Nourished Living Network’s Homesteading Ebook Bundle!

Welcome to the monthly eBooks Bundle featuring eBooks authored by members of the Nourished Living Network. Each month, we feature a themed bundle of informative eBooks at a reduced price.

 

The May eBook bundle theme is Homesteading!

In Pioneering Today-Pioneering TodayFaith and Home the Old Fashioned Way, author Melissa K. Norris explains practical and easy methods to cook from scratch, garden, preserve your own food, and see God’s fingerprint in your everyday busy life. You’ll learn how to:

  • Decrease your grocery and energy bill
  • Improve your family’s health by cooking from scratch and over 40 delicious recipes
  • Grow and preserve your own food
  • Reduce your time in the kitchen without sacrificing taste and nutrition
  • Expand your view of God in your daily activities

Whether you live in the middle of the asphalt jungle or on the side of a mountain, you can experience the pioneer lifestyle and start your own homesteading journey. When you surround yourself with things made from the hand of God, you can’t help but see Him.

132 pages / Retail Value: ebook-$2.99 Paperback $9.99
Follow Melissa K. Norris on Facebook.

 

chickenbook coverLearning how to raise chickens doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, The Urban Chicken by Heather Harris will walk you right through each step of the way, from choosing a breed to where it will live, all the way to processing. A simple, easy to read guide that will quickly expand your knowledge and making getting fresh eggs and meat from your own backyard seem like child’s play.

41 pages / Retail Value: $3.99
Follow the Homesteading Hippy on Facebook.

 

cover LivestockGuardianAnimals-full size-jpgWould your farm benefit from a livestock guardian animal to defend your property and stock? In Livestock Guardian Animals, by Marie at Rural Living Today, learn how donkeys, llamas, and livestock guardian dogs deal with threatening predators. Read about the instincts, abilities, and limitations of each type of livestock guardian. Then evaluate your needs and make the right livestock guardian decision for your farm, ranch, or homestead.

23 pages / Retail Value: $2.99
Follow Living Rural Today on Facebook.

 

Drawing Blood from Your Goats by Starlene Stewart, is a helpdrawing-blood-goatsful instructional guide which will walk you through the process of drawing blood from your goats, complete with photos, labeling instructions, how and where to send the blood for testing. Instead of calling out your local veterinarian and shelling out $$$, learn to draw blood yourself and save money on your homestead!

19 pages / Retail Value: $4.95
Follow Starlene Stewart on Facebook.

 

Hand Milled Soap_Page_1Making Hand Milled Soap for Fun and Profit by Susan Godfrey includes instructions and 52 recipes to teach you how to make your own designer soaps at home! It also includes many tips and resources for making a profit selling them!

45 pages/Retail Value: $3.75


Remember – this sale is for ONE WEEK ONLY!
It disappears forever on May 20th at 11:59pm!

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Have some questions about the technical aspects of the bundle? Visit our Customer FAQ page.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase items through my site I will receive a small commission. These funds go toward developing and maintaining the blog. I thank you from the bottom of my heart if you support the blog in this way.

Learn to boost your fertility with a library of ebooks!

NOTE: As of 11.59pm on May 13th, the sale is CLOSED.

I am so excited to bring you this sale. Even though I am not yet a mom, it is still a big desire for me. And if I am going to become one and have a healthy baby, I am going to need to be in good health as well.

This is why I am so excited to be hosting this ebook sale for the week! Donielle from Naturally Knocked Up has put together an impressive collection of resources for this one week only sale! There are 29 ebooks available which, is purchased separately, would cost $450. With this sale, you pay only $34,95, or $1.20 per book. And a HOST of prizes for a few lucky customers of the bundle.

Why should I buy this package?

Mother’s Day is this coming weekend. Perhaps you already have a family and want to improve the health of everyone in it. Perhaps you or your partner are interested in becoming parents and want to boost your chances for a successful pregnancy and birth. Or maybe you are just curious about real food and are looking for a way to easily learn.

Check out what you are getting!

