May 4, 2013

Homemaking eBook Bundle Ends Tonight!

**This sale has ended. Thank you to all who purchased!**

I know some of you are still trying to decide if you should buy the Homemaking eBook Bundle. You’ve been looking at it all week and you just aren’t sure you want to spend $29.97. You’ve waited until the last day and you are still pondering this purchase.

I understand your dilemma because I’ve been there. I’ve poured over the details of bundle sales I’ve been interested in, trying to decide it they were something I would use and get my money’s worth. I’ve conferred with my husband, who usually says, “Buy it if you think its worth it.” But, it’s so hard for me to decide if its worth it.

I can’t make that decision for you, but I do want to tell you that this sale isn’t just a bundle full of cleaning advice or organizational how-to’s. It is SO much more!

Need healthy meals for busy days? It’s here:

Need a chore system that doesn’t stress you out? It’s here:

Want to have a great family camping experience? It’s here: (Love this book, by the way.)

Want to spend fun, quality time teaching your little one? It’s here:

and here:

Want to learn how to manage a blog without living on the computer? It’s here:

Want to lose weight and get in shape? It’s here:

and here:

I could go on and on because this library is extensive and comprehensive! Every inch of this resource is worth it!

So, if you’ve been dragging your feet, wondering if you should buy this eBook bundle, I can wholehearted endorse this bundle as truly worth it! There is so much here and you will be blessed by these resources!

So, grab it before it is gone! Start downloading, and curl up with some great ebooks this weekend and for years to come!

**This sale has ended. Thank you to all who purchased!**

May 3, 2013

Are You a Gentle Homemaker?

Are you a Gentle Homemaker? | RaisingArrows.net

(this post contains affiliate links)

I didn’t come to marriage and motherhood with a natural tenderness. I wasn’t one of those girls who loved babysitting and cooed over newborn babies. I was easily caught up in my own little world.

Tenderness toward children and spouse isn’t something easily taught. Gentleness as a woman comes from a gentle spirit. It is an outward overflowing of a peaceful woman resting in Christ. A gentle homemaker is one who exudes peace in her home, but maybe you are wondering how you will ever get to a place where your heart is peaceful enough to be seen in your every day life.

I have found there to be 2 factors in my life that determine my outward gentleness:

My willingness to trust the Lord.
My willingness to order my life.

Willingness to Trust God

If you are unsettled and edgy, it is often because you have not abandoned everything to the Lord. You are either trying to control things or stressing over the things you cannot control. This bleeds over into your mothering and homekeeping.

“If we have a list of priorities then we can use it as a safety net. The problem with this is that it can interfere with the work God has for you. You should not be a slave to the order of this list. Make no mistake; God is a God of order, His order, not ours.”
Amy Bayliss, Pursuit of Proverbs 31

How many times have I had a stressful situation or personal crisis that consumed me and made me a grouchy mommy? Those times have almost always been marked by a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty. I choose to try to control rather than choose to release my grip and trust that God has it in the palm of His hand.

Reckless Abandon

Reckless Abandon

Trusting God in all things, especially the super stressful, feels like a deep breath. It feels like throwing your arms open wide and letting your heart, mind, and soul relax. It is beautiful!

When you have this reckless abandonment to Christ, you can face your day with a gentle spirit. Your circumstances do not consume you because you know God has every aspect of your day covered.

Willingness to Keep Order

It is impossible to have an everything-running-smoothly day every day. God has a lot for us, and in that abundance of life comes new and different opportunities. So, this section is not about how to have the perfect day, but rather how to prioritize and troubleshoot your life so you can work out kinks that are wrecking your peace.

First of all, may I suggest my ebook:

This book goes through individual parts of your day and how to find peace in them. I will also be presenting a session on this topic at the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha on June 1.

What I want to do in this post; however, is give you a broader idea of where to start when it comes to being willing to keep an orderly life.

It’s About Priorities

In the above quote from Amy Bayliss, we see that we cannot be a slave to our lists, but we also shouldn’t ignore our responsibilities. We all know our weaknesses when it comes to homemaking. We know what things about being a wife and mother are the hardest for us, but the real issue is not knowing our trouble areas, but rather what we end up doing about them.

