Hello Friends. 

In an effort to keep my Heavenly Homemakers site a friendly and loving place, I am now turning off the comments on the Importance of Modesty post. There has been just a little bit too much chatting going on in the comments section that hasn’t been edifying and just as I wouldn’t invite that kind of talk in my living room, I don’t welcome it on my blog. I prayed over and worked very hard to word my post in such a way that would encourage us as women to honor and respect our husbands by dressing modestly. I didn’t tell you what to wear, I simply wanted to encourage us all that modesty is an important part of being a good help meet to our husbands.

I’m going to go with the assumption that you all mean to say what you’re saying in love, but some of the comments and arguments shared as you “talk amongst yourselves” are starting to make my head (and my heart) hurt.

We all have different opinions about what modesty is and as long as you feel like you are dressing in a way that honors God and your husband, you’re doing a great job. Follow where you feel God is leading you on this issue and do so with a loving heart.

I’m turning off the comments on this post too, just because. Feel free to (kindly and lovingly) email me if you have more you feel you need to address with this subject. I’m hoping we can all cheerfully move along to the Cheeseburger Macaroni post because unless you’re lactose intolerant, there’s not too much controversy there. :)

Ever feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with normal healthy food preparations during the holidays? Do you feel guilt because you’ve indulged in too many Christmas goodies?

I wrote my thoughts on the matter over at Deal Moon. Head on over and see what you think…

Here is a list of the recipes you’ll find in Casseroles, Soups and Stews:  Hobo Dinners, Potato and Meat Patties, Jenny’s Enchiladas, Noodle Free Spaghetti, Pizza, Porcupine Meatballs, Kellee’s Meatloaf, Salsa Chicken, Fried Chicken, Zucchini Lasagna, Laura’s Spaghetti Sauce, Crab Cakes, Parmesan and Garlic Chicken, Stroganoff, Easy Breakfast Casserole, Hobo Stew, Butternut Squash Soup, Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder, Chicken and Rice Soup, Tom’s Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Meatball Soup, Michele’s Cheese Soup, White Chicken Chili, Hamburger Soup, Deena’s Creamy Broccoli Soup, Broccoli Soup, Corn Muffins

Gluten Free Casseroles, Soups and Stews eBook
$6.95

Here’s what you’ll find in Sweets and Treats:  Flourless Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies, Flourless Chocolate Cookies, Almond Paste Cookies, Midnight Mint Bars, Meringue Pie Shell, Chocolate Pie Filling, Bavarian Raspberry Cream Pie Filling, Homemade Eggnog Pie Filling, Pumpkin Pie Pudding, Corn Flour Apple Cake, Chocolate Mousse, Cake, Cranberry Torte, Blueberry Cream Nut Roll, Grilled Peaches with Raspberry Sauce, Cranberry Orange Relish, Pears in Raspberry Sauce, Layered Cranberry Sauce, Cranberry Orange Mousse, Apple and Pear Kabobs, Pear Cranberry Sauce, Easy Date Treat, Almond Muffins, Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse, Peppermint Fudge, Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles, Fruit Juice Gelatin, Healthier Eggnog, Hot Cranberry Citrus Drink

Gluten Free Sweets and Treats eBook
$6.95

Today is Mothers’ Day. I love being a mother. I am so thankful that God blessed me with four wonderful children. I take them for granted, when truly they are the best gift God has given my husband and me.

My husband and boys do a wonderful job making Mother’s Day special for me. They don’t let me cook. They don’t let me do dishes. They take special annual Mother’s Day pictures out by the peach tree we planted four years ago. I love celebrating Mother’s Day with my men.

And yet, for some reason…all I can do today is cry.

I miss my own mama.

And today would have been her 61st birthday.

Why in the world did her birthday have to fall on Mother’s Day this year? Mother’s Day is hard enough. Her birthday is hard enough. Both on the same day? Ugh.

For a couple of weeks now, so many things I’ve seen and heard are painful reminders that I no longer have my mom around. Our radio keeps asking people to call in and share about why their mom is so special. There are ads all over the place suggesting that we should get our mothers flowers and other wonderful gifts.

You know what I would have given my mom for Mother’s Day/her birthday this year?

A new shirt.

Because that’s what I gave her every year. Because that’s what she always wanted. Because she loved getting new shirts. Because even though it felt boring and unoriginal to give her the exact same thing every year…if I didn’t pick out a new shirt for her…deep down I think she would have been disappointed. Because she loved getting a new shirt. And she loved it when I was the one picking out the new shirt for her. I knew just what she liked.

This time of year, I am drawn to shirts that my mom would have liked. When I am out shopping, I see a cute button up blouse (usually in some shade of blue) and I almost buy it. Every year. Because I always got her a new shirt.

