I know that when a new year is starting it is a time to think about all that we want to accomplish in the coming year and also, what things we want to stop doing (like buying cookie dough for me "and Patrick", and then secretly making cookies on the nights when he is at work...........yeah probably won't stop doing that). I am not big on New Years resolutions, as it usually ends up making me feel like a failure but this year I have to admit that I am excited and hopeful about what this year is going to bring. As Patrick and I have been trying to get pregnant and it continues to not happen, I keep asking the Lord, "Ok Lord, if not raising a family, then what the heck am I doing here?!". I knew without a doubt (ok some doubt) that the Lord was leading me to stop working, and when a baby didn't come along rather quickly, I really started to feel useless, like I had no purpose, after all, although Patrick appreciates the house being clean, dinner being ready, laundry staying caught up, when he gets home, etc, is my life's purpose really just to make sure my husband always has clean underwear? I'm being a little sarcastic here, I do believe that as a woman and a wife part of my ministry is to my husband, to provide all of those things and more to him, and I take great joy in keeping house and making our home a place of peace for us to live. Still, I know my God, and He continues to ask more of me, challenging and stretching me so I knew He had other reasons for wanting my full attention at home.
Food.
It is ALL about the food people! It all started when I read a book called "Beautiful Babies: Nutrition for Fertility, Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, & Baby's First Foods" by Kristen Michaelis. I realized that we are putting things into our bodies, THAT WERE NEVER MEANT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION! This book really opened my eyes to the damage that we are causing our bodies just by one trip to the grocery store. I could go on and on about this, but I won't, mostly because I am still at the very beginning stages of learning how to avoid grocery stores as much as possible. Where was I? Oh, yes, a new year. For Christmas my mom got me a "Healthy Living Bundle", which includes over 80 ebooks, covering subjects from food, skin care, exercise, gardening, etc. SO, I have committed to reading all of these books this year, and making changes to our lifestyle as I read. It's overwhelming and my first reaction is to throw everything that is in my kitchen now out, and start over, but I'm thinking that a diet of deer meat, eggs, sour dough bread, and organic whole milk would get old pretty quickly. I really believe that the reason we hear about so many fertility problems, anxiety, depression, heart disease, ADD, even whether or not our kids will need glasses and braces are all affected by the food that we eat. It's really amazing, and so fun to see where the Lord is going to take this. Anyway, I'm going to list the books that I will be reading this year, just in case any of you would like to read along with me:
Real Food Cookbooks:
-The Breakfast Revolution: Recipes from outside the cereal box by Beth M. Ricci
-The Veggi Book: How to Pick, Prepare, and Plate by Shay Tate Worth
-Much Ado about Chicken By Debra Worth
-Nourishing Cookies By Debra Bauman
-Wholesome Comfort by Kate Tietje
-Better than a Box: How to transform processed food recipes into whole food favorites By Kate Kimball
-Steeped: Simple Nourishing Teas and Treats By Katherine Stanley
-Easy and Health Slow Cooker Recipes By Kelly McNelis
-15 Minute Freezer Recipes By Kelly McNelis
-Health Icepops and Frozen treats by Kelly McNelis
-Fresh Nourishing Salads for all Seasons by Kimberly Harris
-Whole Foods Kitchen: Whole Breakfasts and Breads by Rachel Ramey
-Eat This: Meal Salads and whole food dressings by Renee Tougas
-Simple. Healthy. Tasty. by Tammie Nelson
-High Protein No Powder: Protein bars and smoothies made with real food by Tiffany Terczak
-Dehydrating by Wardeh Harden
**There are a few more that are more targeted for people that want to go soy, gluten, dairy, and wheat free, that I will be looking at but probably won't be attempting to go that extreme just yet :)**
Books on natural skin care:
-Salve made Simple Jennifer Saleem
-My Buttered Life By Renee Harris
-Natural Beauty Recipes
-Homemade Health and Beauty by Sandra Calixto
Books on Natural health:
-The Oilers Handbook
-Common Sense Health: Detox, Diet and Physical Activity by Laurie Neverman
-Using Essential Oils Safely By Lea Harris
-Beginners Guide to Assembling a Natural Medicine Cabinet by Marci Ferrell
-Essential Chefs: A Beginners Guide to using Essential oils in your kitchen by Mary Clendenin and Kayla Howard
-Herbal Adventures a supplement to Herbal Nurturing by Michelle Auger
-Mothers Little Herbal Helpers and Home Remedies By Natalie Vickery
-Questions to ask your Dentist
Healthy Lifestyle Books:
-Finding Joy in Depression By Amanda Pelser
-Find your Balance by Bernice Wood
-A Simple Marriage by Corey Allen
-21 Days to a more disciplined Life by Crystal Paine
-Refresh by Haley Morgan
-31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila Gray Gregoire
-One Bite at a Time: 52 projects for making Life Simpler By Tsh Oxenreider
-A Simpler Season by Jessica Fisher
Books on Fitness:
-Energy Explosion: A 7 day guide to jump start your energy by
-42 Days to Fit by Brandy Ferguson
-A Fat Proof Meal Plan
Books on Gardening:
-The Gardening Notebook By Angie Schneider
-From Garbage to Gourmet by Carrie Isaac
-Growing and Using Culinary herbs by Olivia Brodock
-Emergency Preparedness
Green Living:
-Green Your Life By Emily McClements
-Accidently Green By Hilary Kimes Berstein
-Clean Naturally-Kresha Fabor
-Simple and Natural Green Cleaning Guide by Stacy Karen
-DYI Natural Household Cleaners by
Special Health Concerns:
-Sugar Detox Challenge by Donielle Baker
-Eat Your Way to Parenthood by Gabriella Rosa
-Farewell Fatigue By Mary Ellen Bream
-Pain Redeemed: When Our Deepest Sorrows Meet God By Natasha Metzler
-60 Day Juice Fast By Steve Fuentes
-Infertility: A Silent Struggle and a God who Hears by Whitney Cornelison
Real Food:
-Real Food for the Real Homemaker By Janet Balmet
-A Practical Guide to Real Food By Kayla Howard
-Real Food on a Real Budget by Stephanie Langford
There were several books on kids and parenting that I won't be reading just yet but I will list them in case any of my friends with kids want to look into them:
-Easy Health for Busy Moms: Balance Time, Money and Good Sense By Kelly Crawford
-Herbal Remedies for Children During Cold and Flu Season By Rosalee De La Foret
-The Unwired Mom: Choosing to live Free in an internet addicted world By Sara Mae
-Fat Proof your Kids: A practical guide to helping moms help their kids stay healthy and fit By Terri Bonin
-Love Your Mayhem By Amy Landisman
-Early Potty Teaching By Becky Zale
-Adventures with kids in the kitchen by Chara Shopp
-Cloth Diaper Convery By Erin Odom
-A Parents Playbook for Learning by Jen Lilienstein
-Warning, I throw Food by Jamie Balmet
-Creative ways to calm your baby By Justyn Lang
-Fearless Birth by Kristen Burgess
-Natural Birth Stories by Shannon Brown
Whew that's a lot! So basically I will be learning how to eat like our grandparents did, as much grass fed, organic meat that we can, raw milk, farm fresh eggs, etc. Anything that I can learn to grow and make myself, I plan on attempting. I know that sounds very dramatic, but keep in mind that I have made this reading schedule to fill up the entire year so I will just be doing a little at a time. I hope each of you finds something to be excited about for 2014 as well!
