Baby Allen Is Here!!!

We are so pleased to announce that Deborah Grace was born Friday, December 30th at 9:50 pm! 

She weighs 6 lbs, 15 oz and is 20 inches long. She was born on her due date, which makes this my third baby to be born on their due date! 

She is named Deborah after my sweet Mother who passed away a year and a half ago. Her middle name was given to me in church a few weeks ago as the Lord has given me so much grace since my Mom passed away. He has given me strength to go on even though I miss her so much. 

All of the children are elated to have a new sister, but the girls especially can't leave her alone! 

Olivia holding Deborah for the first time. 

The birth was amazing, and I will share a more detailed birth story later. She is nursing well, but having lots of gagging and choking problems so prayers would be appreciated that she would keep enough milk down instead of spitting it up! Other than that we are doing great! 

Praise the Lord for His blessing us with another arrow in our quiver! 

Simplify your life with these products!

Ready to start simplifying your life in 2012? You might consider using One Bite At A Time, 52 Projects For Making Life Simpler. It's currently on sale for just $4.00 with the coupon code: HAPPYNEWYEAR

You can learn more about it from the author herself:





If you need a fresh start for logging all your homeschool plans and hours, here is a great resource you only have to buy one time!

Each of the PDF forms in this Weekly Homeschool Planner can be typed in, edited, and saved to your own computer! This is a planner you can use year after year. You can purchase this for $12.00 using the code: ORGANIZE12. 

Year End Sales!

Vision Forum is having their popular liquidation sale, with over 225 items 30-70% off! Now is an excellent time to stock up for gifts for the coming year! 

Family Vision Films has some of their DVD's on sale. The one that interests me the most is the Homemaking 101 DVD - it's on sale for just $10.95! Here is a clip about it:

CPT Worldwide has some pregnancy tests on clearance! 

Holiday Mixes and Gifts In A Jar ebook is on sale for $2.50 until December 31. You can make mixes all year long for your family or as special gifts! 

The Bulk Herb Store has a special until the end of the month on the excellent Making Babies DVD set. Save 40% when you order 3 sets! This would be a great deal if you had several friends wanting to purchase a copy.  

True Christian Motherhood Ebook is 50% off and is just $3.50 right now! 

And of course our very own inventory sale at The Modest Mom is still going on! Orders have been pouring in, so hurry and get yours in before the items are out of stock! 

* I plan to take the rest of the week off of blogging to focus on behind the scene projects for next year. I have a special series lined up for next month that I can't wait to share with you - there will be lots of guest posts! Hopefully I will be cuddling my new baby as you enjoy the series!*

Year End Inventory Sale At The Modest Mom!

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The Modest Mom is having a year end inventory sale! Here are just some of the fantastic deals going on right now! 

The Marrianne Blouse is on final year end clearance sale for just $10.00! That's 50% off in price. Once these are gone, they will not be in stock again so grab one (or two!) at this low, low price! 

The ever popular layering shells are on sale! We now carry these shells in an XX-Large size, and there is a sizing chart available now for all sizes! The black, white, and cream color shells are all on sale. 

The Michelle Dress is on sale for just $28.00! 

Our classic Rainbow Striped Denim skirt is on sale for $39.95! 

Don't forget to visit our ready made skirt section. These are skirts that are already sewn up ready to ship out. They are available in a certain size and color. 

Check out all these items and more! 

Merry Christmas From My Family To Yours!

From my family to yours 

Merry Christmas! 

"Unto you is born this day a Savior"

Which is Jesus Christ the wondrous Lord;

Not a "teacher," not a "good example,"

But the Son of God, the Living Word.

No "philosopher," his fancies weaving,

Warp of dreams and woof of visions vast,

Not a "prophet," peering down the future,

Not a "scholar," delving in the past.

BUT

"Unto you is born this day a Saviour,"

Earth's one hope, the Life, the Truth, the Way;

Jesus Christ the Lord is born today.

Annie Johnson Flint

I pray you have a blessed weekend, celebrating the most important birth that has ever, or will ever occur in the history of mankind. Our Lord and Saviour took it upon himself to come and be the atoning blood for us - Hallelujah! 

My Christmas Baking List {And a Link up!}

My family has a tradition every year that we get together and have a holiday baking day. We then share the goodies together on Christmas Day, and bring treats to our neighbors also. It is a lot of fun to be together for a day while making yummy things!

