healthy living Archives | Heavenly Homemakers

The Best Parts of Life that Help Me Feel Human

March 4, 2026 by Laura 3 Comments

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The last post I wrote while sitting with an ugly cry right on the surface. This one? I’m writing with a smile. How great that God always provides joy in the midst of struggle! There are always, always good things happening when we are looking for God’s power at work.

So first, do I not always feel like a human?

Indeed, I do not. I definitely feel the struggles of the flesh that distract me from a life of peace. But mostly? I often feel like a very worn out caretaker.

But!! There are many moments of each day that pull me out of the heaviness to remind me who I am and that life is full of goodness! It felt sweet to think through all of these moments and to write about them here.

The Best Parts of Life that Help Me Feel Human

1. Our Grandbabies

These are top of the list. At our house, we are almost always knee deep in our own kids’ poop, snot, screams, and tantrums – and I often feel desperate for a kid break. But when a grandbaby shows up? GIMME. I don’t even care if they come with poop and snot.

I can’t explain this. There’s something different about loving on the grandbabies – quite possibly because I am not the one fully in charge of them like I am our own kids. I simply get to squeeze, kiss, play with, and delight in them. And such a delight they are!

We are “Lolli” and “Pop” and do you know the best thing in the world? Seeing those babies’ faces light up and hearing them say “Yah-yee!” (Lolli is hard to say) and “Pop!” (Pop is easy) as they run toward us. It’s the sweetest thing in the world – I believe made sweeter because we are so knee deep in tantrums at our house. Everything sweet is sweeter for us because the hard at our house is so hard. Grandbaby sweetness tops the list.

2. Family Gatherings

Praise God – at this time, all 11 of our kids and their families live in Lincoln. I don’t take this for granted but instead appreciate every moment we have as a family doing life together in the same city.

Our grown kids have beautiful schedules full of all kinds of awesome endeavors be it work, friends, ministries, or activities. So when the stars align and we are able to gather together for a meal and maybe even a couple hours of gaming? Oh man. It’s the best!

Extra special: Being a bystander as our four older boys share inside jokes as they relive their childhood, throw shade about the variety of different soccer teams they each claim to be the best, or laugh together because they are all super hilarious people. This is all such a treasure to me.

In general, seeing our first four kids all grown up gives me so much joy and hope for the future of our young ones. It’s HARD WORK raising kids. But I see my adult kids and recognize so many ways that God was at work in their training and how He is still at work in their lives. If I can hold on to this truth – the truth that it isn’t up to me to ensure that our kids grow up to be awesome but that I can surrender them to God’s work for their good? I know it will all be ok. Being with my older kids reminds me of this.

3. Hosting Sunday Lunches

It’s a bit challenging to explain how hosting a big gathering in our home for 25-50 people every Sunday after church is life-giving for us. Isn’t it a lot of work? Isn’t it draining? Doesn’t it make a mess? Well sure, I guess.

It does take work – but not much more than it takes to feed 14 of us every day anyway. The work it takes to make one huge casserole compared to the work it takes to make two huge casseroles? Not harder. It’s just a doubled (or quadrupled) recipe.

And having extras in our house to play with our kids, help fix our kids’ plates, support and love our kids as they form relationships with them? The best gift! Most of our friends have no idea how good they are to our kids, but here they are being great, Sunday after Sunday.

Meanwhile, Matt and I get our cups filled up with precious adult conversation. We actually get to sit and eat our food. We watch as relationships deepen and community grows through interaction and sharing life with so many people that show up to these lunches.

And I don’t know if you knew this about me or not, but…I love feeding people. Our seven younger kids are beyond picky with their struggling neurodivergent brains and the taste buds this has affected. But our guests? They go through the food buffet line and not one person yells at me or throws food. Instead, they fill their plates and delight in the dishes. This feels so satisfying to me and brings such joy.

4. Sundays in general

While Sunday Lunches are awesome, the before and after are just as sweet. Worship on Sunday mornings is always fulfilling. Sometimes I cry all the way through it, usually from relief and joy, because of how good God is. I love Sunday worship and the fellowship with our people at Heartlands.

And after worship and lunch? We send the kids downstairs to watch a movie (a special privilege they look forward to!) while Matt and I enjoy time with other couples for our weekly Community Group. This is so life-giving. With all of this, Sundays are incredibly full and rich.

5. Going to our weekly Food Distribution

This one is harder to explain, because I am still parenting while there, taking 2-3 kids with me to help teach them to serve. But I think I enjoy this so much for several reasons. One, there’s food involved, so this is another form of feeding people that makes me happy. Watching 100ish people walk through the food line being provided with free groceries each week is such a delight to me.

Two, serving here takes me outside my own head every week for two hours. I’m there for others, I’m not pulled in a million different directions during that time like I normally am at home, and I can serve in ways that match my giftedness. Even vacuuming to clean up at the end of the session is life-giving to me. I like to work hard and to feel productive about it.

Three, I’m becoming friends with people that we see there each week. Even if we don’t speak the same language, we share familiar smiles, kindness, and care. It’s beyond awesome.

