Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Menu Plan for the Week

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Matt and I had a lovely time at the Nebraska Home School Conference this weekend…and we were so excited that we were able to meet several of you!! Thanks for taking the time to come say hello in the middle of your busy weekend. We loved it!!

Now…how can we figure out ways to meet all of the rest of you??? Hmmmm……..

Speaking of the conference, here are some interesting things that occurred that really have nothing to do with much of anything, but which you may or may not find interesting or boring. :)

One is that because we were at our little vendor booth, talking to people and sharing about our curriculum and telling people what HeavenlyHomemakers.com is all about….we were standing on our feet on a hard floor for two solid days. Our legs got tired, but eh…no biggy. It was a great time. 

It wasn’t until about two hours after the conference ended and we were home unloading our gear that suddenly we both realized how sore we were. By bedtime, I was gimping around like I’d sustained an injury and Matt had to run me a bath to soak in. 

This morning, I was scooting around like a little old lady. Every move hurts as I’m trying to work my kinks out. If you saw me, you’d likely say, “What happened to you? Did you fall? Were you hit by a moving vehicle? Did the boys’ wrestling matches finally get the best of you?” And I’d have to reply, “I did absolutely nothing. I simply stood in the same spot for two days and now I can’t seem to walk or move.”

Matt said that this is normal (he knows these things from his work at the restaurant). I’m so glad he thinks I’m normal.

Anyway…the other thing that isn’t relevant to anything and that you may not care about is:

On Friday of the conference, because there were people coming by the booth almost constantly all day long…we didn’t find much time to eat the lunch we had packed. We were able to sneak a bite in here and there, but by 6:30 that evening when the vendor booths closed, we were both quite hungry. We got in the van to head home for the night and while this was very unlike us, we decided on fast food because we needed food…fast. So, we went to Culvers because if you’re going to eat fast food, it should at least taste really good.

Now, I don’t know if you know this about me or not, but I’m a beef lovin’ girl. I think it’s something about how I tend to feel sick and anemic if I don’t get enough iron…but regardless…there are times that I just need me some cow. This was one of those times.

As we looked at the menu I decided that a “single” just wasn’t going to cut it. I told Matt that I was going to shock us both and order the “double cheddar”.

And I did. And I ate it all.  And I didn’t look back.

I inhaled that double burger and I was very happy and Matt just watched in amusement. Somewhere in between bites and while I had ketchup running down my chin, I said, “Thank you for not judging me for ordering and eating an entire double.”

And then I handed him my fries because really…I was just there for the beef.

Okay…so that’s the end of my random weekend stories. Here’s the menu plan that you really came to see:

(And in case you’re wondering, because of our gluten free experiment, Malachi will be eating the non-gluten parts of these meals, or I’ll adapt part of a meal for him, or whatever. I’m trying not to be a short order chef, but I’ve found that it’s easier to try to cook “normally” and just adjust a few things for him specifically. I’ll probably talk more about this during our Gluten Free Recipe Parade which begins tonight!!)

Sunday, April 3
Easy breakfast casserole, oranges
Roasted chicken, carrots, potatoes, gravy
Cook-out with friends

Monday, April 4
Warm chocolate soother, toast
Tuna topped tomatoes, peaches and cottage cheese
Tacos

Tuesday, April 5
Simple soaked pancakes, scrambled eggs
Homemade chicken strips, ranch potato wedges, peas
Swiss steak over rice, carrots

Wednesday, April 6
Creamy orange cooler, toast
Taco corn fritters (recipe coming this week!), applesauce
Lasagna casserole, tossed salad

Thursday, April 7
Gluten Free-Dairy Free chocolate chip muffins (recipe to be shared this week!!), bananas
Cheddar ranch burgers, roasted asparagus
BBQ meatballs, cream scalloped potatoes, green beans

Friday, April 8
Fried eggs on toast, pears
Meat and cheese burritos, apples
Chicken and rice stew, raw veggies with ranch dip

Saturday, April 9
Turkey sausage, hashbrowns
Leftovers
Lamb chops, baked potatoes, tossed salad

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Be sure to check out Say Mmm to help you get organized in your menu planning!

