Mandi Ehman's Blog, page 18

Let’s talk about planners and to-do lists

Like most of my fellow type-A’ers, I have a thing for office supplies, calendars, and planners. There’s nothing quite like turning to a fresh page in your planner or looking back at a page of completed tasks.

My problem is that I tend to get “planner blindness” after a certain amount of time, which means that every planner I’ve tried has eventually lost effectiveness for me, forcing me to switch to something new. I’m not quite sure why this happens, and it hasn’t been something I’ve been able to really figure out or control; I just switch systems when it happens and continue on my way.

My longest running system was the Daily Planner from Invite.l, which I used for more than a year. Again, I’m not sure what happened, but ever since I abandoned that one, I’ve mostly stuck to Steno pads and notebooks for running to-do lists. (Because as much as I love planners, I don’t want to spend money on them just to shove them in a drawer after a month or two!)

However, at the beginning of August, Anne posted a picture of her planner on Instagram with a caption about organizing and recording all of her various scraps from the previous week as she began planning for the coming one. I was intrigued by the layout of the planner and the many comments from people who also use Planner Pads, and I immediately hopped on their site to get an idea of how it worked.

The idea is simple: each week gets a two-page spread that includes 7 separate to-do lists across the top, daily task lists in the middle, and appointments at the bottom. It works as a funnel, allowing you to write to-do lists by category or project, then assign those tasks to various days, and then give them a specific time slot on the agenda.

There is also a sidebar for calls to make and expenses (I use this section for grocery/shopping lists) plus a blank page for notes and a full-page monthly calendar at the beginning of each month.

Because we’re so close to the end of 2015, they have a great selection of 2015 planners on sale, which seemed like the perfect way to try this system out for myself. And I’ve been hooked since it arrived!

This planner has been a game-changer for me as I juggle Life Your Way, my work for Ultimate Bundles, homeschooling, tutoring and more. I’ve always categorized my to-do lists, but I love that those separate lists are built in to these pages so that I’m not guesstimating how much space to leave for each list or trying to create my own sections. And I love having a written calendar in my planner for scheduling appointments, making plans, etc.

It’s not a cheap system (which is why I recommend starting with a clearance planner!), but they do offer a money-back guarantee, and the difference it’s made has been worth every penny. Now if I can just figure out how to make this one stick longterm!

Do you use a planner? Do you switch systems often or stick with the same one long term?

Related posts:
Why this year’s Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is the best yet! {And how you can win a Kindle Fire HDX!}
It’s all sacred…even scrubbing the toilet
When what you’re doing isn’t working and your home feels chaotic
We’re giving away a printable pack every day this month! {Pin It to Win It}



     

Handprint calendars, biscotti + more {101 Days of Christmas}

A friend of mine posts a daily Christmas countdown starting in mid-September (clearly we were destined to be friends!), and according to today’s post, there are 95 days until Christmas—I love it!

Here are this week’s “best of” posts:

{7} Handprint, Footprint & Fingerprint Calendars

The handprint calendar was one of my favorite annual gifts for the grandparents and great-grandparents when our girls were little. We’ve gotten out of the habit as they’ve gotten older, but I can’t wait to do one with the boys in a few years!

Click here for the template. Find ideas for your calendar here: handprints & footprints, fingerprints.

{8} Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti

Biscotti is one of those things that feels really intimidating until you do it the first time. Start practicing your biscotti skills now, and share tins of your favorite flavor this Christmas for an elegant gift!

Click here for the recipe.

{9} 

Jesse Tree devotionals are a great way to keep the focus on “the reason for the season”, and these gorgeous printable ornaments are a great way to make this an interactive tradition.

!

{10} Unwrap a Book Every Day

We have a thing for children’s books, and wrapping up our Christmas book collection so that we can open a book each day in December is a great way to enjoy them even more.

Click here for a list of my favorite Christmas books.

{11} Stove-Top Potpourri

This simple stove top potpourri can be easily customized with your favorite scents and spices, and it’s sure to make your home smell like the holidays.

Click here for ideas for making your own!

{12} The Best Breakfast Casserole

We love this breakfast casserole all year long, but it’s been a favorite for Christmas morning for the past few years. Prepare it the night before with the breakfast meat of your choice and pop it in the oven while you open presents!

Click here for the recipe.

{13} Candied Orange Peel

Candied orange peel is a fun and tasty old-fashioned candy. Serve it plain or dip the pieces in chocolate for an extra special treat!

Click here for the recipe and my best tips.

