Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Sunshine and Coconut Oil ~ A Weekend Freebie and Free Shipping at Tropical Traditions

by 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I have two unrelated items to share with you this weekend. I’m squishing them into the same post to save us both time, then I’m off to check other to-do’s off my list!

First…

I love sunshine so, so much. I also love Jesus (so, so much). Which is why, when the sunshine is beaming down on my face and I am soaking in the warmth, I always think of Numbers 6:24-26.

The Lord Bless You and Keep You

When the sunshine is on my face, it’s like the Lord Himself is pouring His life into me. Ahhhh, I love it.

The brightness and cheerfulness of the graphic above made me think of that verse, so I added it in so that we can all print it off and enjoy the reminder of His promise of blessing upon us. Print as many as you like. Keep one for yourself, share some with others. May we all recognize His gracious blessings and gift of peace.

Download The Lord Bless You and Keep You Printable Here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Second…

It’s always fun to find coconut oil on sale with free shipping to go with it!

pure coconut oil

Tropical Traditions is offering free shipping through Monday, June 15 when you use the code 15615 at checkout. (Minimum $19 order)

Their Pure Coconut Oil is only $13.50 through Sunday – so take advantage of these deals together! This is an odorless, flavorless variety of oil – and it is very rich in nourishment! You can also use this oil for sunscreen (yep, just straight coconut oil).

You’ll see that their Organic Raw Honey is 50% off – a great deal and their honey is delish!

This post contains referral links.

Are you with me? Do you love the sun beaming down on your face?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

20% Off Vanilla Beans and Extracts at Olive Nation!

by Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

If you’re wanting to make Homemade Vanilla Extract for Christmas gifts – this is the perfect time to start a batch. It takes 4-6 months for the extract to “brew” so June is vanilla month at our house. :)

Through Monday, June 15 Olive Nation is offering 20% off all of their extracts and flavorings, which includes their vanilla beans! This is my favorite vanilla bean source, and 20% off makes their already reasonable prices even better (obviously). Plus, they always offer free shipping on vanilla beans. Bonus!

You’ll need 1/2-3/4 pound of vanilla beans to make one gallon of vanilla. Here are the details on how to make vanilla extract. If you haven’t tried this before – go for it. It’s so delicious and fun!

How To Make Vanilla Extract

This 20% off deal is also good for all of Olive Nation’s extracts. They have so many different kinds – it’s amazing and inspiring!

Use the code EXT20 for the discount at check-out. Free shipping only applies to vanilla beans.

This post contains affiliate links.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Why I’m Excited About Homeschooling After a Challenging School Year

by 14 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

malachi_bug_3

This was Malachi a couple years ago during a math lesson. 
You’ll want to read the entire story.

As much as I love schooling our kids at home, I will admit that the past homeschool year was one of the most challenging of all the previous 12 years. Some years are just tough – and this one was a doozy.

God is bigger than all of it, proven by the fact that we not only survived – we graduated our oldest child successfully. He ended his high school career with 24 college credits, persevering through some very difficult online courses with overwhelming expectations. There were many learning curves this year with the ACT, FAFSA, scholarship applications, and weighty decisions to be made. Praise God: we did not die (not even a little bit). There were several times I thought we might. But here we are, kicking and smiling and half passed out on the couch.

It goes without saying, then, that the thought of school coming again in the fall has made me feel a bit woozy. School books? I couldn’t stand the thought. Educating children? Not today, please. Bring on summer break! Yesssssssssssssssss!

While I am praising God for the next several weeks of refreshment and revival – I am also thanking Him for what He just provided. This is actually making me excited about taking on another school year. (After a lovely break, of course.) I wasn’t sure it was possible. But what was I thinking? God always provides the encouragement and resources we need so that we can do what He has called us to do.

I just had a chance to look through all of the packages being offered in the 2015 Biggest Homeschooling Sale of the Year (available this week only). It definitely helps awaken my school book interest simply because all of these are marked down up to 90% off. But it’s not just that. These packages contain so many great items that will bless our 2015-2016 school year.

The 2017 sale is here. Take your time. Have a blast. Equip your family and home with all sorts of learning opportunities at a huge discount! Sale ends May 30, 2017. :)

Praise God with me that He always provides exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. He is faithful.

Are you enjoying summer break? Still, does it just make you a little bit excited for next year when you see all these great resources?!

