Kitchen Stewardship Birthday Ebook Sale!!

Kitchen Stewardship in the Big Woods- Family Camping BookWonderful resource for camping with little ones.  Great recipes, great tips!!

Healthy Snacks To Go Ebook
Super easy healthy snacks to make and pack in school lunches

The Everything Beans Book
What do you want to know about beans- its here!

31% off all Ebooks

Coupon code: BIRTHDAYTIME

for a limited time (until Katie's baby is born)

Saline Soothers Review and Giveaway

It's back to school time (for the kids), but they will start bringing home some nasty germs.  What do you as a mom or dad do?  Break out the dry kleenex?  NO!  Boogie Wipes are for kids, but Saline Soothers are for adults. Gear up your home for the next generation of tissues.  These unique wipes are made with saline which dissolves mucus.  And because they are pre-moistened with saline, aloe and vitamin E they are very soothing!  They leave your nose fresh and clean and without chaffing.  They are gentle and can wipe away all traces of that nasty mucus.  This product is hypoallergenic and alcohol-free.  There are 3 scents: Cool Menthol, Fragrance Free, and Light Lavender.  So stash some away today and enjoy the soothing feel of Saline Soothers!  I know I will stock up.





*This product was provided to me free of charge for the purpose of this review. This is my honest opinion of this product and no monetary compensation was received for my opinion.*

BUY IT:


Saline Soothers are available at Walgreens stores nationwide, and will be in Walmart stores this summer.  Saline Soothers are available now in a re-sealable 15-count pack for $1.99 and in a 45 count mini tissue box beginning this fall. 

WIN IT:
(2) Full Packs (1 each scent)
2 coupons
3 Fragrance Free Sachets
3 Mint Sachets


Giveaway ends Sunday, August 14.

TO ENTER: Please click on all links before filling out the entry form.



1. Be a follower on my blog

2.Watch the video (35 seconds long)  and tell one thing you learned about Saline Soothers  (required)

3."Like" The Knowlton Nest on Facebook (link on my blog)

4. "Like" Boogie Wipes on Facebook

5. Follow Boogie Wipes on Twitter

6. Post this giveaway on another site (Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc) (1 entry for every site)

Entry for Saline Soothers Giveaway

Jessna is 3 months old and update on my nursing struggles

Mom and Daughter

Grandma Linda

Bro and Sis

Smile!

Trying to talk

I'm 3 months!

Whew, what a different baby Jessna is compared to Shrade (read his 3 month post and see his pics!).  Shrade was Mr. Happy.  Jessna is Miss Fussy!  However, I can get her to smile now.  She is highly interactive and very observant.  But she will let you know if she is unhappy.  She loves to sleep and craves motion and white noise.  Can't go to sleep without the pacifier or fan.

She's cooing, smiling, lifting her head (showing good head control) and when sitting on my lap she pulls her torso forward.  She eats every 3 hours, takes several good naps and has slept through the night several times.

It's been tough getting out and about with 2 kids, but we try to attend story times and we went to a concert in the park.  I hope to do more fun activities when the "school" year rolls around.  You will see why I didn't do much when you read the story below about the struggles I have had with feeding.

Jessna weighs 11 lbs 10 oz and is 23.5 inches long.  She is very chunky in some places, but people still think she is very small.

On our trip to Minnesota Auntie Janine got her to say her first word- "Whoo" like an owl.  It is so cute.  We got a video.  Of course, she will only do that for Auntie Janine.  But she does have a voice and it's so adorable.  When things settle down, I hope to spend more time playing with her.  It's just been very rough this summer.  It's also been a very hard adjustment for me with 2 kids.  But I'm learning how to work it- they take afternoon naps at the same time now!


