Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

$1.66 Per Month – How Much More Convincing Do You Need?

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I thought the prices at BudgetFocus were good already. But right now? They’ve knocked a huge chunk off the price, which means we’d all be crazy if we don’t jump on this.

For less than $20.00 for the entire year, which breaks down to a hair over $1.66 per month, you can have access to everything BudgetFocus offers. Their site walks you through setting up your budget, offers you an awesome online envelope system, helps you keep track of your spending, and provides you with great information and guidance. Do this. Feeling confident about your budget, no matter how much or little your income, is so beneficial.

This price will not be available forever. Get it now. Get your budget under control and organized. I can’t think of a better investment in your financial peace.

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BLT Wraps – The Perfect Summertime Meal

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Nothing says “I’m a humble cook” like shouting really loudly that this is the best recipe you’ll ever eat!  My bad. What can I say? There’s bacon in it. And cream cheese. The goodness of this recipes has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with the amazing mixture of ingredients all rolled up in a tortilla.

This recipe is so easy that my kids made it on their own for our family to eat on Mother’s Day. These can be made ahead of time – or at the very least, you can cook the bacon and prepare the tomatoes and lettuce so that you can put them together right before serving time.

The best part? Well…the bacon, duh. Yeah, but the other best part? These wraps really hit the spot on a hot day. There’s minimal cooking involved, so the house won’t heat up. Serve these with a variety of fresh fruit like pineapple, watermelon, or strawberries. Set out some sweet peppers, sliced cucumbers, and carrot sticks. What a wonderful, nourishing meal.

BLT Wraps

Yum

5.0 from 1 reviews
BLT Wraps - The Perfect Summertime Meal
 
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Author:
Ingredients
  • 4 ounces softened cream cheese
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 8 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
  • ½ cup chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup shredded spinach, romaine, or green leaf lettuce
  • 3 eight-inch whole wheat tortillas
Instructions
  1. Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth.
  2. Stir in bacon crumbles and chopped tomatoes.
  3. Spread mixture onto tortillas.
  4. Sprinkle shredded lettuce on top evenly.
  5. Roll tortillas up tightly.
  6. Cut each into 5 diagonal slices.
  7. Chill until ready to serve.

 

BLT Wraps

Tip: Make the cream cheese filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then simply fill your tortillas at meal time, wrap, and serve! These work great for brunch, lunch, party, snack…pretty much any time.

Which do you like better: bacon or cream cheese?  How sweet it is that you can have both in this recipe, at the same time. :)

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Stop Thinking and Pray

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Stop Thinking and Pray

70,000.  That’s how many thoughts we think every day, which breaks down to 1.2 thoughts per second.

Yoo-hoo, dear wonderful person who did the research so as to provide us with this thought provoking information: What I’d like to know is, how many of these thoughts of mine are rational, logical, emotional, or have something to do with cream cheese? Does this statistic count the thoughts I think in my subconscious while I’m sleeping? Or in fact do I cram my 70K thoughts into my awake hours, which ultimately means that all the thoughts I think are running into each other, tackling, punching, vying for attention, thus resulting in a big jumbled pile-up inside my head?

I’d like to believe my thinker works in overdrive because I am an efficient multi-tasker. Yes. This is a gift I have, which in effect allows me to plan dinner, read to my kids, make a mental list of phone calls I need to make, and question whose feet are the culprit of my nostril discomfort – all at the same time. Unfortunately, it is also the thinker that allows me to create scenarios, envision disasters, replay conversations, invent situations, and ultimately freak out inside about what did, could, should, didn’t, would have, and might just happen. It is this thinker that makes me believe that I’m completely on my own and able to solve all the world’s problems, prevent all physical and spiritual calamities for my children, and figure out how to appropriately respond to all conversations and encounters.

This kind of thinking makes me crazy.

So what to do? We can’t stop thinking. (because then we’d be dead. okay then.)  Are those of us who tend to “over-think” situations, worry, fret, and constantly analyze just destined to have a lot of frustration for the rest of our lives?

Jesus says, no way. Just like any sin and struggle, God gives us a simple way out of the crazy.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Take Every Thought Captive

Want to print this? Click here to download.

We control our thoughts. They do not control us. If we allow thoughts that are anxious, frustrated, confusing, angry, controlling, or ungodly in any other way – we need to take them captive and intentionally refocus them to make them obey Christ.

