I'M MOVING!!

My friends, the day has come.

I've been dreaming about this for some time.

I finally have my very own self-hosted Wordpress blog: my website!

JaimieRamsey.com is where you'll find me now. Starting this coming Monday (six days from now; the 30th of September) I will no longer be posting at Living in the Light. I'll also switch the name of my Facebook page-- nothing will change but the title. :)

Please take notice:
NONE of my Google Friend Connect followers will transfer over to the new site!!! That means that there are 125 of you who read either regularly or occasionally, who will need to re-follow the new site via some other method (either another reader or by email). I will be getting the new email signup ready to go in the next couple days, so you'll be able to subscribe to updates from JaimieRamsey.com before the weekend.

Also, if you follow me with a reader, you WILL have to update the URL in your reader, or you will stop getting updates entirely--and that would be awful!

If you're already an email subscriber, your email subscription WILL transfer to the feed from the new site. You won't have to do anything about that!

The Facebook page will continue to post updates from both here and the new site until Monday, at which time updates from Living in the Light will stop.

The website isn't fully ready yet, but feel free to head over and take a look anyway-- just click on the image above or here: www.jaimieramsey.com.

I am excited to make this new site into something that will serve me now and in the future, as a personal blog and a professional author's website. I'm incredibly thankful for the help I've received with getting it set up, especially from Elsie Callender of Richly Rooted, Jami Balmet of Young Wife's Guide, and Amy Andrews from Blogging with Amy (I don't know her personally, but her site has tons of incredibly helpful and easy-to-follow tutorials to help make blogging on Wordpress WAY easier!).

So-- if you follow me via GFC or a reader, head over to JaimieRamsey.com and update your reader. By Friday you'll be able to follow the new site via email.

I'll post another reminder or two later this week, and then I will leave a post pinned here for anyone who happens upon Living in the Light--a forwarding address, so to speak. :)

Thank you for being the ones who have helped me grow this little tiny blog into something still pretty tiny, but also a community that has blessed me greatly. It's been almost three years since I started Living in the Light, and I am SO excited to keep moving forward and see what God has planned!

transparency and blessings

Dear readers, can I be really honest and transparent with you?
I'm kind of overwhelmed right now, thinking about my life at the moment. I don't need to give you my detailed schedule, but suffice it to say I am at school/work for an average of 9 1/2 hours ever day Monday-Friday. A lot of that time is in the evenings (for example, Wednesdays I don't get home till 10, and Thursdays my hubby doesn't get home till 9.) Meals have been sporadic, housecleaning even more so, and I constantly miss my husband because we don't see each other nearly enough.

Now, I know a LOT of people have schedules like this or busier, but it's a little more crazy than we've had in previous semesters. And I'm definitely not looking for sympathy; I know I've gotten myself into this! But I like being open with you. As cheery and upbeat as I seem on here and on Facebook etc., I don't always feel that way. Sometimes I'm snippy with my husband. I'm very often not understanding. Some days I'm so tired I feel like I don't do anything well because I can't focus. We've eaten convenience food way more times in the last two and a half weeks than I care to admit. And I definitely don't want you to see what my house looks like right now (although at the moment it's not bad in comparison with last week).

On the other hand...
I have been so blessed in the last three weeks it would take a long time to tell you about it all. And I'm really, really happy with my life.

I've gotten to start a little tiny ministry in our home once a week, by inviting girls from school over for tea, coffee, something homemade and baked, and visiting. I want to incorporate some Bible study into these get-togethers soon, too. This has been on my heart for months and I'm so excited to finally be able to do it. Joshua is incredibly supportive and has made this a high priority for me/us.

I absolutely LOVE my classes (all of them, which isn't always the case), and two of them in particular are going to be incredibly helpful with advancing my blogging and writing careers. I have big dreams for this blog, and I can't even tell you how excited I am at the prospect of some major projects this semester.

In less than three weeks of classes I've already made a new friend and strengthened old friendships. I'm excited to connect with people this year that I haven't connected with much.

