Wow…I was astounded by the significant response that we received from our Celestial Seasonings Giveaway! Thank you every one for sharing your wealth of tips and ideas for encouraging natural healing and wellness. Please check out all the wonderful ideas that were shared in the comments.
Our winner is…
Lori Quinn – qfam@…
Congrats and blessings to you all!
As the height of cold and flu “season” continues, many of us are may be getting very weary of trying this or that different method. We have certainly had our share of cold, fevers and sour throats this year but have been blessed by the warm and healing powers of herbal teas as one of our natural remedies. I have found warm herbal teas to be so comforting to a stressed and tired immune system. When our bodies are relaxed and refreshed in this way, they are given the ability to heal properly.
In the spirit of getting well naturally, Celestial Seasonings has created a “natural wellness kit” which they sent me for my review and would like to offer another kit for one lucky reader to put to the “sniffle” test! I was delighted with the contents of this kit. Six different delicious herbal teas are included in this kit for the basic sicknesses that may pervade your home. These wellness teas are blended to address specific ailments including a sore throat and upset stomach.
The Celestial Seasonings Natural Wellness Kit (worth $60) includes:
• Four wellness teas to ease symptoms associated with the cold and flu including Sleepytime Extra, Echinacea Complete Care and Tummy Mint
• Two green teas to support a healthy immune system year round – Authentic Green Tea and Honey Lemon Ginseng Green Tea
• Mug, soothing lip balm, honey sticks and Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Bear (which Karis absolutely loves!) and the book “Herbs for Health and Happiness” by Celestial Seasonings founder Mo Siegel and Nancy Burke, which includes a thorough de-briefing of many powerful herbs.
We have been thoroughly enjoying the flavors and healing powers of these herbal combinations and can highly recommend them to you all.
For additional wellness information, check out Celestial Seasoning for unique resources and videos to educate you about how to ease cold and flu symptoms naturally, with teas, herbs and other foods.
1. Simply leave a comment below and share your favorite natural healing tip with us!
2. For a second entry, share about this giveaway on your blog, facebook page and come back and let us know about it with the link in a second comment.
Giveaway Closed.
Welcome back for my monthly chronicle of life at the Edmonds. I am taking a picture of our family each month and record all that God is doing in our lives, plus my book reads for the month.
There has been one significant change taking place at our house this month. The Lord has been so good to us in more ways than one. After being self-employed for several years, the Lord opened up an amazing job opportunity for Aaron at Lacrosse Footwear (a local high quality boot manufacturer) as a web developer. It was totally and completely the Lord’s provision for us. We enjoyed the benefits of being self-employed but there were many challenges that we did not really possess the skills necessary to thrive in that self-directed environment. It is hard work! Now that he is working fulltime for this company, he is truly thriving like I have never seen him before. He loves his work, his co-workers, and the corporate environment.
In the meantime, I am learning to enjoy the limitations of only having one vehicle and staying at home more now. It was a struggle at first, but I am finding the limitations to be very beneficial. For one, I have to be real strategic about coordinating all my errands and grocery shopping for my once a month run. Previously, I would make short more frequent outings which usually leads to increased spending. 
It has helped me get more organized in my homemaking/planning notebook which I look forward to sharing more with you all. I am able to focus more on my children and cultivating the relationships there. And lastly, it gives me opportunity to invite others into my home for visits. Tea anyone? Taking regular walks with the kids has been a great means of encouraging and strengthening my spirit when I become weary. It is doing a good work in my heart, and I am thankful for that.
Karis and Titus are continuing to grow and develop into two adorable loveable munckins! Titus will turn 1 year old this coming Thursday (March 4th), and it seems just yesterday when he was born. He started to do a full crawl this past week (after doing his own invented crawl, getting up on his hands and knees and then diving forward – we called it the “Ty dive”), matching Karis’ record in learning to crawl one week before their first birthdays. I found that truly hilarious.
Karis has become quite the mommy’s helper lately. She loves pulling up a chair and washing dishes, grating cheese, or stirring up ingredients in a bowl. It has been quite adorable to watch her blossom in this way. She is counting to ten, learning her alphabet and loving reading a wealth of library books together. One silly thing lately has been her confusion with the following two questions. When asked, “how are you?” she responds “2″, and to “how old are you?” she responds “good”. A little backwards but it has provided us with a good many laughs. We are working on it.
What was I reading this month?
