Sheila Wray Gregoire's Blog, page 240

Our Culture is Losing its Bible Heritage

The most popular post of all time on this blog isn’t about marriage. Or sex. Or family at all. It’s actually my list of the 50 most important Bible verses to memorize. (If you’ve ever wanted to start memorizing Scripture, but you don’t know where to start, this is a great place!)

Anyway, recently someone landed on that page and then started clicking links and found an older post on our culture’s biblical heritage, which I wrote five years ago and forgot about. I just reread it, and I thought it was worth posting so that my new readers can see it. So here we are, from 2008:

What Do We Hide in Our Heart?

While homeschooling my oldest daughter recently, I came across a Grammar Lesson that caught me by surprise. We use an old 1920 Ontario textbook for grammar, largely because they understood how to teach basic skills back then. This particular assignment asked children to plan a five paragraph story, and then to write it, on one of the four following subjects: David and Goliath; Daniel and the Lions; Ruth and Naomi; or the Prodigal Son.

What was surprising to me was not that a public school textbook, even one that is 88 years old, would ask children to write Bible stories. It was that the textbook assumed the children could. You see, the Bible was not just part of Canada’s faith story back then; it was part of our whole culture. Whether or not people believed it, everybody knew it.

Philosopher and physician John Patrick likes to tell a story that illustrates this to an even greater extreme. The scene is the disastrous Canadian landing at Dieppe, in France in 1942. The Canadians had no air or sea support, they were outnumbered, and it was a lost cause perhaps before it even began. In the midst of the battle, the English headquarters sent a message across the Channel, asking how the soldiers were faring. They received a three word answer in response. “But if not.”

Do you get it yet? Few of us would. Yet those three words were not only understood by those who sent them; they were understood by those who received them. And the sender knew this would be the case. But if not.

For those of you who are still scratching your heads, “But if not” is from the story of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, better known as Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, or to my children as Rack, Shack and Benny. When facing being thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to an image of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, these three men told the king, “If our God is able to deliver us, let him. But if not, we will not bend the knee.” But if not, we will not bend the knee. That is the message the Canadians sent back to London. It was read, and it was understood.

There’s another story from that same period that speaks to me. An Allied POW camp (I assume it was air force or some such, because they were held for a number of years, so it must have been before D-Day), managed to recreate pretty much the entire book of Matthew (there were only a few holes) just from people’s memories. I can’t find a reference for that now, but I think that’s pretty inspiring. They wanted Scripture to keep them going, so they called everyone together, and everyone brainstormed, wrote out the verses they knew, and then tried to put them in the proper order. The chaplain kept what they wrote, and he compared it to the actual Bible when they were released. They got remarkably close. I can’t picture that happening today.

Not all of those people were Christian, in either story. And yet they knew the Word. Probably better than we do. Have any of you ever read Tom Sawyer? Mark Twain writes brilliantly and hysterically about the Bible verse drills all these kids went through, but that was late in the nineteenth century.

Do we memorize anymore?

Do we really know our Bibles? Do our kids? I think we need to get back to knowing the Word.

I know we can’t turn back the clock, and likely the rest of society won’t follow us as they did when we were still a Bible-based culture, but we need to at least be well versed in Scripture. In fact, we need to be more well-versed because we no longer hear Scripture or allusions to Scripture in normal life.

What do you think?

After all, but if not…

Related posts:

Thoughts on a Spiritual Heritage

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Published on May 06, 2013 03:53

Reader Question of the Week: I Have No One to Talk with About My Marriage

Every weekend I like to post a question someone sends in and let you readers have a go at it. This week’s question comes from a reader, who needs to talk with a friend:

What do you do if you don’t have a good friend who you can vent about your husband with? I understand the importance of not bad-mouthing my husband. I want to be respectful. (And I do have a very good man who loves me, loves our kids, and loves God.) There are times when I’m worn out, tired, and/or frustrated. But I don’t have anyone to talk to about it. So I stuff it. I know that isn’t healthy either.