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

Related posts:
The best of 101 Days of Christmas: FREE 2015 Christmas planner + more
Printable gift bows {101 Days of Christmas}
Ollibots wooden robots {101 Days of Christmas}
Paula Deen’s caramel corn {101 Days of Christmas}



     

Weekend reading: September 19, 2015

From Instagram: Who taught my baby to throw a “fut-ball” like a big boy?!

After the excitement of bundle week, my husband being out of town, and our trip to labor and delivery last week, I am looking forward to a quiet weekend (with a little nesting thrown in because I just can’t resist!).

I know some women hate football season, but I’m so glad football’s back! There’s nothing I love better than curling up with my husband on the couch during a 1 o’clock game while the girls play and the baby naps! I usually read until I fall asleep and then wake up in time to watch the 4th quarter. I can’t imagine a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and we’ve even switched back to the early service at church just to make those leisurely Sunday afternoons possible!

What I’m reading: The Royal We by Heather Cocks, Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie

What I’m thinking about:

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

Homeschooling from the heart

The Enchanted Education | A Brave Writer’s Life in Brief


5 ways to grow your confidence as a homeschooler | Simple Homeschool

The importance of focus

I’m Returning to Single-Tasking | zen habits


Why I Try to Stay On Top of the Little Things | Andrea Dekker

Why you need to believe in YOU

Sweet Release From the Judger in My Veins | Hands Free Mama


Possibly the Most Important Message You Will Hear This Week | Money Saving Mom®


Space for Your Soul to Breath | (in)courage

Have a great weekend!

Related posts:
Weekend reading: October 18, 2014
Weekend reading: October 25, 2014
Weekend reading: December 20, 2014
Weekend reading: August 22, 2015



     

A 33-week pregnancy update

Since we were up late last night with our second trip to labor and delivery this month, I figured a pregnancy update was long overdue.

First, the important stuff: Lucas and I are both healthy.

But I gotta tell you, this pregnancy is nothing like my others, and I am not looking forward to discovering what surprises this little guy has for me in labor!

Let’s recap…

In the first trimester

I spotted weekly from a subchorionic hematoma. After 4 miscarriages, the constant spotting left me fearful and on edge, and at one point my mom even made the drive from NC because I was sure I was miscarrying.
I threw up more than I have in previous pregnancies and also spent more time in the bathroom anticipating throwing up. While I’ve always dealt with morning sickness, and this was nowhere near what my friends with hyperemesis gravidarum have experienced, it still made it hard for me to function normally.
I developed a sinus infection that just would not quit, which resulted in headaches that were so bad I would just lay in the bed and cry.
My blood pressure often dropped to 70/40, leaving me feeling weak and dizzy.

In the second trimester

The headaches continued, which frustrated me because my pregnancies have always been blessedly headache free after the first trimester.
Our anatomy scan showed some anomalies in Lucas’s measurements—several of them were ahead while others were not. When my belly was also measuring large at my next prenatal appointment, I was sent to the maternal fetal specialists for a follow up. There, all of his measurements continued to measure ahead (although with more consistency, which was reassuring), and the doctor seemed surprised to learn that all of our other babies have been on the small side (from 6lbs 13ozs to 7lbs 8 ozs). But because his measurements were consistent with each other and had not leapt any further ahead, they ultimately gave us a clean bill of health and sent us on our way.

In the third trimester

My joints—especially my knuckles and knees—are super achy, regardless of how much water I drink.
My feet have swollen to alarming proportions several times.
I’ve experienced heart palpitations and higher-than-usual (for me) blood pressure. (These last two things were the cause of my first L&D trip, but they watched my blood pressure and tested both my kidney and liver levels before sending me on my way with no signs of preeclampsia)
My iron and B12 have been super low, which leaves me feeling exhausted rather than energized, a feeling I don’t at all enjoy.
I found myself laying on the bed, dizzy as could be, in the middle of the night a couple nights ago.

Which brings me to yesterday! I was still feeling dizzy, so I was taken it easy, and in the afternoon I was sitting on the porch with Jackson while the girls played down at the “big circle” at the end of our (very long) driveway. They were climbing trees (but not high), reading, having a picnic etc.

Suddenly, Sidney started screaming, Parker took off running for the house, and Dylan yelled, “She fell!” So I grabbed my flip flops, told Jack to stay on the porch and took off running down the driveway. (In reality, it was some sort of fast walk/slow jog/attempted run. But either way, I made the 500-yard trip as quickly as I could, preparing for a broken bone, while Parker headed up to the house to be with Jackson.)