Despite not spending tons of time together like we did over the summer, the time Joshua and I have had together has been quality. He brought me lunch today (frozen pizza is sometimes such a blessing), and we had a great talk for more than half an hour about something other than classes, work, and scheduling. I can't tell you how much we needed that or how refreshing it was.

There's so much more that I am so incredibly thankful for. God has been showing himself to me in new ways thanks to a class that requires we do Bible study and spend time praying and meditating. I've been able to worship in chapel at least twice a week. And boy, I love theology classes, and getting to talk faith-stuff with dear friends and classmates.

So as crazy life is... it is so, so good right now. As always, of course. I have a job I love...classes I love...friends I love...and of course a husband I am absolutely crazy for. And God amazes and awes me with how he heaps his love on us till I just overflow.

When life feels rough, I just look at the good things and thank God for them... and then a messy kitchen and sleep deprivation really don't look so big after all.

Linking with black tag diaries, The Fontenot Four

FLASH SALE of Real Food for the Real Homemaker!

For only twenty-four hours (less than that now), Elsie, Jami and I are offering Real Food for the Real Homemaker for 50% off!! Happy Labor Day!

This is a fantastic deal. For less than $7, you get two copies of the book (a PDF and a copy for your Kindle), recipe cards with each recipe from the cookbook printed on them, and an Excel meal planner and list generator.

If you haven't gotten a copy of Real Food for the Real Homemaker yet, NOW is the time to do it! This price won't get any better, and it won't last.

The sale goes till midnight TONIGHT (PST). That's 2 am Tuesday morning for those of us in the Central Time zone.

If you're still torn, check out what some of our very happy customers have to say HERE on our Testimonials page. We pray that this cookbook will be a blessing to you--and we're excited to offer it at such a great discount! Don't miss it!

If you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me, or check out our FAQ page on the website.

I realize my blogging has been rather sporadic lately, and almost non-existent in the last week. We started our new semester a week ago, and life has been pretty crazy. I'm getting used to the new schedule and building up my stamina again-- summer was much more relaxing than this week has been! It's been great, though, and God is so good. We are blessed and thankful every day. However, that's no excuse to neglect writing, and especially no excuse to neglect my lovely and faithful readers. Please forgive me. I will do my best to get back to a normal writing schedule this week. I've missed it, and I've missed you!

Launching Real Food for the Real Homemaker!

Today is definitely the most exciting day of my blogging and writing career thus far--especially if you consider that it's been one of my dreams (since I was six years old!) to become a published author.

Today, that dream has come true.

I am thrilled to announce, along with my amazing co-writers Jami Balmet and Elsie Callender, the release and launch of our new book, Real Food for the Real Homemaker.

This book is a compilation of what the three of us have learned in our first few years of marriage about cooking, whole-foods eating, frugal grocery shopping, meal planning, entertaining, and so much more.

Not only are there nearly 80 recipes and over 60 photos to go with them, we've included 8 other chapters on some of the topics listed above, plus freezer cooking, our favorite and most-recommended kitchen tools, and more!

Our goal is to put in your hands the resource the three of us wish we'd had when we began homemaking.

We're offering a great deal for just this week. In about two days, the Kindle version of our book will be available on Amazon for $9.99. For a cookbook almost 200 pages long and packed with content, that's already a great deal!

But to celebrate the launch of the book, we're offering-- also for just $9.99-- all this:

• the PDF copy of the book
• the Kindle copy of the book
• a set of recipe cards with each recipe printed on a card
• an Excel spreadsheet that works as a meal planner and shopping-list generator (see below for details)

So this week, if you buy the PDF copy of the book from our website, you'll get for FREE the Kindle copy, the recipe cards, and the Excel spreadsheet.

Starting next week, that bundle of awesome products will be $12.95, so don't wait to take advantage of this!

We want to make this book affordable to you, because we know that budgets are often tight (as young married women, we understand!). But we want this resource to be easily available to other young homemakers like us, as well as experienced homemakers and singles. It's got something for everybody!

Check out the great things we're including with the copies of the cookbook:

Jami designed these beautiful, full-color, printable recipe cards--one for each recipe in the cookbook! I personally love being able to use recipe cards when I cook because they take up less space on the counter than a book, and they're easy to store. I will definitely be making use of these!