And four? Well, being there reminds me of different ways we taught our four older boys to serve when they were growing up. This feels normal to me – like a real life way we can help our kids learn to care about and serve others. So much of what we do with our kids now is trauma-healing. Taking them to serve at Food Net is similar to things we did with our first set of kids. It feels really good and familiar. It gives me hope.

6. Spending alone time with Matt

This guy and I work very hard together, doing very hard things all day long. When we have a chance to get away just the two of us and talk about something besides the kids and appointments and ABA therapy and the latest meltdowns and parenting strategies – and can instead talk about finances, our future, ministries, people we want to connect with, goals – wow. I feel human again. To feel human alongside my favorite human is a super bonus.

We currently get to sneak out of the house one evening each week to have time together while the older kids who live at our house take care of the needs of our younger seven for two and a half hours. In addition, we block out Friday afternoons to spend time together at home during Auggie’s nap. No appointments, no meetings – only together time. On nice days, we sit in the sun and drink coffee and visit. On cold days we sit inside in our sun room and drink coffee and visit. These hours are precious and life-giving, and they remind me that indeed, we are human.

7. Mondays

As much as we can make it happen, on Mondays I sneak away to spend the morning grocery shopping and then WRITING for several hours at Panera. Our friend, Emma, comes to the house to help with the kids, which makes it easier for Matt back home and frees me to get necessary shopping done for our family.

Then the time spent writing while enjoying sweet down time? Oh, I can breathe! Writing is so therapeutic for me and I don’t have much opportunity to do this during the season of life we are in. So these hours of being alone, sitting by myself, and going into my “writing zone?” Man, I love it!

8. Sitting in the Sunshine

When it’s possible, I sit for a few minutes in the sunshine during Auggie’s afternoon nap time. My nervous system needs to reset, my body needs to breathe, and the sun shining on my face is a precious reminder that His face is shining down on me to bless me and keep me. Now that the kids are a little bit older, sometimes I can even sit outside with them while they play independently nearby. It’s rare, but it’s starting to be possible. Oh sunshine. I love it!

9. Morning time with God

This one is my very favorite. But the struggle comes with having kids that get up very early, which interrupts my ability to sit in the quiet and find refreshment in the Word, and through journaling and prayer. I hurt over this sometimes. I always want more quiet time with God than I usually get now, and never feel like I get enough. Sometimes I barely stumble into the living room with my coffee and Bible before I hear little pitter patters of feet and the needs of the day press in.

So, time in the Word with Jesus is life-giving. I just don’t get much right now. Sometimes it’s two precious minutes, though everyone once in a while the stars align and I get a nice chunk of time. I am always so grateful for God’s provision on those mornings. I’m clinging to the years in which I had “quiet God time” in bulk. Back when I consistently slept through the night and got up early to dig in with Jesus for an hour and a half before starting my day. Those years prepared me for our current season, and the Truths that became my lifeline are holding me up now. God is faithful.

10. Being outside

I’ve learned that being outside is so life-giving to me! I love fresh air, sunshine (as mentioned above), walking trails, nature, getting exercise in a natural way – I love it all! Any nice-weather day, we take advantage of. It makes everyone feel better when we can be outside, and I definitely notice that I feel more alive and like myself when I can be out enjoying fresh air.

I’d love to hear from you!

What are your favorite parts of your days and weeks? What fills you? What makes you feel your best?

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How Much Do You Pay for a Doctor Appointment?

September 4, 2019 by Laura 9 Comments

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

I’m curious how much you pay for a doctor’s appointment. And for healthcare in general.

This is not because I’m nosey. Well fine. It’s a little bit because I’m nosey. I’m just really curious about how healthcare works for different families in different circumstances.

Here, I’ll go first.

We pay full price, out of pocket for doctor appointments (specific $$ amounts below).

Our family has chosen to have Christian Healthcare Ministries as our health insurance provider and it is perfect for us. We pay a tiny total of $135/month for this, which I feel is remarkable. We have a high deductible ($5,000 per incident). But we had the same super high deductible when we were paying almost $900/month for regular insurance too. So obviously, we really love the $135. :)

(How happy are we that I don’t have to put stickers over Bonus Boy’s face anymore!!!!)

With CHM, we don’t have a copay for doctor visits. We don’t have amazing benefits, dental, or vision coverage. Basically, we only have CHM insurance in our back pocket in case something major happens. Therefore, when we need to go to the doctor, we pay 100% out of pocket for the appointment.

BUT, the hundreds of dollars we save each month (around $765 to be exact – whoa!) more than covers all of those doctor fees. Plus it gives us a cushion so we can save for the deductible if we need it.

I love that instead of giving so much money each month to an insurance company (it felt like $money$ down the drain!), we can instead put that money toward our chiropractor, natural doctor, and wholesome food. We only go to a doctor when we really need to, trying natural remedies at home first.

How much do you pay for a doctor appointment?

Ah, so I haven’t even answered my own question yet. Our chiropractor costs $45 for a thorough adjustment and healthcare advice. Our natural doctor charges around $65 for a consultation, then we pay additional amounts for the supplements and remedies she offers.