One Million Arrows: Raising Your Children to Change the World
is a new release by Julie Ferwerda and what a wonderful challenging call drawing our attention to this thought-provoking question: Will the world change our children…or will our children change the world? The truth is…time is short and lives are at stake. Right now, God is inviting our families to become part of a bigger story—a vision that will engage hearts to make a radical difference. One Million Arrows is an inspirational call to raise our kids to impact their culture, community, and world for Christ. One powerful quote that stood out to me was this thought:
“I’ve realized that, in the grand scheme of life, more than just raising my kids to ‘keep the faith,’ I want to raise my kids to save lives. I want to raise firemen. Not necessarily the earthly fire-fighting kind, but the heavenly fire-fighting kind. Kids who are well-trained and ready to help save as many lives as possible. Kids who grow up, remembering at the forefront of everything they do, that time is short and lives are at state, and who will one day be seen as spiritual heroes for helping many lives to safety. I want to raise kids who love like Jesus.”
I found this book to be similar in message to Family Driven Faith by Voddie Bachum Jr, but it takes a more focused direction on stirring up the vision of preparing our children to be world-changers and cultivating a heart for orphans around the world. It did lack in the area of practical examples and steps from the author’s own personal experience (as her children are practically grown before she caught this vision), but she drew a lot of suggestions and tips from several real life families in our time, their stories which are shared throughout this book.
As Dennis Rainey of FamilyLife Ministries says, “This is not the time for peace, it’s time for war. Raise your kids to become arrows for war.” A must read for every Christian family! You can download the first chapter for free here.
Sacred Influence: How God Uses Wives to Shape the Souls of Their Husbands
by Gary Thomas is definitely by far the best book for wives I have ever read! So many truths that I have been learning lately (i.e. letting go of unrealistic expectations) were so powerfully shared in this book in a fresh and beautiful approach. Yes, written by a man that understands men and what they need, every wife needs to read this book to transform their understanding of the purpose of marriage and how you can powerfully shape and influence your husband to be the man God wants him to be. I love how he began by showing the glory and beauty of a godly woman and how she can take an active powerful role in her marriage.
I cannot sing the praises of this book enough! This book has been challenging me to see that men need affirmation and I am the first to admit that I have lacked in giving my husband the admiration, love and respect that he deserves. Men rise to praise. That is where lasting change can take place. If we think negatively it will only increase dissatisfaction, but if we affirm his strengths we will likely “reinforce and build up those areas you cherish and motivate him to pursue excellence of character in others…To move a man, you have to learn to appreciate him for who he is and for what he has done…Rule number one for influencing your man is this: stop taking your husband for granted.”
“A good marriage doesn’t happen by accident, and a good marriage isn’t maintained by accident. This endeavor requires deliberate choices and much perseverance. When you start acting instead of merely wishing, when you begin taking initiative instead of simply feeling sorry for yourself, you become an active woman, and active women mirror the active God who made them.” – Quotes from Gary Thomas
I am only halfway through this book to date, but I have already grown in more ways than one. Read this book with a humble teachable spirit and God will use it mightily!
May God richly bless you all this month!
Do you feel a lack in the area of home organization? Are you looking for a tool to help you stay focused and most productive in your life? I was recently given a subscription to List Plan It for my review and have been impressed by the wealth of resources this company has to offer to give you the tools to increase your productivity in all areas of life. Through a yearly subscription, you can have access to over 500 different lists to assist in keeping your world in order, from organizing business, family matters, home, holidays, meal planning, finances, contacts and so much more. Each list comes in pdf form allowing you to print or edit as desired for your own unique use. I like being organized but I was almost overwhelmed by all the different lists, and although I personally wouldn’t use a quarter of the lists available, the remaining lists will definitely help manage my household and time more wisely or provide inspiration for my own lists. There are 10 (out of 15) of the main categories that applied to my life, so I felt I could tackle getting more organized in one category per month. I have found the weekly planning lists to be very helpful for my personal weekly planning outing. Inspiration is flowing for revamping my homemaking notebook.
ListPlanIt.com would like to offer 1 reader a chance to win a Download Membership ($30 value). Once set up as a member, you have access to the hundreds of lists and planning pages available. You can choose to view each page, print the ones you want, type in your own information, and save them to your own computer for future use for 1 full year.
1. Tell us what area in your life could use some more organization and one strategy you are taking to achieve it. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
2. For a second entry, share about this giveaway on your blog or facebook page. Make sure to enter a second comment with your link.
3. For a third entry, follow Jen, founder of ListPlanIt on twitter. Let us know in a separate comment.
Giveaway Ends: Monday, March 1, 2010 at 5:00 pm PST.
Have you experienced the challenges of being pregnant and trying to find cute modest skirts? I was recently introduced to Caroline at The Modest Mom and was blessed by her sweet spirit and desire to make custom skirts for moms in various seasons of life that are simple, cute andmodest. At The Modest Mom, you will find custom made skirts for women and pregnant mothers in addition to a selection of used tops, all at an affordable price. 
