Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Time Sensitive: How to Get a FREE Non-Toxic Family Size Bug Block Bar!

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Heads up! We can all get a FREE Family-Size Bug Block Bar, which is beyond perfect for us all this time of year! It’s non-toxic, free of Deet, and courtesy of MadeOn Hard lotion – my favorite lotion company!!!

I’ve been in happy denial that bugs are about to become a problem around here. So far we’ve played outside for hours, eaten lots of dirt, and have not been attacked by the swarms. Yet. I’d like to think it will stay that way. But who am I kidding? It’s almost summertime.


We love dirt. And mud. But not bugs.

You know that I’ve used MadeOn Hard Lotion for years and it has saved my skin! Then I started using their Bug Block and am so amazed by how well it works!!! So I keep a supply of both on hand at all times. Well, I keep the Bug Block on hand just during the summer/fall months. But still.

We always need several Bug Block Bars during the summer – some for home, some for the van, and several to send with all the big boys when they go to camp. Also, my bigs find this Bug Block especially helpful when they are out mowing lawns and doing other yard work.

How wonderful to find a product that works so well but that doesn’t hurt our skin and bodies!!

So Bug Block!! We can all get a big ol’ free one!!

How to Get a FREE Non-Toxic Family Size Bug Block Bar

Get a free FAMILY SIZE Bug Block on MadeOn orders over $35.00!! This is so amazing, because the Family Size Bug Block Bar is normally $16.95. And we get it for FREE!!

To redeem, first place $35 worth of products in your cart, then add a Family Size Bug Block to your cart. At check out, apply code HHBUGBLOCK and your Bug Block will be free. (retail: $16.95)  Code expires Wednesday, June 3.

BONUS! When we spend $45, we also get free shipping! So when I took advantage of this offer, I put $45 worth of my favorite products into my cart, then the Family Size Bug Block, then the coupon code. So I got the free Bug Block and free shipping too!

Here’s what I bought:

That order scored me the free bar and the free shipping. Plus all the great products I love to use!

Want to know more about the Bug Block?

From the MadeOn website: Bug Block doesn’t reek of chemicals, is free of Deet, and naturally nourishes your skin while keeping the pesky mosquitoes and bugs away.

The Bug Block not only acts as a lotion, but doubles as a bug repellent.

Ingredients: 76 degree naturally refined coconut oil, unbleached beeswax, naturally refined shea butter, essential oils of citronella, cedarwood, and rosemary.

No Deet!

Have questions about the essential oils used in our Bug Block? See full report here.

Features

  • Long-lasting lotion
  • Non-greasy
  • Nourishes extremely dry skin
  • Relieves some cases of mild eczema
  • Travel-friendly
  • Bug-repelling

We can get one for free!

This offer expires Wednesday, June 3. Head here to take advantage!

Quick rundown: Place $35 worth of products in your cart, then add a Family Size Bug Block to your cart. At check out, apply code HHBUGBLOCK and your Bug Block will be free.

OR place $45 worth of products in your cart to start with if you also want to get free shipping!

 

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How to Make Stick-of-Butter Rice in the Instant Pot

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If you have an Instant Pot, this method for cooking Stick-of-Butter Rice cuts the cook time in half!

Yum

Once I learned to make Stick-of-Butter-Rice, I’ve never gone back to making it the “regular” way again. This recipe is TOO DELICIOUS. My entire family likes this – even the ones who never really cared about rice before. It’s the butter, of course. Also the onion. And the broth. The mixture makes incredibly tasty rice!

If you bake this recipe in an oven, it takes a solid hour. This is fine if you have an hour. If you don’t, and you have an Instant Pot, try it this way instead! It can be done in just a half hour!

I love making batches of rice ahead of time. Typically I’ll make this and use what we need for a meal, then use the rest to stir into recipes like:

Then I can get two meals out of one!

Here’s how we often eat our freshly made rice, served with:

But truly, this rice is so flavorful that it’s perfect as a side dish all by itself. I think you’ll be like me once you try this and never go back to regular rice again!

How to Make Stick-of-Butter Rice in the Instant Pot

How to Make Stick-of-Butter Rice in the Instant Pot
 
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Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 2 cups brown rice (uncooked)
  • 2 cups beef or chicken broth
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons dry minced onions
  • 1 stick of butter, cut into 6 chunks (1/2 cup)
Instructions
  1. Place ingredients in your Instant Pot and stir.
  2. Seal pot and cook on the manual setting at high pressure for 22 minutes.
  3. Allow the pot to release naturally after cooking.
  4. Stir and enjoy!

