Hi from my little hearth

Hello homemakers!

I've been inspired by my sister at Back Woods Wife (and many of the blogs that are linked from her site) to start a blog about the trials and triumphs of keeping a home. I'm a fairly new wife (just over 2 years), a full-time theology student, a part-time bookstore worker, and involved with various church activities. We all have challenges in homemaking, but mine are:

finding time to do it
working with a small apartment
staying disciplined with a routine of housework
trying to keep my books from taking over the house (and my life!)
learning to expand my cooking repertoire.

I thought I'd dream up a little vision of my home to help keep me focused on why I need to get my hands into another sink of dirty dishes...

I've always loved the word "hearth." To me it evokes an image of a warm and restful haven, a gathering place for family and friends, a lively source of creativity, the true heart of a home lit from within by love. That is what I want my home to be, for myself and my husband, and for others who visit. But in order for that to happen it needs to be clean, organized, and pleasant!

I have a few goals I'd like to start with. Our apartment isn't a total disaster, but some discipline is needed to keep things humming along and prevent chaos when I get really busy with my studies and writing. The kitchen and bedroom tend to get messiest the quickest, so here's what I'm shooting for:

1) Make the bed everyday
2) Do the dishes everyday
3) Put away my clothes everyday

It may seem small, but that's where I'm starting! My hope is that these things will become a habit for me eventually :)