Update: This giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to reader Beverly for the win!
You all are wonderful. I just have to say it.
Because five of you purchased the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle through my links, I earned a free Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle for myself. It’s a little thank-you gift from the folks who put this whole show together, and a bit of an incentive for us smaller bloggers to work hard during these sales because they know we can’t compete with the big bloggers.
It worked, too. I might not make thousands of dollars in commissions like someone with a gazillion followers, but I’m pretty happy to get my bundle FREE!
It’s just too bad I can’t keep it.
You see, most of our marriage, we have struggled financially. We spent four years in seminary, then my husband began working toward his PhD. He couldn’t finish because we couldn’t pay for it, so he worked two jobs to make ends meet. But with five kids, his income was low enough that we’d get letters in the mail telling us we qualified for food stamps.
Then, he lost his main job, the job he’d had for five years. For the next twelve months, we lived on savings (yes, we still managed to save!) and the income he got from extra military duties.
In the middle of that, when I was feeling particularly down, I got a card in the mail from a blogger I had never met. The card included a check for $500. This woman, who has five children of her own, stumbled upon my blog one day and the Lord told her, “Send Kristen some money.” So she did.
Then her husband found out.
She read him my story, How to Get Your Toddler to Eat Anything, and he said, “Yep, that was the right thing to do.”
I sobbed for two days. I sobbed in the grocery store and I sobbed when I looked at my children and I sobbed whenever I talked to God because I was sorry for doubting. “I own the cattle on a thousand hills, Kristen. I can spare a hoof,” He said.
Thankfully, we’re out of the hallway now. My husband was accepted into active duty as an Army chaplain. It’s a big upgrade from his days as a young, enlisted Airman!
It is with great joy that we realize we can afford to purchase good and helpful things like this bundle. Six months ago, I would not have been able to spend $30 on a bundle of books I did not need. Six months ago, people needed new socks more than I needed another cookbook.
I know that’s the same for some of you. I know some of you are feeling a little torn up every time I talk about the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle because you would buy it, if you could. But $30 is $30, no matter how good a deal it is.
I didn’t have to think very long to know I do not want to keep this freebie for myself. I am so ready to give. I want to be the person who sends the $500 checks. I want to bless one of you with a small gift because I have been given so much.
Even if you don’t need it, I want one of you to have it because I am passionate about equipping you to live better, not just through stories and funny anecdotes from the children, but with real encouragement and help. Perhaps winning this bundle (and all the goodies that come with it!) will be one small way I can equip you to live better. It’s not $500 (sorry about that) but it’s my small way of saying I’m in your corner.
Just enter the Rafflecopter below. I will announce the winner by 5 pm on Saturday, November 9, 2013 so you have plenty of time to purchase a bundle on your own if you desire to do so.
Would love it all!
I’m wanting to learn more about essential oils and how to revamp our eating habits to accommodate food allergies. The Winter Handbook of Nature Study caught my eye, too.
What I NEED is the Sugar-Detox book. Do I really want it? Hmm, let me think about that over a scoop of ice cream. Thank you for sharing your heart with us and for the giveaway.
Bwahaha!
I love that now that you are in a place to give, you are. We are in the limited spending place now. I try to fix healthy meals for my family of 6 but it gets tight when funds are tight. This Healthy Bundle sounds like something I would love to dive into, just know it isn’t something I can buy. I would love the healthy eating meal plans…two things I do now, but would love to know/learn more! Thanks
I pray God blesses you and gives you everything you need to raise your family!
I am so thankful God brought us together. I love the little glimpses into your life that I get, and the way God uses those to touch my heart. I am truly thankful for your blog. It is inspiring, uplifting, encouraging and thought provoking, and without a doubt, funny. Thank you Kristen!
I have about 17 of the books highlighted in the bundle, that I would love to have. (well all of them of course). But I’d like to get back to eating healthy so I’d like to start with High Protein: Bars & Smoothies. Oh and then there is Better Than a Box, The Veggie Box, Easy & Healthy Slow Cooker recipes, The Oilers Handbook, Homemade Health & Beauty, Herbal Adventures. Energy Explosion. Oops! You said just one. 🙂
That is so generous of you! Honestly there’s reading in every section I’m interested in.
I have never read an ebook! Hard to choose where I would begin. Anything that helps me keep the family healthy would be great.
Ugh. With another government shutdown on the way, we are saving like CRAZY and canning food like mad too! I would love to delve into ANY part of this plan!