I asked my husband for any requests he had, and I wasn't surprised that his request was pretty simple - chocolate chip cookies! Seriously, that is his favorite dessert. :)

Here is what I picked out to make this year.

Cheesecake Truffles

Oreo Truffles 

 

Perfect Lemon Bars

 

Reese's Cheesecake Brownies 

 

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I can't wait to bake all this today! What holiday treats are you making? I'd love to have you share below any Christmas recipes, or any blog posts related to Christmas at all!

Please link up using the button below on your blog post! 

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Resources to help you build a blog and earn an income!

I know this is a little different than what I normally share, but after asking on Facebook today if I had any readers that blogged, I was blown away with the response! It seems a lot of you do blog, so I thought this might interest you!

People blog for many different reasons. Sometimes it is just a family blog, others are so passionate about writing that they could care less if they earn any money off of it. Others love to use blogging as a way to help build a side income for their family, and many stay at home moms today are pursuing that.

I don't buy very many resources to assist me in blogging, but I'm defiantly going to jump on the deals I just found out about. If you are wanting to learn more about how to build a blog, drive more traffic to your blog, or get really serious and earn money off of a blog you might want to consider looking at Pro Blogger ebooks right now.

Darren Rowse is well known for being an extremely successful blogger, and he has written ebooks to help assist other bloggers in becoming profitable in blogging as well. I was excited to see that he will be speaking at the next Relevant Conference (not that I will be attending) as I'm sure he will give many helpful tips.

Until Friday December 23 (midnight eastern time) you can purchase three of his ebooks 50% off! I get the feeling that they don't go on sale very often, which is why I'm going to grab one (or two!)

1. First Week of Blogging Ebook

2. 31 Days to Build A Better Blog (2012 Edition) - this is his best selling ebook! 

3. The Bloggers Guide to Online Marketing - this ebook is if you are really serious about wanting to earn an income from your blog. 

These would be very good tools to assist you in a fresh start for your blog in the coming new year! And if you have only been considering starting a blog, these would walk you through it. Blogging can be a wonderful tool to assist the family income if you are serious about it, and committed to putting some time into it.

One other tip - DIY Ministry is a great Christian resource for all of your Web Platform needs, such as websites/blogs, social media, SEO, Ebooks, Marketing and more....Their introductory rate of $24.95 a year for the membership is ending Dec 31st and will go up to $39.95 a year.

Save on Vision Forum Gift Certificates!

Need a last minute Christmas gift? You could consider sending someone a gift certificate to Vision Forum! 

Right now you can buy a $50 gift certificate for $40! 

Or

Buy a $100 gift certificate for just $75.00! 

I'll give you a tip though - Vision Forum normally has amazing blow out deals at the end of the year. You might want to consider purchasing one of these deals now and use it to stretch your money a little bit further at the end of the year! 

The Money Saving Mom's Budget Book Review

I have been blessed to know the blogger behind Money Saving Mom since she was a teenager as we used to write letters to each other, and I subscribed to a Christian Young Ladies magazine she put out through the mail! It has been so amazing to watch how successful she has grown and how many lives she has helped.

When I heard she was writing a book I was thrilled! I was even more ecstatic when I was able to receive a pre-release copy of The Money Saving Mom's Budget to review, and I have really enjoyed reading it.

For those of you who are not familiar with Money Saving Mom, she is a Christian blogger who shares how to save money while not going insane about it. :) I have learned a lot from her tips over the years and appreciate all the resources she has freely shared.

If you regularly read her blog you might be thinking that you don't need to read the book as she just copied and pasted her blog into a book. I felt like reading the book went far beyond her blog and she shared more in depth on how to budget, save money, run a household, grocery shop (with and without coupons), etc.

My favorite chapter was "Are The Chaos and Clutter in Your Life Keeping You From Financial Success?" My husband actually bookmarked this and left a note for me to read it. Ha! There must be a message there. :) Yes, my husband is a perfectionist and I am not...and it reflects in our household. She had a lot of good tips and things to ponder on in that chapter that really convicted me.

Right now it is available to pre-order on Amazon and it will be shipped in about 3 weeks I believe. Do you want to know another very good reason why you should order this book? Because Crystal did an amazing thing and donated 100% of her profits from the book to Compassion International. So when you order this book you are not only blessing your family by learning how to budget your money better, you are also blessing children in need! When I read she was doing that I honestly was speechless for a minute.