By the time I got there, she had stopped screaming and I could see that she was fine except for some pretty heavy scratches on her legs. We gathered up their stuff and headed back to the house, where I immediately sat down with my feet up.

I had the girls take over pretty much everything so I could stay sitting, but at dinner time I got up for just a few minutes. Within 12 minutes, I’d had 3 contractions (which is not all that unusual for me), so I decided to sit back down. But they kept coming, one after another. Although I normally would have relaxed and laid down for a bit, Sean and our oldest were actually out of town—5 hours away in NC—and I began to panic instead, trying to figure out if and when I needed to go to the hospital, how I was going to get there, what I was going to do with the kids.

Finally, I decided I just needed to go because I didn’t want to be at home still if they picked up in intensity or active labor actually began. As Sean and I were texting trying to figure out what to do with the kids, my sister called to see what she could do (she was about an hour-and-a-half away from the hospital), and I burst into tears…and continued to cry for the next hour. I was so stressed and overwhelmed! I finally just put a request in our local homeschool community’s Facebook group (which is very tight knit) to see if anyone could meet us at the hospital. Within minutes my friend Kate had called and said she was on her way, and I had texts and messages from other friends who were available too. Sean was also able to get ahold of his mom, and she started making her way to the hospital as well.

And Sean and Peyton began packing up in NC to make their way home right away rather than waiting until morning.

At the hospital, my contractions slowed for a bit before picking back up in regularity, but an internal exam showed that my cervix was still long and tightly closed, which was very reassuring. We stayed for another hour-and-a-half or so waiting for the results of the fetal fibronectin test. When that came back negative (indicating with 99% accuracy that I would not go into labor), they sent me on my way.

By this time it was after 9pm and I had a headache from the stress and emotion of the evening, but I was just so thankful that I was able to go home with a baby still in my belly!

My kids were such troopers, and I’m so thankful that they got in the car when I needed them to (and even got Jack buckled in his car seat) and were well behaved for Kate and “MooMoo” at the hospital.

Now, if we could just get through the next 5-7 weeks without any more drama, that would be amazing!

Related posts:
A day in the life of a work-at-home, homeschooling, introverted mom
“Love is a Verb” {and that’s not just a song title}
How self-care makes me {and you} a better mom
How we’re using spiral notebooks to simplify



     

The best of 101 Days of Christmas: FREE 2015 Christmas planner + more

For the past four years we have spent each September through December completely focused on Christmas. If you’ve been hanging out around here for any time at all, you know that I absolutely love Christmas—the sparkly lights, the traditions, the gift giving, the charity…all of it!

This year, however, I have an almost-full-time job outside of blogging, we’re homeschooling four kids—two who are steadily marching toward middle school—and we’ve got a toddler and another baby on the way. To say that life is a little overwhelming already would be an understatement.

Because my goal for the past two years has been to really live, to get out from under my workaholic tendencies and make time for people and the things that are really important to me, and because I want to do my best to treasure Lucas’ early days as part of our family (even though I won’t be taking an extended maternity leave like I did last time around), I decided that I simply didn’t have the bandwidth to create, refine, and photograph 100 projects for the series this year.

But there are a lot of really great projects in the archives already, so each week I’ll be highlighting my very favorite in a “best of” post to inspire you for this year’s Christmas season.

Although I say it every year, it’s worth saying again: This series is not a to-do list of projects or a standard you should follow. I host this series each year because I enjoy it, but there’s just not time to “do it all,” so only a small number of recipes and crafts make it into my personal Christmas planning. I hope you’ll discover a few new recipes, a fun craft or two, a new tradition or gift idea without feeling the pressure to do more just because more is available!

To kick us off for 2015, we’ve got 6 of my very favorite projects:

{1} 2016 FREE Christmas Planner

With more than 25 printables (in both full-sheet and half-size!) to help you plan out all of the details of your Christmas season, this planner has everything you need to organize your holiday so you can sit back and enjoy the details!

Click here to download the individual printables, or visit the Life Your Way shop to buy your complete planner in a single download.

{2} Maple Chip Biscuits

These biscuits are so incredibly delicious that I can almost taste them as I write this. We loved adding these to our Christmas morning breakfast last year, but I’m glad to be sharing them so much earlier in the season this year because they’re perfect for fall as well!

Click here for the recipe.

{3}

Whether you’re decorating your own tree or making ornaments as gifts, these paper star ornaments are fun and impressive. They’re not difficult, but they do take some time, so be sure to start on them early!

.

{4} Operation Christmas Child

Our family loves putting together shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child each year, and the great thing about starting early is you can pick up seasonal items (like school supplies!) on sale, which means you can pack an extra box or two for the same price!