Update on my nursing struggles:


On May 6, 2011 my world changed.  Our precious, beautiful Jessna Josine was born that day, 3 months ago.  Little did I know how much my life would change in that 3 months.  One thing I desperately prayed for to be different with this baby was being able to nurse exclusively and I did until a few days ago.  For the first 3 weeks of Jessna's life I worked HARD to develop my milk supply and things were going smoothly as far as feeding.  Schedule was haphazard, but she was newborn and that was expected.  What I didn't expect at about 3-5 weeks was the constant crying.  I thought she had colic.  She cried a lot, but not during feeding.  Then she started crying during feeding.  By her two month appointment I was so distraught, but I persevered no matter how emotional it was for both of us.  I thought I could get through it.  At this point I thought she might have reflux.  I was feeling great.  I didn't feel the pain I felt the first 3 weeks.  I LOVED nursing when she calmed down.  At this point I tried to nurse with no distractions (ie.  Shrade needed to be elsewhere- where do you send a 2 year old?).  She nursed best when sleepy, but that was not always possible.  Things started getting worse and worse.  She wouldn't calm down and the only way I could possibly nurse was while bouncing on a big ball, holding her head to me (she pushed away), patting her back and saying "sh" as loud as possible.  It was awful! I thought, this can't be right.  There was NO way for me to nurse in public, even though I had to at times during a recent vacation trip.  I was completely embarrassed and humiliated.    I finally came to the conclusion after crying out to God for the umpteenth time that something needed to change.  How was I going to nurse for a whole year like this?  Like I said, this was my heart's desire. I wish she liked nursing because I sure do when it goes ok.  In the meantime I was emotionally and physically exhausted.  My son was getting out of control and I had nothing left to give to my husband or take care of myself, and poor Jessna was so upset every time we had to feed (like 7 times a day!).  So I went to the doctor hoping to get some answers.  He suggested that Jessna and I were not compatible (ie.  she is rejecting me, she doesn't root, but turns away).  I was devastated.  He told me to pump and feed, but that's time consuming.  My conclusion was to give up nursing and phase out with pumping to switch to formula.  I don't want to do this, but I have to for sanity in my family.  My heart was breaking for my son who I was upset with all the time because I was stressed trying to feed little sister.  I know in the long run, this will be much better. I'm going to try to pump as much as I can right now, but nursing is out unless she changes her mind.  We did not anticipate the expense of formula so I will try the pumped milk as long as I possibly can. So, once again, I have to say goodbye to nursing way too early.  I will never have this chance again, but I'm so glad I can make a good decision for my family and I feel so relieved.  Thank you for your prayers and I hope that God will continue to help me in parenting these two precious children.

Jessna is the most precious and adorable little girl and I want to remember her happy when feeding with me!  I'm taking it one day at a time, but I want to do what's best for everyone in my family and I know that God has heard my prayer.  I'm glad I get to be a mother and my children are healthy no matter how I feed them!

31 Days to Clean- Having a Martha House the Mary Way by Sarah Mae

I have been so overwhelmed with my life lately and I just can't seem to get it together.  I discovered the book 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way by Sarah Mae.  I truly need a makeover in my home and I couldn't figure out where to start.  This book is a perfect blend of both inner and outer cleaning.  The first 8 days I am cleaning my kitchen. But the first thing I had to do was make a mission statement.  So here it is:

I put this up on my kitchen to remind me of my goal- to smile!  When my outside world is in order, my insides feel so relaxed.  I'm not there yet, but that is my goal.  If there is one place in my house that is clean and neat I will smile.  Eventually I hope to smile in every room and develop a maintenance plan.  But in the meantime, I'm working day by day.

So grab your copy of 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way.  On Sarah Mae's blog there are also video clips (need to have the book for the access code)  for the Martha challenges done by Jennifer Ross who also has a book that I want to check out called Encouraging Challenges: The Month After 31 Days to Clean.  There is no greater joy to me than to have a clean home where I can enjoy my family!

