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I have been richly blessed by all the feedback and encouragement I have received since I wrote my announcement early in January about how God has been leading me to take a sabbatical from blogging for an undetermined amount of time. It was a great delight to re-share some of the TOP 10 posts that have been published here over the last five and half years, and to see many more comments come in from ladies blessed again by these words. I hope you were blessed and encouraged and I pray that God will continue to use these simple messy words shared here to bring glory to His name! Be assured that the blog isn’t going anywhere, so you will have full access to all the archives and recipes for your personal use. Please utilize them to your hearts content! I don’t know what the future holds for now, but I’m excited to see what is the next step in this journey that God is taking me on. I will be disabling the comments sometime this weekend. You will still be able to view old comments, we just will not be accepting new comments for the time being, as they require moderation. Thank you for understanding.

Thank you for sharing this space with me and for coming back again and again, and for sharing your life, your heart, your tears, and your encouragement. This has been an amazing experience and I have treasured every moment spent here! Till we meet again – whether here or in eternity! May God richly bless and sustain you and may you strive each and every day to live your life with intentionality for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom in whatever season of life He has you in! Know that I am here striving to be faithful right along side you though we may be worlds apart!

Pressing on to know the Lord,

Lindsay

Paula’s Bread has been a faithful supporter of Passionate Homemaking since the beginning of its conception, so we feel it is appropriate to bring attention to this wonderful company once more with a fabulous giveaway! Paula’s Bread is a sweet family run business that offers quality kitchen products for the everyday homemaker. You can find everything for making homemade bread, pizza, to grinding your own grain and the favorite bosch mixer. Every product that they sell is carefully selected for quality, safety, and usability. With fabulous customer service, I have loved purchasing from and working together with Paula’s Breads for many years.

Today, we are offering a superior stainless steel bakeware set for one special winner!

Stainless steel bakeware set:
2 Norpro stainless steel cookie sheets ($40 value)
1 stainless steel jelly roll pan ($20 value)
1 stainless steel 8 inch square cake pan ($16 value)
1 stainless steel 16 in pizza pan ($16 value)

The wonderful thing about stainless steel is that it is a clean metal to cook with and it does not leach metal into your foods. These are lifetime pans and bakeware as they won’t rust and you will be able to pass them on to the next generation.

TO ENTER:

1. Visit Paula’s Bread and check out their array of different products. Come back and share with us your favorite item and how you would use it.

2. For a second optioal entry, subscribe to Paula’s Bread newsletter to stay informed of upcoming sales and tips. Let us know in a second comment below.

Giveaway closed.

And the winner is…

Thank you to all who entered!
Winner will be randomly drawn and announced at the end of this post on the day following the close of the giveaway.
No purchase necessary.
Email subscribers must click through to the original post and leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway.
US Participants only.

As I prayed over the new year and the future of this blog, The Lord has been prompting my heart that it is time for a season of rest. 2012 was a very challenging year for our family, from business failure, to insomnia, to over committing ourselves in service. I have been writing and editing here at Passionate Homemaking for over 5 years now and it has been the most amazing journey. I started out as a simple family update blog and it quickly soared into an amazing highly trafficked website as I shared about my passions in natural and frugal living. To this day, there are over 20,000 subscribers. I never planned for it. I never anticipated the income that came with it. It was never my goal. I didn’t plan to have a big blog…but God had other plans for my simple and messy words. I was just an empty vessel desiring to be used by my Lord.

I would have never imagined how God was going to use this site. Day by day, I have received the most encouraging emails and comments from ladies all over the world that have been impacted in some way through this online ministry. It has been a little outlet for me to be able to use my gifts to bless others from my home, which has been my heart and passion for so long. I have seen people come to know Jesus, or simply be inspired in realizing that there are others out there who struggle just as you do. Through the resources we have earned in sponsors and giveaways, we have been able to fully support two different orphan homes first in Cambodia and then in India, in addition to many other giving opportunities. All glory be to God!

