By Courtney, Contributing Writer With Christmas drawing near, we’re planning and preparing for time with family and friends, sharing the joy and wonder of the season with them. Many of these get togethers are centered around food. After all, aside from providing nourishment for our bodies, food serves other important purposes as well. Of those…
Over the past few months I have been working toward eliminating grains from my diet. I haven’t felt this good in quite some time. While going grain free may not be for everyone, I am convinced that reducing the amount of grains we consume would be beneficial to most. With the holidays coming up, I…
I know that many of you enjoy finding a good deal as much as I do, so I’ve compiled some excellent deals and coupon codes from around the web… Yes, this phenomenal Healthy Living eBook Bundle is coming back! For those who missed it the first time, in particular those who were dealing with power…
By Kate, Contributing Writer Thanksgiving’s coming–really, really soon! And after Thanksgiving we have an onslaught of holiday festivities that will last until we begin 2013. What we find at these festivities, in whatever form they take is…food. Lots and lots of food. I imagine the average person who eats a Standard American Diet can expect…
I never was a big fan of pumpkin pie during my childhood years. Every year at Thanksgiving, I would choose cherry or apple pie over the classic pumpkin pie. I never understood why it was such a big deal around the holidays! Until… I had my first pumpkin pie made out of fresh pumpkin. Wow!…
Written by Erin Odom, Contributing Writer When I first started cooking from scratch, it didn’t seem too hard. I gathered my ingredients and followed the recipes. But then one day it hit me: I wasn’t buying processed, pre-packaged meals anymore, but I was using processed, pre-packed ingredients to make my “from-scratch” meals. And these ingredients were…
This post is part of a 3 part series. Read Part 1 and Part 3 here. As I shared last week, I think that working-at-home is an amazing and viable opportunity for many women who wish to (or need to) work but still want to remain at home with their children. Today, I want to…
I hope that you’ve all had a restful and memorable time with your family during the Christmas season! Our holidays were relatively uneventful, but still wonderful. My husband and I took a couple days away the week before Christmas to do some dreaming and goal-setting for the coming year. Then we spent a quiet week…
Am I the only one who finds the holidays a struggle with all of the sugary temptation? I’m over at Simple Organic, talking about an important thing that we can do to help our bodies combat the sugar overload… Holidays are a time for indulging. We stuff ourselves on turkey feasts, swear that we couldn’t…
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end… Isaiah 9:6,7 Wishing you all a very blessed Christmas, as we celebrate…
Whether you’re on a strict budget, have a large family and many friends, or simply enjoy creating meaningful Christmas gifts, I hope you’ll find a few Christmas gift ideas you’ll enjoy making – and giving – on my list. It’s wonderful to create lasting memories, especially during the Christmas season. Merry Christmas to you and…
; Written by Mindy, Contributing Writer I have always loved making, giving, and receiving handmade gifts. There is just something very special about a gift that somebody takes the time to make themselves! As much as I’ve always loved making gifts to give others, I do…ahem…have a history of not completing all of my handmade…
Giveaway has now ended. I know that this is going to be a very popular giveaway, and there’s no question why! Cloth diapering is obviously important among my readers (as it is to me), and you love having the opportunity to win cloth diaper products and find new places to shop. What makes cloth diapering…
With the holidays approaching fast, many of our minds are turning to the inevitable Christmas party. Entertaining on a budget is challenging. Entertaining GLUTEN FREE on a budget: Even more challenging. But, not impossible. Here are some ideas to help you keep it simple and yet delicious, whether for yourself, or a guest with a…
This week I’m pleased to be a part of a fantastic group of bloggers and authors, including my books in the Simplify Family Life collection ebook sale. Corey from Simple Marriage and Mandi from Life…Your Way have brought together some of the top authors in the family life space with 30 ebooks covering a variety of…
Written by Kate Tietje, Contributing Writer If you have little kids, chances are your New Year’s celebrations don’t look like they used to. You probably don’t go out to a party or have friends over until 1 or 2 in the morning. In fact, you might be like me – I went to bed around…
Abbie at just over 6 years old has a Christmas wish this year and she’s been singing it to anyone who will listen, “All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth, my 5 front teeth, my 12 front teeth!” Her lovely toothless smile is now missing 5 teeth, with one more wiggly one,…
Written by Sherri Cook, Contributing Writer The day after Thanksgiving when friends jokingly ask me if I’m finished with my Christmas shopping, I can always surprise them with an answer in the affirmative. At my house, not only have we finished the shopping, we’ve also finished the wrapping as well as the unwrapping. How do we…
When you first get married and have children, the holidays take on new meaning. Maybe you have memories of awesome traditions you had growing up (opening a present the night before Christmas, going caroling, having a big dinner with Grandma on Christmas Eve…whatever your family did). These traditions made your holidays special, and you want…
I like me a good cup of tea. Many of the people who visit my home comment on my “tea basket”, usually overflowing with various kinds of tea– loose, bags, black, herbal, rooibos, green, medicinal, dessert-like, etc. I think that part of what I like about tea is its complex and every-changing personality. It can…
I thought of this recipe roundup again as I was pondering all of the amazingly delicious and nourishing recipes that are available throughout the blogosphere for the holidays this year. It can be tough to find “real food” recipes. I know, because I’ve gone to local stores and looked around online and found little. Yes,…
Written by Emily McClements, Contributing Writer The holidays are in full swing, and along with holidays usually come guests. It is a blessing to host others in our homes, whether for a week night family dinner, weekend party, or small group Bible study, but sometimes the preparation for guests can become stressful or overwhelming. We…
I grew up eating a “wife-saver” casserole each Christmas morning, with eggs and bacon and Corn Flakes crumbled on top. It was delicious and hearty, and best of all, my mom could make it the the day before and pop it in the oven while we opened gifts as a family. Pancakes and waffles are…
Written by Kate Tietje, Contributing Writer Christmas is coming…soon! It’s a huge, commercial, and expensive holiday. Many families spend well over $1000, and some far more than that, on Christmas presents and paraphernalia every year. For families who are trying to be frugal or have to stick to a budget, it can be hard to…