Embracing Beauty

Introducing: Real{Fast}Food – The Ebook!

June 9, 2011 By
Well, peoples – we did it. On the hottest day of the year, and despite more computer issues than you can shake a stick (or a mouse) at, Jeremy and I have officially published our first book, 

I feel – exhilarated – excited – exhausted – and really relieved to have the writing and editing completed so I can jump into the fun of sharing the book with you all!

We created a sales page right here on the blog. Jeremy even put up screen shots of the Contents and Recipe Index, allowing you a virtual peek at what’s inside.

I’m so excited about this book. But I’m not the only one – those of you who follow on Facebook have been getting updates as the book came to completion and have been cheering me on. And my proofreaders got to see the whole thing last week as they helped me to edit it. I was delighted at their enthusiasm -

“Absolutely perfect…This is such a wonderful resource for those of us who want to feed our families well, stay within our budget and have food that actually tastes good! …I can see it becoming my favorite recipe book in the very near future! – Rachel (Fashion Gone Thrifty)

There’s more reviews on the sales page. We’re celebrating the release with a special sale price! Find all the information here!


Thanks to all you faithful readers – your support of my blog was what inspired me to write – without you I would never have realized the dream of writing and publishing a book!

Shared at:









Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Gourmet
Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade
Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
Things I Love Thursday
Simple Lives Thursday
What’s cooking Wednesday
Traditional Tuesdays
Strictly Homemade
 

6 Comments, Filed Under: Read, Real Food, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Circle of Moms Top 25 Faith Blogs: The Real Reason I Want You To Vote

June 1, 2011 By

One of my kind readers nominated me for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Faith blogs this week! I’m really honored, and excited at the exposure this will bring my blog even if I don’t make it to the top 25. (highly unlikely with such names as Ann Voskamp and Sarah Mae near the top!)

Now, of course, I’m gonna ask you to vote for me, and I’m glad to say it’s a very simple, quick little thing you can do as a way to say thank you for the work we put into this blog. All you have to do is click on this little button…


…and you’ll be taken straight to my listing where you click on the little orange button. In a second or two, it will turn grey and show that your vote has been added to the total. You can vote every 24 hours – and for as many blogs as you like on the list! The winners will, of course, be the ones who get the most total votes during the period of the contest indicating both a large and faithful readership.

And that brings me to the real reason for this post. Not to promote myself, but more importantly, the great, Christian blogs that actually stand a chance to make it to the top 25. Because here’s the thing – there is some stiff competition in the top 25 between the faith blogs we all know and love, and some blogs that, frankly, I’m annoyed are even considered to be in the same category.  I’m talking about the witch blogs. I’m just really disturbed that self-confessing witches are ranking higher than woman like Sally Clarkson, Ann Voskamp. This blog list is going to get a lot of exposure and guide lots of traffic to the ones that make the final list. And with just 2 min. a day for the next week you can help God-glorifying blogs get the place they deserve – the top of the list!!!

Go vote today! Here’s the link to the entire list.

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Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil WINNERS!!!

May 9, 2011 By

I love giving stuff away to my readers – even if it is “one of the oddest yet awesomest giveaways I’ve ever seen on the internet!“  as one of my readers, Beks, commented!

Well, Beks, you along with Kristina and Maria are my winners for this week! Contact me with your addresses and your lovely prizes will be on their way!

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Your Back Stage Pass

May 6, 2011 By

I’m writing an ebook.

There. I said it. Now I have to follow through. (eeek!)

Actually, I told my friends on ATIG on Facebook about the book last week (I’ve even given away two copies already as we’ve interacted on the subject!) You see, the FB page is kinda where you get sneak peaks of what’s happening at ATIG. There I upload photos quick from my phone that might take weeks to get up on the blog. There I ask reader’s opinions and tell them what’s going on just a bit before I get it in a blog post. It’s ATIG unedited and accessible – it’s even easier for me to answer comments and for us to interact with each other there then it is on the blog.

So, this is an invitation, your official back stage pass to ATIG and joining me in my newest adventure…

Writing a book.

Books are exhausting!

You see, I need your help. I’ve gotten spoiled by blogging and the awesome feedback and encouragement I receive every time I publish a post. Working on a book is a little lonely. Despite the fact that the draft to publishing time is drastically shorter with ebooks than a printed book, I still don’t think I’m gonna make it through the writing process with out your feedback and support. As excited as I am about the book-

(it’s a cookbook chock full of my best time saving stategies and techniques for cooking real food from scratch!)