If you are wanting to give this book as a gift to someone for Christmas, Crystal has gift cards available to print here if you pre-order the book. What a great idea!

Visit Our Lovely Sponsors and Affiliates! 

Sweet Little Blessings - Cloth Diapers and more 

CPT Fertility Products - A frugal resource for pregnancy and ovulation tests

Lilla Rose - Beautiful yet practical hair clips

Vision Forum - Godly Resources for your entire family  

Childrearing as our profession

I looked on childrearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully interesting and challenging as any honourable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it. 

                                     ~ Rose Kennedy ~


Do you consider being a mother your profession? 


If I have learned anything since becoming a mother, it is that raising children is  one of the most exhausting and demanding jobs that is out there. No wonder so many mothers choose to drop their children off at daycare and let someone else raise them from 8-5, because working somewhere else is often times easier than being with young children all day! 


In a sense we do work for an employer while raising our children. God has clearly laid out a path in raising children - just read the book of Proverbs! He entrusted to us precious souls that we must lead to Him, so let us be diligent while we work, never slacking from our duty. 


The bonuses and pay checks will come in time-after long 80 hour work weeks. Just when you think you can't keep going on and a particular child's temper or disobedience has you so discouraged, the Lord sends relief. The child's heart might become broken finally and yield to obedience, or you simply may have read a word of encouragement that lifted you up out of the dark hole you were in. 


Just as we need to encourage our husbands when they work long hours, we also need to find encouragement during our hours of mothering. Get on your knees and cry out to the Lord if you are weary, talk to your husband about possible solutions for problems in the home, or try to get outside for a breath of fresh air by yourself. 


The Lord IS faithful! He will provide your every need!  

From Financial Ruin to The Cross

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Lying there in a musty old black trunk the faded news clipping grabbed my attention. The year on the paper was 1927 and the story was heartbreaking. A farming comminuty in Iowa was shocked when a well to do citizen was reported to have ended his own life. His only child, at the age of 14, had been the one to discover the loss of his father. 


The apparent cause?


 Financial ruin. 


Though the stock market crash of 1929 was yet to come, times were tough in Iowa. This man had to close the communities bank and other businesses he owned. All he had worked and hoped for was suddenly gone. His answer was to end life in despair. 
 
It was 72 years later as I read this article. Tears rushed to my eyes thinking of that 14 year old boy. The days ahead in his life I could now understand more fully. That 14 year old was my Great-Grandpa. It was just days after Christmas, a new year had begun in 1999. My Grandpa had just died after a battle with bone cancer and it was time to begin cleaning out his home. Kneeling there in front of that trunk my mind went back over my Grandpa's life and the things I had never understood about him. 
 
I knew my Grandpa had gone through the Great Depression with his mother, being very poor though she tried to make ends meet. As I grew up I knew Grandpa valued money and held tightly to it. It was very important to him. He wanted to hold on to it and not let it go. I had never in my life known a man who could scrimp and save like Grandpa. This was a man who would duck tape his shoes together when they started unraveling! The list of things Grandpa would do to save money seemed endless. This attitude came with a price in his life. That being a huge portion of his life, to hoard his money, gave him no peace or joy, simply constant worry.
 
After Grandpa's cancer was so advanced he could not live alone, he came to live with our family. As we took care of him I had the chance to have many conversations with him. He shared stories of his life, music he had loved, songs he had sung. Some of these conversations turned to God and the meaning of life. Grandpa had faithfully attended church for years, he knew the message of putting your trust in Jesus Christ. Still Grandpa was convinced his security was the money in his bank. He really seemed sure in someway he could take it to heaven with him. 


The days turned to the winter season and it was clear Grandpa's time here on earth was coming to an end. The conversations gew in length and seriousness. One day Mark 8:39 came up, "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Reality came to Grandpa as we talked that Christmas season. This was it. The life he had lived and the purpose of his life was coming to and end. His money could not buy the only thing he could take with him, eternal life. It was a free gift, given in love, from the Son of God who paid the price with His own life. Then Grandpa found peace in the priceless gift of Christ. He was set free from clinging to the things of this world.


 May Christ also bless you with the knowledge of His Redeeming love this Christmas season.

~This was written by my sister Jennifer.~ 

80 Large Megabloks For $11.24!

If you are still searching for a last minute gift Amazon has megabloks 50% off right now with free shipping on orders of $25 and more! My children love their megabloks and even my eight year old still plays with them. 