This post contains affiliate links.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Cinnamon Sticks for Summertime ~ 10 Great Uses and 10 FREE Cinnamon Sticks (Through Wednesday Only!!)

by 10 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I have had the most fun day today. We bid farewell to the last of our graduation guests yesterday (sniff), then I spent the entire day today playing with cinnamon sticks.

cinnamon sticks flower pot 2

Say what??! Trust me. I’m pretty sure you’ll want to spend a couple of hours playing with cinnamon sticks too after you read this.

Olive Nation Cinnamon Sticks

My Cinnamon Sticks came from Olive Nation. I could tell a big difference in the quality of their cinnamon sticks – so big a difference that I took a picture of them side by side. Olive Nation’s sticks are bigger, more fragrant, and just overall much, much nicer than others I’ve purchased from other sources. This doesn’t surprise me. Olive Nation products always rise above the rest. (Yet their prices are still reasonable. I love this. Plus they give us all a 15% discount when we use the code: home.)

I typically think of cinnamon sticks as something to use in the fall. This led me to do a little research. What can we do with cinnamon sticks in the summertime?

THIS is the part where I become giddy. I have found so many awesome uses for these this summer! Not to mention I’ve discovered that cinnamon sticks are wonderful for our health. Cinnamon can help lower cholesterol levels, aid in pain relief,  help with digestion, help us avoid bladder infections, and help regulate blood sugar levels. And that’s just the beginning.

10 great ways we should all use Cinnamon Sticks this summer.

Special thanks to my son Asa who used his talent with his brand new camera to help me get some wonderful shots of our cinnamon projects today.

10 Great Uses for Cinnamon Sticks - The Summer Edition

10 Ways to Use Cinnamon Sticks in the Summertime

1. Use Cinnamon Sticks as a Natural Insect Repellent.

Insects don’t like the smell of cinnamon (silly little bugs). Plus they don’t like the feel of powdered cinnamon. Grate a cinnamon stick then sprinkle it around any place (inside or outside) you’re trying to get rid of ants or other annoying bugs. You can even sprinkle it around your kids’ sandbox to keep the bugs away. Brilliant!

Want to avoid mosquitoes? Put a small citronella candle inside a jar. Tie or clue cinnamon sticks around the outside of the jar. Light the candle outside while you’re sitting around visiting and enjoying the summer weather. Insects are turned off by the smell of the cinnamon and citronella, and you can enjoy the scent plus the freedom from bugs!

Cinnamon Stick Citronella Candle

2. Treat an insect bite.

Bugs already got to ya? Mix up a little bit of honey and ground cinnamon. It will alleviate pain and itching. At the same time, this honey/cinnamon combination will disinfect the area while moisturizing and healing. Amazing.

3. Make a Cinnamon Stick Flower Pot

This is not only a great way to repel bugs inside and outside – it is super adorable! Hot glue 25-30 cinnamon sticks around a flower pot. Tie a ribbon around the cinnamon sticks to complete the project. I can’t stop staring at my flower pot in all its cuteness!

Cinnamon Stick Flower Pot

4. Make Cinnamon Apple Infused Water for a refreshing detox drink on a warm day.

Or use fresh or frozen pineapple with cinnamon sticks instead. Either way, you’ll have a cool, refreshing drink that is good for your system. Simply slice one apple (any variety) into a quart jar. Add 1-3 cinnamon sticks. Fill jar with water. Allow mixture to sit for a few hours to infuse. Chill and serve.

Refreshing Apple and Cinnamon Infused Detox Water

5. Start a batch of Cinnamon Extract for Christmas gifts.

I am so excited about this one!! After all my years of making Vanilla Extract, I’m venturing out to make other extracts – beginning with Cinnamon Extract. (Watch for other fun extract recipes soon!)

How to Make Cinnamon Extract: Place three cinnamon sticks in one cup of brandy, rum, or vodka. Store in a dark place (such as a kitchen cabinet). Shake the jar about once each day for two weeks. Voila. Merry Cinnamon Extract Christmas to the family this year. (Don’t tell them how easy and inexpensive this is.)

Homemade Cinnamon Extract

6. Make All Natural Cinnamon Orange Cleaning Spray.

Here’s a fresh idea for non-toxic cleaning!

Fill a quart jar about 3/4 full of distilled white vinegar. Add 3-4 cinnamon sticks and 1-2 oranges worth of orange peel. Secure lid. Store in a dark place (such as a kitchen cabinet) for two weeks, then strain out cinnamon sticks and orange peel to transfer liquid to a spray bottle. This is so simple and inexpensive!

And here’s another great cleaning option: Put a Cinnamon Stick into a cleaning bottle with attached sponge (like the purple one pictured below) for a fresh, cleaning fragrance.

