Pip: Welcome to Pollywog’s Place Blog — where the questions are ancient and the stakes are genuinely personal.
Mara: Susie at Pollywog’s Place Blog has been writing about things that actually matter at home and in the heart — what it means to know your own worth, and what it looks like to tend a household with intention. Let’s start with identity and what scripture says you deserve.
Biblical Worth And Identity
Mara: The posts in this segment are asking a question that sounds simple but cuts deep: do you actually believe you are worth something, and does that belief shape who you let into your life?
Pip: The anchor text opens with Proverbs 3:15, and then the post speaks directly to daughters: “You deserve to be loved, but not just loved like the general idea of love, you deserve to be cherished.”
Mara: That distinction matters. The post is not talking about settling for affection that shows up occasionally — it is talking about being someone’s active priority, the person they protect and keep in their thoughts.
Pip: And the post is practical about it. Don’t chase, don’t lower your standards to accommodate someone else’s excuses, and don’t assume you can change a person — that kind of change, the post argues, comes from above, not from patience or pressure.
Mara: The companion piece, “Cherished,” works through exactly what that word means in practice. It defines cherishing as making another person your priority relationship — shown through daily small acts, touch, listening, encouragement, and showing respect in public as well as in private.
Pip: So the two posts are really one argument in two directions: know what you deserve, and then actually demonstrate it when you’re in a relationship.
Mara: That thread — worth informing behavior, not just self-esteem — carries right into how those values play out inside a home.
Home And Family Stewardship
Pip: If the first segment was about knowing your value, this one is about what you do with it once you’re building a life — specifically, what it means to take a home seriously as a responsibility, not just a location.
Mara: “Keeper of The Home” opens with Proverbs 24:3-4, then states the core claim plainly: “We are responsible for our homes and that our homes and families should be a priority for us. It means that we are each responsible for setting the tone of our homes.”
Pip: Setting the tone. That is a bigger job than it sounds — it covers what comes in, what goes out, whether people inside feel safe, and whether guests find rest there.
Mara: The post is also honest about the gap between the ideal and the reality. It names the experience of being a single mother working multiple part-time jobs and still holding the household’s emotional climate as the first priority. The practical sections — meal planning, cleaning routines, budgeting, time management — are offered as tools, not judgments.
Pip: It reads less like a lifestyle prescription and more like someone handing you the manual they wish they’d had at twenty-two.
Mara: The post closes by framing all of it as intentional work. A keeper of the home is not something you drift into — it is a decision made deliberately, then built on through routines, prayer, and the goal of passing those habits forward to the next generation.
Pip: Worth knowing. Cherished at home.
Mara: Both threads come back to the same idea — that what you believe about your value shapes everything downstream, from the relationships you accept to the household you build.
Pip: And apparently the work is never quite finished. Next time, more from Pollywog’s Place.
I will say that last month went pretty well, and our home does feel a bit more KIND. This month, our theme will be PATIENCE. We will be looking at ways that we can be more intentional in showing PATIENCE to others through our actions.
Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” — Anonymous
I’m going to take a quick look at what we have planned for the month so you can get a little idea about how all of our systems work with each other.
Calendar
My morning routine means that I check our calendar every morning, and here is what I am looking at:
There are few appointments that are noted, and I have reminders set in my Cozi app. One appointment is this week, so I remind my husband about it to make sure he remembers.
There are a couple of birthdays, and I am noting the special meals in my planner.
Homeschool Planning – look for lessons ideas to go along with our monthly task and upcoming holidays
Menu Planning – check that we have everything we need for upcoming meals
Garden Planning – check what needs to be transplanted, seeded, started, and bought.
