Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

My Favorite Hot and Cold Drinks

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One of my favorite parts of winter is all the warm, cozy drinks we can enjoy! I love making a few special, warm mugs full of hot chocolate, or cider, or tea in the evenings. So today I am sharing my absolute favorite hot drinks to serve my family! With that in mind, here’s a list of my favorite hot and cold drinks to serve your family!

Are you a fan of chocolate or vanilla drinks? Sweet or savory? Either way, you are sure to find a drink you will love included on this list!

Choose a couple to try this week, grab the ingredients, and then enjoy the comfort of a warm mug of yum after a long day along with your spouse and kiddos. It’s simply the best.

Favorite Hot Drinks to Serve Your Family

1. Chocolate Mint Soother

This drink is filling, comforting, and so delicious. A perfect way to warm up on a chilly day!

2. Warm Pumpkin Custard

This is a great after dinner dessert – or because it’s so full of rich, hearty, nutritious ingredients – I think it would be great for breakfast even!

3. Warm Vanilla Soother

This drink is so incredible. It’s warm, filling and nourishing. As I drink this, I always feel like someone just handed me a delicious mug of comfort. Mmmmm Warm Vanilla Soother.

4. Peppermint Cream Cocoa (or Coffee)

I put this together one afternoon, plopped a generous serving onto a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and immediately decided that I needed to sit down, close my eyes, and relish the moment. It was hot beverage deliciousness in a mug. The rest of the family enjoyed this special whipped cream on their hot cocoa, and we all declared it to be ah-mazing.

5. Hot Vanilla Milk

This Hot Vanilla Milk is a fun option to offer when you need a little variety in your hot drink repertoire.

6. Simple White Hot Chocolate

If you’re a white chocolate fan, this one is for you. And no doubt, if you are a fan of easy recipes (who isn’t?), you will definitely love this delicious holiday drink!

7. Coffee with Chocolate Caramel Creamer

Ingredients: One cup of hot coffee that smells really good, one teaspoon hot fudge sauce, one teaspoon hot caramel sauce, and a few teaspoons of cream. So, so good.

8. Crockpot Cranberry Apple Cider


This spiced apple cider not only tastes delicious, but also makes your house smell amazing when it simmers away in the crockpot! Win-win!

9. Chocolate Whipped Cream on your Coffee

You have GOT to try this Chocolate Whipped Cream on your coffee. Oh my. So incredible!

In the mood for a chilled drink, instead? Check these out!

Now only one question remains: which one will you try first?

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Make Valentine’s Day Special for Your Kids!

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Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? This year, I thought it would be fun to make it extra special for our kiddos! One mom shared with me that she really enjoys celebrating by decorating the house the night before, and serving her kids a special breakfast! That got my mind to turning on other ways to make this holiday extra special as a family.

How to Make Valentine's Day Special For Your Kids

Here are a few fun ideas…

How to Make Valentine’s Day Special For Your Kids

1.Make a Special Breakfast

Surprise your kids on Valentine’s Day with a special red or pink breakfast!

Nothing says Valentine’s Day more than pink and red yummy treats! Want to put some fun Valentine meals and treats on the table this year – but want to keep the food real and avoid food coloring? There are many real food options for a fun, Valentine’s Day themed breakfast! There are plenty of food that exists that is red without any help from artificial colors.
There’s also chocolate, which isn’t red, but is a huge part of any Valentine’s Day celebration (at least in our house).

Here are 29 great recipes for you that can be turned into Valentine’s Day goodies for your family!

2. Color Valentine’s Day Cards with your kiddos!

One of my favorite crafts is creating Valentine’s Day cards for your kids to give away to friends and family!

Grab this FREE Simple Print-and-Color version of our Valentine’s Day cards, and set out all the markers and crayons for them! Even more fun? Grab some glitter glue or stickers!

3. Make some heart-shaped snacks to give away

Bring your kids into the kitchen, and let them help you create some heart-shaped snacks to gift to others! Whether you choose to make heart-shaped donuts, pretzels, or brownies it will be a fun memory for your kids! Drop each goodie individually in a ziplock bag, tape on a note, and give them out to friends. Here are some ideas for heart-shaped treats you can make.

