What does Michelle do to Recharge her Battery?

With nineteen kids, how does Michelle stay balanced? We know that she enjoys exercising on the elliptical, but what else does she do for herself?
"I love to listen to the Bible on CD," Michelle told Renelle Roberts of the Christian Broadcasting Network in a recent interview. When she needs a few minutes of personal time, the mother of nineteen retreats to her bedroom, reclines in her comfy chair, and listens to Alexander Scourby read the King James Version on a CD that the children gave her for Mothers' Day years ago. "The kids know if they come to my door and they hear Alexander Scourby, they usually don't knock." 

What do you do to relax and recharge?

New Look to the Duggar Family Website

The Duggar Family website has a new look! It is easier to navigate than before; there are games to play, a store for books and DVDs, and a few new links. The site is beautifully done, but most of the written content is the same as before. Check it out here!

Happy Memorial Day!

Duggars Hit the Slopes in 10 Days

Ten days till showtime! The Duggars are returning to TLC in less than two weeks! What's on the agenda for the first show? The family is off to the majestic mountains of Colorado for a nine-day ski trip. None of the Duggars have skied before, but they're willing to try. Don't miss this exciting episode. Watch "19 Kids and Counting" Duggars Hit the Slopes at 9PM EST/8PM CST on Tuesday, June 7th, or purchase the episode on Amazon or Itunes for $1.99. To watch a sneak peak, click here.

Have you ever skied? If yes, how did you like it? If no, would you be willing to try?

Music Tour Before Book Tour

Before the Duggars set off on their book tour, they will be performing with the Bontrager Family Singers at four New York locations. (Thanks to one of our readers for sharing this tip!) The schedule is as follows:

June 4th, 2011

4:00PM at Highland Park~Cypress Hill, NY
Free and open to the public

June 5th, 2011

6:00PM at Evangel Church~Long Island City, NY
Free but requires tickets because space is limited. Call 718-361-5454 to reserve a spot.
The church's address is:
39-20 27th Street
Long Island City, NY 11101      

June 6th, 2011

10:00AM at Evangel Church School~Long Island City, NY
Open to the public but is geared more towards the students and staff.

5:00PM at Bowry Street Mission~NYC, NY
Open to the public but is geared more towards the people at the mission. 

*If you are looking for an event for the entire family, the Bontragers recommend attending either the church performance or the performance at New York's Highland Park.

Are any of these performances near you?

Autographed Copies of the Duggars' New Book!

Can't make it to one of the Duggars' book signings but still want an autographed copy of their new book? Premiere Collectibles is now selling autographed copies of A Love That Multiplies exclusively! The cost? Only $20--hardly more than retail. There are limited quantities, so get your order in asap.
Click here to order your very own copy. The books will be shipped the week of June 7th, 2011.

*To save 10% off your order, type customer024872 into the Promo Code box during checkout.

Will you be ordering a copy?

Radical Love: Duggars Rush to Joplin

We all know that the Duggars are a compassionate, caring family, but earlier this week, they took that concept to the next level. Prepared to be blown away and encouraged like never before...

When the Duggars heard about the tornado that devastated the city of Joplin, Missouri, only an hour and a half north of their home in Northwest Arkansas, they not only prayed for the rescue workers--they became the rescue workers. Sunday evening, Jim Bob, Josh, Jana, John, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, and Josiah drove up to Joplin and spent hours distributing supplies and physically searching for signs of life amidst the rubble of 2,000 fallen buildings. Wow! Talk about radical love!
Read the full story and watch a short video on TMZ.

On a scale of 1-10, how encouraged are you by this story? Were you affected by Sunday's storms?

Duggars on Tour!

Only fifteen days until the Duggars return to TLC! And June 7th is also the day that their second book, A Love that Multiplies, hits the stores!
Do you know what also happens on June 7th? The Duggars kick off their 2011 book tour at Bookends in Ridgewood, New Jersey! In a period of six days, Jim Bob and Michelle and the kids will visit nine bookstores in the following cities to meet their fans and sign books. (Click on each city for specific information on location and timing):

6/7/11
BookEnds~Ridgewood, NJ.
(On Bookends website, scroll down to mid-page)

6/8/11
Barnes & Noble~Camp Hill, PA

6/9/11
Barnes & Noble~Homestead, PA
Barnes & Noble~Akron, OH

6/10/11
Barnes & Noble~Columbus, OH
Barnes & Noble~Cincinnati, OH

6/11/11
Barnes & Noble~Louisville, KY
Barnes & Noble~Brentwood, TN

6/12/11
Barnes & Noble~Little Rock, AR

 *For the Barnes & Noble signings, the Duggars will only sign books purchased at Barnes & Noble. If you plan on purchasing the book before the day of the book signing, make sure to bring your Barnes & Noble receipt. 

Will you be able to attend one of the Duggars' book signings?

A Very Special Duggar Birthday!

Exactly one week after Jill's 20th birthday, the Duggars have another milestone to celebrate! Can you believe that little Jackson is turning seven?!

Let's take a trip back to 2004, when Jim Bob and Michelle were featured in their first TLC documentary, "14 Children and Pregnant Again!" That 15th child that they were expecting was none other than Jackson Levi.

 Happy 7th Birthday, Jackson!

Missed the Duggars on GMA?

Missed seeing the Duggars on yesterday's episode of "Good Morning America?" Watch it here!

Would you like to be a Duggar for a day?

Duggars on "Good Morning America!"

Set your alarm, and grab the remote--tomorrow's episode of "Good Morning America!" is starring the Duggars! What is it like to spend a day with Jim Bob and Michelle and their nineteen kids? ABC's Dan Harris has the scoop. Tune in tomorrow at 8AM EST (7AM CST) to hear what he has to say.  
Click here to watch a preview of the show. The family even gave Dan Harris a ride on their Duggar-sized rope swing. See that video here.