Buy Now

10 ebooks about fertility and health

Fertilise Yourself by Natalie Kringoudis of Melbourne Natural Fertility ($19.95)

This ebook is all about priming your body for fertility, with plenty of tips and tricks for a wellness overhaul, and the ‘how to’ steps to set yourself up to win. If you’re struggling with your fertility, or even just your general health, this ebook can help you navigate your way to being fueled and fighting fertility fit!

Making Super Sperm by Bridgit Danner of Joyful Mammas ($29.00)

The genetics of your baby are 50% from the dad, and 30 – 70 % of infertility cases involve male factor. Get a strong start for your baby by Making Super Sperm from the start!

Fertility Smoothies: Elixirs for Optimal Fertility by Hethir Rodriguez of Natural Fertility Info ($19.95)

In this book Hethir shares with you how to create a wide variety of delicious superfood smoothies to help boost your fertility naturally.

Overcoming Infertility with EFT by Sarah Holland of Fertile Mindset ($20.00)

The ultimate guide and practical workbook using the cutting edge technique of EFT for emotional healing on your fertility journey. Includes detailed but simple to follow EFT instructions, and easy to use worksheets to recognize and reverse your own negative beliefs and self-talk surrounding trying for a baby, heal yourself from traumas and damaging experiences that may be harming your fertility and much much more!

Eat Your Way to Parenthood by Gabriela Rosa of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35.00)

Gabriela Rosa reminds us how a balanced and nutritious diet provides the building blocks for a healthy sperm, egg and baby. This book is both a guide to the process of fertility and the basics of good nutrition, as well as a manual of recipes that cleverly combine the scientific research with balanced, tasty and nutritious ingredients.

Maiden to Mother by Stephanie Brandt Cornais of Mama and Baby Love

The Mama and Baby Love Guide to a Conscious Childbearing Year, containing easy-to-understand information about everything you absolutely must know as you begin your journey to motherhood. Stephanie gives you all the juicy tidbits, and lessons she has learned from working with pregnant couples for the past decade and from her own experience with being pregnant and a new mom.

Zero in on Ovulation by Sally Moran of Get Pregnant Fast ($17.00)

Knowing when you ovulate shouldn’t be a mystery, but many women struggle to understand when their most fertile time of month is. Learn about the different methods of determining ovulation, what can delay ovulation, what herbs help promote ovulation or cervical fluid, symptoms of ovulation, problems with ovulation (including PCOS and luteal phase defect), the effects of using Clomid or Femara, and more. Bonus sections on male infertility, baby gender selection, frequently asked ovulation questions, as well as one-on-one e-mail consultation with the author.

A Modern Girl’s Guide to Natural Fertility by Marni Hotchkiss of Bridge to Baby ($15.00)

Natural fertility in today’s modern world encompasses the foods we eat, our behaviors, and our thoughts. Take a deeper look into how tools/apps as well as the right foods and other holistic approaches can positively impact pregnancy success.

Cleansing for Conception by Donielle Baker of Naturally Knocked Up ($6.95)

There are times in our life where we need to simply slow down and allow our bodies to clear out the toxins we’re exposed to on a daily basis. One of these times is when you’re thinking about becoming pregnant. This ebook will show you the many ways that you can alter your diet and lifestyle so that your body naturally and gently cleanses in preparation for conception. (pre-release copy – no one else will see it until late summer 2013!)

Three Strategies for Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Russell Davis of The Fertile Mind ($9.97)

Research shows utilizing mind-body techniques can double your chances of getting pregnant. This ebook contains practical steps to get off the emotional roller-coaster, find a sense of peace on your journey and actively utilizing your mind-body link to increase your chances of success.

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2 ebooks that speak to the heart

Pain Redeemed by Natasha Metzler of NatashaMetzler.com ($4.95)

The author of Pain Redeemed takes you on a journey through her own walk with infertility and with honesty and raw truthfulness tells the story of God meeting her there, right in the middle.”

Celebrating Pregnancy Again by Francesca Cox of so this is love ($8.00)

This book is to encourage any bereaved mother experiencing pregnancy again, and help her embrace this bittersweet journey.

