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10 Things I Discovered in May

June 4, 2013 By Trina

Life is like sifting for gold…you spend day after day doing a lot of monotonous stuff, when suddenly a little gem shows up, making the whole day (or even month!) bright and worth it all. When I took my blogging break, I realized the two things I missed most were telling stories and sharing with you the little discoveries that made my day. So, here’s a collection of my finds from May. I hope at least one of them makes your day brighter!

1. A unit study on volcanoes is a perfect excuse to make a Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cake. I love homeschooling. When it involves chocolate, it’s even better.
2. I can make Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cake in my crockpot. Now I don’t have to turn my oven on when it’s stinkin’ hot and I want cake! Stacey taught me this.
3. I can live without facebook. I know, incredible, right? Two whole weeks, and the internet didn’t break without me, and I did not break out in a rash. (There was that funny twitch in my left knee cap, but I’m choosing to believe that was unrelated.)
4. Books by the particular publishing company David C. Cook have this cool thing after the book called an “AfterWords” which is a little delectable interview with the author. They say,

“When a delightful concert comes to an end, the orchestra might offer an encore. When a fine meal comes to an end, it’s always nice to savor a bit of dessert. When a great story comes to an end, we think you may want to linger. And so, we offer…AterWords—just a little something more after you have finished a David C Cook novel.”

My favorite book on my Kindle (app) this month was Composing Amelia and it was so good, I was sad when it ended. The AfterWords made the hurt all better. I’m such a fan. (and you remember I get nearly all my Kindle books for free thanks to this site, right?)
5. We’re supposed to reject idols in our life. I had been trying to ‘manage’ some idols in my life. Nope. Wrong approach. Gotta get rid of them people. Two of mine are ‘sleep past a certain time of morning’, and ‘social media outside of set times’.
6. Chocolate Avocado Pudding should not be considered a health food. This undersells this amazingly delectable treat. I know it’s great for those who are sensitive to dairy or trying to avoid sugar, but seriously. This stuff is purely craveable. I promise you do NOT taste the avocado. And there’s not lingering aftertaste of guilt, either. Whoever was brave enough to invent this stuff has my highest respect. (Here’s a recipe I’m going to try) My friend Sarah first made this for me–you can find all kinds of goodness on her amazing Pinterest Recipe boards of GAPS-friendly food. (She and her whole family have been doing GAPS for 4 months now and they are seeing amazing results!)
7. Whole chicken really is the cheapest way to buy your chicken. I already knew this, but I confirmed it to myself on a recent visit to the grocery store. Instead of buying parts for all the grilling we like to do when warm weather arrives, I’m sticking with my whole roaster bird, and cutting it up when I get it home.
8. Pineapple contains a protein-digesting enzyme called bromelain, meaning eating it with protein helps you digest said protein better. So it’s one of the fruits you should eat with other foods. Unlike watermelon. Oh, please. Melons: Eat them Alone or Leave them Alone. (you know what happens, right? Are you really gonna make me say it out loud on the blog? It can make you throw up. It almost always has this effect on my kids if they eat it with anything else. There. Only for you.)
9. Peanut Butter and Jelly stirred into plain yogurt makes a great, high protein snack. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

10. My mother-in-law made a natural mosquito repellent the other day and it actually works! We tested it on Jeremy, who the bugs love more than anyone else in this family. He swears by it. Well, Jeremy doesn’t swear, but you get what I mean. Here’s what we used…

15 drops lavender essential oil
3-4 T. vanilla extract (make your own!)
1/4 C. lemon juice

Combine in a 16 oz. spray bottle and fill the rest of the way with water. Shake and spray on to enjoy the outdoors without the bugs enjoying you.

Hmmm. Looking over this list I realized 6 out of 10 of the month’s bright spots had to do with food, and 4 involved chocolate. (Do I need to add another item to my idols list?) You can definitely tell I’m preggo!

Tell me what’s brightened your life since the last time we met here!

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9 Comments, Filed Under: GAPS, My Life, Read, Real Food, Recipes Tagged With: 10 Things I Discovered

This is the End!

Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links. Want to read my full affiliate disclosure? Click here.

May 4, 2013 By Trina

Peoples, this is the last day to get this bundle! In case you aren’t sure how these bundles work, they aren’t like a product that goes on sale occasionally–they are a one-time-all-in-one-place collection, and only available through today. I’m just ‘splaining this to you ’cause I don’t want you to miss out.

97 ebooks is a lot, but even if you only buy the bundle for one of the collections (such as the cookbooks or the homeschool materials, or the great books on cleaning and organizing your home) you’re still getting them at an amazing discount. Sometimes it’s hard to wrap one’s mind around a virtual purchase, so these graphics give you a visual of all the different collections of books in this bundle….

If you’ve decided this really is the deal for you, then buy yours now, before the sale is over.

And? Thanks to each of you who have purchased through my link this week. It’s a wonderful provision for our family whenever one of my books is included in a bundle sale, and we really appreciate your support of our endeavors!

I look forward to reading these books along with all of you in the coming year!

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1 Comment, Filed Under: Blogging, Fashion, GAPS, Gardening, Homemaking, In the Studio, Mothering, Read, Real Food, Uncategorized

The Homemaking eBook Bundle {My Picks!}

April 30, 2013 By Trina

Ya’ll, I did you a favor. For the past two weeks, since I received a pre-sale copy of each of the ebooks in this bundle, I’ve been doing some major reading. I have personally opened and ‘flipped through’–if not voraciously gobbled all the juicy content–of every. single. one. of the books in this bundle so I could personally review them for you. It was hard to pick favorites, but today I’m gonna highlight a few that I really loved, and that I think my readers will especially appreciate…
{Just so you know ~ Many of the product links on this page are affiliate links meaning a make a percentage of profit if you buy the item via my link we and will be blessed through your purchase, thank you!}

Home and Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

Clean Enough resonated with me so deeply, it made my ears ring. Jenni says, “If you’re overwhelmed at keeping your house clean, maybe it’s time to redefine what clean enough means to you, and then make a plan to meet your goal, not the standard someone else is putting on you.” All of the chapters are short, inspiring, and readily applicable to a busy mom of little ones.

Educational Children’s Resources

I’m so excited about the Raising Rock Stars Kindergarten Bundle, I can hardly stand it. I’ve been analyzing where Jesse and Claire are both at developmentally, and looking for the curriculum that would suit each of them for our summer schooling. Who knew that there was something that was perfect for BOTH of them? I’m very impressed with Carissa’s product. In fact, I’m gonna do whole post about it Thursday, so watch for it, friends!

I can see that Think Outside The Classroom: A Practical Look at Relaxed Homeschooling is going to be a delightful read, as I have just a little bit of the ‘unschooler’ in me. Only, I like Kelly’s term ‘relaxed homeschooler’ even better. I’m going to give this a thorough and relaxed read during my upcoming blogging break.

Budgeting {Finances and Time}

Amy’s book Tell Your Time was the first time I really understood time management, and her quick guide to budgeting your time has been a mainstay to me and my schedule since I read it 2 years ago. This one is a classic, ya’ll. If you already have it, remember that you can re-gift any file from the bundle that you already own. Woot!

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

I have been drooling over Stacy’s Crock On Cookbook since it came out a few months ago, but I am just too cheap to buy an ebook full price. I wait for a sale (like this one!). I adore crockpot meals, but the vast majority of crockpot recipe collections rely on a lot of processed ingredients. But Stacy is like me–into real food, though not legalistic about it. Basically, this cookbook offers the ease of crockpot meals, while not requiring me to compromise on wholesomeness. Totally my go-to for meal planning when we’re on the bus this summer!

Since I love her sourdough book, I was interested in Wardeeh’s Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen. I love how she divides all the kid-friendly kitchen tasks into lists for Swing Chefs (3-6), Line Chefs (7-11), Sous chefs (12-15), and Head Chefs (16-18)! I can totally see my kids getting into the titles as well as all the skills Wardeeh says kids are capable of in the kitchen!