I honestly admit that I have struggled for quite a few months now, struggling with lack of inspiration and ideas for posts. It has been challenging to maintain the blog while juggling all my various responsibilities within my home, church, and community. I have struggled repeatedly with my identity and comparing myself with others in the blogosphere. God has used it to prune and refine me and make me more like Himself. I’m tired of this sin in my heart. I’m tired of finding my approval in this stuff rather than wholeheartedly in my Lord. I’m just ready to let that all go once and for all.

I have been sensing that it is time for a lengthy sabbatical. God has been prompting me in this for awhile, but I’ve been fighting hard. It’s been one of the hardest decisions I have made. It’s not something I wanted to give up. I have loved this little world from my computer screen. But I feel like I have loved it too much as well. I want to fully live in the here and now. I want to turn my full attention closer to home, towards nurturing the relationships closer to home, rather than stretching myself too thin in various committments. I do not want to fight what God is leading me to do…even if it means letting go.

I may be back again…but I’m waiting on Gods timing. He may have a new adventure in store. In the meantime, I wanted to share throughout the month of January, the top ten posts that have been written on Passionate Homemaking over the last 5 years. These are posts that I feel God has used in sweet and powerful ways and I wanted to share them with you all once again as a parting present for a time. All the resources here will still be fully available for your use and service. Although comments will be removed as I will not be able to moderate them.

Also, I wanted to share a few blogs that I feel would be very worthwhile to mention for you to enjoy that have served in inspiring me over the years that may effectively take my place. Many of these blog authors have become dear friends over the years:

Girl Talk Home

Inspired to Action

Heavenly Homemakers

Grace Full Mama

Keeper of the Home

You all will remain in my hearts and prayers…thank you for taking this journey with me! Thank you for all your love and support! Thank you for choosing to follow me here in my own little messy world. I love you dearly even if I have only meet a tiny fraction of you. May you be strengthened in The Lord and be empowered to embrace joy and thankfulness where you are, whatever season of life it may be. May you be faithful to bring Him much glory! Treasure the precious moments he has given you. Smell the flowers and rejoice in His loving care of you!

I want to conclude with a quote that has been my life quote:

“Only one life, twill soon be past…Only what’s done for Christ will last.” – C.T. Studd

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from our home to yours! We are enjoying a peaceful holiday season, embracing some madness while we organize and deliver Angel Tree gifts to children in our community, but otherwise, we are treasuring sweet moments doing our advent celebrations together, reading A Christmas Carol with the kids, snuggling in and watching Christmas movies, caroling with the elderly, and anticipating the birth of Jesus and a time of rest with family and friends! Now to go make some traditional Cranberry Candy Canes and venture out to enjoy Christmas lights!

May your homes be filled with the joy of our Savior’s birth and be renewed to jump into a new year with the strength and courage that He supplies! Thanks for sharing life with us here at PH!

Merry Christmas!

The Edmonds Family – Aaron, Lindsay, Karis, Titus & Eden

Today we would like to bring you a lovely giveaway, thanks to Jenuinely Pure! Jenuinely Pure is a mommy operated business founded in 2008 that is committed to providing handmade, truly natural products at an affordable price. Their handcrafted selection includes a wonderful array of natural skin care products and safe household cleaning supplies. Soap, body oils, washes, cleansers, toners, and lip balms, just to name a few. We have used and love their foaming hand soaps and their all-purpose natural cleaner. 100% natural with no compromises.

They have recently begun producing travel and sample kits that give you the opportunity to try their products without a huge investment. Then you can determine your favorites and come back for more. The have three different sample kits, including their body travel & sample kit, baby travel kit (with some of those essentials for your baby), and a face travel & sample kit. These kits making traveling with your natural care supplies to be a breeze, all packaged in a cute travel bag.

Today, we are giving away two gift certificates worth $30.00 each for two winners to be able to use towards any items in their store!