12 real food recipe ebooks

The Food Healing Recipe Book for Endometriosis by Melissa Meyer of Cure Endometriosis ($27.00)

Specifically chosen recipes to help women with Endometriosis. Having personally used these recipes and this way of eating, I decided to compile some of my favorite recipes. My partner, also happens to be a chef, so they are all tasty and nutritious!

Meal Planning Guide for Healthy Thyroid by Magdalena Wszelaki of The Thyroid Diet Coach ($17.00)

Struggling with meal ideas? No time to cook? Bored with the same menu each week? Confused what you can or cannot eat for thyroid health? Then this guide will equip you with tools to make cooking fun, easy and nourishing. Learn about evolving meals, 15-min meals, dressing ideas, get healthy snack lists and a meal plan.

Thrifty Food Plan Experience by Millie Cooper of Real Food for Less Money ($8.95)

You can enjoy traditional foods while on thrifty budget. 67 pages of thoughts, tips and ideas plus a 2 week menu plan, over 40 recipes and links to many more.

Divine Dinners: Gluten-Free, Nourishing, Family-Friendly Meals by Lydia Shatney of Divine Health From The Inside Out ($14.95)

A collection of recipes that can be paired together to make entire meals. All the recipes are lower in sugars/carbs than that of the standard American diet. Recipes are gluten free and tested time and time again on family and friends with great results.

Lacto-Fermentation by Wardee Harmon of GNOWFGLINS ($20.00)

A 155-page, 23-lesson digital book with detailed instruction on fermenting fruits, vegetables, beans, meats, dairy, and grains. The book will expose you to a variety of fermentation methods — using salt, whey, or other starter cultures. Recipes go beyond fermentation methodology and include spices and seasonings to improve the flavor of the final product.

Real Food Ingredient Guide by Kelly of Kelly the Kitchen Kop ($22.95)

Confused about which ingredients are good for you and which ones to avoid? Get a quick-reference list of what to look for at the store or farm, with many listings including a good-better-best recommendation. Also this newly REVISED edition includes bonus material: Bringing Your Family from Junk Food to Real Food!

The Everything Beans Book by Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship ($8.95)

Fall in love with legumes because they’re frugal and delicious. Kimball’s recipes span everything from appetizer to dessert, and the introductory pages will help you cook dry beans like a pro, understand their health benefits, and even get ideas to reduce the…you know…flatulence often connected with beans.

Just Making Ice Cream my Marilyn Beard of Just Making Noise ($12.00)

Because we all deserve a special treat now and then – but it doesn’t mean we can’t choose to do it in a healthier way! It includes 113 pages and over 70 recipes to choose through all 4 seasons of the year… who says ice cream is only for the summer?!

Grain-free/Gluten-free Baking by Stephanie Brandt Cornais of Mama and Baby Love ($9.99)

If you can’t cook and you can’t bake – this book is for you. I taught myself how to cook, and then I taught myself how to bake. You can too. 20 easy recipes, full of tips and tricks for beginners; recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, pizza crusts and more!

Simple Food for Spring by Shannon Stonger of Nourishing Days ($10.00)

Simple Food {for spring} is a grain-free cookbook that emphasize real food and sustainable living. This 80-page edition contains all of the freshness of spring with a focus on cultured dairy salad dressings, wild edibles, and using all of those fresh greens. Each of the 28 recipes includes full-color photos.

Simple Food for Winter by Shannon Stonger of Nourishing Days ($10.00)

Simple Food {for winter} is the first of what I hope to be four seasonal cookbooks that emphasize real food and sustainable living. This 58 page book contains 30 recipes, 10 full-color photos, and three essays.

Happy Mom, Healthy Family Meal Planning Workshop and eCookbook by Lisa Byrne of Wellgrounded Life ($29.00)

A practical, flexible and enjoyable way to make peace with the task that comes every day: preparing meals. This workshop equips you with techniques to make truly family-friendly, whole-foods recipes through a webinar presentation, meal planning templates & worksheets, demo videos plus a downloadable cookbook filled with 89 tried-and-true delicious recipes. Who could want more? (Besides a personal chef perhaps!)