Click here for a list of our favorite items to include.

{5} Cinnamon-Chip Snickerdoodles

Like the maple biscuits, these cookies are perfect for fall as well as the holiday season, and you won’t regret mixing up a batch this month…just to test them out, of course!

Click here for the recipe.

{6} Chex Mix (in 5 different flavors!)

Homemade chex mix is a classic holiday treat, and we’ve shared several different flavors over the years. Although caramel corn chex mix will forever be my favorite, this candy cane chex mix is addictive as well. Or if you prefer savory, start with the classic original chex mix!

Click here for all 5 flavor combinations and their recipes.

Come back next Monday for 7 more ideas!

Related posts:
Why traditions matter more than Pinterest {101 Days of Christmas}
Cinnamon-chip snickerdoodles {101 Days of Christmas}
Maple chip biscuits {101 Days of Christmas}
Peppermint swirl marshmallows {101 Days of Christmas}



     
CommentsLove it! And I'm so glad you included Operation Christmas Child ... by Sarah ParsonsLooking forward to seeing all the wonderful projects you'll ... by Sara Kilpatrick 

What is it really worth?

Taking control of your health? Strengthening your body? Feeling confident in natural remedies? Serving real food without slaving away all day? What are those things worth to you?

While I’m not someone who spurns all modern medicine or never serves food out of a box or a package, I am someone who wants to find small changes I can make that will have a big impact on our family’s health (like eliminating red food dye from our oldest’s diet).

For those of us who are busy and just trying to stay on top of life, little changes that have a big impact are priceless.

But what about this bundle I keep telling you about? What’s it really worth?

I know it might seem like the infomercial on TV, where they promise you this gadget and this accessory and free shipping—oh, and if you order right now, they’ll double you’re order for FREE!

It might seem like that, but I promise it’s different. Each of the ebooks and ecourses in this bundle really does sell for the price listed, for a total value of more than $1900! But for one week we come together as authors and content creators and teachers to make it available for you at a crazy low price.

Why? Well, to put it bluntly, because we’re hoping that the volume of sales we see offsets the deep, deep, deep discount.

And then our bonus partners agree to throw in their own special bonuses (things like glass strawsand herbal tinctures, homemade lip balm and essential oils) because they want a chance to win your ongoing business.

Altogether, it’s worth $2,140.42…but you’ll pay just $29.97.

Is it worth that? Every penny.

(And if you’re still not convinced, there’s a 30-day, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee. What do you have to lose?)

Here’s the catch, though: this year’s Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle is only available until 11:59 p.m. EST tonight. If you wait any longer, you’re going to miss it!

Click here to get yours today!

Related posts:
On healthy living, burnout and settling somewhere in the middle
This year’s Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle {and why I’m going to try not to gush…}



     

The hardest part of my homeschool year

Today I’m joining up with Jamie at Simple Homeschool to talk about the toughest part of my homeschool year. There are really so many options that I may have to do my own mini series over the next couple of weeks…

…homeschooling multiple children with a toddler underfoot (and a baby on the way).

…homeschooling as we enter adolescence.

…homeschooling a child with suspected ADHD.

…homeschooling while working full time at home.

Since the one that has been most prevalent struggle our entire homeschool journey is homeschooling while working, I’m going to start there.

I’ve been a work-at-home mom since our first baby was conceived 12 years ago, and in that time I’ve done everything from home daycare (fellow introverts can laugh at the idea of me taking care of other people’s children for 12 hours a day!) to general and financial transcription to legal coding to blogging to my current role as the director of strategic relationships with Ultimate Bundles.

I’ve worked anywhere from a few hours a day to more than full time, and the only time I haven’t worked was during my extended maternity leave when Jack was born two years ago.

Needless to say, we’ve developed fairly good coping skills during this journey: we start our girls on independent school work early and as much as possible; we embrace audiobooks for our read-alouds; and we stay home a lot.

If I were to give myself a grade for homeschooling while working, I’d probably give myself a B—I am confident in what I’m doing and the education I’m ultimately giving my kids, even if it’s far from perfectly executed.

But just as Sarah MacKenzie talks about in Teaching from Rest, being confident and at peace does not mean that it’s easy, and this year more than ever I’m feeling the weight of responsibility and the struggle to juggle work and school.

Part of it is my kids’ ages this year: I have two in Classical Conversations Essentials program, which is a more intensive study of language arts and writing that requires more of my time; our youngest daughter is doing her second year of kindergarten, which means it’s time to tighten things up just a little and be more consistent about school (even if I think kindergarten should be mostly for play); and Jackson is almost two, which means he’s into…well, pretty much everything.