And now, every year, I hurt and feel joy at the same time when I see a shirt that she would have liked for her birthday or for Mother’s Day. And I feel ridiculous standing in the clothing department with tears running down my face because for Pete’s sake, it’s a shirt. Who cries over shirts?

I do. Every May.

Anyway, I love Mother’s Day. It’s a wonderful day to honor precious women in our lives. 

But today, I’m hurting. I’m weepy. And I miss my mom.

I figured you wouldn’t mind if I shared that with you.

I’ve heard from so many of you that you are excited to learn more about gardening and preserving your own fruits and vegetables. Tis the season to start thinking about a garden…I’m SO excited! I can’t wait to eat a fresh tomato that is right out of my yard! I’ll be blogging my gardening and preserving progress throughout the next few months.

To get this season started with a kick, I’ve knocked $3.00 off  Heavenly Homemaker’s Guide to Gardening and Preserving e-book! This sale price will only last until next weekend, so hurry to take advantage!

You can read all about what this ebook includes here. 

Go check out Heavenly Homemaker’s Guide to Gardening and Preserving!

If you’d like a chance to win Heavenly Homemaker’s Guide to Gardening and Preserving ebook, head on over to Amy’s Finer Things where there’s a giveaway going on. 

Just thought you might like to know. :)

Thanks for all of the wonderful punctuation and grammar discussion from this post. I hope it was helpful to many of you. I loved hearing what all of you had to say! Some of you really had me cracking up…what with your dangling participles and run on sentences. :)

Here are some helpful links I’d like to pass along:

• Natracare has tampons too: Natracare – Tampons, (Organic) , Super with Applicator 16 Ct
• Lot’s of people like the diva cup:  divacup.com
• Insteads were mentioned as being a great option, although not everyone likes this product: Instead 12 Hour Feminine Protection Cup
• Stephanie has a great post about making cotton pads here.
• Hillbilly Housewife has a pattern for making cotton pads here.
• If you don’t want to make your own cotton pads you can buy some here or here.

And now…I think I’m going to go through my fabric stash and see about sewing up some lovely cotton pretties. I’ll let you know how all of that goes. Doesn’t that just leave us all with one big exclamation mark!!!

(Should we discuss colons next? Yeah, maybe not.)

If you haven’t yet signed up for Swagbucks…allow me to take just another moment to encourage you to!

I love Swagbucks.  Instead of doing a Google search…I do “Swagbuck Searches”. It works the same…EXCEPT that I earn MONEY for Swagbucking. (I like to say swagbucking.)  Everytime I earn 450 Swagbucks…I can turn those in for a $5 Amazon card. There are tons of other things I can turn my Swagbucks into (Target cards, Barnes and Noble cards, Starbucks cards…) I just really like my Amazon cards!

You can read more of what I wrote about Swagbucks here.

IF you sign up following this link you’ll get an automatic three Swagbucks. BUT, now until Tuesday, if you enter the Swag Code:  HEAVENLYHOMEMAKERS you’ll get an additional three Swagbucks for a total of SIX Swagbucks. That’s a pretty nice start toward an Amazon card!

If you have questions, let me know. It’s totally legit…otherwise I wouldn’t tell you about it.  :) 

Go start earning some Swagbucks!!!

My mom died of ALS 4 1/2 years ago. 

Last night I dreamed that I had my mom back. Not forever…just for a weekend. And in my dream I knew that.

I started out simply elated in my dream. She was completely healthy again and looked really, really pretty just sitting on my couch.

I was flitting and jumping around…only occasionally stopping for a second to let her talk. I was catching her up on all the things she’d missed out on over the past 4 1/2 years. There was SO MUCH to tell her! I got out pictures and showed her Malachi’s birth and all the boys and how much they’d grown.

Somehow in my dream, I had her all to myself for the whole weekend. There were no interruptions and I didn’t have to share her with anyone. It was incredible.

And then…suddenly the weekend was almost over. The reality of that hit me and all I could do was throw my head into her lap and sob. I couldn’t even talk anymore to tell her all the things I wanted to tell her about how much I’d missed her. I couldn’t even ask her all the questions I’ve been wanting to ask her about how much spice to put into a certain recipe or about how old I was when I first started doing certain things. 

All I could do was sob.

My dream ended there. I woke up crying and couldn’t stop. So I got up and tried to put my thoughts into words.

I tend to think about her more this time of year. Her birthday is coming up in May…and well…so is Mother’s Day. 

I miss her. 

But now that I’m awake enough to think a little more clearly…I wouldn’t wish her back to this earth. Not even so that I could have her all to myself for a weekend. Not even so that she could see my precious boys and see how big and smart and handsome and amazing they are. Not even so that I could once more throw my head onto her lap and let her hold me while I cry.

She’s in the perfect place. 

Knowing that is enough to stop my tears. 

Or at least change them to tears of joy.