Dear Mushka,

This year we tried something new: We stopped using a house cleaner and took on the task ourselves.

🧹 Between running a small business, home schooling, and raising 5 little ones it was something I needed to hire out for a few years (which was a huge gift!), but I wanted my children to learn how to keep a home clean, too. Our kids are 9-1 so they help on various levels (and I often go behind them), but they're practicing and it's getting done!

Here's what worked 👉🏻 Choosing one area of our house to teamwork each day.

M: KITCHEN. Each kid gets a rag to wipe down counters and chairs while I clean trickier areas. (The kitchen gets wiped down after most meals, too).

T: BATHROOMS. Our two oldest have a whole bathroom to clean- mirror, counter, sink, around toilet, trash can. I clean inside the toilet, the tub/shower, and whatever they missed. It's a work in progress for sure.

W: BEDROOMS. They divide and conquer, dusting baseboards/surface areas, vacuuming, and cleaning up misc toys. I pick up behind them and dust high areas.

TH: PLAYROOM/ LIVING ROOM. They dust, vacuum, wipe down the art table, and put toys back in approproate bins (we're fairly lax about this on other days of the week). I dust/vacuum the living room.

F: MUDROOM/ OFFICES. They clean their cubby area and vacuum the mudroom. I do my office. Robert is supposed to his but I actually have no idea if it gets done haha

S: No chore because it's the sabbath! This is a treat for us all.

S: OUTSIDE: Depending on the season, we weed or blow off leaves or wipe pollen off the furniture.

MISC: There are a few areas that aren't included here (like dusting the hallway baseboards). I save things for a consequence as needed. Big tasks (like cleaning windows or dusting fans) get done when I feel grossed out by them.

🧹 As always, take what's helpful (or save it for later) and forget the rest as you steward the space God has given you.

With 5 kids (including 4 boys who eat about seven meals a day), we go through food quickly! Sometimes we shop in store and other times we use Instacart to have the groceries delivered- it costs about $1-$1.50 extra per package, which can be worth it when the alternative is shopping a closer but more expensive store. 

Use this code for $10 off your first Instacart order! KLEWISD268E5158

Here are our go-to Costco picks:

PRODUCE

• Fresh organic fruit
• Spinach/ Kale to freeze for smoothies
• Frozen strawberries for smoothies
• Frozen broccoli and green beans
• Bananas
• Purely Frozen Organic Riced Cauliflower

MEAT & EGGS

• Adielle's Chicken sausage
• Kirkland's Grass-Fed Beef Patties
• Teton Waters Polish Sausages
• Kirkland Organic Chicken Breasts
• Kirkland Organic Ground Beef
• Kirkland Organic Turkey Breast Slices
• Kirkland Organic Pulled Pork
• Kirkland Organic Pasture-Raised Eggs
• Kirkland Grass-Fed Butter

DINNER

• Rao's Marinara Sauce
• Frozen pizza for quick dinners 

DRINKS

• Kirkland Organic Whole Milk
• Stok Coffee
• Poppi Variety Pack
• Kirkland Organic Raw Kombucha

BAKING

• Organic Unbleached Flour
• Kirkland Sea Salt
• Kirkland Organic Chicken Stock
• Maple Syrup
• Raw Honey

SNACKS

• Jojo's Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Bars
• Kirkland Organic Tortilla Chips

MISC

• Kirkland Diapers

Want to hear more about our family and business? Right this way!

This year- 14 years into our marraige- Robert and I began praying outloud together consistently. For years, we've prayed in spontaneous moments, but never had we set aside a time to speak with God, together, every day.

We found 6:55 a.m. to be the perfect time— just a few minutes before he begins breakfast & and I get our little kids up.

We surrender our day to God and, in turn, lay out our worries and hopes in front of one another, too. It's been a sweet, intimate way to begin our day.

👉🏼 Let this be encouragement to you- Just because you didn't begin a habit as a newlywed doesn't mean you can't start today.

👉🏼 And to those of you who have been married just a few years, please know that a marriage takes time to grow. Give it time if you aren't where you hope to be!

___

If you need a little guidance for your own prayer time with your husband, let these products guide you:

1. The Marriage Fighter Pack comes with 10 topical verse cards, made to apply to your marriage. Idea: read one a day with your spouse and pray it over your marriage together!

2. The Unity Necklace was designed around Psalm 133:1, which says “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Ask God to give you and your husband grace and wisdom as you seek to live in unity together each day.

3. The Harvest Necklace is based on Galatians 6:9-- a reminder that the holy work we pour into our marriages isn’t for nothing (even when it may feel like it). Don’t give up, sister. God is working. Grab this necklace as a tangible reminder if you need one!