And part of it is that my job, while still very flexible, is more intense than the work I’ve done in the past. I spend more time on the phone, more time in meetings, more time answering time-sensitive emails, and I still need to find time for brainstorming and quiet, focused work on top of that.

Although I’ve known this about myself for a while, one thing I’m working to address this year is my own need for focused work time. I get that during the early morning hours, but it’s not enough for the day, and being constantly interrupted leaves me inefficient and feeling grumpy toward the girls and work.

As I learn to balance my inner needs with the demands of schooling and working, I’m struggling a bit this year to find that “teaching from rest” posture. So for now I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Here’s what that means for us:

Schooling year round.

While I know many people take a summer break precisely for the rest, I’ve found that continuing our school year all year provides more rest for me (and my kids) because we don’t have to worry as much about finishing the book before our break or racing the calendar. It also means we don’t have to readjust to the school routine, and it’s been a huge help these past few weeks that the start of the new school year has been fairly seamless. This is by far one of the best decisions I made as a homeschooler, and one that I know enables me to work and homeschool.

Independent schoolwork.

As I mentioned, independent schoolwork is the core of what we do. Sometimes that means the girls work by themselves, and sometimes it means they’re paired up to work together, but either way, they have quite a bit of work that they can do without me. (In full disclosure, they still end up having questions or needing help on the simplest and most straightforward assignment, but I can usually answer their questions and then they’re able to work on their own.)

Spiral notebooks.

I am pretty sure I am going to still be raving about spiral notebooks on my death bed. These daily spiral notebook checklists have made such an incredible difference in our school day. In some ways, I use them not only for checklists but to address the issue above by anticipating questions the girls may have and adding notes right to their checklist. It’s made it easier for me to communicate my expectations, and the girls love the routine and that they have control over their own day! (It’s worked so well that on non-school days or days when we need to get out of the house I’ve started using post-it note checklists to keep them on track.)

Using technology…sparingly.

I am hesitant to jump into the use of technology in our homeschool with both feet because I’ve seen my kids’ tendency to become obsessed with the digital world (ahem, just like most adults I know), but I’m not anti-technology either. Using Teaching Textbooks for math changed the entire atmosphere of our home at math time, and this year we’re testing Khan Academy as a possible alternative (the truth is I can’t make up my mind about math curriculum for this year!). In addition, the big girls both started coding classes at Khan Academy, which they’re really enjoying. We also use DuoLingo, Spelling City, and Explode the Code online, and all of these are effective tools that free me up just a bit to work so that I do have time to work more closely with them on other subjects.

Being flexible.

By far, the most important tool in my homeschooling-while-working toolbox is simply a willingness to be flexible. Sometimes I need to take a break from work to focus on the girls and their needs and sometimes I need to declare “school-lite” so I can finish a project at work. I’ve learned (am learning?) to not just throw my hands up in the air and declare the whole day a failure when one thing starts to go wrong or I’m feeling frazzled, and I’ve stopped beating myself up when we have a busy week that doesn’t quite go as planned. We fill our home with lots of good books, Legos for building, supplies for science experiments and art projects, and even when the schoolwork doesn’t get done, I know they’re learning and exploring and discovering.

I have a feeling that homeschooling while working will always be somewhat of a struggle—it would be so much easier to focus on one or the other—but I’m thankful for the opportunity to do both, and I think we’re all learning a lot in the process!

Related posts:
Scaling back our 2014-2015 curriculum {again}
Remember, Classical Conversations is just ONE option
What do kids really need to learn?
Favorite fantasy books handwriting sheets for older elementary students



     

This year’s Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle {and why I’m going to try not to gush…}

I shared earlier this year that I had taken on a more significant role with Ultimate Bundles that meant less time for blogging. Although I’ve been in this role for almost a year now, this bundle is by far our greatest accomplishment as a team yet, and I’m so excited (and a tad bit nervous!) to share it with you today!

First, let me give you some of the backstory. I also shared my healthy living journey last week, and so you already know that I’m not a hardcore environmentalist or a “health nut”. I like to think I fall somewhere in the middle…striving to make better, healthier choices but not afraid to compromise for my sanity or to focus on the things that feel more important to me as a parent.

It’s somewhat ironic, then, that I was tasked with pulling together this bundle. But maybe that’s what makes the final product so amazing!

