Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Gratituesday: One-On-One Christmas Shopping

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One of my favorite family traditions is one the boys and I started several years ago. I take each of them shopping, one at a time, so that they can pick out and purchase Christmas gifts for their brothers. Having this rare one-on-one time with each boy has been beyond wonderful.

boys mugs

You may remember me sharing the fun story of these mugs that Malachi picked for his brothers (and himself!) last year.  :)

I used to do this shopping marathon with they boys all in one day. Four trips back and forth to the store, four tours around all the aisles – all in about a 6-hour time frame. That was fine (said the crazy lady), although my brain and energy were fried by the end of the day (you think?).

This year, we’ve broken it up a little bit. Asa and I were at the mall last week since we had to go out of town for doctor appointments. He got his shopping done there. Elias had items in mind that could all be purchased online. He got his shopping done in his pj’s while sitting by me at the computer a few days ago.

Today, Malachi and I headed out and had a great time picking out gifts his brothers wanted/needed. Later this week, Justus will take his turn. Then, we’ll have a little more one-on-one as they hide out with me and wrap their gifts.

It’s probably best if I don’t mention the fact that traditions are all the more special to me this year since our oldest is a senior in high school. Yeah, I won’t mention that.  It’s been fun to see our family traditions develop through the years.

boysbytree2sm2

Check out this gem from 2007 I found a few days ago!
Who are those little-bitty boys, anyway?

I’m so grateful for this holiday season, and all the fun and joy that comes with it. Praise God for the fun traditions he’s created in our family!

What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Leave a comment to let us know!

 

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Homemade Gifts for Less Than $5

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What do you get when you cross a hot glue gun with a pair of socks? Some scraps of fabric with shower curtain rings? A jar with some freshly ground flour?

The sky’s the limit, right? Homemade gifts are loads of fun to make, give, and receive. I have some fun ideas I’m working on, and I’m hoping you have some even better ideas. But you know how I am with crafts, right? I beg of you – help a girl out?

Homemade Gifts for Less Than $5

During the next two weeks, I’d love to share many ideas so that we can all put together some simple and inexpensive gifts. Whatcha got for me?  I’d love to feature your ideas here!

No pressure, but if your homemade gift ideas can include words like no-sew, easy-peasy, or maybe even crafts for dummies, I for one would really appreciate it. My clumsy thumbs shy away from difficult projects. I break out in hives when I see crafts that include more than 5 simple steps. I love making gifts, and swoon over homemade crafts, but I’m not gifted in this area and I don’t even know what “modge-podge” is. (Noun or verb? I seriously don’t know.)

So let’s review. I want homemade gift ideas. I want the ideas to be easy enough for a fifth grader (wait, let’s go with third grader, just to be safe). And I want to be able to make the gift for $5 or less. An added bonus would be that the gift actually be useful and make the recipient joyful instead of forcing them to politely say, “Oh, this is…interesting. Isn’t that nice.”

If you have an idea, take a picture, write detailed (but simple – bless you) instructions, and email them to me. My younger boys and I have a sack full of project ideas we’ll be working on this week. If any of them actually turn out – and they totally should because I did invest $2.97 in a new glue gun today – I’ll be sharing my ideas with you soon.

Stay tuned during the next few weeks for these Homemade Gifts for Less Than $5 tutorials, plus plenty of yummy new recipes for the holiday season.

Ahhhhh, recipes. That I can do. Don’t worry. I’ll keep my new glue gun out of the kitchen….

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Final Day to Get $10 Free To Spend in Our Shop; Free Shipping Today at MadeOn; Homemade Vanilla Announcement

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Since we got home from our Kansas trip, we’ve filled our house with extra teenagers. It kind of just happened, without much planning. I’ve decided that sometimes that’s the best way to do it!

Our boys invited friends over for a movie night on Saturday, which included tons of popcorn and a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies. On Sunday, six extra kids came over after church for lunch. I quadrupled my waffle recipe, so we got along just fine. Then, Sunday night our high school youth group came over for Huddle, so our living room filled up again. Nachos, Bible study, and fellowship – a great combination.