Last time we went to our local Urgent Care for a check-up (Matt and I had to get a physical before becoming licensed foster parents) – it cost us $125 each. And that was apparently a discount because we were paying cash. Hmm. Then we got billed separately for the urine test. (I can’t remember how much those were.)

So all of these come out of our pocket each time we need them. Still, we save thousands of dollars every year going this route.

Do I wish we had a co-pay?

Sure, if the copay was $5 like it used to be. Remember those days? I remember those days!

At this point though, and you’ll have to let me know how it works for you, I don’t think a copay would benefit us. We really, really like paying such a low monthly premium. And since we rarely go to traditional doctors anyway, I don’t think having “regular” insurance would really help us much.

Fun times.

So, $45-$65 per visit.

That’s what we pay when we go to the doctor. Plus the cost of the supplements they recommend.

We go in phases of needing to go frequently and have periods of time that several months go by without a visit. It all depends on the need!

Oh, and last year when Elias suffered a terrible ankle injury during a basketball game, we got to drop a cool $850 for an ER visit with all the perks (like a wheelchair ride). Good thing we save almost that much every month on our insurance premium. Ha!

I’ve been thinking about all of this – the cost of a doctor visit, the cost of health insurance, the cost of supplements – as I have considered this:

Should we pay $37 for this health care option? —>

It may sound funny to think of this as a “health care option” but hear me out!

As this year’s Healthy Living Bundle sale time was approaching. I spent a few hours looking through almost every single product. We’re talking 46 eBooks, 32 eCourses, audios & workshops, 10 printable packs & workbooks, and 2 summits. Phew.

Why did I spend so much time on this? Because I can’t and I won’t promote a product or recommend that you purchase something if I don’t feel confident that it’s worth your time and money.

While reading through so many of the materials, watching the videos, printing the packets, exploring the eCourses – I found that I kept learning new tidbits that would really bless my family’s health. There I was, looking to see what I could maybe share about the bundle as I determined if it was “worth it” – and the entire time I found myself learning:

Better ways to help my kids eat good food
How to transition our baby to solid food in a healthy way (he has four cute little teeth now!)
Tools to give my kid who hasn’t been officially diagnosed, but who probably has something like ADD, and needs some extra love and care when it comes to learning
How to walk someone through a sugar detox
Recipes my kids can use to learn to cook in our Instant Pot
More about cooking great food with just 5 ingredients
How to get a better night’s sleep

There’s much more, but those were some highlights for me.

And then I realized: The contents of this bundle, this package containing $3000 worth of health information and tools, costs less than one of my chiropractor appointments. I have learned so much already, and while I don’t need or want all of the products included – paying $37 to learn what I have learned and I’m learning is absolutely worth it.

Click here or on the image to see all the products in detail.

So I decided to tell you about it.

I’m not sure what you pay for a doctor visit, but I’m guessing the $37 price tag on this Healthy Living package is comparable or even much cheaper. I want to encourage you to check into this because well, where else can we pay just $37 for so much worthwhile health information?

Already bought a Healthy Living Bundle in the past?

Me too!! I have them all and seeing as they’ve been around since 2012, that means this is my 8th one. :) But each bundle is brand new and full of the latest and greatest. I guarantee you’ll learn something new (or if you’re like me, you’ll learn 7 new things in the first hours, ha!).

When the price is lower than a doctor visit and holds so much more information than I could ever get in one doctor visit – that’s when I know it’s beyond worth it to purchase. (Though it doesn’t take the place of a doctor visit if we need one. It had to be said.) ;)

And then there are these:

Really Cool Bonuses

All of this comes with your bundle purchase, which is so much fun and so beneficial.

These are legit bonuses! Totally free, physical items. We pay the shipping, and that’s it!!

I always get the Lymph Rub from TriLight Health because it is so good to have on hand to fight off illness! I like a lot of their other products too, and keep them on hand as ready-to-grab home remedies.

I already also ordered the bonus from Perfect Supplements, Earthley, and MadeOn. So many great free items to help keep our families healthy!

How much do you pay for a doctor appointment?

I’m thankful that we rarely need to go to a doctor, and that when we do, we have great options for natural care. (I’m also thankful for traditional doctors who are there when we need them!) I’m thankful for home remedies and natural home-care options. I’m thankful for everything I can get my hands on to read and learn and grow in ways of healthy living.

So, I’m thankful for this, and I recommend that you check it out and enjoy learning from it too! —>

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DON’T Make Meal Plans in 2019! (What?!)

December 27, 2018 by Laura Leave a Comment

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

Yep. Sit back and let us make your meals plans for you. How fantastic would that be?! We offered this back in September – and it’s back for two days in a flash sale. Drum roll please…

We included an entire years Simple Meals Subscription (worth $52) in this year’s Healthy Living Bundle. That means you can get your first year subscription for just $29.97! That’s almost half price. (Complete real food, simple menu plans every week for $0.58 each!!!!)

PLUS, your purchase instantly gives you 95 other Healthy Living resources that help you learn more about keeping yourself and your family healthy. And if that isn’t awesome enough, we decided to sweeten the pot even more by creating a new Simple Recipes eBook and giving it to you for…

FREE.