To Enter:

1. Visit Jenuinely Pure and browse their selection, and come back and let us know what are your favorite items among their selection. Come back and let us know in the comments below.

2. For a second option entry, sign up for the Jenuinely Pure newsletter (on the right hand side of their homepage), and stay informed on sales and specials! Let us know in a second comment below.

Also, all Passionate Homemaking readers can get 15% off your orders by using discount code: PH15 at checkout!

Giveaway ends Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 8 pm PST.

And the winners are…

#1 – Faith (faith.sandahl@…) “I’d love to try their basic skin care kit!”

#2 – Ashley P. (bayriverretri…@) “I love how their baby products sound, especially the baby wash! I’d also be interested in their body cream and the all purpose cleaner…”

Giveaway limited to US participants.
No purchase necessary to enter.
Email subscribers must click through to the original post and enter a comment to be entered.

Its the Christmas season and now is the time to lather up your bodies with the natural and rich smells and nourishing benefits of Graham Gardens homemade pure soaps and balms scented with warm holiday scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, peppermint, and cardamom. We are excited to bring you a fabulous Christmas gift package today from Graham Gardens with a wonderful collections of soaps, lip balms, and vapor rub to clean out congestion. I have been using these soaps for several years now and cannot more highly recommend the assortment of natural skin care products that Graham Gardens offers, from soap, to oils, to natural baby care. Every product we have used has been a delightful experience.

We are giving away two gift sets today to two special winners. The set includes one each of the following:

The Christmas Kitchen Soap (seasonal!)
Sleigh Ride Soap (seasonal!)
Simmering Wassail Soap (new seasonal soap scented with cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg)
Orange Sunset Premium Lip Balm
Coffee Break Premium Lip Balm
Peppermint Candy Premium Lip Balm
Clear Skies Ahead, Mentholated Vapor Rub (new rub for naturally soothing congestion)
(Retail value of $32.00)

The basket in the picture is exactly as the winner will receive only there will be a bit of candy tossed in, as Graham Gardens does a lovely job making each package a special present to you!

To Enter:
1. Check out Graham Gardens product line, and then share your favorite Christmas scent in the comments below.
2. For a second optional entry, sign up for the Graham Gardens newsletter and stay informed on savings and discounts! Let us know you signed up in a second comment below.

Giveaway closed.

And the winners are…

#1 Jodi M. jodimonrrroy@….

#2. Jerian – djpahs@…

Congrats!

Winners will be randomly drawn and announced at the end of this post on the day following the close of the giveaway.
No purchase necessary.
Email subscribers must click through to the original post and leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway.
US Participants only.

Graham Gardens has been a long time sponsor of Passionate Homemaking, and we are deeply greatly for their support!

I’m excited to bring you today a wonderful giveaway from my favorite cloth diapering store and sponsor, Sweet Bottoms Baby Boutique! This online store is awesome! They offer a huge selection of cloth diapering products, baby carriers, mommy care products, natural safe toys, and everything is offered with free shipping, plus you can accumulate rewards with each purchase providing savings on future orders. Each order comes very quickly to your door packaged with love and a sweet array of samples. (My last order was shipped two hours after I ordered it!)

I have used cloth diapers for all three of our little ones and have absolutely loved the experience not to mention how much the cost savings in comparison to disposable. There are so many wonderful styles and colors to choose from which makes it tons of fun.

My two favorite cloth diapers are the Bum Genius stay-dry one size pocket diapers and the more reasonably priced Kawaii one size pockets. These two diapers compile the entirety of our cloth diapering stash because they are high quality, rarely leak (and if they do it is usually a good sign that they need to stripped which solves the problem), dry quickly, and with their adjustable sizing can last me through the whole period of diapering for each child. I have used my stash of Bum Genius through three children and have only needed to replace elastic one time, which is really easy to do with the new styles. Bum Genius have a fabulous one year warranty on their diapers as well. Kawaii while not as high of quality, lacks warranty, and more difficult to replace elastic, they have really surprised me with their durability. If on a tighter budget, these dipes are the way to go, as they retail between $8-10 per diaper. Kawaii tend to be a bit more bulky than the Bum Genius, but otherwise they have held up remarkably well. For my extensive review, visit here.