4. Make “You’re the Bomb” crafts

This is the most fun craft to make with little boys!! Pink hearts and sparkly flowers don’t quite cut it with little boys. But, tell the boys they get to make little bombs for their Valentines this year? You’ll get all sorts of help! Find the tutorial here!

5. Host a mystery dinner for your family!

Is there anything more fun than a mystery-themed dinner? Plan a special meal for your family, complete with clues! Here’s how our family did it one year!

6. Print out a free pre-K Activity Packet!

This Pre-K Activity Packet is FUN and free for you to download to use with the little ones in your life. Gain free access to this here.

7. Make Peanut Butter Truffles

Why? Because any occasion is a good occasion to whip up some Peanut Butter Truffles. Oh my, these treats, are SO delicious.

I love how easy these are to make, and that the only sugar in them is what is already in the chocolate chips!

How do you celebrate? Share in the comments below!

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7 Ideas to Make Your Home Extra Cozy

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It’s this time of year when I always start looking around my house, and brainstorming ways to make it a nicer, comfier place for my family. That’s why today I am sharing 10 ideas to make your home extra cozy, in case you, too, are feeling a bit cooped up in need of inspiration!
7 Ways to Make Your Home Extra Cozy
I always want my home to feel like a respite, a safe place, a comforting spot for my family to return to at the end of the day. But with littles underfoot, a very busy schedule, and a other committments it can feel super overwhelming to stay on top of all the homemaking tasks some days, anyone else?

However, I do think that with just a bit of effort, we can all create cozy, warm, and inviting homes for our families. Here are my top tips for creating a bit of extra coziness in your home this winter.

7 Ways to Make Your Home Extra Cozy

1. Declutter

One of the best ways to make your home feel better in the short term is to donate anything that you no longer use, need or like. The more I declutter each room, the happier I am with my home! January is the perfect time to start going through clothes, toys, and closets to rid of anything that no longer brings you joy.

2. Serve hot drinks to your family

Is there anything cozier than holding a hot mug while you watch the snow fly? Every winter I try to find a new, yummy drink to make every afternoon. It’s the best! Need inspiration? Here’s a list of the best hot drinks for fall and winter! Try a couple, and let me know which one is your favorite! Might I suggest this recipe for the perfect Hot Chocolate or a Warm Vanilla Soother!

3. Pull out the warm blankets

This is a great time of year to set a basket full of soft, fuzzy blankets in your living room. Even my toddlers like to cuddle under a blanket while they read books! In need of a few new blankets for your home? Here are a few of my favorites:
Ultra Soft Sherpa Blanket(comes in many colors!)

4. Bake some bread or other goodies

On especially cold days, I love mixing up a few loaves of bread, a couple dozen muffins, or a few pans worth of cookies. There’s nothing like the smell of warm bread or cookies in the house, when everyone is cooped up inside. Not sure what to bake? Here’s 111 recipes for you to choose from!

5. Play a board game with your family

Build family memories together while enjoying a fun board game! Pop popcorn, make hot cocoa, and then pull out one of your favorite games. Better yet, grab a new game to learn together! Here’s a list of our family’s favorite games!

6. Light a candle

Candles are one of my favorite ways to make a room feel extra welcoming. Grab a new candle or two, for the warmth, the scent, and the decor!

7. Start a new book as a family

I love choosing a new read aloud for my family! We open it up, and read a chapter or two every evening. When I was growing up, my Dad always read the Little House series to us or James Herriot books. Here is a great list of book ideasfor you and your kiddos!

How are you making your home extra cozy this time of year? Share your tips below!

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Christmas Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

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I love baking, but who wants to spend all day in the kitchen when there’s hot chocolate to sip, family memories to make, and stockings to open? I am all about doing the work days earlier so you have a stress-free, peaceful holiday with your family. That’s why I put together this list of Christmas make-ahead breakfast ideas, to encourage you to get that baking done ahead of time so you have more time with your family.