52 Ways to Wow Your Husband by Pam Farrel Book Review

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Pam Farrel

and the book:

52 Ways to Wow Your Husband: How to Put a Smile on His Face

Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Catherine Miller, Marketing Assistant, Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pam Farrel and her husband, Bill, are cofounders and codirectors of Masterful Living, an organization that provides practical insights for personal relationships. The Farrels are also regular relationship columnists. As coauthors their books include Men Are Like Waffles—Women Are Like Spaghetti, The 10 Best Decisions Every Parent Can Make, and Red-Hot Monogamy. In addition Pam has written Fantastic After 40! and The 10 Best Decisions a Woman Can Make. The Farrels have been married more than 30 years and have three children and a daughter-in-law.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

With her trademark humor and godly wisdom, bestselling author Pam Farrel inspires women to add the wow-factor to their marriages and lives through 52 clever ideas for dates, meals, getaways, and daily expressions of love. A spark of fun and refreshment for newlyweds, married with kids, or empty nesters.




Love Wise Intro from Bill & Pam Farrel on Vimeo.


Product Details:

List Price: $10.99
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736937803
ISBN-13: 978-0736937801

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

WOW 1

The Recharger Box


What a man finds romantic is a woman who will lower his stress! In Men Are Like Waffles—Women Are Like Spaghetti, I explain that men go to their favorite easy boxes to rest and recharge. God helped us women recognize these easy boxes in that most of them are shaped like boxes—the TV screen, the newspaper, the garage, the Xbox, the computer screen, the football field, the baseball diamond, the basketball court, the refrigerator, and the bed. The bed box (also known as the sex box) is a husband’s favorite box to go to when he is stressed out. This box or square is kind of like the center square on a bingo card, and a man can get to that box from every other square on his waffle.

Wow Assignment

Find out your man’s favorite easy box he goes to for recharging. Here are some ways to discover this vital information:

If given thirty minutes of dead time, what does he do?
If he were given a day off, where would he like to go?
What does he do now when stressed?
What does he watch on TV when relaxing? (Sports? Movies? Adventures? Fix-it shows?)
Kendra Smiley and her husband, John, wrote Do Your Kids a Favor…Love Your Spouse. John was wowed unexpectedly by Kendra with his all-time favorite box:

I’ve been a Green Bay Packers fan for years and transferred that enthusiasm to our three teenage sons. I never imagined I would actually be able to see a game at Lambeau Field because legend has it that the only way to get tickets is to inherit them when someone dies. But legends don’t stop Kendra! She called the ticket office, asking about the purchase of five tickets for the last home game of the season. After the laughter died down (I guess there was some truth to the legend), they referred her to an agency offering “Weekend Packages.” She knew we couldn’t afford all the extras of a package, and somehow she managed to convince the woman at that office to simply sell her five tickets. She gave me a gift that took her time, her effort, and a little bit of her charming persuasion. What a great model for our kids!

My man’s favorite easy box is: ________________________

Wow Wisdom

Pray and thank God for your husband. Often we women push, push, push our spouse to be more productive or work on our “honey-do” list even on his day off. If you keep pushing, he might begin to see you as a mother or a boss, not a wife and lover. A husband who gets pushed to do too many things he doesn’t enjoy will exhaust himself emotionally and grow distant from his wife. Think about how much better your life is when you are connected with your lover!

Instead of resenting your “waffleman” for needing to recharge, thank God he has a box to recharge in so he can maintain the energy to keep up with you! As Paul reminds us, “In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 nasb).

Wow Date

Make him breakfast in bed and serve waffles. Give him a note for one free day off to do whatever he wants—to enjoy his favorite “waffle box(es).” Include a gift card for something that helps him recharge. While you’re there in bed, why not enjoy some “bingo”? Remember, for most men, bingo is the number one recharger box.

Here's my review:
Pam Farrel explores 52 Ways to Wow Your Husband: How to Put a Smile on His Face in her new book (which is also the title).  Pam gives wives a resource of ways to put a smile on your man's face.  Each chapter is short with a personal story, wow assignment, wow wisdom and a wow date idea.  The personal stories are from many women and include some very practical ways women have stood by their husbands.  The wow assignment is a preparation for the date to come.  Wow wisdom  is a little nugget from God's Word that applies to the assignment.  And the wow date is a creative way to put the assignment into action.  These ways are easy to implement  and would mean the world to your husband.

A few years ago after we were first married, my husband and I went on a marriage retreat with just our church and Bill and Pam Farrel were the speakers.  They made me laugh and cry.  I love this book by Pam because it really ignites the love I have for my husband and gives me many tangible ways to express that to him.  I know that if I try one of these every week, by the end of the year I won't be able to imagine my husband without a smile on his face!

Silly Mama Quilts Mug Rug Review/Giveaway

Last year I had the privilege to review a beautiful table runner from Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts.  Well, once again she offered for me to review a very cute little creation- a mug rug!  I could spend all afternoon browsing Brooke's Etsy shop and also looking through her blog.  She is highly creative and has a eye for color and design.  Her ideas are endless and she's one busy little mama with 4 kids ranging from early elementary to college graduate.   Brooke has been quilting since her oldest was 2 years old.  She is a veteran, but with fresh ideas!  She loves experimenting with colors and fabric.  She loves handmade projects and puts her whole heart and soul into what she does and it shows!

Front

Back

Take a look at this mug rug- Birds of a Feather.  I am in love with the vibrant colors: bright green, royal blue, teal and flaming red/orange.  Brooke changes up a traditional mug rug by making one side of the rectangle one large square of fabric with huge prints and the other half is six little squares of coordinating colors.  And the border accents with matching subtle shades.  The back side blends exactly with the border and completes the mug rug in perfect harmony.  This mug rug measures 6x10.5 and warm and natural batting is used.

This would make an ideal gift for someone who loves their morning coffee. Pair this mug rug with a cute mug and a gift card to Starbucks!  Brooke has several different designs to choose from.  There is no end to creativity on her part or yours!  These are a beautiful alternative to coasters.  They range in price from $7-$8.50.

*This product was provided to me free of charge for the purpose of this review. This is my honest opinion of this product and no monetary compensation was received for my opinion.*
 

Buy it: You can visit Brooke's Etsy shop- Silly Mama Quilts and enjoy her selection of beautiful products.  She also offers FREE shipping.

Win it:  I am proud to have a giveaway for my readers.  The winner will receive a $20 gift certificate for anything in Brooke's Etsy shop. Open to US. Giveaway ends Sunday, August 14 .

PS. I also have 2 coupon cards for 10% off.  I will have a separate drawing for those.  Just check on the giveaway form if you would like to be included.

To enter: Be sure to connect to all the links before filling out the form for entry.

1. Be a follower on my blog

2. Visit Silly Mama Quilts and tell me which product you would choose to spend with the $20 gift cert.

3. Add Brooke's Etsy shop to your favorites

4. Be a follower of Brooke's blog- Silly Mama Quilts.

5. Subscribe to my blog by email (top right corner)

6."Like" The Knowlton Nest on Facebook (link on my blog). 

7. "Like" Silly Mama Quilts on Facebook- say "hi" to Brooke!

8. Post about this giveaway on another site (your blog, facebook, twitter, etc) (1 entry for every site) 

9. Enter me for a 10% off coupon card.

Entry for Silly Mama Quilts $20 Gift Certificate

Christmas in July at The Craft Barn--until July 31

Yay!  Another sale at The Craft Barn!

I just love stocking up on gifts with sales.

Here are some great deals at The Craft Barn until July 31.

15% off everything
Coupon Code: 15july

Here are just a few things that I have purchased for gifts:

Now is the time to get a head start on birthday gifts and Christmas gifts for a loved one.

All orders will receive 15% off with coupon code: 15july until 7/31/11.

Start shopping today: The Craft Barn

**As an affiliate I receive a small percentage from each sale.  Thanks for shopping!