4. The Lord, Teach Us to Pray Husband pack which features 31 writen prayers, based completely on scripture, for you to pray over your husband. You could pray these with him next to you or on your own time. (I use that set on my own each day.)

Our Romans 8 Memorization Collective comes with a monthly stunning digital download in collaboration with Laci Fowler Art. (In our opinion, the download is worth the price alone!)

It's an 16x24 poster size, which is large and beautiful. Hang one alone or a few in a row for a real statement. 

To Print: 

1. Download your digital file. You should find it in your email every month, around the date of your original purchase date (depending on the day of the week; we manually send these and aren't in the studio over the weekend.)

2. Print your download! Upload your files to a printing service. A few suggestions are listed below. Each site site will walk you through the process- I promise it's easy. Some even offer delivery! 

Note: These were designed as 16x24 prints, but can be ordered in any size that contains the same 2:3 ratio if you would prefer (see graphic below). Some of these printing services only offer a few of the size options. 

• Wal-Mart
• Walgreens
• Mpix 
• Snapfish
• Prints of Love
• Alphagraphics (local- check locations)

 3. Frame your print. A google search for a "16x24 poster frame" will yield many results, but here are a few of our favorites.

· If you think you'll want to hang 5+, this set of frames is the best deal (at roughly $10/ a frame!)

· This set is great for 3 frames

· Here's a great one for just one frame. It's more pricey, but the frame is nice and thick. 

· This is a great lower-budget frame (availble in the 20x30 size)

· Of course, you could also hang your poster with this frame instead! It's inexpensive & really functional-- in fact, it's what I've been using to hang mine!

Questions about your download? Email hello@dearmushka.com and we'll be happy to help!

At the end of the year, I reflected on my purchases to see what really brought value vs what I might not need to spend money on again. 

Here are my top five purchases in a few categories from the year. I hope they help make shopping a little easier for you, too!

BEAUTY:

1. At home laser hair remover: I've used this for months around my chin and bikni line. My hair is virtually now gone there (for way less time and money than a professional service!)
2. High wasited athletic shorts: I workout in these daily, and also wear them non-stop in the summer. They helped me feel "locked and loaded" without feeling constricted. (Note: I sized up for some extra length)
3. Apple watch band: I upgraded my silicone band to this metal one and instantly felt more pulled together and chid. It was a simple change that still makes me smile. (The band has held up really well, too!)
4. Argon oil shampoo: I researched alternatives to luxury brands like Monat and landed here. It's added health and shine to my (thin, oily hair) and has clean ingredients in it for a fraction of the cost. Win!
5. Crossbody bag: I wanted a nice bag I could take beyond the playground and this one is perfect! The size, color, and quality are great for my needs. 

FUNCTION:

1. Neck Pillow:  I lay on this for ten minutes before bed to help counteract the looking down I’ve done all day. It helps keep the curve in my spine. I use this time to pray & reflect on my day!
2. Electric Tea Kettle:  I use this when I host a small group at my house and in the afternoons when all my kids want tea. It’s the quickest way to get everyone hot water!
3. Drink Carrier: I put all my kids’ full water bottles in here and bring it out to the porch while they play. I also bring it when we eat dinner elsewhere (it’s easier than filling up 5 cups!) I stick snacks or bibs in the extra compartment.
4. Phone Light: This adds the equivalent of a bright window to all my photos and videos. Like a ring light but more manageable in size! It’s made recording for DM feel more doable.
5. Hair Towel:  I switched to this after using just any ol’ towel and it’s made a difference. It easily stays on while I do all my other post-shower steps and leaves my hair half-way dry by the time I’m done.
6. Bonus! Extra-Body Foam: I didn’t include this in my top 5 because it isn’t “clean” but it really works so... I love it for now. I use it after I take my towel off, dry my hair for about a minute, and am good to go for days. This volume is new for me!

HABITS:

1. Heavier Coated Weights: I have a long-term goal to care for my body by strengthening my muscles and got to the point where I needed heavier weights. Yay! These tend to be the best price for a coated weight.
2. Protein Powder: I’ve actually used this for a few years, but last year I began adding the recommended two scoops to my smoothie. Upping my daily protein has made a huge difference in my energy & health. (Here's my recipe)
3. One Line A Day Journal: This takes just a moment every evening and has become a sweet way for me to reflect on my day before zooming into the next. I’ll be glad I have these notes jotted down.
4. Coop Pillow: Now that we’re out of the newborn stage, I’m trying hard to get 8 hours of good sleep most nights. That’s come with a few changes, including investing in a great pillow. After a little trial and errow with the oomph levels, I like this one!
5. Owala Water Bottle: This is the best water bottle for me- Has a straw & spout, handle, lid that closes well, isn’t absurdly large, and comes in colors that make me smile. I try to fill it up 3x a day.

