Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

  • Home
    • About
    • FAQs
  • Recipes
    • Bread and Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dairy
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes and Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Gluten Free
    • Instant Pot
    • Crock Pot
    • Heavenly Homemaker’s Weekly Menus
  • Homemaking
    • Real Food Sources
  • Store
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Simple Meals
  • Club Members!

Chatting With Lisa Whelchel about “Friendship for Grown-ups” + a Giveaway!!

July 21, 2010 by Laura 380 Comments

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

This post wraps up my interview time with Lisa. If you missed them, be sure to catch the rest of the interview posts:

  • Chatting with Lisa about raising little ones
  • Chatting with Lisa about raising teenagers
  • Chatting with Lisa about marriage

Here is the final question I asked…

Me:

I’ve been reading your newest book, Friendship for Grown-ups. I’ve really enjoyed how you’ve opened up and shared your story and your struggles with being real and honest about your feelings and needs with your friends.

Why do you think women are so afraid to be real and open and vulnerable with other women about their struggles and sins?

Lisa:

We feel like we’re supposed to be perfect like Jesus. We act like everything is fine because we think it’s the right thing to do. We feel like we’re letting God down if we admit failure. But when we do this, we miss out on connection and grace. Are we trying to earn salvation through works, or are we accepting that we are sinners who need grace?

Laura’s follow-up thoughts…and also, let me tell you about Lisa’s new book…and also, maybe you could even win a copy! ;)

whelchel 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lisa Whelchel’s latest book, Friendship for Grown-ups! I anticipated that it would be a book to encourage moms to maintain great friendships as we raise our kids. Yeah, I was wrong. It really didn’t have anything to do with maintaining my friendships while I’m raising my kids. This book really is about what true and godly friendship is all about, no matter what season you are in your life.

Friendship for Grown-ups is about breaking down walls. It’s about being real. It’s about setting boundaries. It’s about being a friend and accepting friendship. It’s about being open and honest.

Oh my, is it ever about being honest. Being honest with yourself, and being honest with the people God puts in your life to love on you. Lisa shares some of her biggest struggles through her years as a child star and how that shaped who she became as an adult. Through the years, Lisa built some gignormous walls that were ever so hard to break down. But she…

Wait a second.  I think I’m saying too much. I think I should stop and just really, really recommend that you read Friendship for Grown-ups. 

As Lisa shares her story in her latest book, you’ll find that you get to know her on a much more personal level. While reading this book, I felt like Lisa became my friend, even as she taught me what godly friendship should be about. That happens when someone opens up and shares from the deep, painful places in her heart. That’s exactly what Lisa did. You will be blessed by reading her story and by hearing how God worked in her life and gently led her into whole and healthy friendships.

I just so happen to have five copies of Friendship for Grown-ups to share!! (Well, I actually have six copies but one of them is mine and I’m keeping it to re-read another few times during the next few years!!)

If you are interested in winning one of the five copies of Friendship for Grown-ups, by Lisa Whelchel…please leave a comment at the end of this post! Receive extra chances to win by subscribing to my blog, or tweeting/blogging/facebooking about this giveaway, or by becoming a fan of Heavenly Homemakers on facebook. Leave a separate comment for each entry!

I’ll draw five random winners on Monday!

I’d like to give a big thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing for this great opportunity to read Friendship for Grown-Ups, visit with Lisa on the phone and share more of her books with my readers!!

This giveaway is now closed…thanks!

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

A Recipe, A Giveaway, and Oh Yeah – A Menu Plan

July 11, 2010 by Laura 47 Comments

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

Welcome to my very long post. I’m not sure if this is called multitasking…or if it’s called the best way to overwhelm your audience. Maybe it’s simply called Laura is trying to play catch-up. Yes, apparently I’m trying to kill three birds with one…post.

Disclaimer:  No birds were harmed during the writing of this post.

The Menu Plan:

Sunday, July 11
Oatmeal, pears
Cheddar ranch burgers, corn on the cob (while we watch the World Cup finals!)
Bean and rice bowls, fresh pineapple

Monday, July 12
Whole wheat waffles
Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, carrot sticks
Venison roast, potatoes, carrots, gravy

Tuesday, July 13
Scrambled eggs, oranges
Homemade pizza, grapes
Crunchy ranch chicken, stir fried rice and veggies

Wednesday, July 14
French toast, blueberries
Tuna on tomatoes, crispy cheese crackers, fruit kefir smoothies
Chicken fried steak strips, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans

Thursday, July 15
Mini apple pies, cheese
Corn dogs, watermelon
Egg/turkey sausage/hashbrown casserole, orange muffins

Friday, July 16
Peanut butter honey toast, applesauce
Popcorn chicken, green beans
Sloppy cornbread, strawberry-peach slushies, peas

Saturday, July 17
Funnel cakes
Leftovers
Tacos

The Recipe

Back when I threw out the question about grills, Christy left a comment about how she makes Apple Crisp on the grill. I asked her for the recipe…and she kindly sent it to me. Doesn’t this sound SO good?