You can use the code: CZQP26C9 to save an extra 10% off the price, making it just $11.24! 

The pink megabloks or the regular color ones are on sale. 

Thanks Motherhood On A Dime! 

Last Minute Christmas Shopping Sale At The Modest Mom!

Our Christmas Shipping deadline is Monday, December 20th. To help out the last minute shoppers who still need to purchase a gift, we are putting all our ready to ship items on sale today-Friday and Saturday!

This includes our Rainbow Skirt, Nantucket Skirt (Short and Long), Sailor Skirt, Midnight Dream Skirt, Michelle Dress, Modest Layering Shells, and the Marrianne Blouse. If you need custom hemming on any of the skirts that will exclude Christmas delivery. All of our ruffle skirts and A-line skirts that are custom made are excluded from Christmas delivery.

Take advantage of this last sale before Christmas! These would lovely gifts for a wife, mom, daughter, niece, or friend! Encourage modesty in young ladies by giving them a layering shell!

Mothering through dreary days

I was a young mother of 21. After a long and difficult pregnancy, our second son was born being welcomed into the world by his older brother who was a few weeks away from turning two. Life was busy and it should have been a very happy time in my life. I had dreamed of marriage and children all my life and here it was all coming to pass.

As I was conversing with Israel (our second son) last night, he was asking questions about when he was a baby. And my mind flashed back to what life was really like.

 It was anything but roses.

I was suffering from adrenal gland fatigue-something most people around me had never even heard of. I simply had the tired mother look, but nothing to make people aware of the fact that inside I was crumbling. The fatigue was so overwhelming, there were days I didn't know how I could make it until my husband arrived home. Almost every night I would be in bed around 8:00 nursing Israel to sleep so I could go to bed, while my husband put our oldest son to bed.

Life did not look pretty. My memories of Israel as a baby are blurred. I honestly remember more of the exhaustion, the depressed feelings that came from being so tired, and wondering if life would ever be normal again. Israel spit up pretty bad as a baby, and there was spit up that sat dried and crusted on our dresser for over a year, because I was too exhausted to clean it up. The bare essentials were done and nothing more around our house.

Six years later I now have more energy as a mother of almost five than I did as a mother of two. Life does not look nearly so dreary and exhausting-though I still have my days of feeling overwhelmed as I think every mother does! Occasionally, some symptoms of adrenal problems will creep up, as it takes a lot to be totally healed of low adrenals. There are still certain chores I put off doing, such as getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing my floors as it wears me out. But overall I am content with the energy I do have-as I know what life could be like if I had never improved. 

Mothering through dreary days, whether it is physical health or traumatic family problems is taxing. Trying to keep a smile on your face when all you want is a nap and a good cry is one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I learned that the Lord gives grace, and He truly never does give us more trials than what we can handle.

If you are a mother who can relate to this post - you are exhausted inside whether physically or emotionally, I encourage you to just keep going. Get through today only and try not to think about tomorrow. The Lord will give you the strength to endure and many times the situation you are in will get better. Be determined to press on through your trial, looking to our Lord for the perseverance you need. My deep convictions and hopes in being a godly mother and wife helped get me through when I felt I couldn't go on. I knew I didn't have a choice. We only have two paths before us-we can endure or give up. No one wants to give up, and if you are holding a baby in your arms the results of giving up are unthinkable. 


"I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my doings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:1-3

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Save 45-60% off many items at Vision Forum!

 Be sure and check out Vision Forum's huge 45-60% selection! They have a great sale going on right now, including Jonathan Park CD's, Doll Dresses, Large Family Logistics book, and much, much more - all around 50% off!

Plus if you order $75 worth you get a free Courageous DVD! Shipping is just $5 flat rate.

Today's daily deal is Jonathan Park Goes To The Amazon - on sale for just $11.25 which is 55% off! 

The luster of Christmas

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As we reflect on Christ's birth this month, I can't help but rejoice in the miracle of his whole life. Think about it for a moment-

If He did not come as a helpless babe to this world, there would never have been a death. 

If He had not spent His life teaching mankind, there would never have been the New Testament. 

If He had not died on the cross for our sins, there would never have been a Savior for all mankind. 

