How are you going to celebrate this extra day that only comes around once every four years?

I’m gonna do four things:

1)  Clean my house

2)  Take a nap

3) Host an Amazing Leap Day Sale

and….(drum roll please…)

3)  Reveal the all new and improved HeavenlyHomemakers Website!!!!!

Yep, that’s right!  One day earlier than I said I would even!!

We gotter done!

Go take a gooooood loooonnnnnnnnnnng look around.

And come back and tell me what you think. 

Anything you’d like to see but don’t see?  (translation:  have anything you want me to add so that the site is more helpful to you?)

Have any recipes or clever creations that I should add?  Send them my way so I can look them over!

I’ll read all of your wonderful responses after I get up from my nap.

And, please give a warm round of applause to Char…who helped make all of this possible and who spent LOTS of time with me on this.  Thank you!

Okay…now GO check out the site!!

A couple of months ago, I began babysitting for two extra little ones.

Very part time.

I felt like it was something I could do to help out a little.

At first…I felt like I was working very hard for very little pay…and asked myself…is it worth it?

I certainly didn’t want it to take away from my own family’s needs.

Not for the tiny bit of extra income it provided.

But, now we’re into a nice little routine with it…and my kids take turns helping and playing and chasing the little ones.  They are learning more ways to serve…

So that in and of itself has made it worth it.

The families that we are babysitting for have both voiced their satisfaction with the comfort they feel knowing their babies are safe in our care.

And, the amount that I get paid per hour?  Well, it all adds up.

I can make that extra cash go a long way at the store.

And I feel so grateful that God always provides…even in these little ways.

It always adds up to big blessings.

More Frugal Fridays here!

Since February 29 only comes around once every four years…I decided that we’d better make it special!!

So, I went into the HeavenlyHomeMakers Shop and went a little crazy marking ALL KINDS of products down…

WAY DOWN!!

This sale is too good to pass up…but you HAVE to hurry!!

The sale ends at 11:59 Friday night CST…that’s a little over 24 hours from now…

HURRY!

Go look around and see what bargains you can find!

Some (but not all) of the items even include free shipping! (You’ll read about it in the item description.)

AND if you earned a “Finish the Phrase” 10% off coupon…you can use that ON TOP of the sale prices!!  (If your name is on the list…and you didn’t receive your coupon code via email…please let me know!)

Okay…GO…GO…GO!!!!!!!!

“Oh, I wanna be a banana…that’s what I want to be…”

Ever heard that song? 

Oh, it’s a good one.

Well, maybe I’ll teach it to you sometime.

(After I finish composing it.)

So, I told you I’d give you some amazing and deep insights into why I want to be like a banana.  And I know you can hardly wait to read this and gain from my incredible deep- thinking thought.

So here it is.

I was looking at my bananas a few days ago…and watching as they turned darker and blacker and squishier and saggier.

And then I began to think through the life of a banana.

It starts out green…and it’s not very tasty.

Then it turns a beautiful yellow and it tastes good…it’s in it’s prime of life.

And then, it begins to lose it’s beauty…and slowly becomes darker and blacker and squishier…and saggier…

And as that happens…the banana just gets softer and sweeter…

And even more useful.

Because before, it was just a banana to be eaten.

Now, it is a super sweet banana that can be made into ALL kinds of things…banana bread, banana pancakes, banana smoothies, banana muffins…

And that’s when I decided that I wanted to be like a banana.

As I get older…I’m going to get age spots and get saggier…and all those fun things.

But, I also want to get sweeter and sweeter and be more and more useful to people.

I want to appreciate the older “bananas” around me who are “oh so sweet” and have “oh so much wisdom and usefulness”.

And I want to teach my children to appreciate them too.

Now when I see those bananas on my counter, instead of seeing the black, squishy sagginess of them…

I see that they truly are beautiful.

And THAT, my friends is my incredibly deep insight into why I want to be like a banana.

