your bed. Obviously, first are the sheets. Unless you want to wash and dry your sheets immediately when changing the bed, it’s nice to have two sets––one to put on the bed while the others are being laundered. One important, yet often forgotten item for the bed––which never gets seen––is the mattress pad. Although this may seem like an unnecessary addition, it will keep your mattress (usually an expensive part of your bed set) cleaner and in better condition. And it adds extra softness to your slumber. If you’re like most people, you’ll probably want a pillow––or three. The number is up to you, as is the firmness and thickness. Next comes the blanket, although you may choose to take this off if you tend to get hot in the summer months. And lastly, most people have some sort of comforter or bedspread. The choice is up to you. Some prefer the frilliness of a bedspread; others, the simplicity of a duvet comforter; and others, the uniqueness of a homemade quilt.
Pick up your clothes!
More than likely, you have at least one thing that will need ironed while living on your own. And while you may never have had to iron at home, now’s the time to take a lesson from Mom. (You can also visit this article on ehow.com to learn about ironing a shirt.) There are several ways to ruin clothes while ironing, so it’s important to know what you’re doing. Obviously, leaving the hot iron sitting on your clothes will burn them. But a wrong setting on the iron can also damage your wardrobe. One thing that is often neglected is cleaning your iron. Make sure that you’re not ironing with a dirty soleplate. This grime may transfer onto your clothes.
Of course, before you can iron your clothes, they need to be clean. Many people have had to do some bit of laundry before leaving home, so hopefully this will be somewhat familiar to you. If not, here’s a little Laundry 101.
Sort your stuff––First start by sorting your laundry by color––whites/lights and darks (reds are also separate). Then sort them further by delicates, towels (which produce lint), lingerie (lingerie bags are great for this), and heavier items such as jeans and sweatshirts.
Pretreat stains––If anything is stained or soiled, now is the time to deal with it. Check your clothing carefully for any stains that need to be treated. Once your clothes have been dried, the stains are pretty much set in. Go here for a list of stain removal tips.
Load the laundry––Now it’s time to fill the washer with your first load. Put in the laundry detergent while running the water in the machine. Remember to consider what temperature is recommended for your load (check the tags!) and which cycle to set it on (again, the tags!). (Keep in mind there are some clothes (silk, linen, wool) that may need to be dry cleaned.) Do not overload your machine! As proud as you may be to fit all 3 weeks’ worth of laundry into one load, it will not be clean when it comes out. There needs to be room for your clothes to agitate (move around) during the wash cycle.
Drying time––When your load is done washing, it’s time to dry. There are some items that may need to be kept out while drying, such as bras and other delicates. Note what setting the dryer needs to be on for your load.
Time to fold––All your hard work will be lost if you leave your clean laundry in a pile on the floor for the next week. As tiresome as it may seem after your day with the washer and dryer, you need to fold your laundry and put it away. If it needs ironed, iron it as soon as possible so you’re not having to iron a wrinkly dress 10 minutes before you need to leave for work.
Stay Tuned
Later, we’ll discuss basic clean-up and supplies needed, so check back soon!
By Lisa Grimenstein
The big day
This is another area where the expense can really interfere with a bride’s wedding budget. And even if you’re not the professional stylist, many people can create wedding day tresses. As with the makeup, make sure to schedule in several practice sessions. Come equipped with pictures of up-dos and other styles that might suit the bride’s hair type. Curling irons and bobby pins are often an essential part of styling, so have these on hand. And don’t forget all the supplies on the wedding day!
Her wedding is one of the most anticipated things in a girl’s life. We play it as young girls. We dream about it as growing young women. Then the time arrives––the wedding date has been set and it’s time to start planning. And this is where the stress often begins.
Do people tell you you have great handwriting? Offer to help the bride with one of the most dreaded of all pre-wedding jobs––invitations. Set a day, or days, when you can get together and address wedding invitations. Not only will the job go faster, but it will give you some great talk time with your friend in the midst of all the wedding busyness.
After more than 20 years of marriage, we divorced. That was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life. We were in marriage counseling for years and years, and if Frank really wanted to change then he would have in that amount of time. Frank loved himself more than anything or anyone else. I couldn’t take any more of his lies, his unfaithfulness, or his abuse.
I had to learn to be “real.” I always had this false hope that everything would work out––that Frank would change. I couldn’t understand why my prayers regarding Frank were going unanswered. I was hurting…deeply…why wasn’t God hearing my pleas? Then one day, I read in the Bible that God gives people over to their debased minds 
Since the theme for this month is “Pierce my heart to serve,” I thought I’d take this opportunity to discuss a woman’s role in marriage and in society. My generation of women has been privileged to receive the same rights and freedoms as the men in our country. We can vote, become soldiers, work in the government, or be stay-at-home mothers. Our options are never-ending. In many ways this is a great improvement for our world and nation, but it can also hinder us from fulfilling and respecting the duties given to us by God. Sometimes we think that serving our husbands and being submissive to them is degrading or old-fashioned, but remember this: God loves us and would never command us to do something that is not for our best and His glory.
When I was younger I used to say that no man was ever going to boss me around, but back then I didn’t understand the rest of God’s command. Not only did He command wives to be submissive, but He also commanded husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church. This means there will be no bossing around or controlling. But my husband will love me, and I will serve and respect him. It is meant to be a mutually loving relationship where both give of themselves so that both can be satisfied.
A. It is not our job as husbands to control our wives, but to love them unconditionally and sacrificially. This includes loving them––and showing love to them––regardless of what we perceive their faults to be. God is the One who should be in control of our lives and marriages. Although God commands our wives to respect us as husbands 
There are currently six states that have voted to legalize same-sex marriage: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire. California allowed it for five months and recognizes the marriages that were performed during that time. New York and Washington DC recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states but do not allow them performed there.
Have you noticed how Hollywood seems to delight in marriage? But not a healthy, godly marriage––marriages that are broken and unfaithful. We are constantly informed of the latest news of a star’s ending marriage, or of some unfaithfulness going on. And most of the time, it’s with some amusement. That’s why it’s so refreshing to watch a movie that portrays a real glimpse of what marriage often becomes, and what it should be.
We are all sinners 
“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
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