How do the Duggars Prevent Motion Sickness?

Whether traveling by plane, train, or automobile, motion sickness runs in the Duggar family. Many fans have asked what specific products they use to counter motion sickness, and we have the answers!

Have you ever seen Michelle distributing what looks like bracelets to the children as they board the bus for a road trip? Those are called Sea-Bands, non-invasive wrist bands that help prevent nausea. To purchase, check your local pharmacy, or search for Sea-Bands on Amazon.

The second product that the Duggars use for motion sickness is Bonine, an over-the-counter, chewable medication. To find a store near you that caries Bonine, visit the Bonine website.

Do you suffer from motion sickness? If so, how do you prevent it?

Integrity Autopark: Duggars' New Lot

To prepare for his future family, Josh started Champion Motorcars, a pre-owned car lot that sells "quality pre-owned vehicles, wholesale to the public," in 2007.
After Josh and Anna married, both began working at the dealership, and business took off. Just last year, the couple opened a second lot on land rented from a bank. As shown in the episode Duggars in the Zone, the bank recently refused Josh's offer to purchase the property and forced the Duggars to vacate the premises. Josh and Anna immediately set out to search for a new location. That's when they found the Taco Lot. The dealership, called Integrity Autopark, should be open to the public in the very near future.

Do you buy used cars or new cars?

Season Finale Recap

On tonight's episode of "19 Kids and Counting," Duggars and Bates: 37 and Counting...

• Jonathan and his sister, Jennifer, foreign exchange students from Indonesia, were visiting the Duggars. Jana and John-David met Jonathan on their recent mission trip to Southeast Asia. 
• Before Jonathan returned home, Jim Bob and the rest of the kids played a prank. The name of the game? Snipe-hunting. It goes something like this: everyone grabs a plastic bag and runs around after dark, shouting and trying to attract made-up creatures called snipes. "It's kind of cruel," admitted Jessa. But Jonathan enjoyed himself. 
• At a family meeting, Jim Bob and Michelle announced that Gil and Kelly Bates and their eighteen children would be arriving in a few hours. The rest of their message was drowned out by cheers from the kids.
• Josie, Jordyn, and James stayed home with Mom while the rest of the group headed to the George Washington Carver monument. "It's important to learn about great people so that you can set your sights to become all that God wants you to be," Jim Bob told TLC.
• When everyone returned home that evening, Duggars and Bates began dropping like flies. In total, the two families have thirty-seven kids, and the vast majority came down with the virus that the Bates had brought all the way from the eastern hills of Tennessee. (Click here for Kelly Bates' blog post about the epidemic.)
• How did Josie take the virus? Jim Bob and Michelle were very concerned for their preemie's health and knew that she could easily wind up back in the hospital if exposed to too many germs. But by the grace of God, Josie pulled through!
• No small thanks to Grandma Duggar's homemade medicines, the Bates were soon feeling a bit better and ready to depart. 
• Gil and Kelly and their kids pulled out with an extra vehicle, a bus that Jim Bob and Michelle gave to the Bates family, no strings attached. "Me and Jim Bob had a wrestling match, but he insisted we take it with us," said Gil, touched by the Duggars' generosity.

New episodes of "19 Kids and Counting" will return this summer. Until then, come back often for updates, recipes, fun facts, and more. We'll be here for you! 

~Lily and Ellie

Season Finale!

Tune in tonight for the season finale of "19 Kids and Counting!" The Bates family stops by for a visit, bringing along a flu virus that spreads like wildfire through the Duggar household. Will the two super-sized families find a way to have some fun? Find out at 10PM EST/9PM CST on TLC: Duggars and Bates: 37 and Counting.

Will you be watching?

Up Close Tour of the Duggar Home

TLC has posted seventeen new photos of the Duggar home in Springdale, Arkansas. Click here to see!

New Look

Do you like our new look? In addition to the main blog, we have added several additional pages for your convenience. Check them out, and let us know what you think!

Appearances: Latest information on the Duggars' future speaking engagements, book signings, and musical performances.

Photos: Several dozen pictures of the Duggars' most memorable moments, courtesy of Scott Enlow.
 
Show Times: Dates and times of new episodes and reruns of "19 Kids and Counting," as well as older shows starring the Duggars family.

Birthdays: Master list of Duggar birthdays and anniversaries.

