The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Perfect Popcorn

Friday nights are what our family looks forward to all week! We don't watch television during the week, so we catch up on Friday night. We've worked hard and we're ready to crash and enjoy a relaxing evening. We start with pizza and a few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show followed by our movie-of-the-week. My husband never could watch a movie without popcorn (even at home), and he now has us all trained to expect the same. He makes the popcorn every Friday night and it's simply the best! Today I'm sharing his recipe. (You'll see my hands in the photos because he was sick this particular night so he talked me through it.) You'll need 1 cup of popcorn kernels, a blob of coconut oil, ... Read more

Makeshift Kitty Litter Box

My apologies for the topic of this post. If you're not a kitty owner, there are still some cute Floyd photos at the end. I'll try and keep this as polite and non-offensive as possible. I once said I would NEVER have a little box in my house. Pretty funny, right? Well, ok so I do have one now but this time I mean it when I say I will not ever have TWO litter boxes in my house, haha! I plan to have both cats eventually use the same litter box but have heard it's best to wait a month or two before new kitty invades older kitty's "powder room". Still, I don't want to pay for a new box now when they will end up only needing one in the long run. So, my solution was to make a temporary litter ... Read more

Snapshot Saturday

Hello, Saturday friends! I have several snapshots from our week. It was busy with work but also some nice little breaks and visits here and there. Kitten on the Keys We are having so much fun with our little animals. Floyd the kitty is just so funny! He zooms all around like a ping pong ball all over the house. I was in the kitchen one day and heard a plink-plink coming from the piano. I turned to see Floyd was tiptoeing across the piano keys, so I grabbed my phone and snapped a photo. What a cutie. ***** Tea with Friends My tea ladies met for lunch which is always a treat! We enjoyed a full lunch from scones to finger sandwiches to mini desserts. My tea blend of ... Read more

Fluff the Nest Friday: “Clean” Cleaning Products

Happy Friday! Are you fluffing your nest today too? We're getting ready for company this weekend so there will definitely be some fluffing going on here! Last week I shared about my Norwex cleaning cloths which I use on the daily with no spray or cleaning solution at all. They are amazing! But there are times in my cleaning when I need to use a spray with a paper towel or regular cleaning rag. Unfortunately, I can't tolerate most cleaning sprays on the market due to their strong smells. For years I was getting bad headaches very easily and one of the main culprits was my cleaning and laundry products because of the chemicals and fumes. For a while I just accepted it as part of the job. ... Read more

Bath, Body, and Beauty Products I’m Loving

Hello! I have some product recommendations for you today! Here are a few new-to-me items I'm currently loving for bath, body, and beauty. Eucalyptus and Spearmint Bath Soak My wonderful husband surprised me the week of my daughter's wedding with a "wedding week survival basket"! I know, he's the best! One of the items in the basket was this bottle of essential oil-scented Epsom salt from Bath and Body Works. A soak in the tub with a few capfuls of this stuff really soothes my aching back and neck. After using the first bottle and raving about it so much, my husband went back during Bath and Body Works's summer sale and got me 2 more bottles! Flamingo Razor The ... Read more

Teach Them Tuesday: Career Direct for the Homeschool Senior

Y'all, we have another senior! My kids are growing up! For those of you who also have a senior this year (or any high schooler), I'm just popping on here to pass on some information that was very helpful to us recently. Last spring, in preparation for this schoolyear and figuring out what courses she should take her senior year, we talked with our daughter a lot about her future after graduation. If she had some ideas of what she would like to do, she could select senior courses that would benefit her in her future pursuits. We found out about the Career Direct website and survey which helps you narrow down your fields of interest, and spent a Saturday afternoon helping her complete a ... Read more

Snapshot Saturday: Lovin’ Summer

Good Saturday morning to ya! Here is a snapshot of our week with just a few of the summery things I’m lovin’! Fresh Peaches I think peaches are the taste of summer! We haven't made it to our favorite Peach Park yet but it's on our bucket list and I've been purchasing peaches from Aldi to hold us over until we get there. We are eating them on salads, yogurt, cereal, and just by themselves! And because I'm in such a peachy mood these days, I brought home this peach candle, also from Aldi. It smells so sweet and summery! ***** Evening Glow I love to be outside at the end of the day when it's just about dark but not quite. The frogs, crickets, and cicadas are all ... Read more

Meet Liberty!

Ok, you're all going to think we have completely lost our minds since I just posted about our new kitten we got last week, but yes, we have a new puppy! She is my daughter's dog, and her name is LIBERTY because she came home the day before Independence Day. She's an Australian Shepherd and is utterly scrumptious and looks and feels like a stuffed animal. Just look at that happy face! So, are you wondering why we adopted two new pets in less than a week? Of course you are--because it's crazy. Let me explain. My husband and I have always tried to supply our kids with whatever resources they need to support their interests, hobbies, and ambitions. Whatever art supplies, books, tools, ... Read more