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6 pregnancy and birth ebooks

Healthy Pregnancy Super Foods by Kate Tietje of Modern Alternative Mama ($8.95)

If you’re struggling with how to eat healthy to prepare for and during pregnancy, simplify it with this book. There are only two rules: avoid junk, and eat super foods. Plus 30 healthy, super-food-filled recipes!

UnBound Birth by Jenny Yarbrough of UnBound Birth ($4.99)

Unbound Birth: How to Have a Natural Birth in the Hospital is an inspiring collection of natural hospital birth stories. With determination, information, preparation, and support, Jennifer offers women hope for the beauty of a natural birth within a hospital setting.

Breast to Bib by Kate Tietje of Modern Alternative Mama ($8.95)

Make feeding babies easier with this practical guide to healthy breastfeeding, introducing solids, and handling picky toddlers. The book also includes over 30 baby and toddler-friendly recipes.

My Buttered Life: Baby Edition by Renee Harris from MadeOn Skin Care ($5.00)

This ebook includes 5 recipes, each with 5 ingredients or less. The recipes include baby massage oil, baby balm, creamy baby lotion, diaper rash cream and oatmeal milk bath. Each recipe has an accompanying video, a list of where to buy ingredients and supplies, and a cost analysis to compare with store-bought products.

Forty Weeks of Pregnancy Development by Angela England of The Untrained Housewife ($9.95)

What happens during each week of pregnancy? Now you’ll hear how each week of pregnancy brings changes to both you and your baby! Enjoy the extra information about common issues such as morning sickness, back pain, and more!

Embracing Beauty: practical style for every shape and season of motherhood by Trina Holden of trinaholden.com

($9.00)

A style guide that gets to the heart of beauty, and helps women identify and embrace their personal style through all the changes of motherhood.

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Bonus Material

7 week long meal plans

To help you get started on a whole foods diet, we’ve also included a variety of meal plans to fit your needs!

  • Jess Pedersen CHHC of Be Mama Be Well The Be Mama Be Well Meal Planner is an alkalizing plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free plan that excludes highly processed foods. The Be Mama Be Well Meal Planner is meant to help you detoxify your body, cleanse your liver, balance your hormones, eliminate food-induced mood swings, and boost your nutrient intake.
  • KerryAnn Foster of Cooking Traditional Foods The Cooking Traditional Foods’ Menu Mailer covers breakfast, lunch and dinner based on the guidelines in the Naturally Knocked Up Fertility Foods Checklist.
  • Mary Vance of www.MaryVanceNC.com

    Autoimmune plan for those who have Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis or other autoimmune conditions. Excludes the inflammatory foods most likely to aggravate autoimmune conditions: gluten, dairy, soy, grains (for the most part, at least corn), nightshades, nuts, eggs.

  • Jill Marks of Modern Alternative Pregnancy Proper nutrition plays a vital role in fertility, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. This meal plan is gluten-free with real, whole foods to optimize your health and give your baby a wonderful start!
  • Therese Asmus of Artistta This menu plan does it’s best to include a variety of meals that aren’t only pleasing to the pallet, but are also excellent sources of the many nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy.
  • Amy of PCOS Diva Spring Meal Plan (includes: Getting Started Guide, Recipes and Shopping List) is a whole food based, gluten-free, processed soy-free, and low dairy (or easily can be made dairy-free) plan. You don’t need a crazy diet to increase your fertility, you just need to get in the kitchen and start cooking delicious, nutrient-dense meals.
  • Joanna Steven, author of Well-Rounded. Plant based, whole foods based, with a mix of nourishing raw and cooked recipes for the vegan or vegetarian woman.

Bonus Offerings

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Giveaways worth $908.00!

But that’s not all – it’s $908.00 times two! There will be one grand prize winner who will receive each and every one of the following products/services.¹ All of which will help you on your way to growing your family. And then we’ll be giving away each of the products separately to individual winners as well, so you get more chances to win these fabulous products.