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to create a real food diet in your house while sticking to a budget! So Jami's husband, Jason, developed this menu planning and shopping list spreadsheet that works in Microsoft Excel.

Just pick whichever you want of our 75+ recipes from the cookbook from a drop down menu. Select the dates of your menu and viola! You have an instant grocery list that you can print off and take to the store – complete with an area for additional notes. I can't wait to start using this for my menu-planning: it's going to make that such a quicker and more pleasant task!

Get step by step instructions for using the shopping list in the FAQ section on the website.

For more information, to order the book, and to sign up for our mailing list so you can find out when the paperback copy of the cookbook releases (which should be in about two weeks!), visit our website, www.realfoodcookbooks.com. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section and I'll get back to you!

We are praising and thanking the Lord for the amazing blessing that this cookbook has been already to us, especially in the process of writing it and preparing it for you to use. I pray that this book will be a blessing to everyone who reads it!

Linking with The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, Exceptionalistic

(Finally) announcing: My new book!!!

I know I've been keeping you all in suspense lately with this "super-secret surprise."

Well, I can finally tell you:  I've been working on a cookbook, and it's coming out in a week!!!

Real Food for the Real Homemaker is a labor of love written by me, Jami Balmet (of Young Wife's Guide, A Biblical Marriage, and Homemaking from Scratch) and Elsie Callender (of Richly Rooted, formerly Back to the Source).

We've written this cookbook to be a resource for young homemakers (like us), who are learning how to cook real, wholesome foods for their family. Besides recipes, it includes eight non-recipe chapters on everything from freezer cooking and frugal grocery shopping to hospitality. It's also packed with recipes (nearly eighty of them!) and photos to guide you in making simple, delicious real-food recipes from scratch. This book will also be great for college students and singles looking to cook better for themselves and their friends (all the recipes can be adapted to serve one or two people), as well as families with lots of children (there are lots of kid-friendly recipes and they can also be adapted to serve six, eight or more people).

The book will come out immediately as an e-book in PDF form, and it will also be available on Amazon for Kindle. And (this is what I'm really excited about), shortly after the e-book comes out the book will be available in a physical paperback copy from Amazon! That means you'll get to hold this book in your hands, add it to the collection of cookbooks on your shelf, and let it get used and loved.

Visit our website to find out more information about the books (and how to become an affiliate for it!), as well as to sign up for e-mail updates so you can find out as soon as it's out!

Also be sure to like our Facebook page for updates. We'd love to get to know you!

I'll have more to share with you later this week. If you have any questions, feel free to email me, comment on this post, or visit Real Food Cookbooks or Living in the Light on Facebook!

Weekend fun and exciting happenings!

Happy Friday! I've spent the day so far doing laundry at my grandparents' house. They are officially AWESOME. I love them.

I also love my husband, who took me out for lunch today (Subway, yum!). And who is working super-hard, like he always does, to help provide for me. Seriously blessed with that man.

I have two exciting things to tell you. One is that I'm guest-posting for Lindsey Brackett today! She is one of my favorite bloggers, and she asked me to talk about one of my favorite things: loving our husbands. From that post:

The source of all love—whether love between friends, between children and parents, or between husbands and wives—is God.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8

We know what love is because Jesus has modeled it for us. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” 1 John 3:16 “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

God has described to us what real love looks like. 1 Corinthians 13 is a great starting point, although that kind of love is only shown perfectly by Jesus himself. Jesus said that the greatest commandments are these: to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40).

These Scripture passages all give us a great definition of what love is and where real love comes from. But what does love look like, practically speaking, in a marriage?

Head to Lindsey's blog HERE to read the rest, and leave her some comment-love! And read her other posts...she has a beautiful family and a beautiful heart for the Lord.

The second exciting thing I can't actually tell you about yet. It's TOP SECRET business. But not for long. Keep an eye on the blog, and my Facebook page-- trust me, you're going to want to hear about this the second the word is out!

Finally, I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Today's payday, which means grocery shopping (I'm probably one of the few people in the world who has fun meal-planning, grocery-list-writing, and playing the how-little-can-I-spend-on-groceries-and-still-get-lots-of-good-food game). Plus tonight we're going to an ice cream social at my in-laws' church and going to see the new Wolverine movie with my brother-in-law and his friend, and tomorrow we get to see another of Joshua's brothers and pick my friend Sara up from the airport. Mini road trip with my hubby? Yes, please! I'm also hoping to squeeze some garage sale-going in there...we're on the lookout for a couple of bedside tables and a hutch for the kitchen. Dreaming big!

So. Go read my post on Lindsey's blog. Keep your eyes and ears open for the news I'll finally be able to share soon. Have a fantastic, joy-filled weekend. And tell me in the comments what you're up to! I love hearing from you!

What do you do with ninety-seven eBooks?!?

This post contains my affiliate links.  See my disclosure policy here.  Thanks for supporting Living in the Light!

The thought of having 97 books to read is downright overwhelming.

Have you thought that, too?  Is that thought making you hesitate to get this great bundle?  Well, think about it this way:

Maybe you're just interested in the books on cleaning and organizing your home and DIY decorating.  (I'm hoping to put these to good use this summer!  I have quite the list of things I want to do around the house.)

If you purchased all these books individually, they would cost $77.89.  The bundle of 97 books is $29.97!  For just these books alone, purchasing the bundle is a savings of nearly fifty dollars.

Or, perhaps you're a blogger and a stay-at-home mom, and you want to read the books with advice and information on being a blogger and working from home!  I know these are going to be so valuable for me.

These five books alone are worth $42.97.  That's nearly $13 more than the price of the bundle!

I'm really excited about this next collection of books.  I have all summer to work through them and try out new recipes!  If you like to cook at all, these books are for you.  I REALLY want to try "20-Minute Meals" and "Feed Your Family Nourishing/Real Food On a Budget!"

All these books on cooking and real food are worth $83.81.  Buying the whole bundle gives you a savings--on these books by themselves-- of over $53.00!

The collection of books on marriage and romance is one I'm really looking forward to reading, too!  I actually own two of these already--"Rekindling Romance" by Jason and Jami Balmet and "31 Days to Great Sex" by Sheila Wray Gregoire.  All these books are worth $22.95.  Now, that's less than the cost of the bundle, but when you buy the bundle you get these books and ninety-two others!  That makes the total cost of the other 92 books only SEVEN DOLLARS.  I'd say that's a pretty good deal!

Now, these aren't the only books in the bundle!  There are books on pregnancy and babies, home schooling, parenting, and finances.  (Plus, don't forget the freebies worth $140!!) Some of these I'll keep to read at a later time in my life, when they're more useful.

You might be wondering (and I asked myself this too at first)--"What am I going to do with all these eBooks?"  I have an older laptop, the hard drive of which has already crashed once, and I don't really want to keep all those eBooks on it in case the hard drive fails me again.  I plan on saving the eBooks to a disk or flash drive, and then deleting them off my hard drive.  You can also download the eBooks from your computer to any mobile device you want to read them on--an iPhone, iPad, Nook, Kindle, or other e-reader.  The great thing about all these files is that they're PDFs, which means they can be read on any e-reader, unlike eBooks you buy directly from Amazon which have to be read on Amazon's Kindle device.

If you save them on your computer, you can create files for the different categories, and then save the books in those files--much like a physical file cabinet.

If you had a LOT of paper and ink, you could print all these eBooks: that would fill a whole bookshelf!

Any books you don't need or want, you can give away!

Mother's Day is just a couple weeks away, and these would make great gifts for any woman in your life.

Plus, if you're a blogger, you can use the extra books for giveaways on your blog!

Just make sure you don't read them yourself (you want to give away "new" books that haven't been read!), and delete the files off your computers after you give them to the giveaway winners.

Even if you use only twenty of the eBooks--still a lot!--that leaves you seventy-seven eBooks to give away!  You wouldn't have to work hard to find things for giveaways for a LONG time.

I'm also hoping to review the books I read for the authors who wrote them, and become an affiliate for each of those authors individually.  That way I can promote each of the fantastic authors of these books!

Click the image below to purchase a bundle right now!

