Wash Day Prayer ~ Free Inspirational Printable

"Each day had its own proper work. Ma used to say:

"Wash on Monday,

Iron on Tuesday,

Mend on Wednesday,

Churn on Thursday,

Clean on Friday,

Bake on Saturday,

Rest on Sunday."

~ Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laundry Maid by Greuze

Do you dread wash day? After trying my hand at hand washing for two months (out of a weird necessity, I assure you), I can honestly say that I love wash day now... with my washing machine. It really puts things into perspective. There can be beauty in wash day, for I find the most lovely thing is that we no longer have to be a slave to the wash. We can embrace it and think on the good things… such as the fresh aroma of a clean load coming out of the washer, and the fact that we don't have to haul water from the well, lug our soiled clothes to a nearby creek or boil water in a large kettle. To my way of thinking, there is much to be thankful for on our wash days!

Wash Day by Daniel Ridgeway Knight

THE WASHING ~ A Poem of Old

They that wash on Monday
Have all the week to dry;

They that wash on Tuesday
Are not so much awry;

They that wash on Wednesday
Are not so much to blame;

They that wash on Thursday
Wash for very shame;

They that wash on Friday
Wash because of need,

And they that wash on Saturday,
Oh, they are lazy indeed!

Washing by the Rocky Creek by Carla D’aguanno

"That afternoon she washed the clothes in the tub and spread them on the grass to dry."

~ Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Wash Day by Renoir

"I made a 'pome' yesterday, when I was helping Hannah wash; and, as father likes my silly little things, I put it in to amuse him. Give him the lovingest hug that ever was, and kiss yourself a dozen times for your

"Topsy-Turvy Jo."

"A SONG FROM THE SUDS.

"Queen of my tub, I merrily sing,While the white foam rises high;And sturdily wash and rinse and wring,And fasten the clothes to dry;Then out in the free fresh air they swing,Under the sunny sky.

"I wish we could wash from our hearts and soulsThe stains of the week away,And let water and air by their magic makeOurselves as pure as they;Then on the earth there would be indeedA glorious washing-day!

"Along the path of a useful life,Will heart's-ease ever bloom;The busy mind has no time to thinkOf sorrow or care or gloom;And anxious thoughts may be swept away,As we bravely wield a broom.

"I am glad a task to me is given,To labor at day by day;For it brings me health and strength and hope,And I cheerfully learn to say,—'Head, you may think, Heart, you may feel,But, Hand, you shall work alway!'"

~ Louisa May Alcott, Excerpt from Little Women

Washing Day by Pierre Edouard Frere

Children can be very helpful in the laundry process. They can be taught to sort your clothes, check pockets and reverse clothing to proper sides. They can also fold clothes while younger ones can match socks. They may be sloppy at first but the progress will be quick and within a year they will be such a blessing to you in this area! Just overlook the lumpy folding jobs they do in the beginning and you will succeed in having many capable hands in the future. View here for more ideas concerning children and laundry.

Wash Day on the Plains by Minerva K. Teichert

Laundry List ~

• Clean your washing machine every few months by pouring 2 cups of white vinegar and running your washing machine on a complete cycle using hot water. This is especially important if you have hard water.
• Visit here for a frugal recipe to make your own fabric softener. 
• Hydrogen Peroxide is a safe alternative to bleach for your whites, add one cup to wash cycle or 1/2 cup to your rinse cycle for whitening.
• Borax, salt and baking soda are effective stain removers. A dab of lemon essential oil also does a great job.

Washerwoman by Walter H. Everett

"Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me."

~ Based on Psalms 51:2, 51:7, 51:10

Whenever we are doing household tasks, it is helpful to dwell on pleasant thoughts. Here are some verses in Scripture that I felt were inspirational to think upon while performing our laundry duties.

I thought it would be neat to compose them into a "wash day prayer". You will find the free printable HERE if you are interested in adding this to your laundry room.

For more wash day inspiration, visit here.

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Shabbilicious Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them). Thank you to The Graphics Fairy for the "frame" clip art used in this printable.

Chocolate Dream Filled Cake ~ Printable Recipe

"Let's face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people;

it does for me." ~ Audrey Hepburn

This chocolate cake recipe is the favorite in our family. A rich cream cheese filling gives it a special touch that should excite all who is given a plate. Some cold, raw milk to wash it down, delicious! Along with a little extra instruction, there is a printable recipe below for those who are drawn to such delicacies. This is basically a three step cake and therefore very easy to make.

First off, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 by 9 inch pan.

Step One~

Combine and blend together the following to make your cream cheese filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp. softened butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. corn starch
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Set aside.

Step Two~

Do one of the following:

• Use a dark chocolate cake mix and follow the directions for the batter or;
• Use your own favorite chocolate cake recipe from scratch and prepare the batter.

