A Humbled Homemaker Update

Whew! It's hard to believe we are already 9 days in to 2012! The holidays hit, pregnancy fatigue set in, and, I'll be honest...I've had to slow down! (Bare with me the next 3-4 weeks until, prayerfully, some renewed energy will come with trimester 2!)

This devotional from Sarah Young's Jesus Calling really hit home with me this morning:


"Much, much stress results from your wanting to make things happen before their times have come. One of the main ways I assert My sovereignty is in the timing of events. If you want to stay close to me and do things My way, ask Me to show you the path forward moment by moment. Instead of dashing headlong toward your goal, let Me set the pace. Slow down,and 
enjoy the journey in my Presence."


I'm starting to think God allowed me to conceive to make me slow down! I tend to be a go-go-go person, and I have a hard time saying "no." But whether is be from a crashed computer in December to Baby Girl's pneumonia around the same time to first trimester pregnancy fatigue, God is saying, "Sloooow down!"


All that said, there are many things in the works for here at the Humbled Homemaker for 2012. I'm excited to share these with you, but keep in mind--they won't all happen at once! Be on the lookout for:

• My move to WordPress! Blogger has served me well, but it's time to start making the move over to a host that will give me more freedom. Mindy at The Purposed Heart is working on my new blog design!

 

• Your eBook Resource. I'm super excited to announce that I've joined forces with Mindy at The Purposed Heart to start a one-stop shop for everything eBook related! Clients can come to our site for a complete eBook editing, design and formatting experience--or they can just pick and choose. I'll be doing the editing, and the artistic Mindy is offering design. We appreciate you making any referrals to Your eBook Resource!

 

• Real Food, Real Easy. Behind the scenes, I've been collaborating with the very-talented writers from the Modern Alternative Mama team to put together a cookbook chock full of recipes for real food newbies! Be on the lookout for its release in early February!
• Series: I'll be continuing "The First Years" series on Fridays (or sometimes Saturdays) by finishing the "Starting Solids" series and delving into baby-wearing and cloth diapering. Is there something else you'd like to read? Let me know! I'll also pick back up on a monthly "Homemade Homemaking," "Healthy Homemakers" and "Parenting on a Penny" posts. 
• New Series:
• Soups that Sizzle: I'll be collaborating with Leigh Ann from Intentional by Grace, Nikki from Christian Mommy Blogger, Anne from Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy, Rachel from Day2Day Joys and Mindy from The Purposed Heart to bring you this 6-weeks series starting Friday! (And look for a free eBook at the end of the series! wink wink!) 
• At some point during my pregnancy, I'll start an in-depth look at how to achieve a natural labor and delivery. "A Natural Phenomenon" will focus on natural birthing in a hospital setting (Is that even possible? Yes, it is!), but we will also take a look at home birthing and birthing center births. (If anyone has those experiences they'd like to share, I'm taking pitches for guest posts!)
• Whereas I advocate cooking from scratch and consuming real, whole foods, I know in our busy culture that's not always possible 100% of the time. In "What Are You Eating?" we'll break down some of the common ingredients to avoid in store-bought food (like soy!). 
• Ebooks! I have a bazillion (OK, not quite that many) eBook ideas in my head, but my goal is to release 2 this year:
• Are you a blogger looking to improve your writing skills? Would you like to explore how blogging can jumpstart a career in journalism, or just glean some basic journalism skills to improve your blog? Be on the lookout for a book this spring/summer that will give you just that!
• There are lots of breastfeeding books on the market today, but I prefer learning from other moms who have been there themselves. As I prepare for my third breastfeeding experience , be on the lookout for a book that will help BOTH of us (late in the summer or early fall)!
• Giveaways Galore! In addition to Plum, Sprout and Ella's Organics baby food giveaways, be on the lookout for reviews and giveaways for Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil, a Homemaking 101 dvd, a Lila Rose flexi-clip, several top-knotch eBooks and more! 

• A Weekly Link-Up! Check back Wednesday for more about this special weekly event!
• Hear more from my amazing contributors! If you haven't already, pay Christy, Sara, Brandy, Mary and Elsie a visit! And look forward to reading more from them here! 
• Accepting Sponsors: The Humbled Homemaker has grown more quickly than I would have ever imagined, and I would love to help get the word out about YOUR business! Be on the lookout for my media kit, or contact me at erinodom at pobox dot com for inquiries. 
• Above all, expect for us to grow together. I will say it again and again: Don't come here to find a perfect homemaker. Come here to find a humbled homemaker who is learning one day at a time--just like you!

Anything else? Whew! Yes, I am sure there will be more, but this is it for now! And remember...this is for the entirety of 2012! I hope you are as excited as I am!

If you are a blogger, what are some of your blogging goals for 2012? As a Humbled Homemaker reader, what would you like to see more of here?