Just Making Ice Cream is an entire cookbook on homemade ice creams with nourishing ingredients–my love for that book will. not. fit. in this post, so I’ll share about it later this week, mkay?

Spiritual Growth

I met both Lara and Katie at Allume last fall. Beautiful women, and diligent leaders in calling women to be in the word. I have found a system of accountability and a style of Bible study that REALLY works for me with the Good Morning Girl’s online studies, but they take a break every 8 weeks. Kept – 1 Peter Study is what I’m gonna use to keep me digging into the word during the next break!

Marriage and Romance

Free Bonus: a discount for Union 28 is one of the bonuses–this is where Jeremy got his (and my) favorite shirt–softest chocolate jersey. Mr. Holden and I agree: 31 Days to Great Sex was a great book for couples. ‘Nuff said.

Motherhood

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions is a really cute idea for a book, and easy read–like having a conversation with a group of friends! And really helpful, practical answers to questions like, “How do you get your kids to Church on time?”, “How do you manage outings with only little ones?”, and “How do you make sure your children get enough individual time?”

Health and Fitness

The health and fitness books were great, but what I really love is the FREE bonus–two months free at Fit2B studio! (worth $19.98!) I have raved about Bethany’s Online Fitness Studio for moms HERE and she’s answered a bunch of my mommy-related fitness questions HERE.

Beauty

Ya’ll know how much I love this The No Brainer Wardrobe. Hayley was one of the first to show me style was possible as a mom, and inspired my journey to embracing my personal style. If you’ve been wanting this one, now you can get it for 31 cents!

Oh, and then there’s this book called Embracing Beauty…if you don’t have your copy yet, you can get it in this bundle!!!

Working from Home and Blogging

Since Jeremy has taken over my the tech side of my blog as my VA, he was excited to get his hands on The Bootstrap VA. He says, “This is not only a great resource for starting a VA business, Lisa has great information for anyone who wants to do more with their online presence. Every chapter includes great resources for further reading and tools to assist you with your online business.”

My favorite from this section of the bundle was definitely Simple Blogging. I have felt the need to streamline and simplify, especially as I face trying to keep up with the blog through the summer, which is our busiest travel season. Rachel shows dozens of ways to blog well in less time. Super excited about implementing this book.

Phew, that’s quite the list! And that was only 14 of the 97 resources in the bundle! If you’re still feeling a little overwhelmed, remember that for this price (31 cents each) you can pick and choose a few favorites–you don’t have to consume them all! And the titles that aren’t a fit for you make great gifts to pass on to friends. Just think about it, because the sale only lasts till Saturday, and then all these resources go back up to their original prices.

Are you as excited as I am? Then you probably want to tell your friends! Here’s some quotes ready for tweeting…(or share this post on facebook! Thanks!)

This bundle has practical inspiration for every single area I need to grow in as a homemaker! <<<Click to Tweet This

Ever wish there was a college course for homemaking? This is it. And it’s only $29.97! <<<Click to Tweet This

Fresh ideas for every room of your home–in one awesome sale! <<<Click to Tweet This

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9 Comments, Filed Under: Blogging, Fashion, Homemaking, Mothering, Read

Ultimate Homemaking Bundle

April 29, 2013 By Trina

It’s a fine Monday morning, and I’m absolutely giddy. Wanna hear why?

I’m giddy because this week I’ve teamed up with more than 75 well-know bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere to offer 97 of our most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the wowsers low price of $29.97!

This is truly the ultimate ebook sale—you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

For extra awesomeness, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

{Just so you know ~ I do make an affiliate profit if you buy this bundle via my link, I am a contributing author and will be blessed through your purchase, thank you!}

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 AM EST on April 29th to 11:59 PM EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

You can view the full list of resources and bonuses HERE, but here’s a quick outline of everything in the bundle:

If all these books and products overwhelm you, do come back tomorrow when I’m going to highlight my top picks from the sale–yes, I’ve personally opened every single book so I could tell you what my favorites were and why!

Home & Property {Cleaning and Organizing}

Education {Homeschooling & Spiritual Teaching}