Apple Crisp on the Grill

In a bowl, mix together the apples, cinnamon and flour. Coat well, and add apple juice and sugar/or honey. Mix in with apples and fold in until mixture is combined. Place in an old metal bread pan or two disposable pie plates.

5-6 apples diced w/skins on (Adds color and extra vitamins)
2 T Sugar or honey
2 T. Apple juice
1 t . cinnamon
2T. whole wheat or AP flour

Topping:
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. butter (cold is good)
3 T . Brown Sugar
1 t. cinnamon

Mix topping ingredients together, and crumble evenly to the top of the apples! Wrap tightly in foil.

Christy says, “I put the crisp on the BBQ on low, at the same time as I I put on my potatoes, followed by the vegetables, then the burgers! When our main course is ready I turn off the heat, and let the crisp finish, and let the juices get nice and thick. The smell is amazing and brings a touch of fall to the air” :)

The Giveaway:

n251771458485_4895[1]

I was sent TWO coupons for a FREE package of Original Brat Hans Sausages. My grocery stores don’t carry these sausages (I think you can find them at Whole Foods), so they said I could give them away to two of you!! If you’re interested in these Brat Hans Gourmet Chicken Sausages with No Nitrates, No Nitrites, No MSG, No Fillers, No Antibiotics, No Added Hormones, No Preservatives…leave a comment on this post! I’ll draw two random winners at the end of the week.

You may also be interested to know that I will be drawing the winner for Learn Your Letters, Learn To Serve Curriculum Kit tonight…and you know what comes after that!!!

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

Insect Repellent Giveaway from Tropical Traditions

July 8, 2010 by Laura 1 Comment

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

Interested in winning natural Insect Repellent from Tropical Traditions? 

You can read my review here and enter for chance to win some of your own!

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

Gratituesday: It’s (almost) FINISHED!!! And I’m Giving One Away!

July 5, 2010 by Laura 545 Comments

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

I am SO excited to tell you that the project I’ve been working on for hours and hours lately is ALMOST (but not quite) finished!!! The only pieces left are the final tedious editing and perfecting of details. In the meantime, I’ve decided that I’m dedicating this Gratituesday to tell you about it because seriously, you have NO idea how excited and thankful I am to be almost finished with this project and to almost be able to offer it to you!

Many of you suggested that perhaps I was working on a book…not an ebook…but a book, book. Oh, how honored I was to hear you say that you’d be so excited if indeed I was working on a book! Thank you so much.  That’s not what I’ve been working on, but someday…someday. It is a goal of mine…one I’ve shared with only a few people. But others in my life have encouraged it…and now you are encouraging it…so yes…someday. When God tells me that the time is right and when He opens all the right doors. Thank you so much for your encouragement. You truly humble me.

What I HAVE been working on though is a little tool for you to use with your kids. And by little tool, I really mean a 240+ page tool. Not at all little, actually. I began this project back in 2008. I had the idea to share with you in ebook form something that had worked very well for us when we had a bunch of little preschool aged fellas running around. It was something that we came up with to help us teach our kids the preschool basics…but more importantly…it was something we did as a family to serve other families and individuals around the community.

We focused on one alphabet letter each week and did all kinds of fun activities centered around that particular letter. But our main focus each week was thinking about people or families we knew whose name began with the letter we were studying. Toward the end of the week, we had a special surprise for several people. For instance, during Mm week, we delivered Mini Muffins to the Millers, to our friend Mark and to Mrs. Moses. We included a nice card explaining that they were a part of our Alphabet Blessings project and thanked them for letting us serve them. Usually we were all able to sit down and enjoy a nice visit together for a few minutes.

It was a HUGE joy to do this as a family and we have so many wonderful memories of our years doing this with our little guys. It was, of course, also a wonderful way to help them learn their letters and letter sounds!