-it’s a challenge, an unknown, and I’m finding writing a book takes, well, guts. Here’s an excerpt from my journal just last night…

“Can I really do this thing? Write, publish, promote, sell, be proud of, and sleep in spite of – an ebook? The doubts come as frequently as the need to blink. My mind is consumed by it. I remember with wistful fondness the days I thought I had time to read a novel. I remind myself that I do believe in the book, but still the doubts come. I’m not worthy, no one cares, I will fail. And I don’t want to fail – or even come close. I’d really like to be perfect, but then, what’s the point in that? I tell myself that the benefit is as much in the journey and the process itself, as in the end result. How I’m learning as I research topics for the book. How I’m practicing time management and learning to stay focused on a project. What a fun team effort it has been with me and Jeremy (He’s doing the formatting and graphic design!). But I continually ask myself, ‘will people like it? will it even be a small success?’ (and what is my definition of success for this project???) Then I remind myself that if even one busy wife or college student or overworked mom is able to overcome their inhibitions and objections and be encouraged and inspired to create more nourishing meals for herself and her family, I will have achieved my goal. My passion will have met its mark. I’ll be able to sleep a night!”

So, you see – I need you. If you’re at all interested in this project and want to chat about, pray for me, give me feed back (I’ve got a  title, but I’m looking for a good subtitle still!), or just find out more about ATIG behind the scenes, come on over and join. After you “like” the page, you can go straight to the wall and see what’s new, say hello, and meet other readers. I’d be delighted to meet you there!

1 Comment, Filed Under: Blogging, From my Journal, Real Food, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil – Review and Giveaway!!!

April 29, 2011 By

I am so excited about this post, I should write in all caps – but I will restrain myself. ☺ Today I have the privilege of reviewing the new Emulsified Fermented Cod Liver Oil from Green Pastures. Why am I so excited about this Cod Liver Oil?

Because this is the best Cod Liver Oil out there.
It’s fermented - when I first heard about Green Pastures, their oils where not available yet ’cause they were still fermenting. The traditional and most beneficial cod liver oil is fermented for 6-12 months. It’s now available and offers these advantages:

  • Fermented CLO is easier to digest than regular CLO
  • Absorption is increased and the nutrients are easier to assimilate
  • Contains 2 1/2 times more Vitamins A & D and uses no heat during production therefore retaining the precious enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients
  • Fished from pristine waters off the Alaskan Aleutian Islands to ensure purity

It’s Emulsified -
From Green Pasture’s Website –

“The  Emulsified FCLO products are different from other emulsified products in the market today.  The high level of nutrient dense FCLO included in each serving allows for small amounts to be taken with great effect.  The ingredients we use are healthful such as real soluble fiber to assist the bulking of the product.  The bulking/emulsified condition allows for the flavors to have a better impact on your tongue and coats the oil. Many will find the new Emulsified FCLO more pleasurable experience compared to taking real FCLO liquids we currently offer.”

(emphasis mine) The new consistency makes it easier to just swallow down a small amount on a spoon, rather than trying to mix it into something to swig down. 

It’s got great Flavor - 
  I know, I know – you can’t believe Cod Liver Oil could ever ‘taste good’. My previous experience with trying to get my kids and myself on this stuff resulted in several gagging sessions and promptly selling the bottle off to a friend with more will power. I figured the only way for me to take it was via pill, and my kids would have to learn how to swallow pills before they could enjoy the awesome benefits of cod liver oil in their diet. I wasn’t going to make them take something I couldn’t even get down.

Then I tasted Green Pasture’s new product, with brand new, kid-tested flavors and I said – “Oh! Hey, that’s not that bad!” Again, I quote Dave at Green Pastures – “the emulsified’s are not only easy to take but .. do i dare say, enjoyable.”

My Personal Review
When I first opened the jar, I was a little disturbed by the consistency – mostly ’cause I wasn’t expecting it – it’s kinda gloppy. But that’s what the emulsification process does to it, I guess – and it does make it easier to spoon it and take it (the other oil I tried was very runny and messy).

I know what my readers really want to know, though, is if my kids could hack it. I lie not – I gave Claire a spoonful and she swallowed it down,
didn’t even make a face,
and asked for more!

Jesse was a little tougher – mainly ’cause he’s old enough to have an opinion. No amount of bribery was working on my part, but he swallowed it right down when daddy gave it to him (hooray!) and actually admitted it wasn’t as bad as he feared. I reward them both with juice or milk to wash it down, and then we go on with breakfast.

