Tuesday, June 25, 2013

A Computer Break

Ile Saint Martin, Vetheuil

I am going to be taking a computer break for the next few days.  I will be spending time with my family without the interruption of any computer time.  While I am so thankful for the internet and all the things I use it for, it will be nice to have this break.

When we get sucked into the screen we can get so distracted with other things that are going on in the world, that we neglect to see what is going on right inside our own house.  Well, I know I am looking forward to not having this distraction for the next few days.

I hope to spend more time reading the Bible, praying, spending time with my children, enjoying God's creation, and perhaps reading more of the books I've started but have not finished.

What about you?  Is it time for a computer break for you?  I'd love to hear if you've ever taken one and how it blessed you, or if you'd like to join me on this break, please comment when you're done to let me know how it helped you.

Ile Saint Martin,...
Claude Monet
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Saturday, June 22, 2013

I Am His

Faith, after Leighton, 1900 (Watercolour)

Tonight I am resting in the knowledge and surety that I am His.  I am the Lord's.  Though some days I get frustrated that He has more work to do with me...I know I am the Lord's.

I am not the person I was before He saved me.

Praise the Lord!

I am content and satisfied in the place He has given me as a woman--as a homemaker and mother of many.  This is my calling and my joy.

I am joyful that I have my Father watching over me, protecting me.

Faith, after...
John Douglas...
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He is my Refuge and Strength.  An ever-present help in trouble.

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Friday, June 21, 2013

FREE Blogging Class Until June 30th!

Woman Using Computer

Would you like to learn more about blogging?  Want to learn how to one day make an income from your blog?  Wondering how to get started blogging or take your blog to the next level?

Today, I have a very exciting offer for you!  And it's FREE until June 30th!!!

Blogelina is once again offering her very popular 4-week blogging class — for FREE! This online class will be held in July 2013. If you sign up for this free class, here’s what you’ll get:
  • A class manual – packed with 60 pages of information that will help take the overwhelming out of starting your own blog 
  • 4 weekly online class sessions where you can ask your questions and get personalized feedback 
  • A FREE year of web hosting. 
  • Blueprints, step-by-step tutorials, networking with other bloggers - Everything you need to grow your blog. 
  •  Save yourself a lot of time, trouble, and money – learn from her own experiences what to do and not to do.   
Go here to sign up for the FREE 4-week blogging class.

Free registration for the class is open from now through Sunday, June 30th!
Classes will be held in July on Tuesday nights at 8 pm EST, but if you can’t make a session, that’s okay – the notes will be emailed to you!



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Woman Using...

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Thursday, June 13, 2013

A New Survey for Moms Only

Copper and Brass Pots and Pans on an Oven Top

Here is a survey you can take if you like.
This survey is open to all women with children.  This is a 10 question
survey about cooking and your pots and pans.
There will be 10 prizes of $25 awarded in a random drawing!

Here is a link to the survey:

http://www.advisorypanel.com/topic/PotsPans/

If you are not a member of the Advisory Panel and
would like to become one (it's free!) just go to:
http://www.advisorypanel.com/index.html for details.

Today I need to revamp our family schedule among many other things.  What are your plans for today?

More on taking surveys
The Natural Mothering ebook Bundle ends on Monday

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Copper and Brass...
Martin Dichtl
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Making the Switch to Cloth Diapers (and Special Today ONLY)


Have you ever thought of making the switch to cloth diapers but thought it would be too messy, too much trouble, or a whole lot of extra laundry?  Well I did!  I never thought I'd switch to cloth diapers, as I didn't really know anything about them--or at least I didn't know the truth about them!

With our first child we purchased some Chinese pre-folds as we thought we would save money by using cloth instead of disposables.  When we received them, I stared at them in disbelief.  They didn't look anything like "diapers" to me!  Unfortunately, I had no one around to explain how they worked, and so for years we have been using those diapers as burp cloths while diapering our babies in disposables.

(Purchasing through links in this post will support this site--thank you!)

Recently I had a few friends who had made the switch to cloth and had shared some things with me, but before I made the big decision to switch, I got Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert and was convinced of just how easy it is to cloth diaper.  Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert is an excellent ebook written by Erin Odom of The Humbled Homemaker that explains everything about cloth diapers.  And I mean everything!  I decided what cloth diapers would be best for us, purchased what I needed and have never looked back.  I do not miss going to the disposable diaper section of the store at all!  