Just in case you, too, are looking for ways to spend less time in the kitchen this holiday season, here are a few of our favorite tried and true Christmas make-ahead breakfast ideas!

Christmas Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

Mix and Match Christmas Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

1.Make-Ahead Pumpkin Donuts

We can mix up the pumpkin donuts, roll out the dough, cut the shapes, then freeze the uncooked dough on parchment paper or silicone mat-lined cookie sheets. We transfer the frozen dough into freezer bags, then any time we want fresh donuts (and when would we notwant fresh donuts?), we can grab some out of the freezer and fry them up fresh to eat while sipping a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate!

2. Yogurt Parfait Bar

Simply purchase the ingredients beforehand, make the granola or other add-ins a few days beforehand, chop up the fruit the day before, and you are set!

Here are some of my favorite toppings:

3. Make-Ahead Muffins

I have to know:  Is this “freezing muffin batter” a brand new idea to you, or have you tried it before?  Once I tried this and learned how well it worked, I went on a muffin freezing frenzy (as confessed above). I now have Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin batter, Blueberry Muffin batter, Chocolate Chip Muffin batter (recipe in Kids in the Kitchen eBook), and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffin batter in my freezers. What a time saver!

Looking for a few new recipes to try for Christmas morning? Check out this list of 23 Muffin recipes!

4. Frozen Yogurt Cups

This recipe is easy enough for your kiddos to make! Invite them into the kitchen, and whip these up together!

5. Homemade Poptarts


I love to make these poptarts and freeze them before I bake them. On a day I declare to be a Poptart Morning, I pull a few out and bake enough for each person to have a couple with our eggs and fruit. So good!

6. Giant Breakfast Cookies

Make the dough ahead of time, scoop the cookies out unto cookie sheets, freeze the cookie dough balls, and you’re set! Hot breakfast cookies on Christmas morning! Serve with fruit, and bacon (of course).

7. Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Biscuits and gravy is one of my favorite special breakfasts. Make your biscuits ahead of time, and pop them in the freezer then make your gravy the day before, and heat it up in the morning. Easy peasy!

8. Cinnamon Rolls

I couldn’t make a list of Christmas breakfasts without including Cinnamon Rolls! These are deliciously easy, and mostly low in sugar! They kind of resemble those frozen orange rolls you can buy in the freezer section – except that these have a little bit of nutritional value and not nearly as much sugar, so we can all rejoice.

What is your favorite breakfast to make for Christmas morning?

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12 Christmas Cookie Recipes

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Is there anything better than a plate full of Christmas cookies? This is a great time of year to spend a Saturday making several different types of cookies, wrapping them up, and gifting them to your friends, family or neighbors!

1. Low Sugar Frosted Christmas Cookies

Some might say that Christmas desserts are treats that should not be messed with. Perhaps whole wheat flour does not belong in a Christmas cookie. Maybe “low sugar” should not be included in a Christmas cookie title. It’s a treat, right? Can’t we just leave it well enough alone?

Sure.

But the more I experiment with cutting down the sweetener in my baked goods, the more I’m discovering that treats still taste like treats even with the sugar cut in half or more!

Try these cookies, you won’t even miss the sugar!

2. Christmas Spice Cookies

I LOVE the way these cookies make my house smell! Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves they are oh so tasty!

3. Homemade Peppernuts

These tiny, old-fashioned cookies are one of my favorite holiday treats! They’re great to package up in small bags to give as Christmas time gifts to coworkers and neighbors.

4. Sweet and Simple Cranberry Cookies

I’m not a big fan of raisins in my cookies. But adding dried cranberries to this simple butter cookie? Well, that takes them up a notch without adding any effort.

5. Low Sugar Pumpkin Spice Roll-Out Cookies

While I’ve shared that I just can’t get behind Pumpkin Spice Coffee (typing it actually makes me shudder just a little bit), I most certainly enjoy making many Pumpkin Spice treats this time of year – to eat while I drink my (plain, non-pumpkin-spice) coffee. If my house smells of nothing but Pumpkin Spice from now until Christmas, there will be much joy in the holiday season.