Recipes: Links to the Duggars favorite recipes, some edible, some not.

RSS Feed: Link to our blog's live news feed.

About Lily and Ellie: Meet the creators of the Duggar Family Blog.

Sponsors: List of the sites that support our blog.

Duggar Recipe: Liquid Laundry Soap

One of the numerous, out-of-the-box ways the Duggars save money is by making their own liquid laundry soap. 

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

(Front or top load machine-best value)

Ingredients:

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar*
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda**
½ Cup Borax

Directions:

-Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Visit the Fels-Naptha website to find a store in your area that carries the product.
**Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

For more Duggar recipes (including reviews and variations), visit our Recipes page.

What kind(s) of laundry soap do you use?

"Duggars in the Zone" Recap

On tonight's episode of "19 Kids and Counting..."

• Josh and Anna made a failed attempt to purchase their second car lot from the bank they were renting from. Soon after, the bank told them to leave the property. To keep their business open as long as possible, the Duggars gave themselves eight hours to move everything off the lot. Were they successful? We'll see!
• Josh's siblings, Priscilla Keller, and a friend from Jana and John-David's mission trip showed up to lend a hand. When it came to moving the 50-some cars, boy was Josh thankful that five of his sisters and brothers can drive! Everyone admitted that the moving party was rather fun, and they finished the job with less than ten minutes to spare, but the hardest part was just beginning. Where on Earth would they put all the extra cars?
• After purchasing an abandoned restaurant, nicknamed the Taco Lot, Josh went before Springdale's zoning committee. His request to turn the property into a dealership was denied.
• The last flicker of hope was a meeting with the city council, but Josh and Anna weren't the only ones holding their breath. Since starting their business, they had hired two new salesmen, each of whom has a family of his own to support. To lighten the mood, the couple took their employees out for an appreciation dinner. 
• What was the verdict of the city council meeting? The Duggars' request for rezoning was granted! "Only by God's grace," announced Josh. 
• Wondering why Josh and Anna suddenly decided to buy a pet cat? One word: mice. "I don't really like an inside cat," said Josh. "But Anna doesn't really like inside mice, so we had to come up with a compromise."

Have you ever had problems with mice? What did you do about them?

Duggars in the Zone

What's new with the Duggars? Josh and Anna are being forced to find a new site for their second car lot, but zoning laws get in the way, and the process isn't as easy as expected. All this and more on tonight's episode! Tune in to TLC at 10PM EST/9PM CST for "19 Kids and Counting" Duggars in the Zone.   

Food for Thought

We have had a lot of readers voice their concern for Michelle's health and the health of her future children. Some comments have said that Josie's premature birth was a sign from God that the Duggars should stop having kids. With all the struggles surrounding the birth of their 19th, it would be easy to assume that God tried to tell them to stop after their 18th.
Could it be possible that Josie's miraculous story had a purpose and was carefully planned by God as a way to demonstrate the power of prayer? Or perhaps to show people that a baby is a baby no matter how far along in the pregnancy? Being born at 25 weeks gestation, the fact that Josie not only survived but is thriving is a miracle in itself.

And YOU?

To announce the gender of baby #2, Josh and Anna decided that Michelle would be the only one to find out the sex at the ultrasound. She kept it a secret for an entire week, while making arrangements for a pilot to write the gender symbol in the sky with smoke. When the big day arrived, the entire family gathered in the yard and eagerly watched the airplane.

We would love to hear what creative ways have you have used to announce the gender of your baby, or other exciting news, to family and friends! Go ahead and share your experiences and thoughts in the comments section.

Duggars Visit Georgetown Cupcake

What is your favorite kind of cupcake? Have you ever seen the TLC show "DC Cupcakes?"

"Duggars Deliver" Recap

On tonight's episode of "19 Kids and Counting" Duggars Deliver...

• Jackson and Johannah admitted that sorting clothes with Mommy is fun. Michelle knows the importance of making household chores enjoyable, especially for the little ones. 
• Michelle and several of the kids helped Jordyn search for her missing shoe, an event that occurs almost everyday in the Duggar home. "Jordyn loves shoes," explained Michelle. "She will find shoes anywhere... and she'll take one."
  