Cinnamon Orange All-Purpose Cleaner

7. Grate a piece of cinnamon stick into yogurt or add it to a smoothie for a refreshing summer meal or snack.

What a great way to add deliciousness to a cool treat! You can also grate cinnamon into your coffee or tea.

8. Make Cinnamon Pancake and Waffle Syrup

Yes, yes, yes. Make this. Bottle it up for gifts or enjoy it at your own breakfast table. It is super easy to make and crazy delicious.

Cinnamon Pancake and Waffle Syrup Recipe

1 1/2 cups water
3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 cup sucanat

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Cover and allow mixture to steep for 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks. Store Cinnamon Pancake and Waffle Syrup in a jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Cinnamon Pancake and Waffle Syrup

9. Make Cinnamon Infused Sugar

It does not get any easier than this. I’ll be including a jar of this sugar with my Christmas gifts of Cinnamon Extract. I should also include a loaf of bread and a stick of butter – then my recipients would be set.

Cinnamon Infused Sugar Recipe

1 cinnamon stick
2 cups sugar, brown sugar, or sucanat

Put the cinnamon stick into a jar. Cover it with sugar. Secure a lid on the jar. Shake the jar once each day for two weeks. Use cinnamon infused sugar on buttered toast, in coffee, or any way you would typically use cinnamon sugar. Continue to refill the jar with sugar as the cinnamon stick will continue to flavor it for quite some time.

Cinnamon Infused Sugar

10. Boost your energy!

Feeling tired, lethargic, or low on energy? Pull out a cinnamon stick and give it a whiff. It’ll help you find your focus. Who knew? Easiest energy boost ever. From now on, I’ll be keeping cinnamon sticks at my desk. Hmmm…just took a whiff of one right now. Perfect.

You Can Reuse Cinnamon Sticks

Save $$. Get more than one use out of your cinnamon sticks!

To reuse your cinnamon stick, simply rinse it under hot water then allow it to dry. Run the stick over a grater a few times to release the flavor. Do this up to 5 times before discarding. Way to get a lot of bang for your buck!

A Discount Option:

For high quality, reasonably priced cinnamon sticks, I recommend Olive Nation. They are great to work with us here at Heavenly Homemakers. Here’s what they offer:

  • Use the code home to receive 15% off your entire order.
  • Get free shipping automatically if your order is over $50!

A Freebie To Go With These Cinnamon Stick Ideas!

Download a page of free printable labels to go with the gifts you might choose to make: Cinnamon Extract, Cinnamon Sugar, Cinnamon Orange All Purpose Cleaner, and Cinnamon Pancake and Waffle Syrup. Attach them to your jars and bottles, tie with a ribbon, and you’ve got an adorable, inexpensive, and useful gift!

cinnamon printable

Download Your Free Cinnamon Labels Here.

Leave a comment to tell us what you’re going to make first!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Everyone Gets a FREE BeeSilk Stick (My Fav!)

by 10 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Once upon a time (4.5 years ago), Renee from MadeOn sent me a BeeSilk Lotion Bar. At the time, my hands were red, dry, and cracking. I was skeptical of all lotions as most of them made my hands worse, not better – but I tried it anyway because the ingredients were pure and I thought maybe, just maybe this would help me.

I held the lotion bar in my hands to soften it, then rubbed it over my dry hands. Immediately my hands felt better. I was amazed that for the rest of the day – my hands felt great. I re-applied the lotion before bed. The next day they were as smooth as a baby’s…forehead. ;)

I use BeeSilk Lotion every day now, my family uses it every day, we never go without it, and our skin lives happily ever after. The end.

hands

Great story, huh? A true one, too. I super love BeeSilk Lotion.

Since the first time we tried MadeOn, we’ve also starting using their Bug Block and Lip Balm – loving those too. Beyond the fact that these products are super effective, they are also completely pure and healthy for the skin. (As in, the ingredients are safe enough to eat.) Plus, they are reasonably priced. So this is a win-win-win.

And now the best news of all. Through Saturday, we can all get a free BeeSilk Stick ($7.65 value)!

Free Bee Silk Stick!

Since I’ve been working with Renee from MadeOn for so many years now, I asked if she’d want to swing us a deal. She came back with a freebie because she loves Heavenly Homemakers readers almost as much as I do. Almost. ;)

Now through Saturday, May 9 we can each get a free BeeSilk Lotion Stick. These are just like the lotion bars, only they are in stick form – like a glue stick, only bigger. You can throw them in your purse to easily rub onto your skin or your child’s skin.