Yes. When you buy this year’s Healthy Living Bundle through our links, not only will you be getting an entire year’s worth of Simple Meals complete planning packets for almost half price, you’ll get 95 other products (worth $2235), 6 bonuses…

Then you can email me and we’ll throw our Simple Recipes for Simple Meals eBook into your inbox!

But I don’t want the Healthy Living Bundle!

Oh. Well, I think if you look at all that is included in this year’s collection, you might change your mind about not wanting it. But hey, I get it. Sometimes the idea of having the entire bundle can feel overwhelming.

So say you don’t want the Bundle, but you DO want a One-Year Subscription to Simple Meals. And you want our new Simple Recipes eBook too. But of course.

You can pay full price for both of those if you want to, but I suggest buying the bundle anyway so you can get Simple Meals for $29.97 instead of our regular $52. And you’ll get our free new eBook, regularly priced at $8.95.

(You’ll end up saving $31! Which is more than the cost of the entire bundle!)

Why is this worth it?

The best thing I can say is that we all want to feed our families well so we can be healthy, but there are more important ways to spend our time and energy than planning, shopping, and cooking for hours every week. It is much more important to love God and love people. We must turn our focus from work to love!

That is the inspiration behind Simple Meals. Every week our team creates and sends you super simple, real food menu plans, grocery lists, recipes, and more – so you can very easily put great meals on the table every night. You’ll be able to feed your family tremendous food while spending very little time in the kitchen. This will free you up for:

More family time
More time spent in ministry
More time to rest and find refreshment in God’s word

That’s more of everything that is most important. All while feeding your family well too.

Your kitchen life is about to make a big change for the better.

This Healthy Living Bundle flash sale offer is only good through Friday, December 28.

Take advantage right away! You’ll get immediate access to Simple Meals, and you’ll benefit from it for an entire year. Then email me ([email protected]) and I’ll email you a copy of our brand new Simple Recipes for Simple Meals eBook for FREE!

Then look through all the other (95!) products that are included in the bundle too. They are yours forever, so you can take your time in looking through them all.

I can’t wait to connect with you through Simple Meals!

This offer expires December 28, 2018.

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A Personal Question For All the Women

December 27, 2016 by Laura 1 Comment

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

Did I ever tell you about the time I was so busy taking care of everyone in the world, nourishing myself with Pepsi and chocolate chip cookies, and so obviously neglecting my own needs that I landed myself in the hospital for several days, unable to properly care for my husband and little boys for well over a month?

Fun times.

I started learning to take better care of myself after that, but it’s weird. Even though I knew I needed to, I still felt guilty. Guilty any time I laid down for a much needed nap. Guilty any time I spent grocery money on a cart full of produce. Guilty any time it seemed I was putting my needs over those in my care.

a-personal-question-for-all-the-women

Can you relate?

Are you taking good care of yourself?

I mean really taking good care of yourself – being intentional to make yourself a priority? Or are your hormones, emotions, food cravings, and moods running amok?

Yes, it’s hard. I know it’s hard. And very much counter-intuitive. After all, a good Christian woman puts others above herself, right?

Ehhh, I’m not so sure.

Lessons from the airplane and also Mother Teresa

You know how before you take off for a flight, the stewardess instructs that in an emergency, you should always secure your own air mask before assisting someone else? That always sounded so backward to me. How could I possibly consider taking care of my own air mask before helping my children put on theirs?

(Yes, because apparently I think I can help them better if I’m dead.)

I think we get the logic but have a difficult time putting this truth into practice – the truth that in order to take care of others we have to take care of ourselves first.

I was reading a book to my boys recently (ok fine, two years ago) about Mother Teresa. I was so interested to read that even during a major food shortage in India with starving people all around her, Mother Teresa insisted that those serving alongside her eat a large helping of food each day. Why? Because she knew that those caring for others had to stay healthy and strong. That they needed energy to do what they did day after day. That if they didn’t take care of themselves, they could in no way take care of others.

She wasn’t asking the servants to be selfish. She was asking them to be healthy – so that they could serve selflessly.

Taking care of ourselves so that we can serve others is a selfless act.

So how about you?

Are you taking good care of yourself?

Obviously, no matter what we do, we’re going to get sick and run down sometimes. It’s no fun, but it’s life. But I tell you what. If there’s anything I can do to have optimum energy, to keep my moods from swinging from pole to pole, to help myself be fit, to avoid headaches and feeling sluggish – you better believe I’m going to do it. I am so much better as a wife, mom, and friend when I am making my health a priority.

How about you?

I know I frequently harp on getting plenty of water and nourishing food. (You’ve been listening, right?) But there’s more.

As women, we can really be all over the place with hormones and emotions. (Or MaYbE tHaT’s JuSt Me?) This truly isn’t just “our cross to bear.” We can find overall health in this too.

We can find ourselves rested and nourished and well. We can find ourselves at peace and in a place of calm as we enjoy our families, our work, our ministries, and our down time.

We can.

Women, let’s make our health a priority. Then we can selflessly serve those we are called to serve.

Eat well, drink well, rest often. Pray always. Do what you need to do, with God’s strength, so that you can enjoy great health as you serve others.

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The Thing That Makes Me Mad About Food

September 21, 2016 by Laura 7 Comments

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My grandma was famous for her angel food cakes. Also her coconut cream pies. And her chocolate chip cookies. She wasn’t allowed to show up to community or church potlucks without one of her signature desserts. You want to see the preacher get mad? Let Grandma come to a potluck without the angel food cake. She may as well have worn a pantsuit. Scandalous.

(Hey. There’s nothing wrong with wearing a pantsuit to church. Yeah, tell that to Grandma.)

Holiday round cake

Food during the time I was growing up was just…food. Sure, much of it was made with white flour and Crisco. Maybe my favorite song was the Oscar Mayer B-O-L-O-G-N-A song. Kool-aid was most certainly a regular part of our meals. But food wasn’t a thing like it is now. Now everywhere we turn we can find a person with severe, even life threatening, food allergies.

I am so mad and sad about this.

Food is such a great big issue now. I believe that through the past few decades we’ve destroyed what were once stable sources for food, added too many pesticides, tried too much genetic modification, gotten too used to opening boxes at dinnertime, and bought into lies that margarine and vegetable shortening are better than real butter and real lard. We were told to make bread the biggest part of our food pyramid and urged to drink skim instead of whole. Making money became more important than nourishment, so we began creating ingredients in factories (high fructose corn syrup, anyone?) as a way to cut costs.

Not only that, antibiotics have been given out like candy. Many of us have mercury fillings. The list goes on.

And now? Our guts are a great big mess.

Most of our digestive systems are so wacky, we can’t begin to digest food the way we were designed to, and it’s causing major problems for many of us. Maybe the problem for you and your family isn’t showing up in food allergies. Maybe instead it looks like ADD or other learning struggles. Maybe it looks like eczema. Maybe it looks like arthritis. Maybe it’s migraines. Maybe it’s depression. Maybe your hormones are out of whack. Maybe it’s an autoimmune disease.

Maybe so many things.

Now, before I get too mad and sad and verbal about it, I should resign myself to recognizing that yep, we live in a fallen world. Nothing will be perfect this side of heaven and that’s the truth.

But maybe I’m just sad that we can’t all go to a potluck and eat whatever yummy things we want off the potluck table.

I’ve been feeling all these feelings for years, but going grain free this summer really pushed me over to the sad and mad side of the mess we’ve made of our food. That’s the first I really had to experience depriving myself of some of the basics of life – like bread – and it suddenly made me want my grandma’s angel food cake. (This only makes sense if you can eat neither bread nor cake.)

Never before have I wanted to go back to when food was just food and we all ate and enjoyed and didn’t have to look up recipes on Pinterest that would tell us how to make a muffin without eggs, wheat, milk, bowl, spoon, air, or muffin tin.

So what do we do?

Well, being sad and mad sure hasn’t been helpful. Neither has feeling sorry for myself for not getting to eat a hot biscuit dripping with butter.

Is there anything we can even do? Does it even matter? Is this just life this side of heaven?

what-can-we-do-to-be-well-and-feel-well

Hope for Wellness and Healing

I actually think there are some things we can do to help ourselves heal. I not only think so, I’ve experienced it. Healing can happen! No, it isn’t a fast fix. How can it be when it took us several decades to get here? But there really is hope for healing. After all, we don’t want to simply feel well. We want to be well.

1. Stop feeling guilty.

There are so many things I would like to go back and do differently in how I took care of myself during my younger years. I can’t tell you the emotional strife I’ve felt over my inability to take away my kids’ ailments, particularly when our youngest was suffering from chronic eczema for 7 very long years. During that time, I felt horrendous guilt over the fact that surely his sickness was my fault because of how I’d eaten poorly and taken antibiotics when I’d been pregnant with him. (Those alone are not the reason he had a chronic condition, by the way, but it sure was easy to blame myself while I watched my child suffer.)

I still sometimes feel the guilt when I see my oldest deal with environmental allergies. I feel it when I watch any of my kids struggle with lack of focus. When any of their weak spots rear their ugly heads. The guilt. It can overpower.

You guys, guilt helps nothing and only makes us sicker (more sick, whatever). Lay down any guilt you might feel over your imperfections, let God be God, and choose peace. I believe that’s one of the first steps toward both physical and emotional healing.

2. Stop being mad and sad.

Like guilt, anger and sadness over what can’t be changed helps nothing. Sure, we feel what we feel and we certainly don’t want to stuff our feelings. But taking a nice long soak in a bath of sadness certainly doesn’t find us in a place of being cleansed and whole. Choose to move forward with a positive attitude. Do all of this with prayer.

3. Drink water.

Prayer, water – they are practically on the same level of amazingness.

Just kidding, but not. Every time I’m struggling physically or emotionally my tangible go-to is to drink water. It’s amazing the help it offers, and I believe it’s because our bodies need water so much for good health. So…are ya struggling? Drink some sips of water – all day long. Breathe a prayer for healing while you drink. This simple practice can make a huge difference in our overall health.

4. Eat well.

If we don’t put nourishing foods in our bodies we can not even begin to help ourselves find healing. Don’t eat just to satisfy your hunger. Eat food that will offer your body something to work with – food filled with the nutrients you need so you can thrive. (Bologna doesn’t fit the nourishing criteria. Sorry, Oscar.)