We plan on making cod liver oil a regular part of our morning. I usually take the pills (I won a bottle from Modern Alternative Mamma a few months ago) but will change to the oils just to give the kids an example. I found that with the oils I tend to have some fishy burps for the rest of the morning, but the kids haven’t complained of anything. (If I sandwich the pills in the middle of a meal I don’t burp at all)

The flavors are great – strong and pure thanks to the essential oils. I’m really impressed. Our favorite flavor so far is the Spearmint. I liked the Ginger, however, ’cause when I burped, they were ginger burps rather than fishy burps. TMI? Oh, sorry! I was also impressed with the Licorice – though that is not usually a flavor I prefer, again, the purity of the essential oil flavoring appealed to me.

As for Seth Franklin – I think he likes it best! Doesn’t seem to notice in my milk, but I love that I’m adding to the nutritional value of his milk by taking it myself. 

In Summary – as far as Cod Liver Oils go, this is the best. 

Why take Cod Liver Oil?
I’m gonna let Kelly, over at KellyTheKitchenKop educate you on that – she’s done a great job with a collection of posts highlighting all the benefits.

You can also read Kate’s review of their product here. She also answers the question “Is it affordable?” I found her tips and view very helpful.

One of the main reasons I wanted to incorporate it into my diet was for the positive effect  it can have on hormones. Having three babies in 5 years has my body depleted, and it has taken me longer to recover from Seth Franklin’s birth. After finally getting in the habit of remembering to take the capsules regularly, I at last feel my hormones evening out – hallelujah!

It’s one of those traditional supplements – a real superfood – that I am convinced will benefit my family – that’s why I’ve gone to the trouble of researching and finding the best brand AND contacting the seller so I can offer it to my readers as well!

The Giveaway
So, here’s the deal. I get to give away a bottle of Green Pasture’s Emulsified Cod Liver Oil to THREE of my wonderful readers. Here’s how you get your name in the hat:

  1. Go to Green Pastures, check out their New Emulsified Cod Liver Oils and choose what flavor you’d like to try.
  2. Leave me a comment – with your name-  telling me what flavor you want if you win!

It’s that simple. Of course, if you want to up your chances:

  • Facebook about the giveaway – say something like “I’m gonna win Green Pastures Cod Liver Oil from Trina at All That Is Good!” and be sure to share the link to my blog
  • Tweet  “I’m gonna win Green Pastures Cod Liver Oil from Trina at All That Is Good!” – again, including the link to this post.
  • Blog about this giveaway!

Leave a separate comment for each way that you spread the word about the giveaway and increase your chances of winning!

The Contest is open until Friday, May 6th, 2011, and the winner will be announced Monday, May 9th.

Added Bonus – While exploring Green Pasture’s website I found that they are doing a giveaway for their blog readers – a free book (Nourishing Traditions is one of the picks!) with purchase of 3 bottles of cod liver oil. Go in with some friends and get the free book of your choice with your order!

Be sure to visit Green Pastures Today!

Giveaway is now closed – congrats to our winners, Beks, Kristina, Maria!

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Book Winner!

April 27, 2011 By

It’s been a busy day here – it actually stopped raining long enough to get something done outside! It was Jeremy’s day off, so we worked together cleaning the barn, the porch, the yard – it’s looking great! But I’m exhausted. I feel like a good soak in the hot tub but I don’t think I can bring the laptop in there, so I’m just checking in real quick to let you all know who won the book giveaway.

The random number generator gave me the number 5, so Kristina! You are our winner! I will send the book right out to you.

If I seem a bit scarce around here this week, it’s only ’cause I’m working so hard behind the scenes. A good  awesome friend is helping me with a complete site makeover. We’ll be back to more regular posting next month! Thanks for your patience.

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And the winner is…

December 13, 2010 By

OH, this was so hard! As I gathered all your names together I wanted every one of you to win! But I used a random number generator to keep it fair. ☺ And the winner is,

Whitney!

Oh, hooray! Whitney, I will be sending the apron your way so you can use it while you bake your Christmas treats and nourishing meals for your precious family! ☺ Merry Christmas, everyone!

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I made this for you…

December 4, 2010 By

…as a gift, to thank you for kindly using my affiliate links in the past few month!. I got my first commission since monetizing my blog, and this is thanks to you, my dear readers. So, I’m celebrating YOU with this giveaway featuring my hand sewn aprons!

I make these out of soft, vintage sheets that I find at thrift stores. I estimate I’ve made close to 30 in the past two years – they are my favorite apron (I have three myself!) and my favorite gift to give away. They are comfy and flattering, and everybody loves them!

As you can see, they are reversible, with a lovely striped print on the other side. As I was sewing the first one (the orange) I thought to myself, “If it was me, I’d want a choice!” (’cause I’m not in love with orange myself). So, I made the purple one to give you a choice. However, I am only giving away ONE apron, the other I’m donating to our Christian radio station’s Christmas Craft Bizarre. In other words, the winner here on the blog gets first dibs!