You see, with this bundle, we’ve done things a little bit differently. Instead of searching out ebooks first, we started by talking about the topics that everyday people like you and me most want to learn about—things like essential oils and natural remedies, fitness and homesteading. Then we set out to find the resources for each of those topics, striving to fill each category to the brim with enough resources to make each one worth several times the price of the bundle.

That means that if you want to learn about just one of these topics, you’re still getting a fantastic deal. It also means that you’ll find very few repeat books from previous bundles, and the overlap between the resources will be limited to books where we felt like each one added a unique perspective and we wanted you to be able to choose the one(s) that resonate most with you.

In addition (and this may be my favorite part!), we wanted to make sure that bundle purchasers don’t just spend the money and leave their bundle sitting on their hard drive gathering virtual dust, so we’ve created a series of interactive emails that walk you through the resources in each category. Choose the one you are most interested in, spend 6-8 weeks working through those resources, and then choose the next category. We all know that baby steps are the most effective way to make lasting changes in our lives, and these emails aim to help you do that!

All in all, this bundle is a complete library of fantastic healthy living ebooks and ecourses—a truly valuable knowledge base you’ll use for many years to come.

Unlike a library, though, you don’t have to spend years building it up; you can get it all today at an incredibly low, once-in-a-lifetime price!

Bought separately, these resources cost a total of $1915 (not including $200+ in bonuses!). But we’re seriously offering them for just $29.97 this week only! (Plus, when you buy today or tomorrow, you’ll also get a FREE ereader upgrade, including every ebook formatted for your Kindle or other ereader!)

I promise I’m trying not to gush, but it gets even better!

Because the essential oils category is the one that I’m most excited about (featuring certified aromatherapists like Lea Harris from UsingEOsSafely.com, Jessie Hawkins from Vintage Remedies, and the award-winning Aromahead Institute), I’m also giving away an essential oils prize pack with some of my very favorite products!

There are two ways to enter to win this fabulous package, which includes Robert Tisserand’s Essential Oil Safety, the top 32 essential oils from Plant Therapy (in a zippered portfolio) and TWO ZAQ Noor Multi Color Diffusers:

With Purchase: Forward your order receipt to bonus@yourway.net, and you will automatically receive one (1) entry for the date of your purchase plus an additional entry for each day following, through September 14, 2015.

So, for example, if you purchase the bundle today, you will receive a total of 6 entries—one for each day of the sale. If you purchase the bundle on Thursday, you will receive a total of 5 entries. And so on.

FREE Entry Online: To enter without purchasing the bundle, complete this form. Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on September 14, 2015.

See the complete terms & conditions for the essential oil prize pack giveaway here.

And finally, here’s what you need to know about this sale:

When? 8 a.m. EDT Wednesday, September 9 until 11:59 p.m. EDT Monday, September 14

What? 78 eBooks, 3 printable packs, 13 eCourses, and 3 membership sites PLUS over $200 worth of bonus products you’ll really use!

Where? Purchase the bundle here.

How much? That’s the best part! The entire package is worth more than $2,000, and it’s selling for less than $30. Sweet deal, right?

What’s in the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle?

You sort of need to see it to believe it, but this package includes over 90 digital products on topics like natural remedies, essential oils, real food recipes, paleo & allergy-friendly eating, fitness & weight loss and much more from some of the most respected bloggers and digital content creators in this corner of the web. In fact, our contributors include certified aromatherapists and herbalists, nutritionists, fitness trainers, breastfeeding consultants, chiropractors, several nurses, a family nurse practitioner, a childbirth instructor, doulas, a master gardener, and many traditionally published authors.

Click here to get your bundle!
What are this year’s bonus offers?

In addition, this bundle includes the best bonus offers it’s ever had. These deals are worth over seven times the price of the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle and include EIGHT physical bonus products. So you’re up on the deal right away!

ePantry – FREE hand soap + $8 credit on one shipment, FREE dish soap + $8 credit on the next shipment, AND 60-day VIP access with FREE shipping ($30 value)
Plant Therapy – Lemon, lavender and peppermint essential oil set ($22.92 value)
NaturOli – FREE travel essentials facial set: deep conditioning facial wash (1 oz.), new radiance facial creme (1 oz.), exfoliating walnut scrub (1 oz.) ($16.95 value)
Bloom Naturals – FREE SPOT treatment for acne & eczema OR a $15 gift certificate toward Bloom Naturals products ($15 value)
Lexie Naturals –  FREE natural care gift set: lip balm (.15 oz.), lotion tube (1 oz.) and trial-size deodorant (.35 oz.) ($15 value)
Perfect Supplements – $15 gift certificate toward any Perfect Brand product ($15 value)
Strawesome – $15 gift certificate toward the straws and accessories of your choice ($15 value)
TriLight Health – FREE 2-oz liquid herbal formula or $15 off larger bottles ($15 value)
Craftsy – 1 FREE online class ($44.99 value)
Once a Month Meals – $32 toward OAMM membership + a free mini menu ($35 value)

Get yours today!