I so much wish Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert had been around years ago!  My family could have saved thousands of dollars with all the money we wouldn't have been spending every week on purchasing diapers, and all my little babies would have been covered in cloth instead of chemically-laden disposable diapers (I really was shocked to learn what is in them that gets onto our babies' skin and into their bodies).  Erin's book is over 200 pages and covers
  •  How and why Erin made the switch and why you might want to also
  • All the different kinds of cloth diapers and their advantages and disadvantages
  • What type of cloth diaper may be best for you
  • How to clean the different kinds of cloth diapers when you first wash them and then after use
  • Cost of the different types
  • Building a cloth diaper stash
  • Establishing a cloth diaper routine
  • Cloth diapering from newborn to potty training
  • Cloth diapering at night (you can do that too!)
  • Overcoming any cloth diapering challenge
  • Travelling with cloth diapers
  • And more!
I have been cloth diapering for several months now and I wish I had done it with all of our babies!  I actually find it easier than using disposables, and more pleasant too.  My baby loves them too, as they are so much more comfortable.  So if you've been thinking about using cloth diapers instead of disposables, it would be much easier to have all the information you need in one place.  Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert made it really easy for me to find out all I needed to know about using cloth diapers, and I'm so glad Erin made this book!  She is having a special sale TODAY ONLY.  Today only, you can purchase Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert for only $5 by entering code 5BDAY in honor of her first's 5th bday!

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert is also part of the Natural Mothering ebook Bundle.

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Taking Care of Mother

Sleeping

Sometimes as mothers, we forget to take care of ourselves.  I am often guilty of this.  I have many little ones I must attend to--bathe, cook for, clean for, teach, love on...the list goes on and on.  At the end of every day I am exhausted.  And I have not been going to bed early enough to get enough sleep.  I wake up exhausted too.

So what usually happens after a while is my body gets angry with me and makes me slow down.  It makes me rest.  I had one of those days yesterday...

Disclosure: Purchasing through links in this post supports this site--thank you!

As I was changing the baby's diaper and smiling at my little darling, my vision started getting spotty.  Well, I knew what was going to happen soon.  I put the baby to bed and grabbed my peppermint essential oil and breathed it in.  I also applied some lavender essential oil all along my hairline and on my temples.  Then I started to give my children instructions.  My eldest assured me she could make dinner (so glad she can do that!), the girls were to do their spelling lessons, and everyone else was to clean up and be quiet!  I prepared my diffuser with peppermint and lavender essential oils and laid down as the migraine came.  I had to take care of Mother.

After several hours of rest and breathing in the soothing aroma, I felt a lot better.  I was finally able to eat, and I got to bed earlier than I have been lately.  The children, however, did not clean up (at least not all of them), so our living room looks like, well, there were lots of children making messes in it.  But that will get taken care of today.

Yesterday, I had to take care of Mother, and I will try to do better every day by going to bed at an earlier hour.  I have to be rested to take care of my children.  How about you--do you remember to take care of yourself?

Update:  I have now found something that has almost completely eliminated all of my migraines and headaches.  Praise be to God!  Read all about it here.

Don't forget about the Natural Mothering ebook Bundle sale going on.  I hope I can get one too!

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Sleeping
Georges Lemmen
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Monday, June 10, 2013

For the Naturally-Minded Mother--An Amazing Bundle Offer (Limited Time)

 

Have you ever wished motherhood came with a manual?  

Whether motherhood makes you feel overwhelmed or whether you feel like you've found your stride as a mother, we are here to help you be the best mother to your children that you can be. We can also help you deal with infertility and prepare you for giving birth confidently and joyfully.

We've got the resources you need to help your kids be healthier, to raise your children to be polite, caring people, to live more eco-friendly, and to make your home non-toxic.

For 1 week only, get a downloadable package of 35+ e-books specifically designed to encourage and equip mothers to nurture their families (and themselves!) naturally for just $29.97. Since these books together are worth more than $525, this is nearly a 95% discount!  

There are also more than a dozen coupon codes and FREE products worth nearly $200 included to help you on your natural living journey!

These e-books reflect the work of 32 well-known Ph.D.'s, fertility specialists, lactation consultants, natural health professionals, authors, and bloggers who are passionate about motherhood and caring for mothers.

This is an intelligent, joy-filled collection that will inspire any mother to feed her beautiful babe well, feel confident in making difficult mothering decisions, and celebrate motherhood (even when it seems overwhelming).

This is an amazing bundle great for mothers who love natural living, and I am so excited about it!  I love using the resources God has given us to take care of our families!

