Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

What to do with Stinky Shoes (Not that You Have Any of Course)

by 25 Comments

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

You know what really stinks?

Shoes. After they’ve had feet in them.

And after they’ve gotten wet. Or sweaty. Or dirty. Or wet, sweaty and dirty. You may think something large and furry crawled into your closet and died. Oh no. It’s just the shoes.

Thankfully there is hope. You do not have to dread being in the same vehicle with (or within a ten mile radius of) the wearer of said shoes.

What to do with stinky shoes

Wad up a big bunch of newspaper and stick them down into the shoes for a day or two. Set them outside in the sunshine if possible. Severely stinky shoes may require a removal of newspaper and re-stuffing of fresh newspaper after the first day for a continued de-stinking treatment.

newspapershoessm

If you enjoy sitting back with a nice cup of coffee while reading your newspaper, I highly recommend reading the newspaper before wading them into the shoes as the newspaper not be nearly as enjoyable after taking on the stink of the shoe.

And now I will end this post by saying that I find it comical that only a weird blogger such as myself will take the time to snap a picture of newspapers stuffed into stinky tennis shoes.

This post was originally published in August, 2009.

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

Free Summer Blessings Printables ~ Use These Free Printables to Be a Blessing!

by Leave a Comment

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

What can you and your family do to be a blessing to someone during the next few days? I encourage you to pray with your family about this. Can you take someone some food? Visit a neighbor? How can you be a light and bless someone? To bless your efforts (blessings all around, right?!) – we’ve made some fun Summer Blessings printables for you. They are free. Help yourself! Print as many as you like.

Summer Blessings Printables

Download the Summer Blessings Printable
Cards and Gift Tags Here!

Suggestions for ways to use these Summer Blessings Printables:

  • Print a set of 6 or 8 of the Blessed and Hello note cards. Tie them up with a ribbon and give them as a gift. Be sure to include envelopes! (Like these.)
  • Print a few Blessed and Hello note cards. Spend some time writing encouraging notes in the cards to give or send.
  • Bake something yummy, package it up and attach one of the cards or gift tags. (Here are some baked good recipes to pick from.)

Since it’s summertime and you might not want to turn on the oven, how about some No-Bake treats you can make to share?

Other summer friendly ideas include:

What else? Leave a comment to share ideas of ways we can use these fun new printables!

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!

Soup or Smoothies? I Can’t Decide

by 5 Comments

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

pineapple_mango_smoothie_2

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I learned that in Kansas in first grade when my teacher Mrs. Howell explained the concept, then gave us paper plates to make lion and lamb faces. We hung them on the wall in the back of the room above the coat rack. (I remember pointless things.)

I’ve since learned that typically in Nebraska, March comes in like a lion and acts like a lion all month and goes out like a lion and greets April like a lion and once in a while a little lamb pokes it soft little head out just long enough to tease the lion. But this year the lamb appears to be a bit more feisty than the lion because the sun is shining and we’re having some unusually warm weather. The boys have been going outside in shorts because they can. We’ve been shooting hoops in the driveway with the sun in our eyes. Awesomeness.

For the first time in months, a smoothie sounds good, especially after playing or working outside. But then we come back into my house and guess what? Brrrrr! The house hasn’t caught up yet with the outside weather. What should we expect? It is still getting pretty cold at night.

So sweaters or shorts? Flip flops or boots? Iced coffee or hot? Soup or smoothies?

I’m thinking both. Lions and lambs can be friends, can’t they? Here’s what I’m celebrating during this fun collision of lion and lamb during the month of March:

1. THE SUN IS SHINING, even during the cold parts of the day. I heart sunshine.  I’ve probably mentioned that here before.
2. I can enjoy baking and grilling at the same time. This doesn’t happen in the winter or the summer.
3. There are no bugs yet because they haven’t yet realized that it’s warm enough to come out and crawl on us.
4. Soup and smoothies taste good together.

Cheeseburger Soup

Today I present to you, in honor of The Month of Crazy Weather, our favorite soup and smoothie recipes. You just never know when you’ll need one or the other or both at the same time.

Soup

Smoothies (and other fun, cold drinks)

While looking through my archives, I realize that I actually have very few smoothie recipes here. That’s because I just throw in whatever fruit we have, which makes smoothies at our house “non-recipe” items.

What are you experiencing at your house? Lion or lamb? Soup or smoothie? Boot or flip-flop?