Remember, this bundle is available for 6 days only, from 8 a.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, September 9th to 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on Monday, September 14th.

 

Related posts:
Get the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle {PLUS win a Kindle Fire HDX!}
On healthy living, burnout and settling somewhere in the middle



     

An update on my 2015 Reading Challenge progress

At the beginning of this year, I lowered my reading goal to 75 books for the year and decided to join this reading challenge because it was too much fun to resist.

And then I pretty much forgot about it as I entered my reading slump, reading the books I already had on my Kindle or whatever impulse purchases I made instead. With that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I’ve actually made pretty good progress on the list, and Goodreads says I’m still 5 books ahead of my goal (at 55 books read), so there’s still a chance I might accomplish both of these!

A book you’ve been meaning to read…

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

This one has been on my list since before it was published, and every time I read an essay by author Greg McKeown (of which there are many in the blogosphere!), I wonder why I haven’t yet read it. I have a thing about waiting until books are on sale, and I haven’t been able to catch this one yet, so I’m still waiting!

READ: A book published this year…

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You by Jessica N. Turner

Although I often wonder where Jessica gets all her energy from (because she definitely has much more than I do!), this book is great for anyone who is either unsure about the importance of self-care or unsure how to make that time. It’s packed full of practical tips and insights in a casual, conversational style.

READ: A book in a genre you don’t typically read…

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

I have lots of thoughts about this book that I haven’t yet taken the time to put into words. In many ways, I found it inspiring. And as promised, “konmari-ing” our drawers has made a huge difference in our wardrobes. But I disagree with a lot of what she said as well (including a lot of really bizarre stuff about the feelings of our stuff) and think it’s an unrealistic plan for someone with lots of kids (especially if the kids are older and have their own stuff and opinions). But I’m a fan of taking what you can from a book or idea and discarding the rest, and there were definitely nuggets in here that have made a difference for us!

A book from your childhood…

The Diary of a Young Girl (aka The Diary of Anne Frank) by Anne Frank

Because I’m currently obsessed with reading and learning all I can about World War II (and trying to understand the horror of it all), The Diary of a Young Girl, which I read several times when I was in school, seems like the obvious choice here.

A book your mom loves…

Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are by Shauna Niequist

My mom laughed when I asked for her favorite books because my love of reading is just one of the (many) ways we’re different. Because she’s not much of a reader, I decided to switch this category to “a book you think your mom would love,” and my nomination is this coming devotional from Shauna Niequist, which includes content from her other books as well as new content in a simply daily devotional format. I love Shauna’s writing and her heart, and I think my mom would enjoy this one—and the accompanying recipes—as well.

READ: A book that was originally written in a different language…

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

I’ve only discovered in the last year or so how much I love “quirky” books, and this one definitely fits the bill. The story is so ridiculous, but it’s extremely well written and entertaining, and I loved it!

A book “everyone” has read but you…

Bonhoeffer: A Biography by Eric Metaxas

I feel left out of enough conversations that reference Bonhoeffer to move this one up my list as a book that “everyone” has read except me.

A book you chose because of the cover…

The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel

As I looked through the books in my reading pile and wishlist, I really couldn’t pinpoint a single book that I’d chosen because of the cover, so I headed to the 2015 Reading Challenge Pinterest board to choose one from there instead. This cover jumped right out at me and made me want to learn more, so here it is! Now if it would just go on sale…

READ: A book by a favorite author…

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

I’ve often thought about how one moment, one decision can change everything unexpectedly—and there are moments like that in my own love story—and I loved the way Moriarty wove those moments together as she told the story of three women living very different lives who are bound together by a secret they haven’t yet discovered.

READING: A book recommended by someone with great taste…

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

I am actually listening to this one on Audible, and I made great progress in the first few months of the year, but I’ve gotten out of the habit as my work hours have increased. I’d like to get back to listening to it for at least a few minutes a day because some progress is better than none!

READ: A book you should have read in high school…

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

As promised by so many people, I loved this book, and it’s one that has stuck with me for several months now. I’m currently reading Go Set a Watchman, but I’m not quite as taken with it, so it’s taking me much longer to get through.