6. Easy Low Sugar Almond Melt-Away Cookies

These lightly sweetened cookies taste amazing with a steamy cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. Ah, life’s simple pleasures. :)

7. Sweet and Simple Butter Cookies

The combination of butter and sugar in this recipe makes for a perfectly sweet and rich cookie that melts in your mouth. Don’t worry though. The ratio of butter to sugar is such that these are only lightly sweet, but deliciously buttery. I’d still consider these a dessert, but I think they fit in the “low sugar treat” category.

8. Reindeer Cuties

These simple cookies are a hit. Fun to make…fun to eat. I like that they are made with honey and whole wheat. And they really don’t take much time at all.

9. Orange Cream Cheese Cut-Outs

These are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. And this recipe makes a lot of them…which is why it’s a good idea to have lots of people in mind to share them with!!  Because having them just sitting around the house screaming at me to come eat them is a bad idea.

I’d like to give in to the notion that since they have orange juice in them, they’re good for me and just packed with vitamin C.  Oh, if only.

10. Chocolate Snowballs

I like that these aren’t super rich or heavy…just kind of like a little bite of chocolate cake.

11. Cream Cheese Cookie Cut Outs

The cookies have cream cheese in them and the frosting is made with cream cheese. Let’s just say these cookies are soft, rich, and I have to work hard to keep myself out of them.

12. Whole Wheat Gingerbread Men

A Christmas classic! Your kids will love helping you make these sweet, Whole Wheat Gingerbread Men!

Your turn to share! What’s your all-time favorite Christmas cookie?

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Easy and Inexpensive Stocking Stuffers

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Perhaps you’ve gotten the majority of your shopping done for Christmas, but you still need a few small gifts for stockings? I’ve got you covered! Today I am sharing a list of my absolute favorite easy and inexpensive stocking stuffers!

Can you let you in on a little secret? Stocking stuffers are my favorite thing to make or buy. There is something about a stocking stuffer that’s so much fun! Throughout the years, I’ve discovered many ideas for fun stocking stuffers including homemade goodies, purchased trinkets, and other fun gift ideas!

When we were kids, our parents always put a pomegranate in the toe of every stocking. So we would open every little gift, and then fish out our pomegranate. We never purchased pomegranates any other time of year, and even now, whenever I eat a pomegranate it makes me feel like it is Christmas day!

Side note: if you, as the mom, love stuffing your family’s stockings, but yours always seems kinda empty, might I suggest you stuff a friend’s stocking, and she stuffs yours? Laura’s done this for years! She shares all the details here!

Consumable Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Everybody

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids

  • A homemade gift certificate for an Experience Gift
  • Veggie Tales DVDs
  • Card games like Blink, Old Maid, Skip-Bo…
  • Regular decks of cards
  • Mittens or gloves, hats, scarves, ear muffs
  • Socks
  • Fun bandaids
  • CDs
  • Books
  • Hair clips and such for little girls (although I have no experience in this area!!)
  • School supplies

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Women

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Men

Your turn to share! What is one of your favorite stocking stuffer ideas?

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The Best Gift Ideas for Men

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Once again, Bethany (my assistant) comes through for us with this awesome list of gift ideas for men!!

The men in my life are notoriously difficult to find presents for Christmas. I don’t know what it is, but every year I struggle to nail down the perfect gift for them! So this year, I decided to make a list of the best gift ideas for men that I’ve used over the years, or found while I was doing a bit of online shopping, to share with all of you!

Take a look through this list, pop a few items in your cart, and you are set!

The Best Gift Ideas for Men

$10 and Under

$20 and Under

$50 and Under

The Weirdest Gifts I Found

I don’t know what to tell you about these, except they made me laugh!

Looking for some additional ideas? Check out the last few year’s guides as well!

Do you have any additional gift ideas? Share in the comments below!

 

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The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide for Women

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It’s here: the Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide for Women. (Huge thanks to my assistant Bethany for putting this together for us!!)