If you have any questions I haven't answered, feel free to email me!

eBooks for Every Woman: 97 for $30!!

This post contains my affiliate links.  See my disclosure policy here.  Thanks for supporting Living in the Light!

It's here.

That big sale I was telling you about-- it starts today!  For six days only, April 29th to May 4th, you can take advantage of this deal to get $600 in eBooks and eCourses (97 of them!)--

for the ridiculously low price of $29.97!

Here's the deal:

Seventy-five of the most well-known bloggers and authors with experience in homemaking have teamed up to offer this fantastic deal.  There really is no better deal on the web--and especially not in this price range.  Seriously: that comes to just about THIRTY CENTS per book!  This bundle includes books on the topics of mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home schooling, spiritual growth, home decorating and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even books about working from home and financial tools.

In other words, there's something in this bundle for everyone.  (And, if there's a book in the bundle that you can't use or don't need, you can give it to a friend, mom, or sister--Mother's Day is just a couple weeks away!)

PLUS, there are ten companies who are offering more than $140 in bonus offers, which is a fantastic (and extremely affordable) way to get products you'll use and love for just the cost of shipping--and in some cases, for free!

 

What's Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection, you will get instant access to all of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses.

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that you're just going to 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 @ Oh, Amanda! ($7.99) Plan a Fabulous Party by Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect ($4.99) iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide by Alli @ Alli Worthington($9.97)

Spiritual Growth

Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 by Amy @ Amy Bayliss ($3.99) The Best of Visionary Womanhood by Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood ($5.00) God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99) Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($4.99) Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13 by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($2.99)

Marriage & Romance

Rekindling Romance by Jason & Jami @ A Biblical Marriage ($4.99) Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene @ Time-Warp Wife ($2.99) 31 Days to Build a Better Spouse by Ashley @ Ashley Pichea ($4.99) 31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila @ To Love, Honor and Vacuum ($4.99) Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair by Amy @ Amy J. Bennett ($4.99)

Motherhood

The Heart of Simplicity by various authors @ The Heart of Simplicity ($9.99) True Christian Motherhood by June @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home ($7.00) Hula Hoop Girl by September @ One September Day ($4.99) When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($4.97) Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Days ($4.99) From Cube to Farm by Heather @ From Cube to Farm ($2.99) 4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by various authors @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids Parenting E-book ($7.99) That Works for Me! by Kristen @ We are THAT Family ($8.00)

Health & Fitness

100-pound Loser by Jessica @ Muthering Heights ($4.99) Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Danielle @ Domestic Serenity ($2.99) 42 Days to Fit by Brandy @ The Marathon Mom, Emma @ Real Fit Moms 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 award-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.

This post contains my affiliate links, and I earn a portion of the cost of each bundle.  See my disclosure policy here.  Thanks for supporting Living in the Light!

Top X (10) reasons I'm excited for summer

This was my husband's idea.  X is the Roman numeral for ten.  Bingo!  A "top-ten" post!  Next week I'll do a top-ten things I've learned during the A-Z Challenge.  It's been quite a month!

Presenting-- the top X reasons I'm looking forward to this summer:

X: No homework.  I don't mind working during the day as long as I can come home and relax and not have homework hanging over my head!

IX: Summer clothes.  Hello, skirts, sundresses, tank tops and shorts!  I'm especially excited to be wearing my sundresses again.  Just pulled one out today for the first time this year!

VIII: Time to get the house clean.  No, seriously.  I was thinking up a list this morning of everything I want to get done around the house as soon as school lets out.

VII:  Summer work.  I have a JOB this summer!  Working at the campus library!  With some of the loveliest ladies ever!  Can you tell I'm a little excited about this one?

VI: Weddings.  FOUR of them, to be exact, and three of the four within eight days of each other!  In two of those three I'm a bridesmaid, and in one of those two my husband is a groomsman (we get to walk down the aisle together again)!  I can hardly wait to celebrate the marriages of some very, very dear friends--and especially my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law!

V: The farmers' market.  And the garden of one of my teacher-friends.  I am looking forward SO much to fresh produce, artisan breads, and fresh flowers.

