Duggar's New Book! A Love That Multiplies

I know that many of you just love the Duggar family just as much as we do 

and that is why I know you will be DELIGHTED to know that they have a brand spankin' new book that is available for preorder now entitled 

A Love That Multiplies:
An Up-Close View of How They Make It Work

Here is are the publishers comments:

In this second book from the Duggars, they focus on the principles that equip them to face life's challenges—drawing from their most recent challenge with the 3-month premature birth of their newest child, Josie. They also share the new challenges their older children are facing as they prepare for adult life. Central to the book is a section on the principles that the Duggar's have consistently taught their children. These simply worded principles are basic to the Duggar family and are shared in a way that other parents can incorporate in their own homes. A special chapter on homeschooling gives valuable information to parents who are considering this route or are already invested in it. The world continues to be amazed by their nineteen well-groomed, well-behaved, well-schooled children and their home life, which focuses on family, financial responsibility, fun—and must importantly, faith. The Duggar's show how parents can succeed whether they’re rearing a single child or several.

Table of Contents

Preface: Our Biggest Test Begins

Part 1: Little Baby, Big Challenges 
 1. Little Eyes Watching
 2. More Babies on the Way!
 3. A Surprising Test Begins
 4. Praying without Ceasing
 5. Miracles and Milestones
 6. Difficult Priorities
Part 2: Shaping Hearts and Minds
 7. Living under the Microscope
 8. Opportunities to Reach Out to Others
 9. Developing a Servant Heart
10. Making Faith Fun
Part 3: Big Hope for Our Children’s Future
 11. Homeschool, Duggar Style
 12. Vocations, Goals, and Roles
 13. Daily Training, Tips, and Practicalities
 14. Life Is a Classroom
Part 4: Big Hearts, Full of Love
 15. Protecting and Cherishing Our Relationships
 16. Michelle’s Heart for Children and Moms
 17. Jim Bob’s Lifelong Hobby
 18. Do the Duggars Date?

 P.S. Answering the Big Question




What an encouragement it is to have a mom of 19 children take time in her day to minister to women!
It is wonderful to see Titus 2 women rise up and bless those around them even with busy schedules like Michelle's and especially be a testimony to the lost.

Be sure to get your copy and

preorder new the book here!

(they have it in hardcover, Kindle and audio)


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Wise Woman Tip:

Family movie nights are a great learning experience and kept wholesome when watching the Duggar family in action in their hit TV show 19 Children and Counting.

 You can get their movies here 
starting from ONLY  $4.49!

Spring Is Here! Decluttering the Large Family

I am so happy that spring is finally here! The longer days, the birds singing, new life budding their heads in the garden, the fresh air----oh, what is there NOT to love about spring?

I have been getting around to spring cleaning, running around the house like a mad woman with trash bags and asking myself one key question:

"Do I want to take care of this for the next 10 years?" 

Ha! That got things going pretty quickly! Let me just say I threw away bags and bags of things that I no longer had interest in or wanted to take care of. I remember as a young wife I was busy trying to do the opposite-- to collect items for our home and to fill it.... or even being sentimental about certain items that I though I could not part with,--but now I am more than willing to give/throw them away today! Why? Because in order to live a more simpler life that is rich with true living I can't confine myself to caring for alot of material possessions which actually take away from the real living that I desire to do!

I think having alot of things can imprison a person to some degree. American's have so much, we really need to teach our children the value of having little and getting with much less. I remember hearing of a missionary family that would feed their children on occasion a meal of plain potatoes to teach them how to survive on a simple meal if they ever became missionaries  and eating on leaves instead of plates. They knew if they became missionaries they would have to survive on much less, they did not want to raise discontented consumers but instead desired to raise children that could be content and live on the simple things in life if they would share Jesus with a lost world.

Simpler living can be achieved without the responsibility to the many unneeded items here on earth. We must protect that precious commodity that we can never get back:  TIME! Precious time to do the things we really want to do and share with those we love  because we only live once. Let's not spend it tirelessly taking care of the endless unneeded earthly possessions we own so that we can spend time on the ever important eternal.

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Need help decluttering or some motivation?
Here is my all time favorite book that gets right to the point and had me throwing things out
our home like you would not believe!

Wise Woman Tip:
Now here are some valuable recommendations you should fill your home with:

All Homestead Blessings DVD's are 50% off because of their new spring sale!
They teach everything from cooking, gardening, canning, etc.
Get it while you can!

(Sale ends April 2nd)

We are linked up at Raising Homemakers and Far Above Rubies

What Will Last: Raising Nations for Him

Hear a testimony and be encouraged from a former medical physician who gave it all up to come home and be a mother (of eight) to her children. She also shares her experience and advice about how money and material possessions won't last but raising nations for the Lord will.

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Large Family Dynamics--The Bates Family

I love learning from large families and if you are not familiar with the Bates family, who are good friends of the Duggars from the hit show 19 Kids and Counting, they are another large Christian family who are trying to raise their children for His glory. Here is a new video release of them and what a day in their life is like:

I really loved their in-house camera monitors so they know where the children are and what they are doing!

And felt hugely encouraged to see that someone else had a larger amount of laundry than we do! :)

And all the large family moms on this blog said in unison----AMEN!!!!

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I like to buy the Duggar Movies
for my children to watch---they make great family movie nights and teach the children about character and how to get along with their siblings while addressing some great issues (purity, integrity, etc)! This is wholesome watching at its best! My husband even feels like he has learned alot from Jim Bob, their father.  If you are looking for great movies for the entire family, then check them out!

The Domest Artist: Large Family Budgeting

One of the biggest responsibilities of the homemaker is learning how to make a dollar stretch for her household. There are many ways you can save when you have a large family and we can ALL be good home economists if we study and keep trying to apply what we learn. The trick is not to give up and to keep at it. We must think smarter about how we do things. A little here, a little there and it all adds up! Here are some great clips for inspiration:

(Remember to turn off the music in the sidebar before watching!)

America's Cheapest Family  Saves 50% on their food budget:

Clothes are also a big issue for large families. But what if we simplified?

Watch Money Saving Mom's minimalist approach to her wardrobe:

The Duggars teach us how to make homemade laundry soap and take us on a food shopping trip:

My friend, Lori, shares her decorating tips:

Decorating for Christmas on a Tight Budget of $0

And for menu ideas and thrifty inspiration check out:

$5 Dollar Dinners

From the first video above, America's Cheapest Family, now have two books out, one that is a bestseller--

Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half & America's Cheapest Family: Gets You Right On the Money

This thrifty set of 2 books are on SALE for 20% off, now only $24-- you save $6!
 
Now what are some ways you save money with a large family?

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Duggar Family--Praise the Lord!

(Don't forget to turn the music off in the sidebar before viewing!)

How refreshing it is to see a godly family growing-
and to hear Anna's sharing her miscarriage with the world.

I had a miscarriage before and it is not an easy thing.

May the Lord continue to bless the Duggar family as they minister to others with their lives. 

And may we all be as happy as Jim Bob and Michelle to hear the arrival of new grandchildren.

Be sure to keep them in your prayers for a healthy pregnancy this time around!

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It Must Be Christmas

I woke up this morning to a winter wonderland and my little sons trying to bring snowballs indoors! I could not believe my eyes since we do not ever have snow until December! I have a busy day today--three of my children, Stephen, Ravi and Joy, are getting baptized at church tomorrow AND we will be celebrating Joy's 8th birthday as well!

The month of November marks a very busy time for our family since we have 4 birthdays including the holidays in just two months. I know that marks a busy time for all of you too as many of you have started Christmas shopping! Some of you are already done (you know who you are)!!! I wanted to share with all of you where I would like to do much of my Christmas shopping this year at my one of my absolute favorite places- VISION FORUM! It is a truly  wonderful place you can find wholesome resources for the entire family!

Here are some of their new products:

Since I love tea and the Duggars, this DVD caught my eye immediately...
 

Tea with Michelle Duggar

only $15

and Jasmine Baucham's newest book that I would love to get for my daughters, especially because they had a chance to meet her earlier this year:

Joyfully at Home
only $18

For all of you who love learning how to run a large family, like myself, they have this new book that looks quite interesting:

Large Family Logisitics

-$24

and if you missed Victoria Botkin's webinar not too long ago--it is now on CD (9 CDs) entitled:

She Shall Be Called Woman-
just $35 (trust me, it's worth it! I had the chance to listen to it and she is sooo wise)

My boys let me know about 100 times that they wanted these swords below, I have seen them in real life and they are high quality and cannot break easily, you can click on the banner below to read more and to view an entertaining video of Doug Phillips's son fighting eachother with them:

And look at the pretty new dresses they have for the dolls, my little Joy was enamored with this little outfit:

 Elsie's Party Dress
-$19

and instead of getting my older daughter a purity ring, which we have been keeping an eye out for--I was so pleased to find that Vision Forum has is offering this as another wonderful option...

A Father-Daughter Purity Locket

-What a great idea! Read the description:

This one small piece of jewelry has for centuries been the symbol of a special relationship between two people. Carefully guarding the treasured faces that we desire to keep closest to us, it often remains a prized possession throughout a lifetime, passed on to future generations as a special family heirloom.
After much searching, Vision Forum is pleased to offer a locket worthy of such lofty history and promise. Beautifully embossed with a floral design, this 7/8" sterling silver locket is the perfect gift for those special young ladies in your family.
It is an especially fitting gift on a special occasion, as a loving gift between a father and daughter to symbolize the importance of purity and remaining as a joyful daughter under her father’s protection until the time of release to her future husband. Comes on a delicate, sterling silver 16" chain in a small gift box.

{But shhhhh-----don't tell her.}

I'm telling you I am like a child in a candy store when it come to Vision Forum and their catalogs!

Sometimes it is way too hard to pick--

and PLEASE tell me I won't have to!

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Note: Dear readers, I wanted to let you know that I am a VF affiliate. If you are planning on doing any of your Christmas shopping there would you consider making a purchase through this site? All you have to do is click through any of the links in this post or on their products/catalog I have listed in my sidebar. Your doing so will help to feed HUNGRY children---8 to be exact! ;) Haha, just kidding--nothing like a little humor to brighten our days. But on a serious note--thank you so much if you do! And have a blessed day!

Large Family Dynamics--A Look Inside

I love the fact that we have a large family. Since I was an only child, it is almost like I have another chance to relive my youth in a family of many siblings (except now I am in charge!). It has truly been an adventure, a joyous adventure in having 8 children and getting to live each moment with them--the fun, the exciting, the good and the bad.

There has been so much I have had to learn in how to raise a brood this size so I appreciate when I see lists like the following that bring a smile.

Large Families..

-Accept donations of restaurant-size cookware!!!

-are CHAOTIC and NOISY and FUN

-have no matching socks...but 58 white non- mates

-always have someone to play with... never bored or lonely

-lots of babysitters, readers, and rockers

-never have a dull meal

-are never picky eaters! there's someone to eat it!!!

-have an ever ready sports team

-never have moldy leftovers (ha!)

-and yes the parents DO know what causes them...

-and no, moms are not supermoms or super organized

-do not have overabundance of patience, just lots of opportunities to cultivate patience!


 (Source-A Christian Home)

Large families are a blessing in so many ways and children are a joy to raise. Money might be tighter but the riches of having a large family are priceless!



A great resource about large families would be the Duggars who have have 18 children--read how they do it here:

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--Thanks for visiting A Wise Woman Builds Her Home! If you like what you read here you can get free updates sent to your email by subscribing and never miss a post.

Coming Soon...

 Tea with Michelle Duggar!

Coming Soon: Tea with Michelle Duggar from Vision Forum on Vimeo.

I think I will definitely have to get this one!

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Duggar Update: Good News on Josie

Today the Duggars reported that their 19th newest blessing, little Josie Brooklyn-- was doing well in the NICU:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(Note: Please remember to turn off the music in the sidebar!)

Let's lift this precious family up in prayer, ladies!

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The Secret Is Out--Duggars Expect Blessing #19

...........................

It was SO hard.

Yes, it was hard to keep the secret a few weeks ago when our family got an email from the Duggars saying they were expecting blessing #19 and told us to keep it under wraps---but now they have come public with the news and here is the clip to enjoy!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

(Note: Turn off the music in my sidebar before you play the clip!)

Instilling a Godly Heritage

The Duggar family, who have 18 children, has been a source of inspiration to many so I wanted to include these videos of them in The Christian Mother Series to give you all an idea of what all of our children are capable of. Their parents, Michelle and Jim Bob, are doing their best to instill a godly heritage in their children and likewise, we should do the same. The videos are not of highest quality but you can still get the picture:

The Duggar children recite scripture at a church they were visiting:



(You can click on the box in the bottom of the video to enlarge it, and don't forget to turn off my music in the sidebar)

We have seen other children do this and have been blessed and *refreshed* by their ministries. See how small the tiny ones are on the end? Yes, mothers, even the smallest of children can recite long passages of scripture! And I love how they added in the hand signs--I think that is important in keeping it fun for them. Imagine the invested time it took their parents to teach this. Remember--they have 18 children. Most of us only have two or three. If they can do something like this with so many, we should not think we cannot. If they can do this with their limited time due to their bigger family size, what are WE squandering our precious hours away with????? I definitely believe we would be wise to learn from their diligent and steadfast example.

The Duggar girls perform hymns on violin:



Here they minister with siblings:



Young men and women should find ways to serve the Lord with their talents. Too many children today are wasting their precious time in frivolous pursuits---knowing the hottest bands, keeping up with the newest clothes trends, worrying about being like their peers, watching the latest movie....in the end, all these things are meaningless. Instead, they should be about the business of the Lord, growing in Him, learning about Him, serving others, growing their skills and mastering them for the Kingdom.

A godly heritage is priceless and worth the time and sacrifices of all Christian parents, let us be found diligently faithful a in cultivating and providing it.




*For those of you who are new to my blog, you can view more videos of the Duggar family here but clicking Must Watch Webvideos in my sidebar or visit their website here.*

(The Christian Mother Series, Part 12)

Large Family Summer Scheduling

School is over and we've already got the garden in. Now we are looking forward to two weeks of relaxing (since dad will have his vacation time) and then we will be on our official summer schedule.

Yes, I said schedule!!!!!

Why am I a firm believer in scheduling during the summer? Because in our home we cannot function without order. Also, I could never imagine allowing all that free summertime going to waste. I believe that God has given us time as a precious gift and that we need to be good stewards of it. Believe me---children around here never get a chance to say "I'm bored!"----in fact, I think they might be afraid to since they know I have a list of jobs/projects awaiting them if they even dared to think such a thought! ;)

Here are some ways my daughters will be spending the summer:

learning to bake whole wheat bread/scones
creating a vlogging series that will minister to others
taking over fixing all meals
learn to make laundry soap
sell on Ebay
Create their own business on Etsy
create school scrapbooks
library volunteering
drama club
various home painting projects
learn to cut hair on their brothers
practice instruments: piano, violin, recorder
Character studies
learn Spanish/typing (for younger one)
get drivers permit
educational games online (to stay fresh!)
preparing for 2 garage sales
create garden/home notebooks

and most importantly: Their Summer Reading Lists

What is a Summer Reading List? It is a list that is handpicked and prayed over by us (the parents) that the child will read to encourage godly growth and character. It does not have to include just books but can also include great articles, blogs, etc. At the top of this is their personal devotional time with the Lord. We have something called Life Journals that we use to journal about what we read in the Bible, so we will be using those. My daughters are avid readers so I make sure that I keep godly/educational/feminine/homemaking books around to inspire. Biographies are great too, especially of legendary evangelists or martyrs of the faith.

This does not include other small projects they will be helping me with--this is just some of the bigger things I definitely want to accomplish with our precious time. My sons have a list as well. In fact, I have a notebook with a list for each child and what we are to accomplish with them by the end of summer--even right down to our little boy twins and their potty-training! And of course, don't forget Mom. My list is very important to me because once I get everything on paper I don't have to carry it all around in my head. It is like unloading luggage when I create a list that allows my mind to be free to think about other things, while not forgetting to do the important things.

Now lastly, I want you to remember that the list/schedule or any list/schedule that you make is not there to control you. You make sure to make it work for you and not vice versa. Make plenty of room for flexibility (it is summer after all!) Be sure to add plenty of fun in too and plan for some great summer memories early in advance---as we all know summer will pass by in a blink of an eye-----so be sure to get done what you set out to accomplish as you celebrate the summer season!

Large Family Budgeting-Duggar Style

Mothers all across America are relearning how to be frugal balance their budgets during the economic crisis--why not take a few tips from the Duggar Family:

(be sure to turn off the music in the sidebar!)


Part One



Part 2



Part 3

A Time for Work and A Time for Play

Today I am taking the day to spend time with the children. Although a mom can be a home 24 hours a day with her children that doesn't mean she is actively entering their world. So many things can vie for her attention that by the time she actually sits down she can be too exhausted for any merriment. So today, I am purposefully planning a big block of time to spend with each child. This is so important in keeping their hearts. It is also important when shepherding them. We are not just managers of our children, merely keeping them clean and feeding them. We are Nurturers, and these children will become adults one day. Memories of their childhood are imprinted upon them forever and precious childhood will be over in a blink of an eye. Mother, what is that thing you have been longing to do with your children? Don't delay! They will remember the precious time you sacrifice to love them.

So today I will:

1. Read to the twins and frolic with them.

2. Play dinosaurs with my little 4 year old son.

3. Enter the enchanting world of dolls and dollhouses with my 6 year old daughter who loves to squeal and giggle.

4. Engage my older sons in pretend sword fights and 'man-to-mom' talks.

5. Take my second daughter out to a fabric store to look at crafty things and planning projects and plan a tea date (this is her love language)

6. Spend time with the teenager---helping her with some things she has been asking me to do on the computer. And LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN to her, because she has alot on her heart as all teenage girls do and maybe later play a board game together.


They will not stay children forever. One day that small boy they will grow older and walk out that threshold of your home and return a man. You cannot reclaim those days. Do not have any regrets and do what your heart has been nudging you to do with that child.

Choose to ignore your 'to-do' list today.

Time is running out.

Mothers--DON'T delay!

Duggar Grandchild Announcement

Children are definitely a blessing...but even more so are grandchildren!

Congratulations to our favorite family the Duggar's on the announcement of the pregnancy of their first grandchild! Here they are making the happy announcement:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Read more about Joshua and Anna's Courtship and their desire for children.

HomeMaking: Conquering Mt. Never-Rest

When you have a family of 10---laundry can become quite daunting.

Especially if you would like to have a life and do things like spend time with your family, clean your home, prepare meals and homeschool your children.

I think it is important to know how to keep house whether you have 2 children or 10 because it can make or break a mom. It can become very depressing if you feel like you have a mountain of work to do everyday and feel things are out of control. Not to mention that it can be very discouraging and make a mom want to give up important things like homeschooling.

Never having learned the fine art of doing laundry at this type of magnitude, I knew I had to go to the experts. A few years ago I searched online and found the answer. Here is what we have been doing for the past few years which have brought much peace to my soul...

We used to do laundry every day and try to fold and put laundry away the same day. That never worked for us. We would end up with laundry that never made it to the dressers, baskets in the family room and trying to find an article of clothing would be a challenge if we fell behind during the weekend.

Now the method I use is this:

We do laundry still every day. All of the children take turns throwing in loads--from the seven year old and up.

We have a large, rectangular table in our laundry room with baskets on it.

Each basket is labeled with a permanent black pen: Twins, Janai, Naomi, Stephen and Ravi (S&R), Joshua, Joy, Misc., etc. the miscellaneous basket holds towels, sheets, cleaning rags, etc. We have eight baskets altogether on the table, and three big circular bins to hold dirty laundry underneath.

(I am thinking about painting my laundry room this color)

When a load or two is done we simply sort (not fold) the dried clothes into the baskets. This is wonderful because I don't feel pressure to put it away that day, it is out of sight if visitors come unexpectedly, and it is organized somewhere so that if my son needs to find a pair of socks, he knows they are waiting in his basket downstairs. I also am not worried because I know we have a folding day, so I don't feel like any of the laundry is hanging over my head all week.

So once a week (or twice if there is a lot of laundry) we will have our folding party--usually as we watch educational movie from the library. After they fold, we put all our laundry away and when that is done they simply return the empty basket back on the laundry table, in it's right spot.

(This is from HGTV--they have a nice post on laundry decor ideas here)

I know this will not work for everyone and some of you might read this in horror thinking--how on earth could she do laundry that way? Well, this absolutely works for us (even though you might have another successful way of conquering Mt. Never-Rest), when you have a bigger family and still want to maintain sanity, you sometimes have to resort to different means. Many large families have their own techniques of conquering their daily loads. How we do laundry will not look like how others will with smaller families.

For a long time I tried to do laundry like my mother. She was a stay at home mom with one child who was gone all day at school. So naturally, she was able to get everything put away perfectly before I even got home. For years I tried to emulate her example--but quickly after a few children more began to realize it was something of a 'crash-and-burn' technique for our family. I couldn't keep up and felt like a failure.

Now I have everyone from the 7 year old and up learn how to throw in the loads for washing. I barely step foot in the laundry room these days because I have trained the children to do practically everything, so it minimizes my time spent in there.

This was a life-saver for us, and I just wanted to share it with you so you can 'build up your home' by keeping your laundry under control.

I hope that if you try this method, it blesses you as much as it has blessed me!

Congratulations Duggar Family!

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year blessings go out to our favorite Duggar family who just recently received what they called 'the ultimate Christmas gift from God' their newest daughter, Jordan Grace...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

This past weekend I just finished reading the book Jim Bob is holding '20 and Counting' and I highly recommend it. It gave fascinating and powerful insights and testimony on how they are living and lived their lives for God in areas of stewardship, finances, raising children and so forth.

I personally enjoyed and will implement some of their ideas in my own home this year such as the 'yes ma'am & chore charts' (the children get paid pennies for obedience) and the 'family bank' (which holds each child's account information in a notebook--easy for mom to manage without going to the bank and children losing their money--if the child wants to purchase something simply consult the bank notebook) I especially enjoyed the fact that frequently asked questions they get from emails were answered and frugal family recipes were also included. This book is definitely one you will want to pick up!

You can save $5 off the cover price ordering online here.

I was impressed by their oldest daughter Jana, who you can watch making 15 pies for the holidays---- definitely makes you think about how our daughters should be using their time wisely! Thanks for the inspiration, Michelle, Jim Bob and your beautiful family!

Seeking Imperfection

We all know the days....the day when everything goes wrong.

It can happen before your feet even hit the floor, but you know it from its familiar visits--- from the minute the day begins multiple supernatural-like events begin to happen in your home. For example:

Two children (or three) are bleeding before breakfast.

The baby's diaper comes off and smears a 'special scented gift' all down the front stairs five minutes before your friend is supposed to stop by. To top it off, they thought they would slide down the stairs in it for a thrill ride and hardly noticed all the children sitting there laughing and pointing at them since they are covered from head to toe.

The children are all screaming and have eachother in a choke hold (and they are only under the age of 2) and right about then the phone rings and your husband wants to know how your day is going.

The dishwasher's heating cycle is burning something instead of drying it so it begins to smoke.

Breakfast is burnt because you are distracted with the smoking dishwasher.

Your child spends all morning trying to find his book for school and you don't realize he is missing until its 'too late' because now he has run upstairs to report that-----

The baby tried flushing the toy fire truck down the toilet.

The toilet is clogged from the skillfully inserted fire truck and thus begins overflowing all over the floor and to top it off, it wasn't flushed from the person who used it before he thought he'd try his stunt.

And I could go on, but really, you all know what can happen before noon in a family of ten , don't you? Come on now, surely you have all experienced this in your own home!

So as a word of encouragement to you, I want you all to know that I am a mom just like you! This blog has pretty pictures and the inspiring quotes because *I* am the one who needs the encouragement, just as much as the next mom. There is no such thing as the 'perfect' mother and we should not kill overselves trying to achieve this with lofty expectations of ourselves and others in our family---this is not building up our homes but instead tearing it down. I would never want any mom or wife to get discouraged and think they have to live up to some faux supermom model that is unachievable and unreal. Yes indeed, imperfection is freedom and that means I am okay if my children sometimes jump into the van before we go to the store and have mismatched shoes, clothes that are backwards or sometimes they are just missing underwear altogether (but thankfully, not pants!)

Through it all I have learned to keep my sense of humor (I think), and thankful that imperfection is a part of life. This was hard for me at first, as I am sure for other moms well. I thought I had it all together with four children and knew what I was doing and then came #5 and #6 and then lo and behold--- baby boy twins to make #7 & 8! What on earth was I thinking? I knew nothing about this mothering journey. Gone was the pride---banished! The Lord knew just how to humble me, indeed.

There is freedom in mothering, ladies! And that is imperfection!

The next is God's forgiving grace.


Wouldn't you agree? ;)





(Homeschooling cartoons by Todd Wilson @ Family Man Ministries)




(Encouraging myself during the holidays works for me!)

Hard Times

Hard times are upon many of us in America today---if you watched the vice presidential debates last night you know that 'Main Street' is struggling--and many of us have to choose between food and gas or medical care. I know there are many of you wondering how to make ends meet---just as the rest of us are. As we are waiting for 'reform' in Washington, here are some ways we can save money in our homes today...

1. Resolve not to spend. Period.

2. Learn contentment---Paul, the apostle knew how to be content with much and little. Contentment goes hand-in-hand with thankfulness. Isn't it great that we are learning some character through it all? The other day I was teaching my children about needs and wants and how the Bible says our needs are basically Him, clothing and food. What a short list compared to our frivolous endless 'wanting' and 'coveting'.

3. Cook from scratch---there are so many great books out there that teach us how to do this, it is literally a never ending process. I am currently reading through 'How to Feed Your Family Healthfully for $50 a Week'. Not to mention it is healthier than eating processed, packaged foods.

4. Shop at the lowest priced stores. In our area there is Aldi and Walmart, it took a while for me to change my shopping habits and shop at these stores, but eventually I made the shift. Don't forget the bakery thrift store either! I personally try to stay out of the super warehouses as I find I am tempted to spend more on unnecessary items. Not to mention the fact that you have to pay an annual fee to even shop there. The little that I do purchase there does not make an annual fee worth it for me. When our year is up, we won't be renewing.



5. Shop at produce stands. We have one less than a minute from our home---huge pumpkins are only a dollar! I just bought one at Wal-mart for $3.87 (I actually thought I was getting a deal since the pumpkins at another produce stand was way more than this!) That is highway robbery! Can I please take it back for a refund? Just kidding--but you see, if you shop at these stands you can get amazing savings, savings that beat even Aldi! Just last week they were selling a 25 lb. box of tomatoes for $4 and yesterday a 25 lb. box of plums for $2. If you know how to can this is a great investment to stretch it out over the winter--or you could also just freeze it.

6. Do garage sales and have one. Don't tell me you don't have time, most of us don't. I have 8 children whom I homeschool full time and I make sure I MAKE the time to do this. I want to help my husband as much as I can financially and this is just another way I can do this. Finding clothes at 25 cents a piece is a steal and a wonderful way to save. Dave Ramsey suggests selling all our things with 'gazelle-like intensity' in order to get out of debt and/or save money. I am still exploring this option! Also, when you shop at thrift stores, find out when they have their 1/2 off sales.

7. Stretch your meals. Once I read in a book how to stretch a chicken out for 3 days. The first day you use the breasts in a meal, the next in a casserole and the last in a soup. Unfortunately, that is hard to do in a home of 10 with just one chicken---I could probably do 2 days. But the principle still applies to other meals. I just bought a 5 lb. package of hamburger meat that I stretched out for 3 days. The first night we had tostadas, the second a casserole and today soup.



8. Live Simply, Eat Simply--Back in the old days people probably had 2 or 3 outfits in their closet-- certainly not packed up high and overflowing (what's this? I'm being convicted once again by my own post?!). They ate simple meals like beans and cornbread or potatoes and squash and food that was in season. I think it is so important to eat simply as well. We don't have to be persuaded by glitzy television cooking shows that try to convince us to try this gourmet recipe or that. Many of them have too many expensive ingredients. If we live simply we will have more time to truly enjoy life around us.

9. Go Meatless---choose to eat less meat in the week and do rice and beans for a week instead. Here is another great post with great bean ideas. Soups are easy, great for fall and rich in vitamins. This year gardening has a wonderful experience for my family. This winter I plan on learning alot more about this amazing and natural way to feed our family and double our plot and harvest for next year. My thrifty friend has some great ideas here too-at this post called 'Bringing Home the Bacon'.

10. Make do with what you have. Decorate for fall with what you have on hand at your home. Start thinking today about the holidays and gift giving. READ, READ, READ how to be a better steward of your things, food, time and money. If you do all these things in this list you will probably be able to put aside some money to help make some ends meet.

Here are a few helpful links:

The Dollar Stretcher---very complete! Love this site--has everything you can think of.

Miserly Moms--she's written some great books too

Mega Families--how to feed the big family and run a home on a budget.

The Aldi Queen--A mom pulled together this site that shows recipes, meal-plans, gift-giving and more from Aldi.

Surely you have read all this before. This is just a small reminder and encouragement to help us through some hard times. We might have to do without, and we might have to get out of our comfort zones--

but we CAN do it!