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

What I Plan To Do This Weekend To Get Ahead And Caught Up

by 3 Comments

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

This weekend, we have no basketball games and only three of us will be home. I have too much on my “take advantage of this situation” list, but I figure why not aim high so that I’ll have a super productive weekend? (I do plan to rest a little bit too!)

Here’s what I’m hoping to get ahead on in the kitchen:

Because it’s been way too long since I put frozen muffin batter in the freezer for breakfast convenience, I plan to make several frozen batches of:

I also need to make Ranch Salad Dressing Mix. We go through that super quickly!

Parts of my house desperately need cleaning, plus we are gearing up for a big bathroom remodel!! And, I’m working every spare minute on a new Healthy Snacks eBook. It’s finally starting to come together, which means I’ll be able to share it with you soonish.

This snack recipe and so many more are coming right up!

strawberry brownies

What are you up to this weekend? Planning to have some down time or hoping to be super productive? Maybe a little bit of both?

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

Time to Bottle Your Vanilla!

by 5 Comments

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

Did you make homemade vanilla extract for Christmas gifts this year? Your friends and family will be so blessed!

If you’re ready to bottle it up, I wanted to share my favorite online resources. If you live in a big city, you may be able to find something less expensive. Since I don’t have that option, I take advantage of the good ol’ internet.

olive nation bottles

I’ve shopped around online quite a bit, crunching numbers, adding in shipping costs (ouch!). If you only want 4-ounce bottles (and I have found that this is a great size for gift-giving), then Olive Nation is your best price. This is because they offer free shipping if your order is over $50. See, it’s the shipping cost on these orders that can really make the bottles expensive. If you can swing ordering enough from Olive Nation to get free shipping, this will save a lot of money. (The price ends up being just $1.26/bottle.)

If you want 2-ounce or 8-ounce bottles, I recommend Mountain Rose Herbs.

Don’t let the cost of bottling your vanilla discourage you! Your homemade vanilla is still an inexpensive gift, especially when you consider the quality of what you’re gifting!

Also, don’t be afraid to ask the recipient to save the bottle to give back to you. Most people have given their bottle back to me without being asked (and some beg for a refill – of course!).

For those of you who haven’t jumped into making Homemade Vanilla Extract, you’ll be excited to know that we have a big batch of our homemade vanilla almost ready to bottle up and share with you. This will be just in time for your holiday baking and/or gift giving needs! Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 6 so you won’t miss out.

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!

What I’ll Be Doing This Weekend

by 9 Comments

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

If I thought I couldn’t keep up before with all that must be done each day, somehow I am finding it even harder now that our lives are so full of teenage activities. Throw in the fact that our oldest is a senior, and all that goes along with making decisions for next year, applying for scholarships, and taking college level classes. I officially surrender. I am beat.

Except that I’m not, because God is in control (not me!), my family is awesome, and if all else fails, I can buy a pizza.

Great Homemaking Doesn't Always Mean Make it Homemade

If you haven’t already, or if you need a reminder about what’s really important,
you should read this post.

This weekend, I find myself with only one kid at home (the rest are enjoying time with Christian friends at a youth rally). No school to teach, barely anyone to feed – I will be using this time to catch up and try to prepare for next week! I’m thankful God is giving me this little window of “down time.” Next weekend, basketball travel begins, then Thanksgiving, then more games, then Christmas…

We have much to be thankful for! Life is never boring, and what would we do without these amazing kids who keep us so busy? (Sleep, maybe? No, no. That was rhetorical.)

I’m writing down my weekend plan here to share with you. On Sunday, I’ll try to share an update on what I’ve accomplished.

Friday after school is (mostly) wrapped up:

  • Grocery shop to stock up on fresh produce for this week, plus to get remaining food needed to feed 30 teens at Sunday Night Huddle
  • Finish the Menu Planning Notebook – and upload it to my Shop – finally!
  • Make Chicken Broth
  • Clean out the fridge (wow, does it ever need to be wiped out!)
  • Enjoy one-on-one time with Malachi, the lone child at home this weekend

Saturday:

Doing those tasks, along with getting some writing done and maybe tackling my email inbox (yikes!) should help me keep my head above water next week.

How about you? What will you be doing this weekend?

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

Meals to Take to Families With New Babies

by 30 Comments

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

You know why I love taking meals to families who have new babies? Is it because I’m so servant hearted, loving, kind, and eager to bless these tired families? Oh please. It’s all about me.  Really. You should know this truth. Blah, blah, blah – here’s your food, hope you like it, I made it just for you, now where is your darling newborn?

