Silhouette Cameo Giveaway!

  Welcome to the Silhouette CAMEO® Giveaway! I am excited to join Nap Time is My Time and several other amazing bloggers who made this great giveaway possible! One very lucky winner will receive a brand new Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool! In the box: A Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool, Silhouette Studio® software, 51 exclusive cuttable designs, Power cable, USB cable, 12" cutting mat, Cutting blade, $10 gift card to the Silhouette Online Store, and Basic Instruction Guide. Giveaway is open to US only. Prize valued at $300! This giveaway is open to US and ends May 31 at 11:59 PM EST. Come back everyday for more chances to win by completing our daily entries!

Spring Yarn Wreath with Felt Roses

I decided to try one of the pretty yarn wreaths I saw all over Pinterest.  I really like the color turquoise and thought it would be a pretty color for spring.  I like how the color of the flowers "pop".  I used a straw wreath as the base.  I think next time I'll use a Styrofoam base, so there are less bumps. I just looked up a tutorial for the flowers.  You can look here for the flower tutorial. 

Have you made your spring or summer wreath yet?

Learn How to Make a Tote Bag and the Perfect Pizza

I love the fact that you can learn so many crafting techniques online.  Craftsy offers lots of great classes from cake decorating to sewing.  Right now they are offering a few free mini classes.

The next 2 free Craftsy mini-courses I'm going to take are:

1.  Bag-making Basics

2.  Perfect Pizza at Home

My kids love pizza, and I would love to learn some secrets.  Sometimes I have a hard time stretching the pizza crust without tearing it!  I see so many cute zipper pouches for sale.  I would love to learn how to make my own.

Check out all of the other free Craftsy mini-courses by clicking here.

This post contains affiliate links.  To see my full disclosure go to this link.

A Mother's Day Giveaway

                                                                                             


In honor of mothers I would like to present to you a chance to win some lovely things.  I am teaming up with Mother of Pearl.  An organization that supports charities that help women and children.  You can learn more below.  

                                                                                                                                            

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother   of Pearl Mother’s Day blog series—a celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today’s best writers (Tricia Goyer, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Beth Vogt, Lesli Westfall, and more). I hope you’ll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother’s Day.

AND . . . do enter the contest for a chance to win a  beautiful handcrafted pearl necklace and a JOYN India     bag. Enter at the bottom of this post. The contest runs 5/4-5/13, and the winner will be announced on 5/14. Contest is only open to U.S. residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info, subscribe to our blog, and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith to help support Pearl Girls™.

And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

~

The Mom Who Gives Freedom by Christy Fitzwater


My mom is a reserved, quiet homebody who has lived in the same house for forty years. She has no ambitious career goals or desire for adventure.

She gave birth to me, an outgoing adventure-lover who has lived to take risks and put myself out into the world, in ways my mother would never dream of doing herself.

Yet my mother has always given me the great gift of freedom. She has never cast onto me her own fears of limelight or reservations about risk but has only encouraged me to do the outrageous things I have attempted to do.

When I received an award in high school that required me to fly, for the first time and by myself, from Wyoming to Atlanta, Georgia (only having talked once by telephone to the person who would pick me up), she sent me off with enthusiasm. (But her heart must have trembled to allow me to get on that plane.)

When that award landed me a full scholarship to a school in Texas I had never heard of (the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor), she rejoiced with me and did not hesitate to allow me to accept the scholarship. She then drove away from me in Texas, leaving me at a school where I knew no one, and only years later told me that was the hardest thing she had ever done.


When I called from Texas, at the end of my freshman year, and excitedly announced I had gotten a job and would be staying in Texas for the summer, she said it was wonderful and gave her approval.

Mom never filled me with doubt about what I could do. She never cast guilt on me for going on adventures that took me far away from her. She never poured her anxiety on my head but spoke only happiness and cheerleader words for me.

But now that I’m a mom, I know.

I know my risk-taking journey has always cost her something. I know every wild ride I chose required her to choose—either to build me up or to press me down. My mom handed me the scissors and, with a smile, allowed me to cut the apron strings and go far beyond what was comfortable for her.

This last week my son got his driver’s license, and now it is my turn to choose. Worry or a hearty smile—which will I give to him?

Let us stand in ovation to the mothers who give their children the ability to live freely.

###

Christy Fitzwater is a writer and pastor’s wife in Kalispell, Montana. She is also the mother of a daughter in college and a son in high school. She has an English degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Visit her at http://www.christyfitzwater.com.