$25 gift certificate to MadeOn Skin Care ($25.00) – Choose from Simply Soothing Rash Cream, or Beesilk Jr for your baby. Or, shop for you and buy Beesilk hard lotion bars or a pack of tinted lip balms. All products are made with safe and natural ingredients. (includes free shipping)

Fertility Detox Cleanse Program from Bridgit Danner ($125.00) – Get your body primed for baby with this professionally-led detox program (food supplies to be purchased by recipient.)

Still Standing mug from Still Standing Magazine ($13.99) – Still Standing is an online magazine for those dealing with infertility and baby loss, offering resources and hope.

Making Babies DVDs from Bulk Herb Store ($75.00) – Three fun, informational, and colorful DVDs include deliciously healthy recipes, remedies and herbal concoctions that cover the fertility, pregnancy, and post-partum time in your life. At the Bulk Herb Store we want to teach you what we know and inspire you to learn and research beyond that with our homemade herbal remedies, our experiences, and the tested wisdom of others.

ibasal thermometer from FairHaven Health ($59.95) – The ibasal is a computerized digital basal thermometer that helps you maximize your changes of conceiving by accurately measuring your BBT and interpreting this data to produce a fertility prediction in advance of ovulation.

One bottle of FertilAid for Women from FairHaven Health ($28.95) – FertilAid for Women is a fertility enhancing supplement designed to help restore hormonal balance, support reproductive wellness, and optimize your chances of conceiving.

Femmenessence MacaHarmony from Natural Health International ($69.98) – Femmenessence MacaHarmony is a natural approach to hormone balance and supporting fertility without introducing hormones from outside of the body.

Medium Fertility Kit (LH and HCG tests) from Kisses from Above ($18.00) – Includes 30 ovulation and 10 pregnancy tests. Everything you need in one easy-to-order kit! Both the ovulation and pregnancy tests will come in the strip format, as shown in the picture.

Herbal kit from Mountain Rose Herbs ($56.20) – FecundiTea, Nurse-Me Rhyme Tea, “Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Years” by Susun Weed, Evening Embrace Aroma Spray, and 4 oz. each of Red Clover, Dandelion Leaf and Raspberry Leaf.

One bottle of cod liver oil from Green Pasture ($44.00) – Green Pastures is dedicate to providing their customers with high-quality sacred-food oils just as they were made prior to the industrialized food and farming revolution. They are committed to providing the community with nothing but pure, unadulterated, non-industrialized wild-caught fish liver oils.

Set of six essential oils from Plant Therapy ($48.68) – Romance Set Includes 100% Pure, Therapeutic Grade of: Sensual, Peppermint, Energy, Headache Relief, Tranquil, & Invigor-Aid. 10 ml each

Natural Cycle Relaxation Program from Circle and Bloom ($59.00) – Start today to feel in greater control over your fertility success with our downloadable program which includes 28 unique guided meditations to support you in communicating with your body and tapping into your innate ability to create.

Year subscription to Fertility Flower (sympto-thermal charting) ($40.00) – Fertility charting is simple, effective and teaches you about your body. When you “chart”, you learn to recognize when you’re fertile and when you’re not so that you can target your baby-making activities at the most fruitful time.

Complimentary consultation at the Metabolic Treatment Center ($100.00 value) – Dr. Schuler or another metabolic treatment specialist at Metabolic Treatment Center will review an individual’s history, medication, supplementation, diet, and symptoms and provide an initial assessment review (phone, Skype, or at the Bloomington office).

SpermCheck Kit ($39.99) – The only at-home sperm test for men! Results in 10 minutes, 98% accurate, private and convenient!

Preseed lubricant from Baby Hopes ($21.50)- Pre~Seed lubricant replenishes your natural moisture while providing an optimal environment for sperm.

A Practical Guide to Children’s Health ebook by Kate Tetje of Modern Alternative Mama ($17.95) – A well-researched ebook on raising healthy children.