Other Planning – Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl?, President’s Day, income taxes, and possible outings/vacation; check for upcoming birthdays and anniversaries
cleaning windows and doors -washing curtains and/or blinds
cleaning out the top cabinets and wiping all the cabinet fronts
deep cleaning the countertops, sinks, dishwasher, cutting boards, and dish drainer
cleaning under the sink, and the kitchen drawers
deep clean the stove and oven
declutter the dish cabinet and island storage
move and clean behind the large appliances
take an inventory of what we have in the freezer and pantry – incoporate things into the menu
clean/organize the linen cabinet
deep clean the vacuum cleaner, and clean/change filters for the vacuum and ACs
deep clean the high chairs
deep clean bathrooms
Some of the yearly chores for this month are:
Stock up on sunscreen and bug spray
Clean the AC units, if not already completed
Check the BBQ supplies and restock, as needed
Make Plans for upcoming holidays
Sometimes the kiddos are tempted to skip over chores, but it catches up to them later on when things break down or run out. We are trying to teach them important skills that they will need later on in life, skills that will hopefully make them successful in all that they do.
Homeschool
Today, I check my Homeschool Manager app for anything that I might not have added to the main calendar. I normally look over the next week’s schedule on Thursdays, after we finish our school work.
We have started back to school so we are adding in lessons a little each day.
I add the appointments to the monthly lesson plan calendar as well, so I can plan accordingly. I realize that I may need to alter our start date and just use that as a Home Blessing day to get the house back in order, so I just swap a few things around really quick.
I am adjusting some of the planned reading materials so that they will all line up a little better.
These quick changes will keep us from having a very frustrating week back to school… at least I pray it will.
Check accounts to see what payments have cleared, and highlight them on the worksheet
Note any bills still left to pay
I usually do this first, so I know what I have left to spend. My bill pay worksheet makes things much simpler as I can see what I have paid, and what needs to be paid.
I write in the birthdays and special holidays for the month, and then add those ingredients to the grocery list. Clicking on the link will give you a ready-made list of holidays for the month and links to recipes and menu ideas to make them special.
I look over the planned meals and pencil them in.
I note the days when we have appointments and swap those meals for easier meals, if needed.
I check the grocery list that the kids have been filling out on the fridge, and add items to the main list.
I also check my pantry restock list to see what I need to add to the list, if money allows.
I make sure I have the ingredients to preserve the produce that I plan to pick up this month as well. I will add supplies to the grocery list, if needed. Some of these posts have not been published yet, but you should be able to find the printables in the library.
I will either schedule a time to go shopping or place an order for groceries and set a delivery or pickup time that works for us. When I go to town, I usually plan to take care of several errands at once.
At the beginning of the month, I will also place a Sam’s Club order for bulk supplies to be shipped, as well as any supplies we need from Amazon.
Some of the pantry restock items I added to list are:
Canned Fish
Canned/Dried Meats
Rice/Barley
Sugar
Vitamins
Sunscreen/Bug Spray
Some of the produce I’d like to buy for preserving:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Herbs
Dried beans for canning
In April, we were also able to stock up on some veggies and cabbage for pickled veggies and sauerkraut. These aren’t canned but they do last a bit in the fridge and help make meals a little more interesting. We also pickled some eggs have we have an abundance of them right now and they make great protein filled snacks!
If money is short, we can skip the restock and the preserving items until next month. I don’t like to skip things too often, but we do have our pantry pretty well stocked, and as long as we replace what we use, we should be fine.
Garden & Animals
I usually try to get feed and garden supplies once a month to cut down on the number of trips I make to town. The feed store is in the opposite direction of our normal grocery store, and I need all the space in the back of the van for feed, so I can’t really combine these tasks, or I would.
I go out to the greenhouse and garden just about every day, so I keep a running list of things that I need. I will also check my monthly list of tasks that need to be done. I went over my lists this weekend, and I have:
placed online orders for seeds and plants
I need to:
get some more seeds started for the Summer
fill in any gaps in the garden
build rabbit pens and move the rabbits
transplant some of the greenhouse starts to the garden beds
deep clean the coops/pens
get the shade structures in place
get some chicken tractors repaired and put in the gardens
Some of the tasks are also listed with my yearly tasks to make sure that I don’t forget them 🙂
I also check with the kids to see what animal feed we have, check that against my master inventory list, note down what we need in my phone, and then I will make time to go get the feed. I try to combine a few tasks during the same trip.
When I go to get the feed I will:
get feed and animal supplies
pick up seeds or plants at the Farm Center
check with the nursery to see what they might have available
stop at the grocery store, if there is anything we need before the next grocery order
fill up with gas on the way home
When I get home, I always have the kids unload the feed right away, mix anything that needs to be mixed, and put the surplus in the old freezer that we use for storage. Once the feed is taken care of, they will clean out the back of the van 🙂
I try to make sure to do this mid-week, as Fridays & Saturdays are a bit crowded at the Feed Store. It’s always a bit stressful when we get too low on feed as well, so by making sure we have a regular schedule, we can alleviate some of the stress and replace it with PEACE, as we know we have what we need. We can also use these tasks as ways to show LOVE to one another.
To-Do List
I also like to start a To-Do List because things always pop up that I can’t fix right away. I also find things when I am out in the garden that need to be taken care of, I will usually snap a photo and then add it to the list if it can’t be taken care of right away.
This is our list so far:
Master Bathroom
Fix Master Bedroom Floor
build new garden beds – we finished the first ones, but then bought more
add solar lights to chicken coops
finish chicken tractor
hang cameras
put the StarLink on a pole
add trellises to garden beds
create a sensory garden and/or integrate sensory-themed activities into our existing garden – we have had to change the plans a bit.
Finish our new poultry area
Build a new area for our bunny bunnies
Add shade pergolas to the garden
Build rabbit cages for the new area
The list keeps growing and it will continue to grow longer the further we get into the year… hopefully, we can stay on top of it.
This is just a quick look at my weekly plans… I have all month long to work on some of them, and I will try to knock out as many as I can. I know that by handling the smaller things now, it will free up time I might need in the future for BIGGER and BETTER things. A little maintenance helps to keep things running nice and smooth… it also helps us to appreciate all that we have been BLESSED with.
I pray that you will find something useful in these links.
I will say that last month went pretty well, and our home does feel a bit fuller of JOY. This month, our theme will be KINDNESS. We will be looking at ways that we can be more intentional in showing KINDNESS in all that we do.
I’m going to take a quick look at what we have planned for the month so you can get a little idea about how all of our systems work with each other.
Calendar
My morning routine means that I check our calendar every morning, and here is what I am looking at:
There are few appointments that are noted, and I have reminders set in my Cozi app. We have several appointments this week, so I remind my husband about them to make sure he remembers.
There are a couple of birthdays, and I am noting the special meals in my planner.
Sometimes the kiddos are tempted to skip over chores, but it catches up to them later on when things break down or run out. We are trying to teach them important skills that they will need later on in life, skills that will hopefully make them successful in all that they do.
Homeschool
We are currently finished with our 2025-2026 homeschool year so we just do our Morning Meetings right now.
I note when we plan to start back.
I add the appointments to the monthly lesson plan calendar as well, so I can plan accordingly. I realize that I may need to alter our start date and just use that as a Home Blessing day to get the house back in order, so I just swap a few things around really quick.
I also go ahead and update the sites for our lessons so everything is set to go for Monday!
These quick changes will keep us from having a very frustrating week back to school… at least I pray it will.
This month, I will be focusing on adding Science tasks to our homeschool routine, so I will look over those tasks to see what I can work in with our lessons.
Science (April)
Nature is usually wide awake around this time here, so we get to spend a lot of time outdoors. This makes for the perfect opportunities to do some Nature Journaling. I also want to participate in the ONE SEED CHALLENGE on YouTube, so this would be a good time to get started.
April is also the month that Earth Day falls in, so this makes a great time to talk about stewardship of our natural resources.
Some ways we are doing this are:
Creation-based worldview:
look at science from GOD’s perspective as the CREATOR
study the complexity of the world around us, including the universe
check out some meteor showers during the month of April and jot down the dates for future showers, if this interests you
Stewardship of creation:
talk about environmental stewardship and conservation
Research Bible verses on taking care of the earth:
Check accounts to see what payments have cleared, and highlight them on the worksheet
Note any bills still left to pay
I usually do this first, so I know what I have left to spend. My bill pay worksheet makes things much simpler as I can see what I have paid, and what needs to be paid.
I write in the birthdays and special holidays for the month, and then add those ingredients to the grocery list. Clicking on the link will give you a ready-made list of holidays for the month and links to recipes and menu ideas to make them special.