I highly recommend snap diapers as they last so much longer than any style of Velcro. Velcro just accumulates tons of hair and string which can be a challenge to clean out, and also the Velcro losses its strength in ability to cling over time, which never happens with snaps. I used Velcro style with my first baby, and then quickly switched to snaps with my second baby, and have been thrilled with the ease and durability. Sweet Bottoms Baby offers a Fix & Fasten Guarantee on their diapers, providing free repair of snaps for the lifetime of the diaper! That’s quality customer service.

So today, we bring you a special gift package of one Kawaii and one Bum Genius pocket style one size diaper (your choice of color and style) for two lovely winners for your sampling pleasure! This is a retail value of $27.50 per gift set.

To Enter:

1. Visit Sweet Bottoms Baby Boutique and check out their selection. Pick out your favorite style and color of the Bum Genius and Kawaii diapers and come back and share with us! 

2. For a second optional entry, tell us your favorite money saving baby care tip in a second comment. 

Follow them on Facebook for specials, giveaways, and more! Check out their Fall Festival Sale now and save 10% by entering “fallfestival’ at checkout on most items!

Giveaway closed.

And the winners are….

Lauren & Melissa! (you will be contacted shortly if you won!)

Winner will be randomly selected and announced on the day following the close of the giveaway.
No purchase necessary to participate.
Giveaway limited to US participants only.
Email subscribers must click through to the original post and leave a comment in order to be entered. Replying to the email in your inbox does not qualify. Sorry!
This is a sponsored giveaway from a company that I love and support!

I am celebrating my birthday this week…and I thought it would be fun to let you know a few silly things about me. Since this is my 27th birthday, welcome to 27 Facts about Me.

I’m back! It has been a beautiful summer full of exciting adventures, new endeavors, and precious moments as a family. It also has been one of the hardest summers as I endured a bout of severe insomnia. I intentionally cut back on the blog over the last two months (did you notice the silence?) to have a period of rest and refocusing. I hardly blogged, used facebook, or any other social media. We spent a lot of time working on our summer reading list, completing activities from our summer bucket list, and getting my head screwed on to launch into a new official season of homeschooling my kindergarten girl. We launched Bourbon officially, my husband’s new online business, after over a year of endless hours and labor. We celebrated my baby Eden’s first birthday. We took a lovely week vacation to our favorite cozy spot in Lincoln City, OR.

We spent time praying together as husband and wife about the next season of our lives and what God would have us focus on. It’s so valuable to take an intentional re-evaluation of your life and priorities multiple times a year, and the end of summer serves as a perfect time. I was praying about writing a book, but just felt like this was not the season yet. Messages are ringing in my head, but other things are more important. My first priority is to the support and service of my hubby as he carries a lot of weight right now, and to the service of my children as it is a busy season of training and home schooling them. In my spare moments, you might find me reading, writing, and helping to organize women’s bible studies and discipleship groups in our church, and seeking to open our home in hospitality on at least a monthly basis. So I continue on…this simple little Mama caring for the well being of my family while striving to use my gifts to bless other women around me. I will continue blogging for the next season but will be limiting it to 1-2 times per week. You may just hear from me once a week, but I will strive to use those brief moments to offer hope and encouragement from my little mess to yours.

I am looking forward to working around some monthly blog themes again for the new year. This month, I hope to share a few inspirational posts about how to increase the passion in your homemaking. Seeing your home from God’s perspective. I am excited to see what the future will unfold.

Thanks for joining me on the journey! Bless you my sisters. What did you all do during the summer?