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Hope you’re planning to join us for the Gluten Free Recipe Parade 
to get lots of fun new recipe ideas!!! 

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Visit Organizing Junkie for more Menu Planning inspiration!

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It’s a Gluten Free Recipe Parade!

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Many of you may remember the Heavenly Homemakers Recipe Parade we had back in October, when I spent the entire week posting new and fun recipes, giveaways and cooking tips. It was a blast and it made us all hungry to try all the new and healthy recipes!

Well, thanks to all of your encouragement on our Gluten Free Experiment post, and because I just can’t seem to stop myself when it comes to tinkering with new recipes…I’ve been having a good ol’ time in my kitchen the past few days playing with some of the recipe ideas you all sent my way, or just making up fun recipes for foods to eat that don’t contain gluten.

In my quest to create dishes that Malachi (and the rest of us) would enjoy, I have been quite determined NOT to try looking high and low for “specialized gluten free” ingredients.  I know they are available, but they are pricey and many of them do not contain much in the way of nutrition.

Besides, I want to come up with recipes that EVERYONE can appreciate and enjoy…not just those who have to eat a gluten free diet. I’m out to prove (to myself, most of all) that there is no end to all the yummy and fun dishes and treats you can make without gluten. I’m also out to prove that eating a gluten free diet doesn’t have to be expensive!

And so…next week we’ll be having a great big Gluten Free Recipe Parade here at Heavenly Homemakers!

Yum

I have quite a few recipes to share, and even if you don’t have any gluten free needs in your household…I think you’ll still love all the new ideas to try for your family. I was making some of them before our experiment started…I just hadn’t had the chance to share them with you yet.

In addition, I’ve got several great and wonderful giveaways lined up that fit right in with our Gluten Free Recipe Parade! This place is sure to be hopping next week as you never know when I’ll be posting a new recipe or giveaway post. Prepare yourself for lots of fun starting Sunday night, April 3!

ALSO…because it’s so much fun to do this…I’ll be giving away five $10 Heavenly Homemakers Shop Gift Certificates during the Parade, good for use on any of our downloadable products! All comments left on ANY post that features the Gluten Free Recipe Parade button (shown above) will be included in the drawing. If you leave a comment on every single post featuring the Gluten Free Recipe Parade button…you  have LOTS of chances at winning one of the certificates!!!

AND…on Friday, April 8, you will have a chance to link up YOUR favorite and healthy gluten free recipes to share with all of us. This is what I look forward to most – reading all of your great ideas for recipes that do not contain wheat, oats, barley or rye. Even if you aren’t a gluten free gal…I bet you have some great recipes to share!!

If you haven’t already, you may want to subscribe to Heavenly Homemakers so that you don’t miss any of these great posts! You can Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email!

Let the Gluten Free Recipe Parade fun begin!!!!

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A Natural Deodorant that WORKS! (Giveaway from Pure Miessence)

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Apparently this is my week to talk about personal topics. First yeast infections, now deodorant. Well now, you’ve got to love a good discussion about armpits. :)

There was something a little bit nerve-wracking for me when I agreed to do a review about deodorant. I really, really don’t like writing negative reviews. But, like always, I must give my honest opinion about products that are sent to me to review. So I was a little bit worried. What if this deodorant didn’t work for me?

There are two reasons I’m very happy that the deodorant Jessica sent me from Miessence does indeed work:

  1. Instead of figuring out how to nicely write a negative review…I get to write a positive review! I don’t even have to try hard.
  2. Hoorah…it’s a natural deodorant that WORKS! Do you know how exciting it is that I have found a natural deodorant that works?!?!!?

You may recall what I’ve written in previous posts about the deodorant I use. I learned long ago that antiperspirant and aluminum were to be avoided when choosing a deodorant, so I’ve been using the deodorant that Tropical Traditions offered. While the deodorant from Tropical Traditions works okay, it only really worked for me for part of the day. By the end of the day, I would often need to wash and re-apply. I thought that was just the best I could find in the world of natural deodorants. But there were definitely times I would feel a little self-conscious.