How To Get a Free BeeSilk Lotion Stick:

  1. Click here to get to the special “Free BeeSilk Lotion Stick for Heavenly Homemakers Readers” page.
  2. Enter your email address and then click the yellow button. (Yes, then you’ll be on the MadeOn mailing list which I find very beneficial – but if you prefer, you can unsubscribe from her newsletter at any time.)
  3. Place your order for a free BeeSilk Stick. You’ll need to pay a small shipping fee OR you can do what I did when I took advantage of this: I ordered enough products to get free shipping. We use these products constantly, and I really needed to stock up on Bug Block Sticks for my kids to take to camp this summer.

Don’t forget -this fun freebie deal ends May 9. Enjoy! You’ll find that these Lotion Sticks are great for dry, cracked heels too. I recommend stocking up on Bug Block while you’re there. It works VERY WELL and it absolutely safe. I love this!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Helping You Find Great Prices on Great Products (To Go With Great Recipes)

by 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I love sharing yummy real food recipes with you. But I also really love sharing ways I’ve found to save money on the real food ingredients it takes to make these recipes. Here are some of the latest and greatest, along with links to some of my favorite recipes using these ingredients:

Ben’s Sugar Shack Pure Maple Syrup is as low as $15.29/quart if you buy it with four other subscribe and save items. I prefer Grade B, Organic syrup, but I read the reviews on this and I feel good about serving it to my family. Plus the price is great!

bens sugar shackHow I’ll use this maple syrup:

What I make with coconut oil:

anthonys coconut flour

With this coconut flour I’ll make:

coconut_flour_cheddar_biscuits_2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This one isn’t an ingredient, but it is a very useful item I use with many of my favorite recipes…

pyrex bowls 2

My favorite summer recipes to store in these bowls are:

Notes:

If you really want to learn ways to save…

Join our Heavenly Homemaker’s Savings Club! 

I’ll keep you updated with all the latest deals!

This post contains affiliate links….and lots of fun recipes. :)

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

What I’m Learning About Natural Home Remedies

by 5 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I’m currently taking the Parent’s Guide to Natural Remedies online course. You guys. I can’t tell you how good this is. I really don’t have time right now to get wrapped up in this course (because hello graduation party, speaking engagement, end of the school year, everyday life, and many summer plans staring me right in the face). But every day or so, I pull up the course and click on another module to listen to – and I can’t stop listening. This information is incredibly helpful to me.

parent guide

I’ve been trying to take some notes as I go. This is a crack up because I can’t write and listen at the same time because I’m afraid I’m going to miss more good information. Thankfully, I can go back and listen to and read the info over and over in this course.

I love being empowered to try home remedies first – before heading straight to the doctor. As the creators of Natural Home Remedies say, we know our kids better than any doctor. BUT, I also love that these ladies share information about when we DO need to take our kids in for doctor’s help. That’s always one of my biggest question marks. How much to treat at home…when to take them in. This course answers that. I’m loving this.

Here are some of the notes I’ve been scratching down. (But I can’t share all the specifics because the information in the Online Course isn’t mine to give out freely.)

~ Fever is Your Friend

I knew some of this already, but I didn’t know how much a fever kicks those healing white blood cells into gear. We should watch our kids’ energy level more than their temperature. Caution flags should go up with babies and when kids get dehydrated. Many more details are given in the course about what to watch for and how to treat.

~ There Are Many Reasons to Avoid Tylenol

Throw out the tylenol. Throw it out, throw it out, throw it out. I knew it wasn’t good, but I had no idea how bad it was. Wow. I’m so glad to know all this information from someone so studied and knowledgeable. Tylenol keeps the body from doing what it needs to do. It’s too easy to overdose, which really hurts the liver.

~ Everything we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream.

It’s just like eating food. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. What a great way to help determine the safety of skin products and treatments. (Although I think an exception to this is essential oils. I don’t take them orally, but they are wonderful to put on the skin so they can absorb and get to work.)

~ A Urinary Tract Infection does not automatically mean you need an antibiotic.

There are natural ways to treat these at home first like unsweetened cranberry juice and chamomile tea, plus essential oils and more.

~ Be empowered to know the right questions to ask if/when you take your children to the pediatrician. 

Yes. Thank you. The information shared in these modules helps so much with this.

~ There are many, many options for helping treat ear infections that do not involve antibiotics.

But you might begin with these two ideas before trying anything else: chiropractic care and cutting out dairy. If your child continues to have trouble, then try the many homeopathic remedies mentioned or treatments from a natural doctor.

~ Homeopathy is treatment that works with the body to help the body do what it is already trying to do to heal itself.

