Coming Monday Morning!

For those of you who are mothers or hope to be mothers, you'll want to get in on this:  $525 worth of mothering resources for 95% off!

This is a downloadable package designed to encourage and equip mothers to nurture their families (and themselves!) naturally.

The package includes the work of 32 well-known Ph.D.'s, fertility specialists, lactation consultants, natural health professionals, authors, and bloggers who are passionate about motherhood and caring for mothers.

Here's a sneak peek at the resources that will be included:

(There will also be bonus products and free printables and ecourses included, which I haven't listed here.)

Are you interested in healthy living, whether you're a mom or not?  Come join my Healthy Homemakers Facebook group, where we'll share encouragement and accountability in our healthy living journeys!

Natural Fertility and Pregnancy

Unbound Birth by Jennifer Yarbrough of Unbound Birth ($2.99)
Fearless Birth by Kristen Burgess of Natural Birth and Baby Care ($17)
Nourishing Foods for Labor and Childbirth (article reprint) by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($2.99)
My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy of Simply Designs ($9.99)
Fertilise Yourself by Natalie Kringoudis of Melbourne Natural Fertility ($19.95)
Eat Your Way to Parenthood by Gabriela Rosa, MScM, BHSc, ND of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35)
Protecting Your Fertility: The Dangers of Conventional Pest Control and Natural Safe Alternatives by Gabriela Rosa, MScM, BHSc, ND of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35)
The Awful Truth About Cleaning Products and Fertility Revealed by Gabriela Rosa, MScM, BHSc, ND of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35)

Natural Baby and Toddler Care
Breastfeeding Simply by Pinky McKay, ICBLC of PinkyMcKay.com ($25)
First Bites by Hilary Bernstein of Accidentally Green ($9.99)
Breast to Bib by Kate Tietje of Modern Alternative Mama ($8.95)
Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin Odom of The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)
Creative Ways to Calm Your Baby by Justyn Lang of Creative Christian Mama ($6.99)
EC Simplified: Infant Potty Training Made Easy by Andrea Olson, MA of Go Diaper Free ($30)
oh, crap. potty training by Jamie Glowacki of oh crap. potty training ($15)

Natural Health and Healing
Therapeutic Parenting for Children Who Are Healing from Trauma by Tova Krause Grindlay, CPC of Parent and Family Coaching ($4.99)
Herbal Nurturing by Michele Augur of Frugal Granola ($8.95)
Herbal Remedies for Children During the Cold and Flu Season by Rosalee de la Forêt of Herbal Remedies Advice ($20)
Mother's Little Herbal Helper and Home Remedies by Natalie Vickery of The Family Herbalist ($12.50)
Questions to Ask Your Dentist by Will and Susan Revak of OraWellness ($29)
Tips and Tricks to Remineralize and Repair Your Teeth by Ramiel Nagel of CureToothDecay.com ($12.95)
The Thinking Parent's Guide to Vaccines by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($2.99)
Finding Balance with Attachment Parenting by Andrea Olson, MA of AndreaOlson.com ($17)
Pain Redeemed by Natasha Metzler of NatashaMetzler.com ($4.99)
The Curative Kitchen (updated version) by Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D. of SusanSmithJones.com ($19.95)
Rebuild From Depression: A Nutrient Guide, The Digital Abridged Version by Amanda Rose, Ph.D. of Traditional Foods ($12.95)

Teaching Our Children
Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh Harmon of GNOWFGLINS & Jami Delgado of Eat Nourishing ($30)
Kids in Training: Life lessons that will help lead to productive, responsible and grateful kids! by Rebecca Dulgarian of Blue Cricket Designs ($7.95)
Life According to Me by Stephanie Dulgarian of Somewhat Simple ($5.95)
The Family Dinner Project by Rebecca Dulgarian & Stephanie Dulgarian ($9.95)
Easy Peasy Chores by Alina Joy Dubois of The Good Old Days Farm ($17.99)
Teaching Kids to Clean by Dana White of A Slob Comes Clean ($5)

Help for Busy Moms
Real {Fast} Food by Trina Holden of TrinaHolden.com ($6)
Crock On by Stacy Myers of Stacy Makes Cents ($5)
Creative Ways to Make Family Holiday Memories by Kit Singleton of Raising Small Souls ($25)

Non-Toxic and Natural Living
Natural Beauty Recipes by Katie of WellnessMama ($10)
Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie Langford of Keeper of the Home ($12.95)
Restocking the Pantry by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($9.99)
Accidentally Green by Hilary Bernstein of Accidentally Green ($2.99)
Clean, Naturally! by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($4.99)

Come back Monday morning to get in on this deal.  One week only!

What to Do When Potty Training Isn’t Working

You've read the books, printed the charts, and bought the prizes.  You've got your game plan, and you're ready to get your child potty trained!

But it doesn't work.  Your game plan is a total failure, and consequently you feel like a failure as a mom.

