Successful Homemakers - Tips, encouragement, and community to help you be a successful homemaker

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The quintessential favorite cookie is chocolate chip. My Mom used to have treats waiting for us when we'd get home from school, and chocolate chip cookies were one of our favorites. While I think these cookies are great as is, dipped in a glass of ice-cold milk, you could certainly change it to suit your family's taste. Swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate. Or maybe white chocolate. Or leave the chocolate chip world altogether and mix in butterscotch chips. Maybe mix in chopped pecans or other nuts. Or mix in shredded coconut. Use this dough as a ...

Homeschool Planning Printables with HP ~ Successful Homemakers

It's back to school time! Planning our homeschool year is always a source of fun and excitement. We pull out the curriculum that we have on hand and begin to figure out our shopping list. Thanks to Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser for partnering with me to bring you these free homeschool planning printables. All opinions are mine alone. #CreateWithHP #CollectiveBias Back to school season is in full swing! While we are still on our break here, the aisles of the local stores are filled with school supply goodness. I admit that I have a certain weakness for school supplies, ...

Back to School Dual Enrollment Student Planner- free 20 page printable packet for dual enrolled and college students!

It's back to school time! This is one of my favorite times of the year! With a homeschool student that is also dual enrolled at our local college, it's more important than ever to be organized. The excitement of a new school year. New goals to tackle. New experiences to enjoy. Not to mention, all those new school and office supplies! The desktop computer in my office has seen its better days. It's beyond repairing and simply needs to be replaced. While I wait to save enough money to replace it, I'm working on a very old laptop or my husband's computer. This works fine, most ...

40+ Instant Pot recipes for summer BBQs. Make summer entertaining a breeze with these recipes!

This summer you don't have to give up your summer BBQs with friends and family! You can save time preparing delicious meals (meat, side dishes AND dessert!) by using your Instant Pot! If you are new to using an Instant Pot, be sure to check out these tips and download your free cheat sheets here! Instant Pot BBQ Meat Recipes Instant Pot Barbecue Ribs Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Sliders Coca Cola BBQ Ribs Instant Pot Beef BBQ Recipe The Best Instant Pot BBQ Chicken with Potatoes Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings Dr. Pepper Instant Pot Pulled Pork Instant Pot Root Beer ...

Easter Time Bunny Huts ~ Successful Homemakers

Easter decorations can be so fun to create! These Easter Time Bunny Huts will keep little hands (and not so little!) busy and make a great addition to your table! In case you haven't noticed, I love holidays and making treats to celebrate them. Since we make graham cracker houses at Christmas-time, I thought there should be something similar to create for Easter. I give you the Bunny Hut! Use this as a guide and personalize it. Here are the ingredients that we used: Easter Time Bunny Huts Graham crackers Nerds White Almond Bark Fruity cereal (like Fruity Pebbles, this bag came from the ...

French Dip Sandwiches are one of those dishes that are messy but oh so worth it! The delicious, tender beef, smothered with cheese, in a chewy bun, dipped into rich beef broth . . . YUM! The other day, I saw a video on Facebook (isn't that where much of our recipe inspiration comes from these days?!) showing a recipe for French Dip Sandwiches made in the Crock Pot. Except the recipe was simply adding two cans of stock and soup to a roast and cooking it. I'm more of a "from scratch" type of cook and try to avoid those type of recipes if I can. This is not to say that I don't enjoy ...

5 Simple Yet Satisfying Snacks- These five snacks are easy to make and satisfy a snack need.

When you want a snack, you usually want to get it quickly. Not some long, drawn-out kitchen time. Something satisfying yet simple to create. With summer coming soon, everyone will be looking for simple snacks that don't require a lot of kitchen time. These ideas are perfect- filling, yet easy to make. That's what this post is all about. Satisfying yet simple snacks. This past year has been a difficult one, to say the least. I used to enjoy spending many hours in the kitchen creating dishes. Today, however, I tend to prefer to get in the kitchen and get out. I've also gained quite a ...

5 Ways You Can Help A Grieving Mama Celebrate Special Days

This will be my second Mother's Day celebrated without one of my children. Our 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, was killed in a car crash May 1, 2017. I became a grieving Mama that day. It's been a very long year for our me and our family. Mother's Day, 2017, came merely 13 days after Natalie's death. It was our first holiday to try to "celebrate." We were all still in a state of numb, so we didn't expect too much of ourselves. We just knew that we didn't want to sit at home, staring at each other, with nothing to do. At my daughters' suggestion, we went to a place they had visited ...

It's Not Worth It- Don't Drive Distracted

Our precious 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, was killed almost one year ago in a completely preventable car crash that involved distracted driving. While there was more to this particular crash than simply being distracted, being distracted could have been a factor. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. I want to share with you a paper that my 14-year-old daughter, Mary, wrote for her college dual enrollment class on texting while driving. She had wanted to focus on distracted driving, but statistics for such a broad topic are not readily available. Texting is usually seen as the ...

One Big But Simple Step for Quality Sleep -- Quality sleep is so crucial to our health and wellness. A quality mattress goes a long way to ensuring quality sleep!

Quality sleep -- what does this mean for you? Getting enough of it is super important for your health and wellness. What's holding you back from getting the quality sleep you need? You’ve heard it said, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” Perhaps not the best use of grammar, but I think we can agree there is some truth there. Maybe you’ve personally experienced another truth about Mama’s happiness; If Mama ain’t rested . . . Mama ain’t happy! You know it. You’ve been there. Too many nights of too little sleep. You’re barking at the children instead of communicating, ...

7 Cost Increases to Prepare For Before Retirement

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Retirement is something we all need to prepare for and plan out. We also tend to stress over this more than nearly any other future event. We ask ourselves questions like, “Will I have enough money? What will happen if I outlive my money? What will the economy be like? Will I have Social Security?…

Easy Tips to Get and Stay Organized in Under 10 Minutes Per Day!