The Woman Code book by Alisa Vitti ($25.99) – WomanCode by Alisa Vitti will guide you on how to Perfect Your Cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive, and Become a Power Source.

Naturally Knocked Up book by Donielle Baker ($18.95) – Your guide to increasing the odds of conception through natural living and nourishing foods.

Rebuild from Depression book by Amanda Rose ($19.97) – This book on depression describes the research basis for the nutrient-depression link, highlighting the nutrients with the strongest basis in research. With seven specific nutrients in mind, the authors review each of the food groups recommending how to improve the diet for the long-term.

Extra discounts for bundle purchasers

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Important fine print to read

1) All purchases are non-refundable due to the short duration of this sale and no late sales will be offered. 2) All giveaway products are sponsored by the individual companies, most of which are limited to shipping within the United States. The grand prize package will be shipped by Naturally Knocked Up LLC and is available to US and Canada, excluding the consultation which is available only in the US. ¹To enter the giveaway without purchase send a 3×5 postcard to Naturally Knocked Up LLC PO Box 26 Burnips, MI 49314 by May 14, 2013. 3) All products are downloadable ebooks and audio files. You will not be shipped any physical goods with your purchase of the natural fertility ebook bundle, but will be sent a link where you can download all of the material. 4) It is your responsibility to download all the files before June 1th, 2013. 5) Bonus offers are only eligible once per purchase, expire at midnight on May 31, 2013 and are the sole responsibility of the sponsor. 6) The above links are affiliate links, thank you for supporting this affiliate partner. 7) Please understand the information shared through this natural fertility ebook bundle is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, but rather to encourage perhaps a new discussion or conversation with your own physicians and health care providers and to inspire you to continue to research healthy alternatives.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase items through my site I will receive a small commission. These funds go toward developing and maintaining the blog. I thank you from the bottom of my heart if you support the blog in this way.

Slices of life: Confession time

Somehow writing up a post like this is easier when the typing is happening in my head and not on the laptop.

I haven’t wanted to talk to this for a few reasons, mostly that I am a private person and that I am on the job market. The last thing I wanted was a potential employer to find out my health was not in the best shape. It could affect hiring. But so far I am not getting called back for interviews and I want to get back on this horse.

There is something wrong with me health-wise. So far I don’t know what it is. It started in August 2011, when I finished up my coursework for my Master’s degree. I think coming off that nearly constant stress and adrenaline push to get everything done is what kept my body from showing any problems beforehand. And after that, oh… I was tired at all the time. My brain turned into fog, and I had trouble with focus and concentration. And as time went on it got worse. I would cancel plans, not go out and see people. After several months of this, my weight started to go back up again. Between 2002 and 2008 I lost 90 pounds. Within a year I gained back 50.

In January of this year I hit my breaking. It had been almost 18 months since the problems began and they were only getting a little better as time went on. I went to a doctor to get tested for hypothyroidism and see if they had any other ideas of what might be wrong. The first test came back as borderline hypothyroid. I was given two options with the result: pills or visiting an endocrinologist. I opted for the latter, which turned out to be a good thing. The endocrinologist said that my level was not worth going on medication. When he dispenses it, it is for patients with levels that would have made mine look very normal. And it’s immaterial. The second test done for my thyroid showed that they were fine. In fact, all my numbers were great.

But I’m still tired a lot. My usual vim and vigor remain low. And I am not sure what to do. I have started working with my friend Bari in her professional capacity as holistic nutritionist. Now that we have had some appointments and time to talk, her first big recommendation was for me to go gluten free. It is taking me a little while to get there, between gathering together the food replacements and planning new menus.

Which means I need to get back to cooking in a big way. And that means fodder for posts to put up here.

And May is going to be a busy month. I have 2 (!) giveaway in the works and an ebook sale package coming up, all thanks to the wonder women in the Nourished Living Network. Plus my favorite band will be playing a few shows in New York City and there is no way I am not going to be there for most of them. Then add to that the end of the fiscal year coming up at my job. The job where I have been doing the work of 2+ people since the fall, because two of my coworkers retired last year. Let me tell you, that has been a lot of fun while feeling like I have been. Thankfully everyone has been sympathetic to how I have been feeling and we’re all helping each other where we can.