What do you think? How should she handle this?

Don’t forget about the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle! Sale ends at midnight tonight! Buy it HERE NOW.

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Published on May 04, 2013 12:56

Great Mother’s Day Gift Ideas–and Other Gift Ideas–For Under $15!

We’re in the middle of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle Sale this week, so my regular writing has taken a back seat until Monday. Normally on Fridays I post my column, but I was so busy this Monday returning from a speaking engagement and preparing for this sale that for only the second time in 13 years I didn’t write one. I sent in an older one to my newspapers out in Saskatchewan, which you can read here. It’s called Countering the Drift, and I really enjoyed that one. I thought it deserved wider exposure.

So turn there if you want some of my regular fare!

But for the rest of you, I want to show you something really neat you can do with the Homemaking Bundle.

When you buy the Bundle, you get 97 ebooks for just $0.31 each. 97 ebooks for $29.97. That’s a lot of books! And perhaps you’re worried you won’t use all of them, or need all of them.

Well, .pdfs work just like regular books–you’re allowed to give them away. The rule is that as long as you don’t keep a copy on your hard drive, you can “gift” a book to someone else. Some of you already own a few of the books in this collection, and so you’re wondering what to do with the doubles.

Take a book (or a few books), and combine them with some neat products to create a gift basket!

All you have to do is print out the cover of the book on a piece of paper, put the cover into an envelope, and then write on the envelope: Email me to redeem this coupon for a copy of (name of book).

Here are just a few combinations I was playing around with. All of them will cost less than $15. You can put them in a pretty basket with some ribbon, and place the envelope on top.

1. Mother’s Day for a Really Tired Woman

Use the book “Honoring the Rhythm of Rest”, which talks about how we can get the rest we need, and not push ourselves too hard.

Then you can add bubble bath, candles, an eye mask, or anything else that says “rest” to you. I love this book–it’s such an encouragement!

2. Gift for a Pregnant Mom

Is someone special in your life expecting a baby? The Pregnancy Journal is SO cute! You can write a letter to your baby, paste the ultrasound picture, record your exercise schedule and the new foods you’re trying to stay “pregnancy healthy”. You can record your weight every week, all the checkups, and then write out the birth story. And so much more! And it’s really decorative.

And then Redeeming Childbirth is a beautiful book that helps us work through our expectations, our past traumas (if previous births were difficult), and helps us work through how we’re going to approach this one. Angie Tolpin shares some wisdom, but then uses most of the book as guided questions to help you pray through and think about so that the experience is special for you.

3. Gift for A Mom Needing a Big Change

Do you have a friend who is stuck in a rut? Someone who just wants to jump start things and create a “whole new me”? What about sharing The No Brainer Wardrobe and Embracing Beauty? Wonderful books on how we can create a beautiful, confident me with relatively little work–no matter what stage of motherhood you’re in.

4. Gift for a Mom Who Loves Crafty Things in the Kitchen

Do you know a woman who loves making gifts in the kitchen? One of those crafty moms who can come up with fun gifts that cost relatively little money? She’ll love these two books: Holiday Mixes you can make, and Restocking Your Pantry, which is loaded with recipes for things I didn’t even know you could make. Things like Ketchup, and sour cream, and all of those condiments we have. But you can make them naturally!

5. Gift for a Mom with Little Kids

Do you have a friend with little kids–but your kids are much older now? Or perhaps you don’t have children at all! There are tons of parenting books that you can gift, like this:

Honestly, Easy Peasy Chore Charts will revolutionize any mom’s life. They make chores so easy, and help instill a sense of independence and responsibility in even very young children. And they’re so easy to use and follow! Your friend will thank you.

6. Gifts for the Budget Conscious Mom

Do you have a friend who loves making every penny go further? Here are some awesome budgeting books that she can glean for more frugal wisdom:

7. Gifts for Moms who Love Organizing

What about a friend who loves organizing–or who wants to get more organized? Try Simple Living, a book that helps us calm down, and Clean Enough, a book that helps us get organized, and find peace with our home. Here’s a collection that you can use to inspire her:

8. Gifts for Moms who Love Taking Pictures

Do you have a friend who loves adding pictures to Facebook? Someone who just loves collecting photos of her little ones? Here’s a neat book that can help you hone your photography skills with an iPhone or iPod:

9. Gifts for Someone Who Needs a Bit of Fun

And here’s something for absolutely no reason–except that it’s so much fun! How to make your own ice cream:

10. Gifts for a Friend Who Blogs

If you have a blogger in your life, but you don’t actually blog, you may find the few books on blogging not really of interest to you. But you can gift them to someone who could really use them!

11. And Finally–You Knew it Was Coming–Gifts for Your Husband

Hey, I couldn’t leave this one out! You’re going to get 31 Days to Great Sex. How about putting it in a basket for your husband? (It even comes with coupons that you can print out and give to your husband)! Or, if you’re feeling courageous, present this in a basket for an anniversary gift for a fun couple you know. Include the Rekindling Romance Toolkit, that comes with love coupons to print out, date night ideas, invitations for a fun evening, and tons more that can help you bring that spark back:

There you go! Eleven possible gifts, using just 19 of the books that you’ll receive. I’m sure you could come up with lots more combinations for the remaining 78. Think of all the neat gift baskets you could create for friends in the future!

So buy a bundle for yourself–and gift the ones that you don’t think you’ll use. Or buy an extra bundle to make low-cost gifts to give to friends for years to come! You can read a list of all the books that are included right here. Or just:

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Published on May 03, 2013 06:28

Keep on Fighting that Frump–And More Inspiration!

Welcome, Crosswalk Readers! A great place to go first to find out about my marriage posts is right here. But don’t miss our Ultimate Homemaking Bundle Sale, either!

We’re in the middle of the most awesome sale this week! It’s the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle: 97 books for $29.97. Plus you get some ecourses and $140 worth of freebies! Learn more about everything that’s offered here, or buy it now!

It’s such a great deal I don’t want you to miss out, so I want to focus on some specific categories of books today, and see how they relate to some of the things that we talk about most here at To Love, Honor and Vacuum.

Obviously there are marriage books (and my own 31 Days to Great Sex is featured)!

Let’s Fight the Frump Again

But after our Fight the Frump week a few weeks ago, I had many of you saying:

I wish I knew how to get stylish clothes cheaply! Because for me, money is the issue.

I totally understand. And other than saying, “go to consignment stores”, I didn’t have much to add.

But now I’ve got a great resource that can help you so much more!

The No-Brainer Wardrobe (normally $7.99, but just 31 cents as part of the bundle) walks you through how to create a minimalist wardrobe–just the pieces that you really need, the “Essentials”. Then you have your “Additions” which make an outfit interesting. And then you have your “Finishers” which give it that Wow factor.

The key, she believes, is to limit your wardrobe so that it’s easy to coordinate things. That way, when you get up in the morning, it really is a “no brainer” to figure out what to wear, because the outfits create themselves.

She details how to go through your wardrobe right now and figure out what to keep and what to throw away.

And then she shows you how to build it deliberately.

But you don’t have to spend a lot of money! In fact, my favourite part of the book was when she took a few pictures from her “Style” board on Pinterest with her to a thrift store. Those pictures were her inspiration.

And with those pictures, she was able to reject some clothes and choose others, so that in the end she had an outfit that bore a remarkable resemblance to the one she started out trying to find. And she has so many pictures and so many explanations of what to look for (good quality collars, shirts that aren’t bulky at the back, etc. etc.) that you really can do it yourself. She’d show you how to examine the picture and figure out what you liked about it: a frilly top under a structured jacket. But if you can’t find a structured jacket, a structured sweater give the same feel. She shows how to ask these questions.

You just find a picture like this:

..and take it to thrift store and look at how to recreate it!

I love it!

So you don’t have to spend a ton! You just have to be strategic, stick to a plan, and keep your wardrobe to the minimum so that it’s no fuss.

That’s not the only inspiration for those of you with little money to spend on clothes, though.

In Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose, Frugal Girl gives step by step instructions on how to salvage old clothes and turn them into shopping bags, cloth napkins, skirts, doll clothes, and more! She also gives a great tutorial on how to dye clothing, or how to cut parts off of clothing that you don’t like so that you can keep the parts you do (like if it has a weird collar or something).

My favourite part was when she turned old clothes into fabric gift bags. They were so cute! I really want to do that. It’s just rectangles, so it looks like even I could handle it.

Finally, if you need inspiration on fighting the frump, Sarah Mae can give it to you!

She starts out by telling us that you can’t really fight the frump unless you figure out your “why”–why are you doing it? And no one else can tell you that why. It’s all individual. But we all feel it–that need to be ready for anything, that urge towards more discipline and more purpose, that urge towards energy.

Then, in each of her daily devotionals, she helps us focus on baby steps that add up to big changes.

And she wrestles with us through grace-based living and rules-based living. Too much of fighting the frump can become rules based living, and you don’t want that. What you do want is to be more powerful and more purposeful.

And why do we want to fight the frump? Because we mean business. Sure, yoga pants are comfortable. But you don’t mean business in casual. And cute and pretty can also be comfortable. So the question is: are you pursuing excellence or not?

I love this book because it’s so down to earth. It’s so real. She’s honest about wanting massive amounts of coffee, fighting getting out of bed in the morning, and desperate to find a time to shower. But she fights it because she wants to be excellent. To be purposeful. To be energetic.

So there you have it: Three books that will help you fight the frump in totally different ways! And there’s even more books in the beauty category of the bundle.

Bible Memorization

Let’s take something totally different now. A ton of people arrive on this site looking for articles on fighting the frump. But a ton more arrive on this site looking for my post about the 50 Best Bible Verses to Memorize.

We want to take Scripture seriously.

And there are a ton of resources that can help you do that, too–especially with your children! Here’s a quote from The ABC’s for Godly Boys and Godly Girls Curriculum:

I so agree with this sentiment. If we want our kids to grow up to love God, they have to also KNOW God. You see, most issues in our lives stem from the fact that we believe lies. So if we’re insecure, it’s because we believe we’re not good enough. If we fear rejection, it’s because we fear that we’re not loveable. Even with sex, as we often talk about on this blog, we can get all messed up because we believe lies. It’s not our fault–often we were very hurt. But the lies are there nonetheless.

And the only way to counter lies is with the truth. So if we can spend our children’s early years surrounding them with truth and feeding them truth and helping them to understand truth, they’ll be in such a good spot when they’re older and they start to have issues. They can fight back with truth.

That’s why I’m so passionate about Scripture memory. We don’t do that enough anymore as churches, and we certainly don’t do it enough as families. And if you’re stumped as to where to start, my 50 Best Memory Verses can help.

But if you want a program to help you memorize with small children, God’s Word in My Heart gives suggestions as to how to handle it with kids of all ages, looking at what to do with babies, and toddlers, and older children. And then they present 26 verses you can use, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. Then they have a list for when children are older of other ones to tackle. And she shows you how to tackle them so they stick.

I love this resource! And there are others in the bundle that also help you work through God’s Word with your children, whether you homeschool or send your kids to school. It’s too important a job to miss.

So there you go–two totally different aspects of life, each covered really well in the bundles.

My Challenges for You:

And my challenges for you today: How can you incorporate more Scripture memory into your life? Try to start a regular plan to actually fill your life with truth! Let me know in the comments what you do with your family.

And if you find yourself being drawn towards frump, I’d challenge you to think about it this way: I have an awesome job to do. I am a wife. I am a mom (if you are). I am an ambassador for God. This world needs people who will make a difference, get engaged, raise great kids, and keep the community strong. That takes energy, commitment, and oomph. So when do I feel like I have the most oomph? The most energy? When do I portray excellence? Ask yourself that. Think it through. And then, perhaps, it will become easier to fight the frump (and not nearly as expensive as you thought, either!)

Of course, you can also get the bundle! And if you want to see what else is included, there’s a whole list here.

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Published on May 02, 2013 05:23

Wifey Wednesday: I Have No Libido!

It’s Wednesday, the day that we talk marriage! I post on the topic, and then you all can link up your own marriage posts in the linky below.

UPDATE: I’ve added a few things to this post since it was first published.

One of the most frequent questions I get is:

I have no libido!

Of course this may be a testosterone issue, and if you really feel like something is just WRONG (as in different from the way you used to feel), then it’s good to get a doctor to check your levels.

But it is quite common to go through LONG periods where you feel like you have no libido, and your levels AREN’T out of whack. I’ve gone through periods of months, or even years, like that, and then I’ll have some periods of the exact opposite. So much about a woman’s libido depends on our kids, and our energy levels, and our stress, and our relationships. We’re very complex beings. And because, for women, sex is almost entirely in our heads (as in our heads have to be in the game or our bodies won’t follow), if we’re stressed, our bodies often sit dormant.

So what would I do? In no particular order, here are some thoughts:

Make sex great FOR YOU.

You may not have much of a libido that makes you want sex, but that doesn’t mean that sex can’t feel good. And if you decide, “tonight, I want to feel GREAT”, you’re more likely to. When your brain is engaged, your body tends to follow.

So that means making sure that you actually DO feel great. Of course it’s easier to reach orgasm if you actually are “in the mood” frequently, but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen. And if you take steps to make it your goal and make sure it does, you’re more likely to find that libido again.

Remember that making sure it feels good for you DOESN’T mean that you have to be craving sex before you start. In fact, most women don’t. According to research, for men, desire PRECEDES making love. For women, desire comes after you start making love. So it’s not like you need to be panting first.

But, if, when you start kissing him, you’re thinking in your head, “tonight I’m going to feel GOOD”, then you can jumpstart your body.

The problem is that making sex great for you requires that you’re more ACTIVE–that you’re telling him what you want, and that you’re actually trying to get it. That’s hard if you’re not really “in the mood”. But think of it like exercise: you don’t really want to do it, but you’re looking forward to the reward afterwards, so you put your all into it.

If you can put your all into it, you’ll get the reward. If you let your feelings stop you from putting your all into it, you won’t.

I’m not trying to minimize how hard it is; just saying that if you decide “I actually want to feel GOOD tonight”, it really does make it more appealing.

Concentrate on the good stuff.

So how do you tell yourself “I’m going to feel good tonight”? Think about the benefits of making love. You’ll sleep better. It does feel good. Keep imagining that throughout the day–how well you’ll sleep, how good you’ll feel. Actually pick deliberate times of the day to picture the rewards. Not to try to feel sexy–you may honestly not be able to do that. But to picture the rewards.

Go to bed REALLY EARLY.

The combination of low libido and exhaustion is a recipe for disaster. The only thing that helps is not being tired. So turn in right when the kids do, if you have to, and make love FIRST. Then curl up and watch a movie together, or get on your iPads and check Twitter, or whatever else you may normally do. But try to get sex in earlier in the night.

Make it really RELAXING.

Ask him to massage you a lot (massage candles work great for that). Make it into a sensual experience so that you can enjoy the whole package. That way it’s not so much a SEXUAL thing as it is a SENSUAL thing. And that often makes the sexual easier. (but again, that only works if you’re not exhausted). Talk to him about how you want sex to be drawn out experience, and you’re more likely to feel good if he gives you a massage first. Be open about it, and then, as he’s touching you, pay attention to your body. Tune in, and ask yourself, “what would my body like now”?

I can’t emphasize enough how important a step this is. When we start to see sex as totally a sexual thing, and we’re not sexually aroused, it can be a chore. But when the whole evening is about spending time together, and relaxing, and feeling close, we can start to desire it even if we’re not particularly in the mood. So explain to your husband how important it is that you have that “transition time” or massage and touching each other. It helps prep your body, but it also preps your mind.

Get jelly.

Really. Astroglide works best. (And some women swear by coconut oil!). But if you’re well lubricated, arousal is much easier. In fact, you’ll get more aroused if you start out lubricated than if you don’t. So if this is a real struggle for you, get some help.

I hope that helps! I honestly do know how hard this is. But I have found that if you set your mind to it, your body will often follow. But you have to set your mind to it and anticipate the rewards, even if you don’t feel sexy. And that positive attitude can often jumpstart a low libido.

Want more help with your marriage? The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, available just until Saturday, offers 97 ebooks for just $29.97! And it has a whole section on marriage, including my 31 Days to Great Sex:

But remember, you get books on parenting, cooking, beauty, home management, finances, organization, and more!

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So check out everything you’ll get, including all the freebies! Or, if you already know you want to buy it, pick it up here.

Now, what advice do you have for us? Leave the URL of one of your marriage posts in the linky below! And be sure to link back here so other people can see these great marriage resources. Just grab the code at the right.

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Published on May 01, 2013 04:12

How to Organize your Ebooks and Read them on Your Reader/Phone

We’re in the middle of this HUGE Homemaking Bundle Ebook sale, where you can buy 97 ebooks for just $29.97–everything that you need to organize your home, parent your kids, cook, and even nurture your marriage (my 31 Days to Great Sex is in there)! (See a list of ALL the books in yesterday’s post).

I made a quick video talking about the sale here:

If you haven’t purchased it already, you can here! And you can see all the books here.

But one question that many people have is, “how do I read ebooks?”

We keep hearing the term “ebook”, but what exactly is it? And how do I “read” a book if it’s a computer file?

So I thought that I’d spend a bit of time explaining how I do it, and how I organize all my stuff.

Ours is a Mac house, so if you have a PC, some of my screen shots may not look exactly the same. But it’s pretty much the same concept. I also have an iPad, and my kids and my husband have Kindles. My husband also has an iPhone. And my kids have iPod touches. And we all read ebooks on all of those devices.

Full confession: I thought I would HATE reading books on devices.

I mean, I like turning the pages. I like being able to skip ahead and seeing what’s going to happen easily (it’s a bit more of a pain to turn to the last page in a novel on a device). I’m a book purist.

And I still do buy books that I love. Some books I just have to have in paperback.

But when I’m traveling, I love my iPad (or I borrow my husband’s Kindle 3G, which can download books without needing an internet connection anywhere in the world. So when I’m in the airport on a missions trip in Kenya, I can download a novel right then and there. When I’m sitting on the beach in Mexico, and I’m finished a book, I can get a new one right away.) It’s awesome!

And when we do go overseas, we pack so much to leave behind in donations that we can’t afford the luggage space for books. So a Kindle, which can carry thousands of books at no extra weight, is ideal.

But I also read books on devices at home, for the simple reason that sometimes I want a book, and I want it NOW (because I’m just like that), and I can purchase them and download them and get them right away.

What kind of ebooks are there?

So what exactly is an ebook? Well, there are several different kinds. Let’s take my book The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, for instance. It’s available in paperback, just like most books are. But you can also buy it in electronic format. Because it’s published by an actual publisher, and not self-published, though, if you want to read it on a device you have to buy it specifically for that device. So you buy it FOR the Kindle, or FOR the Nook, at Amazon or at Barnes and Noble.

Here’s the thing about ereaders, like the Nook, or the Kindle, or the Kobo: they’re designed to only take books from their particular store. So Amazon sells books for the Kindle, but you can’t read them on the Nook. And Barnes and Noble sells books for the Nook, but you can’t read them on a Kindle. They do that so that when you buy a Kindle, you’re basically locking yourself in to buying ebooks from Amazon for the rest of your life.

When you buy a self-published book, though, like my 31 Days to Great Sex, you can certainly buy it for your device at Amazon, or at Barnes and Noble, or at Chapters. And it will be sent to your device automatically.

But because I self-publish, I also sell a .pdf version through my website. A .pdf is simply a file that can be read on ANY device.

So when you buy a .pdf, you can read it anywhere. On your computer. On your phone. On your iPad, or Kindle, or Nook.

The Homemaking Bundle sells books in .pdf form, so you can read them on anything.

Are ebooks just as good as regular books?

Well, many ebooks ARE regular books, just sold in electronic format. Other ebooks are self-published, and often aren’t as long as a “regular” book, but contain very specific information that you’re looking for.

So one of my absolute favourite books in the bundle, for instance, isn’t really a book at all. I may dedicate a whole post to this on Thursday, because it’s a passion of mine, but I just love Easy Peasy Chore Charts.

These are “printables”, with some instructions on how to use them. But basically she has these folders with “cards” in them, and the cards are for morning routine, and afternoon routine, and cleaning routine, and the kids take the cards and do what’s on them, and then they place them in Mom’s folder so that she can check.

And the cards are visual representations of what they’re supposed to do. So they’re fun, and they’re easy, even for little kids who can’t read yet.

So is it a book? No. But it’s an awesome resource!

Other .pdf files in the bundle ARE books that you would read, just like a regular book, with awesome information.

And one of the big benefits of ebooks is that sometimes you want more information, but you don’t have room to store it.

Seriously, this is my living room:

(and by the way, another blogger friend and I made a pact that we would NOT clean up our homes before showing you pictures of something, just so that you know that we’re real people to! So yes, I know that plant needs some care.)

I don’t have room for more books! So I only buy the ones I want to have to lend or to refer to, and the rest I tend to buy in ebook format now.

Organizing Your Ebooks

I set up a file on my computer just for ebooks.

I subdivided that file into different categories, and now, when I get an ebook, I slot it into the right category. I also have a folder just for printables (like the Easy Peasy Chore Charts), because I know I’ll never want to put those on my iPad, for instance. Those are just for printing out.

iPad and iPod and iPhone

The two easiest ways to get books onto your iPad, in my opinion, are these:

1. Email them to yourself as an attachment

2. Use Dropbox

If you email it to yourself, and then attach the .pdf, you can just tap on the attachment and choose “open in iBooks”.

Here’s what we did for 31 Days to Great Sex. Tap on the attachment, and the book cover will come up.

Then you get the option to open in iBooks. Click that, and it moves the book to iBooks so you have books on your bookshelf, like this:

You can also use Dropbox, which is free up to 3 GB of data, I believe. You just get an account on your computer, and then you download the Dropbox app for your iPad, and you can always be synced. Here’s my Dropbox folder for all the books in the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, for instance:

One downside: this only works if you have a wifi connection. No wifi connection, and no ability to access the books on your device.

You can also “sync” your iPad, but I, in general, find that a pain. If you’re good at that, then you can sync your books that way. I just hate Apple’s way of syncing. I’m always afraid I’ll mess something up. So I like emailing much better!

Putting Books on a Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

All you have to do is plug your device in to your computer! Then the computer looks at the device as if it’s an external drive, and you can just copy and paste all of the books over.

Here’s a quick video on how to move a .pdf onto a Nook, but it works the same for all the devices.

If you have a Kindle, you also have a unique email address that goes with your Kindle. So if you go into your Amazon account, you can get that email address. And then you can email .pdfs as attachments right to that email, and it will show up on your Kindle!

Just go into “Manage Your Devices”, and then you’ll see the email address right there.

Managing Your Books on Your Computer

I get sent so many books to review, and now I have all the books in the Homeschooling Bundle. And I was forever hunting around for them! So I simply set up a folder for all of my ebooks, with sub-folders for all of the topics. And now if I want to find something (like a novel), it’s easy.