This Christmas season let us rejoice in Jesus's birth and death. He came as a lowly, humble baby to be loved by his parents, only to grow up to be mocked, scorned, and spat upon by the very people He came to save. The fullness of the beauty of Christmas is not found alone in the birth of the Son of God. It is Christ's death and victory over death that adds a luster to the remembrance of his birth that it could never enjoy otherwise.

What a Savior. 

What a Redeemer. 

Free Shipping at The Modest Mom Saturday Only!

Today we are offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders of $25.00 and more at The Modest Mom! 

Take advantage of this rare sale and get some modest shells, blouses, nursing covers, or skirts without adding shipping! 

No special code is required, just add $25.00 worth of items to your cart and the shipping will automatically be deducted. 

Remember that Monday, December the 12th is the last day to order custom made skirts and have guaranteed Christmas Delivery! 

Click here to shop. 

Maternity Clothes 101: Blouses and Tops

My husband and I during our recent Christmas Photo Shoot for our family! 

This is a sequel to the Maternity Clothes 101: Skirts and More post. 

I'm writing this post as my tummy is blossoming with our fifth baby inside me-and since I'm at my third trimester I'm almost at full bud! :) So I know full well the joys and trials of maternity tops.

For my pregnancies, maternity tops are essential. I know some ladies say they can get away with just buying larger size woman's tops but I can never do that. I carry my babies low and all in the front, so a typical maternity top works well for me.

I hear ladies say all the time that it is hard for them to find modest maternity tops. While I admit there are immodest tops galore out there, I actually like some of my maternity tops better than my regular tops! I don't pay a lot for maternity tops - in fact I don't think I have ever bought a maternity top full price. Here are my secrets for tops.

Buy used! 

Photo Credit

When you are pregnant thrift stores, garage sales, and children's consignment sales can be your best friend. In today's society where many families have two children and then are done-women practically give away their maternity clothes at garage sales. I have found very nice tops for just .50 each at garage sales.

In order of cost, it is cheapest to shop first at garage sales, then thrift stores, then consignment sales. 

But in order of ease of shopping, and an almost sure guarantee of finding something, it is easiest to shop first at children's consignment sales, then thrift stores, and then garage sales. :) 

So it really depends on how much time you have to spend looking for clothes. I have also seen lots of clothes listed on Craigslist, but generally they are sold in bundles and you might not like everything you get so I have never done this for myself. But it's another option.

Most of the clothes in my closet are Motherhood brand. They are classic and seem to last a long time. Depending on the style of shirt I think Motherhood does run small, so keep that in mind. I've worn a size large in Motherhood so it will be modest, and I generally always wear a size small!

Here are some of my favorite tops that are available online right now. I think they are flattering and feminine looking.

Ruffle Front Maternity Top

I like blouses that have a defined waist on them since I carry so low. 

Sleeveless Sash Belt Blouse 

The only way I would wear this would be with a white knit top under it-long sleeve or short depending on the season. This would be really cute and modest!

Long Sleeve Tie Sweater 

My sister gave me two brand new sweaters she found on clearance at Kohls to wear for this pregnancy. They are warm and cute! 

Rosette Top

I love this top! Paired with a black layering shell for modesty, and a black skirt it would look so adorable. 

Don't forget about just solid t-shirts. I wear long sleeve knit tops around the house with my denim ruffle skirt a lot. They are comfortable and warm for everyday. 

I find that most maternity tops are cut really low, so this pregnancy it has been a huge blessing to discover the modest layering shells. I wear these almost every day! It has been the perfect solution to my previous problems of finding an adorable shirt but it just would be really low cut. Finding an actual maternity camisole that is cut high is almost impossible, so these work great. 

Finally, don't forget that clothes do start to look outdated over time. If you start out buying used clothes for your pregnancies and are on your fifth baby, chances are some of those clothes are going to look really old, ragged and outdated by now. I went through my clothes this pregnancy and got rid of a sack full of clothes that were long needing to be retired. :) 

Shopping for maternity clothes can be fun and stressful at the same time! I'd love to hear where you find your clothes, and if you actually buy maternity clothes or not. 

(Quick! Check out the special that was so popular at Black Friday on Vision Forum! You can get some amazing deals with buy 2 get one free, $5 flat rate shipping, and a free $50 gift certificate to Blue Behemoth with a $95+ order!)

Nantucket Denim Skirt on Sale!

Our flattering Nantucket Long Denim Skirt is on sale today only! An ideal skirt for young ladies and moms alike!