Our Eventual Homestead

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life – Review and Giveaway!

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Britni

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done? Do you often feel frustrated with yourself? Then Crystal Paine’s new ebook, 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life, is for you!

Crystal is a busy homeschooling mom of 3, a dedicated wife, an author, and a blogger at Money Saving Mom®. To put it mildly, she’s busy! A recent goal of hers was to become more self-disciplined. I’ve been told it takes 21 days to create a new habit. In her newest book she outlines how to create a new positive habit in just 3 short weeks, one small step at a time.

I read her book over the weekend and I have to say I was inspired! There are so many habits I want to create for myself! While I have a few areas of my life under control I am by no means perfect (I know, who is?). I have a few nagging areas that leave me frustrated with myself. I am terrible at meal planning, getting out the door on time, and cleaning up clutter on a consistant basis. I think I’m going to pick one of these areas and revisit Crystal’s book this week!

Here’s what others are saying about 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life:

“I loved, loved, loved Crystal Paine’s new book, 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life. Although I am a pretty disciplined person by nature, this book hit me right between the eyes – in a good way. Her encouraging way of writing, the topics she chose, and the practical application section found in each day make this book a perfect read for everyone.” – PJ Friedel

“Crystal has taken the concept of self-discipline and put it in such a simplistic format that even those of us with serious self-discipline issues can understand and relate without having to over think her words. She also dispels many of the reasons we lack self-discipline, mainly our own excuses, which aggravated me as I would think of an excuse while reading, only for her to soon remind the reader again of the irresponsibility that shows when excuses are given. I was quite convicted of my lacking in this area, yet came away encouraged to give the 21 day plan a try because she didn’t condemn but instead gave hope! I will be embarking on my 21 days soon, and look forward to reading and applying her advice many times over the next few months as I strive to greatly improve this area of my life. Thank you, Crystal!” – Amy K.

You can read more reviews of the book here!

If you are interested in developing more discipline for your own life Crystal is running a 3 day promotion on her book. From October 23 – 25 you can download a copy of her book for only 99 cents!!! After the 25th the price will return to its regular $4.99 (still a steal!). You can also get a copy for your Kindle here.

What You Can Expect to Learn From This Book:

How to prioritize and name your goals so that you can accomplish them faster than ever.
How to expose the obstacles that will come up, and then make a plan to conquer them.
How to break up a goal that feels insurmountable into bite-sized pieces.
How to stop making excuses and get the job done now — and then enjoy the rest of your day!
How to put accountability in place to help you stay on task and motivated.

Purchasing this ebook also gives you access to printable worksheets to make the process even easier!

Now for the Giveaway!!!

Even more great news! Crystal has been gracious enough to give away 5 copies of 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life to 5 lucky readers! See below for how to enter! The winners will be chosen on Thursday, October 24th and contacted by email. The giveaway ends at 12:00 am, October 24, 2012.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in Books, Giveaways, Goals, Inspiration | 12 Comments

Final Harvest and a Butternut Squash, Parsnip, and Pear Soup Recipe

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Britni

The nights are getting colder and the days a little shorter. We’ve had a couple frosts here in SE Ohio, not too bad for Mid-October. Last weekend I spent some time collecting the last of the summer veggies out of the garden. Time to retire the beds to rest for the long winter.

We had a very nice harvest of Butternut Squash from the one vine we planted earlier this year. I decided to use some of it to prepare an amazing looking soup I saw in the November/December issue of Natural Health Magazine. It was pretty good stuff! Hubby and both kids gobbled it up! Since my infant son enjoyed it so much I froze a portion of the leftovers to use as his baby food in the coming weeks.

Butternut Squash, Parsnip, and Pear Soup

(Recipe adapted from Natural Health, November/December 2012)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp canola oil
2 butternut squashes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
1/2 onion, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coarse sea salt
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 D’Anjou or Bartlett pear, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
1 tsp sugar
Dash of parsley or another favorite herb for garnish

Directions:

Heat canola oil in a large stock pot over high heat. I used a large cast iron dutch oven.
Add the squash and saute until golden around the edges, about 5 minutes.
Add parsnip and continue to cook over high heat until the parsnip begins to color, about 3 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions soften.
Stir in paprika, cinnamon, and sea salt.
Add 1 cup of stock and deglaze the pot (use spoon to loosen all the bits from the bottom of the pot). Add the remaining 2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
While the soup is cooking, heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat (I use cast iron). Add the pear and toss to coat. Stir in the sugar. Let the pears caramelize and then stir until golden. Set aside.
When the soup is ready add the pears and their juices to the pot. Puree half of the soup in a blender (careful, it’s hot!) and add back to the pot. Stir to combine.
Serve soup garnished with parsley or another favorite herb.