Of course, I am totally kidding. (Oh she is so not kidding, said Matt.)  But I really do love helping families with newborns in their time of need. (What-ev-er, said my four boys in unison.)

Yeah. I love babies.  My babies are of the much taller, lankier, and less snuggly variety now. I love them dearly – even more than when they were newborns. Who knew that was possible? It just is. But given the opportunity to cuddle a newborn, and you know, give the tired mama’s arms a break (that’s me being graciously servant-hearted again, what-ev-er) – I take it. Sweet, sweet babies. I love them.

Taking a meal to a family with a newborn means that there are blessings all around! Tired parents don’t have to cook, older siblings get some special attention, and I’m sorry, did I not already make my point clear? I get to hold a newborn baby. Blessing upon blessing.

Meals to Take to Famililes With New Babies

photo credit

No doubt many of the foods listed in this post are great to take to others for reasons other than a new baby in the house (surgery, loss of loved one, illness, loss of job, or any other trying or exhausting situation). By all means, please use this list to take meals to anyone who might benefit. However, this post offers suggestions specific for the family who has a new addition.

Some items to keep in mind when you take a meal to a family with a new baby:

  • Stay away from hot peppers. Mom might be avoiding spicy food if she is nursing.
  • Check to be sure you are accommodating any allergies or dislikes the family may have.
  • Ask what time they prefer you deliver the meal.
  • If there are young children in the home, be sure to take foods that are easy to eat and typically enjoyed by kids. We’re trying to make Mom’s job easier, not harder.
  • Give lots of attention to the baby’s older siblings when you deliver the food.
  • Consider taking a little treat just for the “big brother(s)” and/or “big sister(s).” This could be something like 100% juice boxes, mini muffins, or even something non-edible like a new coloring book with crayons or a matchbox car.
  • Fresh fruit is always so refreshing after just having a baby. Ask what kind of fruit sounds good to Mom and pick some up to take along.
  • If you are able, it might be fun to take a little something extra for a quick and easy breakfast for the family to enjoy the next day. See list below for ideas.
  • If possible, take your food in dishes the family won’t have to wash and return to you.

Now onto the list of food ideas so you can hand them something wonderful when you say, “Blah, blah, blah – here’s your food, hope you like it, I made it just for you, now where is your darling newborn?”

Those are just the main dish ideas. Be sure to take plenty of fruit and veggie side dishes too! (You know I had to say that.)

What about breakfast?

Breakfast items like Easy Breakfast Casserole can be a fun change of pace for dinner. If you have extra time and resources, you can bless the family by taking along some Dark Chocolate Almond Granola or Giant Breakfast Cookies – something easy for them to eat in the morning after a sleepless night. Muffins and other breads are always fun to receive.

What are your favorite foods to take to families with new babies?

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

Don’t Be Afraid To Buy Used Appliances

by 17 Comments

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

There are some items I will not buy used. Such as:

  • Shoes (won’t fit right; not good for the feet)
  • Underwear (self explanatory)
  • Hats (unless I know and love the head it’s been on)
  • Make-Up (although I don’t usually wear it anyway)

I’m sure there are items you would add to the list. Matresses, cribs, car seats – there are many items that are worth buying new. Sometimes, it’s even worth paying more for an item so that you can be sure you’re getting good quality, thus saving money in the long run.

But let me share our family’s experiences with buying used appliances…

Over the weekend, within about one hour, both our washing machine and our dishwasher quit working. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Matt was able to fix the dishwasher himself. But the washing machine? Well, it was many years old, on its last leg, and a bungee cord was the only thing that had kept it from falling apart since June 2012. Matt gave it a good shot, trying to keep it alive just a little bit longer, but in the end, he met me with the question, “You ready to go shopping for a new washing machine?”

So, go shopping we did. We were met at the door of our locally owned appliance store and shown wonderful, beautiful, shiny new washing machines. We were given all the details about their bells and whistles, and were provided with many convincing reasons for why we should buy the top of the line (especially with our four active boys).

They sounded great, actually. But the price tags?  Ouch.  Thankfully we have a line item in our budget for spur of the moment necessity purchases. But did we really need to spend that much on a fancy appliance, or would a less than the best still do the trick for us?