• Later on, Grandma Duggar, Michelle, Josh, Anna, and Mackynzie headed over to What's Kickin, a family-friendly ultrasound studio. While Josh and Anna kept their eyes shut, the technician snapped a photo of the their unborn child, labeled it with the baby's gender, and handed it to over to Grandma Michelle, who was grinning from ear to ear.
  
• Meanwhile, Jessa and Jinger baked cookies and cheesecake and took some of the little ones along to deliver the treats to local police and fire departments. The Duggar started this annual tradition to show appreciation to the men and women who serve their community.
  
• After keeping the gender of Grand-Duggar #2 a secret for an entire week, it was finally time for Michelle to announce it to the family. "It was really hard for me to keep the secret, especially from Jim Bob," the mom of 19 told TLC. Yep, you heard that right. As much as Jim Bob begged and pleaded, Michelle stood her ground and refused to spill the beans to him or anyone else. The camera crew took a poll, and it turned out that most of the family, including Anna, predicted that the baby would be a boy.
  
• When the big moment arrived, everyone gathered in the yard and looked up as a pilot wrote the gender symbol in the sky with smoke. The results? IT'S A BOY!

How often have you been right in predicting the gender of your baby, or of someone else's?

It's a Boy!

Josh and Anna are expecting the first Duggar grandson on June 19th!
This time, Michelle made the announcement. 
"We went to the ultrasound and decided that my mom would know," Josh told People Magazine. "We figured she could handle the secret and then have a surprise sharing of the information with the entire family, including me and Anna." 




What should Josh and Anna name the new addition?

"19 Kids and Counting" Duggars Deliver

Tonight on TLC....
How does Michelle balance time with her kids and household duties? With 19 children, that's no easy task. Also on this all-new episode, pay a special visit to Josh and Anna's to find out how Anna balances her pregnancy, Mackynzie, and taking care of things around the house.
All this at 10PM EST/9PM CST on TLC.

How do you handle all the stresses of everyday life, with or without children?

Pray for the Bates Family

The Bates family, the Duggars' dear friends, recently announced on their blog that Kelly suffered a miscarriage of their 19th child at 10 weeks gestation. The Bates family is asking for you prayers during this difficult time.

Duggars on Homeschool Curricula

Several readers have asked about the wide variety of homeschool curricula that the Duggars use. Here are several websites that they recommend: 

Switched-On Schoolhouse (Grades 3-12)
Teaching Textbooks (Math)
Advanced Training Institute (ATI)
ACE
College Plus! (Personally recommended by Jim Bob Duggar during on of our interviews)
The Teaching Home
Bob Jones University Press
Bob Jones University 
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Sing, Spell, Read & Write
Homeschool Legal Defense Association 
A Beka Book
Majesty Music
Way of the Master
Verity Institute

Do you homeschool? If so, what resources do you recommend?

Duggars' Character Qualities Chart

Several of our reader have asked about the Character Qualities that the Duggars teach their children. Click here to view and download a copy of the exact Character Qualities chart that Jim Bob and Michelle use!

And the winner is...

Our giveaway is over, but not to worry -- there's more where that came from.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for....

Drum-roll please......

The winner of the $35 gift card to CSN Stores is...Melissa C! 

Thanks to all who entered, and congratulations, Melissa! Your $35 gift card code should arrive in your inbox within 24 hours.

Big News!

We just added two new pages to our blog! The first is an "Appearances" page, where you can find information about the Duggars' book signings, speaking engagements, and musical performances. There are two events on their already.
The second is a "Show Times" page, where you will see the times of all the Duggars' shows, one to two weeks out.
All this information is just a click away.

What do you think about our new pages?

"Josie's First Birthday" Reap

On last night's episode of "19 Kids and Counting" Josie's First Birthday...

• Jim Bob and the older kids still in Central America, Anna had Michelle and the little ones over for dinner. The children enjoyed chasing Josh and Anna's new kitten, named "Kitty" to help Mackynzie learn a new word. "Cats really are my favorite pet," said Michelle. "I like dogs, but I love cats."
• When the other half of the family returned home, there were hugs and kisses all around. Priscilla Keller, who was Michelle's sidekick while the older kids were away, had a blast with the little ones but admitted that she was exhausted. Jonathan, Jana and John's translator during their mission trip to Indonesia, was also visiting the Duggars and enjoyed helping Michelle out as well. 
• The next item on the Duggars' agenda? A family party for Josie's first birthday. "This is the biggest one-year celebration we've ever had," said Jim Bob. "She is a little miracle," beamed Michelle. Everyone enjoyed cake and fellowship, celebrating the triumphs of Josie's miraculous first year.

 Are you a cat person or a dog person? Or maybe neither? We (Lily and Ellie) have a pet cockatiel named Pearl.

Duggars Go Deep

With all the struggles the family has been through with Josie, would Michelle do it over again?
"I probably would," the mom of 19 told TLC, tearing up. "Because I have Josie. The easy choices in life, I think we could miss out on some of the greatest blessings that God has for us."

Are the Duggars up for another baby? 
Jim Bob gave TLC an honest answer: "It's a little scary thinking about if Michelle gets pregnant again. We don't know if we'll be in the same situation again or not, but we really believe that we still need to leave our future in God's hands."

The Duggars have put their lives out on national TV and have agreed to be transparent, with the goal of encouraging others and sharing that children are a blessing from God. If someone offered you a show on TLC, would you accept?

Don't Miss Josie's 1st Birthday Celebration!

Tune in to TLC tonight at 10PM EST/9PM CST for a special episode of "19 Kids and Counting," Josie's First Birthday! Born at 1 pounds, 6 ounces (sorry for the typo earlier!), Josie's first six months were a struggle for life. One year later, she is happy and healthy, and that calls for a celebration!

Have You Entered the Giveaway?

Our Tea with Michelle Duggar giveaway was such a hit that we decided to do another contest. Don't miss out on this chance to win a $35 gift card to CSN, a network of 200+ online stores. Click HERE for the details.

Josh Celebrates his 23rd!

Twenty-three years ago, Jim Bob and Michelle welcomed their first baby into the world. 

Happy Birthday, Josh! 

Now Josh is happily married and expecting his second child. He and Anna are leaving the size of their family up to the Lord. 




If you had the opportunity to meet Josh and Anna, what would you tell them?

"Duggars Make a Difference" Recap

On this week's episode of "19 Kids and Counting..."

• After touring the Mayan ruins, Jim Bob and his eleven oldest headed to a local Honduran restaurant for lunch.
• Back at home, Amy, Priscilla Keller, Anna, and Grandma Duggar took the little ones to a reptile museum, where they held frogs, pet tarantulas, and touched pythons. Believe it or not, Michelle says that the house is quieter without the older ones.
• The Duggars' week in Honduras came to an end, and there were tears as the girls said their goodbyes to the friends they had made. It was especially difficult for Jill. "It was just like she was leaving part of her there" said Jim Bob.
• Jim Bob and the kids visited with the governor of the province of El Salvador where they were staying. She told them where they could find people in the most need. Taking action on her words, the Duggars took a boat across Lake Ilopango to bring Christmas to a village devastated by a recent earthquake.

Would you enjoy visiting a reptile museum?

Duggars on College

Many readers have asked about the Duggars' views on higher education. Do they encourage college? Do they even allow it? 

"Life is a classroom," says Michelle. She and Jim Bob strongly believe that learning is a lifelong process, not a dreaded chore that ends at graduation. They encourage their children to gain different skills and experience various career potentials in order to figure out what they are truly passionate about. If that means pursuing a college education, then mom and dad are all for it, but their goal is for their kids to be driven by God's plan for their lives instead of by what the world says is the norm.

So what are the older kids up to now? 

• Jill and Jana have been looking into midwifery and nursing, taking classes and studying under professionals.  

• John-David has his own towing business, which came in handy when the Duggars woke up to 2 feet of snow earlier this month!

• Jessa has a passion for teaching and has taken on many responsibilities of homeschooling the little ones.

• Jinger has been honing her photography skills by taking pictures for the family's personal album and website. 

• Several of the kids have started with CollegePlus! an online program that allows students to earn college credit, and potentially an entire degree, in a fraction of the time, at a fraction of the cost. “We’ve had several friends that have gotten a four-year degree in about eighteen months from College Plus!” Jim Bob announced during our interview. College Plus! currently has a student body of 2,200 and is growing rapidly.
• To learn more about the Duggars and CollegePlus! click here.

What are your views on higher education? 

Technology Glitch

We had a technology glitch, so we will be posting the recap on the blog tonight. Sorry for the delay, but thanks for understanding! You know how technology can be sometimes.