Posted in Food, Gardening, Natural Living, Recipes | 2 Comments

Why I Love Fall

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Britni

Fall is my favorite time of the year! I love the smells, the colors, just the overall feeling that this season brings. I especially love that I get to drive by one of the most amazing displays of fall color every morning. I had to take a picture of this beautiful tree, even though the picture doesn’t really capture the vibrance of the color. Here are just a few reasons why fall is my favorite season:

Warm days and cold nights!
Bonfires with hot dogs and marshmallows.
Caramel apples
Pumpkin everything!
The reds, oranges, yellows, and browns of the changing leaves.
Halloween!
Thanksgiving!
The final harvest from our summer garden.
Soup!
Apple cider
Not sweating as soon as I walk outside
Jeans and long sleeves (but not needing a coat).
Decorating the front porch with mums, pumpkins, and gourds.
Open windows again!

What are the reasons you love fall?

Posted in Photos | 2 Comments

Contest to Create a Logo for Golden Goat Creamery!

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Britni

Calling all artists! Our friends at Golden Goat Creamery, Inc. are getting their business off the ground and are looking for a logo for their brand. They are located in the rolling hills of SE Ohio and make amazing, natural goat milk soaps. The winner will be chosen by the owners of Golden Goat Creamery and sent four full size bars of their soaps, including Margarita Lime (complete with coarse sea salt!), Cucumber Melon, Honey Oatmeal, and Unscented.

Submit any logo ideas by email to britni(at)oureventualhomestead(dot)com by 12:00 am est, Thursday, October 11, 2012. In the subject line of your email, put the words “Golden Goat Logo Contest”, as this will help me sort the entries.

Rules:

The logo should be your own creation, no stealing!
The rights to the logos, once submitted, will belong to Golden Goat Creamery, Inc.
All submissions must be received by 12:00 am est, Thursday, October 11, 2012.
Contest is open to residents of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Participants may enter as many logo ideas as they wish.

Once a winner is selected they will be contacted via email to claim their prize.

Good luck!

Posted in Giveaways, Natural Living | 2 Comments

Fried Green Tomatoes

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Britni

The cooler nights and shorter days can only mean one thing, we are nearing the end of tomato season here in Ohio. This year we had a terrible crop, mostly due to a lack of rain and the fact that we were too busy chasing little ones to tend to our garden like we should. As I cleaned out part of our garden beds today I noticed a lot of large, green tomatoes on one of our plants. Time to make Fried Green Tomatoes!

Ingredients:

4-5 Large Green Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Tbs Creole Seasoning
Dash of Salt
Dash of Pepper
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Milk
3 Tbs Butter

Directions:

Slice your tomatoes about a 1/4″ thick.
Whisk together your egg and milk in a bowl.
Combine your flour, bread crumbs, creole seasoning, salt, and pepper in another bowl or plate.
Heat your butter in a pan over low to medium-low heat, preferably cast iron if you have it.
Dredge each slice of tomato in the egg mixture and then coat it in the flour mixture.
Fry your slices in batches until golden brown, flipping each slice once, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Drain on a paper towel lined plate allowing them to cool slightly before eating.

We enjoyed ours with a Sriracha-Ranch dip. We combined 2 Tbs sriracha sauce with about a cup of our homemade ranch dressing. This made a nice and spicy sauce to dip our tomatoes in! Yum!

Posted in Food, Recipes | 1 Comment

Smoothies: A Recipe for Health

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Britni

In the last few months my husband and I have started making smoothies for breakfast. If I don’t have one for breakfast I will often have one later in the day to fight that mid-day slump. My husband makes kale shakes which include kale, ginger, kiwi, pear or apple, and a banana. Although they are a stunning shade of green they do not smell very appetizing. I think it is the kale-ginger combo but I haven’t been brave enough to taste one yet.