IV: Time with family and friends.  My sister's confirmation is in just a couple weeks, we'll be in WI again at my parents' for one of the weddings, and they're coming in July (over my birthday week!).  Plus in August we're going to visit some dear friends after they move, and I get to meet one of my dear blogging friends when she and her husband visit us!  AND several of my closest girlfriends from school will be staying in town this summer to work, so I am anticipating some amazing girls' nights and thrift-shopping days!

III: Blogging projects. In addition to the eBook sale (going on next week!  don't miss this!), I have a few other plans up my sleeve for this summer.  I'll let you know more as I know more, myself!  I'm also excited to have more time for blogging in general.

II: Time to do more projects around the house and in the kitchen.  I'm hoping to find some nightstands and furniture for kitchen storage at garage sales this summer.  I also want to start making sourdough, do a better job keeping up with my kombucha, and develop a really healthy (but really yummy!) brownie recipe. :)

I: The number-one reason I'm excited for this summer?  More time with my husband!!  Life can get so crazy during the school year... I'm looking forward to quiet, restful evenings together, fun weekends, and trips to see family and friends together.  This is definitely the best thing about summers: I get to hang out with my best friend!

What are the top reasons you're looking forward to this summer?

Announcing: The Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle!

UPDATE:  The bundle is now available!!!  Click HERE to purchase it now, or click HERE to learn more!!

Dear readers!  I'm so excited to get to share this with you--

a MASSIVE sale on ninety-seven ebooks-- valued at $640, but for this sale, you get all ninety-seven books for $29.97!!

That comes out to a cost of THIRTY CENTS per book!!

This bundle includes books AND ecourses in the following categories:

• Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing & Decor}
• Education {Homeschooling & Spiritual Teaching}
• Budgeting {Money & Time Management}
• In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}
• Pregnancy & Baby Care 
• Holidays & Special Events 
• Spiritual Growth 
• Marriage/Romance
• Motherhood
• Health & Fitness
• Beauty
• Working from Home/Blogging

PLUS, in addition to all these books, you get over $140 in free products and the ecourses!

I'm really looking forward to reading so many of these books, especially some of the cleaning and organizing books, budgeting, cooking, spiritual growth, and marriage and romance!  Even though I'm not going to be a mommy for a while, I'm excited to read the books on pregnancy and motherhood so I can prepare for the future.

The sale goes live on Monday, April 29, and runs to Saturday, May 4.  Come back next Monday for more information and to order this amazing book bundle!

The Big Reveal--My Theme(s) for the 2013 A to Z Challenge!!

Well folks, it's one week away.

The beginning of the craziest thing I've EVER done blogging.

The Blogging from A to Z Challenge!!

Yup, starting next Monday, April 1, I will be blogging every day on a topic that starts with the corresponding letter of the alphabet.  So on the 1st, the topic will start with A, on the 2nd, B, on the 3rd... well, you get the idea.

Not only am I going to have alphabetical topics, but I'm going to have a theme for each day of the week!  If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you might have noticed a bit of a pattern.  Well, I'm sticking to that!  I won't have a single theme for the whole month, but instead, six themes--one for each weekday I'll post.  I bet you're dying to know what they are.

Marriage Monday

Titus 2 Tuesday (topics on godly womanhood)

Into the Word Wednesday (topics on theology, Scripture, and how awesome God is)

Thankful Thursday

Foodie Friday

Serious Saturday

And if you've checked your April calendar yet, you'll see that there are FIVE Mondays and FIVE Tuesdays in April!  So we'll get Marriage Mondays and Titus 2 Tuesdays five times.  How exciting!

If you're not following me yet, you'll want to now, so you can see all the fantastic things I'll be talking about this month!  Just wait till K...Q...and of course, U, V, W, X, Y and Z.  I've got some creative ideas for those letters!

In the meantime, head over to David's blog at Brits in the USA, where I'm joining a bunch of fellow Challengers to share our big theme reveals!

And come back on Monday, April 1, to start out the Challenge with me!  In the meantime, have a blessed Holy Week, and a joyful Easter!

It's Happened!!

I've officially hit 100 followers!!!

This is a HUGE milestone, and I can't thank you all enough.