I look over the planned meals and pencil them in.
I note the days when we have appointments and swap those meals for easier meals, if needed.
I check the grocery list that the kids have been filling out on the fridge, and add items to the main list.
I also check my pantry restock list to see what I need to add to the list, if money allows.
I make sure I have the ingredients to preserve the produce that I plan to pick up this month as well. I will add supplies to the grocery list, if needed. Some of these posts have not been published yet, but you should be able to find the printables in the library.
I will either schedule a time to go shopping or place an order for groceries and set a delivery or pickup time that works for us. When I go to town, I usually plan to take care of several errands at once.
At the beginning of the month, I will also place a Sam’s Club order for bulk supplies to be shipped, as well as any supplies we need from Amazon.
Some of the produce I’d like to buy for preserving:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Herbs
Dried beans for canning
If money is short, we can skip the restock and the preserving items until next month. I don’t like to skip things too often, but we do have our pantry pretty well stocked, and as long as we replace what we use, we should be fine.
Garden & Animals
I usually try to get feed and garden supplies once a month to cut down on the number of trips I make to town. The feed store is in the opposite direction of our normal grocery store, and I need all the space in the back of the van for feed, so I can’t really combine these tasks, or I would.
I go out to the greenhouse and garden just about every day, so I keep a running list of things that I need. I will also check my monthly list of tasks that need to be done. I went over my lists this weekend, and I have:
placed online orders for seeds and plants
I need to:
get some more seeds started for the Spring
continue transplanting plants
direct seeds some crops
deep clean the coops/pens
Some of the tasks are also listed with my yearly tasks to make sure that I don’t forget them 🙂
I also check with the kids to see what animal feed we have, check that against my master inventory list, note down what we need in my phone, and then I will make time to go get the feed. I try to combine a few tasks during the same trip.
When I go to get the feed I will:
get feed and animal supplies
pick up seeds or plants at the Farm Center
check with the nursery to see what they might have available
stop at the grocery store, if there is anything we need before the next grocery order
fill up with gas on the way home
When I get home, I always have the kids unload the feed right away, mix anything that needs to be mixed, and put the surplus in the old freezer that we use for storage. Once the feed is taken care of, they will clean out the back of the van 🙂
I try to make sure to do this mid-week, as Fridays & Saturdays are a bit crowded at the Feed Store. It’s always a bit stressful when we get too low on feed as well, so by making sure we have a regular schedule, we can alleviate some of the stress and replace it with PEACE and JOY, as we know we have what we need. We can also use these tasks as ways to show LOVE & KINDNESS to one another.
To-Do List
I also like to start a To-Do List because things always pop up that I can’t fix right away. I also find things when I am out in the garden that need to be taken care of, I will usually snap a photo and then add it to the list if it can’t be taken care of right away.
This is our list so far:
Master Bathroom
Fix Master Bedroom Floor
build new garden beds – we finished the first ones, but then bought more
add solar lights to chicken coops
finish chicken tractor
hang cameras
put the StarLink on a pole
add trellises to garden beds
create a sensory garden and/or integrate sensory-themed activities into our existing garden – we do have a special surprise coming for this area!
Finish our new poultry area
Build a new area for our bunny bunnies
Add shade pergolas to the garden
It isn’t too long yet, but it will grow longer the further we get into the year… hopefully, we can stay on top of it. We are checking things off… a little slower than I like, but progress is progress.
This is just a quick look at my weekly plans… I have all month long to work on some of them, and I will try to knock out as many as I can. I know that by handling the smaller things now, it will free up time I might need in the future for BIGGER and BETTER things. A little maintenance helps to keep things running nice and smooth… it also helps us to appreciate all that we have been BLESSED with.
I pray that you will find something useful in these links.
I will say that last month went pretty well, and our home does feel a bit fuller of LOVE. This month, our theme will be JOY. We will be looking at ways that we can be more intentional in showing JOY in all that we do.
I’m going to take a quick look at what we have planned for the month so you can get a little idea about how all of our systems work with each other.