 

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Simple Way to Actually Save Your Cash

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Wish you could actually save your cash instead of spending it? I love this helpful tip from Tasha!

Simple Way to Actually Save Your Cash

by Tasha Hackett

Saving cash sometimes doesn’t seem like much fun. Paying off debt was fun. So much fun? Yes. So much fun. We celebrated little victories all the time. “Yes! Another $1000 down!” or most often, “Another $50 sent off!” Woo-hoo! Paying off debt was so much fun, that we really don’t ever want to do it again. Therefore, saving cash for our next projects is almost as much fun. But, Tasha… How!?!?! How do you find room in your budget for all that extra cash?

There goes that “B” word again. That budget is a fantastic thing. If only I were disciplined enough to keep to a budget! Even after all these years, I’m still not super great at keeping one. If I want to buy a book for myself, and I do so love buying books for myself, I will usually buy it if there is money in the bank. My secret Pay-Off-Debt or Save-Up-Cash plan is simple:

Put the cookie jar on a higher shelf.

If you like to eat cookies and you’re sitting next to a jar of them, you are much more likely to eat them. If you take that cookie jar, place it up on a high shelf with a door that locks, it’s going to be a lot more work to get a cookie. Oh, you can still have one. But you’re not going to be able to sneak one as you walk through the kitchen on the way to the laundry room. You with me?

How badly do you want a cookie?

Just imagine! You have to go all the way to your underwear drawer to find the keyring with all the little keys, and then get a ladder and set it up, climb the ladder, carefully open the door, remove the jar, etc. I do like cookies. But I’m also a little bit lazy. So I don’t eat so many that way. And I surely don’t have kids asking for one all the time because not only is the cookie jar a lot harder to get to, but the kids don’t see it sitting there on the counter full of cookies! Not only does it have cookies in it, but it gets more put in every payday! (Because, in case you’ve forgotten I am talking about saving cash and not cookies. How silly to put cookies in a locked cupboard. Cookies are meant to be eaten… especially on the way through the kitchen to the laundry room. Especially these Super Soft Chocolate Cookies and Giant Breakfast Cookies and Sweet and Simple Cranberry Cookies.)

Saving cash is better than saving cookies.

Please don’t save the cookies. Eat them! You get a cookie! You get a cookie! Everyone gets a cookie! But the cash, we should be saving up some of it so we can buy the things we need. Like a new-to-us 1997 Buick, or a huge trampoline for the kids to work out some of their energy before they come back in for more cookies OR even possibly the down payment for the construction loan for the house we’re going to build next spring. (Yay!!!!!!)

No, I don’t lock my money in a cupboard.

I don’t have hoards of cash in my house. And if I did, I wouldn’t have just told you where it was. Sheesh. Simmer down, folks. But here’s the secret plan. You ready for it? Bank Transfer.

I actively take the money out of one bank and I electronically transfer it into another bank. Are you scratching your head wondering how this is helpful? Bank #1 is easy to access. I have a checkbook to Bank #1, I have a debit card for Bank #1, I have automatic payments and subscriptions, Paypal, and electronic payroll deposits go into Bank #1. The other account is difficult to get to: No check-books or debit cards. If I want money from Bank #2 I have to walk into the bank and request cash or transfer the money to Bank #1. (Warning: This is a terrible long-term savings plan. This is for funds you wish to access within a year.)

Here’s how we stash cash fast.

(Say that 10 times. I bet you can’t. I tried, I made it to four.)

Work (If we are paying debt or saving, we work some extra and hustle.)

Get paid

Deposit money into Bank #1

Budget for what is needed: Bills, Food, Gas, Clothes, School, etc.

Anything extra, no matter how meager, immediately transfer from Bank #1 to Bank #2

Congratulations! You just put the cookies out of reach

Repeat forever and ever amen. (Or until the cookie jar is full.)

Buy the thing with the cookies, I mean cash

In conclusion, stash the cash before rather than later. If I have an extra $5 hanging around, it will turn into a cookie and I will eat it.

How do you save money? Am I the only one who has to lock up the cookies on a higher shelf?