It's a great day, people.  I'm drinking tea, writing, and finally reached this goal.

YOU ALL ARE AWESOME!

You know what this means.
I have to come through on my promise for a giveaway... which means it'll happen sometime next week!  Stay tuned for details!!

But I promise... it will be something good. :)  And worth waiting for!

Planning for ministry. This is exciting.

My friends, I want to share something with you.  Something about which I'm starting to get really excited.

First, a little background--Joshua and I will be here in our little college town for a while.  We've spread out our college classes in order to stay sane, so it's taking us longer than typical to finish.  What this means is we can stay comfy; we're not leaving anytime soon.

I experienced the blessing of having several older girls who reached out to me my freshman and sophomore years, who were there when I needed advice or just to talk, and were spiritual mentors to me.  I want to be able to do that for other girls--to be a blessing as I have been blessed.

So I decided that this fall I'm going to seek to start a small ministry to college girls here in our home.

Image credit: Ambro via freedigitalphotos.net

I've been thinking and praying about this for some time now, and I feel a peace about it, although the idea fills me with--not worry, not anxiety, but a positive kind of stress.  It'll be a big job, and a big responsibility, and a pretty big commitment.  Joshua's willing that I open our home one night a week to whatever girls want to come.  I don't have a clear idea yet of what this will look like, exactly--I don't want it to be too structured, but I do want to have regular components of fellowship, a simple Bible study, and prayer.  I want our home to be a place where young women feel welcome and comfortable, and most importantly, where the Holy Spirit is very obviously present.  My primary goal for this is to let young women know that they are beautiful, treasured daughters of the King of kings--that Jesus loves them more than anything they could imagine.

I'll let you know as my plans for this fill out.  I'm starting now to pray that God leads me to seek out the girls he wants to be a part of this, and that above all, His will will be accomplished.  In the meantime, could you be praying for me?  Praying that the Gospel will be proclaimed?  That the young women who need this kind of fellowship will be led to it?  That I will honor God in everything?

And practically speaking, could you be helping me think of a name for this group?  I'm thinking something like "Faith Fellowship Sisters,"  But better.

I am so very excited about this, dear readers!  I can't wait to see what God is going to do with me.

Embracing This Present Season of Life

I have this habit of looking forward toward the future, and keeping the past firmly in my sights as well.  This leaves too little time for focusing on the present.

Image credit: Stock photo via Stuart Miles at freedigitalphotos.net

In keeping with my theme of {FOCUS} for this year, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to really embrace the present--the present day, and the present time in life.  Right now my season of life includes the vocations of wife, homemaker, and college student, among others.  One vocation I do not have right now is motherhood.

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to being a mama.  The excitement of preparing for the birth of a child, wondering if it will be a boy or girl, whose features our child will have, what their personality will be like.  The changes in our life that a child will bring--new jobs and responsibilities, a new person to love and care for.  Seeing this living miracle that God made, in my body, a personification of his love for us in a tiny baby.  Sure, there are things to be less excited about... the discomfort and pain of pregnancy and childbirth, learning how to nurture our marriage with the added challenge of having a baby.

But right now, none of these things is in our near future.  We still have a couple years left before we're both done with school, and therefore, we'll need to wait to become parents.

As much as I'm looking forward to the future, it won't do to focus only on that right now.  God has me in this place, in this season of life, for very good reason.  He has a purpose for my life right now.  He has work for me to do right where I am.  Therefore, instead of spending all my time planning for and thinking about having a baby sometime in the future, I'm going to look for ways to serve God right here, right now.

Practically speaking, what does it mean to embrace each season of life as it comes?

-I embrace the roles God has given me.  Right now, those are wife, homemaker, and college student.  The roles of wife and homemaker will be mine for the rest of my life.  Now is the time to work on those, gaining wisdom and experience, and nurturing my marriage as much as I can, so that it can stand strong through the changes and challenges that will inevitably come.  After all, even after our future children grow up and leave home, I'll still be a wife--that's my first calling, and the most important.