Our older kids, ages 8-4, enjoy listening to podcasts or audiobooks during their daily afternoon quiet time and their quiet time before bed. 

For audiobooks, we rent books from the library using the Libby and Overdrive apps. They're free to use and stream right to an iPad. We turn one on and then set the iPad on a shelf where they're not to touch it. It's an extrememly easy and inexpensive way to listen. 

The downside is that books are limited in availability. My kids have listened to some favorites over and over again, which I don't mind for right now. 

We borrow:

Classics, like Charlotte's Web 

Little House on the Praire Series

Magic Treehouse Series

How to Train Your Dragon Series

Christian Heroes Series

Boxcar Children Series 

Roald Dahl books 

Secret of the Hiddle Scrolls Series 

For podcasts, I play shows through Spotify on the same iPad or through the podcast app on our apple TV. Alexa can also play shows over her speaker. 

Here are some of our favorites combined with some IG follower's favorites. I haven't listened to all of these so I can't vouch for them but they're a good starting point! 

Lamplighters 

Circle Round

God's Big Story

Truth Seekers: Bible Stories for Kids

Little Stories for Tiny People

Base Camp Adventures

Kids Bible Stories

By Kids, For Kids Story Time

Reel Cool History for Kids

Gardenkeeper Gus

Paws & Tales Paws-cast

The Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast

Smash, Boom, Best

Story Pirates

Disney Stories Podcast

Every year, I take time to record my kids' answers to these questions. I spread it out over a few days, pausing when I can tell they're over it. If a question isn't appropriate for their age I just skip it. 

I print out a copy to save in their file boxes (made up of these and these). I also write a birthday letter to each child, describing their current personality and how I see them growing. 

Feel free to copy these as a starting place to create your own list or download a printable version of my full list below!

1. Write your name:
2. How old are you? 
3. What was the best thing about being (previous age)?
4. How would you describe yourself?
5. Favorite thing to do inside?
6. Favorite thing to do outside?
7. Favorite animal?
8. Favorite color?
9. Favorite breakfast?
10. Favorite meal?
11. Favorite TV show?
12. Favorite movie?
13. Favorite song?
14. What's a book you enjoy reading?
15. Favorite subject to learn about?
16. What makes you happy?
17. What makes you sad or angry?
18. How would you describe yourself?
19. What are you thankful for?
20. What do you like to collect?

Two years ago, we got a Peloton bike. I wanted a way to do cardio exercise inside my own home, and also wanted the option to do strength training alongside it. 

I knew there were ways to convert other bikes to the Peloton system so I researched, crunched numbers, and even searched Facebook Marketplace for a good bike. When it came down to it, though, we landed on an actual Peloton bike (the basic version) for a few reasons.

1. I did not want a headache when it came time to workout. I didn't want to rig a system, have to convert numbers for one program to match another, buy another screen to watch the class on, prop up my phone, etc. I wanted the process to be seamless and easy. Otherwise, I just wouldn't do it. 

2. I knew we'd have 3+ users in our home. (Me, my husband, our oldest son). Because of this, paying for the Peloton app (around $44) each month made sense. We all have an account within this price and can use it as we need to, which is less than the cost of a gym membership. Our eight year old loves to hop on the bike when he's stresses or needs to burn energy, and I imagine other children will follow him as soon as they're tall enough. 

Three things I'd recommend: 

1. Change out the pedals for slip-ins instead of clips-ins. That way, you don't need specialty biking shoes. Anyone can hope on with their regular tennis shoes. It certainly saves money! We have these. 

2. Buy a seat cover. I do think your bum gets used to a bike seat quickly, but I'm always glad to have a little extra cushion! We have this one. 

3. Consider adding a swivel to your screen so you can do non-bike exercises from the Peloton screen. The Peloton+  bike comes with this feature, but you can also buy a swivel and add it to the less expensive bike yourself. So far, I've just screen mirrored my Peloton app to our TV to do a non-bike exercise (our weights are in our playroom but our bike is in my office on this.) 

How I love using the Peloton program right now: 

1. Post-partum core work. There are multiple programs created to gain core strength back in a safe way. Robin Arzon is my go-to instructor here. She's encouraging, upbeat, and fun. 

2. 15 minute bike rides. I did "low impact" at first and am now up to more difficult rides, but I rarely spend more than 15 minutes on the bike due to time. I love that I can hop on, get a great workout in, and hop off. Ally Love, Emma Lovewell, Robin Arzon, Hannah Frankson, and Leanne Hainsby are my favorite insructors. 