Tasha sitting at sewing machineLaura’s friend Tasha Hackett is a book writing, dress sewing, fitness coaching, instagramming, homeschooling mama of four. Whew! Sometimes she tries to do it all and then remembers she’d rather rest on a blanket in the grass and read picture books to her kids. When she’s not guest blogging here she can be found sneaking cookies instead of folding laundry, sewing instead of cleaning, writing instead of cooking, and reading aloud instead of teaching math.

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Can You Save Money Making Vanilla Again?!

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It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to share this wonderful idea of making homemade vanilla! Is it possible that we can save money making vanilla again?

I did the math! I secured a discount! It’s possible! During this time when people are looking for ways to cut back and save money (and even make money) – I am so happy to share this idea again!

Laura’s Vanilla Bean and Homemade Vanilla Extract History

Way back in 2009, I discovered how wonderful it is to make homemade vanilla extract. The positives:

  • It is completely pure
  • It saved lots of money
  • It is beyond delicious
  • We could use half the amount of vanilla called for in recipes because this homemade vanilla is so strong, which results in even more money savings!

Many of you jumped on the Homemade Vanilla Extract train. It was so much fun!

Then a few years ago, there was a crop failure and the price of vanilla beans went through the roof. No longer was I able to share that we should all make vanilla. :( I kept waiting and waiting for the prices to finally go down. But year after year, the prices of vanilla beans have remained crazy high.

This, of course, has affected the price of pre-made vanilla extract at the store. I’ve watched those prices creep up through the years, too. Such a bummer!

But what if here in 2020 we can now make vanilla extract affordable again!!!

How to make homemade vanilla extract affordable

I have always purchased my vanilla beans online from Olive Nation. They consistently offer the best price for the highest quality. And because they like working with us here, they offer all Heavenly Homemakers readers a 20% off discount code (HOME)! Plus they offer free shipping on orders over $50!

I’ve checked their site for the past few years to see how the vanilla bean prices are doing. Ouch. They’ve been so high! And I’ve known that if they are high at Olive Nation, they are higher from other places. So I’ve waited.

This week I saw that one of their varieties of beans is LOWER again!!! (Plus they give us a 20% off discount when we use the code HOME at checkout.)

Of course, the price is higher than it was when I started making vanilla in 2009. But seeing as the price of almost everything is higher than it was in 2009, I can be okay with that. Especially since the price I found for beans today is finally making it a possibility for us all to make Homemade Vanilla Extract again!!

Take note: Your initial look at the current vanilla bean pricetag may shock you still. Vanilla beans aren’t cheap!! But that’s why I did a complete price breakdown for us so we can see that when it’s all said and done, our Homemade Vanilla Extract can be made for HALF of what we can purchase it for at the store!!

To make 1/2 gallon of Homemade Vanilla Extract you need:

  • 25 vanilla beans = $54 after coupon code HOME
  • Shipping = FREE on orders over $50
  • 1.75 liter bottle of vodka = Approximately $11

Total cost for 1/2 gallon of Homemade Vanilla Extract = Approximately $65

This breaks down to $1.02/ounces which makes 4-ounces of vanilla cost $4.08!

Compare this to the cost of lesser quality, but still good vanilla purchased elsewhere:

  • $15.77 for 4-ounces of Flavorganics brand at Azure Standard
  • $8.98 for 2-ounces of McCormick brand at Walmart (I couldn’t find a 4-ounce price to compare, but look at the huge savings compared to the 2-ounce price!)

BONUS

You can save your beans after you make a batch of vanilla and reuse them to make a second batch!!

I put my used beans into a lesser amount of vodka to get more bang for my buck. So for instance, for the first round, I use 25 beans in 1.75 liters of vodka. Then for the second round, I use the same 25 beans soaked in half that amount of vodka (.88 liters). The result is still amazing and I just spent a few dollars for a quart of great vanilla extract!

How to Make Vanilla Extract

5.0 from 3 reviews
Can You Save Money Making Vanilla Again?!
 
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Author:
Serves: 64 ounces
Ingredients
  • 1.75 liters of inexpensive vodka
  • 25 Vanilla Beans enter code HOME for a 20% discount on Vanilla Beans through Olive Nation!!
Instructions
  1. Slice through each bean lengthwise, leaving about one inch at the top of each bean uncut so that it stays together.
  2. Place all of your cut Vanilla Beans into a half-gallon jar.
  3. Fill the jar with vodka.
  4. Secure the lid and put the jar in a dark place (like in the back of a cabinet).
  5. Allow it to sit and "extract" for 4-6 months.
  6. Every few weeks during extracting time, shake the jar to mix it up a bit.