Disclosure:  If you purchase this bundle through the buy now button on this post, you will be supporting this site with a percentage I receive through your purchase.  Thank you so much!
*For those of you who loved the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle--this one is similar, but with a more natural-mothering leaning.  There are only 8 ebooks in this new bundle that were in the UH Bundle.  If you purchased the UH Bundle and then purchase this one, you may gift your duplicate ebooks to bless someone else if you like!*



The eBooks

 

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Want to meet the authors? Click here to read each author's bio. 

Natural Fertility and Pregnancy

Unbound Birth by Jennifer Yarbrough of Unbound Birth ($2.99)
Fearless Birth by Kristen Burgess of Natural Birth and Baby Care ($17)
Nourishing Foods for Labor and Childbirth (article reprint) by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($2.99)
My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy of Simply Designs ($9.99)
Fertilise Yourself by Natalie Kringoudis of Melbourne Natural Fertility ($19.95)
Eat Your Way to Parenthood by Gabriela Rosa, MScM, BHSc, ND of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35)
Protecting Your Fertility: The Dangers of Conventional Pest Control and Natural Safe Alternatives by Gabriela Rosa, MScM, BHSc, ND of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35)
The Awful Truth About Cleaning Products and Fertility Revealed by Gabriela Rosa, MScM, BHSc, ND of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35) 



Natural Baby and Toddler Care

Breastfeeding Simply by Pinky McKay, ICBLC of PinkyMcKay.com ($25)
First Bites by Hilary Bernstein of Accidentally Green ($9.99)
Breast to Bib by Kate Tietje of Modern Alternative Mama ($8.95)
Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin Odom of The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)
Creative Ways to Calm Your Baby by Justyn Lang of Creative Christian Mama ($6.99)
EC Simplified: Infant Potty Training Made Easy by Andrea Olson, MA of Go Diaper Free ($30)
oh, crap. potty training by Jamie Glowacki of oh crap. potty training ($15) 

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Natural Health and Healing

Therapeutic Parenting for Children Who Are Healing from Trauma by Tova Krause Grindlay, CPC of Parent and Family Coaching ($4.99)
Herbal Nurturing by Michele Augur of Frugal Granola ($8.95)
Herbal Remedies for Children During the Cold and Flu Season by Rosalee de la Forêt of Herbal Remedies Advice ($20)
Mother's Little Herbal Helper and Home Remedies by Natalie Vickery of The Family Herbalist ($12.50)
Questions to Ask Your Dentist by Will and Susan Revak of OraWellness ($29)
Tips and Tricks to Remineralize and Repair Your Teeth by Ramiel Nagel of CureToothDecay.com ($12.95)
The Thinking Parent's Guide to Vaccines by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($2.99)
Finding Balance with Attachment Parenting by Andrea Olson, MA of AndreaOlson.com ($17)
Pain Redeemed by Natasha Metzler of NatashaMetzler.com ($4.99)
The Curative Kitchen (updated version) by Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D. of SusanSmithJones.com ($19.95)
Rebuild From Depression: A Nutrient Guide, The Digital Abridged Version by Amanda Rose, Ph.D. of Traditional Foods ($12.95)

 ebook1-586x640

Teaching Our Children

Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh Harmon of GNOWFGLINS & Jami Delgado of Eat Nourishing ($30)
 Kids in Training: Life lessons that will help lead to productive, responsible and grateful kids! by Rebecca Dulgarian of Blue Cricket Designs ($7.95)
Life According to Me by Stephanie Dulgarian of Somewhat Simple ($5.95)
The Family Dinner Project by Rebecca Dulgarian & Stephanie Dulgarian ($9.95)
Easy Peasy Chores: Homeschool Edition by Alina Joy Dubois of The Good Old Days Farm ($17.99)
Teaching Kids to Clean by Dana White of A Slob Comes Clean ($5) 

 Cover2

Help for Busy Moms

Real {Fast} Food by Trina Holden of TrinaHolden.com ($6)
Crock On by Stacy Myers of Stacy Makes Cents ($5)
Creative Ways to Make Family Holiday Memories by Kit Singleton of Raising Small Souls ($25) 



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Non-Toxic and Natural Living

Natural Beauty Recipes by Katie of WellnessMama ($10)
Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie Langford of Keeper of the Home ($12.95)
Restocking the Pantry by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($9.99)
Accidentally Green by Hilary Bernstein of Accidentally Green ($2.99)
Clean, Naturally! by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($4.99)

The Bonus Resources

Once you have completed payment for the e-book bundle, you will get access not only to the books, but to FREE products and coupon codes for mothering products that will support you in your natural, non-toxic lifestyle.