READ: A book that’s currently on the bestseller list…

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Alzheimers has always been one of my greatest fears, and this story was a beautiful look at the struggle of a woman who is at the top of her career as a university professor when early-onset Alzheimers begins to steal her memories. But it’s also a story about the love of family in the face of the unimaginable. Not a happy story by any stretch, but one worth reading nonetheless.

Are you participating in this reading challenge? How much progress have you made?

Related posts:
My top 10 reads of 2014 {and what’s on my list for 2015!}
Where intentional living and self-care intersect {and 8 books I love}
Question of the Day: When do you abandon a book?
A little of this, a little of that {Quick Lit with Modern Mrs. Darcy}



     

On healthy living, burnout and settling somewhere in the middle

When Life Your Way launched almost six years ago, I added a green living channel to the topics we’d already been covering at Organizing Your Way. As a blogger, I had been inspired by so many other bloggers who were on this healthy living journey, and I was excited to share the changes we were making—reducing sugar, avoiding food dyes, discovering herbal remedies, and more—with our readers.

Somewhere along the way, though, I began to approach healthy living not as a spectrum but as a dogma. To be healthy, you had to avoid all the things that could possibly be bad for you (which, by the way, include things like kale, ugh) and stick to a stringent diet, adopt a baking soda-and-vinegar cleaning routine, and show disdain for anyone in the medical establishment.

The stress of trying to do it all perfectly—while raising all these littles, blogging full-time, beginning our homeschool journey, and still trying to learn the basics of cooking—was decidedly not good for my health. I ended up on the path toward burnout, and I also realized I was neglecting the things that are more important to us as a family (giving and serving, discipling our children, creating an atmosphere of learning in our home, etc.) in favor of trying to follow all of the rules around healthy living.

When the essential oils craze began and bloggers I had trusted and admired threw out their recommendations for herbal remedies in favor of the essential oils they were selling, and when those recommendations were offered without any type of caution or acknowledgement of the safety concerns, I pretty much gave up. I began to see the healthy living trend as just that, a trend or fad, and I threw my hands up in the air and abandoned it all.

Now, that’s not to say that I don’t see value in eating whole foods or eliminating toxins from our home.

I do.

And now that I’ve had time to recover from my healthy living burnout, there are still many of these principles that we practice in our home: We use very few disposable or plastic products in our kitchen (um, except during the first trimester of pregnancy, when paper plates reign). We turn to natural remedies such as garlic and honey and elderberry syrup before over-the-counter or prescription medicine. We limit sugar so that we can enjoy a special treat without worrying about the effects on our body (and we avoid it altogether when we’re sick). We eat a lot of whole or from-scratch foods, but I’m not afraid to buy frozen french fries or chicken strips if it means I’m more likely to serve a homemade meal otherwise. We love to forage in our yard and we finally managed a small garden this year. And I have lots of essential oils in my cabinet, but we are careful to follow safety recommendations for dilution, avoiding internal use, and usage around children, babies and pregnant women.

Really, it’s not much of a surprise that I’ve ended up somewhere in the middle. After all, that’s where I fall on a lot of things. But it’s taken me a long time to find a balance that I’m comfortable with for our family, and I think that’s the part that no one tells you upfront. We see bloggers who appear to be living the perfect lifestyle with nary a toxin or processed food in sight, and we feel like it’s all-or-nothing.

But it’s not.

It’s a spectrum, with lots of of room in the middle for a family to settle. And more importantly, it’s a journey, which means that while you set your sights on an end goal when you begin, it takes time to get there, and the road may curve or you may take a detour along the way.

And that’s okay.

***

Do you want to learn more about some of the healthy living principles that have made a difference in my life? In this FREE mini-course, you’ll hear from top bloggers about self-care (this is my favorite…), staying fit as a family, cooking from scratch, and using natural remedies. You’ll find easy, actionable steps as well as inspiration for your journey.

Annnnnd…you’ll get the first peek at this year’s Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle, which the Ultimate Bundles team and I have been working hard on all summer in order to provide you with a quality reference library from experts like certified aromatherapists and herbalists as well as chiropractors, nutritionists and fitness trainers.

Sign up now for your free e-course {and watch for news about the bundle in your email}!

Related posts:
Get the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle {PLUS win a Kindle Fire HDX!}



     
CommentsAnd this is why I love you – and continue to read your blog ... by StacyYou know…I gave up somewhere around the explosion of ... by Elizabeth SpenceI completely relate to this. My healthy living craze came to a ... by Tara SchillerWhat an awesome post! I'm slowly finding my middle ground too. by Julia