Spread one half of the chocolate cake batter on the bottom of your greased and floured, 13 by 9 inch pan. Spread it out evenly with a spatula.

Next, spread out all of the cream cheese filling as evenly as possible over the chocolate cake layer. Do this by dropping the filling evenly around and then gently spreading it with a spatula. Try not to mix the two batters together when doing this.

Now, spread the rest of your chocolate cake batter over the top of the cream cheese filling until it is all covered and the treasured layer is hidden beneath. Bake the cake for about 40 - 45 minutes (350 degrees) until toothpick comes out clean or the cake is firm.  Baked cake should somewhat resemble the picture below.

Step three~ 

Prepare the frosting by beating slowly the following until smooth:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar (add this in to the above ingredients slowly when blending to prevent a blizzard in your kitchen)

Wait until the cake is completely cooled before you frost it. The final touch or "icing on the cake" would be to add a chopped up Heath Bar or Score Bar and sprinkle on top. Best served chilled in my humble opinion (wink).

Note: You can prepare the complete cake with frosting and freeze it in its entirety. Just make sure you give it a few hours at room temperature to thaw out before enjoying.

Here is our printable recipe to add to your recipe book.

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Shabbilicious Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

Homecoming for Husbands ~ Setting the Mood

"Let the wife make the husband glad to come home,

and let him make her sorry to see him leave."

~ Martin Luther

We had a long and hard day. The children are fussy, our head aches and the house is untidy. Your husband will be home in a few hours from work and who knows what you'll eat for dinner.

How will he be greeted?

We as wives always want to feel special and adored, but are we making our husbands feel loved and cherished as well? Are we greeting him each day like an encouraging "help meet" or a "hinder meet"? Do we build up our homes or are we tearing them down with our whining ways the minute he steps through the door?

"Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife."

 ~ Proverbs 21:19

Make your home a haven where your husband feels the pressures from the world melt from his shoulders! Let peace, love and order reign when that front door opens. Let him not dread his one and only domain! Sadly, many women complain that their husbands have so many hobbies that keep them from the home, in some cases it may have been the unpleasant homecomings that helped to create it.

I noticed that the more I give in my marriage, the more affection, love, and consideration is returned. It took me time to figure that out! I expected so much and one day realized that I was doing so little!

"Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands." 

~ Proverbs 14:1

Pray for wisdom, self control and tenderness when you greet your loved one as both of you may have had a long and hard day. Your actions can either make or break the rest of the evening for your entire family. The homecoming sets the mood in many a house. Your children are watching. How is mama treating their father? Make it a point to give the sweetest greeting you can when he walks through that door and watch the blessings of peace shower down into your home. Once he is nice and comfortable, I am sure he will take the time to make sure that the love of his life is well cared for too.

You may also be interested in reading other Matters on Marriage.

"A wife of noble character is her husband's crown…"

~ Proverbs 12:4

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Shabbilicious Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

How to Encourage Reading in your Children

Four suggestions to encourage reading in your home:

• Limit television time or forego it altogether (consider a once-a-week movie night). Free reign of the television for children is absolutely going to kill the desire to read (and play too!).

• Read to your children every day, the earlier in their life, the better. We started as soon as they could sit up. How will your children know what excitement and knowledge is to be found in books unless you introduce them to it? An excellent way to keep your toddler children interested in spending time independently with books is to introduce them to a series. Once they are "friends" with some of the characters they will want to keep on revisiting them. You will be surprised at how much time the little ones will spend with a stack of books by themselves. Our favorites for the younger years are the Berenstain Bears.

• For older children that you are trying to encourage, zero in on their interests and research books within that. Starting them on a series is the best approach if they are already hesitant readers. You may want to spend time reading a chapter each day to introduce the first book in the series with them. Once you have caught their interest, supply them with the next book and watch how the desire to read takes off! The first chapter book series that won the hearts in this home was the Boxcar Children. (These are wholesome mysteries for young children in which the brothers and sisters work together lovingly. I would suggest these for 6 - 10 years of age depending on your specific child.)

• Audio books are a wonderful way to encourage lazy readers. Similar to the concept above, the key is to get them interested and to realize how fun books can be. Turn them on during silent activities such as coloring, drawing or building with blocks. Once they are engaged, then the rest of the titles in that series or by the same author will be of interest to them and they will want to read them independently. 

You won't believe the results if you encourage book reading. How many things our children learn from books that didn't require my teaching! I am constantly asking, where did you learn that??? 

I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings--
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be--
I had a Mother who read to me.

~ Excerpt from The Reading Mother by Strickland Gillilan

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Shabbilicious Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).