5. Seek answers for overall healing.

I think steps 1-4 come first, because we need to focus on positive emotional health, hydrate ourselves, and give our bodies nourishment. But there’s so much more, beyond the surface, that we absolutely can do to achieve better health.

I’ve been learning so much during the past four years as I’ve been visiting my natural doctor and letting her help me detox my entire body, and as I’ve been researching all I can about wellness. Some of this detox journey hasn’t been fun. I’ve shared with you that I feel crummy sometimes as my body pulls out and flushes heavy metals and bad bacteria.

But do you know what I think? I think these temporary months of discomfort are a small price to pay (along with the kinda steep, albeit reasonable, monetary price) compared to the other more severe or life threatening health issues I might have faced down the road. I shouldn’t be amazed (seeing as God has created everything we need for wellness), but I truly am floored at the healing I’ve encountered through these years. My gut health is much, much better now. My lungs, my nervous system – everything has been showing huge strides of improvement.

So back to my feelings about food…

Well, the truth is that food is just more complicated than it used to be. This is where we are now. Thankfully, we know more than we used to about the dangers of Crisco and sugar. We know to make real food a priority instead. But beyond that, if we really want to be healthy and help our families to be healthy, we’re going to have to make some changes and get to work.

I’ve been living this for the past few years and truly, the work is worth it. I just heard this truth while listening to the Healing Your Gut summit and I love it: “We’re not trying to tell people to refrain from eating good foods. We’re trying to help people heal so that they can eat good food.”

Yes, yes, and so much yes!

We can all find healing and become healthy again so that we can all just eat. Food won’t have to be a thing. Food can just be…food.

Not that we should over-indulge in Grandma’s bread or angel food cake. This is a given.

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What Would You Like Me To Talk About Here in 2016? (And Why I Might Say “No” to Some Requests)

December 28, 2015 by Laura 52 Comments

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I’ve been blogging here since November of 2007, which basically makes me an old lady in blog years. During the past 98 months (I did the math) I’ve written about topics ranging from marriage to eczema to homeschooling to parenting to healthy eating. And also butter. Obviously. It all goes hand in hand. (Not literally though.)

butter

You know what I learned the hard way several years ago in my blogging career? Never write about something I don’t know much about.

See, what happens is that when I write about a topic – any topic – many people assume I know much and oodles and aplenty about that topic. I mention the word “run” and the people start asking questions as if I’m some sort of an expert on running. They ask my advice and trust my opinions and before I know it, everyone thinks I must be some running professional. I’m left screaming at my computer screen, “Wait! Stop asking me about running! I’m not a runner! When I said ‘run’ I meant run…to the grocery store for food. The real kind. That is what I know. Real food. I always run toward real food.”

That was a bad example because no one has ever actually accused me of being an expert on running or asked me questions about it. Here’s an actual example:

mozzcheese2sm

I posted early on (March, 2009) about how to make mozzarella cheese. I’d made it a few times in my life, it’s not terribly complicated, and I thought it would be a fun post. It was. But then all of a sudden everyone thought I was a cheese-making expert. The questions started pouring in. Can I also share how to make cheddar? How about Gouda? What makes Swiss so holey? What supplies are needed for making Parmesan? Why did someone follow my recipe exactly and end up with mush? What if someone did not have the exact enzymes I recommended for mozzarella making? What might be a good substitute?

I became Mrs. Cheese Lady and all of the cheese questions were asked and people expected me to know all of the cheeseness.

mozzcheese1sm

That’s me, skillfully stretching my cheese curd in 2009.

I’m only slightly exaggerating, but suffice it to say that I quickly learned that while there are many topics I’m interested in and love learning about, there are only a few I am qualified to write about and offer advice on. Anything that I’m interested in but have not researched thoroughly or experienced muchly needs to be left to other people who have thoroughly researched and muchly experienced.

(It is clear by now that I have spent a good deal of time making up words and am therefore undoubtedly qualified to write them frequently and…muchly.)

What I’m good at (besides making up words):

Cooking real food
Keeping real food simple
Finding good deals on real food
Creating simple recipes with real food
Saving time in the kitchen
Saving money while eating real food
Sharing our home school experiences
Sharing what I’m learning in the areas of parenting and wifing (why is wifing not a real word?)
Sharing what I’m learning about scripture and serving others

What I love but don’t know enough to write about:

Essential Oils – I love them. I use them daily. They are fantastic. But I don’t know enough about them to answer questions or offer advice.
Natural Remedies – Like essential oils, I love and use natural remedies instead of conventional medicine if at all possible. But I’m a novice. I have to look everything up every time one of us gets sick. Please don’t ask me how to make a tincture.
Homesteading – The idea of having chickens and growing herbs on my windowsill intrigues me. Unfortunately, our fish only lived one week, so we don’t plan to get a goat anytime soon.
Parenting Teenagers – Except for the prayer part. Trusting God with our kids – this is what I know. Otherwise, I know nothing. Ask me again in ten years.
A bunch of other stuff that is relevant to most of us but not within my realm of knowledge. I don’t even know where to start on this list.

