Sharing Books for the Homemaking Party

Thanks so much to my Mom for letting me feature her pretty cup and saucer set.  The saucer is marked, "Marco" and the cup is English Bone China in the "Rosina" pattern.  Though they weren't made to match, I think they fit very well together!

A few days ago, as I was thinking about what I'd like to write about today, I realized that there's a big part of my life that I've never shared here: BookCrossing.

About seven years ago, I was introduced to an excellent, world-wide community of book-lovers who love a great game of hide and seek.  You can visit BookCrossing.com for all of the details, but here's the basic idea:

Here is a book I "released" in my neighborhood.

After you've registered (for free!) on the site, you find a book that you want to "release".  You can use books that you own that you're done with, or grab a stack from a thrift shop to rescue. After obtaining (from the site) a unique BCID (BookCrossing ID number), you place that in the book and then leave it somewhere for someone else to find.  When you've released your book, you come back to the site and make a journal entry, telling all future "finders" where you left the book.

After someone else finds it, they can leave an anonymous entry in your online journal, or they can also register and leave a journal entry as a member.  The idea is that you can track your books and see where they've been and what other readers thought of them.  I currently have 7,975 books, all over the world, in which I have left a journal entry.  Over 6,000 of those are ones I have personally released.

You can even go hunting for BookCrossed books in your own neighborhood, using the site's "Go Hunting" feature.  Once you make some friends on the site, you might want to swap books as well---or participate in a travelling book box.  

Are you interested in knowing more?  Visit BookCrossing.com or shoot me an email and I'll help you out.  My username on BookCrossing is: Elizardbreath.  Want to know why?  Check out my profile page to find out!


I love to feature some of the neat posts that are linked up---Please make sure and put my button or a text link on each blog post you link up. The reason that I (and many other party hosts) ask for a link in each post that you link up is because it acts as sort of a trade off.  I host your specific link every week on my post and, in turn, you host my specific link every week on your post.  If you only share my party on your one "linky party page", then you are only hosting my link one time forever---and it's only visible if someone clicks onto that page.  I try to only choose to feature those who have actually put my link within the featured post, but I have a hard time keeping my own rules and checking to make sure the link is included.  So, I'm not making this a mandatory thing to be featured---just asking that you'd consider it!

Here are a couple of my favorites from last week's party:

My oldest daughter, Lynzie, blogs at Thoughts From a Young Writer.  This week, she linked up her recipe for Challah Bread.  She's been writing her blog for a couple years now, and has put up many of her stories, poems, and other thoughts.  Please take a minute to visit and encourage her!  (She is BookCrosser, IonaofKells, by the way.)

Lori at Life, Love and Laughter in a Large Family shared her tutorial for making a cute skirt from a pair of jeans.  I love this idea and her tutorial was very easy to follow.  Thanks, Lori!

Carol from Health & Home & Heritage posted photos of the beautiful things she saw on a recent trip to Michigan.  Aren't these Lupines gorgeous?

Thanks to everyone for the great posts!

If you have been featured, please grab a button!

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Now for the linkup.  Please remember to return the favor by adding my button or a text link to your post.  Have a great weekend!




<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl3MBC08OHdVfVNA2p4AbXHr0RahzOHBRCnosiG00ylKdhunwQJxc6PdOC0n5x99dzbkOheOOhZHAiKstxXgMRdgmbBh-NrDdCn2QxdvHbGldwZ7vlnZcu5_lwiBita04s5UmA5IexKfn/s240/bluebirdbutton1.png " border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

Linking with:
Homemaking Party @ Hope In Every Season
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Homeacre Hop 
Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits @ Stone Gable  
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 
Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Beverly's Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound
Family Fun Friday @ Happy and Blessed Home
Farm Girl Friday @ Let This Mind Be In You
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Home @ Rose Chintz Cottage  
Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz
What's Working Wednesday @ NextGen Homeschool 
Watcha Work-Up Wednesday 
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Simple Living Wednesdays @ Our Simple Farm
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Shoe Lace Linkup @ Living In the Shoe
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows

Blessed at Home #9: I Found Freedom

Thank you for stopping by our 9th week of Blessed At Home.  We sure appreciate everyone who has visited and shared our articles on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Please visit the Contributor Page to read more about this excellent ministry from some of your favorite homemaking bloggers.

Today's featured contributor is Judith, WholeHearted Home:

Hi!! I'm Judith Kowles, and I am so blessed to 'meet' you!! I was saved as a young girl and have been learning to daily abide in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ as I draw closer to Him. I have been married to my sweet husband, Tim, for 34 years, raised and homeschooled seven children from 1988 through 2012, and now caring for twin grandbabies keeps my nest from emptying too fast.

I am an ordinary gal, born at home in Japan, raised in the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong (now China), lived in Hawaii during high school, went to college in California, and since then have been enjoying an extraordinary life at home with my family. I love homemaking, and having a clean kitchen floor under my bare feet is ultimate satisfaction. I have found the whole purpose of having children was for me to see my own sin and learn to walk in an increasing amount of grace and love. I have learned it isn't me but God who changes attitudes and hearts, mine first!! Now that my children are raised, (youngest is 18) I am ready to be a mother. I have learned, through the anvil of motherhood, the trials and victories that have molded me into the woman I am becoming for God's glory.

