• http://www.heloise.com/

• http://allrecipes.com/

The ultimate recipe database! This site is fantastic as you can search for recipes by ingredient, type, occasion etc. All the recipes are rated by REAL people in the REAL world who do a great service to us by adding their own little tips and experiences or changes they've made to the original recipe. Whenever I want a REALLY good recipe of something in particular, I go here and read through different ratings and variations to see what works. It's not failed me yet!

• http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/

Miss Maggie offers an excellent resource for people who want home cooked meals and are feeling the pinch of rising grocery costs and tight incomes. I absolutely love this site because it offers so many great tips about managing meal plans and saving money... and all with a Christian perspective! I'm still new to it, but so far, I'm finding that it is definitely worth my time.

• http://www.flylady.com/

The Fly Lady is quite famous these days... is your kitchen sink shiny? This site is dedicated to getting and keeping your home clean by implementing regimented, but simple habits. Some people are hooked to her. I am not personally because I couldn't field all the e-mails at once. BUT, thanks to this site, I have developed certain cleaning habits that are a consistent part of my day like making my bed, getting fully dressed in the morning, and doing 15 minute emergency pick-up drills. So it's worth it to at least give it a click and see if you can apply any of her tips to your life.

• http://www.suzeorman.com/

Suze Orman has authored several great books regarding finances and making the most of what you have, while dealing what you don't. Her tips on getting out of debt and learning about long term savings plans are incredibly user-friendly and helpful. Some may not like her frank style of confronting the issues (or maybe we are all a little sensitive to being told we are irresponsibly out of control with our money) but there is much truth to be gleaned from her words.

• Happy are You Poor: The Simple Life and Spiritual Freedom

Finally, to balance out the secular link about money, I want you to know about this wonderful book by Thomas Dubay. I'm in the middle of the book right now and it is quite inspiring. the whole idea is how are we called to live in the evangelical poverty that Christ calls us to? Especially for married couples who NEED to be concerned with "things of this world" for their children's sake, this book offers a great perspective on how to apply the "spirit of poverty" to our lives... it answers many questions in the process and convicts Christians on certain premises that may mean a lifestyle adjustment for many of us.

-Ellie writes longing for a deep, cold rain in Oak Harbor, WA