Easy Steps to Get and Stay Organized in Under 10 Minutes

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These easy steps to get and stay organized in under 10 minutes are a cinch to add to your routine. Who loves to come home to a clean and well-organized house? I know that I do!I know a few things about getting and staying organized. And I will let you in on a secret: I…

Winter Travel Preparations You Need to Make

Winter travel preparations done ahead of time can make the difference between arriving safely at your destination and being stranded on the side of the road. These preparations are simple to do, but oh so important! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FallForPennzoil #CollectiveBias…

Hearty Beef & Bean Chili Bar

Make hosting your next get together a breeze with this hearty beef and bean chili bar! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WasteNoPaste #CollectiveBias As the weather becomes more fall-like, like many others, I find myself cooking more comfort food. I also crave more…

My Top 12 Homemaking Hacks to Make Your Life Easier

Here are my top 12 homemaking hacks. These tips, shortcuts, and techniques all help to save me time in the kitchen. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FamilySavings #CollectiveBias My Top 12 Homemaking Hacks to Make Your Life Easier: 1. How to Speed-Clean the…

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Make Your Own Recipe Binder

Use these printables to create your own recipe binder. You can create a custom recipe binder for a child moving out on their own, as a gift for a new member of your family, or just to organize all of those recipes that you’ve printed and tried! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias,…

Gift Basket for the New Sewing Enthusiast

Do you have a new sewing enthusiast on your gift list? Maybe that sewing enthusiast is you? Here’s a great gift basket idea to give them a great start into the world of sewing. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StickItToLint #CollectiveBias Growing up, my…

Easy DIY Purse Organization

Purse organization is possible! You don’t have to dump the entire contents of your purse out to find that hair bob that your daughter needs! Special thanks to Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser for sponsoring this post on DIY purse organization! All opinions are mine alone. #GIVEEXTRAGETEXTRA #Walgreens #CollectiveBias Ever since my youngest outgrew the…

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7 Cost Increases to Prepare For Before Retirement

5 Ways to Build an Emergency Fund with Very Little Money

Building an emergency fund doesn’t have to feel like a wishful thought. Nor does trying to save your money have to feel hopeless. A huge thank you to Micah Klug of Home Faith Family for this guest post! As a child, my parents stressed the importance of saving money. They would always say, “There will be…

5 Easy Ways to Save in the Kitchen

These tips will save you time and money in the kitchen. Both of these are so very important to homemakers. Frugality is my middle name, and saving time means I have more time with my family. Win-win! 1. Use quality trash bags. In the name of frugality, I once tried cheap trash bags, and…

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Ugly Sweater Rice Krispies® Treats

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayTreatMaking #CollectiveBias The crafting bug has bit me big time this holiday season. Everywhere I look, I see a craft idea! The inspiration for this idea came from my daughters. They like to wear sweaters. Not cutesy…

Start a New Day After Thanksgiving Tradition

This year, start a new day AFTER Thanksgiving tradition. It’s the perfect day to slow down and enjoy a day of rest in the very busy holiday season. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HonestSimpleTurkey #CollectiveBias The holiday season is upon us. In our…

8 Ideas for St Patrick’s Day party fun!

While our family is not Irish, we do love a good reason to host a party! A St Patrick’s Day party is quite fun for the Irish at heart! I know there is great religious significance to March 17th, but for this post, I’m going to focus on the party aspect of this day….

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Sweet and Savory Strawberry Recipes

Freshly picked strawberries are a treat in and of themselves. Even the sweet scent of a strawberry field is enough to make your mouth water. The juicy strawberry is a popular fruit in many recipes from pies and cheesecakes to dips and smoothies. Strawberries are a versatile fruit and can be used in various ways when…

RITZ Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes

My all-time favorite dessert is salted caramel cheesecakes. My all-time favorite cracker is RITZ. For this recipe, I’m combining the two into a quick, easy to make dessert! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RITZpiration #CollectiveBias RITZ Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes: Whoever the person…

Your low carb diet doesn't mean that you can't have crispy chicken tenders! Give these tenders a try the next time you're craving fried chicken!

Low Carb Crispy Chicken Tenders

These low carb crispy chicken tenders are so easy to make and yummy to eat! Just because you are eating a low carb diet doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy crispy chicken tenders. These chicken tenders fit perfectly into your low carb diet. The bonus is that they are easy to make! Low Carb Crispy Chicken…

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

Homeschool Planning Printables with HP

Back to School Dual Enrollment Student Planner

40+ Instant Pot Recipes for Your Summer BBQs

Easter Time Bunny Huts

Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

5 Satisfying Yet Simple Snacks

5 Ways You Can Help a Grieving Mama Celebrate Special Days

It’s Not Worth It- Don’t Drive Distracted

One Big Yet Simple Step for Quality Sleep

7 Cost Increases to Prepare For Before Retirement

5 Quick & Easy Dinners for Busy Days

Easy Steps to Get and Stay Organized in Under 10 Minutes

Winter Travel Preparations You Need to Make

Hearty Beef & Bean Chili Bar

My Top 12 Homemaking Hacks to Make Your Life Easier

Make Your Own Recipe Binder

Gift Basket for the New Sewing Enthusiast

Easy DIY Purse Organization

7 Cost Increases to Prepare For Before Retirement

5 Ways to Build an Emergency Fund with Very Little Money

5 Easy Ways to Save in the Kitchen

Ugly Sweater Rice Krispies® Treats

Start a New Day After Thanksgiving Tradition

8 Ideas for St Patrick’s Day party fun!

Sweet and Savory Strawberry Recipes

RITZ Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes

Low Carb Crispy Chicken Tenders