Why am I telling you all this? No reason.  It’s just been a lot of fun, and while I’m sitting in my office trying to write (Sunday afternoon), I’m listening to teenage hubbub in my living room. I’m so grateful that my boys have such great friends in their lives. {happy sigh}

Monday is a big day for online shopping (my favorite way to shop!). I wanted to remind you that today is the final day we’re running our $10 bonus and sale price offers. Want a free $10 to spend in our shop? Here’s how to get it:

ForRealBookCover6
Purchase our printed book and you’ll immediately receive an email which includes a bonus $10 gift certificate to use on anything downloadable in our shop! Use the certificate yourself, or gift it to someone else. This certificate will expire December 15, 2014. Bonus offer ends midnight Monday, December 1, 2014.

Oh, For Real: Real Food, Real Family, Real Easy 
$25.95

Add to Cart

Cost for a book shipped to Canada is $34.05. If you are from Canada or another country outside the U.S., please email me before purchasing. Thanks!

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Get a big discount on our “giftable” version of the Build Your Menu Planning Notebook. With this version, you can download and print a notebook for yourself and print to gift others with notebooks too! You get unlimited, lifetime downloads with this package. Sale price ends at midnight Monday, December 1, 2014.

Build Your Menu Planning Notebook 350

Build Your Menu Planning Notebook – For Personal Use and for Gifts (unlimited lifetime downloads)
$10.99
$6.99

Add to Cart

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Get Teaching Your Kids to Cook or Learn to Cook (the downloadable versions) for just $5 each. Print these for your kids this Christmas! Sale price ends at midnight Monday, December 1, 2014.

Teaching Your Kids to Cook Downloadable Book
$12
$5
 Add to Cart

Learn to Cook Downloadable Book
$12
$5
Add to Cart

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I also wanted to let you know that today only, MadeOn is offering free shipping! This is awesome – both for gifting others or simply purchasing for yourself. My winter hands are well loved by MadeOn’s BeeSilk Hard Lotion. No coupon code needed for free shipping to apply. Everyone gets free shipping on any order, all day Monday! (Disclosure – these links are affiliate links.)

beesilk hard lotion bars in hand

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One last item to share:  We’ll be bottling up our latest batch of Homemade Vanilla Extract this week and offering it for sale here on Saturday, December 6. We’ll begin the sale at 8:00 am, CST. Mark your calendar, and set your clock. It’s first come, first served on this – and we often sell out quickly during our Christmas sale. We’ll have 2-ounce, 4-ounce, and 8-ounce bottles this time around as those smaller bottles are awesome for stocking stuffers and teacher gifts. :)

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Hope your week is off to a great start!

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Merry Christmas and a Hoppy New Year ~ Simple Craft for Kids

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I originally posted this fun craft idea back in 2008. That translates to the dark ages ago in blog years. Not only did you probably not know this idea existed on my site – I had even forgotten all about it.

Hoppy New Year Christmas Craft

I think that frog is too cute to be ignored, and that this craft is to simple not to bring to your attention. For those of you who love detailed craft projects – this one will not interest you and I say, “You go, Girl!” I am simply not super gifted in the crafting arena, so I stick with cut out frogs, hole punches, and candy canes.

Supplies you will need:

  • Red cardstock, cut in half and folded over to make a card
  • Frog pattern
  • Green cardstock for frogs
  • Print out of Merry Christmas sign
  • Googly eyes
  • Candy canes
  • Blow markers (optional)
  • Markers
  • Glue bottle
  • Glue stick
  • Hole punch
  • Scissors

To Make:

Print frog pattern, trace onto green cardstock and cut out. Punch a hole on both sides of the frog. Carefully slide candy cane through the holes to look like the frog is “holding” it. Draw a smile onto the frog. Use green blow marker to make “speckles” (optional).

Use a glue stick to glue frog onto card. Glue googly eyes on with glue bottle.

Use glue stick to attach “Merry Christmas and a HOPPY New year” sign to card.

It’s as easy as that. Your kids can enjoy making these cards for classmates, Bible class teachers, neighbors – whoever you’d like to bless. :)

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Menu Plan for the Week – and a Peek Into Our Thanksmas

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I hope you have had a wonderful holiday weekend! We had a great time with family in Kansas, bringing back Asa’s “new” 20-year-old car on our way home. So exciting for him!

Here’s a picture of my beautiful (quiet, well-put-together) family:

thanksmas 2014 3

Nice, huh? But God bless my sister-in-law for snapping the following picture on my phone as we were posing for the one you see above.

thanksmas 2014 2

If that’s not the real Coppinger family, I don’t know what is.
I had a nice giggle when I discovered that jewel on my phone. 

After individual family shots, we attempted to get 13 grandkids – ages 3-weeks to 17-years – all in one picture. I’ve decided that photos like this are so much better than perfectly posed shots.

thanksmas 2014 1

We had a great time together, you can bet on it. :)

Not a single one of us got up early to go Black Friday shopping. But here’s something fun to share:  When we got back to Nebraska, the weather had turned beautiful! Malachi and I took a walk to the dollar store to look for something I needed for a quick project. I didn’t find what I needed, but I did happen upon a 75% off clearance section. I grabbed a few potholders and dish rags, thinking they would be about 25¢ each after the discount. When they rang up, it turns out they were already discounted to around 30¢ each – then I got 75% off that price! I ran back and grabbed more, of course. My total for all you see below was less than $3.00 total. Amazing and fun!

groceries november 14 4

I didn’t get any steals when I made a produce run later, but hey – it’s food. Good food at that. :)

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I picked up mixed greens, avocados, sweet peppers,
oranges, carrots, pineapple, and mushrooms.

Since it was such a nice day on Saturday, and since we were hungry for lots of veggies, I put together a big pasta salad. It was so pretty, I had to take a picture. By the way, adding spinach to pasta salad works very, very well.

pasta salad

A cold front is moving back in, but a couple days of warm weather sure was a treat! Now we’ll be getting back to soups and hot drinks. I’m still loading us up with pumpkin. I have plenty, and all the recipes are delicious and healthy – so why not?

Here’s what our menu options will be this week:

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Fruits and Veggies (I serve 1-4 with each meal)

  • Peas
  • Green Beans
  • Mixed Greens
  • Spinach
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Asparagus
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Spicy Avocado Dip
  • Clementines
  • Fresh Pineapple
  • Pears
  • Apples
  • Applesauce
  • Sweet Peppers

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Did you brave the crowds and go shopping on Friday? What’s your menu looking like this week?

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Easy Pumpkin Pie Bars

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Wow, Laura. Another pumpkin recipe? Really?

Actually, I used butternut squash puree in this recipe, so there. But yes, it’s another pumpkin (aka butternut squash) recipe. I told you I was on a roll with pumpkin recipe experiements. I’m here to provide you with easy recipes – and also to force you to eat vegetables. What better way than in a dessert? (And in a salad, of course.)

You’ll notice that I loved the Shortbread Crust idea so much in the Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe that I stole the idea for this crust too. This is basically Shortbread with Pumpkin Pie baked on top – all in a 9×13 inch pan. No rolling of a pie crust necessary. Easy, buttery, delicious – what more could we want?

Easy Pumpkin Pie Bars

Easy Pumpkin Pie BarsYum

Shortbread Crust

3 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat for this)
1/2 cup sucanat (or brown sugar if you prefer)
1 1/2 cups melted butter

Stir flour and sucanat together in a bowl. Add melted butter, combining well. Press mixture into a 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake in a 350° oven for 7 minutes. (It will only be partially cooked at this point.)  In the meantime, prepare the filling:

Pumpkin Pie Filling

3 cups pumpkin or butternut squash puree
2/3 sucanat
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup heavy cream

Whip ingredients together until smooth. Pour over crust. Bake in a 350° oven for 45-55 minutes or until a knife inserted into the bars comes out clean.

Have you had your fill of pumpkin this holiday season?

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When Thanksgiving and Christmas Collide ~ And It’s a Good Thing

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give thanks

Today, my family is celebrating Thanksmas. Hey, it’s a real thing. It’s when Thanksgiving and Christmas collide because of travel plans and family circumstances. We won’t be able to see my Kansas family on December 25. Instead, we’re celebrating both holidays together – today, at the same time.

“Oh no!” one might think. “We should never skip through Thanksgiving and jump into Christmas, forgetting to be thankful.”

I’ll agree with you completely on one point:  We should never forget to be thankful.  Never, ever.  But blending the two holidays? I have decided that it’s perfect. I’ve also decided that this same concept is perfect in the middle of February, early in April, and during summer break. After all, if I only choose to consider “what I’m thankful for” during Thanksgiving season and “how wonderful it is that God sent Jesus to earth” during the Christmas season – I have completely missed some major Truths in the Bible about who I’m called to be, and where my heart should be focused.

Hooray for holidays that bring our attention back to these important areas of focus! But not only do I disagree that we shouldn’t blend the holidays, I believe we’ve actually missed something very important if we don’t.

Our God is an amazing God – today, on December 25, and even on Black Friday, if you can possibly imagine. But, ack! What about all the commercialism?! Marketing tools! Flyers and ads and sales – they are everywhere this time of year! That is a true fact.

Also a true fact:  There are gimmicks and commercials and marketing ploys 365 days of the year – all of which are insisting I need their product in order to have a full and happy life. The only difference right now is that commercials slap the words “gift giving” on the reason they’re asking us to buy stuff. At least it’s better than telling us to buy something for ourselves because “we’re worth it,” wouldn’t you say?

Are we losing Thanksgiving because of all the Christmas hype? My thought is that it’s not up to what time the stores open their doors, or the fact that some are not closing theirs at all. It’s not up to sale flyers or commercials. It’s up to you and me.  It’s about our heart focus. Nothing in our lives can be separated. I don’t care when you shop, what you buy, how much you spend, or whether you ate turkey or ham. Jesus and a thankful heart go hand in hand, every single day – no matter the holiday, season, or date on a calendar.

For the record, today, not only am I celebrating Thanksgiving (so much to be thankful for!) and Christmas (how exciting that God sent His Son!) – I’m also celebrating Easter (praise God, Jesus died and rose again!) and Valentine’s Day (Love you, Matt!! XOXOXO). I’ll celebrate it all over again tomorrow. And since tomorrow just so happens to be Black Friday, I might also pick up a good deal or two. Bonus!

Have a blessed holiday season! May our hearts yearn for Truth, may our souls find peace, may we always be grateful.

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Beef Summer Sausage Recipe

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Summer Sausage has always been a favorite finger food of mine during the holiday season. I’ve tinkered with recipes before, but haven’t felt like I’ve nailed them – until now.

Folks, we can now eat Summer Sausage – worry free. High fives all around!  No MSG, no nitrites, no preservatives. Actually, salt is a natural preservative, so I guess I can’t say “no preservatives.” But the least of my worries is sea salt, especially when I use Redmond. That means that “summer sausage” and “good for you” can be used in the same sentence. Yay!!!

I think you’ll be as excited about this recipe as I am. It’s homemade beef summer sausage!! You will not believe how crazy easy this is to make.

Homemade Beef Summer Sausage - Easy and Healthy!

Homemade Beef Summer SausageYum

5.0 from 1 reviews
Beef Summer Sausage Recipe
 
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Author:
Serves: 2 sausages
Ingredients
  • 2½ pounds hamburger meat
  • 2½ Tablespoons liquid smoke (I prefer Wright's Brand)
  • 1 Tablespoon sea salt (I prefer Redmond brand)
  • 1 teaspoon sucanat
  • 1 Tablespoon ground pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, squishing with your hands until everything is well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
  2. Knead meat mixture, then shape into 2 logs, about 13x2 inches each. (I found that rolling them in parchment paper helped form a nice, round shape.)
  3. Place logs in baking dishes such as Pyrex 9x13 inch pans (so fat drippings will not spill over into the oven).
  4. Bake in a 300° oven for 2½ - 3 hours.