I also love the scenic rides. My son loves the "lanebreak" option, which is like a game you play while you ride. 

3. Arms with Tunde is a great 4 week program to work on upper body strength. I did one of these this morning!

4. Various other strength or stretching workouts. You can chose the body part you want to focus on, your instructor, your time availability, etc I now search for short core workouts 2-3 times a week to continue gaining strength back. 

5. I'd like to try the running instructors one day, too! It's just audio but they coach you during outdoor walks and runs. 

6. I like to schedule out my week ahead of time. I pick 5 15 minute rides and 5 10 minute strength training classes, for a total of 25 minutes/day. I take the weekends off. Sometimes I do my ride and strength class back-to-back and sometimes I cram them in whenever I can while kids are content to hang near me. 

Enjoy!

P.S. These are my favorite workout shorts. I've now purchased three pairs (sized up to a large for extra length.)

What does your typical Summer day look like? 

Our four boys are currently ages 7- 9mo so we do a lot of playing outside, reading together, and ... did I mention playing outside? I'm also continuing a bit of schooling over the Summer, both for consistency and to give myself a little wiggle room when baby no.5 comes this Fall. (My goal is 3x a week of reading, math, and writing practice.)

Daily, we all have a quiet time from 1-3pm. I work, the three oldest play quietly in their own space, and the baby naps.

The afternoons/evenings are for swimming together, grilling, and catching lightening bugs!

How do you balance being a mom and working? 

I'm not sure there is such a thing as "balance" in this area, but I do think we can set boundaries, ask God for clarity on where to put our time, and trust Him to accomplish His plans for us within our limited hours and energy. 

For our family, this currently looks like Robert taking the boys for a few hours during their "Monday Man Camp" while I work on Dear Mushka content at home. Beyond that, I work during our family's daily quiet time + occasionally will pop in on social media throughout the day. 

With a small business, there is always more work to do. Instead of focusing on everything I'm not doing, I try to celebrate what I am able to do-- and to enjoy being a mother rather than becoming bitter over the time it takes away from my career. 

Summer makes me think of traveling-- where's your dream spot?

One day, I'd love to take an extended trip to Southern France and Italy. There's so much history & beauty (and bread) there! I'd also love to tour the Holy Lands with an expert guide-- what an experience that I imagine would make the Bible come alive in a new way. 

That being said, I believe we'll get to explore the New Earth for eternity eventually. This helps me enjoy exactly where I am for now and not worry about seeing it all before I die. There will be time!

Where do you get your ideas?

Almost every DM product comes straight from my time spent with the Lord, a personal need I have, and/or a need I see a friend having. An example of this would be our Lord, Teach Us to Pray cards (31 daily prayer cards to pray on repeat each month). I wanted a way to remember to pray over specific areas in my childrens' lives that I wouldn't think of naturally-- I made these to help guide myself over the course of a month. And judging by how many of you have grabbed them, I think you needed them, too!

Are there any new products coming out that you're particularly excited about? 

I've been working hard to create "care boxes" for a few specific topics, with the goal being to have a desireable and meaningful box of goodies all ready for you to order and have shipped directly to someone. It's been a challenge to create a box full of items within a reasonable pricepoint, but I think I'm almost there! This is the kind of go-to gift a lot of us would love to receive... I can't wait for them to launch! 

So... what exactly do you do at Dear Mushka?

Originally, I did it all! As we've added children to our family and I've found my own giftings (and shortcomings) I've happily narrowed down my focus. Now, I'm primarily in charge of new product creation from start to finish (which includes design, sourcing, creation, photography, and website listings).  I also run our social media platforms, creating graphics for those and trying to stay up to date on necessary trends. 

My favorite roles, though, are the ones that fall under a "ministry" category-- like sharing what discipleship looks like in our home and praying for you all as you share bits of your life with me. 

What's your favorite piece you've ever designed?

Sheesh, that's a hard question! Choosing is like narrowing down a favorite child, which I can't do, but there are a few pieces that stand out right now.

The Together Necklace is our adoption necklace I designed after one of our adoptions. It has a triangle to represent the three people groups that make up an adoption (birth family, adoptive family, and adoptee) and a heart hanging in the middle to represent the love between them all.

I was just starting to understand the crucial role a birth family plays in the extended life of a child, and also wanted a significant gift to give to our dear birth mothers. This design means so much to me-- even more now, as I've watched so many customers buy it for a friend going through the adoption process or gift it to their own birth mothers.

Thank you, Lord, for the necklace & truths found in its cooresponding verses!

Okay, summer-season rapid fire: