MaryEllen, Author at Imperfect Homemaker

All Posts by MaryEllen

A Love Story

Since my husband and I celebrate our anniversary this month, I will be focusing on topics regarding marriage. I thought the best way to start would be to share our love story…

“You really shouldn't be talking to people like that,” I remarked as I breezed past the park bench.

I was talking to a staff member's little boy at the Bible college I attended. It was the beginning of the school year, and there was this {extremely cute} freshman guy sitting on a bench talking to this little boy.

Saying that to the boy was my (very immature) way of saying to this new guy, “Well, hi there, handsome! If you haven't noticed me…well…please notice me.”

He did.

(He tells me now that he noticed me, but could tell that I had a little maturing to do, so he was not going to pursue any relationship until he knew I was ready.)

Since we ended up with a very similar class schedule, we had plenty of informal opportunities to get to know one another as friends.

I continued my immature antics before every class by ensuring that there was always magically a seat that just happened to be empty when he walked into the room – and it was always right beside me. Amazing how he never caught on to that. 😉 (Yeah, right.)

As the school year went on we realized more and more how attracted we were to one another. We got to know one another in group settings and just as friends – chatting before and after classes, eating lunch together with a group of friends, going to college activities within the same group of friends, etc.

My {then future} husband (wise man that he was) did not pursue any further relationship at all that year other than just being friends. He wanted to see how we felt during the summer when we parted ways and did not have any contact with one another.

However, our first “date” was on the last night of school. We went out to Dairy Queen with some of our friends, and didn't stay nearly as long as I would have liked. He was paranoid that he would keep me out too late and get on my dad's bad side. When we got back from Dairy Queen, we said goodbyes and parted ways for the entire summer.

Us at a banquet at the end of the school year

That was hard for me, but good at the same time.

I was already planning on marrying the guy, and I started getting into the habit of squeezing the toothpaste tube from the bottom because I thought he seemed like the type of person to do that. After we got married we both squeezed the toothpaste tube from the bottom, but he told me that he had trained himself to do it that first summer we were apart because he thought I seemed like the type of person to do that! (Guess he was already planning on marrying me too!)

After the summer was over, I stalked the college campus on the day I knew he was supposed to come back. I waited around as long as I could without looking like a complete dork, and finally went home without seeing him return. Later that evening my parents decided to go take a walk around the college campus (we lived on a main road and there was no good place at home to walk). I suddenly became extremely interested in my cardiovascular health!

Would I see him? Would he still be interested in me? I hadn't seen him or had any communication with him for the entire summer, and these were the questions I was nervously asking myself as I put on my ~~exercise~~ cutest clothes and ~~threw my hair in a ponytail~~ meticulously did my hair and makeup.

To be continued…

You can read the rest of the story here:

{Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5}

A Few of My Favorite Things (Plus a Giveaway!)

I know I'm talking a lot about this Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle, but that's because I'm just so excited about it!

I know that 97 ebooks may seem a little overwhelming to some of you, but when you take a minute to look at the smaller picture, you can focus on the materials that most interest you and leave the rest on your virtual bookshelf for later.

Update: Although the bundle sale is no longer available, you can still purchase any of the individual ebooks by clicking on the links in the post.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links on this page I will earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting this site!

Here are some of my personal favorites:

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy
This is regularly $2.99 and worth every penny! This book helped me incredibly with time management! It just made sense!

K4 Curriculum by Erica @ Confessions of a Homeschooler – normally $15.00. I used this with my little ones and loved it! It contains everything you need for teaching a little one how to write, cut, begin to read, recognize colors and shapes, etc. – all from a Christian perspective!

42 Days to Fit by Brandy @ The Marathon Mom, Emma @ Real Fit Moms and Stacy @ A Delightful Home This is normally $4.99. I have personally done this program and found it realistic for a mom like me, yet challenging at the same time.

You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers Normally $5.00. Laura's blog was the very first blog I started reading when I started trying to make healthier choices in my kitchen, and I couldn't have chosen a better blog to read! She doesn't confuse you, make you feel guilty for what you do or don't eat, or overwhelm you. She is all about simple, wholesome meals that taste good – no complicated techniques or ingredients – just good food! I know you will not be disappointed with this ecourse!