This all means I am going to marshal what energy I do have and make the most of it. For a long time it’s been too easy to lose myself in watching shows on Netflix, playing video games, and sometimes just staring at the computer without doing anything else. That is not me. My ambitious, energetic self still remembers what it feels like to DO a lot, and wants it back.

I would also like to say a heart-felt thank you to every single person who has been liking me on Facebook this year. One of my hopes for 2013 is to push my fan numbers up to 2,000. When I started the year it was a little over 1,000. Getting halfway to my goal in only 5 months still astounds me. Especially considering I have been a lot more quiet. So thank you all.

A Kickstarter for real foodies and ethical omnivores everywhere!

Have you ever imagined raising your own animals? And even being able to butcher and put them up yourself?

Okay, maybe only so many of you. In our culture there is a huge gulf between farmers and butchers and their customers. Once upon a time butchers were a common sight in every neighborhood. Now for most people who eat meat, it’s just slabs of stuff in cellophane and styrofoam.

Three years ago in Portland, Oregon, a woman named Camas Davis decided she wanted to learn to butcher. As part of her education she started the Portland Meat Collective, finding others who also shared her interest and desire. Now she is looking to expand her project through the Meat Collectives Across America Kickstarter.

There are two weeks left in the campaign. As I am writing this post, there is $146 left to raise to meat the goal. I get nothing out of this post, just the joy of seeing such a needed project come to fruition.

Maybe one of those new meat collectives will even come to Connecticut… in the meantime I need to decide how much I can afford to give to the project!

Where things stand – an update

It’s been quite a month here, most notable for some snow, and my neck of the woods set the record for the most snowfall. My workplace was closed for two days again, just like during Sandy last fall. Then the first day my employer was open again, I took off for my annual visit to California. It was grand! I need to share some photos here. I also gave my first talk about traditional foods along with my friends Kelli, a real food mom, and Bari, a holistic nutritionist. The room was full, people were open to hearing what we had to say, and I’m already inspired to do more talks for this particular group.

I also need to post some photos from this trip. The amazing thing was that I took them! I saw (and smelled) the Redwoods and watched the Pacific crash against cliffs in the same day. I played tourist and enjoyed the company of friends I only see on rare occasion. Vacations are my time for renewal and recharging. The challenge for me is not to forget what I learn while I am gone.

I’m also thrilled to announce that I am now a member of the Nourished Living Network!

I hope all of you are thawing out and enjoying the lengthening days.

Come join the fun on Facebook and follow me on Twitter!

January link love

Things I have been loving this past month, which can all be summed up under “loving my family’s ancestral culture”:
*Scandinavian folk and folk-esque music. In fact, let introduce you to an incredible singer from a country you’ve likely never heard of before.

*Reading about Anglo-Saxon culture

*Realizing that I need to make some time to read Tolkien, considering the aforementioned Anglo-Saxon reading, playing Lego Lord of the Rings, and enjoying The Hobbit on the big screen.

I’m also preparing for my annual trip to California, doing some things out there which I might tell you about here, and taking some formal steps to figure out how to help my health return.

And as always, I read blogs. One thing I would like to do this year is more formal sharing of others’ works, like I am about to do here:

Hollandaise sauce made simple by Cooking Traditional Foods.

Are you still working on goals you set at the new year? If they are health related, look at this post from Hybrid Rasta Mama detailing 10 ways coconut oil can help you with those goals.

I have to make some time in the kitchen so I can try these grain and corn free tamales from GAPS Diet Journey.

Are you still eating packaged foods like “instant” mashed potatoes? Read this from My Life in a Pyramid, then throw out all those boxes when you’re done.

Did you ever consider that eating lesser known plants and animals might be GOOD for them? This article from Eatocracy explains how eating endangered breeds can save them. Short answer: demand. Increase the demand and there is motivation to eat the supply. A very slow food take.