This vanilla extract is so strong that you can use 1/2 the amount called for in recipes to save yourself even more money. :)

Your Homemade Vanilla Extract is wonderful for your own use and to give as gifts!

Bonus Resources:

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How to Help You and Your Kids Become Great Writers

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If you’re looking for a great way to help your kids become great writers, you’ll want to check out this wonderful (free!) resource!

It’s called Kingdom Pen and it helps encourage young Christian writers and provides a like-minded community to connect with other writers, as well as opportunities to get your writing (short stories and poems) published.

I know so many people who want to write or want to teach their kids to write, but they don’t know where to start. Having this available at no cost is so fantastic!

Are you or your teen a creative writer? Do you want to improve your craft and connect with other Christian writers Kingdom Pen is are determined to help authors at all stages of their journey make progress toward new levels of success.

Their website provides:

  • A forum full of young Christian writers
  • Opportunities to get published
  • Regular articles
  • Free resources to improve your writing
  • And more!

Kingdom Pen is for you if…

  • You love writing
  • You want to connect with other Christian writers
  • You want to learn how to master your craft and become a writer that creates impactful stories
  • You are looking for opportunities to get your work (poems and short stories) published
  • You need motivation and inspiration to keep writing

If this sounds like you, then be sure to come over to Kingdom Pen!

Also, I highly recommend clicking over so you can take advantage of their free downloadable eBook:

What a great resource! How wonderful that it’s free! Head over to Kingdom Pen and check it out!

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Help Your Kids Learn About America and the Election

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This is a valuable tool we can use to teach our kids about America and the upcoming election. I just bought it and wanted to highlight this package for you before the deal expires!

American Studies Bundle

Yeah, I know. I already bought my discounted books from Build Your Bundle. ;) (See what I already got here!)

But then, this afternoon I went back and looked again since the sale ends tomorrow. I ended up buying and downloading this American Studies bundle and the very intriguing Mystery Bundle (more on that below).

I am so glad I went back and looked so I didn’t miss out on this. I’m not sure how I missed it before! It’s going to make teaching our kids about the upcoming election and about how our government works so much easier. Plus Brayden now has some great new resources for learning the basics about the 50 states!

Here’s what this particular packet of American Studies digital books includes:

  • Drawing Around the World: USA
  • 50 States Notebooking Pages
  • Across the USA
  • “28 Great Quotes from US Presidents” Cursive Penmanship
  • Hands on Presidents
  • Presidential Election Fact Pack
  • US Geography Sorting Mats: All 50 States
  • An Early Learners Introduction to the 50 States
  • U.S. President’s Emergent Readers
  • Celebrate! Patriotic Songs of the USA

ALL of those books only cost me a total $19.95!! They can store be stored on the computer to print and use as needed – forever!

Then, I couldn’t resist getting this year’s Mystery Bundle. I can’t tell you specifically what’s in it, but it’s great for all elementary ages, and I’m very happy that I took a chance and grabbed it too. It includes:

  • History resources
  • Science resources
  • Math resource
  • Language arts resources
  • Writing resources
  • AND MORE!

This is such a fun sale!! Having all of these great learning tools makes me so excited! Getting them for such a low price makes it even better. ;)

This all ends Monday, May 18 so this is the last chance to take advantage until this sale comes back again next year.

Why I love digital books

I have shelves and shelves of “actual” books and I love those too for different reasons! But here’s why I love digital books too:

  1. I don’t have to dust them.
  2. I keep them all in a folder in my computer for easy access.
  3. All the ones I get include printable pages so I can print the ones I need, for any of my kids, however many times I need them.
  4. They save money because for all my kids, I’d have to buy multiple “consumable” books. But this way, I just print as needed.
  5. These particular digital books are at least 75% off or even more right now!!!

Go see what you can use and grab them before the sale ends. Books, books, discounted books! So fantastic!

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Easy Crock Pot Fajitas

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Easy Crock Pot Fajitas? Yes!!! The easiest!

Yum

Stand at the stove and fry your fajita meat and veggies if you like. But as for me, I’ve learned to throw all of my fajita ingredients into my crock pot and I don’t think I can go back! I don’t think it changes the flavor one bit, and if anything, since the meat is cooked low and slow, I think these actually taste better!