In Jenni Mullinix’s book Clean (Enough): Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed Homemaker, she says:

“When you strive to develop a proper mindset toward your role as a homemaker, and align your attitude with the Word of God, housework can become worship.”

You have to develop a proper mindset and start working toward solving some of the homemaking issues you struggle with. I believe even the act of searching out ways to be a better homemaker, wife, and mother would be worship of our Lord. We have to be willing to order our days according to the Lord in a way that honors and glorifies Him.

**This sale has ended. Thank you to all who purchased!**

When I was asked to be a part of the Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle, I was so excited because it meant homemaking resources I own or have wanted to own would all be available to everyone at an affordable price. It meant ebooks (like the ones mentioned above) written by Christian homemakers just like you. It meant resources focused on pointing you toward God and His abundance in your every day life.

But you have to be willing to accept that abundance or nothing you do or try will work.

Ask Him to fill your heart with peace. Ask Him to bring you to a place where you hunger and thirst after Him. Ask Him to point out your trouble areas and why those things are keeping you from peace. Ask Him to be the Lord of everything in your life!

Even your homemaking.

After you finish reading this post, please take a moment to quiet your heart and give your day to the One who gave you this day. I am praying peace and gentleness for all of you today.

April 30, 2013

Peacock Inspired Mantel

Peacock Inspired Mantel | RaisingArrows.net

I used antlers for my autumn mantel. I used antlers and pheasant feathers for my Christmas mantel. I decided this time around I needed to put the antlers away and decorate with colors inspired by one of God’s most beautiful creatures…

Peacock The Peacock!

As a little girl, I can remember often driving by a farm where peacocks ran wild in the yard. They were gorgeous! The vibrant colors of these birds have always captured my imagination, so why not decorate with them!

Now, what I put together is not the least bit manly, but Ty was gracious enough to walk the aisles of Hobby Lobby with his arms full of peacock feathers and garlands of flowers and even take me out to eat afterward – love that man!

Peacock Mantel | RaisingArrows.net

Because of the odd layout of my mantel, I like to have a focal point beside the fireplace itself. I used a 40% off coupon from HobbyLobby.com to buy the vase you see here. It is that pop of color that sets off everything!

vase

I filled the vase with peacock feathers, prairie grass, forsythia, and purple flowers (don’t ask me what they are called, because I don’t know. They landed in my cart because they were pretty. )

mantel ledge

On each of the stepping stones that make up my “mantel”, I arranged a stem of greens, peacock feathers, forsythia, and those purple flowers again. On the center stone, I put together a larger arrangement with forsythia hanging from it.

mantel centerpiece

Before heading to Hobby Lobby, I spent all morning scouring Pinterest for peacock related posts to pin to my own Home Decorating Ideas & Inspiration board.

While what I ended up creating looks nothing like any of my pins, I am pleased with how it turned out and love that I can use this same mantel decor until I’m ready to go back to my autumn mantel come September!

*****************

Tomorrow, a brand new, nearly 400 page blogging ebook will be released!

If you need help blogging, this is the book for you! Check back tomorrow for the sale and all the awesome details!

And by the way…because of iBlog’s release tomorrow, I will not have the Welcome Home Wednesday link up this week. It will return next week!

April 29, 2013

The Resources Every Homemaker Needs!

**The sale has ended. Thank you to all who purchased!**

I believe homemakers are some of the most forward-thinking people on the planet. Personally, I never stop analyzing, thinking, and inventing. I also never stop learning. I like to gather up nuggets of information from other moms and tweak them to make them my own. I am constantly seeking out the resources I need to be a better home manager, who honors God in her words and deeds every single day.

That is why I am so excited to be a part of a GIGANTIC library of Homemaking eBooks, eCourses, and exciting EXTRAS that are guaranteed to be one of the best purchases you’ll make this year! (this post contains affiliate links)

That’s right! For the next 6 days, my ebook The Homemaker’s Guide to Creating the Perfect Schedule and 96 (yes, that’s a total of 97!) other popular eBooks and eCourses written by more than 75 well-known bloggers in the homemaking sphere is on sale for just

$29.97!

I’m going to give you a complete run down of every title plus the extras in the collection in a moment, but first, I want to tell you some of the things I am most excited about in this bundle:

Curriculum!
This bundle includes a full Preschool and Kindergarten curriculum plus Bible training resources, copywork, and unit studies for your youngsters!