Some of my favorite things are: baking from scratch (especially with chocolate), cooking up a storm of yummy meals, hot chocolate in the winter and a glass of ice tea in the summer, exercising, walks along the river, biking, hymns, the trombone; but my passion is the Lord Jesus Christ and learning to live a holy and godly lifestyle because He lives within my heart.

Today's topic is, I Found Freedom

Misty, Simply Helping Him

As a mom, there are so many things pulling us a million different ways...
Along with all these things comes a hot to do list we're "supposed" to follow. 
The problem is that we are all different, so what might work for you may not work for me. 

Sometimes we're trying all kinds of things to figure out how to balance it all.  In doing so, we can find ourselves frustrated when systems and methods don't work for us. 

One particular thing that requires our attention is cleaning our home.   I've tried many methods, schedules, systems, etc. Some of them worked ok and served their purpose for a while, others I didn't get beyond the first step.  I finally came to realize that my mother never had a schedule for cleaning. She just took care of things when they needed to be taken care of.  I knew that I could do the same thing! 

I can look around my home throughout my days and see what needs my attention.  The freedom to not have to follow a strict schedule for yet another thing is absolutely freeing for me.  You probably find freedom in different areas of homemaking than I do. 
You might even like a cleaning schedule! Good for you!

The beauty in homemaking is finding peace and freedom in Christ, running your home the way He has designed for you!  Follow His direction and guide, not anyone's particular advice, method and schedule. 

There you will find the freedom you so greatly desire in homemaking! 

Christy

I grew up in the 70's! Burn your bra, woman's lib, etc. I have been finacially independant most of my life. I was the wife who supported my husband at 18 years old when he got layed off from his job. I did take a few years' break from working when my kids were little, but I always ended up back at work and built a successful career. I spent many years with a higher income than my husband.

Last fall, after a year of advice from my daughter, (she could see how tired and unhappy I was) and a lot of prayer, I decided to come home. My husband was nervous about being able to support us; but at the same time, he thought we should try it. He could also see that I was craving the homemaker lifestyle.

We are both so happy and comfortable with our new roles in our marriage. He is proud to work for us and I am proud to keep a happy home for us. We don't spend our money on hose, heels and fast food any more. We really didn't need a second income. What we needed was time together. Whe he gets home from work, he has a relaxed, peaceful wife to greet him. We are finally a family unit, instead of two people going our separate ways each day.

I found freedom as soon as I realized that trying to be free and independant was confining me!

I thank the Lord for showing me my place is here, at home, at this time in my life, and for giving me a wise daughter and a responsible loving husband.



Most of our Blessed at Home team is taking a summer break this week, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to find out what topics our readers would like to see covered in future editions of Blessed at Home.  Do you have questions you'd like answered or things you'd like to see discussed here?  Let us know in the comments below!

Linking with:
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Simple Living Wednesdays @ Our Simple Farm
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Shoe Lace Linkup @ Living In the Shoe
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows
Homemaking Party @ Hope In Every Season
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Homeacre Hop 
Desire to Inspire @ A Royal Daughter
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 
Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Farm Girl Friday @ Let This Mind Be In You
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
From the Farm

Make Bake Create #14: Painted Bamboo Utensils

  

Welcome to this week's Make Bake Create Party! 5 hosts...5 blogs---SWEET! Meet your hosts:

We would love for you to follow us on Google+!

Bubbly Nature Creations

Hope In Every Season

Mommy Hates Cooking

The Creative Princess

The Rookie Seamstress

This week our featured host, Brandi, shares these super cute Painted Bamboo Utensils.  Visit her at The Creative Princess to see how they're done!  I want some!

There were lots of great ideas and yummy food featured last week.  Here are a couple of my favorites.  If you're featured, make sure to grab a "featured button" for your blog!




<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRn09kU2RemU6LsKqKpqOxSc8lLCH9RDGzDVK164-4hJaY289rNS0LDGtgG6gOHfZ3qztHJIBAyR85U5zoDA-wpv7s0wvCPwTpE9Enlgg7f-zlcNbDGukTGMhU6Vz15YkqBkjpsBcl5Vl/s240/MBCFEATURED.png " border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

Artsy VaVa shared this adorable Suitcase Table.  Isn't this so awesome?  I have everything I need to make one of these...I can't wait!

I love this Coconut Honeybee Lip Balm from JES at Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth.  Such a great tutorial---thanks for sharing it with us!

Fellow host, Kristy at Mommy Hates Cooking, linked up her Flag Cookie Cake---a tasty and super easy treat for the 4th.  It's so easy to make, you could definitely grab the ingredients for a last minute dessert.  Enjoy!


Follow our Make Bake Create Party Pin Board where we will be pinning the projects linked up here!  

* Be sure to include The Make Bake Create button or text link to in your linked post; this is recommended in order to be featured!




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Now Ready... set... Link Up!!!

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