If you missed the other posts in this series, you can read part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here, part 4 here,  part 5 here and part 6 here.

I never got around to finishing this series because what I thought I was going to say in this final post was drastically changed!

I was going to lay out some baby steps to healthier eating and tell you some specific things our family was doing so that eating healthy was not so overwhelming.

But before I got a chance to compose the post, I started going to my new doctor (who I absolutely love!) and the diet she prescribed was a radical change!  Baby steps weren’t going to cut it for me.

So much for trying to keep things from being overwhelming!

Basically I had to keep doing all the things I had been doing (local, organic food) but with the elimination of gluten and several other food intolerances we discovered that I had.

That’s the extremely short version of it all, but my point is that while I was hoping to preach “baby steps” to you all, in reality I had to practice radical strictness for myself.

No matter what path I would have taken, I believe my conclusion to the whole matter of balancing time, money, and health would have been the same:

The balance isn’t the same for everybody.

While I may be allotting a generous portion of our budget for food and spending more time preparing my food, you may be only changing up a few key ingredients in your kitchen.

A year or two ago, my mouth would have dropped open if you would have told me how much we’d be spending on food right now.  And back then, it wouldn’t have been the right balance for us.  But my husband has been blessed with a raise and good food was a priority for us, so we put extra money toward it.

What we spend on food may not be what you’re supposed to be spending (or can even afford to spend.)

Here’s the mistake many of us make:  We think that just because we’ve found the balance that is right for us, everyone else’s balance should look just like ours or they’re not doing something right.

For those who have a lower income, the temptation comes to think that those who spend extra money on organic food are being too extravagant, too concerned about their health when “everybody’s going to get cancer anyway”, and shouldn’t be spending so much money, time, and effort on their eating preferences.

For those who can afford it, and choose to make their health a priority with how they spend their money, it can be tempting to be critical of others who don’t eat all the same things you do.

Those on both sides of the spectrum need to ask themselves some questions.

Am I spending my money as wisely as possible?  I may not have much, but am I being a good steward of my body with the money I do have?

Is there information regarding my health I know I should pay attention to, but I’m choosing to ignore it because I know it’s going to require some financial adjustments?  (In other words, I use “I can’t afford it” as an excuse when I probably could adjust things to make it happen if I chose to.)

Am I criticizing others for their choices instead of focusing on my personal responsibility to manage my own money and health wisely?

Am I trusting in my food choices to keep me healthy, or am I remembering that my health is a gift from God?  If I can’t afford all the food I’d like to eat, am I still thankful for what I have and trusting God to keep me healthy? 1 Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

As I write posts on various topics regarding healthy eating, (such as my post from yesterday on Why I Drink Raw Milk) I hope you’ll keep in mind that these topics are merely for your consideration; not because I’m telling you I think you have to do this or you are inferior to me if you don’t.  I have come to my conclusions about certain foods gradually and after thorough research of my own.  I didn’t just decide to start spending extra money because somebody put me on a guilt trip.  And I’m not here to put you on a guilt trip, either.  I’m here to encourage you and provide resources to help you come to your own decisions on what is right for you.

Tell me, where are you in your healthy journey?  Are you still struggling to find the right balance?  Or have you found the balance that is right for your family and just need to make sure you stay on track?

The post Time, Money, Health: The Conclusion appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

Wednesday is the day I pick up my raw milk for the next two weeks.  I thought some of you may be interested to know why I spend extra time picking up milk from my farmer and why I spend extra money to pay for this milk.

As I began my article, I realized that this was not going to be a quick answer, so I’ve divided it up into several posts so that it’s not so much information all at once!

So, here we go.  The first reason I drink raw milk:

RAW MILK IS SAFE

The FDA will tell you that drinking raw milk is dangerous.  According to them, raw milk carries dangerous pathogens, including Salmonella, E.Coli, and Listeria.  Their statistics state that between 1993 and 2006 more than 1500 people in the United States became sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk. In addition, CDC reported that unpasteurized milk is 150 times more likely to cause food-borne illness and results in 13 times more hospitalizations than illnesses involving pasteurized dairy products.  Sounds scary, doesn’t it?