Beautiful story … and great way to pass along a blessing! Thanks for the chance at a fun giveaway. And, as always, thanks for sharing truth in a real-life way!
The healthy eating/meal planning books would be at the top of my list.
I didn’t read all the directions first 🙂 I’m looking forward to the. Health and wellness books
What a huge blessing! Thank you for choosing to pass it on
EIGHTY-SIX reasons to love the Ultimate Healthy giveaway….eighty six e-books for healthy cooking, eating, and living!!!
Goodness! Thank you for the giveaway; it sounds superb!
I’ve been wanting to learn more about essential oils, and this would be a great way to do it! Thank you!
There is so much in the bundle that I would love to read! The whole thing looks amazing. I especially would love to learn more about healthy eating and natural cleaning! Thank you so much for the opportunity to win!
Oh my!! This would be such a blessing – the $30 price was just out of my reach – thanks for an opportunity to win this set.
I would love to read “Warning: I Throw Food—A Comprehensive Guide to Natural Homemade Baby Food” by Jami @ Young Wife’s Guide. I’m planning to make our 4 month old’s baby food & can use all the help I can get 🙂
Our family has been on both ends: the living off our savings end and being able to be a blessing (financially) other times. Right now we’re somewhere in the middle… not living out of savings but barely any wiggle room as we rebuild our savings. So yes, as much as I would love to devour many of the books in the bundle, that is $30 that I will save or use elsewhere. That said, I would be so excited if I won. 🙂 Hmm… which section of books to choose first… probably anything about essential oils and anything regarding cooking/baking. 🙂
I am hoping to have a tablet soon so I can take advantage of e books!
I would be so grateful to win this, even though I do not have much luck with winning contests :). I would like the books on children’s health, especially Herbal Remedies for Children. With rising healthcare costs and a very high deductible, we need to save doctor visits for emergencies.
Thank you for the giveaway!
Essential Oils 🙂
I am excited to read the books abouy meal planning!
Would love to have the info for healthy cleaning ideas, and the essential oils
I’m excited for the healthy eating/cooking books…I’m really needing some fresh inspiration!
I would love the meal-planning books. It’s currently my obsession. 🙂
I would love this bundle and will unabashedly say how excited I’d be if my name was drawn. 🙂
Oops…didn’t follow directions. I was really hoping to read the Refresh book as well as all the ones on essential oils!
All the Natural Health stuff thrills me. We do what we can (and understand) but I’d so love to learn more. The meal prep and planning sounds awesome too. My hubby would be so blessed if I read that!
I would love to read the essential oil ebook. I think this would be a great way to help keep my family healthy. I would also love some laundry soap 🙂
I can’t wait to break into the Affordable Gluten Free Dinners !
We are currently going through a similar situation. My husband got laid off for the winter and is being denied unemployment because he is a seasonal worker(hard to do road construction in Northwestern PA in winter). Thankfully God has provided me a job making good money if everything comes back ok and in time for me to start on the 18th. It’s been a scary and stressful month for us. I pray and hope that this works out for us.
I would so very much love to win this! But only if there is not someone else who needs it more than I do. 🙂 May The Lord bless whoever wins this!
I really want to read all the ebooks, and I want the laundry detergent!!!
“$30 is $30, no matter how good a deal it is.”
I so love you. Seriously. This is where I am right now. I get so frustrated when people talk about their essential oils and all this wonderful healthy stuff and I’m like…yeah…I’m lucky if I can spend money on clean, real food.
So I’m definitely going to enter. Even if I don’t win, I love your heart in this matter.
Oh and as far as what parts of it I’m looking forward to? Probably the stuff about the oils, the Fit2B subscription…well, if I’m honest, I haven’t even really looked to see what’s in the bundle since I knew I wouldn’t be buying it! I’m sure there’s something in there I would totally enjoy!
I am most interested in the ebooks about healthy living.
ShaneAugust 24, 2012 at 9:46 pmI remember going to the Kapok several times back in the 70′s and of course the thing I remember the most was the huge glasses. I enjoyed the stroll through the gardens and giftshops and just watching all the people as they were walking around. The Tree will forever be branded in my memory…
I bloody love howies (their clothes and their philosophies) and their tone of voice is usually spot on. These ads (except for maybe the belt loop one) don’t say anything about what howies really stand for as a company and are also rather badly written. Plus, the close-ups could be of any brand of jeans – I know it’s meant to be about the details/materials but come on…