I created this list of tried and true gift ideas to help take the stress out of your Christmas shopping. There’s nothing worse than standing in the aisles of Wal-Mart the week before Christmas, desperately trying to find something for everyone on your list. Even typing that scenario makes me sweat a little. I’ve had Christmases where I procrastinate my shopping until the last minute, and years where I’ve gotten it done ahead of time, and I can tell you: I vastly prefer getting it done early!

Just in case you, too, are hoping to cross your shopping off the list in November this year, here is my very best ideas for your mom, sister, and bestie!

You might, also, want to send this list to your hubby. He might appreciate a few suggestions as well. And if there is something in particular you love on this list, give the guy a little head’s up. ;-)

The Ultimate Gift Guide for Women

10 Gifts for Women Under $10

15 Gifts for Women Under $30

10 Gifts for Women Under $50

10 $75+ Gifts for Women (when you want to splurge!)

I hope you found something for your loved one on this list!

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30+ Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about menu plans! Today I’m sharing our absolute favorite Thanksgiving side dish recipes!

30+ Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes!

If you are hosting this year, you might be prepping to roast a Turkey, and whip up the Turkey Gravy. With the main dishes already set in stone, perhaps you are looking for a new side dish or two to bring to the Thanksgiving table.

Turkey stuffing, cranberry relish, and dinner rolls might make an appearance on your Thanksgiving menu every year, but if you are like me, it’s fun to shake things up, and whip up a few new recipes every year!

In our family, no one wants to bring the relish tray. Sure it’s great to have a platter of fruits and veggies, but everyone wants to bring a dish with more pizzaz than simply celery and carrot sticks. Side dishes are so much fun! You can get creative with them, and pretty soon that recipe you tried a few years ago has become the dish you are asked to bring again and again. The recipes we cook year in and year out become a part of our family culture, and holiday traditions.

So are you ready to find a new family favorite dish? Here is a list of my absolute favorite Holiday side dishes for you to try. Your family is sure to love them!

Veggie Side Dishes

Fruit Side Dishes

Bread Side Dishes

Desserts

I hope you try (and love) these recipes!

Now you’re time to share! What is your favorite Thanksgiving recipe? Share below!

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How to Have a Stress-Free Thanksgiving

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Hosting Thanksgiving is a lot of work! Today we are sharing with you how to host a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner, but still have the time to enjoy time with your family. Ready to have a stress-free Thanksgiving?

How to Host a Stress-Free Thanksgiving

There have been years when I’ve spent the majority of the holiday in the kitchen–roasting the turkey, whipping the mashed potatoes, and simmering the gravy. While I love making food for my family and friends, I felt sad that the majority of Thanksgiving was spent making food, serving food, and cleaning up afterwards.

I know families that purchase Thanksgiving dinner so that less time is spent on cooking, and more time can be spent visiting! But I do love all my homemade food. What’s a mom to do?

That’s when it occurred to me: what if I prepped most of the food in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, and then the day of I could simply pull out the pre-made food for my family to enjoy! Homemade food, and still time to catch up with my fam? Yay!

I am here to tell you what I wished I knew all those years ago: make your Thanksgiving meal ahead of time! The key to a stress-free holiday starts weeks before Thanksgiving day. Try it this year, I know you will love it!

How to Have a Stress-Free Thanksgiving

One Week Before Thanksgiving

Two Days Before Thanksgiving

One Day Before Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day

  • Enjoy a large cup of steamy coffee in my recliner for a very long time (because I can)
  • Everyone on their own for breakfast (probably cereal)
  • Mix dry ingredients together for Stir-and-Pour Rolls (for easy, no-brainer mixing about an hour before meal time)
  • Put Cranberry Apple Cider into a crockpot to heat (this is a huge hit with guests!)
  • Set out butter to soften for rolls
  • Plates, silverware, cups, and napkins set out

About 1 1/2 hours before serving time, I will bake or re-heat prepared foods. Then I will make gravy and bake the rolls. Easy peasy!

Here are the quick links to all the recipes you’ll need:

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