Logical Decisions

All right, think about this for a minute. If you were to buy just these 4 resources (which I can personally assure you are worth every penny of their regular price!), you would have already spent your $29.97. There is no logical reason whatsoever not to receive the remaining 93 ebooks plus the $140 in free bonus products, is there? Honestly, I can't even begin to mention the books I haven't read yet, but am so excited to now own! It's like walking into a bookstore with the latest releases and finding a big sign that said they were on sale for 31 cents each! You better believe I'd be buying every single book that was on my wish list, even if I did spend 30 bucks!

View the entire list of included books here.

But I don't have an ereader!

All right, here's what happens when you order your ebook bundle. After you make your payment you are directed to a page with a download link. You download the books directly onto your computer (or flash drive, CD, etc.) You can open them up and read them on your computer or print what you want to print. If you have an ereader (or get one later) you can simply transfer them to your device and read them on there.

A giveaway!

I am giving away an ebook bundle to one of you! (Bundle only, does not include the bonuses) If you purchase the bundle for yourself and you win the giveaway, you can choose someone to whom you'd like to gift it! It's like Buy One Get One Free!

Plus…there is a good possibility that I will give away a second bundle! That will depend on how good of a job you do sharing this deal with your friends. We have to get the word out because after Saturday at 4pm EST, this opportunity will no longer exist!

Enter the giveaway below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

15 Minute Tasks for the Week

I know I've been rather sporadic with posting these weekly tasks, mainly because I've been living in survival mode . So you know if I post a challenge, I must be having a decent day and feeling ambitious. (That doesn't necessarily mean I'll actually get this stuff done, but I'm at least thinking about it!)

I'd like to work in the laundry room this week, mainly because mine's not too bad and it won't take too much work.

Monday

Remove anything from the room that does not belong there and put it in the correct place. This includes a quick declutter of shelves/cabinets.

Tuesday

Clean the washing machine. Here is a good way to clean a top-loading washing machine and one for a front-loading machine. (Yes, yes. I know promoting using bleach on a blog that talks about natural living is a no-no, but there are certain things which I just don't seem to be able to remove the scum and grime off without bleach. If you are an expert and can recommend a natural way which is just as effective, please feel free to fire away in the comments!)

Wednesday

Clean the dryer. Wipe down the outside and inside. Clean the dryer ducts. (Yikes! I don't think I've ever done this!)

Thursday

Vacuum thoroughly, empty trash, clean cobwebs out of corners.

Friday

Wash windows and curtains if you have them. Wipe down lightswitches, doorknobs, etc.

Saturday

Make sure laundry items are stocked and organized – Hangers, laundry baskets detergents (maybe now would be a good time to try my homemade laundry detergent), stain removers, etc.

Don't forget that through Saturday, May 4, 2013, you can get an ebook bundle of valuable homemaking ebooks for 95% off! Click here for details.

Be sure to subscribe to free email updates or follow me on Facebook or Pinterest if you’re interested in more cleaning and organizing inspiration!

It’s Here! Buy the Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle Now!

Although the bundle sale is no longer available, you can still purchase any of these individual ebooks by clicking on the links in the post.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links on this post, I will earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting this site!

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97!

More than anything, our goal for this sale was for it to be, well… ultimate! We firmly believe that you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you'll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

To sweeten the pot, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What's Included in the Sale?

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

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

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

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

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio (for new members) or $20 off a Yearly Membership (for current members), where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

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

General

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

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

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

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

How To Survive When You’re In Survival Mode

We all go through times in our lives when we're in “survival mode”. Whether it's a life change such as moving or a new baby, illness, or a busy season with a job, those crazy, stressful times come upon all of us. When you're going through a “survival mode” season, you might wonder if you're going to make it through with your sanity, or perhaps even your marriage, intact.

My personal “survival mode” as of late has been caused by my health problems. Add to the chronic fatigue, weakness, heart palpitations, dizziness, brain fog, and digestive issues an unexpected pregnancy (Surprise! That was an announcement!) and you can understand why I spend a lot of my days in the bed. Three kids 5 and under with their mommy in the bed is a recipe for disaster!

Here's how I'm surviving my “survival mode” season. I hope these ideas will be of help to you next time your life is crazy and stressful.

1. Be willing to accept help.

This is hard for me, and I'm sure it's hard for most people. It's embarrassing to let someone see your messy house, let alone allow them to clean it for you. You feel badly letting someone else trouble themselves to cook your supper or watch your kids for you. But if people want to help – let them! They want to be a blessing, so allow them that opportunity.