Caroline has offered to sponsor a special giveaway. The winner may choose any skirt, any style, any size, any fabric in the shop.
1. Head over to The Modest Mom and browse the skirt choices. Make sure to click the drop down menu on the color options for a wide selection of choices. Pick your favorite combination and come back and leave a comment telling us which one you’ll choose if you win. If you’re not pregnant, don’t miss the selection of women’s skirts as well!
2. For a second entry, pass on the news on your blog or facebook page. Include the link in a second comment below.
3. For a third entry, follow Caroline on twitter: @TheModestMom
Giveaway Closed.
I just had to interrupt our giveaways to share this amazing special with you all! If you haven’t checked out soap nuts, this is definitely your opportunity!
Soap nuts grow on trees and contain saponin, a powerful cleaning agent that is completely 100% natural. With just 1/2 teaspoon of the liquid concentrated detergent you can clean a load of laundry beautifully.
NaturOli’s liquid soap nut detergent, called EXTREME 18X Soap Nuts Liquid Concentrate wins its second “Green Dot Award” for the unprecedented reduction of the carbon footprint, toxic chemicals and waste products created by the manufacture, packaging and transport of detergent products.
In celebration of this award, they are offering all EXTREME 18x liquid detergent at 50% off the retail price! Now’s your opportunity to try it or stock up. Check out the savings here.
Read more about this product in my previous reviews here & here. Its crazy how a small 8 oz container can wash 96 loads of laundry! Compare that to the 17 lb standard laundry detergents at the store. And its safe and natural for your family! In fact, nothing gets more natural than soap nuts….
Sale ends March 1, 2010.
If you have been around here for long, you know that I love simplicity, multi-purposing, and natural living all-in-one. I love finding items that will help simplify my homemaking to help preserve time and energy, but also good for our health and the environment as much as possible, on top of accomplishing these things without breaking the bank. It is a tall order. So you would imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon Enviro Cloth…and it appears to be the ultimate in meeting these criteria.
The Enviro Cloth is produced by Norwex, a company committed to preserving quality of life while reducing chemical expose in the home and on the body. It is made out of microfiber cloth with an innovative design that uses anti-bacterial silver particles integrated into the synthetic microfiber, ensure (according to their website):
I purchased the Basic Cleaning Package which included one Enviro Cloth and one Window Cloth (pictured left). I have used the Enviro Cloth for all my basic cleaning. I even had success spot cleaning carpets with it. I have loved it! The Window Cloth (which is smoother in texture to the Enviro Cloth) especially blew my husband and I away. It produced a beautiful lint-free and clean window with just water!
I have had the privilege of reviewing the new release of Gnowfglins Fundamental eCourse, and I am excited to share it with you all today. This is an online healthy and traditional food cooking eCourse that is a basic introduction to whole and living foods, from soaking whole grains, soaking nuts and seeds, cooking beans, sprouting, sourdough bread, cultured products, and more. Wardeh at Gnwofglins has done an impressive job compiling weekly lessons that offer audio, video and text files for students. She will walk you through preparing soaked muffins, pancakes, and many more recipes through the visual step by step process. We all learn visually more effectively, and if you cannot get your head around the concept and benefits of soaking, then this is the course for you!
This eCourse will teach you how to turn quality raw ingredients – God’s, natural, organic, whole, foods, local, and in season – into nourishing food. Each lesson will be available on a weekly basis in an online community format for members, giving you a full week to review all the materials and begin putting it into practice before moving on to the next lesson (all lessons will remain for your review). Each concept is built upon the previous lesson.
This course is for the beginner. It is not gourmet, but rather simple. While Wardeh will not go into a lot of details or complicated soaking experiments, I did find the visual aspects very effective in increasing my own knowledge of these whole food practices. If Nourishing Traditions is overwhelming to you, check out this practical eCourse! You will learn how to save money in the kitchen while preparing wonderful whole foods for your family.
Gnowfglins Fundamental eCourse registration is always open. Enroll today!
Looking for some other helpful visual resources? I recently stumbled upon THE LIVING SERIES: Eating Green – Organic Foods and Cooking video. at my local library. This video was very fun and helpful in learning how to prepare organic foods. She offered helpful tips for selecting produce, basic kitchen ingredients, eating organic on a budget, and walked you through several easy whole food recipes that looked amazingly simple and delicious! All the recipes are available in a PDF document on the disk as well. Yum! I cannot wait to try them! You can even rent this video on Amazon. The Living Series also offers a few other titles that sounded helpful for green living. Check them out here!
