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My Resolution to Stop Making Resolutions – And How I Still Plan to Make Healthy Changes

December 26, 2014 by Laura 4 Comments

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Join Me in Making Healthy Changes

If I’ve learned nothing else in my 41 years, I’ve learned these two very important truths about myself:

1) Deciding to start a new diet on New Year’s Day typically means I act like December 15 – 31 is the end of the world as we know it and end up eating buckets full of chip dip (oh my beloved velveeta) and a bag full of chocolate covered potato chips (those are a real thing) in preparation for “having to be good.” This makes January 1 and the salads that come with it very depressing.

2) Only God knows what the new year will bring. Trying to plan ahead and be  amazing and full of will power and resolving to make this THE BEST YEAR EVER has always left me disappointed within two weeks when one of my kids starts puking or my printer gets jammed or my favorite mug breaks (all at the same time – don’t picture it).

Indeed, the only resoluting I do now is to be resolute about resolutions. That sentence is either profound, or it barely makes sense. But you have to admit, it sounds better than if I had tried making a profound sentence using the word “indeed.”  Indeed, the only indeeding I do is to be indeedy about indeedness.  Chew on that one a while (or not).

It’s too easy to put my goals on a pedestal, then to feel like a failure when life happens and I don’t achieve perfection. It’s best if I leave my goals and planning at the Lord’s feet. It’s also best if I only munch lightly on the chocolate covered chips and dip on New Year’s Eve, savoring each bite while smiling lovingly at my children while relishing in the moment and all that good stuff.

Now, with that said, I will share that there are so many areas in my life I long to improve. I don’t have any specific plans (because that would be resoluting and I think I’ve been clear on how I feel about that), but you can be sure I will be very prayerful about how I can have a wonderful, kingdom focused, and healthier than ever 2015.

Ah, healthy living. What if instead of resolving to do one BIG thing this new year, we all simply resolve to take many consistent and intentional baby steps toward a healthier lifestyle? Doesn’t that sound much more doable? Doesn’t that sound refreshing? Doesn’t that sound indeedy? (sorry, I had to bring it back just one time.)

What If

 

Leave a comment and share ways you hope to improve your health and the health of your family during 2015? As for me, I look forward to continuing my big fruit and veggie campaign for my family (and yours!), as well as continuing on a consistent personal work-out routine. I feel so much better when I do these things!

Let’s be healthy together!

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Merry Christmas From the Coppingers!

December 24, 2014 by Laura 3 Comments

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From our family to yours – Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas! We pray rich spiritual blessings on your holiday season.

Merry Christmas from the Coppingers 2014

I know. It’s hard to take us seriously when we look like that. But really, Merry Christmas and we mean it. :)

Don’t forget to take advantage of our fun gift to you – a free $5 gift certificate for everyone! Oh what fun it is to grab a free eBook from our shop!

Also – don’t forget that today is the final day Tropical Traditions is giving away free jars of coconut oil. That’s a very healthy and delicious Merry Christmas!

Have a lovely, wonderful day of celebration!

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

Win a Copy of “The Good Lie” DVD

December 24, 2014 by Laura 125 Comments

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Here’s a fun Christmas giveaway you’ll enjoy!

I was just sent two copies of The Good Lie – a movie sharing the true-life story of the Lost Boys of Sudan, their lives torn apart by civil war, left to grow up in refugee camps, then given the opportunity through the efforts of church groups and other charities to embark on new lives in the U.S. It stars Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon and some actual former Lost Boys in pivotal roles.

good lie 1

I can’t wait to watch this with my family. It seems perfect for a family movie night this holiday season. The trailer I watched hooked me in, and I think we will all be encouraged and challenged by this movie. I can’t say much more than that because I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet! But who’d like to win my second copy?!

THE GOOD LIE

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. I’ll draw a random winner on December 27. Be watching for a post stating the winner as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.

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!

Our Gift to You ~ Free $5 Gift Certificate for Everyone!

December 23, 2014 by Laura 31 Comments

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Thank you all so much for coming to our brunch this week! As our gift to you this Christmas, we are handing out $5.00 Gift Certificates to the Heavenly Homemakers Shop. These certificates are for every one of you, and may be used on any downloadable item in the shop. (Printed items are excluded.)

Your gift certificate code is:  CHRISTMAS5. Limit one certificate per person. This certificate is valid until midnight on December 27, 2014.

Have a very blessed Christmas!

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

Gratituesday: Early Christmas and the Need for Ear Plugs

December 22, 2014 by Laura 5 Comments

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

gratituesday[2]

Our travel plans this holiday season brought on the need for our family to celebrate Christmas a few days early. I think once you see what our big gift was for this year, you’ll understand why transporting gifts on the road was not a good option…

drum set

You remember how I shared that three of our boys are taking music lessons this year – one piano, one guitar, and one drums. A drum set (which we got for a fantastic deal online) was the perfect gift for our “band of boys.” Out came the guitar, synthesizer, and microphone to join the drums – and it’s been one very loud jam session ever since.

This has been incredibly fun to experience. It has also been incredibly…loud. We expected nothing less, but WOW. Today’s project has been to clean out and rearrange our upstairs “game room” so that we can transfer all instruments far away from mom’s office. :)

We’ve had some great down time and oodles of fun with our new instrument and board games. Now, we’re working to get ready for a huge road trip. Praise God for all the fun and family time that Christmas brings!

What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Leave a comment to share!

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7 Favorite {Real Food} Sweet and Savory Holiday Treats

December 22, 2014 by Laura 23 Comments

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7 Sweet and Savory Holiday Treats

Yum

Today, instead of sharing a new recipe, I decided to post 7 of our family’s favorite treats from the past few years. From sweet to savory, all of these recipes are delicious and easy – perfect for the Christmas Brunch!

Orange Cranberry Scones

Orange Cranberry Scones

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Balls

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Balls

Christmas Spice Cookies

Christmas Spice Cookies

Vanilla Muffins with Cinnamon Crumb Topping

Vanilla Muffins with Cinnamon Crumb Topping

Sweet Pepper Fritata

Sweet Pepper Fritata

Quick Eggnog Muffins

eggnog_muffins_2

Bacon Cheese Muffins

bacon cheese muffins

Be sure to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win one of five $10 gift certificates to our Heavenly Homemakers Shop!

XmasBrunch2011

If you haven’t picked up your free jar of coconut oil from Tropical Traditions, you need to get on it! Offer ends Christmas night, and I’m pretty sure we’ll all be just a little bit busy that day. :)  Free Coconut Oil!!!!!

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

Hawaiian Fruit Salad

December 21, 2014 by Laura 43 Comments

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

XmasBrunch2011

This salad is super easy to make and super refreshing to eat. It is perfect for our Christmas Brunch!

Hawaiian Fruit SaladYum

Mix together three cups combination of any of the following:

Fresh or canned pineapple chunks or tidbits
Canned mandarin oranges or fresh clementines
Sliced bananas
Coconut flakes

Stir in:

1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix well and serve. See how easy that is?!

Hawaiian Fruit Salad

Be sure to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win one of five $10 gift certificates to our Heavenly Homemakers Shop!

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

7 Healthy Ingredient Holiday Drinks You’ll Love

December 20, 2014 by Laura 30 Comments

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7 Healthy Ingredient Holiday Drinks You'll Love

Yum

There is something about special drinks at Christmas time that I just love! Below, you’ll find 7 tried and true holiday beverages that you’ll love too…

Homemade Hot Cocoa

Homemade Hot Cocoa

Warm Vanilla Soother

warmvanillasoother2sm

Homemade Healthier Eggnog

Homemade Healthier Eggnog

100% Juice  Punch

Christmas Brunch Punch {with 100 juice!}

Chocolate Caramel Coffee Creamer

Chocolate Caramel Coffee Creamer

Chocolate Whipped Cream for Coffee

Chocolate Whipped Cream - Perfect For Your Coffee

Peppermint Cream Cocoa

Peppermint Cream Cocoa

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

Cheesy Vegetable Casserole

December 20, 2014 by Laura 45 Comments

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This Cheesy Vegetable Casserole makes it possible to help your entire family enjoy veggies!

XmasBrunch2011

This recipe is versatile so you can add your family’s favorite veggies – or be creative so you can learn to eat new ones. The mixture of all these ingredients makes any vegetable taste great!

Cheesy Vegetable CasseroleYum

Cheesy Vegetable Casserole
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds fresh variety of vegetables of your choice (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, zucchini, or asparagus all work well)
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • ½ cup mayonnaise (I use Hain Safflower)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1  ½ cups shredded cheese (cheddar or Colby jack work well)
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl.
  3. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish.
  4. Bake, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes in a 350° oven.
3.4.3177

Cheesy Veggie Casserole

This recipe is perfect to add to your holiday brunch table. Here are some dishes I recommend serving with your Cheesy Vegetable Casserole for brunch:

  • Angeled Eggs
  • Bacon Tomato Dip with Baked Tortilla Chips
  • Fruit Salad
  • Honey Peanut Bars
  • Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
  • Nectarine Cream Cups
  • No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Bites
  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Bites
  • No-Bake Snickerdoodle Bites
  • Pineapple Fluff Salad
  • Ranch Cheese Ball
  • Beef Summer Sausage
  • Barbecue Brisket
  • Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken Breasts
  • Turkey Ranch Pinwheels

The thing about brunches is that you’re wide open to serving just about anything – from main dish to side dish to breakfast dish to dessert. That’s what makes them fun. Putting this Cheesy Vegetable Casserole on the table – even with other breakfast type foods like muffins and sausage – really adds something special. And let’s not forget that it means your putting veggies on the table. With cheese. Veggies with cheese are always a hit!

What are your favorite dishes to add to a brunch table?

Check out DHGate for their fun kitchen gadgets!

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

FREE Coconut Oil For Everyone! ~A Very Merry Christmas Gift from Tropical Traditions

December 19, 2014 by Laura 10 Comments

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

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!  Tropical Traditions is offering all of us a FREE quart jar of coconut oil again this Christmas!  I love it that they do this! (You’ll find the free jar on this page – scroll down until you see it.)

This isn’t just any coconut oil. This is a jar of their very highest quality coconut oil – the very best I’ve ever had. It is delicious and super high in nutritional value. It’s an entire quart, and it is free with any order of $19.00 or more!

free oil at tropical traditions

See that? It costs $0.00!!!!!!!

We will have to pay shipping on this order, but I’m planning to put several light-weight items in my cart (like my favorite Natural Soaps!) and I’ll still make out great.

You can also get a free coffee mug in your order. See the link on their side bar and add it to your cart.

I’m very excited to take advantage of this, and I hope you will be too. What a lovely gift to come in the mail!

Go grab your  FREE jar of coconut oil!

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