-I look for ways to serve.  I don't have to wait till my husband is officially a teacher and "in the ministry."  We can start doing ministry right now!  I have hopes and plans that I'm looking to implement this fall...I'll let you know when those plans are more concrete.  At home, I can serve my husband, by taking care of our home and striving to be the best helper to him that I can.  I can open my home to others, and share the love of Jesus by practicing hospitality.  What gifts have I been given?  I can share those and thus serve the Lord.

-I leave the future in God's hands.  It does no good to worry about the future.  I have very little control over the days to come--but God does.  He already knows what will happen in my future, because he is eternal--not bound by time.
God made a promise to his people Israel that applies to his people today, too:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you," declares the Lord... (Jeremiah 29:11-14a)

Jesus taught this to his disciples in Matthew (6:31-34):

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  (Emphasis added)

Finally, we can be certain that nothing in the past, present or future will ever change the way God loves us, and he will let nothing separate us from him.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39, emphasis added)

What does this mean for us?  It means we can embrace our life, wherever we are in it, without fear and with joy, because God has our future in his hands.  He has a plan for us.  And his love for us is unchanging, and will stay the same forever, no matter what the future holds.

Linking with: A Proverbs 31 Wife, What Joy is Mine, The Alabaster Jar, Raising Arrows, The Better Mom, the Modest Mom

Book Launch: "Single Girl" by Ashley Schnarr (and GIVEAWAY announcement!)

I'm so excited, honored and proud to announce that my friend Ashley has just released a new eBook:

"Single Girl:

the single woman's guide to life, liberty and the pursuit of godliness"!!

Ashley’s book is full of wise, Scriptural encouragement for the single woman.  She dispels commonly-held myths about singleness, but her message isn’t “I’m so sorry you’re not married, let’s all feel bad for ourselves.”  Neither is it “Singleness is the best thing ever!  Never get married!  Who needs husbands?!”  She honestly says, 

“I don’t pretend to pray that I remain single for the rest of my life either.  Marriage and family is something I deeply desire and want very much.  Like every girl, I long for the companionship and security of a marriage.  And yes, I’m one of those hopeless romantics that’s been dreaming about my wedding since I was five.

So why am I writing this book?  It’s not because I’ve got everything figured out but rather the Lord has brought me through some trials and taught me a few things in the middle of it all.”

Ashley is a young woman who has done a lot of learning already in her life.  She’s a stay-at-home daughter and is busy preparing to be a wife and mother herself someday.  But that does not mean she fails to look for ways that she can serve God by serving others as a single person.  She has practical tips in this book for skills a single girl can learn, ways to make money and have a job without going to college, alternatives for gaining education without going to college, ideas for ways to volunteer and serve in one’s church and community, and fun and helpful tips on beauty, modesty, and relationships with guys.  More importantly, she has suggestions and encouragement for young women on how to grow in their relationship with Christ.  Ashley is passionate about the Lord, and she wants to share that with those who read her book.

This book is Ashley’s gift to other young, single women.  She’s sharing with them what she has learned.  This is her testimony to how God has worked in her life, it’s her witness to her faith in him, and it’s her call to other young single women to be all that they can be, and embrace their life just as it is.  She writes, “I firmly believe that if the Lord is gracious enough to teach you something, you should be thankful enough to share it with someone else.  So that’s what this book is all about, me sharing some of the lessons I’ve learned, and continue to learn, during this journey of singleness.”

I highly recommend this book to any and all single women, no matter what your age.  This book is also excellent reading for anyone who is friends with or ministers to a single woman (e.g., pastors, teachers, youth ministers, counselors, and parents, just to name a few).  If you are in any of these categories I encourage you to get this book and use it for your own edification and to enable yourself to better encourage and instruct the single women in your life.

As a special gift to her readers during the book's launch week this week, Ashley is also hosting a giveaway of a fantastic set of beauty products!

Head over to Ashley's blog to enter the giveaway and buy the eBook--only $4.95 for a pdf version, OR you can get it on your kindle or nook!

Also, I'm excited to announce that next week I'll be giving away a copy of Single Girl right here at Living in the Light!  Ashley has graciously offered one of my readers a copy of her book.  So if the giveaway last month, for married people only, wasn't for you--this just might be!  Stay tuned!