But…I have a question or two about those “facts”.  Where did the FDA obtain these statistics?  The  article which they have published and updated as of March 22, 2013 contains no references whatsoever for these statistics.  How do we know they’re true?  The claims were originally published in a press release in 2007 and the reference cited was the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reportfor the week of March 2, 2007.  However, that report provides no such information; nor is any such information found in any other FDA or CDC document.

Various reports by the FDA throughout the years have made claims stating that people were infected with bacteria from raw milk sold at various farms.  Each of these reports, however, was never updated with the information that the farms were tested for the suspected bacteria and each time the tests came back negative.  

As scary as the FDA’s reports about raw milk can sound, what they don’t broadcast loudly is that many widespread outbreaks of food-borne illness have actually been due to pasteurized milk.  Pasteurization destroys probiotics; therefore any bacteria that have survived the pasteurization process (and they do survive) cannot be destroyed by the naturally occurring probiotics in the milk.  The largest outbreak of food-borne illness from pasteurized milk occurred in March of 1985 when there were 19,660 confirmed cases of Salmonella.  Pasteurization is no guarantee of milk safety.  

Can raw milk carry bacteria and infect people with food-borne illness?  Absolutely.  If there are indeed potentially deadly bacteria lurking in the milk that I drink, then I think the need for pasteurization would be obvious and more than acceptable.

However, in the 1800s when pasteurization became prevalent, these were the conditions:

Cities were growing rapidly, and there was an increasing demand for milk in these cities.  To meet that demand, cows were housed next to distilleries and were fed the waste from the whiskey making.  This brought the source of milk closer to the cities; however it was by no means a sanitary source.  The cows were unhealthy and crowded, and the workers did not practice sanitary handling of the milk.  An ideal breeding ground for bacteria was the result.  That was the milk that was making people sick; not the milk from fresh pasture-raised cows.  With the infant mortality skyrocketing, city officials had two options: 1. Pasteurize the milk or 2. Certify the sanitation of raw milk. 

Likewise, cows raised in today’s commercial feedlots are raised in similarly unsanitary conditions.  To say that the cows are crowded would be an understatement.  They are tightly packed one against another, standing all day in their manure.  Open sewers line the roads.  The cows are fed grain, which is not natural for cows to eat.  Because of their unnatural diet, they experience massive health issues, and they spend basically their entire lives in a state of constant infection. 

The infection, including blood and pus, ends up in the milk.  To combat the infection, the cows are fed a steady stream of antibiotics, which also end up in the milk along with pesticides and herbicides from their grain-based diet.  The 2003 FDA Pasteurized Milk Ordinance sets the maximum level of somatic cells allowed in Grade A milk at 750,000 cells per milliliter.  Robert M. Krakjan, MD, Surgeon at Seton Medical Centre, wrote in a letter to his patients, “If you don’t already know this, I’m sorry to tell you that another way to describe  white cells where they don’t belong would be to call them pus cells.”

Although raw milk is regulated as to how many units of coliform bacteria (fecal bacteria) the milk can contain, there is no legal limit to the number of coliform bacteria that conventional milk can contain.  The rationale is that since it will be pasteurized, the bacteria will be killed; therefore cleanliness is not terribly important.  In other words, there is no limit on the amount of manure your milk from the store contains; it’s cooked manure, so it’s okay.  Although there are many dairies who do practice good hygiene in their milking, all the milk from every farm gets blended together anyway, so the quality is only as good as the quality offered by the worst farm.

So, the question is: Is pasteurized milk safer to drink than raw milk? 

If you’re talking about raw milk obtained from the above-mentioned types of sources, then there’s no way I would ever drink one sip of unpasteurized milk. 