This takes courage, intention, and a heart open to surrender. Christ wants to overtake our thoughts, to fill our minds with his goodness, and to rule our actions. He can’t do that when we ignore Him. He can’t talk to us if we aren’t listening. He can’t fill us with His peace and joy when we refuse to let go of swirling, corrupted thoughts.

Take your thoughts captive. Make them obey Christ. Stop thinking about and trying to figure out all the stuff. Just stop.  Stop thinking and pray. Before every decision. Every situation. Every step forward.

Be amazed at how God offers a solution to every problem you face and how He replaces your anxiety with peace.

Stop thinking and pray. It works! But did we really expect anything less?

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Final Day – Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve $15 Discount

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Don’t forget, Wednesday is the final day our Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve Curriculum is being offered at $15 off! You will love working through this with your kids. This curriculum is chuck full of great ideas for learning and serving together. Get more details about this great resource here.

The following coupon codes are valid through Wednesday, May 14. Hurry to grab this, and you’ll be well on your way to a great summer of learning and serving with your kids!

Downloadable Version
$45.00
$30.00
Use the coupon code SUMMER15
Add to Cart

Printed Version
$68.00
 $53.00
Use the coupon code SUMMERPRINT15
(price includes entire 183 page color printed kit and shipping costs) U.S. only.
Contact me if you’re interested in having a book shipped outside the U.S.!
 Add to Cart

 Visit Heavenly Homemaker’s Shop to find more great downloadable products to help you in your homemaking and parenting efforts.

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How We Can All Get a Four-Piece Set of Pyrex For Just $2.24 Plus Tax

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Ready for Freezer Cooking

TopCashBack heard how much we all love Pyrex around here, so they created an offer, just for you, my lovely Heavenly Homemakers readers!

While I love all varieties of Pyrex dishes, I especially love their casserole dishes with lids to use in freezer cooking. Many of you are interested in stocking up on Pyrex too. So, how about getting this wonderful 4-piece set for just $2.24 plus tax? Yes? I thought you’d love that!

pyrex_4

This set includes one 9×13 inch dish and one smaller 7×11 inch dish, both with lids. I have two sets of these and use them alllllll the time. Here’s how to get yours for around $3.00:

1. Sign up for a new account at TopCashBack through this link. This offer is for new members only, so if you’re already a member, you’ll need to ask your husband or someone else in your household to sign up with his/her account). <— That’s perfectly fine, by the way. It’s not cheating – their website states that it’s legit to have more than one account per household. :)

2. Read all the details so you understand how this works. You must click the button on that page to receive money back on this offer. It looks like this —>

top cash back button

3. Add this Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Bakeware Set to your cart. Don’t add anything else. Don’t add something else instead. It must be only this set:

top cash back pyrex

4. Head to check-out. Click on “Store Pickup.” This is a required option for this purchase, but it also means you won’t have to pay shipping.

top cash back store pickup

5. Proceed with check-out, paying the full $11.24 plus tax. My total for my location ended up being $12.03, which means that I’ll only be paying $3.03 for this great set of Pyrex!

6. You’ll be able to pick up your Pyrex the next time you’re out at Wal-mart!

7. Within 7 days, you’ll see the $9.00 cashback show up in your TopCashBack account.

Does this really work?

Yep! I’ve been working with TopCashBack for a few months now and they’ve paid me every penny they said they would. I trust them. I’ve learned to shop through their site when I make an online purchase so that I get a percentage back on purchase I’m making. There’s no catch. You just get money back for the purchases you’d be making anyway!

How to get your $9.00 back:

Your money will become payable after 30-90 days (usually sooner in my experience). To earn even more, simply shop through your TopCashBack account links next time you make another online purchase. You’ll get a percentage back on each purchase, just for shopping through their links. I love this! I’ve seen some great savings this way, especially with Target and Kohls purchases. What a bonus!

top cash back target

Any questions? Let me know. Now go grab your set of Pyrex! Feel free to spread the word about this deal to your friends too. Even if you don’t need this Pyrex set (wait, who doesn’t need Pyrex?!), you could take advantage of this deal and gift the set to someone.

And hurry, because this offer is only available as long as supplies last through the Walmart website. Have fun!

This post contains my referral links. 

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Gratituesday: Stepping it Up

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gratituesday[2]

We try to keep our kids busy helping with our businesses, with their own projects, with extra chores and home improvement needs, and of course, with regular jobs that need to be done around the house. In fact, I’m realizing now that I wrote about this very thing, just last Gratituesday. Funny that I would write about that, then need to rely on the boys triple time beginning that very night.