I was completely and totally thrilled that Tahitian Breeze Roll-On Deodorant from Pure Miessence works all day and all night without me having to give it a second thought!!! Wow, I’m not trying to be overly passionate about my armpits, but seriously…this makes me excited! 

You can see from the list of ingredients in the  Tahitian Breeze Roll-On Deodorant from Pure Miessence that there is no need to worry about the safety of it’s use. It’s pure and safe…AND IT WORKS!!!

Jessica is great to work with and would be happy to answer any questions you might have about Pure Miessence and their products. (After your initial order, you’ll receive a preferred customer discount of 10% off all future orders!)  In addition, take time to look at the work from home business opportunity at Pure Miessence. This could be just the business you’ve been looking for!

Jessica is offering to give away TWO $25 gift certificates to be used for any Pure Miessence products you’re interested in!

To win one of these certificates, head on over to Jessica’s PureMiessence Website and have a look around. Leave a comment here letting us know which products you’re most interested in!

For additional entries, do any or all of the following (then leave a separate comment for each item you did!)

I’ll draw two random winners for this giveaway on Monday, April 4.

This giveaway is now closed, thank you!

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Natural Help for a Yeast Infection

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Hello, and welcome to a very personal post. I don’t usually write about these sorts of topics, not because I’m afraid of getting personal, but because I’ll never claim to be someone who knows much about natural healing. I leave that up to Michele at Frugal Granola. She’s brilliant, well studied in these matters and even wrote an ebook to help all of us.

Of course, I do know that if I cut hot peppers without gloves on and then touch my eye, my face will appear to be on fire and I will run frantically about the house until I can get some milk splashed into my eyeball. And through trial and error, we’ve found some things to help ease our son’s eczema symptoms naturally. But in general, you won’t come to Heavenly Homemakers and learn that in order to help your pet cat who is experiencing hair loss, you need to rub together the petals of four and a half tulips, mix them with yesterday’s shredded newspaper in a large pot of tepid coffee, stir in equal measures of garlic and plucked eyebrows, then soak your cat in the mixture for 2.7 hours per day*. That’s just not where my specialty lies.

However, I do have a thing or two to say about helping a yeast infection. This information doesn’t take the place of what your doctor might say, but of course you know from reading the above cat hair remedy that this goes without saying. I’m just going to share with you what I have learned from what I have read and what I have experienced.

I don’t suffer from yeast infections often (thankfully), and I know there are different varieties of yeast issues (like thrush). But the kind I’m talking about today is the kind that effects women in a very unpleasant and personal way. Yeast is a fungus and none of us wants an over-growth of fungus down there. Not only is a yeast infection itchy, it’s extremely itchy and it burns and it also itches very badly. 

Here are the best natural remedies I’ve found to make an uncomfortable yeast infection go away:

  • Take a probiotic – It’s really a good idea to take a probiotic on a regular basis if you can, but especially if you have a yeast infection. I suggest talking to your chiropractor or local natural doctor to see which kind he/she recommends.
  • Stop eating sugar – I mean completely stop eating sugar while you’re having a yeast infection. Sugar feeds yeast and just makes your infection worse. Try to go easy on all carbs if possible, as carbs turn to sugar. Don’t worry, there will still be brownies in the world for you to eat later after you’re all better.
  • Eat cultured products like yogurt. Drink cultured products like kefir or kombucha. (Someday, I plan to share with you how to make kombucha.)
  • Better yet (and this is where the very personal part of this post comes in)…apply plain, cultured products directly to the infected area. 

Yes, this means that you take a little jar of plain kefir or yogurt into the bathroom with you…wash yourself gently…then put kefir or yogurt on and around and in the area that is feeling miserable.

Yum

I have found that this is a huge help. It doesn’t cure the problem instantly…but it does offer some temporary relief…as well as help with the overall healing process, as the good, living bacteria in the cultured dairy goes to work. It’s actually quite soothing.

But be sure the cultured products are PLAIN. Most commercial yogurts and kefirs have some sort of sugar in them and YOWZA you do not want to be smearing sugar in there to feed the yeast and turn it into a monster!

I recommend, if you can, to make your own homemade cultured dairy products. All the instructions are found through links on this page and they are SO easy!! There’s even a Heavenly Homemakers discount from Cultures for Health to help get you started. Look for it on the Cultured Dairy Instruction Pages.

I’m also going to put a plug in here again for always and forever avoiding regular Kotex and/or other typical store-bought brands of monthly “punctuation” products as these can cause all kinds of miserable  issues. Read this post again if you don’t know what I’m talking about. I really can’t emphasize this enough.

I’d love for you to share any other natural remedies you’ve discovered to help with yeast infections. And also for cat hair loss.

*The above described remedy for Cat Hair Loss was completely fictitious information written simply to cause me to sound ridiculous. I do not recommend soaking your cat in the previously described way, ever. Not enough studies have been done to prove its effectiveness, and trying this remedy may result in a very angry cat.

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Whole Foods Couponing…and a Thank You!

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As you may remember, I used to be a Coupon Queen. I was the one who would be in front of you in the check out line with 47 coupons and a cart full of groceries. After the cashier spent ten minutes subtracting out my coupons, my receipt total would be somewhere in the $24 range for a cart full of food.

If indeed we can call it food. I wasn’t exactly using coupons to get fruits and vegetables, you know?  But shucks…most of it was free! Free poptarts are great, right?

Learn to make healthier, homemade poptarts if you need a poptart fix!

Well, as you know, we’ve changed our ways a little bit entirely and now I shop completely differently. (You can read this post to learn how I grocery shop. And you can read this entire series to learn about our Healthy Eating Journey.)  I now recognize that spending money on good, whole foods is a perfect investment in our overall health.

But I still love finding great deals on great groceries!

This is where the “Thank You!” part of this post comes in. Remember how I mentioned that if you sign up for Shop it to Me…I could earn free gift cards?  Well…several of you signed up, which means that I earned several free gift cards. I appreciate it so much!  There were several gift card choices…but of course…I chose the cards for Whole Foods!! Who can pass up free groceries at Whole Foods??!

Matt and I were able to hit a Whole Foods store while we were away for the weekend at the Weekend to Remember conference. (Yes, part of our romantic weekend was spent shopping for asparagus. You know your relationship is solid when you can lovingly gaze at organic produce together.)

Not only did I have a few Shop it to Me Whole Foods cards to use…I had been doing my homework and had put together some coupons to use during our outing. It brought back memories and I have to admit that I felt quite giddy as I actually put coupons into an envelope again. I really haven’t done that (to this extent) for a long time. (Yeah I know…I’m a geek.)

The kids were pretty happy to see us when we got home…especially when they saw we had brought home cereal and yogurt!! (Hey guys…didn’t you even miss us just a little bit?)

We stocked up on chicken wings and boneless, skinless chicken breasts because I just don’t have a great source for those nearby. We found great deals on lettuce, asparagus, apples, pears and zucchini…Larabars, yogurt, butter and cheese.

And then, because they were on sale, because I had coupons and because they are gluten free…we splurged on a few items I lovingly call “organic junk food” that we’ll save for a rainy day. Cereal and chips…woohoo! Malachi sure does look disappointed with our loot, huh? :)

I had also been sent a Brat Hans Sausages coupon so that I could try them for free! We cashed in on that and WOW, you should have seen the boys when they found those in the bag! I thought they were going to eat me when they saw them! They must feel they have a brat deficiency or something?

So thank you to all who signed up for Shop it to Me …you made our Whole Foods shopping trip very fun!! If you haven’t signed up for Shop it to Me , you certainly can and it wouldn’t hurt my feelings even a little bit. :)  NOBODY  has to spend any money unless you want to – that’s the beauty of it!!! AND, more importantly, after you sign up, you can tell YOUR friends and family about Shop it to Me  so that YOU can receive free gift cards!!!

I did want to note:  I normally do the majority of this type of shopping through Azure Standard…Whole Foods is two hours away and I’m blessed to have an Azure Standard drop point right here in my town!! Azure is much less expensive and has everything I need. This Whole Foods trip was a fun splurge, gave me a “grocery store shopping fix” and well…I had gift cards. And coupons. And needed to get Brats, apparently. :)

Do you shop at Whole Foods? Do you have one close to you, or do you have to drive pretty far like I do? What do you like to get at Whole Foods?

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Gratituesday: Weekend to Remember (+ a Giveaway!!)

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I’ve been so excited to share with you about our weekend!!! Matt and I were blessed to have a getaway at the Weekend to Remember marriage conference – I cannot recommend this conference highly enough!

We haven’t had a weekend away, just the two of us, since the year two-thousand-and-I-have-no-idea. Yes, it’s been a while. We love being with our kids. Still, having time for just to two of us, time to really focus on our relationship and being the most we can be for God…it was wonderful. 

The Weekend to Remember is an incredible ministry of Family Life (maybe you’ve heard of them?). These people are serious about saving marriages, blessing marriages, building strong marriages, preserving God’s design for marriage! 

There were over 500 people at the conference this weekend. To see that many people dedicated to making their marriages strong…it was so encouraging. I got teary-eyed seeing one couple at the end of the conference. The last session was over. It was time to pack up and go home. And this couple.  They were hugging with a renewed joyand love for one another. Right there with hundreds of other people walking by. You could tell that this couple forgot anyone else existed in the world. They were in each other’s arms and they were at peace. It was beautiful and a blessing to see. (I’m teary-eyed again just thinking about it.)

I loved how the Weekend to Remember speakers and materials are so down to earth and real. They had Matt and I talking about all kinds of things that were good and helpful. Ooh, that was my favorite part of the weekend. Spending time talking and talking and talking to Matt about everything that is important in this life. Hours and hours of talking. When do you ever get that as a couple?

I’m so thankful we had this opportunity. If you have a chance to attend a Weekend to Remember conference…do it! You won’t regret it! Couples have found healing for their marriage relationship…it can be life changing!

Guess what?!! You and your spouse can go to the conference for FREE if you enter and win this giveaway!!!  Isn’t that exciting!?!! You can’t put a price on your marriage…so even if you don’t win, I really encourage you to make a way to attend. Your marriage should be a top priority!

There are Weekend to Remember conferences all over the U.S. If you are the winner, you would still be responsible for paying for your own travel expenses, lodging and food. But, your conference fee would be covered!

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. AND, have your spouse come leave a comment too!! I’ll allow one for each of you, doubling your chances to win! I’ll draw a random winner on Friday, April 1.

What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

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The Gluten Free Experiment

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I’ve been stubborn. I have not wanted to “go there”. And for Pete’s sake…I have 300 pounds of wheat in my storage room.

But our six year old, Malachi, seems to be getting worse instead of better lately with his eczema. This is SO disheartening. If you remember reading about his story, you’ll remember that he doesn’t just have just a “little bit of a rash diagnosed as eczema”. No, our littlest guy has always had a chronic form of eczema. He was covered head to toe for about the first three years of his life. From age three to now age six, the flare ups have at least been more tolerable, due in great part to all of the natural ideas we’ve tried to help his little body fight and become stronger.

But the past month or so, the rash seems to be tormenting him. It’s spreading back up to his neck. He scratches, he bleeds, he cries. Something has to give.

I don’t want him to need to eat gluten free.  I really, stinkin’, totally don’t. Which is why I’ve avoided this experiment for so long. But you know how God smacks us upside the head sometimes? I’ve felt Him doing that recently. First, Amy decided to go gluten free for a while to see if it would help her baby’s eczema. Then, my friend Danae was telling me about how she went Gluten Free and her rash cleared right up.

And Malachi has been so miserable at bedtime lately.

I feel like I need to do this for him. What if it actually helps? We’ve tried so many other things. What if this is the answer for him? What if he could be free of this misery?

And so…Matt and I decided to give it a try. It is our understanding that we need to try this experiment for a good six weeks in order to see if it truly is something that can help. We’re on day nine. So far, he’s not one bit better. But he’s not worse. So who knows?

Since I’m sharing my heart here, I’ll go ahead and tell you that I’m really, really torn when it comes to this experiment. I don’t want the Gluten Free Experiment to work. I don’t want him to have to avoid gluten for the rest of his life. I don’t want to have to cook differently for him. We already try to eat such a healthy diet…I don’t want to learn more and change more and work harder. I don’t.

But by saying that…I feel like I’m saying that I want Malachi to be stuck in this misery. Of course I don’t want that.  Which means that I really do want this experiment to work. I want this to be the answer. Except that I don’t. My selfish side wants something else to be the answer. Like the fact that the sun really is going to start shining more and he’ll be out getting Vitamin D which always helps. Yes, that would be an easy answer.

It’s not fun to sort out these feelings. And now I just spewed them all over you. 

My guess is that some of you can relate. Am I making this too hard? Yes, I’m pretty sure I am.

Thanks to all of you who mentioned these great Gluten Free Websites. It’s so helpful to know there are so many wonderful resources available! And you’d better believe I’m pouring over the eBook my friend helped me put together a few months ago, Gluten Free and Good for You. Not to mention all the other great recipes Kim has thrown my way as we’ve been putting together more eBooks that will hopefully be  ready to launch soon(ish). 

I even experiemented and made these Gluten Free Brownies 
(made with black beans…don’t tell my kids!) 
They really were quite tasty!

We can do this. I mean, if there are brownies involved…we will have the strength to do this, right!? :)

Thanks for letting me share. We just want Malachi to be better.  God is faithful.

I’ll keep you posted on how our six weeks goes. I may even share a gluten free recipe or two (sprinkled in with some wheat recipes because good grief…I do still have 300 pounds of wheat in my storage room.

If you or one of your family members eats a gluten free diet, would you please share how that’s working for you? Share why you/they are on a gluten free diet. How did your transition go?

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Gluten Free Websites?

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I’ve been asked several times and I’m wondering a little bit myself…what are the best Gluten Free Websites out there?

glutenfreerecipespicsm

These Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies are TOO good.  :)

We’re doing a little bit of Gluten Free experimenting at our house (I’ll explain more next week), and I know many of you need to eat, or have family members who need to eat a Gluten Free diet. I’d love for you to fill the comments section here with great GF resources to draw from. (If you’re interested, here’s a nice list of all of the Gluten Free recipes on the Heavenly Homemakers site!)

It would be an added bonus if the Gluten Free Website you refer us to also encourages healthy eating. :)

So, what do you know?  What are your favorite Gluten Free Websites?

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Buy High Quality Shampoo and Still Save Money

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I’ve been asked many a time… (Wait, “many a time“? who actually says that phrase?)

Anyway, I am oft asked… (Hahaha, I never say that either. “Oft asked“…eeehehehe)

What I’m trying to say is:

It is not altogether uncommon that I receive frequent inquiries and recurrent requests for me to impart my wisdom in the matter of hair cleansing.

Um, hello. It would appear that I have suddenly turned into a Shampoo Professor with a British accent. You did read all of the above in a British accent, didn’t you?

My apologies for dragging you through that marvelous waste of time. I do have a point and I really am going to share it:

Shampoo. People always want to know what I use in our hair, how healthy it is and how I afford it. So there you go.

I wrote a lengthy post a while ago describing the different soaps and cleaners we usually use around here. When it comes to shampoo, many people prefer to buy the cheapest stuff possible and/or use coupons to get it for free and I completely understand that. I used to do that too. If I found it hard to stop using coupons to buy cheap and unhealthy food…I found it doubly hard to stop using coupons to get free hair care products. Sigh…

But, just like I’ve begun to understand that it’s good and wise to spend money on whole and nourishing food for my family…I’ve also decided that I want to spend money on healthy, non-chemical-filled products for our skin and hair. I do not relish the thought of harmful chemicals seeping into our bodies through our skin, particularly our heads wherein lie our brains. (Eek, Professor Shampoo made a little appearance again. “Wherein lie our brains”, wow.)

We use only the bar soaps from Tropical Traditions for bathing and are LOVING the MadeOn Lotion Bar for our dry skin. For our hair? We love Giovanni 50/50 Balance Shampoo. We checked it out on the EWG website to see if it was safe. Not only is it safe, it works great!

Is Giovanni 50/50 Balance Shampoo cheap? Nope. Not when you’re used to tossing out coupons to get 26 free bottles of Suave. But I’ve found a way to make our shampoo purchase more affordable AND I have peace of mind, knowing that I’m getting one of the healthiest shampoos on the market. There are no icky chemicals seeping into our heads with Giovanni 50/50 Balance Shampoo!

