The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

At My Sister’s House

My younger daughter is playing soccer this spring which is keeping us on the go! When we saw that she had two games in my sister's home city, the two of us were excited to plan an overnight trip to visit with Allison. The day before leaving, we got word that the games were cancelled due to rain, but my sis said, "Come on anyway!" And we did! It was a very quick and fun 24-hour trip. Allison and her family live in a beautiful older home in a historic district. The photo above is of the stone courtyard in back of her house. I took this photo looking out her back door. Such a lovely and peaceful spot under this gorgeous saucer magnolia! If I'm not mistaken, I believe she transplanted this ... Read more

February Fun

I’m late on completing a couple of posts I have in the works, one of which is my son’s birthday post from two weeks ago, but I wanted to pop in and give a quick hello. We are eagerly anticipating another birthday this weekend (my daughter is turning 21!) along with Valentine’s Day! The plans are low key, yet special, and it's always fun to plan menus and movies and bake festive goodies, no matter the occasion. So, in addition to our regular schooling and activities this week, the youngest two and I have been birthday shopping, gift wrapping, cake and cookie baking, and Valentine making!! After school today, we're getting out to make some early Valentine visits to the grandparents. Can't ... Read more

Red Velvet Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching so I thought today would be a good time to share a lovely red recipe. Red Velvet Pound Cake combines two Southern classics--red velvet cake and pound cake--into one sweetheart of a dessert! I shared this recipe several years ago on my old blogsite, but I think it is definitely worth repeating. And I can’t remember exactly where this recipe originally came from, but I’m guessing Paula Deen...maybe. Red Velvet Pound Cake Cake ingredients: 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened 3 cups sugar 5 large eggs 1 tsp. distilled white vinegar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 ... Read more

Sticky Situation

The dollar stores and craft stores have such cute wooden signs for holidays, don't they? They make fun additions to seasonal displays and vignettes. But one thing that bugs me is the stickers on the backsides that either don't come off completely or leave a sticky residue. Here's my quick solution I use on all my seasonal signs: Select a scrapbooking paper in a complimentary color and pattern. With a pencil, trace the outline of the sign onto the blank side of the paper. Cut along the outline, staying a little inside the line so the cutout will be a tad smaller that the sign. Spray some Craft Bond on the blank side of the paper. This is the side that will be bonded to the sign, ... Read more

Weeknight Fried Rice

Our family is in a season of busy, bustling weeknights with my teen daughter going to evening soccer practices, and my son taking taekwondo two nights a week. It's taken some trial and error, but I think we've finally settled into a workable dinner routine that still gets us together around the table with a homecooked meal most weeknights. In order to make this work, I'm always on the lookout for meal ideas that are quick to put together and easy on the budget, but still as healthy as possible. I recently tried this Ground Beef Fried Rice recipe from The Salty Marshmallow blog that uses ground beef, rice, and frozen veggies. Our whole family LOVED it so I just had to share the recipe ... Read more

A Little Heart and Home Refreshment

I find I always benefit from some midwinter refreshment for my heart and my home. The past week brought long days, exhausted bodies, and heartbreaking news. But it also delivered some much-needed midwinter refreshment by way of several blessings. The first boost was to my home. My husband and I got new carpet in our bedroom! Our old carpet had become pretty worn and beaten and made the room feel tired and yuck. I'm pretty excited about the new carpet. It's so fresh and the bedroom looks and feel so much better. The cat approves too, yet I have warned her about going to kitty jail if she starts picking and scratching at it. My heart received a much-needed lift when I joined ... Read more

7 Things by 7 Thirty

Many years ago, I heard someone say that how we spend the first two hours of our day can determine how the rest of our day will play out, and anything in our day that is a top priority should be done in those first two hours. At the time of hearing this, I already had an okay morning routine, but this piece of advice gave my routine a much better focus. I started to think about the things on my daily list that I will not have the discipline to finish if I don’t do them first thing in the morning, and came up with what I call my “7 Things by 7 Thirty”. I wake at 5:00 each morning and need to be mom of the house at 7:30, so that gives me 2 1/2 hours to get these 7 things done. Here they ... Read more

Fluff the Nest Friday: Purgo!

It's been a long time since I've posted a FTNF! But this post today is about more than a fluff. Let's talk New Year's PURGE! The Latin word PURGO means "I clean; I purge". It's not just a fluff. It's a total cleaning out. It's where our English word PURE is derived. And this week I've been working on purifying my 4-H: my house, my homeschool, my health, and my heart. We usually start our second semester of homeschooling the week immediately following New Year's Day, but having been out of town New Year's week, I wasn't able to get my usual mid-school year cleaning out and reorganizing accomplished. I know from experience that when I start a semester before my house, homeschool, ... Read more