It goes without saying that throwing everything into a crock pot makes meal prep so easy! And I’ll let you in on a couple of other little time-saving secrets:

  1. I cheat and buy meat already sliced for fajitas and ready to dump into my crock pot. (Yes, it costs a little more. But I’m spending my time with these cuties)
    I’m also spending time with my big kids and our new boys who fall somewhere in the middle, but I don’t usually take pictures of them helping me with laundry. They are still cute too, though.
  2. I found that buying a frozen bag of sliced sweet peppers is incredibly helpful and DOESN’T cost more than buying them fresh and cutting them myself! This is a huge perk and also helpful because:
    The babes have learned to climb on everything, and since there are two of them, it doesn’t work for me to turn my back to them while I cut sweet peppers.

So, now you know. I buy pre-cut meat and pre-cut veggies. Again, let me say that buying pre-cut frozen peppers costs the same or LESS than buying fresh peppers and taking the time to cut them myself. Score!

Now that I have my convenient, but still real-food ingredients, I can throw them into my crock pot, season it quickly, and five mintues later our dinner is cooking. My job here is done. Now I can go chase babies out of the…um, just about out of everything. Phew!

Easy Crock Pot Fajitas

Easy Crock Pot Fajitas
 
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Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2-3 pounds steak or chicken, sliced in thin strips
  • 16-ounces frozen sweet peppers or 2-3 sweet peppers slicked in thin strips
  • 1 small onion, sliced in thin strips
  • Sea salt to taste
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Mix everything in a crock pot.
  2. Cook on low for 6 hours.
  3. Serve on tortillas or in a bowl of rice with any of your favorite fajita fillings!

See how pretty the ingredients look after you put them into your crock pot, turn it on, and walk away?

We love serving these with this Easy Guacomole, and it gives me great joy that guac is a way to sneak veggies into my kids!

Our kids like wrapping these in tortillas like regular fajitas. But Matt and I have enjoyed putting our fajita filling into a bowl of rice made like this. SO flavorful and good!

Give these easy fajitas a try. You will love how simple and delicious they are!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Psssst! Everyone be sure to grab our Simple Real Food Recipes cookbook full of amazingly tasty and simple real food recipes like this one!

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Tips for Making a Gluten Free Diet (or Any Diet) EASY!

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If you eat a gluten free diet, or even if you don’t, you’ll want to check out these tips for making your meal prep easier!

You may recall that a few weeks ago I shared that my husband, Matt, was experimenting with a vegan diet to see if that helped some minor health issues he was having. I personally found that trying to cut meat, dairy, and eggs from his meals was pretty challenging! But that’s probably because I’m such a meat-loving, dairy-loving girl! So I was only able to come up with a few ideas for meat free, dairy free, egg free meals.

The results? That particular diet experiment didn’t really help, but it did boost our vegetable and fruit intake! So we’ve held onto that and been even more determined than we already were to be sure we’re all eating plenty of fruits and veggies!

Meanwhile, we visited our wholistic doctor in Lincoln to see what she might have to offer Matt. We are so thankful to have this resource closeby, and her remedies have been making a difference, praise God! Along with her remedies and treatments, she also recommended that Matt try cutting gluten for the short term to at least give his digestive system a break as it heals.

So our pendulum swung! Matt didn’t necessarily go back to eating lots of meat, dairy, and eggs, but it would be pretty tough to cut out gluten and not at least eat some meat and eggs! So he went cold turkey on gluten (without a complaint, because it truly wasn’t very hard – oh except for that one day someone took hundreds of fresh donuts to his work!) and added back in some meat and eggs, with the occasional dairy product.

My personal opinion is that eating gluten-free is MUCH EASIER than eating vegan. I didn’t have the least bit of difficulty making gluten free meals for Matt, and most of the time, the entire family eats what he’s eating because most gluten free meals are just…normal. Rice dishes, meat and potato meals, tacos made with corn tortilla shells? Normal. Easy. Tasty.

So that I could easily stay on top of our gluten free meal needs, I started making a few naturally gluten free foods in any spare moment so I could put meals together at night without much effort.

You guys, this isn’t just about eating gluten free. I do this any day, any time, and that’s where all these Simple Real Food Recipes  came from. If we all – GF or not! – spend a few minutes here and there getting ahead when we can? We can make are meal prep so much easier!

