The first day of summer is technically June 21st, but here at the Gilkerson home we've already entered summer mode. Yeah baby! Time to open the pool and get some vitamin D therapy. I greatly enjoy our more relaxed summer schedule. The boys stay up later and sleep in later. We don't have as many weekly evening obligations. We don't school through the summer. It's a much more relaxed time of playing and having fun with my boys. Every year I say, "Oh, in the summer I'm going to do X, Y, and Z," and it seems that most years there are several between A to Z on my list that slip through the cracks. It's not that we don't ...Read More
Foods No-Brown Creamy Guacamole
This is my favorite no-brown creamy guacamole recipe. These tips will keep your guacamole from getting brown too quickly. And if you love creamy guacamole like me, this recipe will make you very happy. I love avocados. Not only are they a great source of healthy fats and vitamins, they're also delish. Avocados are perfect on burgers, chopped up in salads, and of course a bacon avocado salad is simply divine. But I can't help but think guacamole whenever I have a perfectly ripe, ready to use avocado. Health Benefits of Creamy Guacamole Avocados aren't just a tasty fruit though, they're also a powerhouse ...Read More
How Doctors Gamble With Your Health: Testing & Treating Hypothyroidism
Dragging into the doctors office, I once again brought the same complaints I had on prior visits. Weight gain Dry skin Body aches Extreme fatigue I was only 22, I was too young to be feeling this way. But still, once again I was met with the same old response. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're perfectly healthy." Except this time, I was armed with information. I had a checklist the nutritionist sent me with. It was a checklist that screened for hypothyroidism and I had checked 2/3 of the boxes on the page. I also had a list of tests I wanted the doctor to run (I had no idea what these were at the time, ...Read More
Not Your Grandma’s Apple Pie: Sugar-Free & Grain-Free Recipe
My mom makes the best pie (she learned from her mom, my grandma). That delicious flaky crust gets me every time. Unfortunately, I never did master the art of pie-crust making. And when I went gluten-free and cut sugar out of our diet...pie was off limits anyhow. Until now. This recipe isn't your grandma's apple pie, but it will put a smile on your face and please your taste buds just the same! Looking for gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked on. Apple Pie without the Sugar or Gluten? I know it might be too good to believe, but ...Read More
The Truth About Bundles: Amazing Deals or a Total Scams? {Warning: Life Changing Info Inside}
If you're like me, you're probably a bit skeptical of these "bundle" sales that have sprung up in recent years. How in the world could you actually get $100's of dollars worth of products up to 92% off? There has to be a catch, right? *Insert annoying buzzer sound* WRONG! How Can This Be a WIN-WIN? What's the Catch? Let me explain how this works out for everyone involved. Because really, it IS a win-win for all parties involved. The buyer (ie. you) wins in this deal because you get lots of crazy stuff, for a ridiculously cheap price. Seriously, the Build Your Bundle collections have $100's of dollars in ...Read More
10 Affordable Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for EVERY Mom!
Mother's day is coming up soon and if you're like me, you have ZERO idea about what to get your mom or mother-in-law...or maybe your wife? (Sorry mom, I love you, it's just hard to figure out what to get for such an awesomely perfect woman such as yourself!) Add to that, anything I can think of that is actually in my budget, is probably something she would purchase herself. So, what's a girl or guy to do for their mom when they're stumped? 1. The ULTIMATE Homemaking Bundle If you hang out around here for long, you have probably heard me talk about the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle. Well, that's a good place to start - ...Read More
Don’t Read This…Unless You Love a Bargain
If you're looking for resources to help you with homeschooling, faith, infant care, cooking, cleaning, creating the perfect schedule, working from home, and much, much more, read on... I know you're bombarded every day to buy something. But I'm going to level with you. The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is truly the ultimate value. I'm very frugal, and I wouldn't tell you I think this is an amazing value if I didn't truly believe it was. This bundle will more than pay for itself, even if you don't want to read ANY of the books. It's nearly $900 worth of stuff (when you include the bonus products—and the special freebie ...Read More
Sugar-Free Easter Baskets: 70+ Fun, Frugal, and Flavorful Ideas
Over the years our Easter baskets have undergone a metemorphosis. Just a few years ago, you would have found Easter baskets that were primarily packed with Reese's peanut butter eggs, jelly beans, and other junk. Yup, junk. That's just what you put in Easter baskets, right? But the baskets our kids will find this year don't resemble those of the past. An Easter without candy—that's crazy! What in the world do you put in a basket, if not candy? Well, you could start to look at dollar store trinkets. Umm...no. Who wants to fill a basket with junky trinkets that will end up in the garbage in a couple of days...or scattered ...Read More