We really wrestled with this. When is it important to buy high quality, and when is it okay to go with a lower quality, lesser price? Ugh, and we really needed to make the decision quickly, as the laundry was piling up at home as we stood in the middle of the forest of washers and dryers. Our heads feeling as though they were in spin cycle. <— Clever, huh? I thought of that one all by myself.

Before looking much harder at the new washing machines, we asked to be taken to the back to see the used appliances they had on hand. This store has come through for us many times with their used items. Remember my used upright freezers?

Ugly though they are, they serve their purpose and sit in our storage room where no one can see them.
We were happy to pay a huge discount because they were used and ugly.
They’ve worked great for years!

One used washing machine really caught our attention. It was everything we really needed, much of what we wanted, and because it was a few years old, it was less than 1/5 of the price of the brand new ones. We asked question after question, we grilled them about what might be wrong with it, we stuck our heads in and looked for whatever people look for when they stick their heads inside a washing machine.

We listened again to the spiel trying to influence us to buy the new washer which was five times more expensive. We went home, we prayed, we looked at all the dirty laundry. We quickly came to the decision that the used washer was really all we needed. Writing the check for that was barely even painful. We got such a great deal! It was delivered and installed the next day.

Introducing, the newest member of the Coppinger Team:

washing machine

A few years old, a couple of scratches, and if you look real close, you’ll see my reflection since I was the one taking the picture. That came free with purchase.

We’ve given this washing machine quite a workout since it arrived, and it’s done great. Did we make the right decision? Oh yes, we definitely did. Even if it only has a few years of life left, we believe the amount of money we saved compared to buying new is still very worth it. And now, we have money left in our budget for any other last minute necessities. (Oh but please, no more appliances for a while.)

What has been your experience with buying used appliances? Is there anything you feel strongly about that should always be bought new?

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

Great Homemaking Doesn’t Always Mean “Make it Homemade”

by 15 Comments

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

If you desire to be a great homemaker, you must:

  • always have a perfectly clean house
  • always make homemade food from scratch, using the finest ingredients
  • keep your closets wonderfully organized
  • have perfectly behaved children (who never have crusty boogers on their sleeves)
  • never run out of toilet paper

No pressure.

Drop kick it with me, friends! I despise these expectations we think others are putting on us that we most likely are really putting on ourselves.

The real definition of a great homemaker:

  • Loves her family {check}
  • Feeds her family {constantly}
  • Can close the closet doors {thankfully}
  • Relies on God’s grace while raising children {unceasingly}
  • Picks up cheese and apples while she’s making a slightly panicked toilet paper run {might as well be efficient}

Want to see what I made my family for our Sunday Dinner today?

Great Homemaking Doesn't Always Mean Make it Homemade

It’s a take-and-bake pizza from the store. Couldn’t I have made a homemade pizza? Well sure if I….wait – you know what? NO. I couldn’t. That’s why I bought the pizza.  Our weekend has been so full of awesome fun, unexpected appliance break-downs (the washing machine and the dishwasher in the same day, really?), oodles of guests, and because it’s springtime – soccer games. If we were going to make it to church and soccer games today with food in our bellies and a mama who had at least gotten a few hours sleep, lunch was either going to be a package of raw, frozen hamburger – or a store bought pizza. We went with the pizza. (You’re welcome, kids.)

Does great homemaking always mean “make it homemade?”

So let’s consider:  Since I bought a pizza from the store to feed my family for lunch, am I a homemaking failure? Since my new/used washing machine just got installed yesterday and I have yet to use it or clean up the mess the delivery guys left all the way down the stairs while they took out the old washer, am I a homemaking failure? Since my dishwasher was broken and I pulled out the paper plates for our company on Saturday morning, am I a homemaking failure?

Sigh.  I’m pretty sure I am. Woe is me. I failed to be perfect. I may as well throw in the (dirty) towel.

Or not.

Homemaking is homemaking – no matter what it looks like. My heart is for God and for my family. I always work hard and do my best. Today, my best looked like a store bought pizza. Today, I blessed my family by feeding them, worshiping with them, and cheering them on at soccer. Joyfully, I have a case of toilet paper on hand so that I can check that off my list of mama emergencies.

Homemakers…unite! Bring your imperfections, your crusty nosed kids, your broken appliances, and your unmade beds. Be empowered to keep on doing what God is calling you to do. Keep working hard, loving your families, and rocking this homemaking thing.

And if my closet door is ever open when you come to my house, please look away very quickly and act like you didn’t see a thing.

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