But if you’re talking about raw milk from a farmer who lets his cows graze on grass, with plenty of space to get fresh air and sunshine, and who utilizes only the most sanitary practices of milking his cows, then I’d say heartily, “RAW MILK IS SAFE TO DRINK!”

But I’m not here to try to convince you.  I’m simply here to get your wheels turning and help you to think through and research things you’ve always been told.  The FDA has always said raw milk is dangerous.  Are they right?

You’ll have to decide for yourself. 

The post Why I Drink Raw Milk: Part 1 appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

I’m so blessed. After spending many of my days in bed or barely keeping up with what needs to be done around the house, God has allowed me to have several good days in a row. I’ve enjoyed being able to do housework, cook dinner, and play outside with my kids! The mundane things of life have become special blessings!

On days when I’ve complained to my husband about not being able to do this or that for the kids, he has simply said, “At least they still have a mom.”

Although I’m hoping that the protocols my nutritionist has prescribed are working and that I’ll continue to improve, I realize that my health is really a gift from God.

As I was reading through my Bible one day, the Lord showed me this verse:

II Chronicles 16:12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. (Italics mine)

Did you get that?  He forgot where his health came from, and went seeking healing his own way instead of going to the Lord.

I have tried to remember each day to acknowledge God’s working in my life, and remember that my health is His decision; not mine.

I may be better than ever tomorrow, but I could be back in bed.  I don’t know what tomorrow holds, so instead I’ll just enjoy today!

The post Thankful for Little Things appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

I have a bunch of odds and ends I need to get done this week, so I’m hoping to use my 15 minute sessions to tackle those.

Here’s what I’m shooting for:

• Replant potted plants into bigger pots
• List a few things on ebay
• Work on planting my herbs that I got as a bonus from the Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle

Since I’m still in survival mode, I’ll be very happy if I even get that little bit done.  I’m trying not to make any big demands on myself right now.  Sometimes those 15 minute sessions just need to be used to do dishes. 

What are you working on this week?

The post 15 Minute Tasks for the Week appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

I’m working on some resources regarding chronic illness.  If you or someone you know suffers from a chronic illness of any type, I’d be ever so grateful if you could help me out with a little information.

And as a thank you, I’ve put together a set of 5 free printables to encourage you on your journey.  When you complete the survey you will be directed to a private page where you can access them.

Please complete the survey here.

I’m not sure why WordPress is adding some strange lines onto some of these.  They won’t be there when you print them.

Thank you in advance for your help!

The post I Need Your Help appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

If you didn’t get a chance to read the other parts to the story, you can go back and do that now. {Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4}

The summer following my junior year found me at home planning a wedding even though I wasn’t engaged yet.  I even found and purchased my wedding dress.  I knew my senior year of college would be busy and I wanted to have as much planning as possible done before school started.

I was missing my boyfriend, who was in Virginia doing his pastoral internship, but I did manage to sneak in a weekend visit (thanks to my ultra-patient mom who accompanied me on what I’m sure was to her a boring trip.)

As the time for school to start drew near, my parents decided they wanted us to go out to eat together and spend some time as a family.  I got dressed in a nice casual outfit and was rummaging through my basket of perfume and body spray when my mom came into my room.  “Can I wear something of yours?” she asked.  “Sure, I don’t care…oh…wait…that’s my favorite one and it was really expensive and now it’s discontinued.  Not that one please.”  It was a roll-on, and as I was in the middle of my sentence she grabbed my wrist and dabbed the perfume on.  “Stop!  I don’t want to use that up!” I protested.  “Oh. Sorry.  I just wanted to see what it smelled like,” was her reply.

“Hey, by the way.  Bring your walking shoes.  We’ll go on a walk afterward,” she mentioned as she left the room.

As we pulled out of the driveway, my dad headed the car not toward town and the restaurants, but toward the college I attended.  He was on staff there, and was always having to stop by to “fix this real quick”, “lock up that door”, or some such thing.  I didn’t think a thing about it.