Calendar
My morning routine means that I check our calendar every morning, and here is what I am looking at:
There are few appointments that are noted, and I have reminders set in my Cozi app. We have several appointments this week, so I remind my husband about them to make sure he remembers.
There are a couple of birthdays, and I am noting the special meals in my planner.
cleaning the tops of cabinets and washing knick-knacks
deep clean the microwave and the area around it
wipe down walls and light switches
clean and declutter upper and lower kitchen cabinets
wipe all cabinet doors
deep clean the coffee maker and the area around it, restock, order supplies
declutter food storage containers
deep clean, declutter, and organize pantry
deep clean the stove top and range hood
scrub down high chairs and car seats
deep clean, declutter, and organize the island and stools
deep clean refrigerators
deep clean the floors and baseboards
declutter craft areas
change out seasonal decor and clean/declutter porches
refill bird feeders
deep water all indoor plants in the shower
scrub table and chairs
detail vacuum and shampoo the carpets
detail dust all electronics, declutter video games
deep clean/declutter toy shelves
flip mattresses, clean under beds
deep clean/declutter closets
deep clean/declutter office area
refill/restock printer and homeschool supplies
deep clean bathroom cabinets and trash cans
deep clean toilets, plunger holder, and toilet bruch holder
restock first aid kit and other bathroom supplies
deep clean laundry room, vacuum out lint filter, restock supplies
We usually tackle one or two these every day or every other day to get them knocked out.
Some of the yearly chores for this month are:
pressure wash house
wash outside windows
buy new water filters for our Berkey system
Sometimes the kiddos are tempted to skip over chores, but it catches up to them later on when things break down or run out. We are trying to teach them important skills that they will need later on in life, skills that will hopefully make them successful in all that they do.
Homeschool
Today, I check my Homeschool Manager app for anything that I might not have added to the main calendar. I normally look over the next week’s schedule on Thursdays, after we finish our school work.
I note when we plan to start back.
I add the appointments to the monthly lesson plan calendar as well, so I can plan accordingly. I realize that I may need to alter our start date and just use that as a Home Blessing day to get the house back in order, so I just swap a few things around really quick.
I also go ahead and update the sites for our lessons so everything is set to go for Monday!
These quick changes will keep us from having a very frustrating week back to school… at least I pray it will.
This month, I will be focusing on adding Health and PE tasks to our homeschool routine, so I will look over those tasks to see what I can work in with our lessons.
Health & Physical Education (March)
Things start to warm up in March, and we can really get active around the house and yard. This is the perfect time for some Spring Cleaning, so we can discuss the health benefits of maintaining a clean home as well as the importance of staying active.
Lent also starts in February of this year (2026) so this would be a good time to learn about that, if you desire.
Some ways we are doing this are:
Stewardship of our bodies:
research what it means to care for our bodies as ‘Temples of the Holy Spirit’
discuss how we can honor GOD through movement, moderation, and exercise
Sportmanship and Teamwork:
promote good sportmanship
discuss the value of teamwork
emphasize virtues like kindness and respect
Research Bible verses on cleanliness and staying active:
Check accounts to see what payments have cleared, and highlight them on the worksheet
Note any bills still left to pay
I usually do this first, so I know what I have left to spend. My bill pay worksheet makes things much simpler as I can see what I have paid, and what needs to be paid.
I write in the birthdays and special holidays for the month, and then add those ingredients to the grocery list. Clicking on the link will give you a ready-made list of holidays for the month and links to recipes and menu ideas to make them special.
I look over the planned meals and pencil them in.
I note the days when we have appointments and swap those meals for easier meals, if needed.
I check the grocery list that the kids have been filling out on the fridge, and add items to the main list.
I also check my pantry restock list to see what I need to add to the list, if money allows.
I make sure I have the ingredients to preserve the produce that I plan to pick up this month as well. I will add supplies to the grocery list, if needed. Some of these posts have not been published yet, but you should be able to find the printables in the library.
I will either schedule a time to go shopping or place an order for groceries and set a delivery or pickup time that works for us. When I go to town, I usually plan to take care of several errands at once.
At the beginning of the month, I will also place a Sam’s Club order for bulk supplies to be shipped, as well as any supplies we need from Amazon.