So what I want to know from you during the next few days is:

What do you love reading about here at Heavenly Homemakers?
What do you want to learn from me? What kind of information do you want me to share?
Want more recipes? More scripture encouragement? More tips on saving money? All or none of the above? Something else entirely?

All I can promise is that I’ll do my best, but I won’t write about making cheese or making a poultice for your toddlers scratched elbow. I would love to continue sharing relevant topics with you, as long as it is something I can share confidently. So talk to me! Tell me what you love reading about here the most!

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Are Essential Oils a Fad?

September 10, 2015 by Laura 18 Comments

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Let’s talk. Are Essential Oils a fad?

Essential Oils - Fad

Chevron decor, tatoos, and skinny jeans – plus a bunch of stuff I’m not aware of because I just don’t keep up very well. Those are kind of fads, right? I mean, chevron is the way to decorate right now – but in a few years we’ll all be sick of it just like we got sick of our peach and teal southwestern wallpaper of the 80’s (raise your hand if you remember this delightful decorating era).

We went from flared jeans to skinny jeans – as if we all sorely missed our pant legs and want to now hug them close. I’m not opposed to tatoos, but I do wonder if people might eventually get tired of looking at the very same thing on their arm for 60 straight years. This is why I didn’t decorate my new bathroom in chevron – because I’d get tired of it eventually. Clearly there is a direct connection in my logic between chevron, bathrooms, and tatoos. It all makes sense.

And then there are diets. I’d love to think that the “low fat” trend is on its way out. I mean, it is if I have anything to do with it. Eat real food fats like butter and coconut oil! Balance this with other real foods! You have nothing to be afraid of! There, I’m doing my part. (Yes, you’ll still fit into your skinny jeans.)

So let’s talk about Essential Oils. They are all the rage. Are they a fad? Or are they the real deal?

It’s easy to discover a product and declare it to be the be all and end all. The product that cures everything. The thing that heals what ails you and cleans your toilets too. Got naughty toddlers? There’s an oil for that. Feeling sluggish? There’s an oil for that. Need to sleep better? Oil!

Are Essential Oils a Fad

Is it for real? This is what I think:

1. Essential Oils aren’t new. We just think they are.

They were the first medicine. There are 188 references to oils in the Bible. Oils were found in King Tut’s tomb. Oils have been around for a very long time, but I certainly never heard of them until just a few years ago. That’s why it seems like they are the latest thing. Perhaps there’s a lot of hype going along with oils now because they seem new to so many of us. But they aren’t new – and I don’t believe they are a fad. I guess to some people they might be – as in they’ll get excited about them for a while, then brush them aside when something else comes along. But I plan on using them forever (she says, as she takes a whiff of peppermint oil).

2. Oils work. I can attest to this.

They’ve helped our family with countless issues. Our family has experienced their work many times over. (That was me, being very vague and non-specific because the FDA doesn’t allow me to say much more.) :)

3. Oils are easy. I love this.

I do not have to run my kids to the doctor every time they have an ailment. Essential oils are a perfect remedy to try first. I love having them in my cabinet so that we can often experience immediate relief when we begin to feel yucky. At the very least, they give temporary relief as our bodies do their job to fight off sickness. And there’s no “wait four hours before using again” like conventional medicines. Need to rub some on fifteen minutes after the first application? No problem.

4. Oils are not the be all and end all. Nothing is. Okay, well – Jesus is. C’mon now.

This summer our 13 year old, Elias, got his shoulder yanked out of its socket at church camp. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that was the problem at first. He just said his “shoulder hurt.” (He is a man of few words.) I oiled him just as Asa always does when he has a sports injury. Whereas Asa usually finds relief immediately, the oils didn’t even take the edge off Elias’ pain. I tried other oils. Nothin’. That’s when I finally looked at Elias head on and saw that his arm and shoulder looked funny (and by funny, I mean so not funny). Off to the chiropractor we went, where his shoulder was put back in place (also not funny). Oils are great, but they couldn’t put Elias’ shoulder back in its socket. There are doctors for this.

What are your thoughts?

I’d love to hear your experiences with Essential Oils! Do you use them? In what ways have they worked for you? Which ones are your favorites?

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Just Take the Next Step

September 7, 2015 by Laura 32 Comments

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Just take the next step.

I shall begin by boring you to death with a history lesson. Yes, the history of me. (Someone thinks highly of oneself, doesn’t someone?)

1. I was born in 1973. Blah, blah, blah childhood memories, middle school drama, high school graduation, college life, tall blond soccer player catches my eye. Nobody needs to hear all the in between stuff about burning barns and stealing candy bars.

2. Matt and I got married in 1994. After a few months he said, “Do you think maybe we could try another vegetable besides canned green beans?” Another vegetable? I’d only read about them in books. I gave steamed broccoli a try. It was so-so.

3. Baby boy #1 was born in 1997. Baby boy #2 came in 2000. I became a coupon queen, buying poptarts and spaghettios for next to nothing. Baby boy #3 came in 2002. Baby boy #4 was born in 2004. Life was a blur. Sometimes we all shared a peach. I’d only ever had the canned kind before. Did you know these actually grow on trees? (Peaches. Not baby boys.)