Orange Sorbet

Purple Ice

The aprons are ‘one size fits most’, with adjustable neck ties and long, cross-in-the-back-and-tie-in-the-front waist ties.

Giveaway Rules

1. You must be publicly following my blog to win! Just click the ‘follow’ button in the box in my sidebar.
2. Leave me a comment with your apron choice and your email address.

More chances to win!
Blog about this giveaway!
3. Leave a separate comment for each additional chance to win, once again including your email address.
4. Contest ends Friday, December 10th, 12am, EST. Winner will be announced the following Monday (12/13/09).
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Time on Sale!

November 27, 2010 By

What if you could change your life in less than 30 pages?

This weekend and through Monday, the e-book “Tell Your Time” by Amy Andrews is on sale! As an affiliate promoting her book, I just thought I’d let you know – it’s %50 off! If you’ve never bought an e-book (this was my first) let me tell you how it works:

  1. You click on this link, which takes you to her website. 
  2. You click on “Add to Cart” which takes you to the shopping cart page.
  3. Enter the promotion code MONDAYBLACK to get %50 off! 
  4. Next you click on the “Pay pal” tab, enter your credit card info, and hit, “submit”.
  5. You will be sent an email with a link to download the book to your computer!

E-books are a great way for people to share a larger chunk of valuable information than they might otherwise post on their blog. You can read it on your computer, or print it off to read it on the couch or in the car. This one is only 29 pages and it is packed with great time management tips that you can glean from even if you already have a schedule! Here’s my personal review of the book…

I always thought I was an organized person – I love to make lists, plan my day, my week, my month, and get to cross things off as I complete things. I like that a list helps me remember the important stuff, and writing it down often helps me see what my priorities are and be realistic with my goals. Many people are amazed at what I get done in a day, and wouldn’t think I would need a book on time management. But I had been reading Amy’s blog and seen that she really had a lot to offer, so I decided to go for it, to see if she could help me be even more organized – maybe even get me through the holidays with less stress!

The book did just that. It was awesome! First, it was short – didn’t take forever for me to get to the practical tips – it was all practical! Amy showed me how to sift my priorities like never before, allowing me to focus and make real progress on what was truly important to me. Listing priorities under the heading of “Mother” such as “training my kids well” helped me to be patient when another, lesser, goal was interrupted by the immediate need to discipline a toddler (again). Mapping out my days and actually ‘seeing’ the time slots I had to work in the studio let me breathe easier when I thought about how much I have to sew before Christmas. And writing down my goals and the baby steps to actually achieving them encouraged me that I really can make positive changes in my life. I have never had such peace about my to-do list, and such hope that I do have what it takes to create the home life I’ve always dreamed of for my family.

So, if you’re even just a little stressed about the holidays………if you have several kids and are beginning to wonder if you will ever have “time for ____ again” (you fill in the blank!)………….If you have a paper or mental list of things hanging over your head………. do yourself a favor.
Hop over and purchase Amy’s book.
Read it over the weekend and jump into December excited and equipped to do more than just survive the holidays!

Sale starts Black Friday (Nov. 26) at 12:01am and ends Cyber Monday (Nov. 29) at 11:59pm.
Coupon Code: MONDAYBLACK (this code must be added to a customer’s shopping cart at checkout to get the deal)

Sale Price: $6 (that’s 50% off!)

I am an affiliate promoting Amy’s book – I will receive a portion of the sale of this book, at no extra cost to you! It’s how Amy is choosing to advertise her book – paying others to get the word out. Click here if you are interested in becoming an affiliate. 

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Sneak Peak and Storm Sky

November 27, 2010 By

I ran out on the front porch the other day to snap these photos of a chill, November day.

I loved the contrast between the heavy sky, the shadowed hill beyond the lake, the grey trees and the bare meadow. Pretty vivid colors for November.

I’ve actually been pretty anxious for November to be over, ’cause I have such fun things planned here on the blog for December! I wanted to give you a sneak peek today to whet your appetite…

  • I have a free download that may become your kid’s favorite Christmas Tradition – just like it was for me when I was growing up. 
  • Christmas gift ideas for kids – I’m gonna show you what I bought for my kids and how I saved money, as well as recommend some neat things I have on my list for next year (since I’m already done shopping for them this year!)
  • The final post in my “Get the Soy OUT!” series. (Catch up on posts 1 and 2)
  • And finally, I’ve got a Christmas gift just for you all – well, one of you, anyway. I have a very special give-away for one special reader – it could be you! 

Stay Tuned and Have a Lovely Weekend!

3 Comments, Filed Under: Everyday Beauty, Uncategorized Tagged With:
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