Part of my job duties include ordering DVDs for our collection. Just yesterday I put in an order for the recently aired Soul Food Junkies. And I wish I could include this critique from Hunt. Gather. Love. with the DVD.

My friend Jessica has been sharing her ongoing work with improving her health, and has a good reminder of why second opinions are important.

Finally, if you’re not a fan of mine on Facebook, you have missed out on me raving about this South African hot toddy which has been finding its way into my belly a few times over the past week. It’s even better than it sounds.

Come join the fun on Facebook and follow me on Twitter!

Making plans for 2013

I cannot believe we are mostly done with another January. Of 2013.
2013.
Isn’t this supposed to be the future? With flying cars and Rosie the Robot taking care of my house in the sky? I suppose there’s a lot more wait for all that.

I wish the start of my year were so interesting, but instead it has been a mix. It’s been about having two of my cousins here from Sweden, and dealing with a sore throat which has been plaguing me on and off for weeks. But they are now back safely in Sweden, and I seem to have beaten the sore throat. Now I am working on staying focused and getting more of my long term plans back on track.

I’ve decided that my word for this year is change. In particular, I seek positive change. I want change which will benefit me, not blindside and leave me on my rump. And while I don’t much care for resolutions anymore, I do have goals.

1. MOVE

Some people know about this plan, and I’ve hinted about it in other places. This year I want to move.
Specifically to the San Francisco Bay area. I visit every year, have a large circle of friends and chosen family in the area, and just want some big shifts to get my life out of this stalled place it is in. What this means, though, is that I need to get myself in gear and apply for jobs left and right. It’s been just over a year since I got my Master’s degree in library science and it would be nice to be able to put all that learning to use.
Though to be fair, one of my cousins is a librarian in Rhode Island. She has told me that with her employees who got an MLS, it takes them about three years to get a position.
Good thing I have a nice pile of jobs I can apply for in my desired living area. Now I just need to get on that horse and ride. Which does somewhat lead into…

2. Get my health back to what it was.

If you have been following the blog. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ibelieveinbutter&quot;?Facebook or my Twitter for a while, you know I have been having issues with fatigue for the past year. I don’t much want to discuss my personal health issues here (see point one, and the fact that I will use this blog to point out my writing skills to potential employers) but I have made an appointment to get some tests done to see if there are any underlying issues which are keeping me in this sluggish state. It’s frustrating when I don’t have the energy or focus to do the things I love, like my work on this blog and continuing my belly dancing. I also gained a good amount of weight last year and I am not comfortable with carrying it around.

3. Take this blog to the next level

One part of this is already in motion and I will be announcing it in the coming days. I’ve been swearing up, down, right, and left that I am going to put this blog on its own domain. Good thing I am seeing the friend I want to have do the job in a few weeks, and I’d like to get some more income streams aside from my Mountain Rose Herbs affiliation.
I also want to do more research for posts here, post more often, starting weekly, and keep a level of integrity with my work.

4. Participate in one dance performance or hafla this year.

Since I have mentioned my belly dance before I think it is fair to include this goal in my list. For those who do not know, a hafla is a belly dance party/performance which is usually for other dancers.

5. Unload more of my belongings.

This comes with wanting to move. Who wants to take a bunch of stuff with them when they move which they don’t want, just because they haven’t been able to go through it? I have collected some items for a new place and it would also be nice to know what I have before I go in to a new place.
Also, getting rid of the unwanted stuff means some possible extra income.

6. Become more present in my life.

Last month I got hit with a proverbial clue by four about how I have been functioning for a year. Life is not a list of things to be crossed off and done and then rushing off to the next task. Yes I had to do this during my grad school time in order to make sure everything got taken care of. Now that I have time again I don’t have to rush. It’s so difficult to shift back into that kind of work pace. And with the fatigue, it’s been too easy either to forget or stall. Much of my energy has been focused at my job. Last year we had three people leave from my office: two retirements and one person accepting a new job. This made my workload double. At least.

What are your goals for this year?