The questions swirl in your mind:

Did I read the wrong book?  Maybe I should have taken a more gradual approach instead of trying to do this all in one weekend?  Did I not give him enough to drink?  Maybe I gave him too much?  Should I have tried the “run around naked” technique?  Maybe the designs on her Pull-up weren't fun enough.  Maybe she'd rather earn pennies for going potty instead of m&m's.  Maybe I'm switching up techniques too much.  I need to be more consistent, but what if I pick the wrong technique and I'm consistent at something that's never going to work?

In frustration, you wonder what the “magic key” to getting your child potty trained is.  Every book and blog post seems to offer it, but none of them seem to work for you.

Moms, I have been there.  I have thought those thoughts.  I have wondered what in the world was wrong with me that I was too dumb to figure out how to potty train a kid.

Can I tell you something?  Relax.

When that kid is ready, they will go.  If they sense that you are uptight about the whole thing, they will be uptight about it too.  If they feel like you are trying to “make” them do it, I can guarantee you their rebellious side will rear its ugly head and you will have created an even bigger problem.

I'm giving you permission to keep changing those diapers.  Don't stress out and beat yourself over the head for not doing things right.

If you want to take the diapers off and let them make messes, go ahead.  (By the way, that really did make a big difference in motivating my kids to go on the potty.)  But if that's going to stress you out, don't do it just because the book said that's how to do it.  Go buy those Pull-ups and don't worry about it one little bit.

If you want to print the potty charts and give them prizes when they go, that's great.  But don't get frustrated if that's not what works for your child.  I promise, when they are ready, it will be easy.

The most stress-free strategy for potty-training is the simple strategy of patience.

If you're a mom who has potty-trained her child in a weekend, I applaud you.  I really do.  I'm not saying it doesn't come easy for some moms.  (Here's  a great book that teaches you the Potty Train in a Weekend method.  Can't hurt to try if you're up for it!)

But I know there are plenty of moms where that's not the case.  And if you're one of them, I want to let you know it's okay.  You're not a failure.  You will get your child potty trained.  Relax, don't worry about it, and one day you'll realize your child is potty trained almost without your realizing it.

Have you ever had a child who was hard to potty train?  What did you do about it?  Share your experiences in the comments below!

And if you want more great content like this, be sure to  follow me on Facebook and Pinterest so you don't miss a thing!

Big Berkey Water Filter Review

Disclosure: I received a free product to review.  As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

When I first began experiencing some of my health issues (what has now been diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, hypothyroidism, and leaky gut syndrome), I looked into every possible cause of what could be contributing to my problems.

Although we were doing pretty well with taking baby steps to healthier eating, I really stepped up my efforts and tried to go all-out, making sure our food was only from the best sources and was the most nutritionally dense as possible.

But I didn't improve.

My search continued, and I began to wonder if I was suffering from heavy metal toxicity.  Our house has old copper pipes, and many of my symptoms matched up with what I read about copper toxicity.

Whether that was the problem or not, I decided that I wanted to make sure our water was filtered.  Although we have well water and didn't have to worry about added chlorine and fluoride, I knew there could possibly be parasites lurking in our water, and any number of harmful bacteria.

I had a couple relatives who used a Berkey water filter, one of which who lives in Brazil, where the water is so dirty that their filter gets so caked with gunk that it has to be cleaned off before water will filter through it again.

I did some more research, and found out that not only does the Berkey filter out all the bad stuff, but it leaves behind important minerals which many other filters remove.

What it removes:

• bacteria
• cysts
• viruses
• parasites
• herbicides
• pesticides
• foul tastes
• chemical contaminants
• reduces heavy metals up to 95%

Is it affordable?

• The Big Berkey water filter can be purchased for around $258.
• Each filter lasts up to 3000 gallons, and since the Big Berkey comes with 2 filters, it will last up to 6000 gallons, for a total price of less than a penny per gallon!
• If you have fluoridated water, you can purchase additional filtering elements to remove the fluoride, which will bring the price per gallon up to about 7 cents a gallon.
• Berkey filters actually exceed EPA log 7 ANSI / NSF protocols for filtration and thus are rated as water purifiers, not just filters.  A water purifier is typically quite expensive and don't last nearly as long as the Berkey filters before they have to be replaced.

Other benefits:

•  Filter both treated and untreated water.  (You can filter your city water to remove contaminants or filter water from a stream or river to make it drinkable.)
• No electricity required.  In case of emergency or power outage, having a Berkey filter on hand ensures a source of drinking water as long as you have access to a pond, river, or even a swimming pool.
• Portable.  Take it along when you're traveling to ensure a clean source of water whether you're staying at a condo or camping in the wilderness.
• Easy to test.  If you're unsure of whether your filters need to be replaced, simply fill the upper chamber with water and add a teaspoon of red food coloring per gallon of water.  If the water comes through the filter clear, your filters do not need to be replaced.

 Our personal experience

I was so curious to find out whether I could taste any difference between water filtered with the Berkey and our well water.  I decided the best way to know for sure would be to do a blind taste test.

First my husband prepared two cups of water for me while I wasn't looking.

Then I did the same for him.

Neither of us could tell any difference at all, which was actually fine with us since we have always loved the taste of our well water anyway.