But when we pulled up, there was a surprise waiting for me…in the form of a PERSON…a very special person! (Now I understood the whole perfume thing, and I was thinking, “Mom, you are awesome.”)

“Get on your walking shoes.  We’re going to go ahead and go on a walk,” Dad said.  I was pretty sure I knew what was going on, but I played along and got my walking shoes on (with my skirt.  So adorable.)

The next thing he said was “Ya’ll go on ahead.  I’ve got to fix something real quick.”

Now I knew for sure what was happening.  I knew mom and dad wouldn’t be along for this walk.

And, we were headed for the exact spot where I had been told a couple years earlier would be “a pretty place to get engaged.”

He was acting pretty nervous, even though to this day he denies it!

A few minutes later we arrived at a picturesque, secluded little pond that had a pier overlooking it.

On the pier were several things:

• A rocking chair – I had mentioned at some point while we were dating that someday I would like to have a special place in my bedroom where I could go to be alone and spend quiet time with the Lord.
• A table – this was his idea.  I would need a side table so that I could always keep my Bible close to my chair.
• A box – He had built it for me with the help of a friend.  Inside the box was a Bible with my name engraved on it.  Only it wasn’t my maiden name.  It was the name I would have if I married him!

As he got down on one knee, his question to me was, “Would you like to have that name?”

When I said “Yes”, he pointed out a place he had hollowed out in the lid of the box where he had placed the ring.

The inside of “the box”

We headed home to another surprise – his parents were visiting from Pennsylvania.  We all enjoyed a truly “family” dinner out.

It was time to begin our final year of college and to prepare for marriage and the joys and responsibilities that lay ahead.  Only God knew what was in our future, but we were blessed to be spending it together!

Shortly after we were engaged

7 years later, I still have my special place. I have spent many a quiet moment here.

The post A Love Story {Part 5} appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

If you didn’t get a chance to read the other parts to the story, you can go back and do that now. {Part 1; Part 2; Part 3}

It was one day before he was supposed to return from Christmas break.  We were planning to fit in one last phone chat that evening.

I was wearing my usual winter around-the-house garb which consisted of baggy sweats and unbrushed hair.

As it grew later in the evening, my mom kept telling me how awful I looked and that she wished I would go make myself look decent.  I did not understand why it was such a big deal – I mean, it was winter and I just wanted to be warm and comfy.

I went and changed into a sweater and skirt, but I wore the biggest, baggiest, frumpiest sweater I had because, like I said, I just wanted to be warm and comfy.

A few minutes later the telephone rang.  Time for my evening chat.  I was sitting at the kitchen island with my back to the door.  While we were talking I heard the door open.  I turned around, and guess who was standing in my house?!!!  He came back a day early just to surprise me!

But did he receive an excited greeting from me?  Absolutely not; not even a “What are you doing here?”  All he got was a scream as I fled to the bathroom to make myself look presentable.  In my mind’s eye I could see my mom shaking her head and saying, “I tried to help you.”

When the girls at school found out about what he’d done, they were all talking about how that was “sooo romantic”.  I didn’t think it was romantic at all because although he was the handsome prince, he had caught me looking nothing like Cinderella.

Nevertheless, it must have been true love, because he still wanted to date me even though he knew what he’d be looking at many a cold winter night if he were to marry me.

We started spending more and more time together, and the next year and a half is such a blur.  With classes, homework, working, and dating, there was a lot that we fit into such a small amount of time.

Valentine’s Banquet 2005

I was so thankful for the fact that we both had Godly parents who were there to guide us through such a crucial time in our lives.  Deciding who you are going to marry is not a decision to be made lightly!  They allowed us plenty of space and did not force their opinions on us, which in turn made it very easy for us to respect their wishes for our relationship.  We wanted to do what they wanted because they didn’t try to make us.