I used to buy Giovanni 50/50 Balance Shampoo 8-ounce bottles by the case from one of my health food co-ops. It was pricey, but much cheaper than buying a single bottle at a health food store (which would usually be something like $9/bottle!!). But THEN I discovered the beauty of buying a gallon jug of the shampoo from Amazon!! I invested a few dollars in a pump thingy…so that I can use the gallon jug to refill our smaller bottles for use in the shower. 

Now granted, I am the only one with long hair in our family of six (unless you count my 13 year old son who prefers his hair to be down over his ears and into his eyes), so this may not last as long for families who have lots of girls with long hair. BUT, we’ve trained our boys to just use a tiny amount of shampoo because they really don’t need more than a little bit. I’m happy to report that our first gallon jug lasted us well over 18 months!!! 

$3/month isn’t the same as free…but it also isn’t nearly as expensive as a good quality shampoo can appear at first glance. I’m VERY pleased that we’ve been able to get away with spending so little on such quality shampoo!

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, concludes today’s informational session on what I consider to be a superior product and how I heretofore am able to execute such a purchase in a way that is financially feasible.

In other words…that’s how I buy good shampoo and save money. 

Feel like telling us about the shampoo you use?  You can even use big words if you want to. :)

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Resentment is a Choice

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Bitterness. What a fun thing to experience. It eats at you, distracts you, causes you to lose sleep, makes you feel angry and keeps the hurt feelings right at the surface of your heart.

We’ve all had our feelings hurt at one time or another. People have sinned against us. They have been thoughtless toward us. Some have intentionally been mean or hurtful to us. Others have treated us with disrespect. Some have made us feel like a little piece of dirt that is worth nothing more than to be tossed out to the wind.

None of that feels good. None of that causes us to smile, to be happy or to feel loved. Hurtful words and actions from others are painful to endure, whether they were intended to cause pain or not. 

It’s okay to be angry. Anger is a God given emotion and a natural feeling after someone has wronged us.

But we don’t get to run a bath full of anger and soak in it.

Most of the time, when I am angry at someone…they are completely clueless that they have hurt me or made me angry. I’ll have countless “conversations in my head” with that person in which I effectively set the record straight, and oh so eloquently let them know how right I am and how wrong they are and boy do I let them have it! In my head. Over and over. And over. What a completely unproductive use of my time and brain power.

This is where bitterness creeps in. 

It’s hard to let go of anger. I hold onto it because I want to “punish” the person who hurt me. Instead, all I’m doing is punishing myself, making myself physically sick with the cancer of bitterness. 

The way I see it, I have three choices:  I can choose to go to the person and resolve the issue, forgive and move on. If I truly can’t bring myself to go to the person and work through the problem of my hurt, then I HAVE to choose to just let go of it. 

Otherwise, I’m making the third choice…the choice to be bitter.

Clearly, resentment is a choice. We didn’t choose for someone to hurt us, but if we remain unforgiving and ugly-hearted, we are choosing resentment. 

We are not allowed to say, “Everything he has done to me has made me SO BITTER.” Nope. He may have hurt you, but he didn’t make you bitter. You chose to be bitter. 

Deciding to let go of bitterness and forgive…it’s hard. It’s painful. It’s gut-wrenching. It takes much prayer and an absolute surrender of your self.

And then it’s freeing. So, so freeing. 

Oh the ways God can use us when our hearts are free of bitterness! And oh how we are stuck in a trap of ugly, painful memories when we choose not to let it go.

Resentment is a choice. What will you choose?

helpmeet

I’m writing this post generically, because there are so many people in our lives we can become resentful toward. However, I’m also categorizing this post in our Becoming a Better Help Meet series. If you are choosing to be resentful toward your husband, can I urge you to repent? It’s easy to let bitterness become a part of you when/if your husband continues to hurt you, or fails to listen to you and meet your needs. All of those actions and attitudes hurt…there’s no doubt about it. But don’t choose bitterness. You’re  hurting yourself and you’re hurting your marriage.

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