To freeze Summer Sausage:  Allow baked summer sausage to cool completely. Wrap in parchment paper, then with plastic wrap. Place in a freezer bag, storing in freezer for up to 2 months.

As if it wasn’t already wonderful news that we can enjoy healthy summer sausage – it’s even better news that this will be perfect for your Make-Ahead Lunch Box. I’ll be packing this for road trips, for sure.

Share with us! What’s your favorite holiday finger food?

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Gratituesday: The Big Purchase

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gratituesday[2]

You know how exciting it is when your baby first get a tooth, takes a first step, and says his/her first word? I have to tell you, this past week has ranked right up there as one of the most exciting “firsts” for our family, particular for oldest son, Asa. Allow me to introduce to you the newest member of our family:

asa car

Yes indeed, our 17 year old has purchased his first car.

It’s been quite the event. My dad, Asa’s “Papa,” called a few weeks ago to let us know he may have found a good car if Asa was interested. My dad is an auctioneer, so he frequently comes across items of interest. The car isn’t new, and it isn’t fancy, but if Asa wanted something reliable, this could be perfect. It had been owned by an older person who hadn’t driven it much and had taken good care of it.

We did a lot of research, loving that although the car is old (1994), it has low mileage and a good reputation. Asa decided on a price to bid for the car, and left it in Papa’s hands since the auction was in Kansas. Our family went on to play in a Basketball Triangular all day Saturday while my dad carried on with his auction at the same time. As we were heading home after a long day on the basketball court, the text from my dad came in, “Asa owns a car.”

Shouting and high fives and all around.  He had won the bid! Not only that, he got a lower price for it than we had expected – a blessing for sure!

We are so proud of Asa. He has been working hard and saving his money for years. This purchase was a wise one, and very doable for him because of the way he’s handled his money through the years. He’s even still got a savings cushion (which hurts him on the FAFSA, as we are now learning – don’t even get me started).

He’ll get to bring his car home after our Thanksgiving trip to Kansas, so the timing for this purchase couldn’t be better. As always, God worked this one out just right.

There’s much to be thankful for, and while it’s especially on our minds this time of year, I’m grateful to celebrate God’s goodness each week here during Gratituesday! Your turn to share: What are you thankful for?

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What Are Your Favorite Family Games?

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Our family loves playing games, especially now that all four kids are old enough and able to play games we all enjoy. Finding a chunk of time that works for all six of us to sit down and play together is rare, so when we find it, we jump on it!

What Are Your Favorite Family Games

We are trying to come up with a new family game or group game to get our kids for Christmas this year. Because you are all brilliant and always full of great ideas, I thought I’d ask you what games you love at your house. First, I’ll give you a list of what we already have and enjoy together:

  • Settlers of Catan (with extentions)
  • Ticket to Ride
  • Carcossonne
  • Bohnanza
  • Life
  • Risk
  • Manhattan
  • Guestures
  • Taboo
  • Blink (Malachi and I play this quick card game a lot while the older brothers are at basketball practice.)
  • Headbandz
  • Acquire
  • Sequence
  • Clue
  • Apples to Apple Junior (This is probably our favorite group game.)
  • Scattergories
  • Pictionary
  • Cranium
  • Boggle (This game totally counts as school work, but no one knows they’re learning.)
  • Monopoly
  • Sorry
  • Quelf
  • Racko
  • Balderdash
  • Yahtzee
  • Farkle
  • Pass the Pigs
  • Huskerdu (great for younger kids – still fun for adults)
  • Mastermind

Wow, after making that list, it kind of makes me wonder if we actually need another game this Christmas. We have oodles in our closet! Still, tell me your favorites. Our lives may just not be complete yet without one more game. :)

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