These special bonus offers include:










Get a FREE luxuriously soft pantyliner from Lunapads and a $5 coupon for your next visit. Lunapads are smart, sustainable alternatives to disposable menstrual pads and pantyliners. Join the LunaRevolution and discover why thousands worldwide feel better about their periods! ($17 value. Standard shipping applies. US addresses only.)
 
Get 10% off any order from Granola Babies, THE go-to shop for everything babywearing and natural-living related. Granola Babies supports mothers around the globe in their mothering journey by providing sustainable hand-selected products, natural and holistic resources, and creating a village of community. (Standard shipping applies.)

Get "2 Months for $2" ! Enjoy a two-month Membership to Fit2B Studio for only two dollars, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are "tummy safe" and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs), which affects many women postpartum. ($19.98 value.)
 
Download a $6 coupon for 7 Sources Oil from Flora Health to use the next time you shop! Flora's newest product, 7 Sources, is a non-GMO, sustainably-sourced fatty-acid product with EPA and DHA, which are essential during pregnancy and nursing and support cognitive function at any time of life! (Value: $6. Good in-store only. US stores only.)
Deborah & CoGet 25% off any cami or nursing tank at Deborah & Co., a women's fashion shop for women who want fashion without compromise. You can choose from a number of camisoles, layering shells, tees, and nursing tanks, all of which are excellent for nursing moms or any woman who just wants to be both classy and modest. (Worldwide shipping.)


 
Get $30 off the very popular Online Childbirth Education Program from Birth Boot Camp. You CAN have an amazing birth! The 10-class Birth Boot Camp online video childbirth education program will prepare you for a life-changing birth experience and specializes in educating couples together. You may also choose to receive the FREE Pregnancy Nutrition Report. (Good online or with participating live-class instructors.)
 
Get THREE bonuses from Professional Parenting Canada and Attachment Parenting Canada:1. Get the 440-page international bestseller, "Discipline Without Distress: 135 Tools for Raising Caring, Responsible Children without time-out, spanking, punishment, or bribery" (an actual paper book!) by Judy Arnall for only $10! Offered by  (Value $24.99. Standard shipping applies.)2. Get a FREE 1-hour webinar on "The Parenting Information Maze:  How to Choose the Right Advice for YOUR Family." (Value: $25)3. Get a FREE download of the first 4 chapters of the e-book that should be in every parent's library: "The Parenting Information Maze: How to Choose the Right Advice for YOUR Family." (Value: $9.95)
 
Get the audiobook of Pinky McKay's "Breastfeeding Simply" read by Pinky McKay for FREE! This way you can read the e-book OR listen to the audiobook - whatever is convenient for you.The audiobook is in mp3 format. Available for immediate download. (Value: $25)

 Get "A Practical Guide to Children's Health (Abridged Version)" by Kate Tietje at Modern Alternative Mama PLUS a coupon code for 50% off the full version. There are so many confusing messages today about how to keep kids healthy. Parents just want some straight information on natural health! "A Practical Guide to Children’s Health" offers research on many common questions so that parents can make the decisions for themselves. (Value: $7.95)
 
Receive 10% off any order from OraWellness. OraWellness offers tools and educational products to help you take control of your oral health using organic ingredients and inexpensive natural solutions. (Standard shipping applies.)
Get a FREE Comfrey Salve with any purchase from the Creative Christian Mama Store. ($3.50 value. Standard shipping applies.)
Get 2 FREE sets of Baby's First Year Month-by-Month Printables (1 set with butterflies for girls and 1 set with ties for boys) from The Humbled Homemaker. Each set contains 12 printables to mark each month of Baby's first year. ($16 value.)



A Few FREE eBooks and eCourses - no purchase required!

Because we are SO absolutely passionate about getting excellent natural living resources into the hands of every mother (and want-to-be moms and soon-to-be moms!) we've compiled a number of e-books that are FREE just for signing up for updates. 

There is no purchase required.  Just see below for your freebies.