4. Life took a dramatic turn when Baby Boy #4 was two months old and broke out in eczema from head to toe. One doctor visit, some cortizone and a steroid later – he looked great! Two days after the medicine wore off, he was back to where we started. We had a decision to make. Keep baby on steroids, or no? Even with our zero knowledge of natural alternatives, we just couldn’t choose for our tiny little baby to be on either of these medications.

5. We began to learn about clean eating, clean cleaning (wha?), natural doctors who get to the root of a problem, vitamins, chiropractic, and the evils of margarine. The information overwhelmed my mommy brain, but I desperately wanted my baby to be healthy. Therefore…

6. I freaked out on everyone and tried to change everything at once. Out with the poison (non-organic everything) and in with the soaked grains, fermented vegetables, and kombucha. My family loved all of these abrupt changes and speak so fondly of this time in our lives. {bangs forehead with palm}

7. Months later, Baby boy #4 is still miserable. I’m going crazy. We all hate my sourdough. I get mad at all of America and the government and pharmaceutical companies. I drink Pepsi for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner because it makes perfect sense to avoid conventional apples but down a liter of Pepsi every day.

8. None of us can live with Psycho Mom – not even (especially not) me. I decide to try a few baby steps instead of taking 817 giant leaps at once. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

9. We continue to learn more about how to help Baby boy #4, who, as it turns out, has kidney and liver issues. We learn that eczema is not a skin issue, but a gut issue. We brace ourselves for the long haul (and we pray like never before). We don’t sleep much. The Pepsi tries to help keep me awake.

10. I learn that food isn’t something to be feared. I learn that food is nourishment. This makes so much sense. I learn that food is still fun. We buy a grass-fed cow (of the frozen variety).

11. I drink Pepsi with my grass fed cow.

12. We start getting fresh raw milk from local farming friends. It is yummy (unless it is the first few weeks of Spring when it tastes like drinking fresh grass, and then we make a lot of milkshakes).

13. I keep getting sick because of my asthma. My natural doctor tells me to stop drinking Pepsi. I stick my (imaginary) tongue out at my doctor. She writes “No more Pepsi” on a prescription pad. I put the paper on the fridge at home. I sadly put down my two liter. I begin to grieve Pepsi. I decide that I have to do this. I want to be healthy, and I need to take care of my four baby boys. I pray for strength and sniff my friend’s Pepsi cans when I get a chance. I have compassionate friends.

14. Years go by. Canola oil and margarine are exchanged for Coconut oil and butter. I slowly begin putting new fruits and veggies into our cart (and sometimes they are not even organic because I learned to do what I could with what I had and let God take care of us).

15. It is 2012 and after 7 years of the journey, I still love sugar. I justify my sweet tooth knowing that I’m eating it in the form of honey, real maple syrup, and sucanat – and hey, at least it’s not Pepsi. My body is like, “Whatever. It’s all sugar to me. Bring it.” My migraine headaches get worse. I add exercise to my healthy lifestyle choices. I eat brownies after I work out.

16. I hate migraines and I discover a new natural doctor in a nearby city. She helps me begin to detox all my previous 39 years of…we’ll just call it “stuff.” I feel crummy sometimes because detox is not glamorous. Then I start to feel better. Then sometimes worse. And then a little bit better. I add even more fruits and veggies to my diet, because I am starting to love and crave them so very much.

17. My detoxing body can’t handle sugary foods. Feeling sick after eating a cookie helps break my sugar addiction. I can take no credit for this.

18. I continue to go (and take our family to) our natural doctor. We continue to learn more. Baby boy #4 is now ten years old and has skin that is so soft none of us (even his teenage brothers) can keep ourselves from touching his silky cheeks.

malachi_age_9

I’ve been on this journey for ten and a half years. The journey never ends, friends, because every day we all have to make choices and work to care for the bodies we’ve been given. I wanted to share that timeline with you as encouragement for you on your healthy living journey.

Do you want to make healthy changes in your life, but you feel afraid? Are you feeling like you should change everything at once? Are you overwhelmed?

Take a deep breath and…

Just take the next step.

Let me tell you something profound (oh, just humor me):

The healthier you get, the healthier you will get.

See? Profound.

But it is true, because in my experience – one healthy step leads to another. Once you’ve tackled one healthy change, then your body is ready for another healthy change (with no specific one-size-fits-all-plan). After that, you will be confident to do the next thing. Your body will begin to crave healthiness. It is a natural response to being awakened to the good stuff.

So start with one thing – and it doesn’t even have to be the one thing someone else is choosing. It needs to be your next thing. Maybe you can take a walk a few times each week. Maybe you can get rid of margarine and get butter instead (please do this). Maybe you can focus on drinking more water to stay hydrated. Maybe you can discover a new fruit you love.

Whatever you decide to do, just take one step. And then another.

I will continue to strive, but I will never reach perfection and my kids will sometimes still eat Twizzlers at youth group. But each step I have taken toward better health has led me to the next one.

It’s good to look back on ten years and see how God has brought us to this point. You will (and already) have a story too.

So one step. Which one can you take next?

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