I am re-introducing a monthly update post that I used to maintain regularly…I cannot remember the last time I did one, but I want to use this report to share all that God is doing in our lives as a testimony to His grace. I will also be highlighting the books I have read each month here and chronicling process on our 2010 goals.
God has been so good to us! How richly blessed I have been over the past few weeks to enjoy good rest and sleep. A small glass of wine before bed has really assisted getting my sleep patterns back on track (and it has helped increase my milk supply too or maybe just getting sleep has!), in addition to cutting back and simplifying our lifestyle quite a bit. I stopped teaching piano, backed down from a few leadership/organization positions I was maintaining, and refocused my priorities on three things: my relationship with the Lord, loving my husband, and training and nurturing my children.
Aaron moved his web developing business out of the house this month and began renting an office space. This has been a very good adjustment for our family. I am no longer tempted to bother him throughout the day. We have both increased our productivity. The children and I could distract him so easily because he loves us so. This move has also helped us establish our morning routine. We are now waking up by 6:00am and how wonderful it has been. We treasure our times together so much more… absence makes the heart grow fonder! It also means we get to figure out how to live with one car!
Karis and I have begun using the Before Five in a Row
curriculum for some fun learning activities using classic children’s books. It is designed for 2-4 year olds. Some of it is beyond Karis’ abilities at 2 1/2 years old, but it is also fun having a little structured learning time each day. We sit down for 30 minutes or so and read and discuss the book and materials. We also are using Learning for Littles, which is a fun little ebook from Graham Family Ministries, teaching basic numbers, letters, days, months, etc. Karis loves the colorful pictures and making her own preschool notebook! Beyond this, she has a lot of creative play time, including sand play, painting, and play dough.
Ty man is growing like a weed. Ty is rolling around and getting up on his hands and knees and diving forward, but has yet to start actually crawling.
We began hosting a community group at our home once a week. This is a small group of sorts that is focused on reaching out into our community together. Everyone that attends lives within a 5 mile radius of us and we are eagerly praying, planning, and working together to be salt and light to our neighborhoods. We eagerly anticipate all that God will do in and through us. We are using The Story of God, a powerful evangelistic tool chronically the Bible from start to finish in simple stories that encourage awesome dialog. They even have a Story of God for children that would be a great tool to use for family devotions, if you are looking for something like that. These tools are free for download here. 
I am participating in the Bookin’ It Challenge over at Life as Mom for the accountability and fun in sharing all that I am reading this year. You can check out my 2010 Book List for my full reading goal. Here are my January reads:
The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life. Aaron and I read this book and found it very helpful in learning how to manage your time effectively, focusing on your priorities, establishing your three most important tasks, and learning how to establish and accomplish goals. I found it very practical although slightly repetitive.
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters by Tim Keller was a powerfully convicting book. He helped open my eyes through the use of Scripture to see the hidden idols we set up in our lives, things from which we strive to gain our satisfaction and security. He had incredible insight into the lives of Abraham (and his idolatry with his son Isaac), Jacob (and his idolatry of Rachel) and Jonah. I believe this is one I will need to read again and again.
The Duties of Parents by J.C. Ryle is an awesome book for Biblical parenting. It is a short, easy read (just 51 pages), and yet so rich in solid biblical parenting advice that has withstood the test of time. Aaron and I read this together and found it very convicting. It is no longer in print but you can purchase an e-book version from Graham Family Ministries for just $3.95. When the Mahaney girls at GirlTalk said this was their favorite book on parenting, I knew we had to read it and now I am so thankful we have!
Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh Demoss was a life-changing read for me. I have come to realize how quickly and easily I complain through the struggles and trials of life without first reflecting on the glorious mercies of Christ in my life. Choosing Gratitude was a challenge to change from “whining to worshiping” in all areas of life. Have I considered thanking Him for all the little gifts He has provided for me in addition to all that He has protected me from? I made a “blessings list” through her challenge and each day I am seeking to add 5 things to that list and to thank the Lord out loud for those gifts. It has greatly enriched my walk with the Lord. She has an awesome 30-day devotional challenge in the back of the book that I have been working through and plan to repeat several times throughout this year as I seek to become a radically thankful woman this year. More to come on this book and goal…
Thank you all for your wonderful support, encouragement and prayers during this season. The Lord has used this trial of insomnia to teach me so many things, including identifying idols in my heart as previously discussed in regards to my marriage and pursuit of natural living. It has been so rich! Blessings upon you all!
I was invited by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship to participate in her Real Food Face-Off event. Head over there to learn a little bit more about my purpose, tips, and advice for real food eating…but remember the most important thing. My contribution is live today!
Check it out here.
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