2. Lower your expectations.

Don't get upset if you're not serving your usual home cooked meals for supper. Let everyone eat sandwiches, be happy they have something in their belly, and leave it at that. You may be running clothes through the washer and dryer and never getting them folded. If you have to live out of the laundry basket for a while, don't sweat it. Just be glad everyone has something to wear. Your house will not be spotless. Accept that fact, do what you can, and don't worry about the rest.

3. Simplify.

Make everything as easy as possible for yourself. Remove everything from your schedule that is not absolutely essential. Use paper plates at meals. If you're in the bed and you have small children, try to keep everyone confined to the same room. This will save the house from getting torn apart by curious little hands. Occupy the kids with videos or activities they can do themselves (coloring books, puzzles, etc.)

4. Use the timer.

Whether you're suffering from illness or are just extremely busy, most people can carve out one 15 minute cleaning session each day. Set the timer for 15 minutes and straighten the house as quickly as you can, starting with whatever area is bothering you the most. If you absolutely can't do 15 minutes, try to do just 5. You'll still be surprised how much can get done!

5. Brighten your mood

When you're not feeling well, the house is falling apart, and you feel like a lousy wife and mother because you can't keep up with everything, it is easy to start feeling depressed. Make it a priority to spend time with the Lord each day (the joy of the Lord is my strength!) Find other ways to cheer up the atmosphere of your home. Raise the windowshades and let in some sunlight. Clean one room thoroughly, shut yourself in away from the rest of the mess, and enjoy the view! Turn on some uplifting music. Count your blessings and focus on the positive.

How do you survive when life seems crazy? Please share your ideas!

You Might Be Crazy If You Don’t Do This!

If you don't have $29.97 available to your name, I suggest you do your best to come up with it by Monday! (Or do some hinting that you'd love this as a Mother's Day gift!)

I've got some news for you about an incredible opportunity (and I mean incredible!) coming up next week.

I promise you the $29.97 will be WELL worth it! The list of books in this bundle is absolutely fabulous, and you would not be able to buy more than a few of them for $29.97 if you bought them at regular price.

On top of that, when you purchase the ebooks, you will also receive $140 worth of BONUS PRODUCTS!

I know for myself that I would be crazy not to make this purchase. Several of the bonus products are items I was already planning to purchase anyway, and would have cost me at least $29.97! So I'll get the stuff I was going to purchase, plus I will get 97 awesome ebooks and ecourses FREE! Happy Mother's Day to me!

Here is a list of just the bonuses:

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.)

Get $10 off their 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.)

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.)

This would be a hugely long post if I listed all 97 books that will be included in the bundle, so I'll just highlight a few that I'm excited about. You can check out the entire list here.

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

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

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

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

Educational Children's Resources

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)

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

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

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

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

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)

Spiritual Growth

God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99)

Marriage & Romance

31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila @ To Love, Honor and Vacuum ($4.99) – A topic no one wants to talk about, but Sheila has done it in such a respectful way!

Health & Fitness

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

Working from Home & Blogging

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

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

Ecourses

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

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 25th, 2013 (3 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!

I will remind you about that sale next week, but I wanted to give you a heads up in case you want to think it over, come up with the money, etc.

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All Posts by MaryEllen

A Love Story

A Few of My Favorite Things (Plus a Giveaway!)

Logical Decisions

But I don't have an ereader!

A giveaway!

15 Minute Tasks for the Week

Don't forget that through Saturday, May 4, 2013, you can get an ebook bundle of valuable homemaking ebooks for 95% off! Click here for details.

Be sure to subscribe to free email updates or follow me on Facebook or Pinterest if you’re interested in more cleaning and organizing inspiration!

It’s Here! Buy the Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle Now!

Although the bundle sale is no longer available, you can still purchase any of these individual ebooks by clicking on the links in the post.

What's Included in the Sale?

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

Educational Children's Resources

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

Pregnancy & Baby Care

Holidays & Special Events

Spiritual Growth

Marriage & Romance

Motherhood

Health & Fitness

Beauty

Working from Home & Blogging

Ecourses

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

The fine print:

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

How To Survive When You’re In Survival Mode

1. Be willing to accept help.

2. Lower your expectations.

3. Simplify.

4. Use the timer.

5. Brighten your mood

You Might Be Crazy If You Don’t Do This!

On top of that, when you purchase the ebooks, you will also receive $140 worth of BONUS PRODUCTS!

Here is a list of just the bonuses:

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

Educational Children's Resources

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

Spiritual Growth

Marriage & Romance

Health & Fitness

Working from Home & Blogging

Ecourses

The fine print: