Book Review~Having a Martha Home the Mary Way

As a wife and mother, it seems a constant struggle to keep the house clean. It feels like a losing battle most days. I would love to have my home spotless 24/7, but I know that is not realistic for a busy, functioning family with kids and pets. In her book Having a Martha Home the Mary Way: 31 Days to a Clean House and a Satisfied Soul, author Sarah Mae helps readers tackle their homes cleanliness one day at a time, while nourishing their souls with stories and scripture.

After an introduction into Gentle Homemaking, explaining Martha and Mary, and the author telling her story, there is a chapter on how to use the book, explaining the Martha Challenges and Mary Challenges. The Martha Challenges are for those who aren't natural cleaners, and breaks down cleaning tasks into smaller, doable steps. The Mary Challenges invite you to read a scripture and ponder different aspects of your life.

Each day has a scripture, a story/lesson, a Mary Challenge with plenty of room to write your responses down, and a Martha Challenge for the day. I found the Mary Challenges very thought provoking, and the Mary challenges were totally doable. At the back of the book are some extra tips to help you. The most important thing I took away from Having a Martha Home the Mary Way is that cleaning the house is about more than just cleaning. It's not about everything looking perfect, it is about creating a peaceful, comfortable retreat for those you love. I want my home to be the place my family looks forward to coming home to.  If I'm stressed about cleaning, I will not be creating the warm environment for my family. 

Having a Martha Home the Mary Way is a great read for those with cleaning challenges and those without. Inside its pages are great reminders of why we, as wives and mothers, do what we do.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

Product Review~Pure Body Naturals Lemon Essential Oil

I like using essential oils for many household and health uses.  I received Pure Body Naturals Lemon Essential Oil to review.  This is a BIG bottle, 4 ounces.  It is pure therapeutic grade essential oil, 100% pure with no fillers or additives. 

There are so many uses for Lemon Essential Oil-it helps with a healthy lifestyle by helping aid skin, hair, digestive problems, and boosting the immune system, among others.  Lemon Oil is a natural antiseptic, detox, and disinfectant.  You can clean just about anything safely and naturally with Lemon Oil.  My favorite use for the Lemon Essential Oil is using it in cleaning and laundry.  I make my own household cleaners and add several drops of Lemon Oil to the ingredients.  Smells wonderful and fresh!  I've been adding it to laundry and the dishwasher too!  Everything smells so fresh, and I've added extra cleaning and disinfecting power! 

You can learn more and purchase your own bottle of Pure Body Naturals Lemon Oil on Amazon.  Best of all, Pure Body Naturals offers a 3 month 100% money back guarantee or your money back!

Product Review~100% Austrailian Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil is an essential at my house. I first tried it several years ago, and loved the many benefits it provided my home and family.  I haven't found a brand I prefer over any other-until now!  I had the opportunity to review Apothecary Extracts 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil for the past few weeks, and it is now my favorite brand. 

There are SO MANY uses for Tea Tree Oil, both personal and household use.  Some personal use examples are: fighting acne, dandruff and warts.  Household use includes making your own detergents and cleaners, or shampoo and body wash.  I use Tea Tree Oil for many things, but probably my biggest use of it is in household cleaners and detergents.  It worked great on my kids' acne when they were teens too! 

Tea Tree Oil is a powerful essential oil known to be an immune stimulant.  It can fight all three categories of infectious organisms.  When someone in my home is coming down with a flu/cold, Tea Tree Oil vaporized can knock it out quickly. 

Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil is a pure oil taken from the Melaluca tree native to Australia.  Many essential oils are diluted, but this is pure, high quality Tea Tree Oil. 

Along with the large 4 oz. bottle of Tea Tree Oil, you will receive a free e-book, 53 Uses for Tea Tree Oil.  I've read through this e-book, and found several uses I had not thought of before. This e-book will be utilized regularly in our home now. 

You can purchase your own large 4 oz. bottle of 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil by Apothecary Extracts (with free e-book) at Amazon.  I received the product quickly, and packaged well.  Apothecary Extracts is our new Tea Tree Oil provider, and I highly recommend it! 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.