And so, in 2008, I began putting some of these ideas into an ebook for you. Within the past two years, the little ebook grew into something much more. So much more in fact, I got completely overwhelmed with it and felt like it was too huge to ever finish. I would work on it for a while, then put it aside feeling like I would NEVER be able to get it done. It had evolved from a small ebook idea into a complete comprehensive curriculum package full of ideas, worksheets, Bible work, picture tutorials…..oh so much.

My husband is the reason this project is almost finished.  He saw it for what it was…saw how many hours I had put into it…saw how close it was to being completed. He encouraged me to finish, he said he would help. And now here it is, with over 35 recipes, more than 65 crafts, experiments and other projects, Bible lessons and memory verses! It’s full of pictures and instructions. It’s full of games and challenges.  And most importantly, it’s loaded with ideas to inspire you and your young ones to serve others together.

learnyourletters

By God’s grace and with the help and encouragement of my family…this downloadable curriculum kit is almost complete.  I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  That is why I am sharing this on Gratituesday.

While I’ve never mixed Gratituesday with a Giveaway before…I’m so excited that today I’m breaking my rules!! :)  If you are interested in winning a Learn Your Letters, Learn To Serve Curriculum Kit, leave a comment letting me know of your interest! In addition, you are welcome to leave additional comments if you tweet, facebook or blog about this kit and the giveaway. 

Thank you all so much for your encouragement as I have plugged away at this project. The giveaway will end and the Curriculum Kit will be offered for sale in just a few days…just as soon as the final tweaking is completed. Can I just way…WOOHOOOOOOO!!!! Thank you Lord!

Just so you know, this curriculum kit is not just for homeschoolers. Not even close! My intent was to make it usable for any and every family with young children…or for teachers, grandparents…anyone! There are SO many more details to share…but I’ll wait and share them once it is all complete and in my shop! I’ll even be offering a small sampling of the kit for free, just so you can have a taste of what it’s like.

In addition to leaving comments for chances to win this giveaway, please do let me know what you’re grateful for either by commenting or by blogging and linking up with us here!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!! :)  YOU CAN PURCHASE THE CURRICULUM KIT HERE!

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

Tiny Tee Designs Giveaway

July 1, 2010 by Laura 140 Comments

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

Yes…or No? Do you think Malachi is proud of his Tiny Tee Shirt?

malachi_tshirt

Lindsy, who owns Tiny Tee Designs, sent it just for him…and yes…he is very proud of it. So proud in fact, he’s been very careful not to wipe his grimy hands on it during lunch. This is amazing.

Lindsy also sent a couple of her adorable baby onsies for me to have on hand for the next couple of baby showers I attend. I love them all…but just check out this one with the tie. Baby can look just like a tiny business man in that one!

These onsies and t-shirts are very reasonably priced and great quality. These aren’t the kind that shrink or look dingy after one wear! Malachi’s worn his several times and it still looks great! 

Did I mention that he’s proud of his shirt?

malachi_tshirt_2

Lindsy would like to give away any one item from her shop…anything you choose…even a custom design shirt! Head on over to Tiny Tee Designs and take a look around. Come on back here and let us know what you might be interested in! I’ll choose a random winner on Monday, July 5.

To enter the giveaway:

  • Leave a comment here letting us know what you would be interested in winning from Tiny Tee Designs.
  • Be a Facebook fan (or like or whatever) of Heavenly Homemakers and/or Tiny Tee Designs.
  • Blog about, tweet, or share on facebook about this giveaway…sharing the link to this post.

Leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry please!!

Now, go check out Tiny Tee Designs!

This giveaway is now closed…thanks!

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

Join Our Community!

 Facebook Twitter E-mail Instagram Pinterest

Popular Posts

~ Will All of the Real Moms Please Stand Up?
~ Easy! Stir-and-Pour Whole Wheat Bread
~ How to Make Gatorade
~ 31 Real Food Breakfast Ideas
~ Dear Teenage Girls...
~ When Mom Takes a Step Back
~ The Inexpensive Health Insurance We Love!
~ Let's Talk Real Food Grocery Budgets

Check out our latest posts!

  • Big Family Food and Fun: April 19-25, 2026
  • Big Family Food and Fun: April 12-18, 2026
  • Big Family Food and Fun: April 5-11, 2026
  • Big Family Food and Fun: March 29-April 4, 2026
  • My 2026 NON-Grocery Budget Update
Home  ~  Simple Meals  ~  Club Membership  ~  Shop  ~  Privacy Policy  ~  Disclosure  ~ Contact

Copyright © 2026 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in