Yesterday started off great. I got up early to finish up my Yancy Blog Tour post. And have a little quiet time before the kids got up. It’s been waaaay too long since I’ve done #hellomornings and I needed to wake up FOR my kids and not TO them.*

I took a shower, I was dressed and ready to go when I started breakfast. Then I remembered I had not collected Lydia’s schoolwork for her backpack yet (it’s a lot of paperwork as her school-teacher grades all our work) AND I hadn’t made lunch AND we didn’t have any bread or lunch-y type stuff AND Lydia’s uniform was dirty (well, the uniform she would wear, that is) AND I had to get Asa dressed AND I said I’d make pancakes for breakfast. So, for some unknown reason I decided to make macaroni and cheese for Lydia’s lunch. While I was making pancakes. What was I thinking?! Within three minutes I had every pot and pan, condiment and spoon out on my counters.

When I finally got in the car to take Lydia to school I felt like I had already lived 3 days.

After a trip to the chiropractor, a stop at my mom’s house to look through her old books she was donating (oh, the pain of getting rid of all those old books!), I looked at my phone to check my blog (yes, I was in the car!). Lo and behold, it said my domain had expired!

I dove into my inbox to figure out why in the world I didn’t know my domain was expiring and saw ONE email in JANUARY about it. Well, lovely. I paid for the renewal (2 years!), got on the phone with tech support to see when my blog would be ready and they said, “Soon.” How nice.

When I checked it again, I didn’t see either the expired domain or an up and running blog. I saw a 500 error code. Meaning I couldn’t even get into my dashboard! And both my blogs were down! I got on tech support with my hosting company (a different one from my domain) and they told me to delete some plugins. Which I couldn’t do because I couldn’t get into my dashboard! Seriously?!

At this point, Asa is asleep and I have to go pick up Lydia from school. So, I wake him up early from his nap (Ack!), pick up a tired Lydia from school and let them watch a show when we get home. I start making dinner and am lamenting the ground beef is taking forever to thaw out. When I realize oh, it’s not ground beef–it’s pork sausage! I scrap my plans for Asian Lettuce Wraps and go with Breakfast for Dinner.

While I’m playing short order cook for the whole family (fried eggs? scrambled? sausage patties? veggie omelet?), my grits are getting cold and my kids are bored with waiting for me at the table. I decide bedtime is going to be early tonight and get Asa in the bed 1/2 hour early.

Exactly 45 minutes after his NORMAL bedtime he stops crying and finally falls asleep.

This whole time my blog is still down and no one can see the first day of the Yancy Blog Tour! After an hour and a half chat with tech support they finally got my blog up and I am still unclear as to why it happened and if it will happen again.

I stumble into bed at 10:30ish after watching The Firm (which is pointless, because it’s being cancelled anyway!) and at 11:30, Asa wakes up and wants a hug. (GAH!) At 2:30 he wakes up again because he has wet the bed–we JUST (as in 2 days) ago finished a 10-day chart of him not wearing pull-ups. He got a prize and everything. Are you kidding me?! At 3:30 I was still awake. And at 6:30 Asa called for us to get him out of bed for the day. *sigh*

Really, yesterday feels like it never ended. I’m still in it. I have no idea what day it is, what time it is or for that matter, where I am!

All the above craziness was to apologize for my blog being wonky yesterday and invite you to check out the first stop of the Yancy Blog Tour (and be entered to win her CD and DVD) here at Impress Your Kids! And then click over to MamaHall‘s for stop 2 of the tour!

OK. As you were. Praying your day isn’t as exciting as mine was yesterday.

*speaking of #hellomornings, if you’ve been thinking about getting up early and wondering what the Maximize Your Mornings Challenge is all about, I’d love for you to join us for a live video/text chat tonight! I’m on the planning team this season and it’s going to be fabulous–plus, we’re giving away some prizes. See all the details at Inspired to Action.

photo source: kaptain kaboid

What is motherhood?

This morning, motherhood was getting up early to make a cup of milk for my son, carry him (chugging his milk) on my arm backwards while I lugged my computer into my closet to write a blog post. Then letting him lay on my lap while he reads a Nemo book and I write.

Sometimes, motherhood is walking upstairs four times in one hour to tuck your son in again.

{see my full post and add your own definition of Motherhood at Motherhood Your Way…}

photo by noricum edited by me

I’m a little bit of an ebook addict. I buy and genuinely enjoy reading ebooks by my favorite bloggers. They are like mini, highly concentrated versions of their blogs. I think they have huge power because they are so closely linked to a blogger and their community.

My friend Mandi from Life…Your Way and Corey from Simple Marriage had a brilliant idea to bundle 38 ebooks from top authors in the family life blogosophere. These ebooks cover everything from momprenuers to homemaking to parenting! And every one is top-notch in content. I am honored that Truth in the Tinsel is one of the ebooks in this elite group! If you bought these ebooks separately it would cost you $375. But for 4 days only (April 16-20), you can get all of them with one click for $29.

PLUS, the Simplify Your Family Life Sale is brought to you in part by Plan to Eat, an online meal planning app that makes eating at home simple. Receive an exclusive coupon to go towards a one-year membership with your purchase! Woot!

All 38 ebooks are listed below by category and I’ve marked the ones I’ve read with an * and made some italicized notes about some of them, too!

Entrepreneurship & Blogging

Blogger Behave by Laura @ 10 Million Miles ($4.99) {I got to hear Laura speak at Relevant!}

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)* {I so incredibly love Mandi and if you are a mom who wants to do it all–this is for you!}

Make Money Blogging by Tara @ Feels Like Home ($4.99) {Tara is a fabulous friend of mine! She’s a smart blogger.}

Tap Into Your Unique Creativity and Self Expression Webinar by Lisa @ WellGrounded Life ($39.00)

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($4.99)* {This one is not just for bloggers–if you feel like your day only has 4 hours in it, you need this one!}

Your Blogging Business: Tax Talk & Tips from a Bookkeeper Turned Blogger by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

Food & Cooking

Get Lean Recipe for Success by Nisha @ Healthy Mom’s Kitchen ($37.00)

Got Dinner? by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($4.00)

How To Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginnerís Guide by Rachael @ Kitchen Courses ($35.00)

Plan It, Don’t Panic by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99)* {I love Stephanie & this meal planning book is so thorough!}

Real Food Basics by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($6.95)

Real Food, Real Easy by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Smart Sweets by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)* {Katie is another one of my favorite bloggers. She wrote the camping book I told you about last week!}

The Everything Beans Book by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)* {Another great book by Katie!}

Homemaking

2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($9.00) {Oh, I need a weekly household planner!}

Clean Start: Your Guide to Natural Home Cleaning by Michelle @ Open Eye Health ($4.95)

Complete Printables Download Pack by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($7.00)* {every printable list and more you can imagine!}

Food on Your Face for Acne & Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99)

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ Debtor to Better ($15.00)

My Buttered Life {Summer + Gift Giving Editions} by Renee @ MadeOn Hard Lotion ($10.00) {Recipes for handmade lotions, etc! I’ve heard rave reviews about this!}

Not a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)* {Melissa is so down to earth! I love her blog–you’ll love this book!}

One Bite at a Time by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)* {I’ve mentioned this one before because it’s so good. Really simple steps and action items to make life simpler.}

That Works for Me by Kristen @ We Are THAT Family ($8.00) {Well, hello. I love Kristen. And many of the contributors are friends of mine, too!}

Marriage & Relationships

A Simple Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($4.99)

Buck Naked Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($2.99)

Entangled by Amy @ Permission to Peruse ($4.99)* {Really and truly one of the best books I’ve read. You will be encouraged and inspired when you read Amy’s story!}

The A to Z Guide: 26 Ways in 26 Days to a Happier, Healthier Marriage by The Dating Divas ($9.97)

Minimalism for Families

101 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Laura @ Journey to a Simple Life ($9.95)

321-Stop by Lori @ Loving Simple Living ($9.97)

Inside Out Simplicity by Joshua @ Becoming Minimalist ($11.99)

Simple Ways to Be More with Less by Courtney @ Be More with Less ($9.97)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($9.95)

Parenting & Kids

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by the Moms @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids ($7.99) {I haven’t read this but I read some of their blogs. Serious mom-wisdom in here!}

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Mom ($4.99)

Nurturing Creativity by Renee @ FIMBY ($3.00)

Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda @ Not Just Cute ($9.00)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Impress Your Kids ($6.99)**** {Hey, look! That’s me!!}

How awesome is that?! I’m totally buying it even though I own a quarter of them and wrote one of them!

Click here to purchase your collection today!

This collection is only available from 8 a.m. on April 16th to 8 a.m. on April 20th. There will be no late sales offered.

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