I guess I never heard a definition before. I know our bodies were made to heal themselves, and that sometimes when we’re sick we need a little help. I love knowing that homeopathic treatments simply give the body a boost of what it needs so that healing can occur when our bodies are weak.

What I'm Learning About Natural Home Remedies

This Course is incredibly professional, completely thorough, and wonderfully helpful for parents. I am so grateful to have all this information available. The cost for A Parent Guide to Natural Home Remedies is regularly $99, and is well worth that price because of all it includes. I can’t imagine how much money we can all save by practicing all of these home remedies and avoiding doctor bills. Plus, having all this information at our fingertips?? Priceless.

What are your favorite home remedies to use? 

This post contains affiliate links.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Bless Some Mama ~ How to Get a Huge Package of Free Diapers Whether You Need Them Or Not

by 32 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

huggies 2

Those of you who have signed up for TopCashBack know how great their offers are for new sign-ups. This one may be the best yet. I especially love this one because it offers such a blessing to mamas. If you need diapers at your house – yay for you – you get FREE DIAPERS!!!! Or if you’re like me and have no need for diapers at your house, do this anyway. This will make a great (free!) gift. Love someone by putting a big box of diapers on their doorstep! Think and pray now – who can you bless with this? (I’d love to hear from you, by the way. Do you need this freebie for your own baby, or have you thought of someone you can bless with this?)

I’ve been using my TopCashBack account for over a year and love that they give refunds on most of my online purchases. You can trust this site. I do. They’ve paid me every refund they’ve ever promised. They are legit.

If you have already signed up and used your account, this freebie won’t apply to you (although you can refer others). But if you’re new or haven’t used your account yet, take advantage of this, and then continue earning cash back on future purchases too.

Here’s how to get a FREE case of Huggies diapers:

  1. Click this link or on the orange “Get Cashback” button below. (This offer is good for new sign-ups only, and that is my referral link.)huggies 1
  2. Sign up for a TopCashBack account.
  3. You will be redirected to a purchase page for Huggies Snug and Dry Ultra diapers at Walmart.com.
  4. Add to your cart one box of the diapers offered on that page. You may purchase any size – but only purchase one box, otherwise your purchase price will not be refunded to you.
  5. Click on “Free Pick-up” so that you won’t have to pay shipping.
  6. Don’t put anything else in your cart!! Proceed to check out.

    This offer ends Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 11:59 pm PT – or earlier if supplies run out.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Because great deals are such blessings to us all as we run our homes, I wanted to also share these:

    Also, Tropical Traditions is offering free shipping this weekend. Their Organic Coconut Flour is only $9.99 for 2.2 pounds right now. Plus, their Organic Palm Shortening is only $30.65. Take advantage of those sale prices with free shipping! Use the code 20154 at check-out for free shipping to apply.

    coconut_flour

    Okeedokee. Enjoy the freebies and great prices! Tell me how you’ll use the free diapers. It’s fun for me to hear.

    Have a great weekend. I’m off to do some cleaning, then spend the day Saturday watching my boys play soccer.

    This post contains referral links.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Need {healthy} Snacks? No Problem. 227 Delicious and Healthy Snack Ideas.

by 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I’m diving into a full weekend of trying to keep up with my boys and soccer games. Before I do, I wanted to let you know that we knocked the price of our 227 Healthy Snacks eBook down to just $5.00 for the next three days. This book is one of our most popular…because SNACKS. We all need ’em.

227 Healthy Snacks 2

Grab your copy of 227 Healthy Snacks for just $5.00 through Monday, April 13. Enjoy recipes like…

227 Healthy Snacks

…100% Fruit Snacks, Oyster Crackers, Snickerdoodle Bars, Dark Chocolate Almond Granola Bars and yes, 223 other ideas and recipes. I reference this book all the time for ideas to keep my family nourished and full between meals. Get the full details and recipe list from this eBook here.

Have a great weekend, and happy snacking!

227 Healthy Snacks eBook
$7.95
$5.00

Add to Cart

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

The Pyrex You Shouldn’t Live Without

by 6 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I keep finding this Pyrex set on sale, so it must be a sign: You need these in your kitchen.

I have two complete sets of these and use them all day long, every day, all the time. The lids make these invaluable because they allow me to prep fruits, veggies, and salads ahead of time and stash them in my fridge for quick side dishes. I LOVE THESE.

pyrex bowls 2

 

You will love these. The price can’t be beat. Buy one (or two) set(s) for yourself and one for a bridal shower this spring. Then fill them with fruits and veggies (for yourself, not for the bridal shower).

This post contains affiliate links.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!