(And as a gesture of paying-it-forward, please tell your friends about this amazing sale!)
Tell your friends on Pinterest:
Tell your friends on Facebook:
 

Simple & Natural Green Cleaning Guide from A Delightful Home How to Be a Natural Mama from Mama Natural Secrets of a Successful Homeschooling Mom from Simple Homeschool Beautiful Babies mini-ecourse from Food Renegade Real Food Nutrition for Kids mini-ecourse from Food Renegade The Chemicals in Us from Non-Toxic Kids Dealing with Picky Eaters from The Happy Housewife How Do I Get My Kids to Cooperate? from Raising Small Souls It's Not About Money from Stacy Makes Cents Delightful Customizable Chore Charts and other printables from Somewhat Simple Traditional Foods Kitchen Toolkit (4 digital books, 1 video) from Traditional Foods Whole Food Family Favorites Cookbook from Nourishing Joy First Bites Baby Food Timeline and Simple and Healthy Homemade Baby Food Recipe printable from Accidentally Green Trust Birth (mp3) from Natural Birth and Baby Care How to Make Kombucha from Modern Alternative Mama More Than Numbers from Trina Holden How to Create the Healthy Baby of Your Dreams: The 11 Pillars to Optimum Fertility (CD) from Gabriela Rosa Taste of Herbs: Secrets of Herbalism Revealed Through Your Sense of Taste from Methow Valley Herbs Guide to In-Season Produce from Creative Christian Mama

The Fine Print

This Bundle contains digital downloads in ZIP and PDF formats, so there is no shipping involved. You will receive your unique download link immediately after download. Please note that this Bundle is provided as is: no refunds, no exchanges, and no late sales will be provided.
While you must purchase the Bundle by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, June 17, you have until June 30, 2013 to download the books and redeem the bonuses. It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase by June 30, 2013. After that date, the books will no longer be available for download.
With proof of purchase, we can renew download links until June 30. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Please read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, deadlines to redeem your bonuses, and reading the books on your eReader device.
Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase. You may purchase multiple bundles in order to redeem a bonus offer more than once.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are the sole responsibility of the bonus sponsors to provide and are subject to availability.

Note: This sale is over, but be sure to sign up for updates to be notified of upcoming offers!

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Thursday, June 6, 2013

Praying for Our Children

A Woman at Prayer in a Church

Do you spend time in prayer for your children?  If not, are you willing to start?  I think this is such a vital area in our lives as mothers.  And I mean more than the regular things we pray day to day--the quick prayers for safety, health, restful sleep and the like.  Do you get on your knees before God and pray for your children's spiritual growth, for them to remain pure, for them to not be lured and deceived by the world as they get older, for their future spouse, for certain areas of sin that they struggle with?

When I was a mother of fewer children, I kept a prayer journal I used every day.  I had a section for each child (my husband was in there too), where I kept a picture of each child and wrote down different things I would pray for them for.  I also wrote down scriptures that went along with those requests.  I had about 30 different areas I would pray for and would pray a different one each day.

Lord, Thy Will Be Done, 1855 (Oil on Canvas)


Here are some ideas of things to pray for our children:
  • for them to have good relationships with siblings and other family members
  • for them to honor their parents and not become rebellious
  • for their salvation
  • for them to feel loved and accepted (and to not desire acceptance from the wrong people)
  • protection from harm
  • having a hunger for the things of God
  • for them to follow after truth, and to reject lies and not be deceived
  • for them to be healthy
  • for them to take care of themselves
  • for them to enjoy and use the gifts God has given them
  • to have a desire to learn about the Lord and their schoolwork
  • for them to speak with kindness and encouragement to others
  • for them to be attracted to holiness and purity
  • for them to grow in faith
  • for them to seek wisdom and discernment
  • for them to not be overcome with sin and evil influences
  • for them to walk in repentance
  • for them to reject sexual immorality
  • for them to find a godly spouse
  • for them to forgive others
  • to avoid alcohol, drugs, and other addictions
  • to have the joy of the Lord
  • to have a sound and healthy mind
  • for them to be free of ungodly fear
  • for them to have humbleness of heart
  • and maybe you can think of more!
Prayer is another gift we can give to our children, and what better place can prayer come from than from the love of a mother's heart?

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.  ~Psalm 5:3  

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A Woman at Prayer...
Mose Bianchi
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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Announcing the Winner of Courage, New Hampshire, Season 1!

A winner has been selected for Season 1 of Courage, New Hampshire.



The winner is

Kalli!

Congratulations, Kalli!  I hope you enjoy your DVDs.

Thank you to all who entered, and if you didn't win, keep checking back as I will have another giveaway soon!

Did any of you watch the show last week, and if so, what did you think?

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