Some of the produce I’d like to buy for preserving:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Dried beans for canning
If money is short, we can skip the restock and the preserving items until next month. I don’t like to skip things too often, but we do have our pantry pretty well stocked, and as long as we replace what we use, we should be fine.
Garden & Animals
I usually try to get feed and garden supplies once a month to cut down on the number of trips I make to town. The feed store is in the opposite direction of our normal grocery store, and I need all the space in the back of the van for feed, so I can’t really combine these tasks, or I would.
I go out to the greenhouse and garden just about every day, so I keep a running list of things that I need. I will also check my monthly list of tasks that need to be done. I went over my lists this weekend, and I have:
placed online orders for seeds and plants
I need to:
get some more seeds started for the Spring
finish getting the wood chips put down in the garden
transplant some of the cool-weather crops out to the garden beds
set up bird feeders
deep clean the coops/pens
We finally finished putting the garden back together!
Some of the tasks are also listed with my yearly tasks to make sure that I don’t forget them 🙂
I also check with the kids to see what animal feed we have, check that against my master inventory list, note down what we need in my phone, and then I will make time to go get the feed. I try to combine a few tasks during the same trip.
When I go to get the feed I will:
get feed and animal supplies
pick up seeds or plants at the Farm Center
check with the nursery to see what they might have available
stop at the grocery store, if there is anything we need before the next grocery order
fill up with gas on the way home
When I get home, I always have the kids unload the feed right away, mix anything that needs to be mixed, and put the surplus in the old freezer that we use for storage. Once the feed is taken care of, they will clean out the back of the van 🙂
I try to make sure to do this mid-week, as Fridays & Saturdays are a bit crowded at the Feed Store. It’s always a bit stressful when we get too low on feed as well, so by making sure we have a regular schedule, we can alleviate some of the stress and replace it with PEACE, as we know we have what we need. We can also use these tasks as ways to show LOVE to one another.
To-Do List
I also like to start a To-Do List because things always pop up that I can’t fix right away. I also find things when I am out in the garden that need to be taken care of, I will usually snap a photo and then add it to the list if it can’t be taken care of right away.
This is our list so far:
Master Bathroom
Fix Master Bedroom Floor
build new garden beds – we finished the first ones, but then bought more
add solar lights to chicken coops
finish chicken tractor
hang cameras
put the StarLink on a pole
add trellises to garden beds
create a sensory garden and/or integrate sensory-themed activities into our existing garden – we do have a special surprise coming for this area!
Finish our new poultry area
Build a new area for our bunny
It isn’t too long yet, but it will grow longer the further we get into the year… hopefully, we can stay on top of it.
This is just a quick look at my weekly plans… I have all month long to work on some of them, and I will try to knock out as many as I can. I know that by handling the smaller things now, it will free up time I might need in the future for BIGGER and BETTER things. A little maintenance helps to keep things running nice and smooth… it also helps us to appreciate all that we have been BLESSED with.
I pray that you will find something useful in these links.
I know Lent is fast approaching, and many people will be setting some goals for the season. Whether it be for fasting or anything else, I have made some simple habit trackers to help you meet those goals.
The 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter are known as LENT. Sundays are not included in this count. These are used as a time to remember when Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness. Many people choose to abstain from certain foods or items for the 40 days. This time is also dedicated to prayer and doing good. More information can be found here:
These can be used any way you like it… You can keep track of how many days you have kept to your goal. You can also use this to track objects, like with the 40 bags in 40 days challenge that many people do during this time of year.
There is some science behind the 30 days to make a habit, and this little sheet could help you meet more goals. There are lots of new habit ideas in this blog post HERE.
I am also reading through the 30-Day Sabbath Challenge in hopes that it will help me observe the Sabbath in a more Biblical manner.
**This post does contain some affiliate and/or referral links to products and/or services that we use. If you happen to click through a link and make a purchase we may earn a teensy-weensy small commission (at NO EXTRA cost to you) if a purchase is made through these links. These links help to support our family, our blog, and our homeschooling mission. This means that we can keep bringing you great recipes, ideas, and tips for FREE! Click HERE for a full disclaimer. –Thank you!
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