Will you be watching?

Banana Cake: Duggar Style

One of our readers has requested that we post the Duggars' Banana Cake recipe. This cake was Grandpa Duggars' favorite; Jana made it for his last birthday with the family, in "18 Kids and Counting" Duggars' Big Thaw. We guarantee you'll fall in love. Unless you don't like bananas (which would be a tragedy); then this recipe is definitely not for you.

Grandpa Duggar's Favorite Banana Cake 

Ingredients: 

• 1 box yellow cake mix (and whatever ingredients is needed to make the cake from the box recipe: i.e. eggs, oil...)  
• 2 boxes vanilla pudding mix (plus the milk needed to make it : )  
• 5 bananas 

Directions:

1. Prepare cake mix and pudding as directed on boxes. 
2. After baking cake, spread pudding evenly on top. 
3. Slice bananas and layer over pudding. Enjoy!

Duggar Size It!

Ingredients:

• 1 Industrial Size Cake Pan (or two 9x13 pans)
• 2 Boxes Yellow Cake Mix (and whatever ingredients is needed to make the cake from the box recipe: i.e. eggs, oil...)
• 4 Boxes Vanilla Pudding (plus the milk needed to make it : )
• 8 Bananas

Directions:

1. Prepare yellow cake as directed and bake. 
2. After cake is finished baking use a butter knife to make 1 inch holes all over cake (removing the cake from the holes made).
3. In a bowl mix pudding as directed on box. Pour pudding over cake, making sure it fills in holes made earlier with knife. Slice bananas and lay on top of cake. 
4. Refrigerate until cold. Serve and enjoy!

For more delicious Duggar recipes, click here!

Have you ever made a banana cake? Do you plan on trying this one?

Peculiar But Fulfilling

Jim Bob and Michelle might not be living up to what the world considers "normal," but they are fulfilling an even greater calling--one from above. If you've been following the Duggars for a while, you've probably heard them quote Psalm 127:3...      

"Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him."

This is the verse that the family points to when asked the big question: "Why on Earth do you have nineteen kids?" The answer is God. Jim Bob and Michelle are following God's will for their lives. He chose to give them nineteen children, and they have graciously accepted each one.

In "Tea with Michelle Duggar," Vision Forum's Mother of the Year shares her heart with the women of America: "This is very peculiar that God would give nineteen children--really twenty with the baby that we lost--to one couple in a lifetime...This is not about us. This is about Him and who He is." 

Is there a verse or quote that has especially impacted your life?

Another Duggar Birthday!

It has been over three weeks since Jason turned eleven, and it's time for another Duggar birthday celebration!

Can you guess whose?

We'll give you a hint: it starts with a "J," so that rules out Michelle, Anna, and Mackynzie and leaves us with twenty possibilities. That's a lot of cake!
Any guesses?

Okay, we'll tell you (drum-roll please)....

Today, Jill Duggar turns twenty!

Happy 20th Birthday, Jill!

Do you know anyone with a birthday today?

Duggars in D.C.

Guess where Jim Bob and Michelle are this week? In Washington D.C! On the trip, the two were interviewed by the 700 Club and D.C.'s NewsChannel 8. They also spent some quality time as a couple, taking in the sights of the city. And to make their visit to the nation's Capital complete, Jim Bob and Michelle stopped off at D.C. Cupcakes.

Have you ever been to Washington D.C.?

Duggars Return in Less than 4 Weeks!

Grab your TV remote --the Duggars are returning in less than four weeks! The first show of the season is scheduled for Tuesday, June 7th, at 9PM! Your emails to TLC must have worked because the timing is earlier than last season. We will keep you updated, just in case the date changes, but for now you can plan on the 7th.
Until then, keep coming back to the blog for more on the Duggars, and check out our Show Times page for a list of reruns of past shows. For a blast from the past, tune in to TLC on Monday, May 16th, at 7AM for "16 Children and Moving In."

On a scale of 1-10, how much have you missed the Duggars' show?

New Photos!

Just added a couple dozen more pictures to our Photos page!
Click here to check them out.
We are also working on a more user-friendly layout for that page, so stay tuned!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! 

What did your family do to celebrate?

Duggars' Close Call with Tornadoes

While tornadoes raged in the South early last week, the Duggars were on their way to an ATI homeschool conference in Big Sandy, Texas. At one point during the conference, all two thousand families were told to seek shelter in an inner room, where they joined together in a chorus of "Amazing Grace." While they sang, a tornado touched down only five miles from the camp. Now that's a close call! Thankfully, everyone was safe, and the Duggars, the Bates, and all the other homeschool families were able to enjoy the rest of the conference.

Do you live in an area where tornadoes are common?

Tune In On Thursday

Missed our February interview with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar? No problem! This Thursday, Nina Frye, the host of the Living the Dream Mom radio show, will be replaying the interview at 10AM EST (9AM CST). To listen, click here, and then click the "Live on Air: Click Here to Listen" button.

A special note from Nina:

"The Live Chat will be available if you wish to join in on the chat during the hour.  Just click on the CHAT LIVE tab on the top of the page, type in your name - no password required and you are in!  Enjoy!"

Will you be tuning in for the interview?

And the Winner Is...

Time to give away three of the Duggars' favorite DVDs, Facing the Giants, Flywheel, and Fireproof!

And the winner is....

Becky B! Congratulations, Becky! Check your Inbox for a message from Lily and Ellie. 

Thanks to all who entered! Look for more giveaways soon.

Less Than 24 Hours Left!

Extra! Extra! Our DVD giveaway is coming to a close in less than 24 hours! Don't miss your chance to win 3 of the Duggars' favorite movies. Click here to enter, before it's too late.