Smoothies are a great way to include fruits and veggies into your daily diet. When I drink one I notice increased energy levels, better digestive health, and fewer cravings. Many people also report weight loss and a healthier appearance to their skin. There are hundreds of different smoothie combinations out there but here is my usual recipe:

Ingredients

water (about 1 1/2 cups)
fresh baby spinach (1 handful)
frozen strawberries (about 1 cup, maybe 1 1/2 cups)
frozen blueberries (about 1/2 – 3/4 cup)
banana (1, unfrozen)
chia seeds (1 Tbs)

I just eyeball the amounts of each ingredient so you can adjust them however you want. If you don’t have chia seeds don’t fret, they are just for added nutritional benefit and don’t affect the flavor of the smoothie at all. Also, please give the spinach a try, I promise you won’t taste it and the added fiber and nutrients are great for you!

Combine all ingredients in a blender. I always put the water in first, it just seems to blend easier that way. Blend until smooth. I use setting 4 on my blender. I think this is about a medium speed.

Drink and enjoy!

Posted in Food, Natural Living, Recipes | Leave a comment

Lilla Rose Hair Jewelry and Accessories – Review and Giveaway!

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Britni

I recently received an email from Lilla Rose consultant, Paula Miller, asking me if I would like to try out one of their products and write a review of it for my readers. I wasn’t sure at first how my readers would find a hair product useful and then I had a realization. Many of you are busy women, mothers, and/or wives, working both in and out of the home. Many of you are like me, often too busy to do much else with your hair besides throw it into a basic ponytail. That’s where Lilla Rose products come in!

I tried out the Flexi Hair Clip. It is a very versatile clip that allows you to do many hair styles in minutes (even seconds)! As a self-described hair novice I have never been able to do much else with my hair besides a ponytail. No cute braids, sleek buns, or messy knots…nope, just a simple, boring ponytail. I’ve been playing around with the flexi clip since I received it and have found that the “tails up” hairstyle is the easiest for me to do. I have yet to master the full blown french twist, but maybe with practice I’ll figure it out

Here is a photo of my hair in a flexi clip in what they call the “tails up” style. This clip is the Simple Band Black Nickel – Large. My hair is very slippery in texture. Each strand is fine but I have a lot of it so it tends to be on the thick side. My hair is also pretty long, the longest layer is about 4-5″ past my shoulder. I originally tried the small flexi clip and it didn’t work at all. The large is almost too big but would be the perfect size for a french twist. I think the medium may be a better fit for hair like mine but as you can see, the large is working out.

Lilla Rose has many different products that are all beautifully crafted. Below are just a few samples:

If you aren’t sure if this product would work for you, here is a quick video showing you a few different styles and also how to pick the perfect size! For additional videos check out the Lilla Rose YouTube page!

So now for the GIVEAWAY!

As a Lilla Rose Independent Consultant, Paula Miller was gracious enough to offer the product of their choice, up to $16, to one of my readers!!! There are multiple ways to win, see below for details!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. In order to enter this giveaway you must not have won any Lilla Rose giveaway in the last 6 (six) months. The winner will be contacted by email and given 48 hours to claim their prize. If the winner does not claim their prize within 48 hours a new winner will be selected. The giveaway will end at midnight EST on September 10, 2012.

If you aren’t our lucky winner but would still like to order a Lilla Rose product or host a Lilla Rose party and earn free products please visit Paula Miller’s site at http://www.lillarose.biz/PaulaMiller .

If you live outside the US, Canada, or Mexico, you can still order great Lilla Rose hair jewelry. Just e-mail the item numbers and names to the sponsor of this giveaway, Independent Consultant Paula Miller at lrpaulamiller@yahoo.com. She will calculate shipping costs, PayPal you an invoice, and ship your items directly to you!

Posted in Giveaways | 12 Comments

Salsa, Tomato Juice, and Blackberry Jam

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Britni

I finally got around to a little canning this summer! We have been super busy with kids, work, and life in general. Today I put up some salsa, tomato juice, and blackberry jam. Yum!

Posted in Food, Frugal Living, Gardening, Natural Living, Photos, Preparedness | 1 Comment

Simple Living Night at Terra Cotta Vineyards, New Concord, Ohio

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Britni

Alisha from First Grade Follies and myself are hosting a Simple Living Night at a local winery. If you are in the New Concord area come join us on August 9, from 6-8 pm for a fun and educational evening at Terra Cotta Vineyards! Cost is $10 per person and includes a recipe booket, a glass of wine, and light snacks. Hope to see you there!