There, for instance, you can see 31 Days to Great Sex!

So I have all of my books in one easy place.

Whew.

So that’s it. It’s actually way easier than you think.

Like the book 10 Steps to Organized Paper says (which comes in your Ultimate Homemaking Bundle), sometimes the best way to organize things is to make them electronic! And ebooks do that. So just put them in folders like you would normal paper so they’re easy to find, and you can get reading!

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Published on April 30, 2013 06:42

AWESOME Homemaking/Marriage Bundle Available–This Week Only!

I told you about this on Saturday, but now it’s LIVE! So I’m going to repost what I said, along with the link where you can buy it! (And all the links are working now!)

I talk a lot about mothering and marriage, and so many of you leave such complex and difficult questions in the comments. I was feeling a little down, thinking that I couldn’t do all of these questions justice lately. But then someone asked me, “how did you figure all this stuff out?”

And I started to think about it. My parents didn’t have a good marriage (they were divorced), so I didn’t learn from them. I didn’t have a lot of mentors except for my aunt. I didn’t know a lot of women ten years older than me, who had already gone through things. I was basically alone.

But one thing I did was READ. I read everything I could get my hands on. Books became my mentors.

Whatever questions you have right now, there’s such a great resource that can help mentor YOU, too.

Whether it’s finances, or organizing your time, or stocking your pantry, or raising your kids, or planning a party on a budget, or even–you guessed it–nurturing your marriage, this Homemaking bundle has it all.

I’m even featured in it–You’ll get 31 Days to Great Sex as one of the books! So if you’ve been putting off buying it, thinking that “all the information is on the blog anyway”, here’s your chance to pick it up and get 96 other ebooks at the same time. (And all the info is NOT on the blog; it’s got so much more!).

75 of the best known Christian bloggers in the mommy blogosphere put this bundle together. Here’s what you’ll get:

What’s Included in the Sale?

All of these 97 books and e-courses–

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Educational Children’s Resources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pregnancy & Baby Care

First Bites by Hilary @ Accidentally Green ($9.99)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holidays & Special Events

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

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

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

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

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ ohAmanda ($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) (Here I am!)

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

Motherhood

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Health & Fitness

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

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

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

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

Personal ePlanner by Jennifer @ ListPlanIt ($5.00)

Beauty

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

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

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

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

Embracing Beauty by Trina @ Trina Holden ($9.00)

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

Working from Home & Blogging

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

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

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

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

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

Ecourses

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

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

Grocery University by Carrie @ Colorado Bargains ($24.95)

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

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

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

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

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

Think about it…

31 Days to Great Sex is $4.99! So if you were planning on buying that at some point anyway, that takes the cost of the bundle down to $24.98. Most of the ebooks are around the $5 range, so you only need to see 5 ebooks that you would really like–and the rest is FREE!

Buy YOURSELF a Mother’s Day gift this year. It’s so much fun, and such a great value!

View more on Sheila Wray Gregoire's website »

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Published on April 29, 2013 06:19

The Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle–Hey Moms! 97 ebooks valued at $640 for 31 cents each

This ebook bundle isn’t available until Monday at 9 am EST, but I wanted to give you a heads up so you didn’t miss this opportunity!

I talk a lot about mothering and marriage, and so many of you leave such complex and difficult questions in the comments. I was feeling a little down, thinking that I couldn’t do all of these questions justice lately. But then someone asked me, “how did you figure all this stuff out?”

And I started to think about it. My parents didn’t have a good marriage (they were divorced), so I didn’t learn from them. I didn’t have a lot of mentors except for my aunt. I didn’t know a lot of women ten years older than me, who had already gone through things. I was basically alone.

But one thing I did was READ. I read everything I could get my hands on. Books became my mentors.

Whatever questions you have right now, there’s such a great resource becoming available tomorrow that can help mentor YOU, too.