Another day, I brought some city water home from my mom's house and we did the same thing.  We both easily guessed which one had been filtered with the Berkey.  It was as if you could taste the additives in the city water, and once they were removed, the water tasted better.

The Big Berkey filter was a very good choice for our family.  It holds 2.25 gallons, which is just about the perfect amount of water for our family for one day.  I usually refill it right before I go to bed and the water lasts us until the next night.

I like the fact that it doesn't take up very much room on the counter, and its stainless steel design looks attractive in my kitchen.

The kids and I are also happy with the fact that they are able to reach it easily and get their own drinks.

It's not often that I give a product five stars on a review, but the Big Berkey hands down gets 5 stars based on the combination of its performance and price.

Exclusive Content for Subscribers

I've switched over email subscriptions to MailChimp, and I'll also be using this service to send out additional newsletters with content that is not posted here on the blog.  You never know what I might have up my sleeve in these newsletters, so be sure to sign up so you don't miss out!

(If you already received email updates before I switched to Mailchimp, you do not need to resubscribe as I've already switched you over behind the scenes.)

50 Fun and Free Summer Activities for Kids

Summer is here!  It's great for a few days…until you hear the inevitable “I'm booored!”

This free 20 page eBook will give you 50 ideas for things to keep your kids occupied this summer – and they're all free!

To get your eBook, simply enter your name and email address below.  The eBook will be delivered to your inbox – check your spam folder if you don't see it.

*By signing up to receive this eBook, you will also be signing up for the Kids Activities segment of my newsletter, where I will send very infrequent but always exciting stuff for your kids!*

We All Scream for…

Yes, it's not a trick question.  The answer is ice cream.

Everybody loves ice cream.  I especially love homemade ice cream.  I got the book “Just Making Ice Cream” as part of the Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle that was on sale last month.

Why I did not read this sooner I don't know.

This book is absolutely amazing.

I  never knew there were several ways to make ice cream even if you don't have an ice cream maker!

I don't know how anybody has the patience to figure out from scratch 50 different recipes for homemade ice cream, sherbet, and sorbet.  And all the recipes use healthy ingredients!  That means I can eat as much as I want, right?

With flavors like Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Salty Caramel Pecan, And Almond Joye, I just don't know where I'm going to start!

Besides recipes, the book is full of tips and advice on choosing the best ice cream maker, no-maker methods, and troubleshooting advice to make ice-cream making headache free.

It normally sells for $12, which I think is well worth it considering the quality of the book and how much time the author had to have put into figuring out these recipes.

It's part of the Bundle of the Week sale this week, though, where you can get 5 summer-themed books for $7.40.

Here's the whole lineup:

Disclosure: Affiliate links included

The Summer Survival Guide by Jessica Fisher
Summertime, though rich in possibilities, can be a challenge for parents, especially when there are bored children about! Jessica’s Summer Survival Guide is filled with inspiring ideas and practical suggestions for making the most of the summer as a family, including 37 customizable planning pages, calendars, and worksheets for kids,  100+ family-friendly book and movie suggestions, inspiration for home management during the summer months, 16 summertime learning themes with related crafts and activities, and more.

2013 Summer Survival Calendar by Susan Heid
Susan’s 2013 Summer Survival Calendar is a four-month calendar with over 120 activities to blast boredom and increase family time. It features at least one low-budget (and sometimes free) activity, craft project, or kid friendly recipe every day from May 1 to August 31, with clickable links so you can easily view project directions or supplies needed. It’s the perfect way to keep kids busy, happy, and engaged during those long, hot summer days!

Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn Beard
Just Making Ice Cream is more than just a recipe book! In this ebook, Marillyn offers practical ice cream-making tips such as choosing an ice cream maker, how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker and the basic principles of delicious homemade ice cream. You’ll also find more than 30 ice cream & gelato recipes, 9 cultured milk recipes, 10 sherbet recipes and 10 sorbet recipes that will keep you busy taste-testing all summer long!

Simply Summer by Kate Tietje
Simply Summer is the perfect summer cookbook! You’ll find plenty of fresh, seasonal summer recipes — exactly what you need when you want to enjoy summer’s bounty — including grilled, marinated meats, fresh salads, fruit and even wonderful desserts! Many of Kate’s selections are allergen-free and GAPS-friendly to help families with allergies and dietary restrictions find recipes to enjoy as well.

Simply Scheduled: On the Go by Tammie Nelson
Feeding your family healthy food during the busy summer months can be a challenge, and Tammie’s Simply Scheduled: On the Go is your guidebook to creating easy, affordable menus away from home. With over 80 pages of charts, lists, menus and recipes, including printable recipe cards and pre-planned menus, this ebook will help you plan for camping trips, barbecues, picnics and road trips so that you can enjoy your summer without stressing about food choices or the grocery budget.

The Summer bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, 6/3. Get yours today:

I try not to constantly advertise stuff to you, but I was just the tiniest bit excited about the ice cream book.  🙂  Just take my word for it.  It's amazing.

And stay tuned, because tomorrow I'm going to be posting 50 free summer activities for kids!

If you're not already subscribed to my free  email updates or following me on Facebook you might want to do that so you don't miss it!