So you’ll notice that while these are the naturally gluten free foods I have been prepping ahead, these are also the normal foods I prep ahead. These just happen to be normal and gluten free at the same time. (Is it ok that I’m using the word “normal” here?! It’s just that many, many foods we normally eat are naturally gluten free. We don’t have to make this difficult! Let’s just eat normally! And also gluten free. Ok.)

Tips for Making a Gluten Free Diet (or Any Diet) EASY!

1. Make rice ahead of time

I make a batch or two of this Amazing Stick-of-Butter Rice, store it in the fridge, then pull out spoonfuls to make:

This make meal prep incredibly easy, especially if I:

2. Make hamburger meat ahead of time

You know that for years I’ve been cooking hamburger meat ahead of time and storing it in meal-size portions to pull out for easy meal prep. But now that I’ve learned how to make it in my Instant Pot? Wow, is it easy! And such a time saver!

I often have several pounds of cooked hamburger meat ready to grab and use. I can stir it in with the cooked rice as mentioned above, and we can have a meal ready in just 5 minutes! I love this!!

Here are some naturally gluten free meals I can make with my cooked hamburger meat:

3. Put meat in the crock pot early in the day

Then I can just add some fruit and veggie side dishes at meal time and we can quickly sit down and eat! Some of our favorite naturally gluten free meaty main dishes are:

Now, I didn’t tackle gluten free breads or pancakes. Those take special-ish ingredients and I didn’t feel the need to “go there” because Matt was fine with all that we’ve had to offer. I did purchas some gluten free pasta to have on hand and I purchased a gluten free pizza crust for him to eat on days we were making pizza for ourselves. I’m thankful these are readily available to buy!

Gluten Free Snacks and TreatsYum

Oh, and for years I’ve kept Coconut Flour on hand because it’s nourishing and fun to work with! Since it’s naturally gluten free and I have fun recipes we like to make with it, I have tried to keep any variety of these fun treats made and in the fridge:

Tapioca Pudding (which, for the record, makes a great breakfast!) is easy and we love it! So I made a big batch to grab from our fridge to eat as needed…

These Super Moist Flourless Brownies and Super Moist Flourless Peanut Butter Brownies are a favorite of ours also! They are completely grain free and I’ve made them for a couple of years now just because they are delicious and nourishing!

Muffins!

While I’m writing this, I am remembering that I have a fantastic Coconut Flour Muffin recipe that has been on my site since 2011! Time to dust that one off and make it again. They are so good!!

Ha! And I just remembered I have this recipe also for Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes. How have I forgotten about these??!

See, this is why I started a Club Membership Site!! All these fantastic recipes and resources get buried and forgotten. Shucks, if I’ve forgotten them I’m quite sure you probably have. The Club Membership site makes it SO MUCH EASIER to access all of these recipes! Check it out and join us!

What are your favorite tips to get ahead to make meal prep (gluten free or not) easier?

 

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

How I Get the Most Out of a Build Your Bundle Sale

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I get pretty pumped every year when the Build Your Bundle Curriculum Sale comes up! Here’s what I’ve learned during the past several years that I’ve been taking advantage of these savings.

What will you build this year? Save over 80% on bundles and up to 50% on premium products!

First, let me tell you what the Build Your Bundle sale is!

It’s an amazing homeschool curriculum sale that offers you dozens and dozens of digital books for 75-90% off! It offers books from preschool to high school, resources for parents, items for kids with special needs, and much more. This sale truly is wonderful, which is why I share it with you every year and take advantage of it for my family!


Now that we’re back to homeschooling littles again, I’m back to needing resources for them. I scored BIG yesterday on tons of amazing books for Brayden!!! Here’s how I did it and what I’ve found I like best…

I’ll give it to you in two simple points:

  1. I’ve found that the Pre-Packaged Bundles they offer are super enticing and make it so easy for educators! But I don’t end up using all of the books in the individual packages. Therefore:
  2. I like taking advantage, instead, of the Build Your Own Bundle option.

I love that this sale gives so many options and ways to save! My favorite way to get books that I know we’ll use and love is to shop through the entire list of options. I put everything into my cart that I think I might possibly want/like/need. Then I narrow it back down until I’ve settled on what I think is truly best for our family. And then I watch the total number go down BIG TIME.

As in, if I’ve put $100 worth of books into my cart, at checkout the total automatically goes down to $25 (75% off)!! If I have $200 in my cart, the total suddenly becomes only $40 (80% off). If you want and need even more, you can save up to 90% off the total price. It’s truly amazing!