Here’s a great recipe to use with those beautiful squishy bananas!

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup rapadura or 3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 smashed over-ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted
1 t. vanilla

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Mash bananas in a separate bowl.  Make a well in the center of dry ingredients.  Pour in mashed bananas and all other ingredients.  Stir well (or beat with hand mixer).

Pour into a greased 9×9 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 ounces cream cheese
1 t. vanilla
4 T. agave nectar or honey

In a medium sized bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form.  In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla and sweetener until smooth.  Fold cream cheese mixture into whipped cream.  “Slather” it on your banana cake.

Enjoy.

I’m going to go have myself a piece of cake…

And then I’m gonna go finish writing that banana song…

“Cause if I were a banana…”

Before you read this, I have to tell you…I really can’t believe I’m publishing this. 

Really.

But, I got tagged…

And I’m just following directions.

I promise.

Please don’t stop reading my blog after this.

Please come back.

Melissa tagged me to grab the nearest book…

turn to page 123…

and tell you the fifth sentence!

Alright now, the nearest book is my Bible…I haven’t had time to read ANYTHING else lately….

So let’s see…open the Bible…turn to page 123…

Leviticus.

Well, that’s sure to be exciting and inspiring.

Now, the fifth sentence, you say?

Okay….

<giggle>

This is great…

“But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he will be unclean.  When the priest sees the raw flesh, he shall pronounce him unclean.  The raw flesh in unclean; he has an infectious disease.  Should the raw flesh change and turn white, the priest shall pronounce the infected person clean; then he shall be clean.  When someone has a boil on his skin and it heals…”

Okay…I gotta stop.

Feel free to turn to Leviticus chapter 13 and continue to learn more about what the high priest was to do with infectious skin diseases.

Hope I didn’t ruin your breakfast.

Have a wonderful day…and may all your raw flesh turn white.

(I can’t believe I just said that.)

(I think I need to get out more.)

(It’s just that if the person with the infectious disease…if his raw flesh turned white…he would then be pronounced CLEAN…and that was a HAPPY!! day for him….so that’s what I meant.)

Okedokee…

I’m going to go read the book of 1 John.

Before I got married and had kids…

1.  My kids would never throw a fit in a store.

2.  I would never have cobwebs in my house.

3.  My drawers and closets would always be organized.

4.  I would never wear sweats to bed (and certainly not ones that don’t match!)

5.  I would always be organized and have a to do list so that I can get everything done that I need to each day.

6.  I would fix my hair every day and put on make-up.  (make-up?)

7.  I would never put my spit on my thumb to get food off of my child’s face.

8.  I would always remember the birthdays of our extended family. (I’m lucky to remember the names of my immediate family.)

9.  I would never yell at my kids.

10.  I would never leave dirty dishes on the counter over night.

11.  My kids would never wear clothes that don’t match.

12.  I would not have picky eaters.

13.  My kids would never have crusty noses.

(Um, before you go check out other Thursday Thirteen lists, can you hand me a kleenex so I can spit on it and wipe my little guy’s nose?)

Today the boys and I were discussing oysters.

Oh, it’s amazing the topics that can be covered in one day’s time.

The possibility of an oyster providing a pearl didn’t really offer much excitement around here.

(”What’s a pearl?”  “For a necklace?!”)

Yeah, I could tell they were thinking of things far more “precious” than pearls.

So, I asked each of them…

“If you had some Gulf oysters….and you opened one up and found something precious…what would that precious thing be?”

And here’s what they said:

Asa (age 10):  “Well, I’d like to say something like, ‘for everyone to be nice’ or ’for everyone to know God’ or ‘for everyone to have everything they need’.  But, if you want me to tell you an answer that’s a ‘thing’…I guess I’d have to say, ‘A $10,000 dollar bill.’”

Justus (age 8):  “I can’t really think of anything.”  Which translates to, “Maybe, could you stop asking me weird questions so that I can go back and play some more?”