Yep, that’s the night Matt put nails through his foot. With Matt laid up, the boys had to step it up even more than usual.

It was a blessing in disguise as suddenly the boys were thrown into learning to do Matt had planned to do. Asa (our 16 year old) got to do some of the more difficult jobs since he is a licensed driver. Matt sent him over to our rental properties with instructions to do some work he’d never experienced before. Asa passed with flying colors, and was then put on a job in our bathroom at home. He rocked it, and how about that, he now knows new skills!

In the meantime, our other boys were kept busy running around the house helping take care of Matt’s foot, and in general, being Matt’s feet.

All that to say, we’re so thankful for how the boys stepped it up last week to make up for Matt’s lack of ability to walk and work. It was especially helpful that Asa is a driver. I’m not sure what I would have done without him. (Poor Matt. It’s hard to drive with nail holes in your right foot.)

malachi's fruit

Malachi was given the job of arranging the fruit in a bowl.
This is actually one of the regular jobs I give him when we get home from shopping.
But this week, he decided to make the fruit bowl look extra special.

God can make good come from anything. Our week was challenging last week, for sure. But what a blessing that our boys learned more about responsibility and hard work. Way to go, Boys! And praise God for His blessings at all times.

Now your turn. Share what you’re thankful for!  Leave a comment on this post letting us know how God is working in your life. If you’ve written a blog post about what you’re thankful for, leave the link in the comments so we can visit your blog to read about it. We love sharing and reading about God’s blessings!

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Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries

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My life has not been the same since I discovered this Chocolate Whipped Cream.

Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries 2

My men ban me from doing any work on Mother’s Day. They take over the kitchen, putting together all the meals in a way that is both hilarious and beautiful to me. Sometimes, I shout instructions from the living room. Other times I offer some quiet advice to help avoid culinary disaster. But they always do a nice job working together, and I’ve found it’s best if I simply walk away and let them do things their way.

Therefore, I needed a Mother’s Day dessert that was easy to make. I needed a Mother’s Day dessert that could be made ahead of time. I needed a Mother’s Day dessert that was low in sugar. And I needed chocolate. Obviously.

There’s nothing like inventing a recipe in my head, then writing it down and handing it to my boys to experiment with. Why give them a tried and true recipe when something else sounds better…inside my head. Right? Bless my boys. They are so used to how I roll in the kitchen, they didn’t even blink when I said, “For dessert, we’re going to try something new.” I’m sure they expected nothing less.

Chocolate Whipped Cream on StrawberriesYum

5.0 from 1 reviews
Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries
 
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Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 rounded Tablespoon cocoa powder
  • Liquid stevia to taste (we used about 10 drops)
  • Sliced strawberries
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
  2. Add cocoa and stevia, and whip again for a few seconds until ingredients are mixed well.
  3. Serve on top of sliced strawberries.

Chocolate Whipped Cream On Strawberries

Everyone loved this dessert! The boys especially loved that I said, “Have as much as you want.” When do I ever say that about dessert? Never.  But with this, since it is sweetened with stevia, I felt no need to limit how much they ate. This will be a great breakfast, snack, or dessert that we’ll surely be making over and over.

Now it’s your turn. Make this Chocolate Whipped Cream and sit back and enjoy it guilt free. Oh sweet happiness in a bowl.

What dessert did you request for Mother’s Day?

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Menu Plan for the Week

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Happy Mother’s Day to all you ladies, sisters, mothers, aunts, and friends! I hope all of you are receiving honor and celebration today. Matt and the boys are spoiling me as usual. I’ve not lifted a finger (except to type this post of course). Even though Matt is having a hard time getting around, he’s still been able to talk the boys through making lunch and cleaning up. Super great!

mother's day lunch 14

Look, Matt is up on two feet! He’s still hobbling, but his foot gets better each day. We’re super thankful for the progress he’s making and that his foot is healing so well. Thank you to all who prayed for our family last week. :)

mother's day may 2014

He doesn’t look it in this picture, but Asa really is as tall as, if not taller than, Matt.
Everyone is growing, or I’m getting shorter by the minute. 