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Great Cookbooks on Sale Now {and more!}

I love trying new cookbooks. I have a huge collection of them. My husband teases me about how many recipes I actually try. I do need to weed out some of the older ones I don't use. There are some awesome cookbooks offered as part of the The Ultimate Homemaking e-book Bundle.  I have Freezer Cooking by Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom.  I am just getting started with it, but am amazed at how helpful it is to have meals already prepared and waiting in the freezer.  I can't wait to try out  Crock On by Stacy Makes Cents.  I love using my crock pot!  I make beans, roasts, chicken soup, and so much more.  I'm starting to run out of ideas though.  I'm looking forward to trying many more!

I fyou work from home or blog then these are the books for you.  Your Blogging Business Tax, Talk and Tips looks useful.  Since my blog isn't very big yet I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to taxes.  I know that is something I need to do.  The Bootstrap Va is all about starting your own virtual assistance business.  Don't forget about all the e-courses and extra bonuses that come with this amazing deal.  The deal only runs until Saturday night.    If you liked to learn more visit my previous post.  This post contains affiliate links.


                                                   

31 Days to Clean {Improving Your Heart and Your Home}

I'm sure many of you have heard of Sarah Mae's blog.  She has written a few e-books and leads the blogging conference Alume.  I especially like her book 31 Days to Clean.  I have always struggled in the area of keeping a clean and organized house.  I will be motivated to make big changes and go on an organizational and cleaning frenzy.  My problem is maintaining.  What I liked about Sarah's book is it's not just another cleaning book.  It deals both with the heart and the home.  After every chapter it includes a challenge for your heart and one for your home.  I love this one quote from the book.  "The heart of our homes is not in the ability to keep it perfect at all costs; the heart of the home is love."  That is what I want the focus of my blog to be.  It's always nice to have a clean home, but not to the neglect of your relationships and health.  Are you interested in getting your home and heart in order?  I highly recommend this book.  This one one book of many in the Ultimate Homemaking e-book Bundle.


Here are a few more books that you will get on this subject.  These books alone are worth over $75, and that's only a few out of the 97 books!  If you would like to take a look at the other books go to my previous post.  If you are concerned about the downloading of all these books taking too long, I can assure you that it doesn't.  You can easily download them to your cloud and read them on your kindle or even your computer if you don't have a kindle.  Of course you can read them on other e-readers as well.  These are still on sale for the next four days.

 
                                                             

                                           

Do any of these titles look helpful to you?  I am going to read One Bite at a Time next.

This post contains affiliate links.  All opinions are my own.

The Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle on Sale Now!

For 6 days only,  more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97!  I have read some of these books, but of course not all of them!  The ones I did read I found to be very helpful.  What an awesome resource to have at your fingertips! What's even better is all the free resources at the bottom of this post.  That alone is worth the $29.95.   Don't let this great deal slip away!

More than anything, our goal for this sale was for it to be, well… ultimate! We firmly believe that 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.

To sweeten the pot, 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!

                                                              

                                         

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 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae @ SarahMae.com ($4.99)

Getting it Together: Your Guide to Setting Up a Home Management System that Works by Kayse @ kayse pratt ($3.99)

Pulling Yourself Together: Implementing a Cleaning Routine that Sticks by Becky @ Clean Mama ($10.00)

Simple Living by Lorilee @ Loving Simple Living ($2.99)

NOT a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)

One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)

28 Days to Hope for your Home by Dana @ A Slob Comes Clean ($5.00)

Organizing Life as Mom by Jessica @ Life as Mom ($9.00)

Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed by Jenni @ Live Called ($4.99)

10 Steps to Organized Paper by Lisa  @ Lisa Woodruff.net($5.00)

Handmade Walls by Jamin and Ashley @  the handmade home ($9.95)

Easy Peasy Chores: An Easy-to-Use Chore System That Brings JOY Back Into Family Chores by Alina Joy @ The Good Old Days Farm ($17.99)

Educational Children's Resources

Princess Training by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($3.99)

The Armor of God by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($2.50)

My Bedtime Learning Book by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($1.00)

Think Outside the Classroom by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($6.97)

Raising Rock Stars — Kindergarten Bundle by Carissa @ 1plus1plus1equals1 ($10.00)

The ABC's For Godly Boys Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)

The ABC's For Godly Girls Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)

K4 Curriculum by Erica @ Confessions of a Homeschooler ($15.00)

Write Through the Bible (print) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)

Write Through the Bible (cursive) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)

Balcony Girls (books 1 & 2) by Sandy @ Reluctant Entertainer ($19.90)

The Dig for Kids: Luke (Volumes 1 and 2) by Patrick, husband of Ruth @ The Better Mom ($5.98)

Music: An Essential Ingredient for Life by Ryan @ Resound School of Music ($6.99)

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ From Debtor to Better ($10.00)

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($2.99)