Pregnancy & Baby Resources
Remember how I chronicled my pregnancy with Creed here on the blog? Well, in this bundle is a beautiful pregnancy journal so you can do the same! There are several ebooks on pregnancy and babies, a comprehensive cloth diapering how-to, as well as a book of recipes for all-natural baby products you can make at home!

eCourses!
Some wonderful eCources like Grocery University and Real Food Kids are available! These fantastic resources alone are worth nearly what this bundle is selling for!

Awesome Bonuses!
Things like a FREE membership to Fit2B Studio (I cannot wait to get started with this one – I’ve heard great things about it concerning healing diastasis recti!) and a FREE membership to Plan to Eat and much, much more make this bundle a must have!

This is such a fantastic resource! Can you imagine a better Mother’s Day present? Can you imagine a better any day present?! You will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and definitely not for $29.97!

Here’s the list of EVERYTHING included in the sale and any extra information you might need:

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.

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, & 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.

I cannot wait to hear from you as to which of these resources are your favorites!

April 22, 2013

Taking the Time to Make a Home

Taking the Time to Make a Home | RaisingArrows.net

There are so many things I wish I had the time to do. I have lists and lists of ideas I want to try, recipes I want to make, and posts I want to write. I’ve made peace with the fact that many of these things will never get done, but I have to continually look at that list of undone things to make sure that what I’m leaving undone isn’t actually something necessary.

One necessary thing I see many moms leaving undone is making a home.

A home is more than just a house you live in with your family. It actually has nothing to do with the structure, but rather it is the essence of your family and the little things within the structure that speak to who you are as a family. It isn’t even the decor or the furniture or the food that makes the home; although, those things can definitely be a part of that essence of family.

What a home truly is goes much deeper and is often lost in the craziness of the day to day life of the family. It is the connections between family members that make a home a real home.

Have you ever been around a family that seemed to only live together, but really didn’t do much more than that? They sort of passed in the hall or coming in and out the door, never really connecting with each other. Their house was void of relationships.

With our online life taking up more and more time, our home life has suffered immensely. We are connected with people we graduated high school with, but lack connection to the very people who live under the same roof as us. Sometimes I wonder if people online know more about us than our own families! How’s that for being disconnected?!

It’s time.

It’s time to come back to our real world. It’s time to put first things first and work on the relationships we have with the members of our household before we check out the status of our friendships online.

It’s time we took the time it takes to make a home by taking the time it takes to be a homemaker. And the only way we can be a homemaker is by not only being home, but by building strong relationships with the people we are making the home for.

April 15, 2013

Apron Prayers

Apron Prayers | RaisingArrows.net I am tired. The noise and the tears and the bickering and the sick baby have brought me to my knees. I keep searching for quiet, but none is available. I have to just muddle through and make bedtime an hour early. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Ever feel this way? I know I do.

As a mom with Sensory Processing Disorder, it seems to happen more often than I care to admit. I have limitations to how much noise and chaos I can take. I can only be “on” for so long before the off switch flips and I’m on overload. And no matter how peaceful our home is on a typical day, there are plenty of atypical days when life is loud and difficult.

But even a mom without sensory issues, can find herself totally touched out when the day has been rough.

brainless

I’ve written before about the practical things you can do when you are touched out, but what can you do spiritually to refresh your soul and get back to a place where your nerves are no longer frazzled?

I like to follow Christ’s example and go off to pray whenever I can manage it, but sometimes I don’t have the opportunity to leave the situation, so I have to stay right where I am and take a deep breath and offer a prayer of desperation up to the Lord.

I remember hearing the story of how Susanna Wesley would pull her long apron over her head and pray. With a house full of children, often an apron prayer is all I can manage.

Apron Prayers for You

Let me share some verses about peace and refreshment in the Lord that can be memorized and then turned into your own Apron Prayers…

Philippians Isaiah

Romans

James

Ladies, it isn’t easy to work through those difficult days, otherwise they wouldn’t be difficult, but you have One who is bigger and greater than the chaos. Rest in Him and REJOICE! Amy

Raising Arrows

Large Family Homeschooling and Homemaking

Category Archives: Home Management

Homemaking eBook Bundle Ends Tonight!

Are You a Gentle Homemaker?

Peacock Inspired Mantel