As our junior year drew to a close, we both were sure that God meant for us to be together in marriage, and we talked about it openly.  It wasn’t going to be a surprise when he popped the question (in fact, I started making plans and shopping for a dress before he ever did!)

The question in my mind was not “if” but simply “when” and “how”.

I’ll tell you all about it in the next post!

The post A Love Story {Part 4} appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

There’s an online shopping site called Thredup, which is sort of like an online Goodwill, only they have very, very nice stuff.

I have gotten some really nice stuff for my kids there in the past, and they have just opened up a women’s department.

Here’s the fun part…if you’re a new customer, you can use the coupon code LADY15 to get $15 off women’s clothes!  (Through Friday, May 10, only!)

You will pay shipping, but it is very reasonable – $2.99 for the first item and $.99 per additional item.

There are tons of nice clothes under $15, so you could get a new item (or even 2 or 3) and only pay a few dollars for shipping!

I thought some of you ladies with limited budgets and shopping time might enjoy the opportunity to get some free clothes!

Go here to shop.

The post Fun Little Tidbit appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

We all have our share of heartaches and disappointments.  And each one of us has their unique set of valleys through which we must pass.

My valleys will not be the same as your valleys.

Maybe you’ve already walked through a great many valleys.  Maybe your darkest hours still lie ahead of you.

Have you ever seen someone experiencing a trial and knew that there was no way you could understand what they were going through?  Because you had never experienced what they had experienced, you could never say “I understand.”

“I’m sorry” feels so weak during those times.

During this time of my illness, there have been times when the help or encouragement people tried to offer was actually one of the least helpful or encouraging things they could have said or done.  When that happens I try to look beyond what was said or done and understand the sentiment behind it.  I choose to be grateful for their good intentions and for the fact that someone loves me enough to try to help, even when they don’t understand what I need.  And I never want to scare people off from continuing to try by making them feel like they did something wrong.

In these days leading up to Mother’s Day, there are articles going up across the blogosphere that are meant to be an encouragement to those who are dealing with infertility, who have experienced a miscarriage or the loss of a child, who have lost their own mothers, or who have a less-than-desirable relationship with their mother or children.

I don’t understand those things.  I have never experienced the heartache of infertility.  I have a great relationship with my children and with my mother who is still living.  And although I did experience a miscarriage, that was a long time ago, and the hurt is all but healed.  Perhaps God will give me the grace to share that story at some point.

But the fact of the matter is, I can’t put my arm around you and say, “I understand.”

But when I think of you – some my dear friends, some only acquaintances, some whom I’ve never met – the tears well up in my eyes as I try to at least imagine how you must feel.

Can I let you in on the thought processes of someone who doesn’t know firsthand how you feel, but who still loves you and wants to help?

• First, know that I pray for you.  Whenever you come to mind, I ask God to give you the strength and grace that you need.  Although I don’t know how you feel, He does, and I go to Him regularly on your behalf.
• It’s hard to know what to say and what not to say.  It’s really none of my business why you don’t have any kids or what’s going on between you and your teenager.   I assume you don’t want every random person poking into your business, and who am I to think that I am the exception?  So unless you offer me the information, I’m not going to ask.  The reason I don’t ask because is not because I don’t care; I don’t ask because I don’t want to make things harder on you than they already are.
• If I know your situation, and I offer information, it’s because I truly care about your well-being.  I am often torn because I don’t want to withhold information that I know could be of help to someone, but with my health issues I know what it’s like to receive advice from everybody.  (Which is why I was torn when it came to letting you know about the fertility bundle.  It’s not meant to be a slap in the face or to make you feel as if you haven’t been smart enough to find the right information on your own.  But at the same time I understand that some people are still searching and praying for God to lead them, and I don’t want to withhold the information if it does happen to be what you’ve been looking for.)
• I really hope that you look past what I said or did that wasn’t exactly what you needed.  I really want you to  see my heart for you and that even if I didn’t get it right, it was still meant to show you my love.