The Homemakers Guide to Creating the Perfect Schedule by Amy @ Raising Arrows ($4.99)

Your Grocery Budget Toolbox by Anne @ Authentic Simplicity ($7.99)

Finding Financial Freedom by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($5.97)

Become a Frugalista in 30 Days by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($3.99)

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

Crock On by Stacy @ Stacy Makes Cents ($5.00)

Real Food, Real Easy by various bloggers @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Wholesome Mixes by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

20-Minute Meals by Leigh Ann @ Intentional by Grace ($4.99)

Restocking the Pantry by Kresha @ Nourishing Joy ($9.99)

Money Saving Mom's Guide to Freezer Cooking by Crystal @ Money Saving Mom ($3.99)

Simply Summer by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($7.95)

Do the Funky Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($4.95)

Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS and Jami @ Eat Nourishing ($20.00)

Seasonal Menu Plans on a Budget: A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours by Diana @ My Humble Kitchen ($4.99)

Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn @ Just Making Noise ($12.00)

The Curative Kitchen by Susan @ Handy Pantry ($20.00)

Pregnancy & Baby Care

First Bites by Hilary @ Accidentally Green ($9.99)

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Stress-Free Baby Shower by Sara @ Your Thriving Family ($4.00)

Unbound Birth by Jenny @ The Southern Institute ($2.99)

My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy @ Simply Designs  ($9.99)

My Buttered Life Baby Edition by Renee @ Made On Hard Lotion ($5.00)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($5.00)

Redeeming Childbirth: Growth & Study Guide by Angie @ Redeeming Childbirth ($3.99)

Holidays & Special Events

Festive Traditions by Jill @ Modern Alternative Kitchen ($7.95)

Holiday Mixes: Gifts in a Jar by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Family Camping Handbook by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($6.95)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Oh, Amanda! ($7.99)

Plan a Fabulous Party by Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect ($4.99)

iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide by Alli @ Alli Worthington($9.97)

Spiritual Growth

Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 by Amy @ Amy Bayliss ($3.99)

The Best of Visionary Womanhood by Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood ($5.00)

God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99)

Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($4.99)

Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13 by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($2.99)

Marriage & Romance

Rekindling Romance by Jason & Jami @ A Biblical Marriage ($4.99)

Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene @ Time-Warp Wife ($2.99)

31 Days to Build a Better Spouse by Ashley @ Ashley Pichea ($4.99)

31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila @ To Love, Honor and Vacuum ($4.99)

Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair by Amy @ Amy J. Bennett ($4.99)

Motherhood

The Heart of Simplicity by various authors @  The Heart of Simplicity ($9.99)

True Christian Motherhood by June @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home ($7.00)

Hula Hoop Girl by September @ One September Day ($4.99)

When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($4.97)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Days ($4.99)

From Cube to Farm by Heather @ From Cube to Farm ($2.99)

4 Moms of  35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by various authors @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids Parenting E-book ($7.99)

That Works for Me! by Kristen @ We are THAT Family ($8.00)

Health & Fitness

100-pound Loser by Jessica @ Muthering Heights ($4.99)

Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Danielle @ Domestic Serenity ($2.99)

42 Days to Fit by Brandy @ The Marathon Mom, Emma @ Real Fit Moms and Stacy @ A Delightful Home  ($4.99)

Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95)

Personal ePlanner by Jennifer @ ListPlanIt ($5.00)

Beauty

Frumps to Pumps by Sarah Mae @ SaraMae.com ($4.99)

The Cottage Mama’s DIY Guide by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($3.99)

The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley @ The No Brainer Wardrobe ($7.99)

Embracing Beauty by Trina @ Trina Holden ($9.00)

Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose by Kristen @ The Frugal Girl ($3.99)

Working from Home & Blogging

Your Blogging Business: Tax, Talk and Tips by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

The Bootstrap VA by Lisa @ The Home Life {and Me} ($12.99)

How to Grow Your Blog and Manage Your Home by Jacinda @ Growing Home ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging by Rachel @ Small Notebook ($8.00)

Ecourses

Learning in Love: The Preschool Years by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)

Homeschooling from the Heart by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)

Grocery University by Carrie @ Colorado Bargains ($24.95)

Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms by Lisa @ Well-Grounded Life ($59)

You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.00)

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies...

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

Get $10 off Union28's original "my husband rocks" tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers:

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.

For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.

All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.

All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General      

It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame.  With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013.  After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.


Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

   

         

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered,  so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Particularly for those wanting to read these ebooks on their mobile devices (iPhones or iPads, Android, Kindle, etc.) you will want to learn more about the file types, how to download them correctly, and how to transfer them to your device.

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!