Last week’s meal plan went out the window after Matt hurt his foot on Tuesday evening. Thankfully, I had plenty of prepared food in the freezer that I could pull out and use. Plus, I ran to the store and got some sandwich stuff to fill in the gaps. Between that and simple to throw on the table fruits and veggies, we made it just fine.

If part of this week’s menu looks a lot like part of last week’s menu, that’s because I just copied and pasted it over. May as well use what I already planned last week, right?

Sunday, May 11 (Mom’s Day Off)
Instant oatmeal packets, raspberries
BLT wraps, fresh pineapple, strawberries with chocolate whipped cream
Pizza

Monday, May 12
Strawberry cream muffins, fried eggs
Calzones, pineapple mango smoothies, cucumbers with ranch
Italian cream cheese chicken, tossed salad, steamed broccoli and carrots

Tuesday, May 13
Oatmeal breakfast bars, raspberries
Hamburger sauerkraut dip with chips, kiwi, blackberries
Orange chicken, baked potatoes, green beans, tossed salad

Wednesday, May 14
Poptarts, blueberries
Chicken tacos, tomatoes and lettuce, olives, cantaloupe
Chili mac, tossed salad, peas

Thursday, May 15
Cheesy scrambled eggs, pears
Easy noodle stir fry with broccoli, carrots, asparagus, and mushrooms
Grilled barbeque chicken, creamy coleslaw, cucumbers and carrots with ranch, watermelon

Friday, May 16
Whole wheat waffles with strawberries and whipped cream
Cheeseburger zucchini boats, fruit and kefir smoothies (with spinach)
Hearty green bean casserole (recipe in Oh, For Real cookbook), tossed salad

Saturday, May 17
Giant breakfast cookies, blueberries
Leftovers
Black bean taco salad, cantaloupe

Our Mother’s Day lunch today was incredible. Watch for those new recipes here this week. You must learn to make BLT Wraps and Chocolate Whipped Cream for Strawberries!

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Need Some Coconut Oil?

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Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil continues to stay at a super low price at Amazon. You can get two 54-ounce tubs if you have Amazon Prime/Mom and purchase at least four other subscribe and save items within one month’s time. Learn more about how Amazon Prime/Mom works here.

It’s hard to find coconut oil of this quality for such a great price, especially if you are like me and don’t have a store close-by that carries it. Snatch this up, and you’ll be on your way to healthy cooking and baking. I also use coconut oil topically for all sorts of needs!

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Don’t Worry. Just Love People.

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In the big scheme of life, Matt’s foot injury this week is not such a big deal. It hurts quite a bit, it is causing some inconvenience, and is preventing him from getting his work done. But we’ve got a friend undergoing major life-threatening surgery for cancer today, another who is getting ready to bury his dad, and many other friends who are struggling with hardships much more difficult than we are facing.

And yet.  This week has been exhausting. I found myself quite weary by this afternoon, after several days of trying to juggle all my work and some of Matt’s too. He’s starting to get around a little bit (on crutches), but it’s slow going. I finally gave way to some tears this morning. I’m fine, really. I’m just tired. :)

At just the right time early this afternoon, there was a knock at the door. There stood my friend Rose, dressed in a cheery yellow shirt, a pecan pie in her hands. I thought I would melt into a puddle. Here’s what she said to me,

“I heard Matt got hurt. I’m so sorry! I wanted to do something, then questioned how I could possibly cook something for you, the one who cooks great food all the time. Then I told myself, ‘well that’s just stupid.’  So I baked you a pie.” Then she gave me an “I love you with the love of the Lord” sister-in-Christ hug. Oh, it was just what I needed at that moment.

roses pie 1 (1)

Friends, I don’t care if she would have brought me a frozen pizza or a bag of nuggets from McDonalds. I don’t care if she would have thrown me a bag of Cheetos out the window of her car. I don’t care if she would have shoved a package of Oreos into my hands. I don’t care if she showed up with nothing in her arms but a hug for me. Her thoughtfulness and care were perfectly timed. She followed the Spirit’s leading, and she loved me. That’s all that matters.

I kid you not when I say that the entire pie was gone in less than 30 minutes. Malachi declared it to be the “best pie he’d ever eaten.” Mmhmm, it was super good.

roses pie 1 (2)

If you hear God calling you to serve, don’t question it. Don’t hesitate, feel intimidated, or worry that what you have to offer won’t be good enough. If God calls you, there’s a reason. Listen and obey. Your best is always just right.

So stop worrying. When you choose to love people, you can’t go wrong.

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