So, as someone who can’t honestly say “I understand” when it comes to these things, here is the best advice I can give to those who want to help others who are hurting.  I really want those who are in the hurting category to comment and let me know what about this list is right, what needs to be changed, and what needs to be added, okay?  Please feel free to comment anonymously if you’d like.

• Pray for those you know are hurting.
• Don’t pry, but let them know you are praying for them.  Perhaps it just needs to be a note, email, or just in conversation saying, “I don’t know all that you’re going through, but I just want to let you know I’m praying for you.”  They may decide to share more details when you do something to let them know you care, or they may choose not to.  Don’t make your point to be finding out their business; just genuinely care about them.
• Don’t give them information they haven’t asked for unless God has clearly directed the conversation in that way.  Most likely, they have already spent hours researching the issues with which they are dealing.  If God does lead you to share information and resources, explain clearly that it’s okay if they aren’t interested.  Just let them know what you have to offer and let them decide if they want to pursue it further or not.
• Acknowledge their value as a person.  Let them know how much they mean to you and why.  A person doesn’t have to be a perfect mother or child, or even be a mother at all, to have value, purpose, and influence.

Please.  I sincerely ask you.  Won’t you please help the rest of us who can’t say “I understand”?  Won’t you let us know how we can help you?  Let us know what you’re thinking and feeling, what we should say or do and what we should not say or do.  You have so many people who love you, but it may not feel that way just because we don’t know how best to show you.

As I said before, please feel free to leave your comments anonymously if you’d like.  (You can just type in “anonymous” as your name.  Your email will not be visible on your comment.)

The post Trying to Understand The Things I Don’t {When Mother’s Day Hurts} appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

If you didn’t get a chance to read parts 1 and 2, you can go back and do that now. {Part 1; Part 2}

We didn’t begin dating right away.  In fact, under the leadership of my “special friend”, we took things very slowly at first.

After our first day of classes, we both headed toward the cafeteria for lunch.  I didn’t know if we were going to sit together or not, but we had just gotten out of a class and had walked to the cafeteria together, so we were next to each other in line.  After we got our food, I didn’t really know what I was supposed to do.  Was he expecting me to sit with him or not?

He was standing there looking for a place to sit, so I just stood next to him and waited.  He finally said, “I don’t want to sit together until I’ve had a chance to talk to your dad.”

“Um.  Yeah.  Sure.  Okay.”  I mumbled awkwardly as I found a place to sit by myself.

Thankfully he didn’t wait too long before he got around to asking my dad if it would be okay for us to eat meals together and spend a few minutes talking alone every day.

Over the next semester, most of our communication was spent over a quick meal and through tons and tons of little notes.  He was carrying  a full load of classes and working a full-time 3rd shift job.  He didn’t have much time left for me, but somehow he made time to write me notes all the time and leave little prizes in my mailbox (chocolates, mostly – he was a smart fellow!)

In spite of the fact that we were “taking it slow”, there were a couple not-so-subtle hints that there was a whole lot more to it than that.

Like the time I wrote him a silly note for fun that said “I like you.  Do you like me?  Check yes or no.”  He checked “no”, handed it back, and said “Interpret that how you may.”  Hmm….

Or the time he checked my box before I did, found an informational survey in there and filled it out for me.  On the space marked “Anniversary”, he filled in Summer ?????.    Hmmm again…

I didn’t remember this, but in looking through our box of notes and letters, it was pretty obvious that by Christmas break (about 4 months) we had some pet names for each other.  (None of your business what they were!)

Our box of notes and letters

When Christmas break came, it seemed like it would last forever, even though it was only a few weeks.  I bought a couple cards to send him, but my Dad saw them and nixed them.  I guess they were a little too mushy. 

We did manage to fit in a few phone calls over the break.

One phone call in particular was extremely memorable…

To be continued…

The post A Love Story {Part 3} appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.