It is worth your time to shop through this book sale to see what your family might need and enjoy. I’m having so much fun looking at my big purchase from yesterday (that ended up costing me so very little!). I can’t believe all that I got for such a small price tag.

In case you’re curious, here is a list of some of my favorites that I bought:

  • Big Book of Color and Copywork Solar System Edition
  • Book Activities after Reading
  • Fairy Tales Story Sequencing Crowns
  • History by the Decade Coloring Book Series
  • MATH ART: Daily “Math for Fun” bite-sized activities
  • Math on the Farm
  • Pattern Block Mat Bundle (I have this set of Pattern Blocks that I saved from when we were schooling our first round of boys, so I was very happy to see this book being offered!)
  • Preschool Star

Brayden and I are going to have a blast! He’ll be learning, though he may not realize it. :)

Head here to see what is offered in this sale —>

What will you build this year? Save over 80% on bundles and up to 50% on premium products!

Offer ends May 18, 2020. :)

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Into the Unknown Future

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Staring straight into the unknown future? Afraid? Insecure? Doubtful? Listen to these inspired words of truth from Tasha:

Dear fellow moms (and wives and husbands),

The future is heavy on my mind lately. Who am I kidding, I am always thinking about the future; it’s hard for me to settle down and enjoy the moment. It’s a problem, part of my personality, and a topic for another day. TODAY, I’ve been thinking even more about the future because it is uncertain. More so than it was a few months ago.

In hindsight, nothing about this life is ever certain. God doesn’t promise us sunshiny days and roses. But we get comfortable in our routines and seasons. We know what to expect from day to day. For most of us, dealing with our own emotions and taming our own tongues was enough to keep us busy. And now we have kids who can’t go see their friends at soccer practice, husbands teaching from the basement, family members having babies and we can’t go visit, Grandparents in nursing homes and we can’t see them. And I’m left confused about the future.

What will the rest of 2020 look like? What will 2021 look like?

I woke up to the baby crying out suddenly during the night. My heart pounded and I was short of breath from a nightmare I’d been pulled from. I was being led in a long line of other women by men with guns. A dystopian future. Thankfully, this was a younger, pre-motherhood version of myself and I didn’t have any of my children with me to protect. I can’t even imagine that type of fear. None of us knew where we were being led. We didn’t know anything about the situation except we were in danger and unable to fight against it. In my dream, I fervently prayed over and over, “God send a rescuer, God please send a rescuer, send a rescuer…”

When the baby startled me, in the moments between dreamlife and the darkness of my bedroom with the glowing monitor, I distinctly, clearly, had the thought: He already did.

God already sent the rescuer.

He already won the war. He laid out the path for us to follow. Jesus is the light that came into the world. He shines in the darkness and that light will not be overcome. (John 1:5) My future is secure. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, (neither a virus, nor quarantine and a struggling economy), nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38)

My dreams last night were discouraging, to say the least. Resurging today are memories from nine years ago when I was directly threatened at gunpoint, I have legitimate fears of being out of control and alone, I do not like to feel powerless, or trapped. And yet, even my subconscious, when drowning in those feelings calls out to God to be saved. It swells my heart to know that even when I think I’m not trusting God enough, I actually am.

I’m reminded of the father in Mark 9 who said to Jesus, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief.” Do you relate?

Can you believe and not believe at the same time?

Apparently we can. It’s possible to have fears of the future and yet trust God to save us. I’m not saying we should stay and wallow in that fear. Yikes, no way.

The future may seem uncertain, but maybe we’re just not looking far enough ahead. Today I want to encourage you to fill your mind and heart up with the truth of God’s love. Read encouraging books, talk to encouraging people, write encouraging words. If you don’t know where to start, read all of Romans 8. And then read it again.

Will you share something encouraging with a friend or neighbor today? Write a letter, make a call, send an email, or reach out on social media. They might need to be reminded of something wonderful more than you know.

Love,

Tasha

Tasha, friend of Laura, loves to read good books and talk to good people and write good things. She daily falls short of the glory of God and is graciously covered by the son of the creator of the universe. Neat, right? When she’s not guest blogging for Laura about how you can survive anything, and how she paid off a bunch of debt, she can be found buying googly eyes for her kid’s crafts, folding laundry that will then sit on the couch for three days, and sneaking homemade cookie dough from the freezer.

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