Elias (age 6):  “Hm…I’d like there to be a Wii in there…but that would have to be a REALLY big oyster!”

Malachi (age 3):  “A GUITAR!”  (gurtawr)

If you ask me (although no one did), I would have to say: “Springtime” or  ”A helpful little housekeeper”  (wouldn’t that be cute?!).

Well, I guess we could all settle for a pearl…and then sell it on ebay?!

I’ve never eaten oyster (I live in Nebraska, you know…). 

But we found some great oyster recipes at BeOysterAware.com  just in case we ever come across any.  They actually sound pretty good!

And we found out that you have to be careful with how their cooked, so you don’t get sick…cause no one wants Virio vulnificus lurking around on their oyster, now do they?

Now, we’re more oyster aware…and I can go dream about opening up an oyster and finding that cute little housekeeper…

Hope she does windows!

I don’t know what the deal is…

I drink milk and get lots of calcium…and relatively speaking, I’m not very old yet.

And yet, I think that lately I have been getting shorter.

Because a few months ago when Asa stood beside me…he was up to my collar bone.

And today…he is half way up my neck!

So, there’s no other explanation…except that I must be getting shorter.

By the minute.

What am I going to do?!

All these “natural sugar” treats are soooo working for me around here.  They satisfy the sweet tooth…my kids love them…and I can feel good about us all eating them!

Here’s today’s recipe!

Coconut Macaroons

4 egg whites
1/4 t. sea salt
1/2 t. vanilla
2 T. arrowroot powder
1/2 cup real maple syrup (grade B is best)
2 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut

Separate eggs…putting the whites in a mixing bowl and the yolks in the fridge for tomorrow’s breakfast!

Beat the whites and salt with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. 

(I took this picture with my left hand while I beat my egg whites with my right hand.  But, I’m not trying to brag or anything…)  

Continue to beat and add vanilla, arrowroot powder and maple syrup, one at a time.

(I cannot brag about adding these ingredients and beating the egg whites and taking a picture all at the same time.)

(I mean, I could have… but I was too busy working on our taxes, practicing my latin skills and tayloring a new suit for my husband while I did this step.  I simply cannot do everything at once.)

Fold in the coconut.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes….then turn the oven to 200 degrees for one hour to let them crisp up.

These little treasures are so delicious!  

The hard part about making them is smelling them bake for a whole hour and a half….and not being able to eat them!

Ah, but your patience will pay off!

Enjoy!

Tomorrow’s natural sugar recipe will have something to do with bananas…as I have several around here who have seen better days. 

I’m thinking…hmm…banana cake?! 

I also plan to share with you some deep insights into why I hope to be like a banana someday. 

Deep.  Very deep insights.

Be sure to take a look at all of the great natural sugar treat recipes…and to keep coming back for more each day!

Guess what I’ve been doing the last several days…and what’s been taking up many of my hours…and what has been exciting and frustrating and fun and crazy all at the same time?!?!

I’m re-doing my whole HeavenlyHomemakers website!! 

It’s going to have a whole new look…and a whole new format!

I’m doing this so that it will be more user friendly for you…and so that it will be easier to maintain for me!

So, now you can get excited with me!  It’s going to be great!  I’m lovin’ the new look and I can’t wait to reveal it to you!

But…it’s not done yet…so you still have to wait….

Just a few more days…

March 1st is the big day!!!

In the meantime, just know that I’m furiously working on the website to get it ready by Saturday.

So, if my blogs are knot worded well, and if I don’t mak much cents win I’m righting,  it’s because my brain is a little fried from all the new things I’m learning and all the things I’m trying to do on the site.

But, thanks to Char…my friend and amazing website designer…it’s coming together!  (I keep asking her, “What do people do who have websites, but don’t have a Char?  Who do they ask all their questions to?”)

Okay…get excited with me…the countdown begins!

And, just remember what I’m doing so that you’ll forgive me if I’m blogging in the next few days and fail to complete a senten